Firing Point

Jack Ryan, Jr. #13

by Mike Maden, Scott Brick (Narrator)

Jack Ryan, Jr is out to avenge the murder of an old friend, but the vein of evil he's tapped into may run too deep for him to handle in the latest electric entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.

While on vacation in Barcelona, Jack Ryan, Jr. is surprised to run into an old friend at a small café. A first, Renee Moore seems surprised to see Jack, but then she just seems irritated and distracted. After making plans to meet later, Jack leaves only to miss the opportunity to ever speak to Renee again as the café is destroyed minutes later by a suicide bomber. A desperate Jack plunges back into the ruins to save his friend, but it's too late. As she dies in his arms, she utters one word, "Sammler."

When the police show up they are initially suspicious of Jack until they are called off by a member of the Spanish Intelligence Service. This mysterious sequence of events sends the young Campus operative on an unrelenting search to find out the reason behind Renee's death. Along the way, he discovers that his old friend had secrets of her own--and some of them may have gotten her killed.

Jack has never backed down from a challenge, but some prey may be too big for one man.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Audiobook, Action, Suspense, Adventure, Mystery Thriller

Audible Audio

First published June 9, 2020

About the author

I grew up working in the canneries, feed mills and slaughterhouses of California’s San Joaquin Valley. A lifelong fascination with history and warfare ultimately lead to a Ph.D. in political science focused on conflict and technology in international relations. Like millions of others, I first became a Tom Clancy fan after reading The Hunt for Red October, and began my published fiction career in the same techno-thriller genre, starting with DRONE and the sequels, BLUE WARRIOR, DRONE COMMAND and DRONE THREAT. I’m honored to be joining “The Campus” as a writer in Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Jr., series.

Reviews

[Joseph · Rating 2 out of 5]

By now, we are well aware of Jack Jr's many amorous associations. Thankfully, this installation of the long running series is light on JJ's romantic life. The book has a so-so story-line; villain bent on world domination, plot discovered, plot defeated by the good guys. Blah Blah Blah. To the publisher: these Jack Jr. novels just don't measure up. Jack Jr. always manages to make it out of his near death experiences, and each time he adds more indelible memories that he reflects on in future books. Why not tell of Kyle, Katie, or Sally's reaction to Jack Jr's secret life as a Campus operator?? Or even go backwards and detail some of the adventures Jack Ryan took part in before the fall of the Iron Curtain?? This story-line of the Iron Syndicate has worn out its welcome. Just a couple suggestions from a long time Clancy reader.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up as it was just added to overdrive. I haven't read this series aside from two junior novels. As a thriller it is a solid one. In Firing Point the bad guy was trying to ruin the global financial system, a good thriller with good action. It just hard to wrap my head around the fact that POTUS's son running around taking out bad guys.

[Larry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still a fan, have enjoyed other books more. Maybe I’ve changed during this pandemic, but the absence of the team, a good plot and engaging escalation left me flat on this...but that’s just me

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Mike Maden is the best to have ever written a Jack Ryan Jr. novel, each entry into for the franchise better than the one before, and 'Firing Point' is the best of his very good work. There were times when I felt like I was reading Clancy himself as Jack Jr, his presidential father and many other familiar faces battle foes on multiple fronts. Thoroughly enjoyable thriller.

[Steve Schlutow · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was not a very good book. I like the author, and many of his other books. This book—no. To much focused on Jack Jr. There are more and better characters in the Campus organization. The authors need to create another John Clark, I know there can only be one. That character is awesome. Jack Jr is NOT.

[Pierre Tassé (Enjoying Books) · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are better reads out there. How this got raved reviews I am not sure but anyways, can be read as a standalone...can also be skipped. I seem to have a song in my head that goes "where have all the good books gone, long time passing"...lol

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story! Action-packed from beginning to end!

