This book was memorable to me for how well the author, Vince Flynn, described a military attack on a terrorist camp. Also it was memorable for how well Flynn described how a terrorist cell could plan and carry out a nuclear attack on the United States.

The author uses Mitch Rapp, CIA operative, to carry us chapter by chapter through what I can only describe as one of the best suspense thrillers that I have ever read, or seen on TV or in the movies. I was sweating during the attack on the terrorist's camp and up to the last chapter I was on the edge of my seat.

This story is of our war against terrorism that we are waging today and after you read it, I believe you will had made a decision on how it should be fought. The author has a talent for painting images in my mind and writing short chapters to blend one event smoothly into the next.

Excellent is the only word that comes to mind to describe Vince Flynn's ability to tell a story like this of government with all it's complex agencies and levels of bureaucracies in a way that makes the people within seem real and creates a suspense thriller with events that really hit home and is so memorable.

After reading this I'm sure that you will feel as I do that we can only hope that there are real Mitch Rapps out there.

Another great segment in the Vince Flynn series. Well worth the time to read.

This was much more enjoyable than the last book. It had much less of his wife in it, and that suited me fine. She always seemed to simply be nagging him, and why would that be something I want to read in a political thriller? Speaking of thriller, this book has so many great scenes leading up to a totally unexpected conclusion. Mitch is becoming quite the rebel and his character is really growing. He has some Jack Bauer in him, so don't be shocked that if the names were switched out, this could pass as a 24: declassified book... except that it was much better than those usually have been in recent times.

I am looking forward to the next book. As I said in the first sentence, his was a huge improvement from the last one.

This is my first Flynn book and I'm hooked. Couldn't put down this book from page one. Rapp is my kind of take-charge guy. What a hero! Too bad we don't have more CIA guys like him. Mitch doesn't put up with political garbage. He knows how to take care of the enemy and has the stomach for it in order to save the lives of Americans. If you like spy fiction, but this is better, you will love this book and author. I'm not going to tell you what happens for it will spoil it for you. But if you like action and "get the bad guy" you will love this book.

Vince Flynn is the best when it comes to military, action adventure books. He makes you feel as if you know Mitch Rapp personally or would really want to meet him if he was real. Another stellar book!

I had trouble going on with my daily activities because i had not yet finished Memorial Day. It's a great read about terrorism and if you love the Fox show 24, then Mitch Rapp is your new Jack Bauer. He's gritty, aggressive, and insubordinate which are the only qualities of heroism against terrorism. Trust me, if you like CIA novels, this will be an excellent addition to your Vince Flynn arsenal.

I thought this was the best book so far in the Mitch Rapp series. The premise seems very plausible ... nukes smuggled in to the US. It is similar to the others in that the politicians once again get in the way. At least his wife wasn't featured in this book! While the outcome is predictable, it is an enjoyable ride along the way.

As with the previous books in the series, you can't help but think about what really goes on behind the scenes in Washington ... how much are we really told??? How close are the terrorists to striking us again?

The nice thing about Vincy Flynn is that each books works as a stand alone even though the same characters are featured. He gives enough background for the reader to know the players.

Overall I really like this series of books and will faithfully continue to read the rest of the series.

Happy Reading / Vote Libertarian!

This is one terrific read. I'd had it sitting on my shelf for months and months without picking it up to read. Finally, one night, after not being able to get into any of the current books on my nightstand I picked this one up, and boy am I glad I did. I literally had a 2 day reading bonanza with this one. Scary, thrilling, realistic (okay somewhat), and set in today's world. Forget any of the bozos running for president currently in both parties, let's elect Mitch Rapp as President! Vince Flynn, you have earned a reader for life with this one. I can hardly wait to read the next adventure of Mitch Rapp. Pick it up and get going....go on what are you waiting for?

I love to listen to Vince Flynn books when I am driving from one end of the state to another. Wish there were more out there like him.

