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Terminal List #2
True Believer
In acclaimed author Jack Carr’s follow-up to The Terminal List, former Navy SEAL James Reece’s skill, cunning, and heroism put the US government back in his debt and set him on another path of revenge.
When a string of horrific terrorist attacks plagues the Western world during the holiday season, the broader markets fall into a tailspin. The attacks are being coordinated by a shadowy former Iraqi commando who has disappeared into Europe’s underground. The United States government has an asset who can turn the Iraqi against his masters: James Reece, the most-wanted domestic terrorist alive.
After avenging the deaths of his family and team members, Reece emerges deep in the wilds of Mozambique, protected by the family of his estranged best friend and former SEAL Team member. When a series of events uncovers his whereabouts, the CIA recruits him, using a Presidential pardon for Reece and immunity for the friends who helped him in his mission of vengeance.
Now a reluctant tool of the United States government, Reece travels the globe, targeting terrorist leaders and unraveling a geopolitical conspiracy that exposes a traitorous CIA officer and uncovers a sinister assassination plot with worldwide repercussions.
A high-intensity roller-coaster ride, True Believer explodes with action and authenticity that cements Jack Carr as the new leader in political thrillers.
When a string of horrific terrorist attacks plagues the Western world during the holiday season, the broader markets fall into a tailspin. The attacks are being coordinated by a shadowy former Iraqi commando who has disappeared into Europe’s underground. The United States government has an asset who can turn the Iraqi against his masters: James Reece, the most-wanted domestic terrorist alive.
After avenging the deaths of his family and team members, Reece emerges deep in the wilds of Mozambique, protected by the family of his estranged best friend and former SEAL Team member. When a series of events uncovers his whereabouts, the CIA recruits him, using a Presidential pardon for Reece and immunity for the friends who helped him in his mission of vengeance.
Now a reluctant tool of the United States government, Reece travels the globe, targeting terrorist leaders and unraveling a geopolitical conspiracy that exposes a traitorous CIA officer and uncovers a sinister assassination plot with worldwide repercussions.
A high-intensity roller-coaster ride, True Believer explodes with action and authenticity that cements Jack Carr as the new leader in political thrillers.
485 pages, Hardcover
First published July 30, 2019
About the author
Jack Carr
16 books5,615 followersJack Carr is a former Navy SEAL who led special operations teams as a Team Leader, Platoon Commander, Troop Commander and Task Unit Commander. Over his 20 years in Naval Special Warfare he transitioned from an enlisted SEAL sniper specializing in communications and intelligence, to a junior officer leading assault and sniper teams in Iraq and Afghanistan, to a platoon commander practicing counterinsurgency in the southern Philippines, to commanding a Special Operations Task Unit in the most Iranian influenced section of southern Iraq throughout the tumultuous drawdown of U.S. Forces. Jack retired from active duty in 2016. He lives with his wife and three children in Park City, Utah. He is the author of The Terminal List, True Believer, and Savage Son.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,646 reviews
September 25, 2019
Jack Carr returns with another explosive military thriller that pulls on his years in the field, as well as the current geo-political situation. After a stunning cliffhanger, Carr pulls readers right back into the middle of the story and continues to spin treacherous webs. James Reece is likely the most wanted man in the entire world, especially after his actions to destroy those who had his family killed. Armed with a terminal brain tumour, he has little to lose, but hopes to stay alive long enough to ensure no one bearing responsibility is still breathing. For the meantime, Reece chooses life at sea, sailing from the East Coast of the United States to the Eastern portion of Africa. Completely off the radar, it is Reece and the open ocean, for who knows how long. While he is battling the waves, a terror cell strikes numerous locations across Europe, though there is no one who has yet claimed responsibility. Reece is completely unaware when he lands in Mozambique and takes up helping an old friend keep the local poachers at bay, at least until he is hunted down by one of the people in his former chain of command. Interesting revelations come to light and Reece is brought back into the fold, if only temporarily. Armed with amnesty and a mission to track down those in charge of the terror cell, Reece heads to a black-ops site to train before being thrust into the middle of a deadly firefight that could have international ramifications and leave an indelible mark on how terrorism is portrayed. With little to lose, Reece finds himself being stealthy and cut throat all at the same time, though it may not be enough. Carr does a masterful job at balancing truth and fiction here, taking the reader deep into covert operatives and leaving them just on this side of what can be revealed publicly. Recommended to those who enjoy military thrillers that leave a realistic film on the brain.
I had the debut novel recommended to me by a friend on Goodreads and I could not read it fast enough. While I struggled to get into the mindset of this piece, when I was able to shake off my inner issues, I was fast enveloped into the wonders of this novel. Carr offers a wonderful way of exploring covert operations without getting too hokey. It would seem apparently that Carr uses James Reece as his alter-ego, telling his own story through the protagonist. While Reece has nothing to live for, he pushes on and finds a new lease on life, starting with some work in rural Africa. However, you cannot expect a man with such a passion for covert missions to disappear from the lifestyle with ease, which is easy to see when Reece is asked to come back and fight another day. Still emotionally fragile, Reece has a lot more left inside him before he is ready to give up. Other characters enrich the story in numerous ways, throughout the various turns the narrative takes. Carr encapsulates the story with effective characters and puts them into a variety of situations, all of which are sure to complement whatever James Reece might be doing at that time. The story was quite strong and developed at a decent pace. Carr’s ability to take the reader on a journey is like few others, which is further enriched by the obvious limitations put on him by the Department of Defence in the United States, who redacted portions of the manuscript (and which Carr has shown were removed in the final product). This injection of additional realism does not go unnoticed throughout, balancing nicely between the long and short chapters to keep the breakneck pace of the story as things progress. Carr has earned the right to be called an author in the know and I can only hope that his future writing projects are just as strong.
Kudos, Mr. Carr, for a stellar piece. Mitch Rapp and Scot Harvath do not hold a candle to James Reece, though he might let them carry his gear into battle.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
I had the debut novel recommended to me by a friend on Goodreads and I could not read it fast enough. While I struggled to get into the mindset of this piece, when I was able to shake off my inner issues, I was fast enveloped into the wonders of this novel. Carr offers a wonderful way of exploring covert operations without getting too hokey. It would seem apparently that Carr uses James Reece as his alter-ego, telling his own story through the protagonist. While Reece has nothing to live for, he pushes on and finds a new lease on life, starting with some work in rural Africa. However, you cannot expect a man with such a passion for covert missions to disappear from the lifestyle with ease, which is easy to see when Reece is asked to come back and fight another day. Still emotionally fragile, Reece has a lot more left inside him before he is ready to give up. Other characters enrich the story in numerous ways, throughout the various turns the narrative takes. Carr encapsulates the story with effective characters and puts them into a variety of situations, all of which are sure to complement whatever James Reece might be doing at that time. The story was quite strong and developed at a decent pace. Carr’s ability to take the reader on a journey is like few others, which is further enriched by the obvious limitations put on him by the Department of Defence in the United States, who redacted portions of the manuscript (and which Carr has shown were removed in the final product). This injection of additional realism does not go unnoticed throughout, balancing nicely between the long and short chapters to keep the breakneck pace of the story as things progress. Carr has earned the right to be called an author in the know and I can only hope that his future writing projects are just as strong.