[Nick Brett · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh dear. This is like when you buy a copy product in the supermarket and blame yourself when it isn’t that good. This isn’t that good. It repeats the failings of previous books…nobody comments on Jack Ryan having the same name as the President. Ever. Jack Jr is part of an elite team who ALL conveniently go on holiday and he gets into trouble but obviously doesn’t call it in. Far too much time is spent on Spanish history and a bit of a travelogue. The Jack senior stuff actually works quite well in terms of the character established over the books and there is a reasonable attempt to make this a Clancy style techno-thriller.
Jack Jr is on holiday in Barcelona when he bumps into an old friend, when she is killed in a bomb blast. Jack decides to investigate and find out why she died and if she was the actual target. So off Jack goes, obviously doesn’t call in any support but hooks up with his IT genius friend Gavin to look into things. Meanwhile a bunch of ships are being sunk and Jack Sr gets on the case (never really explained why they are being sunk by the way). Anyway Jack eventually stumbles on the big picture at about the same time as his Dad does, and in a fast moving climax to the book everything comes to a head. Actually a way to quick finish. The author takes his time throughout the book at a very steady and slow pace then suddenly decides to finish everything up in about 30 pages. It felt out of kilter with the rest of the book and much is unresolved or ignored. Oh, and John Clark gets involved in the final bit of action as if we have forgotten he has been established as being in his 70s….
It’s an easy read but an unsatisfying one and not a great addition to a series that just seems to repeat itself.

[Remo · Rating 1 out of 5]

De las peores que recuerdo. Jack Ryan Jr. En Barcelona, y el autor nos cuenta cosas sobre Cataluña y España:

“Then if you don’t mind my asking, what the hell is going on with the Spanish government? Why are they dragging their feet on this investigation?”
“Dragging their feet? It’s only been two days since Ms. Moore was killed, so if you’ll pardon my French, you need to cool your jets, son. Besides, this is Spain. Spaniards only have two gears in the gearbox: slow and siesta.

Spain was one of the last countries in Europe still struggling with women’s equality. On the surface everything was equal, but in reality, many people in the culture still held a paternalistic view of women

Imagínense, viendo el tamaño de la brocha con que pinta, el percal cuando se pone a explicar a los lectores el prusés y la idepandensia.

La historia, además, hace aguas por todos lados. A falta de 20 páginas para el final nos enteramos de que alguien ha robado 5 Billones (trillions) de dólares con un ordenador cuántico, y se resuelve en dos o tres páginas, estocada baja y palante. Los malos son hechos desaparecer convenientemente, los buenos no se despeinan. Absurdo.

Absolutamente prescindible.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I look forward to every episode of the Jack Ryan Universe thrillers...Each and every character has the heroic traits we all desire in our own people in our lives...Yeah, each of the stories are melodramas and we know good will triumph, but they are so much fun...With "Firing Point," number 29, Mike Maden has added another good one to the Tom Clancy legacy...Jack Jr., while on vacation in Barcelona, is almost killed by a bombing of a tapas bar that does kill a dear college friend and this launches him into a private crusade to find the killers...At the same time President Ryan is dealing with an international financial blackmail crisis that threatens the World's economy...Maden neatly brings both threads together by the story's climactic end...Great Summer page-turning thriller!

[Ed · Rating 3 out of 5]

#27 in the Tom Clancy/Ryan universe (#4 featuring Jack Ryan Jr. by author Mike Maden). As usual in this series, the book is lengthy (468 pages), unfortunately the length only gives the author space to insert additional muddled plot elements. Jack travels to Barcelona and after being caught up in a café bombing meets Spanish police agent Laia Brossa, their relationship bears a strong resemblance to Jack Jr.'s trip to Poland (Tom Clancy Enemy Contact (2019)) which introduced a new partner, Liliana Pilecki, of Poland's FBI equivalent. Much of the first 350 pages deals with the issue of Catalonian Independence which could have been dealt with in a chapter, eliminating a lengthy red herring. Likewise the issue of secretive blackmail of cargo ship sinkings. Unfortunately, that only leaves the RAPTURE / TRIBULATION issue whose characters motivation is questionable. the epilogue is a series hallmark. Lest this review give the impression that I didn't enjoy the book, let me set that straight. It was a fun read. Unfortunately, too many otherwise exciting sequences just didn't bear logical scrutiny.

