Protect and Defend
Mitch Rapp novel # 8

by Vince Flynn

A nuclear facility in Iran has imploded.  The radical Iranian government blames the US and / or Israel for its destruction.  They demand retribution and apologies.   The U S president sends Mitch Rapp, the US's top counterterrorism operative, to investigate and put into place a plan to counteract the Iranian threat.  He finds that the destruction was the work of an undercover Israeli spy, not the result of an aerial bombing.  CIA director Irene Kennedy accompanies Rapp.  She is to meet with her counterpart, the Intelligence head of Iran, Ashani. At the conclusion of her meeting with Ashani, Kennedy is ambushed and kidnapped by Hezbollah terrorist  Makhtar.  Rapp must rescue Kennedy before she is tortured and forced to reveal the identities of undercover CIA agents.

This could be called a current event thriller.  The events evolving in Protect and Defend might well be the subject of tomorrow's headlines. The plot shows how one event can trigger a world wide catastrophe.  It is close to what is going on in Iran today.  We learn a great deal about the Middle East and its Dark Age mentality.

The action is fast paced,  The story is exciting with an excellent cast of characters, especially Rapp who is a killing machine who is willing to do anything to complete his mission  and protect his country. A good man to have on our side!!!

A quick read leaving the reader with the question of "When?" and "What if?"

Reviews of other titles in this series:

Protect and Defend #8
American Assassin #11
The Last Man #13
The Survivor #14
Enemy Of The State #16