Out of the Ashes

Tom Clancy's Op-Center

By: Dick Couch, George Galdorisi, Tom Clancy

Narrated by: Scott Sowers

Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

Tom Clancy's Op-Center is back with this new thriller written by the New York Times bestselling authors of Tom Clancy's ACT OF VALOR and featuring a chilling, ripped-from-the-headlines scenario.

Before 9/11 America was protected by a covert force known as the National Crisis Management Center. Commonly known as Op-Center, this silent, secret mantel guarded the American people and protected the country from enemies. The charter was top secret and Director Paul Hood reported directly to the president. Op-Center used undercover operatives with SWAT capabilities to diffuse crises around the world, and they were tops in their field. But after the World Trade Center disaster, in the interest of streamlining, OP-Center was disbanded—leaving the country in terrible danger.

But when terrorists detonate bombs in sports stadiums around the country leaving men, women and children dead or mutilated, the President executes an emergency order to bring back Op-Center—an Op-Center capable of dealing with the high tech crises of the 21st Century, and there is a lethal one brewing in the Middle East. A renegade Saudi Prince with ambitions of controlling the world's oil supply has an ingenious plot to manipulate America into attacking Syria and launching a war against Iran. Next, they would ignite a sleeper cell to attack the America homeland, resulting in a bloodbath unlike any other. Only the men and women of Op-Center, using sophisticated technology, realize what is about to be unleashed. Only they have the courage to issue a warning no one wants to hear. But will anyone believe them?

©2014 Jack Ryan Limited Partnership and S&R Literary, Inc. (P)2014 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“The U.S intelligence agencies have spent billions since 9/11 learning how to 'connect the dots.' But what if there are only one or two dots? Out of the ashes is a smoothly written story by two authors who understand the inner workings of U.S. intelligence, government, and the military, and tell a frightening and exciting tale about a very new, but also a very old threat.” —Larry Bond, New York Times bestselling author of Dangerous Grounds

“Thriller addicts like me devoured every Tom Clancy's Op-Center tale. Now they are back, intricately plotted, with wonderfully evil villains and enough realistic military action and suspense to ruin a couple of night's sleep. Highly recommended.” —Stephen Coonts, New York Times bestselling author of Pirate Alley

“Fans of the original Op-Center series created by Tom Clancy and Steve Pieczenik will welcome this solid continuation from Couch (SEAL Team One) and Galdorisi (Coronado Conspiracy). . . . This thriller procedural packs plenty of pulse-raising action. The open ending promises more to come.” —Publishers Weekly

Out of the ashes indeed

This group could compete with the campus. Great book 📚. I recommend this book to any Tom Clancy fan
Rip Mr. Clancy

Arrrgggg! I couldn't finish it.

I am very disappointed in this. Not the Tom Clancy I expected. Slow and monotonous. Where I needed less details, he went on forever. Where I wanted more, he cut it short.

A real waste of time and money. He should have turned this book to ashes.

Not up to Par

I was very disappointed with this Op-Center book. The new author and the new narrator are well below the standard set in the previous books. Very sad.

Strange ideas about suspenseful moments

The story is interesting but it really leaves a lot to be desired terms of what I would expect from an op Center book. At times he really don't know where he's going with the book and not in a good way. It's hard to explain without getting away spoilers. But let's just say when he gets to a point where they would be suspense or some action or a place where he could really get into some color he seems to wrap it up in a paragraph. If you are familiar with the first team or deep black books, they do a much better job of describing firefights and other climactic scenes. There was virtually none of that in this book. I very much doubt I will get the next one in the series.

Still very deep in the ashes

Would you try another book from the authors and/or Scott Sowers?

Probably not, should not be labeled as written by Tom Clancy

What was most disappointing about the authors’s story?

Book is more like a report, not thriller for sure, total lock of actions, every story in this book is very short lasting, everything about characters sounds more like resumes, not a continuation of OP Center series for sure

What aspect of Scott Sowers’s performance would you have changed?

Performance not too bad, still lock of emotions on his side

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Out of the Ashes?

Story of the wife being attacked by football funs should not be mixed up with terrorists attacks on this country, not sure what we suppose to learn from it

Any additional comments?

I think the wrong set of authors have purchased copy rights to continue OP Center story

Not a compelling story

What would have made Out of the Ashes better?

Character and plot development. The story had no depth whatsoever. It was by no means a novel in the classic Clancy style. It needed a lot more detail. Opportunities to dig deeper were missed and the direction of the story was just too obvious.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Clive Cussler

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Scott Sowers?

I don't think it could have been saved by anyone

What character would you cut from Out of the Ashes?

None/All

Any additional comments?

First time I've been compelled to write a review but it was just so bad. The ending was just to curt but I was grateful it was over.

Like a play written by a teenager.

This is pathetic and well beneath the standard set by the Tom Clancy series. The dialogue and narrative are so painfully adolescent I could not finish this book.

Not the same Op-Center

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Someone that did not read the previous 12 Op-Center books.

What was most disappointing about the authors’s story?

The story did not relay facts from the previous books correctly. For example, George W Bush's presidency does not fit into the timeline of the series where President Lawrence was president in the first 11 books and President Davenport was president in book 12. Book 12 took place around the start of Bush's second term. The book states that Paul Hood and Mike Rodgers were part of Op-Center when it was disbanded. However, at the end of book 12 Op-Center still existed and Paul Hood, Mike Rodgers, and Bob Herbert were no longer part of Op-Center. It is too bad Jeff Rovin could not have written book 13 to disband Op-Center so it could flow better with the sequel.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Scott Sowers?

Michael Kramer

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

I could not finish it.

Weak return of formerly great series

Plotting is weak and unbelievable. Sadly even the bad guys are boring. Characters are not well developed as in the original series. There are a couple likable characters, but most are not interesting enough to sustain another book. The performance is good and for a mindless summer book, there are worse.

Worst book with Tom Clancy’s name

Poorly written and extremely poor narration. The narrators cadence is monotone and his accents are ridiculous. Wish I could get my credit back.