Jack Ryan Jr. heads to Barcelona, Spain, for some vacation after an intelligence mission in South Korea. On his last day before returning home to Virginia, Jake is having a drink in a bar when he spots Renée Moore, a college classmate with whom he was once romantically involved. After chatting, the two agree to get together that evening. Seconds after Jake leaves the bar, the place blows up. Renée dies, but not before uttering a mysterious word: Sammler. Jack joins Laia Brossa, a Spanish Centro Nacional de Inteligencia agent, to hunt down the organization responsible for Renée's death. Meanwhile, someone is torpedoing container ships in the South Pacific.

[Ron · Rating 2 out of 5]

All over the map on this one. The author had so many random events happening, hard to follow.

Some reviewers were saying it was too short. Mixed opinion here. Trying to comprehend the tie in of all the events was short at the conclusion, but most of the book was too long. The focus needed to be narrowed.

Quantum physics is too confusing to begin with!

[Paul Parsons · Rating 3 out of 5]

The problem I'm having with several writers contributing to the Jack Ryan saga is the lack of character development. Sure the story can be exciting with danger and spys and all that but there seems to be a focus on the story of the moment with few strings to the past. Therefore, 3 stars.

[SteVen Hendricks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book Review - I really tried to like Firing Point but couldn’t for obvious reasons. Tom Clancy stories are the gold standard in the espionage thriller genre, but this one by Mike Maden was long-winded, way too high-tech and had too many logic gaffes that Clancy would not have allowed in his stories. For me, the biggest and most obvious in this book was - out of all the brilliant people in this story, ones that can build micro this and undetectable gizmos that, not one Could Figure Out That "Jack" Patrick Ryan Junior, a guy running around Spain screwing up bad guys' evil plans, is the son of "Jack" Patrick Ryan Senior - President of the United States and former CIA Director. And, Jack Jr. has that dang ‘JR’ after his name...go figure?! And of course this would be a minor point if not for the fact that it is a plot device that Maden stresses "They might find out who he is" "Hope his cover holds" and multiple references to the fact that so far Jack Jr. hasn't been found out because ‘He tells everyone he is a banker on vacation and his parents (POTUS and Dr. Ryan) painstakingly scrub Facebook and social media of all references to their kids. Really? This was an insult to the bad guys. The bad guys have access to advanced facial recognition equipment that can identify a Middle Eastern terrorist or a CIA agent in the middle of an Afghan training camp from a drone or satellite, but scrubbing Facebook of all mentions of your kids thwarts all attempts to identify them? There were other silly gaffes like this in this particular novel and it just seemed to bug me because I know Mike Maden is a better author than this. He did a fabulous job on “Point of Contact, “Line of Sight” and “Enemy Contact”. Unfortunately, he missed on Firing Point. I didn’t mind Maden turning the series from just espionage to espionage + techno-thriller but this one drug on too long until some action at the end. He lost me with “too much techno” speak and not enough action. I felt Firing Point was a poor imitation of his previous Tom Clancy books and I’m sadden to hear that it was his last Clancy book. Author Don Bentley is taking over the Jack Jr. series from here...

[lily · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book would make an excellent movie, like absolutely amazing movie that I would adore. just not a great book.

the plot line started off a bit wonky and just escalated throughout the book, the constant change of perspectives just made everything so confusing. each different perspective just didn't add to the plot and it felt like there were 5 different storylines going on.

so so confusing, but I definitely think if you got tom cruise to act as a lead role and made this a movie it would make millions, I can defiantly picture it being a brilliant movie, just not the greatest book.

