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Scot Harvath #11
Black List
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Mystery & Thriller (2012)Somewhere deep inside the United States government is a closely guarded list. Members of Congress never get to see it—only the President and a secret team of advisers. Once your name is on the list, it doesn’t come off . . . until you’re dead.
Someone has just added counterterrorism operative Scot Harvath’s name.
Somehow Harvath must evade the teams dispatched to kill him long enough to untangle who has targeted him and why they want him out of the way.
Somewhere, someone, somehow can put all the pieces together. The only question is, will Harvath get to that person before the United States suffers the most withering terrorist attack ever conceived?
Someone has just added counterterrorism operative Scot Harvath’s name.
Somehow Harvath must evade the teams dispatched to kill him long enough to untangle who has targeted him and why they want him out of the way.
Somewhere, someone, somehow can put all the pieces together. The only question is, will Harvath get to that person before the United States suffers the most withering terrorist attack ever conceived?
371 pages, Hardcover
First published July 24, 2012
1863 people are currently reading
7331 people want to read
About the author
Brad Thor
44 books7,261 followersBRAD THOR is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-five thrillers, including EDGE OF HONOR, SHADOW OF DOUBT, BLACK ICE (ThrillerFix Best Thriller of the Year), NEAR DARK (one of Suspense Magazine’s Best Books of the Year), BACKLASH (nominated for the Barry Award for Best Thriller of the Year), SPYMASTER (“One of the all-time best thriller novels” —The Washington Times), THE LAST PATRIOT (nominated Best Thriller of the Year by the International Thriller Writers Association), and BLOWBACK (one of the “Top 100 Killer Thrillers of All Time” —NPR).
EDGE OF HONOR is on sale now. For more information, visit BradThor.com.
EDGE OF HONOR is on sale now. For more information, visit BradThor.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,051 reviews
February 9, 2018
3.5 to 4 stars (if Goodreads allowed half stars, I would have gone 3.5)
I am kind of amazed that Brad Thor can write an entire book without too much ire thrown at the Middle East. While his usual target is Islamic extremists, this time the bad guys are a little closer to home. This is a good thing because the repetition of Muslim bad guys was getting a little old.
All of that aside, this book was pretty entertaining. For those who enjoy political thrillers, Thor is is a great author to check out. Be aware, though, he leans quite conservative. Makes Tom Clancy look liberal! However, I felt like this book has less political commentary than some of his earlier books. There is a lot of continuation of the overall story from previous books. Because of this it may be hard to enjoy this book if you are not familiar with Scot Harvath and the usual cast of characters.
Note: this book is not related to the Black List TV show.
Warning: Thor seems to enjoy writing about torture interrogation. If this is something that makes you uncomfortable, he might be worth avoiding. There are a few torture scenes in this book.
The following is a spoiler worth reading if you don't mind spoilers or don't plan to read this book. I am interested in what everyone thinks:
I am kind of amazed that Brad Thor can write an entire book without too much ire thrown at the Middle East. While his usual target is Islamic extremists, this time the bad guys are a little closer to home. This is a good thing because the repetition of Muslim bad guys was getting a little old.
All of that aside, this book was pretty entertaining. For those who enjoy political thrillers, Thor is is a great author to check out. Be aware, though, he leans quite conservative. Makes Tom Clancy look liberal! However, I felt like this book has less political commentary than some of his earlier books. There is a lot of continuation of the overall story from previous books. Because of this it may be hard to enjoy this book if you are not familiar with Scot Harvath and the usual cast of characters.
Note: this book is not related to the Black List TV show.
Warning: Thor seems to enjoy writing about torture interrogation. If this is something that makes you uncomfortable, he might be worth avoiding. There are a few torture scenes in this book.
