Jack Carr and M.P. Woodward are a dangerously dynamic duo in their collaboration in The Fourth Option. You get the action of gritty military thrillers in an urban setting with smart and hardcore storytelling reminiscent of old vigilante thrillers that remain our favorites to this day.
Former Navy SEAL and CIA ground branch operative Chris Walker is a man on his last legs, broken down by the horrors of the wars he has faced and disillusioned by the institutional discrimination, he’s about to end his life as he gets the most important call of his life, a call that gives him purpose; his best friend’s wife needs his help. She’s lost her son to the opioid crisis, or so it seems. When all roads to justice close down, Walker must be brave enough to take the fight to the institution that has taken innocent lives under a grand conspiracy that threatens anyone who looks too closely into it.
The Fourth Option benefits immensely from Carr’s tactical ability to craft kinetic and explosive action sequences. There’s a whole bunch of them with Chris Walker tearing down the city to get to the bad guys, and each sequence trumps the one before. At the same time, we see M.P. Woodward’s charisma seep into the narrative as Chris deals with foes of dubious statuses as much as he deals with his own self-image. Chris is a warrior with the mind of a philosopher. His personal anecdotes through his quest for justice help elevate both the protagonist and the narrative with well-timed and compelling reflections of what it means to be a man of violence. It’s perhaps this quality that best exemplifies the unique nature of the book as a standout thriller.
The Fourth Option is a riveting tale of revenge and violence with a remarkable protagonist who can certainly lead his own series and the story works just as well as a standalone as it does to launch a new name. Jack Carr and M.P. Woodward are rockstars on their own and a force to be reckoned with as a team.
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