[Hella Comat · Rating 4 out of 5]

The various locations - Spain, Pacific Ocean, Washington, Houston, Tennessee, and more - along with a dizzying array of technology contribute to a complex plan to cause massive unrest, financial ruin, and worldwide war.

[Andreas Tornberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mike Maden is the best in this franchise since Clancy himself and this is Madens best book. So sad this is his last one. Highly recommend this book.

[Tamara McKinney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this one and the mention of the Peloton!

[Monzenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Low four stars. The Jack Sr parts definitely outshone the Jack Jr parts. Discussions and debates about foreign policy implications have been my most enjoyable part of the franchise, a close second being the melding of different skillsets and third being a tie between the tech and the fighting. The presidential parts provided the first one, and this being a Junior novel means the third one, at least the tech, is covered. The others, well not so much. Add in the fact that the usual Junior elements are here (he has to have a love interest and a culture tour in every country he's in) means that this would likely land as an average Ryan universe book.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable fast packed action read with Jack Ryan. Jack runs into a
Friend in Barcelona while on vacation. Minutes after they say hello,and
Goodbye and she enters a building there is an explosion. Jack runs into
The building and finds Renee Moore and her her last word to him is
“Sammler”. This is a fast paced new adventure with Jack and his team.
I recommend this book with international intrigue, murder, and action.

[Fred Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boy, Clancy lives on with these great writers. Fantastic book.

[Rich Watson]

Bomb attack in Spain leads to finding and stopping computer security theft of 5 trillion dollars

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mostly centered in Barcelona, and extensively covering the topic of revolution in the story.
The novel highlights the ongoing struggle of Catalonian independence from Madrid. Jack Ryan was inspired to visit there from his college reading of George Orwell's Homage to Catalonia.
Barcelona is a highly charged, controversial area and provides Spain with a majority of its wealth and tax income. In 2017, Catalonia issued an independence referendum which passed by an overwhelming 90% despite Madrid's attempts to disrupt it. Madrid declared the whole thing illegal. The EU sided with Madrid.

(I really got into the background of this. So, the extensive notes begin here with a an outline of the history of revolution in and around Barcelona)

Spanish nationalist parties in Madrid wanted both order and central government, and saw Catalonian nationalism as a threat to the Spanish state. If Catalonia seceded, other regions in Spain might follow.
Europe and the rest of the world were struggling with the centralism-nationalism debate. The benefits of national and regional integration were obvious-especially for the political elites and transnational corporations but always at the cost of local identity and autonomy.
The subtext to all of this was the tendency of politicians on both sides of the Catalonian argument to exploit the passions of their people in exchange for their own political power. Separatist politicians weren't willing to accept Madrid's previous offers of even broader rights of Catalonian autonomy, even as Spanish nationalists stoked the fears of their followers in Madrid and elsewhere.

Politicians' tendency to serve themselves at the expense of their communities wasn't unique to Spain. The United States suffered too many such fools, playing to identity politics at the expense of the national interest.

Historical Background: In the 1930's, under the Spanish Republic, Catalonia was granted increasing autonomy, but the Spanish Civil war ended that dream. Catalonia had been the heart of the resistance to Franco's final overthrow of the Republican government in 1939. The Franco regime suppressed the language and culture for decades. The Catalonian language, Català, is a mix of Spanish, Italian and French and was outlawed by the facist dictator Franco, ruler of Spain from 1939 to 1975, under the assumed title of Caudillo.

Franco began his military career as a general who led the Nationalist forces over the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War.
Franco served in 1907 for the Kingdom of Spain until 1931, the Spanish Republic until 1936 and then the Spanish State until 1975. As a conservative, he resented the abolition of the Second Republic in 1931 but continued to serve in the Republican Army. He joined the July 1936 military coup which failed to take Spain and sparked the Spanish Civil War. In post civil war Spain, Franco ruled with more power than any Spanish leader before or since, and developed a cult of personality around his rule by founding Movimiento Nacional. During WWII he maintained Spanish neutrality but supported the Axis, whose members Italy and Germany had supported him during the civil war, damaging Spain's international reputation.
During the start of the Cold War, Franco lifted Spain out of its mid-20th century economic depression through technocratic and economically liberal policies, presiding over a period of rampant growth known as the "Spanish miracle". At the same time, his regime transitioned from being totalitarian to authoritarian with limited pluralism and became a leader in the anti-Communist movement, garnering support from the West, particularly the United States.