The following is a spoiler worth reading if you don't mind spoilers or don't plan to read this book. I am interested in what everyone thinks:
September 19, 2017
A Dime-store Romance for Shit-kickers, Meat-heads & Misogynists
Another dime-store romance for cro-Mag dimwits, misogynists and shit-kicking rednecks and cowboys--apparently a burgeoning crowd.* Formula:
hollow characters [check],
connect the dots plot [check],
U.S. desperately in trouble [check],
European only exacerbates the problem [check, I specially like politely nipping a Brit's pompous bud]
a damsel in distress [optional, sometimes the heat's too much for the mamacitas, if ya know what I mean],
ScotHar saves the day [oh, hell yeah... you better know it],
rescuing the world from mass destruction ['every freakin' time, my man' with a big cheesy grin].
I really read this book in 2007? Would I waste time so frivolously? What possessed me? Who in hell reads such books? Apparently a pre-lit-binge me. SMH
*See, e.g., bestseller lists with novels by Brad Thor, POTUS election.
Another dime-store romance for cro-Mag dimwits, misogynists and shit-kicking rednecks and cowboys--apparently a burgeoning crowd.* Formula:
hollow characters [check],
connect the dots plot [check],
U.S. desperately in trouble [check],
European only exacerbates the problem [check, I specially like politely nipping a Brit's pompous bud]
a damsel in distress [optional, sometimes the heat's too much for the mamacitas, if ya know what I mean],
ScotHar saves the day [oh, hell yeah... you better know it],
rescuing the world from mass destruction ['every freakin' time, my man' with a big cheesy grin].
I really read this book in 2007? Would I waste time so frivolously? What possessed me? Who in hell reads such books? Apparently a pre-lit-binge me. SMH
*See, e.g., bestseller lists with novels by Brad Thor, POTUS election.
September 21, 2012
You know, when you or I get into a car, we get into a car. And about 999 out of a 1000 authors would just write 'they/he/she got into a car'. Good enough, lets move on to the action.
Not good enough for Brad Thor. Characters don't get into cars. They 'transition' into cars. They also never 'resume' an interrupted activity, like you or I would. They 'transition back' to what they were doing. A chicken never crosses the road--it transitions. Considering the amount of time characters spend in this book blowing each others heads off, I'm surprised Brad Thor just didn't write 'then BLAM! Horvath transitioned his skull into a million pulpy--etc.' That happens all the time in this book, and is an endless source of joy and contentment for Brad, positively gushing over one head shot after another, when not obsessed with the thrill of slitting throats, which are always described in a useful, how-to kind of way. Here using 'transition' for 'shot' 'kill' 'murder' 'slit' 'blood' etc...would have saved him a lot of time he could have better spent trying to master basic prose, or developing character out of cliches, or walking his dog, or writing one-liners for Glen Beck.
Transition is clearly his favourite word, and the entertainment the reader derives from the endless variety of uses he puts it to almost compensates for the fact that Brad Thor is another of those total hacks that somehow have lucked into the magic formula to make the big time. When his characters are not transitioning, and sometimes when they are, they live life (until they're blown away) in an endless series of acronyms. When agents or ne'erdowells look around to see if the coast is clear, they don't just look, like you or I would, they 'perform a PDQ' or 'XYZ' or 'Toys'r'Us' or what the hell--(pardon me, since I listened to this in audio format I can't fetch up any specific passage, but will try to give the flavour) and, after transitioning the ocular sockets to and fro, will then CRS the street, WLK up to the front door and RNG the bell. Since virtually all the characters in this book are either military or intelligence personnel, this kind of stuff is absolutely inescapable, and if that isn't bad enough, our friend Brad is more than happy to bring the narrative to an absolute halt to explain what the latest mystery letters stand for. Example:
Horvath: "Are you transitioning to the restaurant?"
Cramer: "Only if it's a BYOB."
Thor: A BYOB means bring your own bottle, which is the procedure agents use when trying to get smashed in a small or cheap eating establishment where the wine list, if any, consists of paltry and unappealing choices that....yada, yada, yada, yada...