My last terrorist thriller was by the master Nelson DeMille and so perhaps my rating and viewpoint are nudged a bit. Flynn gives us the secret agent novel the way Grisham gives us the lawyer novel. I prefer Turow over Grisham, but it doesn't mean I don't enjoy the latter.

I also prefer the first person viewpoint that gives DeMille books their flavor. I feel like the protagonist is a friend when I read his works. The Flynn model of showing us the main character through the eyes of others is a weaker form, in my opinion.

In any case this book deals with terrorists bringing nuclear weapons into the states, which should be a concern of everyone, but sadly isn't. Just today I read an editorial in my local paper written by a journalist in the UK. He thinks that those of us that believe that the terrorists are a major concern are stupid. He feels we are fools being brainwashed by the Bush administration. I can complain about many things being done by the current pols in power, however taking terrorism seriously isn't one of them. In fact I think that Flynn hits the nail on the head in this book when he has characters (acting in the book) that stand in the way of fighting terrorism and dealing with terrorists (just like in real life).

I found the story a quick and interesting read, it's certainly not a Clancy novel by any means, but it does get into a little bit of the nuts and bolts of operations and tactics (or lack thereof) in fighting terrorism. If you enjoy fast paced thriller/spy/agent type books, you'll enjoy this one. I'll try some more myself.

This author is a raving, right-wing hack. I couldn't even finish the book. The story line is very simplistic and predictable, and every other chapter involved gagging on the author's simplistic right-wing preaching:

Brown People = Evil
Torturers = Courageous
Democrats = Weak/Shifty

It's impossible to enjoy this book unless you're a big fan of right-wing propaganda. If you're a thinking person who is paying attention, you'll despise this author and abandon the book before finishing it. Definitely a book designed to appeal to knuckle-draggers.

There should be a warning on the cover. I'll never buy another book by this author.

Whenever I'm flying home from a conference or vacation, I usually go looking for something recreational to read... no demands, not much thought, just action and entertainment. Coming back from Ireland last week, I picked up the novel Memorial Day by Vince Flynn. All things considered, it fit the bill perfectly. And it didn't hurt that I was actually *reading* it on Memorial Day, too...

Mitch Rapp is a trained operative who is very effective in getting information from those who have it. The results may not be pretty, but he realizes that there are few rules when dealing with terrorists. The CIA catches wind of a meeting involving high-level al Qaeda leaders, and they send Rapp in on a commando raid to try and bring back the terrorists for further questioning. For the most part, they succeed, but they find plans that point to a nuclear attack against certain cities in the United States. The facts are all verifiable, so now it's a search for the bomb material that might already be on US soil. Even worse, there may be more than one bomb. Any success in finding one has to be tempered against the real possibility of others still floating around. Rapp has to walk a fine line between legal rights and potential nuclear holocaust, and he's convinced that terrorists forfeited their rights some time back... But if he makes a mistake, literally hundreds of thousands of people will end up dying.

From an action and plausibility standpoint, the book was executed perfectly. Pacing was constant, and you didn't have to make any enormous "suspensions of reality" to follow the plot. I thought the ending was exceptionally well-done, also. The only quibble I had was with some of the secondary characters. A few of the early characters in the book seemed to be set up for significant roles in the plot, but in the end they weren't much of a factor. Or maybe by hour 14 on a plane, I was too numb to catch it. :)

If you're looking for something with action and reality, you'd probably enjoy this one. I wouldn't hesitate to pick up another one of his novels down the road.

Vince Flynn hits the target with this installment. Is it possible for terrorists to sneak a nuclear bomb into the United States? To what ends should the United States go to in order to prevent the entry of the bomb or its detonation? Torture? We don't do that in the United States, ever...or is there a time when the end results do call for it? This book will keep you guessing and is difficult to put down.

This book is part of a series, so I do recommend reading the other books first to totally understand the characters and the history behind them.

Although liberals and the ACLU would no doubt be horrified by the tactics of our protagonist, Mitch Rapp, I firmly believe that the general population of readers will find themselves cheering his methods of extracting information as he attempts to track down a group of terrorists attempting to cripple the infrastructure of the U. S. and kill hundreds of thousands by setting off an atomic device in Washington D.C. (No more plot details from here on).