The dictatorship softened and Luis Carrero Blanco became Franco's éminence grise. Carrero Blanco's role expanded after Franco started struggling with Parkinson's disease in the 1960s. In 1973 Franco resigned as prime minister - separated from the head of state office since 1967 - due to advanced age and illness, but remained in power as the latter and commander-in-chief. Franco died in 1975, aged 82, and was entombed in the Valle de los Caídos. He restored the monarchy in his final years, being succeeded by Juan Carlos as King of Spain, who, in turn, led the Spanish transition to democracy.
The legacy of Franco in Spanish history remains controversial as the nature of his dictatorship changed over time. His reign was marked by both brutal repression, with thousands killed, and economic prosperity, which greatly improved the quality of life in Spain.
His dictatorial style proved highly adaptable, which enabled wide-sweeping social and economic reform, while consistent pursuits during his reign centered on highly centralized government, authoritarianism, nationalism, national Catholicism, anti freemasonry and anti-Communism.

Since Franco's death, Catalonian rights had been largely restored, and Català was now the primary language taught in its schools. Despite these reforms, Catalonian nationalists pressed for complete independence from Spain and the creation of an independent Catalonian state. Other regions in Spain, particularly the Basque, had expressed similar desires decades before and resorted to a bombing campaign that was ultimately subdued by Madrid.


Other Areas or stages include the South Pacific, particularly the area around Vladivostok, the largest city and administrative center of Primorsky, Russia. Located around the Golden Horn Bay on the Sea of Japan, it is the second largest city in the Far Eastern Federal District, as well as the Russian Far East, after Khabarovck, and is the largest Russian port on the Pacific Ocean. It is also the terminus of the Trans-Siberian RR. HQ of the Russian Federation Navy's Pacific fleet.
Russia operates a class of subs known as Kilo class. Prior to that, they had a nuclear sub class, Oscar, and in it, a sub called Krasnodar. Venezuela and the Philippines have interest in purchasing some of these hi tech subs. Venezuela using them to protect an alleged coup attempt backed by the US.

Memorable line : How's the weather?
Swampy with yellow rain in the forecast and a shitstorm on the horizon.

