Thursday, December 8, 2022

#Review - Savage Son by Jack Carr #Suspense #Thriller

Series: Terminal List # 3
Format: Hardcover, 432 pages
Release Date: April 14, 2020
Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Source: Library
Genre: Thrillers / Political

In this third high-octane thriller in the “seriously good” (Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author) Terminal List series, former Navy SEAL James Reece must infiltrate the Russian mafia and turn the hunters into the hunted.

Deep in the wilds of Siberia, a woman is on the run, pursued by a man harboring secrets—a man intent on killing her.

A traitorous CIA officer has found refuge with the Russian mafia with designs on ensuring a certain former Navy SEAL sniper is put in the ground.

Half a world away, James Reece is recovering from brain surgery in the Montana wilderness, slowly putting his life back together with the help of investigative journalist Katie Buranek and his longtime friend and SEAL teammate Raife Hastings. Unbeknownst to them, the Russian mafia has set their sights on Reece in a deadly game of cat and mouse.

As Jack Carr’s most visceral and heart-pounding thriller yet, Savage Son explores the darkest instincts of humanity through the eyes of a man who has seen both the best and the worst of it.  


Savage Son is the third installment in author Jack Carr's The Terminal List series. The book takes place 2 years after former Navy Seal Commander James Reese lost his entire squad, as well as his wife, & daughter, and went on a revenge trip to make those responsible. Savage Son starts off with Reece recovering in Montana after his successful brain surgery. Slowly putting his life back together, he still hasn’t committed to the CIA as they want him to, but he also hasn’t quit either. 

He trains daily, he lives off the grid, but those out there that James wants to kill know he will be coming after them, so they try to turn the hunter into the hunted. Meanwhile, CIA traitor Oliver Grey, who had a hand in the killing of Reece's father, and tried to kill Reece, seeks refuge with the Russian Mafia and attempts to use their vast resources to put James Reece down for good. But, even in Russia, those in power are cutthroat. Willing to expose those making power moves in order to capitalize on their failure and absorb their power.  

Gray works with Ivan Zharkov, to secure the attack, one that will require stealth, as Reece has proven elusive. Ivan approves an attack on Reece in Montana, but wasn't aware that reporter Katie Buranek, or Raife Hastings and his family would be in the area. But Ivan may not be a dangerous or a sociopath like his son Aleksandr. On an island off the coast of Siberia, Aleksander, who works for the Russian SVR, has captured a young woman he kidnapped and hunted her for sport. This is not the first, nor will it be the last time this happens. 

In fact, he hopes to lure either Reece, or his best friend Raife to the island so that he can find out who is the better hunter, and whether or not two former SEALS has what it takes to beat him. After the strike goes awry, Reece knows that he is in big trouble and will not be able to hide for much longer. So, while Raife is off trying to find out what happened to his sister, Reece must show how sharp he can be without being prepared with everything he might need.  

The novel itself was quite well paced, even as the reader must leap over some of the redaction pits placed throughout by the US Department of Defense which Carr is not a fan of. Apparently, as a former member of the military, Carr signed an agreement that he must go through the USDOD to make sure he isn't revealing classified information. He literally tells the reader that if you paid attention, you can figure out what was redacted. 

Savage Son explores the darkest impulses of the human psyche. Do they live in all of us, repressed by the comforts and technology of the day? Have we advanced beyond those more primal instincts and if so, who will provide for and defend the tribe? Civilized society tends to keep warriors at arm’s length, only turning to them in times of national emergency. Break glass in case of war. If you are a fan of writer Brad Thor, you should be reading this series.

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