Tom Clancy's Op-Center: Call of Duty

Tom Clancy's Op-Center #21

by Jeff Rovin

In Call of Duty , this race-to-the-finish thriller in the bestselling Tom Clancy's Op-Center series, an attempt to exfiltrate a Chinese scientist threatens to incite war between China and the United States.

When the launch of their powerful new hypersonic missile ends in destruction, the Chinese government needs someone to blame. Was it a failure of engineering, or sabotage? The chief engineer on the project, Dr. Yang Dàyóu, is targeted as the scapegoat and arrested―unable to help his family as they are hunted down by the military.

Op-Center’s Lt. Grace Lee is sent to China on a solo reconnaissance mission, but when she sees an opportunity to free the imprisoned scientist, she seizes it. With Lt. Lee on the run and the Chinese military at her heels, Director Chase Williams sends the rest of Op-Center to Mongolia as an extraction team. Meanwhile, Dr. Dàyóu’s son has aligned himself with a dangerous group of counterrevolutionaries hellbent on dismantling the Communist regime, putting his father’s life―and his own―in jeopardy. The Black Wasp team races to rescue their colleague and her high-risk companion without setting off an international incident that could leave China ready to release their greatest weapon yet.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Audiobook

352 pages, Paperback

First published May 31, 2022

Reviews

[Kym Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since I'd already checked this book out from the library, I decided to keep it and read it anyway. I didn't pay attention that this book was actually written by Jeff Rovin and not Tom Clancy. Somewhat disappointing.

Still, this thriller includes a whirlwind of lies, spying, deception, encrypted data, espionage, and invasion. The launch of a powerfully new hypersonic missile ends in destruction but no one knows whether it's human error or sabotage. Thus, the Chinese government needs a reason, or a person to blame for this failure. The Chief Engineer of this failed project is Dr. Yang Dàyóu, who became their targeted scapegoat and was arrested.

Later in the story, Lt. Grace Lee from Op-Center is sent to China on a solo reconnaissance mission. When she sees an opportunity to free Dr. Dàyóu, however, she seizes it. There are no timeouts in the field. Did they solve more problems than they created? Interesting storyline, but I guess it wasn't quite the thriller I'd anticipated.

[Jodie | GeauxGetLit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Clancy at his best.

[Jeremy Peers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tom Clancy's Op-Center: Call of Duty is the 20th in the series and the second book of Jeff Rovin's I have read. While not as good as the previous book, The Black Order, Call of Duty is still a fun, intelligent, fast read with plenty of action to keep the story moving along. If you aren't familiar with the Op-Center books, the team is exactly that. They are a small, nimble, adaptable force and rely on each to achieve their objectives. In Call of Duty, the organization is forced to play politics and are ordered to send one operative, Grace Park, on a solo mission into China. Against orders, two members of Op-Center head to Mongolia so Park isn't totally alone and left to fend for herself. That, is when this story really takes off.

If you enjoy Clancy's books then you will definitely want to read Op-Center: Call of Duty! Rovin stays true to Clancy's characters while employing more technology than fans might be used to.

Thank you to Jeff Rovin, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Tom Clancy's Op-Center: Call of Duty.

[Joseph · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book to be a big disappointment. I mean, the plot was weak, the characters not believable, and the narrative really dragged at times. The one redeeming factor was the inclusion of Black Wasp, the tip of the spear black ops team run by Admiral Chase Williams. So, unless you are a diehard fan of the series, I would recommend passing this book by.

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

50/50 - Needed more of a wrap up ending.

[Eddy Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won my copy from good reads first reads. Good series. Keeping the legacy of Tom clancy going.

[Sheldon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Get the engineer out. Ok they do. Big deal! This one is like reading so many others. Ok, at least the hero is a heroine. Get yourself a few meaningless but fun hours out of this one.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got a copy of this book for free from a Goodreads Giveaway. I've never read one of these Tom Clancy's Op-Center books, and after receiving it and learning more about the series, it looks like this is the 21st book in the series. I always get nervous when I read a book that is part of a series because some authors write in a way where you need to read the previous books to understand what is going on. The good news with this one is it works perfectly as a stand alone novel even though it is part of a series, which made me really happy as I wasn't planning on reading the previous 20 books. However, after reading this one, I have to say, I will probably pick up some of the others.

