QFTG: Does every supposed ultra-macho spy hunter have to save the president for their resume? Asking for a friend.

Since that seems to be the right of passage (aka qualification) for this character, it gets old quickly. "You know who I work for, right?" or "Don't make me call, you know who...", why couldn't this character be written with a backbone and sense of presence in situations (other than acting like a high school bully with quips and jockeying for position)? Nope, just a monotone-flat gun for hire that can't be what the reader would want him to be. More tour guide than a terrorist's worse nightmare. Surely, we give a care about what town this schmuck likes and why. Chicago and Jerusalem are just two noted, if you were curious without reading this brick.

Where was I, oh right, the plot involving the impossibly incredible assassin, killing half the planet without recourse or constraint, while the entire world's intelligence community is apparently on holiday. And did I mention how the assassin has the most beautiful eyes (as if they didn't know how to disguise themselves from stupidity), I couldn't make the level of dumb up, not even for a community college writing session.

So, take all that we know about the dissention within the religious Middle East communities, throw in arbitrary bombings for a "cause", and somehow have it lead to this author's hero.

Ah, Harvath, the "I'm better than you" quipster, that hasn't really shown a multitude of capabilities or social skills if I am on qualities. He leaves little impact as a hero in this story, seemingly a minute behind in every situation, or trying to remember whatever contrived nugget is supposed to solve the present mystery within the story. Here we have him babysitting an attractive female civilian through crash course agent training because... just because.

And Meg, her name, is arguably only one of two considered characters in this story that seem thought out. The other being Gordo Avigliano, rookie agent, chauffeur, and last-minute hero to save the day. Honestly, I would pick up the next "Gordo Adventure" before following Harvath anywhere.

Just like the last entry in the series, more travelogue than action, we get bombarded with inane details to distract from the lack of premise, plot, and plausibility. Overly described locations, weaponry, and/or tactics that quite frankly are commonplace in this genre so why the regurgitation?

Without question, we get the Hollywood hijacking an airplane, action sequence from Con Air, at least it felt like it wanted to be. We get death and destruction for a cooked-up rationale. And the titular assassin is fantastically everywhere before the hero, causing more destruction, yet missing the hero by millimeters until later in the book, where the hero is spared for "questioning and a dinner service." Not making this up.

The bloated book holds little plot, a plethora of unnecessary descriptions, and a less than engaging through line that does little to keep your attention about Harvath's future or career options.

Harvath makes Mitch Rapp into a juggernaut of action, even under all of that political "intrigue". Skip this one, find Mark Greaney or Lee Child, even Vince Flynn.

Thanks for reading.

Good book, can't wait to read others on the series.

Scot Harvath is a rather bizarre character.
-He enjoys his job and is very good at it.
-He always finds a pretty, badass lady to tag along on his missions.
-He doesn't take authority well (unless it is from the president himself).
-He always has time for a prank and a joke, no matter what the circumstances.
-He is very proud and confident of himself and his capabilities.

Would that make him a great spy? Probably not.
But does that make him a fun character to read? Absolutely!

Brad Thor has pumped his sequel to Lions of Lucerne with so much adrenaline that (if consumed all at once) it could give a horse a heart attack. Pretty much every chapter is full of action.
I loved that.

I really enjoyed reading about Meg Cassidy, even though I doubt I'd be seeing her in the next installment. I also quite liked the plot-twist and the way Brad led the story to it.

A few things, however, didn't quite sit well with me in Path of the Assassin.
One such thing involved a scene with two bullets to the head and a talk about ensuring no blood was spilt, like the walls weren't already splattered with brain matter.
Another was the excessive information, which may show how well Brad had researched his book, but felt like just random words flung onto a common reader. There was so much "it is known as..." in the book, I almost felt like making a drinking game out of it. Lol.

3.75 stars.

Scot, fresh off the recovery of the President, is on the trail of those who kidnapped him and killed his fellow Secret Service agents.

He travels from the Middle East to Europe and the U.S.