Wow, this second novel was so much better than the first Scot Harvath novel! I found the main character to be plain annoying and incompetent in the first novel, which made zero sense for an ex-Navy SEAL and current Presidential Detail secret service agent. Fortunately, all that silliness is gone in this novel, and he has the intelligence and skills that you'd expect for someone with that type of resume. Though, I gotta say, I'm still annoyed by the author spelling Scot with one 't' - but I guess I'm stuck with that and just have to get used to it. :) I still feel he could have come up with a better name for his main character. The story itself was interesting and fast paced! And, to my own surprise, I actually quite liked the introduction of the character Meg, should be interesting to see where that goes in the next book. Looking forward to reading the next in the series!

This was a good follow-up to the first Harvath novel. While some of the twists and turns are far from believable, it is a fun get away from reality. If you like military action and suspense (with a little bit of humor), this is turning out to be a series worth giving a try.

Gee what an ordeal to try and get though the novel finally at chapter 10 I quit. Agent man Scott can save the world without me

This is a tightly paced book. Thor does a great job of describing the action, the motivation of the characters, and the politics of the situation without bogging the reader down in backstory or exposition. The story is grounded in enough history to make the plot plausible. The civilian woman with whom the MC works is credible, thinks on her feet, and is well-written. No batting of eyelashes for her.

An excellent edition to the series.

This is the 2nd in the Scot Harvath series and I can tell where BT was still developing the character. An Israeli faction calling themselves the Hand of God suddenly starts blowing up key Islamic Holy places and killing thousands of people. These horrific terrorist incidents threatens entire world peace, as the Islamic people vow to return the favor. As the US tries to get intel on the entire situation Scot is sent in to help gather that data. The action sequences are very well crafted. They don't have the frantic absolute over the top feel to them that Matthew Reilly's do.

I had problems with Scot himself, at times his sarcasm and immaturity about some things got on my nerves, but I let it go, because I know in later books this isn't as obvious. As Scot and team race around the world to stop The Hand of God from pulling the entire world into a war no one wants, he manages to stay one step behind. The suspense and timing was good and the book moved at a fast pace. I had trouble getting into it, but I think that was more to the fact is I wasn't in the mood. I don't hold that against the book. There was a huge surprising twist at the end that I didn't see coming at all. While not one of my favorites of the series, this was still an entertaining and timely read.

Brad Thor’s second was far and away one of my favorite reads. Path of the assassin and Scot Harvard are at the top of the thriller mountain with Jack Ryan, Mitch Rapp and Gabriel Allon.

Scot does not get any rest after the events in the first novel. These books are all action with a pretty incredible plot. If that is not your thing skip these books. If it is your thing you need to add these to your list. I like Scot and I like where I think the books are going.
There is not much you can say about books like these we read them for the action.

Just hit 3 stars. IMO, it dragged out a bit in the middle. Also, like the first book, the enemies have terrible aim. With that being said, I will continue to delve into the Scot Harvath saga.

My 2nd Thor book. I liked it. The last 75 pages seemed a little contrived but it was fun overall.

Eh

Actually this was my third Thor book. Somehow I was looking for similar writers like Vince Flynn and came upon Brad Thor. I happened to pick up one of his other novels from the library, (The First Commandment) and thought to myself "why haven't I read him before now". I guess when I'm in the mood for the Clancy like or Vince Flynn style of character, I can't wait for the latest book. Well Thor fits the bill. Out of the three of his books I've read so far, this one was the best. I kept wondering if Scot Harvath was ever going to get out of the latest corner he was backed into. So far I have not been disappointed in any of the three. I look forward to all the others in the Harvath series.

The Hand of God is a terrorist organization wreaking havoc in the Middle East.

In a twist, though, it is Israeli terrorists seeking vengeance against decades of Arab antisemitism. “The nation of Israel will no longer tolerate acts of violence upon our soil, or against our people,” reads a letter after the organization’s strike against Medina, Saudi Arabia. “Hence forward, we will speak to the Arab world in … the language of violence.”

Not surprisingly, the Arab world does not take kindly to this terrorism, and with each succeeding act of violence, the Middle East marches closer to war — particularly dangerous because Israel is a nuclear power.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secret Service Agent Scot Harvath is busy tracking down the remaining mercenaries who kidnapped the American president, a story told in Brad Thor’s inaugural novel, n  The Lions of Lucernen. But just as he’s about to eliminate a major target, another assassin gets there first.

That assassin, it turns out, is also connected to the rising problems in the Middle East. The only question is whether Harvath will be able to neutralize the threat before it explodes into regional war.

There are plenty of surprises in Brad Thor’s second novel in the Scot Harvath series. Not all is at is seems with the Hand of God nor with the assassin Harvath is chasing. One thing is sure, however: Harvath will remain on the case until he’s dead … or the assassin is.

Book Reviewed
Brad Thor, Path of the Assassin (New York: Emily Bestler Books / Atria, 2003).

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