Book #10 - American Assassin

I picked American Assassin up at Christmas in the bargain bin, where it also exists at Amazon. I’ve loved the Mitch Rapp series, and was looking forward to reading this one. However at $14.99, that didn’t seem to make sense for an e-book. Having finished it, I’m glad I waited.

I enjoyed the book. It’s the recruitment, some training, and the first couple missions for Rapp, just out of college. He’s an enigma, brought in by Kennedy and Stansfield, both earlier in their careers.

Stan Hurley, a friend of Kennedy’s father, is tasked with training recruits and finding someone to fit the role Rapp grows in. However he hasn’t had success with SEALs, Delta Force, and other trained military men. He doesn’t like Rapp, who’s skill seems to be far beyond hid years.

The book is written well, but the story bothers me. We never find out why or how Rapp can fight so well, even when he’s apparently not been trained. His attitude are similar to the ones we see later, and he has a penchant for action, not waiting. However he has too much success, too many skills, that just make the book feel inconsistent. I wish Flynn had written this earlier in his career, when Rapp was still evolving because it almost seems like we have a Rapp looking back at his life, in the best possible way, perhaps embellishing some events.