Friday, February 08, 2013

Threat Vector by Tom Clancy

I finished reading Threat Vector by Tom Clancy. This is continuation of Clancy's Jack Ryan novels. It is the fifteenth book set in the same universe and essentially a sequel to Locked On which I read last year.

Working with a co-writer, Clancy is back in the rhythm of turning out a Jack Ryan novel every year. This is the third year in a row that he has published a Jack Ryan novel.

In addition to building on the storyline in the two most recent books, Threat Vector continues a number of the plots from The Bear and the Dragon which was published in 2000. The kernel of the story is an escalating conflict between China and the United States. A large part of the book deals with Chinese cyber attacks on the United States. The cyber warfare parts of the novel remind me of Clancy's Net Force series.

I gave the previous book, Locked On, a "C" grade; at best... I didn't recommend the book unless you had read all of Clancy's other Jack Ryan books. I gave the book before that, Dead or Alive, a "B-" grade. Threat Vector has a better pace than the two previous books. It actually takes the time to set up the story rather than racing breakneck from one crisis to another. I would reluctantly give this book a weak "B" grade.

It is a little hard for me to be objective; I have so much history invested in the characters over the last thirty years. I will spend next January reading a 900 page Tom Clancy book that continues the story.

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