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Exit Plan (Jerry Mitchell #3)

3.9 of 5 stars 3.90 · rating details · 113 ratings · 31 reviews

Jerry Mitchell is on exercises off the coast of Pakistan when his submarine, the USS Michigan, is ordered to a rendezvous off the Iranian coast. Once there, disembarked SEALs---experts in seaborne commando operations---are to extract two Iranian nationals who have sensitive information on Iran’s nuclear weapons program. While en route to shore, Michigan’s mini-sub suffers...more

Hardcover, 412 pages

Published May 8th 2012 by Forge Books (first published January 1st 2012)

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Dec 30, 2012 Miles rated it 4 of 5 stars

I borrowed this for my 15 year old son who loves it and has re-read it several times. To stay hep with the young generation I read it too. It's a cartoon like thriller about SEAL special operations forces and an Iranian nuclear bomb and the exfiltration of an Iranian spy to a US submarine lurking in the Persian gulf. So long as the story sticks to the action on the ground with the commandos it's an engaging adventure story, with plausible action scenes and careful descriptions of different kinds...more

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May 09, 2013 Ned Frederick rated it 4 of 5 stars

A stellar example of the genre. I liked this book but it didn't really shine until the last 100 pages. I spent the first 2/3 of the book amused, entertained but annoyed by the politicians and military brass who seem more interested in not upsetting our enemies than completing this globally significant mission and protecting our folks on the ground. Without revealing too much ... There is a SEAL team stuck in coastal Iran with critically important intelligence. There is a lot of maneuvering to po...more

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May 23, 2012 Lee Boyland rated it 4 of 5 stars

Iran has bragged themselves into a corner. Half of the West and Israel believes that Iran is close to building “the bomb.” But, the mullahs have a problem—they can’t make their centrifuges work, and if they admit it they become the laughingstock of the Muslim world. What to do?

Larry Bond takes this idea and crafts and intriguing tale. Opal, an Iranian spy has the answer, and to obtain the proof needed to prevent Israel’s strike on Iran, Opal must be rescued. But of course, this proves to be easi...more Iran has bragged themselves into a corner. Half of the West and Israel believes that Iran is close to building “the bomb.” But, the mullahs have a problem—they can’t make their centrifuges work, and if they admit it they become the laughingstock of the Muslim world. What to do?

Larry Bond takes this idea and crafts and intriguing tale. Opal, an Iranian spy has the answer, and to obtain the proof needed to prevent Israel’s strike on Iran, Opal must be rescued. But of course, this proves to be easier said than done.

I am an author who writes stories with plots containing nuclear and thermonuclear weapons. Subjects I am qualified to write about since I have a degree in nuclear engineering and served my active duty time as an EOD and NET officer assigned to the Defense Atomic Support Agency in Albuquerque, NM. I cringe when reading stories with nuclear weapons written by authors who do not understand what they are writing about. Not so with Larry Bond. I have read and reviewed The Fires of War and Cold Choices and found both to be well written and factual. So too is EXIT PLAN. In the prologue, Bond accurately describes a centrifuge array, uranium hexafluoride, the Natanz underground chambers, and the accident. Well done Larry.

The story begins after the accident. Iranian General Moradi is on his way to Natanz. Moradi had been selected by the supreme leader of Iran to head the nuclear weapons program. When he arrives, he realizes he has a problem. Like Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, everyone is watched, and Moradi is watched by Major Rahim.

Word reaches Washington from Opal that the centrifuges have failed. Satellite photos show that Iran is preparing a shaft for an underground nuclear test. Both can’t be correct, so which is true. Opal must be extracted with the files proving the test is a bluff. The question that challenges the intelligence communities is, why would Iran fake a nuclear test?

The Memphis, an converted boomer with a SEAL team and mini sub is diverted to extract Opal. When the team launches, Mr. Murphy joins the team and things go South. The remainder of the story is how the Iranians hunt the team and U.S. efforts to extract them and prevent Israel from attacking Iran.