My first Vince Flynn book, Term Limits, hooked me completely and I have been a Vince Flynn fan ever since. Once again, he has crafted a clever story that could easily have been taken from your daily paper.

If you like complex, action packed thrillers featuring the most elite of alpha males, then Mitch Rapp is your kind of man, and Memorial Day is your kind of book.

Vince Flynn is easily one of my favorite authors. This was the first book I read of his and ever since then I have been hooked to the rest. Memorial Day stands out as one of my clear favorites, but I highly highly reccommend all of his other books as well.

AMAZING, nothing more to say! Just incredible. Will leave you rivited and wanting more!

Astonishing in detail and concept. Fast page turning action and language you will be be eager to read aloud in places. I would like to send a copy to hundreds of Washington politicians with an empty lubricant tube attached.

You will love Memorial Day. This was my first Flynn novel and I went right out to get the rest.

terrific!!! the whole series is spellbinding. compares to John Jakes!!

Great read in the series. You need to start with the first book.

Memorial Day is the book that you don't read about in the papers. It's the stuff you only see on TV, such as 24, or in Bond films. This story is too realistic, and frightening.

Rapp has been hunting terrorists now for many years. He is very high up in the chain of command at the CTC in the CIA. The CIA gets word that something BIG, REALLY BIG is going down sometime soon. Some info is dug up, and a secret invasion using SEALs, Delta, and Rangers, are sent into a small village in the mountains between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The discovery? Too scary to write about, but all to conceivable.

This book contains it all. It's fast pace action, great political back drop, people who will stop at nothing to finish what they started, both the good guys and the bad guys.

Folks, this the real deal. This is the stuff you wish never to hear or read in the news!

I have read all the Mitch Rapp books and like them all, this one didn't let me down. It was a great page turner which makes it difficult to put down.

A very believable plot that all Americans fear might become reality - Mitch Rapp fights with all his power to put an end to this international crisis and he'll stop at nothing. While everyone thinks that the first terrorist flop was the main scheme Mitch saves the day by not giving up so easily.

If you have enjoyed his previous books then this one will not let you down. Great read!

This is another in the series of Mitch Rapp books written by thriller writer Vince Flynn. Each of the books has a very formulaic format and plot that's pretty standard and stable. Rapp works for the CIA, killing Arab terrorists mainly, and while he's something of a maverick, he's no Ann Coulter, either. For one thing, when it suits him he allies himself with more moderate Muslims who are eithe our allies or Americans, and for another, while he kills people, he only tortures captured terrorists once in a while.

In the current installment, Rapp's in Pakistan chasing an Al Qaeda cell that's been hiding in a remote village. Fearing that the leadership will be warned, Rapp organizes a raid of Army Rangers, who capture some senior terrorists, kill all of the others, and clean out a communications room the terrorists were using. In that room the Americans discover a treasure trove of documents, including a map of Washington D.C. wiht blast radii drawn on it, the distances involved making it clear that the device involved is nuclear. Things, of course, swiftly get more complicated.

This is another good, strong, quick novel by Flynn. In addition to everything else. the author brings up a good point: If a terrorist is captured, and there's obvious evidence that he knows the whereabouts of the atomic bomb that's going to destroy a major city, should someone torture him to discover his secrets.? Rapp of course doesn't hesitate at all, and the plot goes from there.

I enjoyed this book a great deal, and would recommend it.

This book is excellent. Very hard to put down once you start.

This book is excellent. It'll keep you up at late because it's very hard to put down.

This series featuring CIA counterterrorism operative Mitch Rapp gets better and better. Not only must Rapp find and neutralize two nuclear bombs smuggled into the U.S. and destined for New York City and Washington,D.C., but he must also fend off the efforts of liberals in the government who want him to follow all the rules and regulations as he pursues the enemy. Never mind that the terrorists are planning to kill millions of innocent citizens. Let us make sure to preserve their every right. Of course, Mitch Rapp does what has to be done to bring things to a safe conclusion. Hooray for a modern day Hero!

