People who took themselves too seriously not only were no fun, but could also be very dangerous.—Brad Thor, Path of the Assassin.
I read Brad Thor’s debut, The Lions of Lucerne last year (originally published in 2002). I was obviously late to the party, but I was excited to find a new political thriller author. In Path of the Assassin, Navy Seal turned Secret Service agent Scot Harvath is taking on one of the world’s deadliest terrorist organizations. After rescuing the President from kidnappers, Harvath vows to capture or kill those responsible for the plot. A trail of clues points to Hashim Nidal, the planet’s most ruthless terrorist, who has assembled an international league of Islamic terrorist networks to topple both Israel and America.
Only one person can positively identify Nidal—a public relations expert and hijacking survivor. Together, Meg and Scot must untangle a web of global intrigue stretching across four continents—from Macau, Jerusalem, and Chicago, to Libya, Capri, and Rome—to prevent the Arab world from going to war with Israel.
Path of the Assassin is action-packed, engrossing, and suspenseful, but much of the plot is implausible. Harvath’s civilian sidekick would have never been brought into the CIA to identify a terrorist. She certainly wouldn’t have been put through the rigors of training and then put in harm’s way. I guess we don’t read thrillers for their realism. Farfetched as it is, the book is highly entertaining, and I look forward to reading the next installment. 4 stars.
Publication Date: January 2003
Genres: Thriller, political thriller, suspense
Read-alikes: The Overton Window by Glenn Beck, Dead or Alive by Tom Clancy; American Assassin by Vince Flynn, Split Second by David Baldacci.
** If graphic violence troubles you, take a pass on this novel.