Edge of Honor

Scott Horvath has returned to Washington, D.C. from a six-month around-the-world honeymoon with his new wife, Solvi, just in time to celebrate the Fourth of July. Nothing but some hot dogs, cold beer, fireworks, and relaxation for him, right? Not so fast!
Horvath has barely gotten his bearings when he and Solvi stumble into a group that opens fire on protesters outside the vice-president's residence. Scott leaps into action, and Solvi, on leave from the Norwegian Intelligence Service, leaps with him. That's bad news for the gunmen, who are well armed and armored. The fight spills into the Norwegian Embassy, and we are off to the races.

Before you know it, Scott is called on to protect someone who had a hand in saving his life, and Solvi show more is called back into service by the Norwegian Prime Minister, who is visiting for a NATO summit. The shooting, Scott's mission, and Solvi's job are all related to an operation whose tentacles reach deep inside the U.S. government. This leaves Scott not knowing who to trust and the clock ticking on ever-escalating danger.

This is one of the best thrillers of the year and is arriving just in time for the Fourth of July! Thor starts off with a bang, and the action just keeps ratcheting higher. The conspiracy at the heart of the story is so believable that it wouldn't be surprising to see it in tomorrow's headlines. Thor builds suspense as Horvath tries to see how everything fits together and how he can stop it, all while not knowing who amongst the FBI, CIA, and Secret Service he can trust. The action is relentless, with Horvath, Solvi (a bad ass in her own right) and a pair of FBI agents, Carolan and Fields, who are entertaining enough to star in their own series! (hint, hint)

This book has great pacing, characters, and story. This is a book and an author who will have you coming back for more!

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. show less

This was a fun read. The suspense wasn't as intense as earlier books in the series but the plot still moved quickly. Harvath's character has mellowed since his marriage to Solvi and I think that's a good sign of character growth. Many readers of this series may disagree, wanting Harvath to remain a hardcore spy. However, with 24 books published already, it is past time for Harvath to develop as a character. How has he mellowed? First of all, Harvath took second place in the ambassador's protection. He was not in charge of the details unless the plan didn't work and Harvath had to improvise. Secondly, his dialogue with Solvi showed her to be his equal. I was surprised to see him defer to her on several occasions.

The plot seemed to be show more ripped from today's newspapers. There was a mass shooting near the Vice President’s mansion, a populist president with supporters who behave similar to MAGAists, disloyal Secret Service and FBI officers, and a nation divided by ideology. The Iranians were suspected of killing the Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense in one evening attack. Their deaths were attributed to heart attacks but Harvath didn't buy that reasoning. This part of the story reminded me of the recent Israeli attacks in Iran killing military leaders in one evening. It was not Iran, however.

Edge of Honor is a fun and fast read. Mystery lovers will enjoy it. show less

Edge of Honor, Brad Thor, author; Armand Schultz, narrator
Scott Harvath and Solvi Kolstad both have both retired from their counter-terrorism jobs. They have married and spent the last six months enjoying a honeymoon, traveling all over the world, loving their peaceful existence. However, when they return to DC, anticipating Independence Day celebrations, they discover instead, danger. There are protests and unrest. Suddenly, they find themselves in the middle of a terrorist attack. They immediately spring into action and save many lives. Their heroism does not go unnoticed, and shortly afterward, both Solvi and Scot are drawn back into the service of their countries. Solvi is drawn back into service to protect the Norwegian Prime show more Minister who does not trust the American Secret Service to be up to the task of keeping her safe, and at the same time, Scot is called back into service to protect Ambassador Rogers, a former hostage negotiator who is in fear for his life. He discovered he was being followed, and Scot was specifically asked to protect him. The Ambassador believes that the recent deaths of the Secretary of Defense and State were not natural or accidental, but actual murders. He believes that he may be next.
Both Scot and Solvi answer their call to duty because of obligations from their pasts. There are the usual suspects, Iran and Russia, but it seems the villains are actually identified as American too. Chaos mounts as the attacks and the bodies pile up. Who would be instigating so much unrest in America and why? That is the problem both Scot and Solvi must solve as they each protect their charges. The police and the Secret Service seem to be compromised. No one knows who to trust in the government. Harvath seems to break all the rules when it comes to interrogation. He believes that the danger to the United States is so great that he must do anything he can to stop it. Someone seems intent on destroying the country. Is the danger coming from within, without, or a combination of both?
As the mystery deepens, there are calls for the President to step down and for the Vice President to take over. Who are the agitators behind these attacks on the President? What is their motive? Is it a government coup? It is hard to know which party is guilty, but there are commonalities with our current affairs. This novel has elements of the issues we are facing in America today with so many people protesting and disrupting our daily lives. There are people who refuse to accept the current government and will not cooperate with the administration. It is difficult in both this novel and in our current state of affairs to identify the underlying cause of the increase in crime and lawlessness or to identify exactly who is protesting and agitating to cause the unrest. In the novel, fingers are pointed, but they are unsure of the direction the danger is coming from, and that is the same feeling in America today. It is hard to identify the enemy because things sometimes make little sense. Up seems down and down seems up. In the book, it often seemed like the situation was out of control. It defied reality and the imagination and seemed intent on igniting comparisons with the current climate of lives.
The story sometimes seemed contrived as Solvi and Scot were always thrust into the same dangerous situation, often appearing like super-heroes. Scot seemed like he was always racing to protect both Solvi and the country. The dialog also seemed trite and filled with needless details to fill pages. The book was in need of editing to make it less confusing, easier to follow, and more exciting. There were far too many characters and diversions to follow the story comfortably. However, I can definitely agree with Scot; I do not like lutefisk either. It is a fish prepared by soaking it in lye, so it seems to defy common sense to eat it. show less