Tom Clancy Zero Hour is a high intensity thrill ride that ratchets up the action exponentially as the chapters fly by. I was in a constant state of agitation and apprehension while reading, unsure if Jack Ryan, Jr. was going to come out of each scenario (relatively) unscathed. With Don Bentley at the helm, the series could not be in better hands and the younger Ryan is quickly becoming my new favorite campus character.
As North Korea seeks to hide the fact that it’s leader has been incapacitated after a catastrophic accident, the dictator’s precarious physical state triggers a series of attacks by sleeper agents across South Korea. With blood in the water, some amongst the Politburo see an opportunity to seize power for themselves.
Being a magnet for trouble, Jack Jr. happens to get a front row seat to the opening salvo of this operation. In Seoul to interview a potential recruit for the Campus, Jack is forced to pivot to full operational status in order to neutralize the immediate threat in South Korea’s capital. A cryptic phone call, offering a path to help stave off a full scale war on the peninsula, sends Jack and his hodgepodge team of operators deep behind enemy lines. The only question is whether or not they’ll make it there before time runs out.
Bentley has never been shy about putting the hurt on his protagonists while they deal out pain and suffering amongst their enemies. This book is no different. Jack Jr. must overcome a series of both physically and mentally challenging obstacles to accomplish his goals. You’ll have to read the book to see how much it costs him to do so.
As an added bonus, Bentley utilizes his personal military experience to help put readers directly into the cockpit of an Apache. That type of authenticity cannot be faked and I found those scenes to be both fascinating and terrifying. The additional description of the comradery amongst the operators, despite interbranch rivalries, was also a joy to read. Regardless of which series he is working on, Bentley should be at the top of every one’s “to read” list.
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