Tom Clancy: 'Line of Demarcation' – Good Read Despite Familiar Plot

TOM CLANCY: 

LINE OF DEMARCATION 

Jack Ryan JR., #13 

by M. P. Woodward 

Putnam, 2025 

★★★★✰ 

It starts with the destruction of a US Coast Guard cutter and the loss of her entire crew. But the USCG Claiborne was on an innocuous mission to open a sea lane between an oil field off the coast of South America and the refineries of southern Louisiana. The destruction of the ship, tragic as it is, won't stop that mission from continuing.

So who would sacrifice twenty-two men and women just to slow down the plan? That's the question plaguing Jack Ryan Jr. He's in Guyana to work a deal to get his company, Hendley Associates, in on the ground floor of this new discovery, but Russia’s Wagner Group and a pack of Venezuelan narco-terrorists have other ideas—and will risk war with the United States to see them through. It's up to Jack to identify the killers before they draw a bead on him, but how can he do that when the line of demarcation between friend and foe is constantly shifting?

Dear Readers,

Is it just me, or is anyone else struggling to keep up with all the new "Tom Clancy" novels? Ever since Tom Clancy passed away, Putnam has been churning out these books at a dizzying pace, authored by a mix of writers—some more adept than others. The latest "Tom Clancy" title is Line of Demarcation, the 13th installment in the Jack Ryan series, or rather, the Jack Ryan spinoff. And what’s the deal with the recent covers? They all seem strikingly similar, and I'm not just talking about the "Tom Clancy" books but also the broader political-military thriller genre. The artwork feels like a rinse-and-repeat scenario, featuring either a plane, helicopter, boat, truck, or some photoshopped vehicle action scene. Honestly, the covers are tedious, generic, and lack creativity. I had a copy of Line of Demarcation for weeks, yet every time I glanced at the cover art, I found myself reluctant to read it. Sure, helicopters are cool, but this one is as bland as they come.

So, what’s the book about? In a nutshell, bad guys are threatening the world, and the good guys—Jack Ryan Jr. and his team—have to swoop in to save the day. Sound familiar? That’s because I feel like I’ve encountered this same plot countless times before… oh, wait, I have! LOL! I read a lot, maybe too much, and that’s why this genre feels increasingly predictable and a bit stale to me.

M.P. Woodward, who previously wrote Shadow State, is back to pen Line of Demarcation. He brings solid credentials, having served for a decade as a U.S. Naval intelligence officer before transitioning to a career in tech and streaming media. However, he lacks the knack for detailed military jargon that Tom Clancy possessed. But let's be real, I am inevitably comparing the writing to Clancy’s level. Clancy was a one-of-a-kind author whose work could never be replicated. My approach is to judge each new book in Clancy’s universe on its own merits.

Surprisingly, Line of Demarcation turned out better than I anticipated; it may not be a five-star read, but it had enough twists that kept me flipping the pages. The writing flowed well, and I was never bored for a moment. There’s a sprinkling of technical jargon—nothing overwhelming—just enough to please the die-hard Tom Clancy fans. Were there errors in the jargon? I’m not the best person to ask. My military knowledge mainly comes from what I read, and I certainly don’t have the time to fact-check everything. I did, however, spot a few geographic mistakes. What happened there? 

Were there some clichéd moments? Absolutely. With thirteen installments in, I expected a few of those to pop up. Luckily, they managed to avoid being campy or cringe-worthy. Was it predictable? Not quite. There were a few plot points that caught me off guard, or at least I didn’t see them coming right away.

Overall, Line of Demarcation was an engaging read. While it might not be perfect, the story had enough substance to keep my interest right up to the end.

⁓B.J. Burgess

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