Kudos, Mr. Carr, for a stellar piece. Mitch Rapp and Scot Harvath do not hold a candle to James Reece, though he might let them carry his gear into battle.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
October 11, 2022
Great second book of the series where James Reece fully redeems himself in the eyes of the US Government by helping them thwart an evil mastermind bent on world domination. In this book, Carr delves deeper into who Reece is by taking us onto his escape voyage by yacht and his time on a game ranch in Mozambique where he sets up an anti-poaching unit. He also introduces us to a rich new cast of characters on his missions, and all of them adds value to the series, I especially like Raife Hastings and look forward to reading more of him in the next books hopefully.
Along with the new characters, the minor characters that only has a few lines are again given great backgrounds that really takes the book up to another level. Carr's description of the events of the book and his knowledge of the kit used by the different characters is again great and he really takes you along on this journey of redemption.
The ending is also great again, and this time he leaves you hungry for more as there are some interesting loose ends that needs tying up. Great book and cannot wait to get the next book in the series.
Along with the new characters, the minor characters that only has a few lines are again given great backgrounds that really takes the book up to another level. Carr's description of the events of the book and his knowledge of the kit used by the different characters is again great and he really takes you along on this journey of redemption.
The ending is also great again, and this time he leaves you hungry for more as there are some interesting loose ends that needs tying up. Great book and cannot wait to get the next book in the series.
October 30, 2020
”The explosion was deafening. The market’s snowy cobblestone streets held thousands of shoppers and those closest to the van were simply vaporized by the detonation. They were the lucky ones. The steel shrapnel that had been embedded directionally into the explosive device raked into the crowd like a thousand claymore mines--killing, maiming, shredding, and amputating everything in its path, taking future generations before they ever existed. A joyful Christmas gathering was now a twisted war zone. Scattered among the wreckage of charred wooden shopping booths, broken glass, tangles of hanging lights, and broken tables were scores of the dead and dying.”
Acts of terror are something we’ve all become very familiar with. Even if we have been fortunate enough not to be directly impacted by an act of terror or have been spared knowing someone we care about who has been victimized by terror, we all see on the news cycle the carnage, the tears, and the helplessness of officials to stop it. Our security people have to be right every time; a terrorist only has to be lucky once. We have a generation now who has grown up in the age of terror. The genie isn’t going back in the bottle.
Mohammed Farooq, a former Iraqi commando, is the prime suspect in the recent series of terrorist attacks and a man quite capable of disappearing into the European underground. The CIA would like to talk to him, and there is only one man whom Farooq would trust enough to meet with...ex-SEAL James Reece.
There is one little problem with this...Reece is America’s most wanted domestic terrorist. In the first book in the series, The Terminal List, Reece, after losing his team in Afghanistan and his family back in the States to a hail of bullets, went on a vendetta that sliced out a “terminal” cancer in American politics.
He cut it deep. He cut it wide.
Meanwhile, James Reece is hiding, deep in the wilds of Mozambique with some friends who don’t care what he has done, but only care about the why. They run a hunting safari outfit that concentrates on culling the old animals and protecting the young animals from the ivory and trophy poachers who have a ready market in China for their wild game kills. Reece soon puts his tactical knowledge to work, using drones and other technologies to help catch the poachers before they can further devastate the wildlife. Jack Carr’s writing in this section makes me want to see a sunrise in Mozambique. He also brings up the fact that the Chinese have become very interested in “helping” African countries build infrastructure. I’ve talked to friends in Africa who are excited about this relationship with China, pushed more than a bit by their understandable anti-colonial feelings, but I will caution them that the Chinese are ultimately interested in appropriating as much of Africa’s natural resources as they can get their hands on. Old song, new record player.
I won’t get into big game trophy hunting, but people who follow my reviews will already know my feelings about that.
Jack Carr also takes a few swipes at President Carter because of some policy decision he made during the Rhodesian War. I don’t know what Carr’s feelings are about the current Republican administration because I don’t read his blog, but I do know that his fellow writer and good friend Brad Thor has left the Republican party and become an Independent. I know I have several Democrat friends who refuse to read Carr’s work, and a lot of that is due to the political polarization cursing this country, but they are missing out on some great thrillers. Carr is definitely more likely to point out, in his opinion, missteps by Democratic politicians than he is those made by Republicans, but if one can ignore those brief moments of political bias, the reader will be treated to plots ripped from the headlines and the actions taken behind the scenes that the press are not privy to.
Speaking of the authenticity of the Jack Carr books: ”Though this is a work of fiction, my past profession and its association security clearances require that True Believer go through a government approval process with the Department of Defense Office of Prepublication and Security Review. Their redactions are included as amended and remain blacked out in the novel.”
Despite his misgivings about his own country, Reece decides to help find the people behind the attacks. His friend Farooq can’t be the mastermind. As Reece starts to unpack the intel from the terrorist attacks, it becomes clear that the mover and shaker behind these events is a Russian mogul named Vasili Andrenov, who wants to benefit from the destabilized financial markets and use this fear to usher the hardliners in Russia back into power. The collateral damage of holiday shoppers doesn’t bother him. They are simply a bloody means to an end. To help, he has recruited an American named Oliver Grey, who has a government position that might prove useful. It soon becomes evident that Andrenov is willing to do the unthinkable, something that hasn’t happened since John F. Kennedy.
Reece still has the headaches that plague him in The Terminal List. ”They felt like a million small shards of glass grinding together inside his brain.” Just an added point of stress for the reader. Can Reece live long enough to pull the pieces together to stop this insanity? Situational awareness, something he learned in the SEALS, will be a key element in staying one step ahead of the diabolical plans of these insidious villains.
I really appreciate the fact that Reece is a reader. I laughed, joyfully, out loud at this.”I remember the stacks of books in your room in Baghdad. No one has brought that much reading material to war since Churchill.” Jack Carr has also been bitten by the book collecting bug. In the acknowledgments in the back of the book, he thanks Mystery Mike for helping him put together his first edition collection. I’ve certainly ordered several books from MM over the years.
So what do you say? Do you want to be in on taking down some bad guys? Remember and this is very important, always let James Reece go through the door first, but be right on his six.
I want to thank David Brown and Simon & Schuster press for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten and an Instagram account https://www.instagram.com/jeffreykeeten/
Acts of terror are something we’ve all become very familiar with. Even if we have been fortunate enough not to be directly impacted by an act of terror or have been spared knowing someone we care about who has been victimized by terror, we all see on the news cycle the carnage, the tears, and the helplessness of officials to stop it. Our security people have to be right every time; a terrorist only has to be lucky once. We have a generation now who has grown up in the age of terror. The genie isn’t going back in the bottle.
Mohammed Farooq, a former Iraqi commando, is the prime suspect in the recent series of terrorist attacks and a man quite capable of disappearing into the European underground. The CIA would like to talk to him, and there is only one man whom Farooq would trust enough to meet with...ex-SEAL James Reece.
