*Starred Review* Mills has firmly established himself as the heir to the fictional world created by Vince Flynn, who died in 2013. Mills' latest thriller starring Flynn's hero Mitch Rapp (following The Survivor, 2015) is a stunner. The assignment is tough enough keep Pakistani nukes from falling into the hands of terrorists but the stakes, and the difficulty, are multiplied many times over when Rapp realizes that he has a price on his head, and the man who is paying the bounty has a bold plan to disrupt the entire global supply of oil, which could easily launch WWIII. But first he must eliminate Rapp, the only man capable of stopping him. Of course, this isn't Rapp's first rodeo, and if he needs to go to Russia posing as an ISIS recruit, that's what he'll do. Readers concerned about the fate of the Rapp series after Flynn's passing have no reason to worry. Mills joins the select list of writers able to inherit someone else's premises and characters and keep the franchise going with gusto. This series continues to be the best of the best in the high-adventure, action-heavy thriller field. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Flynn's name, Flynn's characters, and Mills' skill will take this one to the top of the charts, territory already familiar to Mitch Rapp.--Ayers, Jeff Copyright 2016 Booklist

Series creator Flynn died in 2013, but Mitch Rapp lives on in this 15th chronicle (The Survivor, 2015, etc.) of the legendary CIA agents exploits.When the CIA needs someone to keep Pakistani nukes out of terrorists hands, Rapp is clearly their go-to guy. He is feared by even the most powerful men in the world. This includes Russian President Maxim Vladimirovich Krupin, who calculates that exploding rogue nukes that cant be traced back to him might serve his dastardly geopolitical aims. A half-dozen A-bombs could destroy enough Middle Eastern oil fields to divert huge revenues to Russia. So Krupin lines up the best man to foil Rapp: a talented killer named Grisha Azarov, who tells Krupin that Rapp has no discernible weaknesses. His enemiesare all dead. But then Azarov is no weenie himself, and the two adversaries make for a terrific matchup. Even the minor characters are colorful, especially Craig Bailer, an auto mechanic who has three Ph.D.s and arms covered with tattoos. Usually the smartest guy in the room, he has the best line in the book when he tells Rapp, Its a beautiful night and we have a cooler full of beer and a stolen A-bomb. It dont get any better than that. Rapp easily sidelines the American terrorist Eric Jesem and goes to extraordinary and creative lengths to impersonate him. Thats as entertaining as the books many action scenes, and it enhances his hero credsbut then he ruins it in one scene where he drills a slug through the heart of someone who simply doesnt deserve it. But the inevitable confrontation between Rapp and Azarov is what thriller readers live for: tense and dramatic with a nice twist.All in all, a crackling good yarn. Author Mills proves himself a worthy successor to carry on the series. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

The rousing 15th entry in the late Vince Flynn's bestselling series, the first by Mills (who completed 2015's The Survivor), pits CIA officer Mitch Rapp against Grisha Azarov, Russian president Maxim Krupin's personal assassin, and for once Mitch isn't the odds-on favorite. Krupin has an ingenious plan involving the theft of Pakistani nuclear warheads and the deployment of dirty bombs in Saudi Arabia's oil fields. The goal is to destroy the Saudis' capability and enhance Russia's ability to fulfill the world's need for oil. As always, foiling this scheme falls on Mitch's legendary shoulders, and watching him go about his lethal business is just as compelling as when Flynn was doing the writing. Mitch has to deal with a tragic love interest, Leah; rescue his best friend, Scott Coleman; capture a stolen nuke; escape from ISIS-controlled Iraq; and defeat the most deadly foe he's ever battled. No problem. Satisfied fans will hope that Mills will fulfill their continuing Mitch Rapp needs far into the future. Agent: Sloan Harris, ICM. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.