This is a fast-paced book with all the formulaic elements required of a political thriller. Nothing here particularly surprised me. I would guess that if you have enjoyed Mr. Flynn's other works you will enjoy this one as well.

Mr. Flynn needs a more assertive editor. His use of language is so sloppy as to distract a reasonably sensitive reader from the finer points of the story. This probably isn't detrimental to the reader's comprehension, but it is irritatng.

Finally, one very minor quibble: non-standard spellings are used throughout (such as "harken" rather than "hearken"). This may or may not matter to any given reader, but I found it to be worthy of mention.

Flynn adroitly pens a suspenseful page-turner that offers readers a scary look at what a nuclear attack in the US by terrorists might look like. Flynn reveals the minds of the Islamic terrorists and the inner workings of their terrorist cells. He similiarly presents the innner workings of the US' high level security forces and Directors.

His protagonist, Mitch Rapp, seems to creep into superhero status at times as he attempts to thwart the enemy's attacks and circumnavigate the halls of power in Wash DC. Sometimes I expected him to just jump in the air and fly off like superman. I've noticed this type of character is common in the late rush of terror attack thrillers. I don't know how common they are in reality.

Other than that, the book seems realistic and it definitely catches your attention. It certainly defines the conflict between terrorists and the US and the conflict in our government between those who want to fight and win this war and those who want to placate terrorists.

You won't be disappointed with this one.

This is the 5th book in the Rapp series (I've read them in order), and it is definitely the best so far. The story is highly entertaining and action packed from the very beginning. Flynn's previous efforts, while still very good, have all left something to be desired. Transfer of Power was a little slower moving, Third Option and Separation of Power were too drawn out and should have been written as one novel, and Executive Power just wasn't a terrific story. Memorial Day does not have any of these flaws. All the strengths of his previous efforts are present without any of the weaknesses.

If you are an anti-military, excessively PC, or pro-bureaucracy, this sort of book is not for you. But if you are a fan of 24, like one reviewer mentioned, you will be a big fan of the entire Rapp series. I give it an easy five stars. Can't wait to start Consent to Kill and Act of Treason.

Suspend your disbelief, don't count your shots and just be entertained by a good writers yarn about doing what some of us wish we could to deal with the terorists in our world. If you're into "24" or "the Unit", you'll enjoy reading this book and will find it hard to put down until the very end. If you're not into this genre; don't buy it.

This formulaic thriller tells the story of Muslim terrorists sneaking a nuke into the US with intentions to detonate it during Memorial Day ceremonies in DC. Returning hero, Mitch Rapp, the top counterterrorist expert and former field agent/killer, must race against time to foil the plot. While a bit jingoistic in its patriotism (there is no question who the good guys and bad guys are), this is Flynn's best book to date. It is fast paced and action-packed. It helps that Rapp's whinny, insecure wife Anna doesn't appear in this novel. Rapp is still a bit too arrogant, pushy, hot-headed, and condescending; makes it somewhat difficult for the reader to totally like the hero of the book. I don't think this was the intention of the author, just a result of bad writing. However, it was very entertaining.

If cookie-cutter terrorist villains (think Team America: World Police, but without the strings), 'bigger-than-life' (translation: 'completely unbelievable') main characters, and/or a menagerie of cliched supporting characters is your cup of tea, then this book is a 'Must Read.' Those with even an iota of intelligence, however, will see right through this transparent and dishonest novel about the cause and cure of terrorism, and recognize it for what it is - a trashy fantasy tailor-made for fans of Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh and various and sundry other BushCo. apologists.

Do yourselves a favor and skip this book. If you want to read some good novels in this genre, I'd recommend the novels of Daniel Silva. They manage to convey the dangers of terrorism without sounding like Free Republic fan fiction.