Lots of action, well plotted and written action scenes, and overall EXIT PLAN is a great read.

I gave the book 4.5 stars because there is too much nomenclature. Also, a list of characters would help. Some readers, me included, read a book is as time permits, thus a character index helps.
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May 29, 2012 Ric rated it 4 of 5 stars

I guess if one were to make a blurb for this book it could read: "timely as tomorrow's headlines ... an action-filled romp through military details only Larry Bond can deliver." Sure.

To be able to start and finish a Bond book, I make a tacit, unilateral agreement with Larry Bond, as follows:

I hereby commit to read through without twitching to the unlikely background events of the narrative, in the expectation of receiving a detailed account of an imaginary battle that will blow my mind.

And to...more I guess if one were to make a blurb for this book it could read: "timely as tomorrow's headlines ... an action-filled romp through military details only Larry Bond can deliver." Sure.

To be able to start and finish a Bond book, I make a tacit, unilateral agreement with Larry Bond, as follows:

I hereby commit to read through without twitching to the unlikely background events of the narrative, in the expectation of receiving a detailed account of an imaginary battle that will blow my mind.

And to the letter of this pact, Mr. Bond delivers in Exit Plan. Nevermind the one-sided viewpoint on politics, world affairs and Iran, there's much to distract in the military details ---a covert submarine, uber-SEALs, various Iranian and US military vehicles, armaments, and technology. There is a surfeit of dying and killing and skullduggery that may not be tolerable to readers, especially those who do not come into this with the above contract in place. But, on the advise of my legal counsel, these concerns are mooted by a preponderance of fun features, including: (1) a Green Beret(the movie)-like cavort through the Iranian coastline, (b) a The Hunt for Red October-like submarine dance, and (c)battles galore --- hand-to-hand, technology-filled, strategic, missile-backed, unmanned-overflight, boat-to-boat and torpedo-evading. Enough that one cannot say Mr. Bond did not keep his end of the deal.

Mr. Bond has found a winning formula, continuing from his earlier books such as Red Phoenix and Vortex, keeping long on the details of military armements and strategy and paying just enough attention to the narrative to keep the story going. One wonders how he actually knows about the battle order of Iranian and Israeli commands but he makes it sound so real that one does not question but rather assumes the accuracy of the facts (a trick one Dan Brown has played before). Anyway, go ahead and purchase a ticket. It's an enjoyable show. Just do it soon. The blurb "timely as tomorrow's headline" could just as quickly become "yesterday's headline." Reality can trump fiction, if you delay too much.

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Apr 27, 2013 Steven Hildreth Jr. rated it 4 of 5 stars

If you haven’t lived under a rock for the past three decades and have at the very least dabbled in action thriller novels, then you’ll know the name Larry Bond. He has been a mainstay in the genre, with his most easily recognizable work being his collaboration with Tom Clancy, Red Storm Rising. Bond has been praised for his gripping plots, his attention to military detail, and tight prose, and all of that is apparent in Exit Plan, an entry in his Jerry Mitchell series.

In Exit Plan, Bond approach...more If you haven’t lived under a rock for the past three decades and have at the very least dabbled in action thriller novels, then you’ll know the name Larry Bond. He has been a mainstay in the genre, with his most easily recognizable work being his collaboration with Tom Clancy, Red Storm Rising. Bond has been praised for his gripping plots, his attention to military detail, and tight prose, and all of that is apparent in Exit Plan, an entry in his Jerry Mitchell series.

In Exit Plan, Bond approaches a nightmare for any follower of national security and foreign policy: a nuclear Iran. A CIA asset, code-named Opal, believes they are under surveillance by VEVAK, the Iranian secret police, and that they are on the verge of being made. They send a distress signal through their handler requesting immediate extraction in exchange for detailed information on the Iranian nuclear program. The USS Michigan is redirected from training exercises in Pakistan and tasked with the extraction. Operators from SEAL Team Three are tapped to conduct the actual extraction, with one exception: Commander Jerry Mitchell, former fighter pilot and executive officer of the Michigan. He volunteers to fill in for an Advanced SEAL Delivery System assistant driver who has suffered an injury, and is qualified to do so due to experience he has training on the system.