A real author would just let his characters get on with their lives and the story and cut out this kind of BS.
Thor: BS is the popular designation for--
Sorry, see what I mean. Where were we?
Not good enough for Brad Thor. Characters don't get into cars. They 'transition' into cars. They also never 'resume' an interrupted activity, like you or I would. They 'transition back' to what they were doing. A chicken never crosses the road--it transitions. Considering the amount of time characters spend in this book blowing each others heads off, I'm surprised Brad Thor just didn't write 'then BLAM! Horvath transitioned his skull into a million pulpy--etc.' That happens all the time in this book, and is an endless source of joy and contentment for Brad, positively gushing over one head shot after another, when not obsessed with the thrill of slitting throats, which are always described in a useful, how-to kind of way. Here using 'transition' for 'shot' 'kill' 'murder' 'slit' 'blood' etc...would have saved him a lot of time he could have better spent trying to master basic prose, or developing character out of cliches, or walking his dog, or writing one-liners for Glen Beck.
Transition is clearly his favourite word, and the entertainment the reader derives from the endless variety of uses he puts it to almost compensates for the fact that Brad Thor is another of those total hacks that somehow have lucked into the magic formula to make the big time. When his characters are not transitioning, and sometimes when they are, they live life (until they're blown away) in an endless series of acronyms. When agents or ne'erdowells look around to see if the coast is clear, they don't just look, like you or I would, they 'perform a PDQ' or 'XYZ' or 'Toys'r'Us' or what the hell--(pardon me, since I listened to this in audio format I can't fetch up any specific passage, but will try to give the flavour) and, after transitioning the ocular sockets to and fro, will then CRS the street, WLK up to the front door and RNG the bell. Since virtually all the characters in this book are either military or intelligence personnel, this kind of stuff is absolutely inescapable, and if that isn't bad enough, our friend Brad is more than happy to bring the narrative to an absolute halt to explain what the latest mystery letters stand for. Example:
Horvath: "Are you transitioning to the restaurant?"
Cramer: "Only if it's a BYOB."
Thor: A BYOB means bring your own bottle, which is the procedure agents use when trying to get smashed in a small or cheap eating establishment where the wine list, if any, consists of paltry and unappealing choices that....yada, yada, yada, yada...
A real author would just let his characters get on with their lives and the story and cut out this kind of BS.
Thor: BS is the popular designation for--
Sorry, see what I mean. Where were we?
November 4, 2014
Brad Thor's premiere protagonist Scott Harvath has been one tough....uh, umm, fellow, in the America's fight against terrorism for some time, but sadly all good things must come to an end. A new president and a new administration has decided to cut costs by cutting back on America's intelligence resources.
No problem. Scott has....marketable skills so he's now in the private sector. Still opposing terrorism but now for a private company. Unfortunately government "mismanagement" and....slight over reaching is still around. Yes unbelievable as it is the idea behind this book is that certain people in the government think things like due process and Constitutional rights are really nothing more than troublesome minor difficulties to be ignored and done away with as quickly as possible.
Believe it or not one of these necessary "by passes" of the law is a "Black List". This is a list of people "deemed to be" threats to the country...or possibly the government. Once your on the list there's only one way off...feet first as they say.
And someone has "deemed" Scott and his team to be a threat. So...someone put them on the list. Well, once on the list the killers sent for you don't ask questions they simply, (as Terry Pratchett would say) "inhume" you. In other words...remove you from this vale of tears, bring you to room temperature, send you to count worms, have you "buy the farm", bring your number up, send you to push up daisies, make you less bothersome, remove you from the list, send you to that big bureaucracy in the sky, send you the way of all flesh, croak you, send you to your reward...you know, kill your sorry ass...er I mean well you know, introduce you to the Dodo bird.
Kill you.
The problem is, Scott doesn't see himself as expendable.
