The 17th bloody adventure in the series started by the late Vince Flynn and continued by Mills (Enemy of the State, 2017, etc.) features Mitch Rapp hell-bent on preventing a war.Russian president and "destructive sociopath" Maxim Krupin is dying from brain cancer, and he desperately wants to keep it a secret and hold onto power for every last possible day. Head of Russia's armed forces and "brilliant psycho" Gen. Sokolov advises Krupin, "Your violent reaction to the chemotherapy and the potential for surgeryis going to degrade your ability to personally interact" with people, and so "we need a distraction." Sokolov suggests they "annihilate NATO" to make Krupin look strong. Seeking hope for himself, Krupin has doctors perform experimental and dangerous treatments on other Russians who have illnesses like his. The CIA figures out that something has made Krupin unstable. So Mitch Rapp and his one-time foe, Grisha Azarov, go to Russia hoping to find Krupin, who might nuke Europe and the U.S. if it would buy him one more day leading Mother Russia. Fans will remember that Rapp and Azarov became allies in the last installment. Azarov had once been in the Kremlin's employ as a heartless killer with no more personality than cardboard. Now he has a girlfriend, Cara, whom he deeply cares about (Oh no! Not character development!). But thriller fans need not fret that he'll be changing diapers anytime soon. The dude is still second only to Rapp in the coldblooded assassination biz. Azarov wonders if Rapp has the same "longing for the simplicity of killing" that he does (not exactly a Norman Rockwell image). That doesn't matter, because Krupin wants Azarov dead, and the feeling is mutual. More importantly, Krupin is "a wounded animal with a nuclear arsenal," and Rapp and Azarov must stop him. Notwithstanding the obvious formula, events lead to a dramatic, you-got-your-money's-worth conclusion.Good, escapist fun as Mitch Rapp saves the Western world once again. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

*Starred Review* Mills took over the popular Mitch Rapp series after Vince Flynn passed away in 2013, and he has done an outstanding job of carrying the torch. His latest creates a terrifying scenario involving the Russian president, Maxim Krupin, who has an inoperable brain tumor. With nothing left to lose, the afflicted leader decides to eliminate his enemies, both within and without. He begins with rivals in the Kremlin but moves on to plotting an attack against every country that he feels has mistreated him and his regime. The CIA director turns to Rapp to stop the threat, but Rapp's very presence in Russia is enough to start a conflict. There is little room to negotiate with a man who knows he is about to die, but killing the Russian leader in Russia may be its own death sentence for Rapp. In the world of black-ops thrillers, Mitch Rapp remains the gold standard. Mills has embraced the high-concept-thriller style and continues to exceed expectations. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: A guaranteed best-seller, and deservedly so, at least for devotees of adventure-driven political thrillers.--Jeff Ayers Copyright 2018 Booklist

A highly original plot lifts bestseller Mills's outstanding fourth entry in the late Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp series (after 2017's Enemy of the State). The president of Russia, Maxim Krupin, a vigorous, unrelenting dictator given to riding horses while shirtless and hunting wild bears, gets some bad news: there's a tumor in his brain that requires debilitating treatment and may kill him. To cover up his medical issues, Krupin calls in Gen. Andrei Sokolov, the head of the Russian armed forces and a trusted adviser, to execute a series of military actions that will allow Krupin to disappear without drawing suspicion from either the public or the many internal enemies who threaten his regime. Sokolov, even more of a psychopath than Krupin, plans to invade Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia in a surprise attack on NATO. Meanwhile, CIA director Irene Kennedy sends counterterrorism agent Rapp into Ukraine to figure out what's going on with Russia and Krupin. Events continue to escalate, and soon the situation is poised to go nuclear. Mills is writing at the top of his game in this nail-biter. Agent: Simon Lipskar, Writers House. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.