The op quickly goes sideways as the ASDS suffers mechanical failure and kills the ASDS driver, leaving Mitchell and the SEALs stranded ashore in Iran. After linking up with Opal–which turns out to be an Iranian military officer and his pregnant wife, a scientist in the nuclear program–Mitchell and the SEALs learn they cannot immediately return to water due to Iranian patrols swarming the waters between them and the Michigan. It’s a race to stay one step ahead of the enemy in a non-permissive environment as the stranded sailors and their Iranian charges attempt to bring that information out of Iran in an effort to maintain stability in the region.

Exit Plan was hard to put down. It may start off a little slow for some readers, but I’m personally used to that. It slowly builds its momentum and once it achieves its maximum velocity, it barrels through until the end. The storyline was well researched, and shows that Bond has an immense knowledge of all things political and military. Furthermore, he knows how to display that knowledge without making it read like a military field manual. One point of commendation was a scene with an Iranian sub hunting the USS Michigan. With other authors, such as Tom Clancy, I tend to skip over the conventional warfare scenes because they drag on for me. Bond, on the other hand, built up the sub-on-sub fight with the perfect amount of tension, leaving me wondering when the showdown would occur, and when it did, I hung onto every word. That is the sign of a masterful author in the genre: making the book technically accurate while entertaining at the same time.

This was not the first entry in the Jerry Mitchell series, and so some of the connections were a little hard to catch onto at first. In the end, though, Bond does a good job filling in enough backstory so the character remain engaging. One particular scene I thought that was done well was when Mitchell was sleeping restlessly in Iran and having flashbacks to when he got reacquainted with an ex-girlfriend, later to be his wife, and explained the connection between himself, Joanna Patterson, a national security type in Washington, and Lowell Hardy, a politician and Mitchell’s former commanding officer. It provided humanization to Mitchell, made him relatable, and did not slow down the plot.

Another thing I appreciated was the divide between the storyline in Iran revolving around Mitchell, the SEALs, and the Iranians, and the political storyline that takes place in Washington, D.C. and Tel Aviv. Politics is such an integral part of what gets the military machine rolling, so to see some of what goes on behind the scenes definitely enhanced the plot. It’s another area of Exit Plan where Bond shows he knows his stuff, ranging from policy meetings to tense foreign negotiations to even the simplest things, such as a non-disclosure agreement.

Having sang the praises, I do feel there were a couple of points of contention. I felt the final scene in Iran before the epilogue was a little rushed. It’s not rushed as badly as I’ve seen in other authors’ work, but I do feel it could have been stretched a little bit longer without feeling stale. I also felt that the SEALs could have been given a little more attention and had backstories worked out for them, as well as some of the Iranian antagonists. They weren’t out-and-out flat characters, but I do feel a little more limelight for their histories could have been shed to great effect. Also, Bond states that an ORP is an operational readiness position. I don’t know if that’s what they call it in the Navy (Bond served as a Naval officer before venturing into defense contracting and writing), but I was always taught an ORP was an objective rally point, established before a movement to an objective and the waypoint the shooters fall back to upon completion of actions on the objective.

The biggest flaw of Exit Plan might have been necessary for the plot, but as a student of covert and clandestine operations, I immediately recognized it as being off. The SEALs wear Type III Naval Working Uniform, the Navy’s take on the desert digital camouflage pattern, and carry FN SCARs and SIG-Sauer pistols. Before I delve into why this is a problem, allow me to explain the difference between a clandestine operation and a covert operation:

-A clandestine operation places the emphasis of concealment on the operation itself, not the sponsor of the operation. According to federal regulations, the United States Armed Forces are only allowed to helm clandestine operations due to the laws of ground warfare. With a clandestine operation, if an operator is caught, they are to be claimed by their host government, which can provide a casus belli.