I really enjoyed this novel. It is what I would call the perfect book for me. I'm a big fan of these action novels that involve some type of black ops force that no one knows about going out and doing something heroic. I've always enjoyed reading books like that, so this one was perfect for me. Jeff Rovin does a great job of setting the scene by alternating between two different storylines that eventually merged. I found myself actually caring about the Chinese engineer, Dr. Yang, and his family and wondered how things would play out in the novel for them.

I will say the pacing moved rather fast, which isn't necessarily a bad thing depending on how you like your plots playing out. I thought there there would be a bit more to the store, but the mission in the book hits the ground running and never really slows down. It is a page turner because of that. I started reading this last night and got about 60 pages in. I picked it up again today and was able to finish. I don't know if that counts me as a fast reader or not, but I really wanted to see how this played out. I consider that a win with the writing because it really pulled me into the story.

And since this is a book about an American black ops team, the author made sure there was plenty of political posturing and threats included. I think this is a staple of any good political thriller out there. If there isn't someone in the book making some crazy move that might get them removed form their position than the book isn't worth reading. At least that is how I feel when I read these. It is kind of cliché, but I'm all for it because I am always rooting for the person that decides their position isn't worth saving if they can't complete the mission at any cost.

I got the sense at the end that there was a bit of setup for the next novel, and I'm hoping to see another one of these come out down the road. I'd love to see what comes next for the Op-Center group, and I guess I'm going to have to pick up some of the earlier books in this series after enjoying this one as much as I did. If you like political thrillers than I recommend giving this one a go because it was pretty good.

[SteVen Hendricks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Review – Tom Clancy’s Op-Center: Call of Duty – Jeff Rovin
“Tom Clancy’s Op-Center: Call of Duty,” Book 20 in the Op-Center series, has an interesting and appealing storyline and good strong characters, but it wasn’t quite the super exciting spy-espionage thriller that I had anticipated it to be. Don’t get me wrong, author Jeff Rovin wrote another true to the Clancy-style spy novel, but it wasn’t as good as the previous Op-Center books – “The Black Order,” “God of War,” and “Sting of the Wasp.” Those books focused heavily on the exhilarating actions of the Black Wasp special task force paramilitary team. Call of Duty does that as well but with more of a geopolitical, technology-laden, intelligence gathering plot. It's a race-to-the-finish spy thriller with an attempt to exfiltrate a Chinese scientist that is serving as a scapegoat for the failed launch of a powerful new Chinese hypersonic weapon. Op-Center sends a female operative to China on a solo reconnaissance mission, but when she sees an opportunity to free the imprisoned scientist, she takes it and this is where the action begins. On the run now with her high-risk companion, The Black Wasp team races to rescue their colleague and the scientist, trying desperately not to set off an international incident with China. Again, the story has strong characters, plenty of cool technology, lots of politicking and sufficient action. I consider Op-Center Call of Duty a satisfactory and suitable read, especially for Tom Clancy Op-Center fans.

[Mike Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Revisiting this series after reading the first ten in the series that started back in the mid nineties. The book revolves around a small secret government agency, Ops Center. I could say the main character/hero of this book is Grace Lee, Op Center Lieutenant, who is sent alone into China to gather information on a failed missile test. While in China, she decides to amend the mission as events begin to move fast on the ground. Meanwhile back in the states the director of Op Center is dealing with a President and National Security Advisor who are trying to reel Op Center in.

I thought this was an above average novel. It’s not overly long, but there is a lot going on in a short amount of time. I thought the characters were solid. Grace Lee heading back to the homeland of her parents was a need angle. The story surrounding the main scientist and his family was well thought out and intriguing. The political side back in the states was a little cliche, but it added drama to the overall story.

Overall this book is fast paced and draws you in. I wouldn’t say this book is as good as the Jack Ryan/Jack Ryan Jr series, but it is still good none the less. If you like a good thriller this book is well worth your time. Thank you to @StMartinsPress and @Netgalley for a free advance copy for an honest review.

[R.J. Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you for the book Goodreads.

