I really wanted to find out more about Clark, the spooky character that runs through the Ryan novels. This tells his story & it's pretty good, but not great. If you are really into the series, it's worth reading. I think I'd like to have read this before reading most of the series. ( )

I liked this book a little less than Rainbow Six, if only because of all the waiting and watching. Clancy did a great job, as ever, of fully fleshing out the technical details of everything from sailing to machining weapons, to the benefit of the story. One point that I appreciated over RS is Clancy's willingness to do awful things to his characters. The important people are saved in the former, but in this book he really does some awful things to Clark.

The one thing I enjoyed most about the story, though, is the ever present theme of relative good and evil. I chuckled when Clark describes to the spook about exactly what it is he has been doing over the last few months and instead of admonishing him, he gives him accolades and pats him on the back for being an out of the box thinker. And, to top it off, he gives him a one day pass to wrap up what he was doing and get on with his life.

I was saying to myself as I read that Clancy cannot write romance, but I was actually okay with the resolution to Sandy/John. ( )

The line between social justice and vigilantism can be a fine one, as Clancy clearly demonstrates in this no-holds-barred thriller detailing the pre-CIA life of recurring character John Kelly (a.k.a. John Clark).

Kelly, still grieving the loss of his wife, meets an exciting young woman with whom he develops an instant chemistry. Within just a few days of inviting Pam onboard his boat and getting to know her, he falls head over heels in love—but not before discovering that she’s a drug addict and a former prostitute. Undeterred, Kelly sets out to cure Pam of her addictions. As part of the healing process, Kelly takes Pam back to the streets of Baltimore. As extremely bad luck would have it, Pam is recognized by her former pimp, who shoots Kelly and kidnaps the girl. Days later, Kelly turns up in a hospital, and Pam turns up dead. Kelly vows to rehabilitate himself and avenge Pam’s murder, eventually drawing on his considerable skills as a former Navy SEAL and embarking on a campaign of terror against the city’s drug world that has cops scratching their heads and dealers quaking in their dark alleys.

Meanwhile, in war-torn Vietnam, a U.S. spy drone snaps a photo of a high-ranking military official who is supposed to be dead—a man with knowledge that could be extremely beneficial to America’s enemies. The Pentagon’s top brass decides to stage a rescue, and who better to lead the mission than former SEAL John Kelly? Now, torn between his desire to punish his girlfriend’s murderers and his loyalty to his country, Kelly has to decide which mission is more important. The choice he makes will affect not only the course of Kelly’s life but the very condition of his soul.

The literary device of hero vs. human evil is a familiar one, and the ethical questions the book raises are worth considering. As with many of this author’s novels, caution is required; the book contains accounts of torture, physical and emotional abuse, drug use, and war violence. The first chapter contains a relatively mild sex scene, and bad language is used throughout. But Clancy is a master of political and military intrigue, and the objectionable material is included not for its own sake but to support the compelling story and believable characters. Readers who are able to cheer for an antihero with a conscience will love Without Remorse. ( )

Clancy's novel introducing early years of John Clark. Returnee from the Navy, Clark, Vietnam war veteran tries to live normal life when he comes across a lady in distress. After failing to save her life Clark decides to start hunting those responsible (very much like Creasy from A.J. Quinnell series of novels).
In the meantime US government will try to recruit him once more to lead a daring mission to save US POWs (Son Tay like raid).

Recommended. ( )

Introducing John Clark, Navy SEAL. ( )