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Book Review of Threat Vector (Jack Ryan Jr., Bk 4)

Threat Vector (Jack Ryan Jr., Bk 4)
reviewed on + 72 more book reviews


Long ago, Tom Clancy was able to capture the spirit of the common man and the drive to accomplish something important, when he created the character of Jack Ryan. Over time the shine of his books faded as the books became bloated with tech-speak and the characters become to stereotypical.

So, as the new series about Hendley Associates and Jack Ryan, Jr. became a new thread to follow, the thrill of the new characters did not compare to the early books including Jack Sr. This book may have changed that trend; sharing with us a Jack, Jr. who is acting rational and thinking adult thoughts.

The major focus of wrongdoing in this book are the actions of the Chinese military. Amazingly, as I read this story I could watch the news, and note the same precursors to the story's crises happening in real life.

Tom Clancy was a master at laying out a complete story with enough technical information to allow the reader to become a temporary expert and understand the technology. In Threat Vector the tech portions have been reduced to small amounts to let the story shine through. This was what the series should always have been. It is a shame that only at the end of his life the stories once again hit their stride.

Threat Vector is a typically lengthy story with a well developed plot and a short ending that ends with a tie-ing up of loose ends. Enjoy this book, knowing it was one of his last published.