I almost give this book 5 stars as it's fast, exciting, very well written. It's what we usually call, "a page turner" or "a thrill ride". Breaking out with a well thought out and well written story this one is going to be hard to beat in action and thriller books
Oh heck, I'll up my rating, 5 stars and recommended. Enjoy.
No problem. Scott has....marketable skills so he's now in the private sector. Still opposing terrorism but now for a private company. Unfortunately government "mismanagement" and....slight over reaching is still around. Yes unbelievable as it is the idea behind this book is that certain people in the government think things like due process and Constitutional rights are really nothing more than troublesome minor difficulties to be ignored and done away with as quickly as possible.
Believe it or not one of these necessary "by passes" of the law is a "Black List". This is a list of people "deemed to be" threats to the country...or possibly the government. Once your on the list there's only one way off...feet first as they say.
And someone has "deemed" Scott and his team to be a threat. So...someone put them on the list. Well, once on the list the killers sent for you don't ask questions they simply, (as Terry Pratchett would say) "inhume" you. In other words...remove you from this vale of tears, bring you to room temperature, send you to count worms, have you "buy the farm", bring your number up, send you to push up daisies, make you less bothersome, remove you from the list, send you to that big bureaucracy in the sky, send you the way of all flesh, croak you, send you to your reward...you know, kill your sorry
Kill you.
The problem is, Scott doesn't see himself as expendable.
I almost give this book 5 stars as it's fast, exciting, very well written. It's what we usually call, "a page turner" or "a thrill ride". Breaking out with a well thought out and well written story this one is going to be hard to beat in action and thriller books
Oh heck, I'll up my rating, 5 stars and recommended. Enjoy.
December 17, 2012
There is only one direct allusion to "1984" in Brad Thor's "Black List," but an Orwellian world permeates every page. Thor creates a terrifying scenario of what would happen if the government's data-mining capabilities were turned on the American citizenry. By chapter 20, I was ready to take down my Facebook page, dismantle my cell phone and move to a cave somewhere.
When one character, a cyber genius, begins describing street lights with the ability to record video and audio of all who pass by, all the ways people can be tracked by the gadgets they already own and people being "tagged" with microchips like their pets, not to mention surreptitious eavesdropping capabilities through systems like OnStar in cars, Thor definitely raises eyebrows.
Most ominously, he begins the book with an author's note: "All of the technology contained in this novel is based on systems currently deployed, in the final stages of development, by the United States government and its partners." He's able to sustain suspense throughout the thriller and he has more than a few eccentric characters to keep steady interest. This is definitely one for the conspiracy theorists, but great food for thought for the average reader.
When one character, a cyber genius, begins describing street lights with the ability to record video and audio of all who pass by, all the ways people can be tracked by the gadgets they already own and people being "tagged" with microchips like their pets, not to mention surreptitious eavesdropping capabilities through systems like OnStar in cars, Thor definitely raises eyebrows.
Most ominously, he begins the book with an author's note: "All of the technology contained in this novel is based on systems currently deployed, in the final stages of development, by the United States government and its partners." He's able to sustain suspense throughout the thriller and he has more than a few eccentric characters to keep steady interest. This is definitely one for the conspiracy theorists, but great food for thought for the average reader.
February 5, 2015
A rather bleak picture of where our future is heading or one that has actually arrived. Brad Thor states at the beginning “all technology contained in his novel is based on systems currently deployed or in the final stages of development”. It is disquieting to realize how much spying is taking place on law abiding citizens. Engrossing thriller and one of his finest.
May 20, 2021
This is my first book by this author. I did not know what to expect, but I am satisfied with what I got.
I chose this book to read while traveling and it was a very good choice. The action is very fast, there is no time to get bored, and the plot is not so complicated that I would have difficulty following it, even though at times I could not pay my full attention to it. The book starts with a shooting scene and then doesn't slow down for a moment. It is not a complicated political thriller or a novel with ambitions to do something new, and it does not try to pretend to be. It is uncomplicated but good entertainment.
