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The Jack Ryan series just keeps getting better. Fast, intense, and packed with suspense, Act of Defiance reminded me of everything I loved about The Hunt for Red October.
The biggest surprise is Katie Ryan. President Jack Ryan’s youngest daughter, now a naval intelligence analyst, investigates why Russia’s newest submarine, the Belgorod, needs such enormous torpedo doors. What she discovers sends the Americans racing to locate a potentially devastating threat.
Giving Katie a leading role was a welcome risk that pays off beautifully. Her intelligence and determination bring fresh energy to a beloved series, and I loved watching her step out of her father’s shadow.
Navy veterans Brian Andrews, a nuclear engineer, and Jeffrey Wilson, a vascular surgeon and jet pilot with combat experience alongside a SEAL team, bring impressive credentials. Their expertise gives the action convincing weight, while the well-paced plot and sharp twists keep the pages turning.
The suspense builds steadily, and the last half is especially difficult to put down. Andrews and Wilson have injected new life into the series. Clancy fans are in for a treat.
** Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for a comp. Opinions are my own.