This book is written well enough - the plot moves along smoothly - but those with even an iota of intelligence will be insulted by this transparent and dishonest novel about the cause and cure of terrorism. It's hard to decide what is more laughable - the cookie-cutter terrorist villains (think Team America: World Police, but without the strings), the 'bigger-than-life' (translation: 'completely unbelievable') main character, or the menagerie of cliched supporting characters.

Do yourselves a favor and skip this book. If you want to read some good novels in this genre, I'd recommend the novels of Daniel Silva. They manage to convey the dangers of terrorism without sounding like Free Republic fan fiction.

Those with even an iota of intelligence will be insulted by this transparent novel about the evils of terrorism. It's hard to decide what is more laughable - the cookie-cutter terrorist villains (think Team America: World Police, but without the strings), the 'bigger-than-life' (translation: comPLETELY unbelievable) main character, or the menagerie of cliched supporting characters.

Do yourselves a favor and skip this book. If you want to read some good novels in this genre, I'd recommend the novels of Daniel Silva. They manage to convey the dangers of terrorism without sounding like Free Republic fan fiction.

..sadly, those with even an iota of intelligence will be insulted by this transparent novel about the evils of terrorism. It's hard to decide what is more laughable - the cookie-cutter terrorist villains (think Team America: World Police, but without the strings), the 'bigger-than-life' (translation: comPLETELY unbelievable) main character, or the menagerie of cliched supporting characters.

Do yourselves a favor and skip this book. If you want to read some good novels in this genre, I'd recommend the novels of Daniel Silva. They manage to convey the dangers of terrorism without sounding like Free Republic fan fiction.

Flynn is a gifted action adventure writer. His alter ego, Mitch Rapp is the larger than life character we dream of when frustrations with the PC crowd become unbearable. The story was plausible until the started describing nuclear weapons. Like almost all fiction authors, and many nonfiction ones, he totally misrepresents what is real. Even Clancy messed up in Sum of All Fears. Some examples. It is not possible to construct a workable explosive implosion sphere from C4--a dirty bomb, yes. A basketball size sphere of plutonium-239 is much larger than a supercritical mass, the mass required for a fission bomb to explode.

If the soviet warhead that was dug up had detonated, the plutonium "physics package" or pit would have been reduced to plutonium oxide power. I know that from personal experience. Goggle "Operation Rollercoaster" at the Nevada Test site, 1963. There are many more technical errors. My problem is not with the details being fictional, for they certainly are; rather it is leaving the reader with faulty information that is used to evaluate the real world. Enjoy the story, I did, but take the technology with a grain of salt.

To learn real facts about nuclear weapons, try my novel, The Rings of Allah.Everything pertaining to nuclear weapon is accurate. The fanatics win the first round, but wait for round 2.

every one of mr. flynn's so-called 'political' thrillers is so plausible and so realistic. every one of the his novels, the plot and the storyline are simply breathtaking! readers with high blood pressure are not recommended to read his novels.
this 'memorial day' is another nightmare that could and might happen to america any day coming. again, a must-included training textbook for all national security authorities' training camps. politicians should also read (if they ever read?) to avoid all the possible mistakes they might commit anyday elsewhere in america. just wish all the future presidents of america would be like president heyes (the present one is hopelessly excluded). in regard to the vice president as mr. flynn describe in his several novels, it's lucky this wimp never really got anything that could affect the fate of america compares to the real one we got. there's nothing we could do, but at least we could and should do one thing quick. by walking thru the customs on the border of mexico and u.s.a., we have to face a smiling face of the potus (this one is okay), but that photo of the vice president with a crook smiling sneer face should be taken off the wall and changed right away. that photo is absolutely disgusting and inappropriate. a sneering face with a crook smile? no wonder he's so unpopular right now. the person who chose to hang that picture should be fired right away.
i never thought to torture the captured terrorists is wrong doing and illegal. if they bring terror to us and deprive us of a peaceful future, we should stop them anyway we could long before it happens. on the other hand, victimize the innocent people by using the 'national security' excuse is neither acceptable, no matter what. we are blessed to have such great completely political-right writer with such in-sight depth. keep it coming, mr. flynn. i'm ready whenever your works publishing dates are ready!