Tom Clancy's OP-Center Call of Duty is part of a series I had never read before, but that didn't stop me from enjoying this story. OP-Center is a team of three military experts who go and do what the US President wants. Now a new President is in charge who doesn't understand their ways, which is changing the team's dynamics. There is a lot of political posturing. The first half of the book is the team preparing for the mission, but once they finally get to China it is a pretty good adventure story. One of the team goes to China to see why a rocket test failed and ends up smuggling a scientist and his family out of the country. I would have preferred less politics and prep and more mission but all in all this was a pretty good read.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

I used to enjoy Tom Clancy's books a lot. However, I don't like when someone writes a novel using another's name for the fame. It cheapens the story as far as I am concerned. If you are a good writer, then create your own stories.
I will say that it's a pretty fast read. He uses way too many acronyms in the book. I mean really, who's he trying to impress? As far as the rest of the novel it's the same old crap, different names and not very original.
I must thank goodreads for the Advanced Reader Copy. So glad I did not spend money on it.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my first “Tom Clancy” novel in quite a while. There was technical real world stuff, commentary on actors and power mongers running the government and only Chase Williams and his team risking life and limb for the good of the country. Lots of action, some cool martial arts stuff from Lt Grace Lee and some fun side characters in Mongolia. Good guys kick butt and come home unscathed. Not a bad story. I would like more depth to the characters but maybe if I’d read more of the prior novels they’d feel more complete.

[L Brandt · Rating 1 out of 5]

This will be my last Tom Clancy novel. He used to write wonderful stories: intricate, detailed with characters that I could care about. This had none of that. This has become a franchise with a recipe storyline. Half way through the book, I had trouble remembering who the characters even were--and had zero reason to care about them. The plot plodded along. I had to force myself to finish reading and was relieved when I could finally call it "done". Clancy's done for me. I am sorry that publishers destroy the good names of authors like this: establish a franchise and farm it out. Boo. Hiss.

[Dun's]

DNF at 50%. I tried. I stopped and restarted.

The fact that I decided to quit annoys me since I usually enjoy mission-driven thrillers. The story and characters just didn't fully engage my attention. Too many acronyms and job titles that I feel would not have much effect on the plot if they were edited out.

Thank you for the ARC that I received via Goodreads giveaways. Publication date: May 2022.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Op- Center Call of Duty is the 21st book in the Op Center series. The Black Wasp team needs to get a Chinese scientist out of China with minimal support from the U.S. government. The book is full of suspense and excitement. Fans of Tom Clancy will enjoy this thriller..
I was given an ARC of the book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
#netgalley
#opcentercallofduty
#tomclancy
#spies
#thriller
#jeffrovin

[Pennie Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fast paced political thriller that took place in China. This took us across the China landscape involving black ops and the Chinese government. A team is searching for a disavowed Chinese engineer and his family. I have not read a Tom Clancy book in a LONG time and I will have to fix that immediately!

**Received this ARC for review in audio from the publisher via NetGalley**

[Marci Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love me a military spy thriller! And this one did not disappoint! I love even more that the ass-kicker was a woman of color and she totally kicked ass and took names with her teammates as backup! And that those politicos in the background were not able to get their backstabbing done! I can't wait for the next installment of this series to come out!

[T Skrodzki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not worth the cost

Easy reading, under 400 page novels shouldn’t cost $14.22. I’m reading several books a week by other authors whose names aren’t tied to Clancy for $4-5. They are well written and entertaining.

[J. B. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not Worth Writing About

This book is a real clunker. The characters, with one or two exceptions have no depth and aren’t very realistic. Likewise the plot. I’ve read some of the earlier Op Center issues. This one isn’t in the same league, not even close.

[Anthony Philosophos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed Call of Duty. Rovin has followed the Tom Clancy style and impressed with a techno thriller. The book will keep the reader engrossed until the last page.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a fan of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan series for many years now. This book, although written by Jeff Rovin, doesn't miss a beat in continuing the story of Jack Ryan and his family.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this book through a Goodreads giveaway. I have not read it, but my mother-in-law did and really enjoyed it. After I read it I will amend add to my rating.

[Gloria Waters · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good effort just can't beat the original

[Hilal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cool book

[Fred Klein · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not very believable. this would have become an international incident or more serious. The characters are new to most of Tom Clancy's work.

[Tamra LeValley · Rating 2 out of 5]

It felt scattered in actions. Hard to explain.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won a copy of Tom Clancy's "Op-Center Call of Duty". It's the story about the special ops team taking risks spying in China. The story was mostly entertaining. I really enjoyed the first half of the book. The last section of the book had several scenarios that were hard to believe. It let me down.