Brad Thor outshines himself with Choke Point as a full-blown action ride through the streets of Bangkok. The whole experience felt like a return to old-school Harvath in the best possible way.
When devastating bombings ravage the tranquility of Bangkok, leaving scores of both locals and Americans dead, the US president makes a call: he sends in Scot Harvath to leave no stone unturned to find the culprit and bring him to justice. But this time, Harvath is up against a fellow countryman who betrayed his oath for murder and profit. As Harvath hunts his man down, the picture becomes muddier as China steps into the fold, having deployed its operatives to Thailand to seize control of a key gateway between two major oceans that would all but guarantee China full claim over the ultimate global choke point.
Choke Point benefits immensely from a fast pace and laser focus on Harvath’s manhunt, ramping up the stakes with frequent action sequences that keep you hooked page after page with Thor’s attention to detail and rip-roaring kinetic shootouts that never let you down. I found myself slowing down through the action sequences to savor the cinematic tinge of each gunshot and bullet whizzing around in the pages. The focus on Harvath’s espionage tradecraft and clever dealings in a foreign nation and fresh change of scenery from the previous books took me back to the earlier stories as we saw him take bold risks on his own as both an operative and a leader with a bone to pick.
As action-packed as it is, Choke Point is also a timely dissection of what could potentially happen with the global turmoil and conflicts going on right now. The geopolitical considerations and stakes closely mirror the news as if playing out in real time as you read the book. Thor’s revelations feel more like eerie prophecies and you can’t help but wonder if it’s just a matter of time before we find the plot for Choke Point playing out in the next news broadcast.
Come for the tactical action and stay for the educational foray into today’s geopolitics as Brad Thor entertains and educates you at the same time with a riveting narrative and fast-paced writing. Choke Point is one of the best Scot Harvath books in recent times.
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