There is one little problem with this...Reece is America’s most wanted domestic terrorist. In the first book in the series, The Terminal List, Reece, after losing his team in Afghanistan and his family back in the States to a hail of bullets, went on a vendetta that sliced out a “terminal” cancer in American politics.
He cut it deep. He cut it wide.
Meanwhile, James Reece is hiding, deep in the wilds of Mozambique with some friends who don’t care what he has done, but only care about the why. They run a hunting safari outfit that concentrates on culling the old animals and protecting the young animals from the ivory and trophy poachers who have a ready market in China for their wild game kills. Reece soon puts his tactical knowledge to work, using drones and other technologies to help catch the poachers before they can further devastate the wildlife. Jack Carr’s writing in this section makes me want to see a sunrise in Mozambique. He also brings up the fact that the Chinese have become very interested in “helping” African countries build infrastructure. I’ve talked to friends in Africa who are excited about this relationship with China, pushed more than a bit by their understandable anti-colonial feelings, but I will caution them that the Chinese are ultimately interested in appropriating as much of Africa’s natural resources as they can get their hands on. Old song, new record player.
I won’t get into big game trophy hunting, but people who follow my reviews will already know my feelings about that.
Jack Carr also takes a few swipes at President Carter because of some policy decision he made during the Rhodesian War. I don’t know what Carr’s feelings are about the current Republican administration because I don’t read his blog, but I do know that his fellow writer and good friend Brad Thor has left the Republican party and become an Independent. I know I have several Democrat friends who refuse to read Carr’s work, and a lot of that is due to the political polarization cursing this country, but they are missing out on some great thrillers. Carr is definitely more likely to point out, in his opinion, missteps by Democratic politicians than he is those made by Republicans, but if one can ignore those brief moments of political bias, the reader will be treated to plots ripped from the headlines and the actions taken behind the scenes that the press are not privy to.
Speaking of the authenticity of the Jack Carr books: ”Though this is a work of fiction, my past profession and its association security clearances require that True Believer go through a government approval process with the Department of Defense Office of Prepublication and Security Review. Their redactions are included as amended and remain blacked out in the novel.”
Despite his misgivings about his own country, Reece decides to help find the people behind the attacks. His friend Farooq can’t be the mastermind. As Reece starts to unpack the intel from the terrorist attacks, it becomes clear that the mover and shaker behind these events is a Russian mogul named Vasili Andrenov, who wants to benefit from the destabilized financial markets and use this fear to usher the hardliners in Russia back into power. The collateral damage of holiday shoppers doesn’t bother him. They are simply a bloody means to an end. To help, he has recruited an American named Oliver Grey, who has a government position that might prove useful. It soon becomes evident that Andrenov is willing to do the unthinkable, something that hasn’t happened since John F. Kennedy.
Reece still has the headaches that plague him in The Terminal List. ”They felt like a million small shards of glass grinding together inside his brain.” Just an added point of stress for the reader. Can Reece live long enough to pull the pieces together to stop this insanity? Situational awareness, something he learned in the SEALS, will be a key element in staying one step ahead of the diabolical plans of these insidious villains.
I really appreciate the fact that Reece is a reader. I laughed, joyfully, out loud at this.”I remember the stacks of books in your room in Baghdad. No one has brought that much reading material to war since Churchill.” Jack Carr has also been bitten by the book collecting bug. In the acknowledgments in the back of the book, he thanks Mystery Mike for helping him put together his first edition collection. I’ve certainly ordered several books from MM over the years.
So what do you say? Do you want to be in on taking down some bad guys? Remember and this is very important, always let James Reece go through the door first, but be right on his six.
I want to thank David Brown and Simon & Schuster press for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten and an Instagram account https://www.instagram.com/jeffreykeeten/
October 29, 2022
3.5 Stars
This sequel to The Terminal List tells the tale of James Reece and how he goes about living the rest of his perceived life span as his brain tumor slowly takes him down. He’s on the lam but finds a way to ultimately survive and eke out a rewarding life with the time he has left. What he doesn’t know is that a complex terrorist plot is in the works and of course, only he can possibly make things right.
Beware a very very detailed look at all the players involved, their history, their connection to Reece - from bad guys to past allies and how it all ties together - CIA betrayals, government disruptions, economic manulputions - so one greedy power hungry man can bring to fruition a decades in the making takeover.
Interesting with spots of intense action and violence with escalating higher and higher stakes that endanger hundreds of thousands of lives, this did drag in some spots for me and wasn’t as enjoyable as the first book. This was long (at times, too long) and basically, served as a set up for the next installment. Despite that, I won’t miss what’s in store for our undefeatable antihero and how he gets one of his enemies that got away.
This sequel to The Terminal List tells the tale of James Reece and how he goes about living the rest of his perceived life span as his brain tumor slowly takes him down. He’s on the lam but finds a way to ultimately survive and eke out a rewarding life with the time he has left. What he doesn’t know is that a complex terrorist plot is in the works and of course, only he can possibly make things right.
Beware a very very detailed look at all the players involved, their history, their connection to Reece - from bad guys to past allies and how it all ties together - CIA betrayals, government disruptions, economic manulputions - so one greedy power hungry man can bring to fruition a decades in the making takeover.
Interesting with spots of intense action and violence with escalating higher and higher stakes that endanger hundreds of thousands of lives, this did drag in some spots for me and wasn’t as enjoyable as the first book. This was long (at times, too long) and basically, served as a set up for the next installment. Despite that, I won’t miss what’s in store for our undefeatable antihero and how he gets one of his enemies that got away.
August 12, 2021
After an awesome cliffhanger James Recees is most wanted man in the world after his action taking revenge on those who killed his family, This time with a terminal brain tumor he has little to lose as he battles the terrorist cells.
June 3, 2019
After being held up by the Department of Defense’s Office of Prepublication and Security Review for over six months, former Navy SEAL turned top-notch thriller author Jack Carr’s highly-anticipated second thriller, True Believer, is finally set to storm its way into bookstores.
Following the explosive events of The Terminal List (2018), James Reece is the most wanted domestic terrorist on the United States’ watch list. Once a Navy SEAL commander, Reece previously uncovered a conspiracy that reached the highest levels of the American government, one that he set about exposing—which cost him everything he loved and cared about: his wife, their daughter, his teammates, and his career.
With nothing more to lose, Reece set out for revenge. After compiling a lengthy list of everyone and anyone who had a hand in the death of his family and his team, the highly trained, highly lethal commando went to work—crossing off every name on his list in the process.
Now, Reece is a broken man. Still dealing with a tumor that’s spidered its way into his brain, James finds himself alone on Bitter Harvest, a forty-eight-foot Beneteau Oceanis, bobbing his way across the Atlantic Ocean. Struggling to cope with everything that’s happened over the past several months, Reece stays off the grid, makes peace with his medical diagnosis, and spends the next four months slowly making his way to Mozambique, Africa, where he’s taken in by Rich Hastings, the uncle of James’ estranged best friend and former SEAL teammate, who runs a Safaris camp near Niassa.