This book started out great, but quickly became predictible. There were no political twists, only a strong political message. The political message is ignore laws and do whatever it takes to stop terrorists. While it was refresshing to have people who think purely in terms of political gain, I think it is important to respect the law. Respect of the law is what makes us different from terrorists.

This book was very predictible and there were very few plot twists.

I read this book because I heard Vince Flynn has excellent sources inside the "community". Flynn absolutely flays the Democrats and their various political hacks, many of which seem like mosaics of various Clinton Administration personalities. Thus, it's rather sadly obvious why Hollywood won't turn these action-packed thrillers into movies. Not that they would hone to original work anyway (viz. Clancy's Sum of All Fears went through a thorough PC spin cycle post-editing process before it was released).

I gave "Memorial" four stars since character development is somewhat lacking here. Of course that would slow the action down, so Flynn probably had to make some trade-offs. What we get in return however, is a riveting and realistic scenario of bureacratic malfeasance contrasted with military can-do. The Patriot Act figures very heavily here, which was somewhat prophetic on Flynn's part since the book was churned out in 2004, before all the second-guessing really set in.

As someone who's made their career in politics, I can say that Flynn has a good handle on the personalities and motivations of some of our Honorables, as they say. I haven't read his other books yet, but it would be good if he threw in the occasional political good-guy though. Flynn also seems to have a high regard for the CIA, since the good-guys in this book emanate from Langley. Flynn needs to balance this with a little more realism: the PC virus that infects State and other agencies has long-since spread throughout the Agency, which leaks classified information like a sieve in order to manipulate our political system. Against great odds on the other hand, there are units within the CIA's Directorate of Operations (DO) and a few analysts who are somehow getting results and doing good work out there. Flynn pays them a well-deserved tribute.

Another title for this book could be: "What the Israelis Already Know". This book will help round-out your knowledge of what it will take to win the war on terrorism, but does anyone care?

Adam Goldman
Tallahassee, FL

I read this book because I heard Vince Flynn has excellent sources inside the "community". Flynn absolutely flays the Democrats and their various political hacks, many of which seem like mosaics of various Clinton Administration personalities. Thus, it's rather sadly obvious why Hollywood won't turn these action-packed thrillers into movies. Not that they would hone to original work anyway (viz. Clancy's Sum of All Fears went through a thorough PC spin cycle post-editing process before it was released).

I gave "Memorial" four stars since character development is somewhat lacking here. Of course that would slow the action down, so Flynn probably had to make some trade-offs. What we get in return however, is a riveting and realistic scenario of bureacratic malfeasance contrasted with military can-do. The Patriot Act figures very heavily here, which was somewhat prophetic on Flynn's part since the book was churned out in 2004, before all the second-guessing really set in.

As someone who's made their career in politics, I can say that Flynn has a good handle on the personalities and motivations of some of our Honorables, as they say. I haven't read his other books yet, but it would be good if he threw in the occasional political good-guy though. Flynn also seems to have a high regard for the CIA, since the good-guys in this book emanate from Langley. Flynn needs to balance this with a little more realism: the PC virus that infects State and other agencies has long-since spread throughout the Agency, which leaks classified information like a sieve in order to manipulate our political system. Against great odds on the other hand, there are paramilitary units within the CIA's Directorate of Operations (DO) and a few analysts who are somehow getting results and doing good work out there. Flynn pays them a well-deserved tribute.

Another title for this book could be: "What the Israelis Already Know". This book will help round-out your knowledge of what it will take to win the war on terrorism, but does anyone care?

Adam Goldman
Tallahassee, FL

This is my second Vince Flynn novel and I think it is even better than "Consent to Kill." Give yourself two to three days, uninterrupted, because it will be next to impossible to put it down. From the first page the text is written in such exciting dialog staying awake to read the next chapter will easily supercede your need for sleep.

