“The Last Man” by Vince Flynn – You Only Get Betrayed by Your Own

I don’t know about you, but I have always had a sweet spot for political/military mysteries and thrillers, mostly because there is always some kind of deep and complex conspiracy at work covered up by a large and convoluted web of deceit. 

There is just something exciting about imagining the people at the very top fighting each other with intelligence rather than their fists. In any case, that expectation is what drove me to check out The Last Man by Vince Flynn. 

The story begins with the kidnapping of Joe Rickman the head of CIA clandestine operations in Afghanistan, with all of his bodyguards being executed. Mitch Rapp, what you could call the CIA’s trump card, has been dispatched into Afghanistan by the director of the CIA, Irene Kennedy, in order to find to find Rickman.

However, things slowly start to take a turn for the weird, as Mitch soon runs into the FBI, who are concerned with things other than finding Rickman. Bit by bit, Rapp becomes entangled in a dangerous game with his own government, with there being pretty much nobody for him left to trust. 

The Last Man by Vince Flynn (Book cover)
To be honest, this is one of the more entertaining political thrillers I have read up until now. Unlike many other books in this genre, this one advances at a much brisker pace, with there being logical yet still surprising twists and turns at every corner.

Flynn did a great job of keeping me on edge until the very last page, and unlike in many cases, I actually found myself caring for the characters in this story… at least some of them anyways. Also, I won’t give away the ending, but throughout the entire story there was a feeling that nothing was set in stone; just because Rapp was the protagonist did not guarantee success or a happy ending. 

Again, I won’t say which way things go, but rest assured you won’t be disappointed. All in all, I recommend it to anyone who enjoys what I've described in at the beginning of my brief review.


Vincent "Vince" Flynn (April 6, 1966 – June 19, 2013)

Vincent "Vince" Flynn
(April 6, 1966 – June 19, 2013)


Personal site

Vince Flynn was an American author who mostly specialized in politic thrillers, and has actually served as a consultant for the fifth season of 24. He is most famous for bringing to us the Mitch Rapp series, with some of his more popular books being Consent to Kill and Transfer of Power.



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