Scot Harvath works pretty well as the main character. As I mentioned, I haven't read any of the ten previous books, so this was my first meeting with him. But his personality is developed enough for him to be believable in his role. Obviously his character is quite stereotypical and cliched, but that's what I expected, so it wasn't a problem for me. I am glad that he displayed almost superhuman skills, because I am much more irritated by the lack of skills of the main characters in novels of this type.
The book is quite brutal. There is a lot of violence and death in it. There are also several torture scenes, not all of them always fully justified. So if you are sensitive to such things, it may not be a story for you.
I was pretty enjoying this story. It turned out to be what I was looking for - a quite nice simple entertainment. I think I will also read other books by this author.
I chose this book to read while traveling and it was a very good choice. The action is very fast, there is no time to get bored, and the plot is not so complicated that I would have difficulty following it, even though at times I could not pay my full attention to it. The book starts with a shooting scene and then doesn't slow down for a moment. It is not a complicated political thriller or a novel with ambitions to do something new, and it does not try to pretend to be. It is uncomplicated but good entertainment.
Scot Harvath works pretty well as the main character. As I mentioned, I haven't read any of the ten previous books, so this was my first meeting with him. But his personality is developed enough for him to be believable in his role. Obviously his character is quite stereotypical and cliched, but that's what I expected, so it wasn't a problem for me. I am glad that he displayed almost superhuman skills, because I am much more irritated by the lack of skills of the main characters in novels of this type.
The book is quite brutal. There is a lot of violence and death in it. There are also several torture scenes, not all of them always fully justified. So if you are sensitive to such things, it may not be a story for you.
I was pretty enjoying this story. It turned out to be what I was looking for - a quite nice simple entertainment. I think I will also read other books by this author.
June 25, 2013
Just when I thought Thor's books couldn't get any better, he comes up with one that will make any reader paranoid. In this novel, Harvath's colleagues have been burned and he's next on the list. As he tries to find out why he discovers a plan that could destroy the country from within its borders and its government.
The scary thing is that while reading this book and comparing it to recent news articles concerning security and Americans' privacies I had to wonder just how close to reality is this novel. Thor describes issues such as apps that constantly keep track of where you are and let others know what you're doing, what Internet searches you do, and how those searches determine your "personality" and what advertisements to show you, using cards or data as toll passes, cameras in street lights that can allow your picture to be used in facial recognition, wiretapping, and the list seems to be unending.
The book asks when or how far are people willing to let things go on the assumption that it won't affect them as they've done nothing wrong, and how soon will it be used for "thought police" that have been described in books and movies throughout history. Those books, especially this one, and movies seem to be so more factual than fictional today.
I couldn't put this book down and suggest you take a day, maybe 2, to read it and then see how many times you may be looking over your shoulder wondering just what or who is watching you.
The scary thing is that while reading this book and comparing it to recent news articles concerning security and Americans' privacies I had to wonder just how close to reality is this novel. Thor describes issues such as apps that constantly keep track of where you are and let others know what you're doing, what Internet searches you do, and how those searches determine your "personality" and what advertisements to show you, using cards or data as toll passes, cameras in street lights that can allow your picture to be used in facial recognition, wiretapping, and the list seems to be unending.
The book asks when or how far are people willing to let things go on the assumption that it won't affect them as they've done nothing wrong, and how soon will it be used for "thought police" that have been described in books and movies throughout history. Those books, especially this one, and movies seem to be so more factual than fictional today.
I couldn't put this book down and suggest you take a day, maybe 2, to read it and then see how many times you may be looking over your shoulder wondering just what or who is watching you.
March 11, 2015
Brad Thor thinks big in this 2012 book about taking down the Internet. The prescient, large-scale plot (pre-Snowden) is reason enough to read this book. Thor combines expertise and action for a very readable novel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2013
I want to be honest and say I didn't read the entire book. By chapter 11 I couldn't take any more.