The book, Battle for Spain had a memorable line - the Spanish civil war was the only war in which the losers got to write the history. (Antony Beevor)
The Spanish Civil War was the only war in which the losers got to write the history, and he's right.
In the West, we saw that war as purely good versus evil— freedom-loving Republicans fighting a hopeless war against Franco's unbeatable Fascists. A real David versus Goliath story. If Americans know anything about that war it's based on the book or the movie For Whom the Bell Tolls by Hemingway. Sens dubte" terribly romantic and tragic, which is very Spanish.
It wasn't an accident Gary Cooper got cast for that film. He's an actor who played a lot of American cowboys. The whole movie plays like a western. Americans love underdogs. The Republicans play the role of the helpless peasants fighting shoulder to shoulder with the International Brigades for democracy. They're up against Franco's Fascist war machine backed by Hitler's Condor Legion and Mussolini's Blackshirts.
Which was true, but not the whole truth. The Republicans fought the Fascists, yes, but they were also murdering each other. The Spanish Stalinists were the worst. Their goal was to advance the interests of the Soviet Union, not Spain, and they imprisoned and killed the Spanish communists and anarchists who actually wanted a real socialist revolution here.
Crimes were committed by both sides, though far worse by the Fascists."
But that's only the tip of the iceberg. It's the contradictions of that war that tell me the most about it.
Franco claimed to be fighting for Catholicism but his crack troops were Riffian Muslims. He also claimed to be fighting for Spanish nationalism but his military campaign relied heavily on German and Italian troops and arms to win.
At the same time, the Republican loyalists claimed to be fighting for freedom and democracy against Fascism while they were murdering priests and nuns, burning churches, and slaughtering their political opponents. Worse, all of their material support came from Stalin, the most murderous tyrant in modern European history.
It was a very difficult and confusing time for families. In some, one side fought for the Republic, and the other side fought for Franco.
"I even had a grandfather who fought with the División Azul in Leningrad for Hitler but he was no Nazi and no Fascist. He was just a poor man who couldn't find any other way to feed his empty stomach. He used to joke how expensive the terrible German rations were."
"The Germans made him pay for his rations?"
"No, the Russians did. He lost his left eye to shrapnel, and three fingers of his right hand to frostbite." She laughed. "That never stopped him from sleeping with many beautiful women."
"The bottom line for me is that it seems like a lot of what's going on in Barcelona right now is still connected to the civil war."
Brossa nodded. "Yes, it is. The independence issue was important for us before la guerra and it was never fully resolved, and really, neither was the war itself. Do you know that there are still two hundred thousand Spaniards lying in unmarked graves from the civil war? Can you imagine such a thing in civilized Europe?"
Jack's mind drifted back again to the slaughter of the Yugoslavian civil wars-and every other holocaust that had swept the continent since the Thirty Years' War. "Civilized Europe has been a slaughterhouse since before they invented the word Europe. The reason Europeans have dominated the globe for the last five centuries is because they have a particular genius for organized violence."
"The Spanish Civil War reminded me that history repeats itself."
"When the people believe the justice system is no longer just, that the politicians are above the laws they make, that the government serves the interests of the ruling class instead of the middle and working classes; and when the history and culture and language of the people are denigrated and denied-these are the conditions that make a society ripe for civil war."
"You have just described the feelings of millions of Catalonians," Brossa said as she took her last sip of coffee.
"Not just here. It's a movement sweeping all over the world. And I suspect it might even change the world, sooner rather than later."
"For better or for worse?"
"The jury's still out on that one."

[Jaume Ayala · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised this time Jack Ryan is in Barcelona where I live and that gave me plus interest for this book.
Although not everything is accurate (Spain is not a Republic since early 20th century and not sure independentist catalan movement can be used as kind of local terrorist group since there have been never any violent act from their side), always good using my city as scenario for major part of the story.
This time there is a main critical situation in Jack Ryan's hands and while nobody can tackle it, his son Jack Jr is unexpectedly involved in the same situation from other side.
While Jack Ryan Jr is alone mainly the entire story with little support from Gavy once he is back in the US, at the end there is small action with al Campus team involved.

[Jack Mulcahy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's clancy what can I say.

[David Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kept my attention. Strong finish

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Jack Jr. story that was pretty entertaining and had a good finish. It seems though, every woman that Jack Jr runs into was a long lost love that his parents know nothing about. I’m ready for more stories that are not so centered on Jack going off the rails. Give me more Campus, more Clark and/or Ding. Less Jack Jr, less Jack meets old girlfriend, she dies, and he just can’t leave it alone.

[Mike Bagian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book overall

[Marek Mackiewicz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like not enough groundwork was laid for justify why the villain was the villain. It seems like they were chosen purely for the shock value.

Edit:
Relistening to this book with my wife has made me realise how poorly written it is. I downgraded it to two stars rather than one, because the overall concept for this story is not bad, but I feel that not enough stops have been pulled to galvanise it.

[Rusty Burlingame · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost didn't read this book in the Tom Clancy series because the last two by Mike Maden were pretty bad. They were practically travelogues and not action novels.
This one was pretty good! Based on the last two it exceeded my expectations. Action throughout. A few plot holes and eye rolls, but not half bad. A fast read. Fun, even.