American Assassin

By: Vince Flynn

Narrated by: George Guidall

Length: 11 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

Before he was considered a CIA superagent, before he was thought of as a terrorist's worst nightmare, and before he was both loathed and admired by the politicians on Capitol Hill, Mitch Rapp was a gifted college athlete without a care in the world...and then tragedy struck.

Two decades of cutthroat partisan politics has left the CIA and the country in an increasingly vulnerable position. Cold War veteran and CIA operations director Thomas Stansfield knows he must prepare his people for the next war. The rise of Islamic terrorism is coming, and it needs to be met abroad before it reaches America's shores. Stansfield directs his protégé, Irene Kennedy, and his old Cold War colleague Stan Hurley to form a new group of clandestine operatives who will work outside the normal chain of command - men who do not exist.

What type of man is willing to kill for his country without putting on a uniform? Kennedy finds him in the wake of the Pan Am Lockerbie terrorist attack. Two-hundred and seventy souls perished that cold December night, and thousands of family and friends were left searching for comfort. Mitch Rapp was one of them, but he was not interested in comfort. He wanted retribution.

Six months of intense training has prepared him to bring the war to the enemy's doorstep, and he does so with brutal efficiency. Rapp starts in Istanbul, where he assassinates the Turkish arms dealer who sold the explosives used in the Pan Am attack. Rapp then moves on to Hamburg with his team and across Europe, leaving a trail of bodies. All roads lead to Beirut, though, and what Rapp doesn't know is that the enemy is aware of his existence and has prepared a trap. The hunter is about to become the hunted, and Rapp will need every ounce of skill and cunning if he is to survive the war-ravaged city and its various terrorist factions.

Includes the first chapter from Vince Flynn and Kyle Mills' latest thriller, Enemy of the State!

©2010 Vince Flynn (P)2010 Simon and Schuster Audio

Suspensful, beautifully narrated, never disappoint

What did you like best about this story?

The plot and the narration

What does George Guidall bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

George Guidall brings the story to life. Unlike many other narrators, he delivers the story so smoothly, so convincingly, so seamlessly, that the listener doesn't hear George (other narrators can be heard breathing, trying too hard), they hear the story. George is a natural. Best narrator I've ever heard. I only search for books he narrates now.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

If you like action and thrillers, you can't beat this.

I loved it. I highly recommend this book.

suck it was fun energetic exciting and well read by the host. I am looking forward to checking out more of Flynn's books in the future.

A Perfect Start

If you could sum up American Assassin in three words, what would they be?

Exceptionally crafted storytelling.

What other book might you compare American Assassin to and why?

It's a little like Without Remorse by Tom Clancy. Much like John Kelly, Mitch Rapp is a noble protagonist motivated to reckon with those who've wronged him; however, American Assassin delivers the back-story to Flynn's earlier Rapp novels, making Rapp a fledgling right-setter in the early stages of his training and career. This adds depth and humanity to his character while his wounds are still fresh.

Which scene was your favorite?

The scene after Rapp's training where Hurley educates Rapp on his missteps on his first operation. The scenes where he sets the stage for Rapp and Richards in the car on their way to Hamburg are also wildly entertaining. Despite his rough edges, you can tell that Hurley has a sincere sense of honor and duty. Not only to his country and his job, but to those he's charged to train. Hurley is a real character -- your achetypical "old school" assassin who takes no lip and has no problem telling people what he really thinks -- and Guidall plays him to a tee.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The end, although a little anti-climactic, gave me hope for our Government -- if there truly are people like Thomas Stansfield in positions of power.

Any additional comments?

Despite this being the 11th Rapp novel, it was the first one I listened to after my dad turned me on to Flynn. It was just the luck of the draw that it was the book where it all started with Rapp, but I've been hooked on Rapp novels ever since. I've listed to every one George Guidall has narrated and each one has been a nail-biter the whole way through. The kicker is that they have tremendous replay-ability. However, Guidall is the only one who can really capture the essence of the characters so I can't bring myself to buy any of the other Rapp novel audiobooks that he doesn't read. I'm not going to quit Flynn by any means, but I'll be getting the paperbacks to read manually. I'll just have to read them in Guidall's voice.

Enjoyed the book

It always kept me wanting more. The end came too quick. I can’t wait for the next story.

Fun, but predictably unintriguing

The beginning was better than the end, and the slow parts were tedious to endure. Some creative action.

4 days to complete

I loved the narrator! He made it more interesting to listen to. Definitely recommending it.

Started amazing...ended so-so

This book started out as one that I was sure to be an instant favorite. This may have garnered excessively high expectations, but, it ended fairly predictably and lacked any closure. All in all, it was a good spy book.

Great origin story.

The story was very good and the narrator was great. Looking forward to the next one.

Boys' own hero makes a start

What made the experience of listening to American Assassin the most enjoyable?

Fast paced and the story flowed with in a most entertaining way

Who was your favorite character and why?

Mitch Rapp due to his physical and mental abilities and insight

What does George Guidall bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Well performed as it was read with enthusiasm

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

I was thoroughly entertained

Great read, plot and progression. Enjoyed it.

Narration was lively and represented characters well. Will look for other books from same author.