True Believer: Jack Carr

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Well, we might as well do this right, then. Finish that beer, he said, pulling out a bottle of whiskey with a label Reece was unfamiliar with and pouring them both a couple of fingers. Also Reece - the hero of the story - fluctuates from a stone cold killer to an almost puerile adolescent wondering about how to talk to a woman - and in the midst of an operation reflecting on people he's lost in his life. It seems a ham-fisted attempt to prove "real" Navy SEAL snipers are human. Guessing, redacted zones give the creative visual team for Prime a wide breath of interpretive options. Your mother was, and still is, a librarian, so you grew up around books, and you became the real-life version of the heroes in those books. How did you make the transition to writing?

It’s difficult not to fall for a guy who serves the nation who’s lost his family and betrayed by his country with a brain tumor that was a result of unauthorized tests. With a particular line in authentic tradecraft, this fabulously unrelenting thrill-ride was a struggle to put down' Mark Dawson So how does one carry on and push forward after that kind of tragedy—and does this make Reece a hero or a fanatic? The strength in this book is the last 60% of the book, starts of slow, yes I understand why, but the pace is heavy to start with in the wilds of Mozambique. They’d met on the rugby pitch at the University of Montana in the fall of 1995, Reece playing outside center and Raife as the number eight, by far the most skilled competitor on the team. Rugby was an obscure sport to most Americans in the early 1990s, so the community and the culture it fostered was a tight one. The running joke was that they were a drinking team with a rugby problem.The book is divided into three sections—Escape, Transition, and Redemption. Are these the basic themes of a hero? I get it. As he states in the preface, he writes in part to deal with his own demons - but where were his editors? So much of the irritating stuff is unnecessary to the story and should have been caught by anyone reading for style and content. A high-intensity roller-coaster race against time, True Believer is “one of this year’s hottest thrillers, and a perfect fit for fans of Vince Flynn, Brad Thor, and Daniel Silva” ( The Real Book Spy ). Now a reluctant tool of the United States government, Reece travels the globe, targeting terrorist leaders, unraveling a geopolitical conspiracy that exposes a traitorous CIA officer, and uncovering a sinister assassination plot with worldwide repercussions. With technical ferocity and devastating action sequences, Carr writes both from the gut and a seemingly infinite reservoir of knowledge in the methods of human combat. Loved it!' Chris Hauty

Not exactly. The hero’s journey is more layered but certainly shares similar characteristics across cultures. In writing these novels, I’m aware of these stages and consciously work them into the framework of the modern political thriller. The challenge becomes working on individual novels with their own themes and journeys into an overarching longer term journey that will span an entire series. It’s a construct I love to think about and explore.

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Beer? Reece asked over the music, holding out a red Solo cup recently topped off from the keg outside.

All this congestion must have slowed them down, he thought as he dialed a number on his phone per his instructions and waited impatiently for an answer.My favorite difference in book one from the show, the ending. Book is WAY better. Curious how the second two will compare. The Terminal List ended with James Reece on a voyage after having exacted his vengeance on those who had killed his family and his team. True Believer starts off with James Reece still at sea, unaware of the miracle that his tumor, as a result of illegal experiments done on him and his team, is in fact operable. While the beginning of the book is a slow burn, it is in keeping with Reece coming to terms with his death by the tumor, not knowing that it is operable. The sea voyage takes him to the wilderness of Mozambique, Africa, where he reunites with an old acquaintance who offers Reece shelter. Reece finds a new purpose in fending off illegal poachers on the Niassa Game Reserve. It is crystal clear from the descriptive writing of Mr. Carr that he spent considerable amount of time researching the fundamentals of how the game reserve works and the intricacies that come along with it. It is a calming experience being inside Reece’s head as he slowly but gradually finds a reason to hold onto life after his violent tragedy of losing his family. Mr. Carr writes this aspect beautifully, invoking strong emotions within readers as they read through the book. On the battlefield if you stagnate and get complacent, you die. My goal with everything I pursue in life is to devote the time, energy, and effort toward the journey in a way that will allow for marked improvement. I have always loved reading and writing and will continue to hone my craft as I move forward. That’s what life is all about. Now a reluctant tool of the United States government, Reece must travel the globe, targeting terrorist leaders and unravelling a geopolitical conspiracy that will have worldwide repercussions . . . Whether intentional or not, I see influences from other great writers in the genre come through in True Believer. Weapons detail, slow and steady building of the plot towards a big action sequence, operations precision and character development all have elements of Tom Clancy, Daniel Silva, Vince Flynn and Brad Thor. The Mount Rushmore of spy thrillers. Anytime you can compare a book to the works of other great writers, you know you're reading something special.