I want to repeat what I've said in earlier reviews. I believe each author pours his/her heart and soul into each project. I know I do. Thus, it is difficult to slam the hammer down on someone's work. I'll just say this book and I didn't get along well. The plot was plausible. But the sentences kept getting in the way.
Here are three examples:
----
Schroeder climbed out of his unimpressive yet efficient Nissan and detected the scent of woodsmoke from one of the house’s main chimneys as he walked across the motor court.
Schroeder took a deep breath into his lungs and let it go.
The road rose and fell, bent and switched back as it climbed higher into the mountains. Harvath could feel the pressure changing his ears.
The knock fell upon the door.
----
So you see the style takes some getting use to. My first editor would have ripped this apart ... "Where else does breath go and what does it matter" ... "Is this your best description of the trip (switched back) and did your ears really change, for, they look the same to me" ... "Did the knock fall on the door? From what altitude?"
This man is a bestseller author on the NYT list so I know his other books have to be better ... they have to.
I want to repeat what I've said in earlier reviews. I believe each author pours his/her heart and soul into each project. I know I do. Thus, it is difficult to slam the hammer down on someone's work. I'll just say this book and I didn't get along well. The plot was plausible. But the sentences kept getting in the way.
Here are three examples:
----
Schroeder climbed out of his unimpressive yet efficient Nissan and detected the scent of woodsmoke from one of the house’s main chimneys as he walked across the motor court.
Schroeder took a deep breath into his lungs and let it go.
The road rose and fell, bent and switched back as it climbed higher into the mountains. Harvath could feel the pressure changing his ears.
The knock fell upon the door.
----
So you see the style takes some getting use to. My first editor would have ripped this apart ... "Where else does breath go and what does it matter" ... "Is this your best description of the trip (switched back) and did your ears really change, for, they look the same to me" ... "Did the knock fall on the door? From what altitude?"
This man is a bestseller author on the NYT list so I know his other books have to be better ... they have to.
March 12, 2013
I've seen Brad Thor's name countless times on book store shelves, but hadn't read anything by him until this book, which I picked up because of this interesting premise:
Somewhere deep inside the United States government is a closely guarded list. Members of Congress never get to see it—only the President and a secret team of advisers. Once your name is on the list, it doesn’t come off . . . until you’re dead.It sounds like the preview for a blockbuster action movie, and it reads like one too. Despite a few information dumps that went on a bit too long, it definitely delivers on its action-thriller premise. The main character is -- of course -- an unstoppable killing machine, but also deep enough for the reader to suspend their disbelief. The story is also terrifying because of how plausible it is -- which is made more so by this 'Author's Note' that prefaces the novel:
Someone has just added counterterrorism operative Scot Harvath’s name.
Somehow Harvath must evade the teams dispatched to kill him long enough to untangle who has targeted him and why they want him out of the way.
All of the technology contained in this novel is based on systems currently deployed, or in the final stages of development, by the United States government and its partners.My only complaint is that I now have another long series of spy thrillers I feel compelled to read, in addition to Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp books.
May 31, 2013
I don't know why exactly I decided to read this. It was recommended to me on Goodreads but I have never read any Brad Thor novels and I am admittedly turned off by "heroes" who think having a career going out murdering people for the military or government agencies like the CIA or other official thug groups is just fine as can be with the justification that the USA is the god of the universe and in charge of everything on the planet.
Surprisingly, I liked it! I didn't like Scot at all but I enjoyed a lot of characters like clever Caroline and her sister Nina and Nicholas the computer hacker dwarf with two huge dogs. There was a lot of clever maneuvering and fast paced action including two older men who performed some amazing action and proved having gray hair doesn't mean you are useless.
This reminded me some of Robert Ludlum's Bourne books which he is still apparently writing years after he died.