Eventually, though he was careful and doing his best to lay low, Reece and some other members of Hastings’ crew have a run-in with some armed poachers, forcing Reece to flip the switch he’d spent the better part of a year trying to turn off. And when word travels that a badass nobody in the middle of the jungle threw down with some poachers, it doesn’t take long for Uncle Sam to track Reece down—only, instead of handcuffs, they’ve come knocking with an offer.
Unbeknownst to Reece, who hasn’t paid any attention to the news, a series of devasting terrorist attacks have rocked the Western world. It’s believed that the man behind the attacks is Mohammed “Mo” Farooq, an Iraqi commander who was once trained by American forces in the region. As it turns out, everyone who had a hand in dealing with Mo back in Iraq is now dead, except for Reece, who is offered a presidential pardon and a new job with the CIA in exchange for tracking him down and putting an end to the attacks.
Though he’s initially reluctant, Reece accepts the offer and heads out to complete his mission, which seems straightforward enough. Instead, all hell breaks loose, as he quickly discovers that things aren’t what they first seemed. Unsure whom he can trust, Reece travels around the globe chasing terrorists and, in the process, unearths another conspiracy that could set the world on fire . . . unless he can stop it.
Few authors over the last few decades have taken the genre by storm the way Jack Carr has. After releasing one of the best debut political thrillers in recent memory, Carr follows that up with another winner, though it’s a very different book than The Terminal List. Whereas his first book started fast—taking readers behind the scope as Reece fired his first shot of revenge—True Believer opens slower, following Reece as he learns to live again. Carr gives readers time to bond with his hero, in what ultimately proves to be the calm before the storm. And once the bullets start flying, you better hold on tight, because the action never lets up for a second—with Carr delivering the kind of adrenaline-inducing action sequences you’d expect from someone who knows that life intimately.
Beyond that . . .
Continue reading this review here: https://therealbookspy.com/2019/04/21...
Following the explosive events of The Terminal List (2018), James Reece is the most wanted domestic terrorist on the United States’ watch list. Once a Navy SEAL commander, Reece previously uncovered a conspiracy that reached the highest levels of the American government, one that he set about exposing—which cost him everything he loved and cared about: his wife, their daughter, his teammates, and his career.
With nothing more to lose, Reece set out for revenge. After compiling a lengthy list of everyone and anyone who had a hand in the death of his family and his team, the highly trained, highly lethal commando went to work—crossing off every name on his list in the process.
Now, Reece is a broken man. Still dealing with a tumor that’s spidered its way into his brain, James finds himself alone on Bitter Harvest, a forty-eight-foot Beneteau Oceanis, bobbing his way across the Atlantic Ocean. Struggling to cope with everything that’s happened over the past several months, Reece stays off the grid, makes peace with his medical diagnosis, and spends the next four months slowly making his way to Mozambique, Africa, where he’s taken in by Rich Hastings, the uncle of James’ estranged best friend and former SEAL teammate, who runs a Safaris camp near Niassa.
Eventually, though he was careful and doing his best to lay low, Reece and some other members of Hastings’ crew have a run-in with some armed poachers, forcing Reece to flip the switch he’d spent the better part of a year trying to turn off. And when word travels that a badass nobody in the middle of the jungle threw down with some poachers, it doesn’t take long for Uncle Sam to track Reece down—only, instead of handcuffs, they’ve come knocking with an offer.
Unbeknownst to Reece, who hasn’t paid any attention to the news, a series of devasting terrorist attacks have rocked the Western world. It’s believed that the man behind the attacks is Mohammed “Mo” Farooq, an Iraqi commander who was once trained by American forces in the region. As it turns out, everyone who had a hand in dealing with Mo back in Iraq is now dead, except for Reece, who is offered a presidential pardon and a new job with the CIA in exchange for tracking him down and putting an end to the attacks.
Though he’s initially reluctant, Reece accepts the offer and heads out to complete his mission, which seems straightforward enough. Instead, all hell breaks loose, as he quickly discovers that things aren’t what they first seemed. Unsure whom he can trust, Reece travels around the globe chasing terrorists and, in the process, unearths another conspiracy that could set the world on fire . . . unless he can stop it.
Few authors over the last few decades have taken the genre by storm the way Jack Carr has. After releasing one of the best debut political thrillers in recent memory, Carr follows that up with another winner, though it’s a very different book than The Terminal List. Whereas his first book started fast—taking readers behind the scope as Reece fired his first shot of revenge—True Believer opens slower, following Reece as he learns to live again. Carr gives readers time to bond with his hero, in what ultimately proves to be the calm before the storm. And once the bullets start flying, you better hold on tight, because the action never lets up for a second—with Carr delivering the kind of adrenaline-inducing action sequences you’d expect from someone who knows that life intimately.
Beyond that . . .
Continue reading this review here: https://therealbookspy.com/2019/04/21...
October 27, 2022
Jack Carr takes great pains to establish his bona fides as a former Navy SEAL sniper and operator. He is to be commended and thanked for his sacrifice and service; however, like many series, this second book in the James Reece saga is not nearly as well crafted as the first.
Taken as a whole this is a worthy story with well developed plot. BUT - it takes 200 pages out of 450+ to get to the actual story. I honesty contemplated relegating this to the "could not finish" category, but persevered and finally was rewarded with an interesting read.
Yet there are a number of irritating and smug conventions that Carr uses - several times throughout the book he casts "shade" on other authors and characters, movies etc. for portraying the work of "warriors" in ways he seems to feel are disingenuous. Calling out Mitch Rapp and Scott Harvath specifically in one case - but then he falls back on the ridiculous "blacked out"/censored text trope when it is not necessary and adds little or nothing to the story - you could have left the "missing" words or even paragraphs out and not detracted from what was communicated - so what's the point? To make sure you know he's the "real deal"? Ha
Also Reece - the hero of the story - fluctuates from a stone cold killer to an almost puerile adolescent wondering about how to talk to a woman - and in the midst of an operation reflecting on people he's lost in his life. It seems a ham-fisted attempt to prove "real" Navy SEAL snipers are human.
I get it. As he states in the preface, he writes in part to deal with his own demons - but where were his editors? So much of the irritating stuff is unnecessary to the story and should have been caught by anyone reading for style and content.
Finally - the book does not stand alone - you HAVE to have read the first novel to understand this one AND there is a cheap set up for the next one sort of "tacked on" as an epilogue involving a character and plot line that for all intents and purposes was all wrapped up.
So - Mr. Carr, thank you for your service, but I'm afraid I'm done reading about James Reece. There are many others in this genre - including Rapp and Harvath that are part of far better crafted and more enjoyable reads.
Taken as a whole this is a worthy story with well developed plot. BUT - it takes 200 pages out of 450+ to get to the actual story. I honesty contemplated relegating this to the "could not finish" category, but persevered and finally was rewarded with an interesting read.
