[Review] — Jack Ryan Jr. Returns in Tom Clancy's Flash Point

Available to purchase on hardcover and Kindle.

The newest Jack Ryan Jr. adventure Flash Point, written by Don Bentley, was published earlier this year by Putnam (an imprint of Penguin Random House), with another thriller just around the corner, Weapons Grade (available September 5, 2023). As you can probably guess, the novel focuses on Jack Ryan, Jr. — the son of Jack Ryan (a character first who first appeared in Tom Clancy's The Hunt for the Red October). After Tom Clancy died in 2013, his Jack Ryan books have continued via his family's estimate through a series of various authors.

In Flash Point, Jack Ryan Jr. is in danger. When a routine surveillance mission turns deadly, Jack has to fight an elusive foe intent on wiping out The Campus. Jack's pursuit eventually takes him to the South China Sea, where a midair collision between aircraft from hostile countries threatens the whole region. A devastating incident occurs on The Campus as Jack desperately attempts to piece together the missing pieces. When everything is said and done—Jack is one of the few operators still alive and serves as The Campus's de facto leader. However, the battle has only begun.  

China is getting closer to invading Taiwan as tensions rise and Jack's secret foe successfully launches a campaign to damage the US government. The world's two surviving superpowers are on the brink of war, but Jack and his broken team must avert catastrophe despite the overwhelming odds against them and the lack of support in their path.

It's been quite a while since I ventured into the Jack Ryan world, though technically, it's the character's son's world now, or at least in this story. I was baffled by the thought that this is the 10th Jack Ryan Jr. novel. It seems like it was only yesterday I was reading Executive Orders for a book report in a high school English class, and yes, the years do fly by. Here it is, 2023, and I'm now reading about Jack Ryan's son.

Flash Point is a well-written, thrilling-a-minute, savvy action thriller; I couldn't put it down until I finished reading every page. Don Bentley does a fantastic job, and though no one can ever replace Tom Clancy's masterclass writing, it is comforting to know that his characters are in good hands. —★★★★★