The Lions of Lucerne

By: Brad Thor

Narrated by: Armand Schultz

Length: 15 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

In a daring and chilling debut, Brad Thor draws us into a sinister labyrinth of political intrigue and international terrorism, serving up an explosive cocktail of unrelenting action as one man is pushed to the edge.

On the snow-covered slopes of Utah, the unthinkable has just become a nightmarish reality: 30 Secret Service agents have been viciously executed and the vacationing president of the United States kidnapped by one of the most lethal terrorist organizations in the Middle East - the Fatah Revolutionary Council.

But surviving agent and ex-Navy SEAL Scot Harvath doesn't believe the Fatah Revolutionary Council is responsible for the attack. Driven by his professional code of duty and honor, Harvath creates his own rules to get some answers. But his search for the truth raises the blood pressure of his superiors...and casts his own life in mortal jeopardy. The deadly machinations have been set in motion by a shadowy coalition, comprising some of the highest-ranking officials in government and business - men who operate above the law, men who realize the threat Harvath poses to their hidden agenda...men who will do anything to stop him.

Framed for murder and on the run, Harvath takes his own brand of justice to the towering mountains of Switzerland where he finds an improbable ally in the beautiful Claudia Mueller of the Swiss Federal Attorney's Office. Together they must brave the subzero temperatures and sheer heights of treacherous Mount Pilatus - and enter the den of the most notorious team of professional killers the world has ever known.

©2012 Brad Thor (P)2012 Simon & Schuster, Inc

Critic reviews

"Bottom line: Lions roars." ( People)

Action-packed, globe-spanning thriller!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys action/suspense/military/political type thrillers. The plot is substantial and well fleshed-out, and locales range from the White House situation room to Switzerland and everywhere in between. Do you like lots of action? Check this book out! Do you enjoy spies and intrigue? This is for you! You say you like plot twists? Get in here! This book has something for everyone!

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The most interesting aspect of this story has to be the numerous plot twists. Every time you think you "get your feet under you" with the plot, the author throws another curveball. Some you can see coming, some are surprises, but all are good. It definitely keeps the main character on their toes, and helps to speed the story along.

The least interesting (or I should say, most disappointing) aspect of this story is in the initial development of the main character. The main character is supposed to be an ex-S.E.A.L. turned Secret Service agent, but constantly throughout the beginning (and periodically throughout the rest of the book) he makes decisions and takes actions that are uncharacteristic of a highly-trained special forces operator. I did warm up to the character eventually, but it was a put-off initially. I deducted a few stars off of the "Story" rating as a result.

What about Armand Schultz’s performance did you like?

Everything. He's another one of theose narrators that just disappears into the story, and you as a listener aren't ever conscious of anything that the narrator is doing. Everything just flows naturally.

If I had to pick at very specific nits, I would say that some improvement can be made with the pronunciation of certain military and weapon-based terms. It only occurs a few times throughout the course of the book, (and I'm incredibly picky with pronunciation), so again this is picking the smallest of nits.

Please note that the narrator's performance more than makes up for any issues I had with the story, and really ties this book together.

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

All of the action scenes were very well written. I know this may sound trivial, but for myself in particular it means a lot to be able to picture exactly what is happening during these intense scenes. One good example of this is the S.E.A.L. team's infiltration mission, where the author seamlessly switches from the White House situation room to the ground forces, integrating both radio communication and physical movement into an easily-understood and visualized chapter.

Any additional comments?

The absolute highest I can speak of this book is that it makes me want to read the rest of the book in this series. It was a Deal of the Day book for me, and as such I was prepared to not really like it. I was very pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it, and any fan of Tom Clancy, Alex Berenson, Nelson DeMille, and Daniel Suarez would enjoy this book as well.

About what I expected

This first thriller with Scott Horvath as the main character was a bit farfetched and Scott seemed to be a bit too bullet proof and indestructible. Not bad but the later books in the series are much better.

Loved the adventure!

I loved the adventure in "The Lions of Lucerne" and my introduction to Brad Thor and Scot Harvath. Great story and the narration by Armand Schultz made the story come alive. I would prefer the language to be more PG but understand the context and that is how it would likely sound in real life. In the grand scheme of things it was not significant when looked at as a percentage of total words but is the only reason I gave it 4 stars overall. Looking forward to the next Scot Harvath adventure.

Almost perfect for me

With the exception of the pronunciation of "mirror".!!! Should not spoil your entertainment but listen for it.

Awesome!

What did you love best about The Lions of Lucerne?

Non-Stop action.

What did you like best about this story?

That everyone gets what they deserved in the end.

Have you listened to any of Armand Schultz’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes, he is very good.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

You can run to the other side of the world, but you can't hide.

Any additional comments?

Love the book. Have been a Scott Harvath fan from his later books and though I would catch up from the beginning. Can't wait to start #2.

Great book.

Well written and a page Turner from the first page to the last! Highly recommended as is all his books.

Awesome debut!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes! This is an awesome debut novel, in a long excellent series!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Gary Lawlor because ultimately he had the wisdom to trust Scott Harvath.

Which character – as performed by Armand Schultz – was your favorite?

All of them

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

Yes

Exciting!

I have a new hero named Scott Horvath! I can't wait to read the next
book in the series. This story was action packed. I'm a sucker for when good triumphs over evil. The narrator was Excellent!

great book

enjoy all the different directions this story went. It was able to keep you on edge.

Felt Forced

1. Please learn the difference between a Clip and a Magazine, especially if you're going to reference it so many times. 2. The overuse of "tacticool" jargon and abbreviations felt very forced.