State of the Union kicks off with a ticking time bomb situation. Picture this: Russian agents playing hide-and-seek with 19 suitcase nukes across the United States. Fast forward twenty years to President Jack Rutledge being handed an ultimatum: inform the American people that the U.S. will withdraw from world affairs, remove its troops from all foreign countries, and surrender its seat in the United Nations (among other organizations).
If he does not do as he is commanded, sleeper agents will set off the hidden nuclear weapons. The president calls upon Navy SEAL turned Secret Service agent Scot Harvath who’s got just seven days to save the day.
Harvath teams up with beautiful Russian Intelligence agent Alexandra Ivanova and a highly trained CIA paramilitary detachment. He races from the corridors of power in Washington, D.C., to the streets of Berlin, the coast of Finland, and even the heart of Mother Russia before returning home for a final showdown.
This is my third book in the Scot Harvath series. State of the Union is not as captivating as the other two, but it was still good. Sure, it’s a high-octane thrill ride of espionage and possible nuclear annihilation, but Thor got carried away with the tactical details, and occasionally interrupted the plot’s flow.
Thor has crafted a likable hero you can root for. Harvath’s the kind of guy you’d want on your side in a brawl or, you know, a nuclear crisis. Word on the street is that Thor’s writing gets better with each book; I’m already eyeing the next in the series, Blowback. 4 stars.