-A covert operation places the emphasis of concealment on the identity of the operation’s sponsor. According to federal regulations, the Central Intelligence Agency is the only branch of the United States government that can conduct covert operations. The reason being is that a covert operation provides the government with deniability. If an operator on a covert mission is caught, the government can claim that they know nothing of the operation. At that point, said operator will probably be subjected to a long bout of torture before being executed by the enemy government. United States military service members can conduct covert operations so long as they are under the directive of the CIA. Using military personnel for Agency operations is known as being “sheep-dipped.”

This operation was conducted under the National Command Authority (the President and the Secretary of Defense), and thus it was a clandestine operation. However, given the politically sensitive nature of the mission, while on paper it would have been a clandestine mission, the SEALs should have treated it like a covert operation. They should have dressed in mufti and carried Kalashnikovs. Bond actually touches on why later on in the book: after two Iranian patrols are taken out by the SEAL team, VEVAK agents identify the weapons being used as 7.62x51mm NATO (the round of the SCAR-H used by the team sniper), and their Type III NWU are identified shortly thereafter. While it worked to add tension to the plot, it was an oversight, intentional or otherwise, that wouldn’t be missed in the real world.

Despite all of that, Exit Plan made for incredibly fun reading, and Bond crafts thrillers with the best of them. I’d definitely recommend the book to fans of the genre. While Iran has taken a backseat to terrorism and North Korea at the moment, it is still a relevant topic and Bond is keeping up with the times. It’s thrill-packed action and political intrigue at its finest.(less)

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Jul 12, 2012 Jerome rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite-thrillers

Larry Bond has been slipping quite a bit lately, what with the co-authored books which are kind of lame and seemed to have just become another has been. In "Exit Plan", though, Bond brings back his A game. He must have written this one himself. I could hardly put it down. It even seemed realistic. Very good SEAL action, naval action, submarine warefare...this book has it all it seems.

However, perhaps most interesting is the outstanding job the author does of describing the terrain inside Iran. N...more

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Jul 20, 2012 Mark Polino rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, 2012

I really want to rate Exit Plan 3.5 stars. The story worked but some of the characters felt wrong. In particular the SEAL team leader displayed more anger and insecurity than confidence and leadership. You can argue that bond was trying to make a more interesting character but that goes against what it takes to actually become a SEAL team leader.

The XO's character also felt immature at times for someone who is next in line to command a nuclear submarine.

Finally, this is fundamentally a road tri...more

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Nov 28, 2012 Skip rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: thriller

Larry Bond used to write amazing thrillers: conflicts likely to escalate into world war. His most recent books about Jerry Mitchell do not measure up although this one was better than Dangerous Ground. Iran's nuclear weapons program is a disaster so their leadership decides to fake success in the hopes of provoking a military response. A scientist and her husband, a security officer, are trying to defect with the truth, when a series of problems arise during the extraction.

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Jun 29, 2012 David Marshall rated it 3 of 5 stars

I haven't read a military thriller for years so this came as a pleasant surprise. Although there's slightly too much technical information for my taste, the politics of this situation are interesting and the logic of the final episodes pragmatic. If only problematic situations in the real world could be resolved with such efficient disregard for the established channels of communication.

http://opionator.wordpress.com/2012/0...

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Jan 08, 2013 Janice rated it 5 of 5 stars

Larry Bond' books never fail to keep me up to almost when I have to get up early for work.
Larry is a master story teller, and is up with Robert Ludlum for writing thrillers that keep you on the edge of your seat and want more.
I love the way he builds his plots, and you really care about his characters. Larry is an expert in many military areas, and you really learn from his stories.

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Sep 09, 2012 Peter rated it 2 of 5 stars

I found the SEAL leader to be completely unbelievable, to the point where it was distracting. He was acting like an immature 15 year old throughout the entire story. And the XO- if you got trapped on an unfriendly shore in a desperate situation, wouldn't you keep your damn mouth shut and not try to play "rank" games with the SEAL team leader? Let him do his job, even if you're senior. Other than these two guys, it was an okay story.