Mitch Rapp is a trained assassin who is so respected by some, he briefs the President on security issues, while loathed by others within the Administration, making him want to quit his position time and time again.

In this novel members of an Islamic extremist group smuggle two small yet deadly, nuclear bombs into the country. Rapp's mission; determine the location of the devices while mounting a defense against the politicians who constantly try to thwart his investigations.

I'm not a shrewd judge of Washingtonian politics, however, I feel fairly certain this book provides a reliable indication of the beurocracy that must be overcome in order to accomplish the most obvious challenges.

A book full of action, with a quick storyline. A very well developed book idea. I enjoyed every page of the book. I think it is even better than the following book "consent to kill". Mr Flynn, keep writting like this!!

Vince Flynn's "Memorial Day" isn't so much a thriller as a series of illustrations for why we've got to torture people in order to beat Al Qaeda. Flynn rams his message home again and again and again and again and again, until your head wants to explode. We have to torture people, says Flynn. We have to torture lots of people. They're bad people, we have to torture them. Forget rules and laws and idiocy like the constitution or the founding fathers' idea of natural rights. Terrorists don't have rights. We can only win the war on terror by unleashing super-masculine secret agents who know lots of good ways to torture people.

I feel safe in guessing that Vince Flynn has never actually been tortured. As it happens, I have, and guess what, folks? I lied under torture. Not because I'm a hero, but because I'm not a hero. I confessed to something I hadn't done because I knew that was what my captors wanted to hear. You're not concerned about telling the truth when you're being tortured. You're concerned only with finding out, as fast as possible, what the torturers want to hear, and giving them that. And that's highly unlikely to be the truth. Torturers invariably have an agenda; they have a theory they want you to confirm, and until you confirm it they will go on torturing you. That's why thousands of innocent women confessed to being witches during the Renaissance-era Witch Craze. Does Vince Flynn think they were really witches?

Flynn writes reasonably well, and his action scenes are often quite good. But he really runs hard over the plot in this one in order to pound his relentlessly right-wing political point into the reader's head. I bought this book at a sale; I'm going to give it away (or perhaps throw it out), and I doubt I'll read anything by Flynn again. The fact that the jacket copy lists an endorsement by Dan ("The Da Vinci Code") Brown is only icing on the cake.

This was my first Vince Flynn book and I enjoyed it immensely. Great story, action, dialogue...Rapp is a classic character. I'm a fan of Clancy, but Flynn is more brisk and not as weighty...needless to say I'm picking up the rest of the Rapp novels.

This story is too authentic sounding to be fiction. Thank God it is.

This is the first of the Vince Flynn series I have read. It had been recommended highly to me, so I thought I'd check it out. Unfortunately, perhaps because I was expecting something really great, I was disappointed. Maybe I have read too many of these super-spy hero stories, but they are all beginning to sound alike. The book was a good read, but it just didn't live up to what I expected.

Vince Flynn does not pull any punches in any of his books and this is true once again with 'Memorial Day.' The action starts with the hero, Mitch Rapp, headed off to Afghanastan to find out some information (translation--beat the crap out of someone) from the bad guys. Instead of the usual torture of a captured suspect, Rapp lets his gun do his talking for him.

What he finds out surprises and shocks him. There is a nuclear weapon on its way to America and he has to find out where its going and how bad it could be. Rapp to the rescue.

Rapp is one of my favorite characters...he is no nonsense. It is interesting to see him even talk to his 'friends' and he is not afraid to say something too forcefully or with little tack. He goes in with his mouth blaring and you better jump on his wagon or he will ride right over you.

The action is pretty quick and if you are not used to Flynn's writing, it can be disturbing when it relates to the torture that he almost near happily dishes out against the bad guy. It was a solid all around effort from Flynn.

Rating System:
1 star = abysmal; some books deserve to be forgotten
2 star = poor; a total waste of time
3 star = good; worth the effort
4 star = very good; what writing should be
5 star = fantastic; must own it and share it with others

STORY: Mitch Rapp is back in another installment to stop terrorism in the world. Do you really need to know more about the story? Nuff said.