Yet there are a number of irritating and smug conventions that Carr uses - several times throughout the book he casts "shade" on other authors and characters, movies etc. for portraying the work of "warriors" in ways he seems to feel are disingenuous. Calling out Mitch Rapp and Scott Harvath specifically in one case - but then he falls back on the ridiculous "blacked out"/censored text trope when it is not necessary and adds little or nothing to the story - you could have left the "missing" words or even paragraphs out and not detracted from what was communicated - so what's the point? To make sure you know he's the "real deal"? Ha
Also Reece - the hero of the story - fluctuates from a stone cold killer to an almost puerile adolescent wondering about how to talk to a woman - and in the midst of an operation reflecting on people he's lost in his life. It seems a ham-fisted attempt to prove "real" Navy SEAL snipers are human.
I get it. As he states in the preface, he writes in part to deal with his own demons - but where were his editors? So much of the irritating stuff is unnecessary to the story and should have been caught by anyone reading for style and content.
Finally - the book does not stand alone - you HAVE to have read the first novel to understand this one AND there is a cheap set up for the next one sort of "tacked on" as an epilogue involving a character and plot line that for all intents and purposes was all wrapped up.
So - Mr. Carr, thank you for your service, but I'm afraid I'm done reading about James Reece. There are many others in this genre - including Rapp and Harvath that are part of far better crafted and more enjoyable reads.
October 2, 2022
This is one good thriller. I love the second part of this book when James Reece was back in the game. It was action packed!
In the first half, you get to know James Reece as a person as he set sail across the Atlantic escaping the US government as the most wanted domestic terrorist. He spends a significant alone time recollecting his past.
It's a solid book, but because I only finished the first book, The Terminal List, a month before the recap in the first half was still all fresh to me.
The story and detail were excellent so much so there were parts, even paragraphs that were blacked out by DoD. I'm so curious as to where the black site may be among other things!
In the first half, you get to know James Reece as a person as he set sail across the Atlantic escaping the US government as the most wanted domestic terrorist. He spends a significant alone time recollecting his past.
It's a solid book, but because I only finished the first book, The Terminal List, a month before the recap in the first half was still all fresh to me.
The story and detail were excellent so much so there were parts, even paragraphs that were blacked out by DoD. I'm so curious as to where the black site may be among other things!
March 21, 2021
This book was [REDACTED]. And we get it, Reece loves honey in his coffee.
July 8, 2024
The biggest disappointment of the year. I gave the first book five stars and was sure the second book will be a ride comparable to the first book. Dnf. Slow, tedious, uninteresting. I just read such books for pure action, for fun, but I got a dull descriptions of the characters' lives. How looked the life of a general, or Reece's friend, or when he is alone on a boat where nothing really happened, he was only immersed in his thoughts. This book is not for me.
January 7, 2021
True Believer, number 2 in the James Reece series.
Firstly may I say, not as explosive as the first in the series. Started the series with such a powerful fast paced and action packed book, very hard to keep to those high standards, but still a good four star book.
Following his brutal quest for revenge, former Navy SEAL James Reece has fled the United States, emerging deep in the wilds of Mozambique. But he can’t stay hidden for long – when a string of horrific terrorist attacks plagues the Western world, the CIA tracks him down and recruits him.
The strength in this book is the last 60% of the book, starts of slow, yes I understand why, but the pace is heavy to start with in the wilds of Mozambique.
Now a reluctant tool of the United States government, Reece must travel the globe, targeting terrorist leaders and unravelling a geopolitical conspiracy that will have worldwide repercussions . This is where the story really takes off.
A great character, powerful story, second half of the book is action packed. Maybe a little overlong.
Again, very cleverly the author pins you down, you just have to read the next one...
James Reece is another character I will happily follow among my huge list of great action authors.
Looking forward to the television series.
Firstly may I say, not as explosive as the first in the series. Started the series with such a powerful fast paced and action packed book, very hard to keep to those high standards, but still a good four star book.
Following his brutal quest for revenge, former Navy SEAL James Reece has fled the United States, emerging deep in the wilds of Mozambique. But he can’t stay hidden for long – when a string of horrific terrorist attacks plagues the Western world, the CIA tracks him down and recruits him.
The strength in this book is the last 60% of the book, starts of slow, yes I understand why, but the pace is heavy to start with in the wilds of Mozambique.
Now a reluctant tool of the United States government, Reece must travel the globe, targeting terrorist leaders and unravelling a geopolitical conspiracy that will have worldwide repercussions . This is where the story really takes off.
A great character, powerful story, second half of the book is action packed. Maybe a little overlong.
Again, very cleverly the author pins you down, you just have to read the next one...
James Reece is another character I will happily follow among my huge list of great action authors.
Looking forward to the television series.
Read
October 23, 2020I read the first one in this series, too, and I'm really bothered by this author's notion that one well-trained, well-armed American man can kill his way to justice, first for himself, second for his friends, and then in the next book for his nation. It's the nation of laws versus the nation of men argument, or in this case, man. It's vengeance porn. The style is also pretty pedestrian, as in cardboard characters and wooden dialogue. I read these books because a friend of mine raved about them, but I'm done now.
August 7, 2021
It twas a good book. My problem is I liked it when he was in Africa hounding the poachers and thought he should have stayed there and lived happily ever after.
January 16, 2020
This is one of the best novels I’ve ever read. When people talk about the best thriller authors ever, typically you hear Clancy, Flynn, and Thor. However, there are very few books that have ever captivated me in so many ways as TRUE BELIEVER. There is a certain emotion that Carr is able to drive into this book that I haven’t felt in a long time. The only time I can recall feeling so emotionally invested in a story is when I read Flynn’s Transfer of Power when Rapp is in the WH and has to help Anna Reilly and then in his book Consent to Kill. I don’t know how Carr managed this, but this novel is incredible. I found that Carr’s amazing debut novel, THE TERMINAL LIST, was a pedal to the metal novel that was a sprint from the first word; however, he slowly ramps up the action in TRUE BELIEVER. I often dislike thrillers with slow starts, but this one kept me fully engaged the entire time. The book is so good, interesting, and obviously written by someone who not only knows what they’re writing about but also understands the human condition. I loved this book and the writing from start to finish. This jumps easily and quickly to one of my favorite thrillers of all time. Carr will go down in history for (t)his novel(s), and when talking about the best thriller authors ever, he should be in the discussion. I am amazed at what he’s done in only two novels and I can’t wait to see what he has in store for the thriller community in the future. This novel proved that, although there will never be another Vince Flynn, there are novels and authors that, to me, are on the same level as his and him. Great thriller Jack!
December 29, 2020
The continuing story of James Reece. Opens with him on the stolen sailboat crossing the Atlantic, solo. Other portions of the beginning involve a Russian oligarch and his greed. Lots of backstory here. The meat of this story gets started about a third into the novel. And even at that point there is a whole lot of weapons porn for those who are into that kind of thing. Written for Carr’s fellow ex or current SEAL team members. The average thriller reader could care less if a weapon uses 5.56 or 4.60 rounds.
Gets to be rather bogged down at times, but eventually Carr gets back on track.
Being a big fan of Wilbur Smith’s tales of Africa and hunting, Reece’s adventures against the poachers in Mozambique were worth the price of admission to this.
