“Hidden Order” by Brad Thor – The Price of Secrecy

Though we assume we know who the power truly belongs to in the United States, there are secret organizations out there the might of which will never be known to us, and in Hidden Order by Brad Thor, one such organization is the Federal Reserve.

Though officially they are part of the U.S. government, the extent of their power far surpasses that of anyone else in America, and the reality behind them is hiding in the shadows, to be seen by no one.

However, when their leader dies and the throne becomes open for the taking, all five candidates who were vying for it have suddenly disappeared. Scot Harvath is the man who is given the task of finding out what is truly happening behind the scenes, sending him down on an investigative path littered with murder and layers of conspiracy, pitting him against America’s greatest threat yet.

Brad Thor is one of those authors who likes to mix facts, fiction, and a whole lot of opinion in his works, and that’s exactly what we get here. Before get on to the last part though, I’d like to talk a bit about the novel from a more technical standpoint.

Brad Thor has managed to consistently deliver one solid thriller after the next, and he does so once again, bringing to us a fast-paced and action-packed piece of writing that nevertheless finds time for respites here and there to delve into descriptions, explanations and philosophies.

For the most part, the characters are interesting, somewhat one-dimensional, but have believable dialog that makes them fairly relatable. I have to admit that the events were a bit predictable, but in the end Thor still manages to craft an impactful climax that not only makes you go “wow”, but also pushes you to think about the role of various large and powerful organizations in America.

Technical aspects aside, if there is one thing that will jump out at you from this novel, it is Brad Thor’s perception of the Federal Reserve. He is perhaps one of the most active writers in the media, and he has warned people time and time again of the unhinged power various organizations and individuals hold in this world.

Behind the thriller lies a message to the American people, one that urges us to open our eyes to the hidden corruption that has made its way to the top echelons of society and start taking the power back into our own hands.

On the whole, even though the book may not be the best of Brad Thor’s efforts, it certainly is worth a read for both entertainment and education purposes.

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Brad Thor Personal site Brad Thor is an American novelist whose specialization is pretty much officially the thriller. His work The Last Patriot was nominated by the International Thriller Writers Association for the Best Thriller of the Year, while Blowback had the honor of finding a place on National Public Radio's 100 Best Ever Killer Thrillers list.