MY FEEDBACK:
Where to start. . .I guess I need to start by saying I know this review will draw some votes "this was NOT helpful" because people don't want to see thier favored characters bashed in any way regardless of the quality of the story.

Unfortunately the abridgement of this story didn't perform at the same level as say Term Limits or the others.

The abrdigement was performed very well (thank you Armand Schultz), but the story left much to be desired. Knowing what has come before, the level of content editing leaves me regretting that I listened to the story instead of investing the time to get the complete book and read it.

With that said, my second complaint is the need to suspend belief seemed to escalate. That someone of Mitch's caliber could get away with some of the things he does and "command" certain people around bordered on the impossible. It seemed that Mitch was running the United States of America without the help of anyone else. It was as if all the other characters were bowing and chanting, "We're not worthy" in honor of Mitch. Maybe this was intentional but it seemed a bit ridiculous when Flynn has created other interesting support characters in the past that could have used some of the limelight too.

Other than Mitch being the hand of "Justice" to those that deserve a painful punishment, there was very little to like about Mitch in this particular abrdigement. Again, please note, I'm reviewing the abridged audio version not the complete written version.

The overall postive: I felt I was in an episode of Fox's 24 TV show where the name Jack Bower is replaced with Mitch Rapp. Thus if you are a fan of the TV show (anyone who's see it has got to be. hehe), then you'll probably like this story nonetheless. Overall the story was plausible and frightening. It really made me wonder what kind of safety measures the US has in place to stop such a thing from happening.

I'm glad I experienced the story and I hear from several family members that his next book is even better than this one. Thus, to keep with the continuation of the story and characters this book is necessary. Read it (don't listent to it) and whether you like it or not move on to the next story.

Rating System:
1 star = abysmal; some books deserve to be forgotten
2 star = poor; a total waste of time
3 star = good; worth the effort
4 star = very good; what writing should be
5 star = fantastic; must own it and share it with others

STORY: Mitch Rapp is back in another installment to stop terrorism in the world. Do you really need to know more about the story? Nuff said.

MY FEEDBACK:
Where to start. . .I guess there were some disadvantages of listening to the abridgement vs. reading the book (i.e. details omitted). But maybe that was a good thing because it got rid of all the details that may distract and let me focus on the core of the story.

With that said, my biggest complaint is the need to suspend belief seemed to escalate in this story. That someone of Mitch's caliber could get away with some of the things he does and "command" certain people around was just too much. It seemed that Mitch was running the United States of America and no one else.

Otherwise it was a plausible storyline with the expected traditional bad guys who we genuinely dislike and can't wait for them to get theirs. I felt like I was in an episode of Fox's 24 TV show where the name Jack Bower is replaced with Mitch Rapp. Thus it was a good story that is worth reading, especially if you are a fan of the rest of the series.

After reading some of the reviews on this site, I was skeptical to read Memorial Day. Wow am I glad I didn't listen to the bad reviews...For the most part, I pick up a book and I look to be entertained...something either juicy and fun or a page turning thriller...this was the latter of the two...Mitch Rapp once again saves the day...after a nuclear bomb threatens NY and DC it becomes Mitch's responsibility to find and defuse any bombs or threats...Flynn does a great job describing the events piece by piece so that at the end of the book you feel like you know each and every character...Another great book from Flynn! Can't wait for the next!! After reading some of the reviews on this site, I was skeptical to read Memorial Day. Wow am I glad I didn't listen to the bad reviews...For the most part, I pick up a book and I look to be entertained...something either juicy and fun or a page turning thriller...this was the latter of the two...Mitch Rapp once again saves the day...after a nuclear bomb threatens NY and DC it becomes Mitch's responsibility to find and defuse any bombs or threats...Flynn does a great job describing the events piece by piece so that at the end of the book you feel like you know each and every character...Another great book from Flynn! Can't wait for the next!!