Gripping, action-packed and containing a fresh storyline/setting that you can’t help but think is a geopolitical prediction of the future, Rising Tiger is a humorous yet deadly serious thriller featuring an unleashed Scot Harvath on the warpath. Brad Thor has once again used his incredible knowledge, research and understanding of the world landscape to craft an extraordinary novel that I certainly wouldn’t be shocked to learn is closer to reality than one might expect.
An American diplomat on a secret mission to India is murdered and Scot Harvath is tasked with the investigation. Harvath teams up with Vijay, a streetwise, wisecracking retired Indian law enforcement officer who works for the US Embassy, to navigate the seedy underbelly of India’s criminal element in search of answers. Along the way they cross paths with the beautiful and brilliant Asha, a rising star for India’s vaunted foreign intelligence agency RAW, who is on the hunt for those responsible for downing a military helicopter and also for an attempt on her life. Are these isolated incidents or do they have connections that tie to increasing hostilities from a certain neighboring country? Together, the three will have to act fast to uncover the answers they seek, get revenge for their fallen compatriots and thwart a potential war with global implications.
Using India as the backdrop for this story and the context behind it are both brilliant choices by Thor. In a time where many thrillers are reigniting the cold war narratives between the US and Russia, Rising Tiger offers something different. It still contains the exceptional tradecraft, witty sarcasm and colorful characters you expect from a Brad Thor novel, but it also offers up a fresh take on the geopolitical landscape with a setting that provides an incredible range of locations, from luxurious hotels to dangerous slums, in which Harvath can operate.
And let’s take a moment to talk about the characters. You know what badassery to expect from Scot Harvath, so that’s not a surprise. But Vijay and Asha in particular are exquisitely developed and perfectly compliment Harvath in every way. Their exchanges are witty and contain dark humor that match the situations they find themselves in. They possess intelligence, tenacity, honed skillsets and just enough crazy to make them critically good at their jobs. And they possess courage and heart in abundance, making it easy to root for them to emerge unscathed from malevolent situations.
None of this is a surprise to fans of Brad Thor’s work. He delivers year after year and has constructed another wonderfully entertaining novel, the result of a simple, yet flawlessly executed formula: take an unexpected setting and add in well-crafted characters, a fresh storyline and constant no holds barred action. Simply put, the master has done it again. Rising Tiger is fantastic!
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