This is the the second prequel in the Mitch Rapp series, following on from American Assassin. That book was about Rapp's recruitment and training to become a clandestine assassin for the CIA. When this story kicks off, he is about to eliminate another US target, a Libyan terrorist who is visiting Paris. He breaks into the man's room and pumps a bullet into him as he sleeps. But almost immediately he realises that he's walked into a trap and that a team is lying in wait to assassinate him. Rapp is wounded in the ensuing gunfire but manages to escape. His orders are now to report in to the CIA, but not knowing who he can trust, he goes underground.

I was looking forward to reading this book, but I feel like it was just...okay. Not terrible, perfectly enjoyable, but lacking that relentless "go forward" momentum that keeps you wanting to turn the pages until the small hours. Somehow, Rapp's situation just never felt desperate enough. The tension wasn't really there. Whilst I enjoyed reading about how he outsmarts those superior to him, I never really had any doubt about how things would resolve themselves. Plus the ending is seriously super silly. If you plucked it off my bookshelf and asked me if it was worth reading, I'd probably just shrug - you could do better, you could do worse.

Having said that, I still think Rapp is a great character and I like the thought that goes into the way that he operates. I also really liked the french female detective who's tasked with investigating the hotel shooting spree. She makes a terrific, take-no-crap individual.