Gets to be rather bogged down at times, but eventually Carr gets back on track.
Being a big fan of Wilbur Smith’s tales of Africa and hunting, Reece’s adventures against the poachers in Mozambique were worth the price of admission to this.
August 9, 2019
Slow paced book #2 in the series.
April 23, 2020
I am a huge fan of The Terminal List, jack Carr's debut novel. I ranked it as #3 book I read in 2018 out of the 94 books I read that year. It was simply fantastic. A balls to the wall thriller that doesn't let up from start to finish.
So when I was fortunate enough to receive an Advanced Reader Copy of Jack's second novel, True Believer, I was thrilled and couldn't wait to dive in. I had very high expectations that this would be one of the better books I picked up in 2019. Let me tell you, True Believer delivered to those expectations and then some. It's simply fantastic.
In this review, I won't write about True Believer's plot or specific characters in order to avoid spoilers. But here are my observations on why I loved this book:
1. Jack Carr shows his evolution and range as a writer. As mentioned above, The Terminal List was a full-on action packed thriller from cover to cover. True Believer is different. It has more depth and purpose. It has more deliberate character and plot development. It has more operational details. And it has more complex emotions.
2. Whether intentional or not, I see influences from other great writers in the genre come through in True Believer. Weapons detail, slow and steady building of the plot towards a big action sequence, operations precision and character development all have elements of Tom Clancy, Daniel Silva, Vince Flynn and Brad Thor. The Mount Rushmore of spy thrillers. Anytime you can compare a book to the works of other great writers, you know you're reading something special.
3. This felt like the true origin story for James Reece. The Terminal List is a critical part of James' backstory, but his development in True Believer and how this book ends feels like this is the beginning of a long and illustrious franchise that will be talked about as one of the best in the genre.
I could go on and on, but I'll end it with saying that if you're a spy/military/thriller genre fan then you must pick up this book. You'll want to say you were on the Jack Carr bandwagon from early on, before he blows up further and becomes huge. It's going to happen. This guy has the goods.
So when I was fortunate enough to receive an Advanced Reader Copy of Jack's second novel, True Believer, I was thrilled and couldn't wait to dive in. I had very high expectations that this would be one of the better books I picked up in 2019. Let me tell you, True Believer delivered to those expectations and then some. It's simply fantastic.
In this review, I won't write about True Believer's plot or specific characters in order to avoid spoilers. But here are my observations on why I loved this book:
1. Jack Carr shows his evolution and range as a writer. As mentioned above, The Terminal List was a full-on action packed thriller from cover to cover. True Believer is different. It has more depth and purpose. It has more deliberate character and plot development. It has more operational details. And it has more complex emotions.
2. Whether intentional or not, I see influences from other great writers in the genre come through in True Believer. Weapons detail, slow and steady building of the plot towards a big action sequence, operations precision and character development all have elements of Tom Clancy, Daniel Silva, Vince Flynn and Brad Thor. The Mount Rushmore of spy thrillers. Anytime you can compare a book to the works of other great writers, you know you're reading something special.
3. This felt like the true origin story for James Reece. The Terminal List is a critical part of James' backstory, but his development in True Believer and how this book ends feels like this is the beginning of a long and illustrious franchise that will be talked about as one of the best in the genre.
I could go on and on, but I'll end it with saying that if you're a spy/military/thriller genre fan then you must pick up this book. You'll want to say you were on the Jack Carr bandwagon from early on, before he blows up further and becomes huge. It's going to happen. This guy has the goods.
April 4, 2020
Reece is excellent. The hunt he is on has been a great ride, looking forward to book 3. There was a little slow spot at the beginning that kept it from getting 5 stars but it really took off. This series is so real that there are redactions made because they are too real. It feels as real as Clancy. That’s high praise from me.
February 20, 2023
Only difficulty I’ve had with Jack Carr’s second book, True Blood, in the six part series is reading before seeing the second season (not yet released). Saw book one, The Terminal List on Prime before finding out about this thriller. Influencing enjoyment of the first in a six pack series (final volume releasing in May) in a positive way which isn’t typical, for me.
Mr Carr wrote the story based on his special operations experience with Chris Pratt in mind to play Reese.
Periodically this story skips, “redacted”. Looked up why this occurs. Suspecting as a former soldier the author left in the government edits prior to publication for impact.
If you didn’t know, anyone who writes anything including information that requires a clearance like special ops missions is required to give the government the book or article to review.
I’ve never read anything an author didn’t edit out “redacted”. For me, this is gold. Given my clearance and experience appreciate the gap of information.
If you’re a life long civilian could imagine these bits of missing pieces. Absence adds excitement of speculation.
For the director of the series trust the details will be filled in for impact and the information won’t be lost on visual effects. Knowing the next five books including this for film will be as wild in eight episodes on Prime as the first am not feeling a loss without these held tight security secrets.
Guessing, redacted zones give the creative visual team for Prime a wide breath of interpretive options.
The omissions makes the story more believable. It did or could have really happened. Considering how crazy the action is in the first book and show I’m now wondering … could someone in the military actually pull off each one of those tactically wildly sometimes unbelievable missions?
Even though the show makes scenes looks far fetched from the first book redacted sections create conceivable plausibility. As is book two, True Blood.
My favorite difference in book one from the show, the ending. Book is WAY better. Curious how the second two will compare.
The idea it’ll take five more years to know makes me happy I’m a patient person. Even though I wanna know this year as my goal is to complete the entire series. Be ready for book six in May when released means I have 3, 4, and 5 to tackle asap.
Even though I liked book one better enjoyed it more with the blend of seeing the screen part first. Plus, knowing the author thoughts on creating the stories shared at the end of the book in his words on audio.
Not my typical genre’. Am a hooked hard bound series owner to include the special edition show release. My long term goal is an autographed copy of each.
My only disappointment, learned about the author, series, and genre’ as a result of the show. The best part is I didn’t have to wait for the next book. Imma knock these out like dominos.
Unlike Harry Potter as my son grew. We had to wait until he was almost outta high school before the final book dropped. That was an exciting time. This series invigorates similar enthusiasm. Voracious spirit to ride the series wave to catch up and prepare for book six. The final installment. Have about a hundred days to go. #IGotThis🙌🏼
Borrowing what audio are available from the library. Using audible tokens for the others. Ray Porter does a wonderful job adjusting his voice for various characters. Adding to the action.
For me, listening to this adds to the literary action. Adding a faster audio speed vibes intensity. Feels like I’m reading at a sprint through the bullets and explosions. Stephen King books have similar impact ramped up.
This book may be for you even if you’ve never read a military action thriller. If you’re patriotic and love the people who serve our country plus an occasional action film about soldier, Marine, sailor, or pilots this could be a series worth tackling. If you make it through book one may become addicted.
It’s difficult not to fall for a guy who serves the nation who’s lost his family and betrayed by his country with a brain tumor that was a result of unauthorized tests.
Reese is a hero to me. Antihero to others. A man who’s loss and pain unnecessarily imposed combined with highly trained skill blur lines of what society insist are right and or wrong depending on what side you’re on.