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Oct 18, 2012 Rex Eaton rated it 2 of 5 stars

Hard to hold my attention. The author used a lot of military acronyms most of which I knew however some I didn't. Mr. Bond did put them at the end of the book but was very frustrating as you try to keep pace with the plot.

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Oct 08, 2012 Ron rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: action, military-fiction

A decent thriller that cuts a bit close to current Middle East situation. Larry Bond writes decent thrillers that suck you into the situation and plays with your emotions as his scenario unfolds to the forgone conclusion.

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Mar 25, 2013 Mark Cahill rated it 2 of 5 stars

Begins well enough, but the book devolves into a slow paced quagmire with numerous plot holes that eventually consume it. While Bond is a giant in the world of techno-thrillers, this book is one to skip.

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Oct 07, 2012 Wellington City Libraries added it

Shelves: readers-choice

Was an accomplished but routine thriller until the last 100 or so pages, where the tension kicks in and grabs the reader. It's okay, and has a very strong ending, but it is not especially memorable.

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Sep 07, 2012 Mark rated it 2 of 5 stars

This was a tiresome book to fread. So many of the details add so little to the plot that I wondered if the author was being paid by the word. If he had cut the book by half it might have been mored interesting to read.

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Jul 06, 2012 Russell L added it

A good story about rescue of helpful Iranian agent from Iran by a submarine crew and their thrilling fight to get out of Iran

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Jun 14, 2012 VaughanPL added it

Shelves: suspense, mystery-horror-and-suspense

Click here to find it in the catalogue.

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Mar 31, 2013 Paul Downs rated it 4 of 5 stars

For what it is, very well done. I like that Bond doesn't over villianize the foreign opposition.

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Oct 16, 2012 John Hanley rated it 4 of 5 stars

A powerful piece of writing about a highly contemporary subject masterfully executed.

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Nov 01, 2012 Sheldon Lehman rated it 4 of 5 stars

Larry Bond is to sea-going military vessels as Dale Brown is to airplanes.

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Jan 30, 2013 Doug rated it 4 of 5 stars

A solid book with great action.

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Jan 30, 2013 Kim Stephan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Well written and suspenseful.

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Apr 21, 2013 Quintin Reitzel added it

This was an amazing book. I would have to look up and make sure that Larry Bond is not a pen name for Clancy. A step above Hunt for Red October. Great Book.

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Jun 13, 2012 Laurie rated it 4 of 5 stars

A good read, lots of action.

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Jul 27, 2012 Gregory Saunders rated it 4 of 5 stars

Another excellent installment.

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Dec 29, 2012 Tom Shrimplin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Very good book, but ending was a little puzzling.

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Aug 30, 2012 P.e.lolo rated it 3 of 5 stars

A good story all the way to the end .

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Mar 05, 2013 Sahickman rated it 3 of 5 stars

Interesting book. Lots of action and suspense.

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Aug 02, 2012 Mark rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: current-affairs, military, political-thriller, spy-thriller, tech-thriller

Basic spy "in from the cold" extraction story...Irani spies tied to their nuke program need to be extracted...this a continuation of the Jerry Mitchell saga of a navel aviator turned submariner...The Michigan is tagged with the exfiltration of the spies and Mitchell is trapped In-country with the Seal team and spies...good spy fun!!!

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About Larry Bond

Larry Bond is the author of several bestselling military thrillers, including Crash Dive, Cold Choices, Dangerous Ground, Red Phoenix and the Larry Bond’s First Team and Larry Bond’s Red Dragon Rising series. He was a naval officer for six years, serving four on a destroyer and two on shore duty in the Washington DC area. He's also worked as a warfare analyst and antisubmarine technology expert, a...more

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Exit Plan (Jerry Mitchell #3)

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