Even the best moral compass could find a new north learning this American servant’s story.
How do we judge a human being who’s sacrificed so much for the United States who in turn betrayed him?
Though the book and film adaptation vary sentiment remains strong for this main character’s journey.
Read and decide for yourself 📚
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💯🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
Mr Carr wrote the story based on his special operations experience with Chris Pratt in mind to play Reese.
Periodically this story skips, “redacted”. Looked up why this occurs. Suspecting as a former soldier the author left in the government edits prior to publication for impact.
If you didn’t know, anyone who writes anything including information that requires a clearance like special ops missions is required to give the government the book or article to review.
I’ve never read anything an author didn’t edit out “redacted”. For me, this is gold. Given my clearance and experience appreciate the gap of information.
If you’re a life long civilian could imagine these bits of missing pieces. Absence adds excitement of speculation.
For the director of the series trust the details will be filled in for impact and the information won’t be lost on visual effects. Knowing the next five books including this for film will be as wild in eight episodes on Prime as the first am not feeling a loss without these held tight security secrets.
Guessing, redacted zones give the creative visual team for Prime a wide breath of interpretive options.
The omissions makes the story more believable. It did or could have really happened. Considering how crazy the action is in the first book and show I’m now wondering … could someone in the military actually pull off each one of those tactically wildly sometimes unbelievable missions?
Even though the show makes scenes looks far fetched from the first book redacted sections create conceivable plausibility. As is book two, True Blood.
My favorite difference in book one from the show, the ending. Book is WAY better. Curious how the second two will compare.
The idea it’ll take five more years to know makes me happy I’m a patient person. Even though I wanna know this year as my goal is to complete the entire series. Be ready for book six in May when released means I have 3, 4, and 5 to tackle asap.
Even though I liked book one better enjoyed it more with the blend of seeing the screen part first. Plus, knowing the author thoughts on creating the stories shared at the end of the book in his words on audio.
Not my typical genre’. Am a hooked hard bound series owner to include the special edition show release. My long term goal is an autographed copy of each.
My only disappointment, learned about the author, series, and genre’ as a result of the show. The best part is I didn’t have to wait for the next book. Imma knock these out like dominos.
Unlike Harry Potter as my son grew. We had to wait until he was almost outta high school before the final book dropped. That was an exciting time. This series invigorates similar enthusiasm. Voracious spirit to ride the series wave to catch up and prepare for book six. The final installment. Have about a hundred days to go. #IGotThis🙌🏼
Borrowing what audio are available from the library. Using audible tokens for the others. Ray Porter does a wonderful job adjusting his voice for various characters. Adding to the action.
For me, listening to this adds to the literary action. Adding a faster audio speed vibes intensity. Feels like I’m reading at a sprint through the bullets and explosions. Stephen King books have similar impact ramped up.
This book may be for you even if you’ve never read a military action thriller. If you’re patriotic and love the people who serve our country plus an occasional action film about soldier, Marine, sailor, or pilots this could be a series worth tackling. If you make it through book one may become addicted.
It’s difficult not to fall for a guy who serves the nation who’s lost his family and betrayed by his country with a brain tumor that was a result of unauthorized tests.
Reese is a hero to me. Antihero to others. A man who’s loss and pain unnecessarily imposed combined with highly trained skill blur lines of what society insist are right and or wrong depending on what side you’re on.
Even the best moral compass could find a new north learning this American servant’s story.
How do we judge a human being who’s sacrificed so much for the United States who in turn betrayed him?
Though the book and film adaptation vary sentiment remains strong for this main character’s journey.
Read and decide for yourself 📚
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💯🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
June 28, 2022
TRUE BELIEVER was a meaty book with parallel storylines for the first half that upped the tension and separates Jack Carr from other in his genre. It's a great story that is wholly satisfying even though there was some dense information that had me rewinding a couple of times to make sure I understood. I think this book is actually better than the first even though it started a bit slower (but no less interesting.) My full review of this and TTL is on my Substack page here: https://murdershewrites.substack.com/...
August 8, 2019
I was disappointed in this book, because the author's first book was so good. This one took forever to get going, wasting the first half of the book on what felt like irrelevant (and uninteresting) meandering by the hero. It reminded me of Elmore leonard's advice on writing: "Skip the parts nobody reads." And there is way too much detail on weapons. I skip that, for sure. Story is all that matters, and Mr. Carr can tell a good one. I'll stick with him.
August 15, 2019
Lost the flow of the first book and does not keep up the tension. This is a fictional book so to black out portions only lends itself some sort of BS. Maybe an attempt to make the book more intriguing but I feel it detracts from the read. Overall I was disappointed with this novel and would have to say it doesn't live up to the advertising hype.
October 14, 2019
True Believer is a superb follow up to Mr. Carr’s debut novel, The Terminal List. True Believer packs exciting entertainment for fans of the action thriller genre, fusing realistic action sequences involving accurate details of weaponry and tactics, with hard hitting emotions that pave the way for the protagonist, James Reece, to wreak havoc on those who seek to do evil. *Background of The Terminal List and synopsis of True Believer below*
The Terminal List ended with James Reece on a voyage after having exacted his vengeance on those who had killed his family and his team. True Believer starts off with James Reece still at sea, unaware of the miracle that his tumor, as a result of illegal experiments done on him and his team, is in fact operable. While the beginning of the book is a slow burn, it is in keeping with Reece coming to terms with his death by the tumor, not knowing that it is operable. The sea voyage takes him to the wilderness of Mozambique, Africa, where he reunites with an old acquaintance who offers Reece shelter. Reece finds a new purpose in fending off illegal poachers on the Niassa Game Reserve. It is crystal clear from the descriptive writing of Mr. Carr that he spent considerable amount of time researching the fundamentals of how the game reserve works and the intricacies that come along with it. It is a calming experience being inside Reece’s head as he slowly but gradually finds a reason to hold onto life after his violent tragedy of losing his family. Mr. Carr writes this aspect beautifully, invoking strong emotions within readers as they read through the book.
Reece is inevitably brought back to the mission of good vs evil, as a diabolical plan hatched with political motivations comes to light, involving an exiled Russian who wishes for widespread ethnic cleansing of Muslims. The narrative of True Believer takes Reece all over the globe, including Turkey and Ukraine to name a few. The political and espionage cogs for the narrative seemed inspired by the cutthroat political workings witnessed in Vince Flynn, Kyle Mills, and Brad Thor novels. This made the read all the more interesting in terms of different narratives tying up at the very end for a satisfying and unpredictable climax, especially with a twist that readers will not see coming, something that drags Reece even deeper in his quest for vengeance at the end of this extraordinary thriller.
As a huge fan of action and tactics, I thoroughly enjoyed the tactical details infused action sequences where James Reece takes out bad guys in awesome and hard-hitting manner, without ever feeling detail encumbered in any way. True Believer packs fast paced shootouts that put readers in the front seat of stunning action sequences, ranging from long gun sequences to close quarters combat chaos. A huge step up from the extremely impressive debut, that was The Terminal List.
True Believer packs in strong emotions that hit like a freight train, fast-paced action, gritty narratives woven together expertly, and a protagonist that is one of the best there is in today’s genre of action badasses. I highly recommend True Believer for fans of realistic action thrillers infused with detailed tactical weapon systems, and redacted lines by the Department of Defense, which further adds to the credibility of Mr. Carr when it comes to knowing his home turf of the tip of the spear of the military and espionage world today. I cannot wait for the next book in series, Savage Son.
The Terminal List ended with James Reece on a voyage after having exacted his vengeance on those who had killed his family and his team. True Believer starts off with James Reece still at sea, unaware of the miracle that his tumor, as a result of illegal experiments done on him and his team, is in fact operable. While the beginning of the book is a slow burn, it is in keeping with Reece coming to terms with his death by the tumor, not knowing that it is operable. The sea voyage takes him to the wilderness of Mozambique, Africa, where he reunites with an old acquaintance who offers Reece shelter. Reece finds a new purpose in fending off illegal poachers on the Niassa Game Reserve. It is crystal clear from the descriptive writing of Mr. Carr that he spent considerable amount of time researching the fundamentals of how the game reserve works and the intricacies that come along with it. It is a calming experience being inside Reece’s head as he slowly but gradually finds a reason to hold onto life after his violent tragedy of losing his family. Mr. Carr writes this aspect beautifully, invoking strong emotions within readers as they read through the book.
Reece is inevitably brought back to the mission of good vs evil, as a diabolical plan hatched with political motivations comes to light, involving an exiled Russian who wishes for widespread ethnic cleansing of Muslims. The narrative of True Believer takes Reece all over the globe, including Turkey and Ukraine to name a few. The political and espionage cogs for the narrative seemed inspired by the cutthroat political workings witnessed in Vince Flynn, Kyle Mills, and Brad Thor novels. This made the read all the more interesting in terms of different narratives tying up at the very end for a satisfying and unpredictable climax, especially with a twist that readers will not see coming, something that drags Reece even deeper in his quest for vengeance at the end of this extraordinary thriller.
As a huge fan of action and tactics, I thoroughly enjoyed the tactical details infused action sequences where James Reece takes out bad guys in awesome and hard-hitting manner, without ever feeling detail encumbered in any way. True Believer packs fast paced shootouts that put readers in the front seat of stunning action sequences, ranging from long gun sequences to close quarters combat chaos. A huge step up from the extremely impressive debut, that was The Terminal List.
True Believer packs in strong emotions that hit like a freight train, fast-paced action, gritty narratives woven together expertly, and a protagonist that is one of the best there is in today’s genre of action badasses. I highly recommend True Believer for fans of realistic action thrillers infused with detailed tactical weapon systems, and redacted lines by the Department of Defense, which further adds to the credibility of Mr. Carr when it comes to knowing his home turf of the tip of the spear of the military and espionage world today. I cannot wait for the next book in series, Savage Son.
April 26, 2020
I’ve often thought with thrillers that the first book is more of a testing ground and that it’s usually book two that determines whether or not a series has legs. It happened with Jack Reacher in Die Trying, it happened with Pike Logan in All Necessary Force, and it happened here with James Reece in True Believer.
Not only is the plotting better—more typical of the other series at the top of their game—but the writing itself is better and more assured. And while the climax is a bit rushed yet again, the other set pieces were exciting and definitely surprising. Carr knows how to portray his hero crossing the line out of necessity with acts of violence so jaw-dropping that I have to a double take. The story is Grade A Top Choice political suspense mixed with a lot of lethal battles and missions.
I see good things going forward for this great kick-ass set of books.
Not only is the plotting better—more typical of the other series at the top of their game—but the writing itself is better and more assured. And while the climax is a bit rushed yet again, the other set pieces were exciting and definitely surprising. Carr knows how to portray his hero crossing the line out of necessity with acts of violence so jaw-dropping that I have to a double take. The story is Grade A Top Choice political suspense mixed with a lot of lethal battles and missions.
I see good things going forward for this great kick-ass set of books.
September 27, 2019
The pace of this book is absolutely glacial compared with the first. It reminded me of the time I attempted to endure Melville's whale tale. The character development is unnecessarily verbose and mostly boring. I wanted to like it, but it's 300 pages longer than it should have been. Reese limps back on the literary scene with a resounding 'meh' after an otherwise enthralling debut. Talk about a sophomore slump.. Let's hope the next offering is inspired by something a little stronger than honey flavored light roast.
May 4, 2020
Finally an eBook from the local library's digital lending system during the pandemic shutdown...Sequel to Jack Carr's "Terminal List"...Picking up the story with James Reece's escape from the United States after polishing off those on his list and his subsequent recovery in Africa working in a game hunting camp...The story of being found and brought back into American Spec Ops to target a Russian oligarch and his terrorist assets working to destabilize the West's economy...This stuff is right in my reading wheelhouse...loved it!
June 19, 2023
I love the terrorism vibe, but there was a bit too much-disjointed telling and many instances of "redaction" that got annoying. I would have rather had some of them removed in repetitive sections.
I wish more travel timelines and operations had more depth because it was easy to detach from something that should have triggered emotion in me.
Excellent addition to the military thriller genre, and Reece is a well-depicted character.
Most of my issues relate to personal experience with related topics, but I know some things can't be released in this forum.
Overall I wanted a bit better flow in some of the connecting sections.
4-4.5 Stars for me
I wish more travel timelines and operations had more depth because it was easy to detach from something that should have triggered emotion in me.
Excellent addition to the military thriller genre, and Reece is a well-depicted character.
Most of my issues relate to personal experience with related topics, but I know some things can't be released in this forum.
Overall I wanted a bit better flow in some of the connecting sections.
4-4.5 Stars for me
January 2, 2021
Former Navy SEAL Commander James Reece takes his coffee with cream and honey. He doesn't, however, take terrorism lightly. TRUE BELIEVER is the follow up novel to Jack Carr's TERMINAL LIST. Commander Reece finds himself in the employ of those that hunted him just months prior. Renewed friendships and tactical deployment fill this fast-paced thriller. Jack Carr's experiences serving his country shine through in vivid detail. Highly recommended? Affirmative, good copy.
October 10, 2019
First , let me say I gave Carr’s first novel “The Terminal List” 5 stars, and that’s rare for me. I looked forward to this second book. What a disappointment. I’m 60 pages and 13 chapters in and throwing in the towel. Short chapters, overly detailed descriptions of guns, jumping from London, to Nicaragua, to Virginia, to the Atlantic Ocean several times, to Switzerland, to Syria, to Africa! Add to that, we’ve jumped through at least 3 different decades...again, all in 60 pages and 13 chapters. Suffice it to say, there hasn’t been enough focus on one character, including the main character James Reece, to allow the reader to establish any connection or interest. I have very few books that I haven’t completed, but this is going to be one. Every time I pick it up and read another of the short chapters, there is nothing that makes me want to read the next one. Hoping Carr’s next thriller is recognizable as a thriller from the start.
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