The creepy thing is that the government really IS spying on us, reading all of our emails and listening in on all calls and have been able to do so under Bush's misnamed Patriot Act whereby the Republican types who claim to want smaller government proved they really want to spy on you and maybe waterboard you if the opportunity arises (by the way, it did in this book). It is real life abuse of citizens and Brad has shared some of his research on his site www.BradThor.com
Surprisingly, I liked it! I didn't like Scot at all but I enjoyed a lot of characters like clever Caroline and her sister Nina and Nicholas the computer hacker dwarf with two huge dogs. There was a lot of clever maneuvering and fast paced action including two older men who performed some amazing action and proved having gray hair doesn't mean you are useless.
This reminded me some of Robert Ludlum's Bourne books which he is still apparently writing years after he died.
The creepy thing is that the government really IS spying on us, reading all of our emails and listening in on all calls and have been able to do so under Bush's misnamed Patriot Act whereby the Republican types who claim to want smaller government proved they really want to spy on you and maybe waterboard you if the opportunity arises (by the way, it did in this book). It is real life abuse of citizens and Brad has shared some of his research on his site www.BradThor.com
November 17, 2019
In the Black List, Harvath deals with domestic threat and government data collection. I find it exciting when Reed Carlton and his mentor did their old school spy thing.
July 15, 2012
From GoodeReader.com eBook Reviews:
Verdict: 5-Stars
I sincerely hope that Brad Thor is just a great fiction writer because if he’s not, if he’s simply writing the truth, America is in a lot of trouble. According to Black List, the real bad guy is our own government. Worse, the people who are charged with keeping us safe are often in more danger from internal orders than the terrorists they hunt.
That was the feeling I got throughout Thor’s book. While it starts out as a great story about secret agents and special ops teams, about double crosses and not knowing who to trust, it quickly evolved into a laundry list of ways that different government agencies with obscure acronyms had the technological means and the legal ability to spy on every single citizen.
Special ops agent Scot Harvath, who works for a private company contracted to the government, has eliminated his share of threats to national security. But when his name inexplicably ends up on the government’s secret list of people who must be killed, a list that does not require any warrants, overseers, or justification, he becomes the target. Cut off from his own superiors and not knowing whom to trust, he only knows that every stop on his worldwide game of cat-and-mouse brings with it more people assigned to kill him.
It’s so hard to come up with a new premise in the world of espionage literature. Books and films like the Bourne series and authors like Tom Clancy have pretty much given readers the upper crust of thrillers involving cloak and dagger exploits. But what Black List offers up that the others don’t is genuine literary insight into the lives of the many characters who come into play. Throughout the book, I kept switching loyalties every time I met a new face and the story of why he became the person he is.
Moreover, Thor kept me guessing as a reader; while there’s something to be said for a pleasant, straightforward literary read, this spy novel kept me guessing.
Verdict: 5-Stars
I sincerely hope that Brad Thor is just a great fiction writer because if he’s not, if he’s simply writing the truth, America is in a lot of trouble. According to Black List, the real bad guy is our own government. Worse, the people who are charged with keeping us safe are often in more danger from internal orders than the terrorists they hunt.
That was the feeling I got throughout Thor’s book. While it starts out as a great story about secret agents and special ops teams, about double crosses and not knowing who to trust, it quickly evolved into a laundry list of ways that different government agencies with obscure acronyms had the technological means and the legal ability to spy on every single citizen.
Special ops agent Scot Harvath, who works for a private company contracted to the government, has eliminated his share of threats to national security. But when his name inexplicably ends up on the government’s secret list of people who must be killed, a list that does not require any warrants, overseers, or justification, he becomes the target. Cut off from his own superiors and not knowing whom to trust, he only knows that every stop on his worldwide game of cat-and-mouse brings with it more people assigned to kill him.
It’s so hard to come up with a new premise in the world of espionage literature. Books and films like the Bourne series and authors like Tom Clancy have pretty much given readers the upper crust of thrillers involving cloak and dagger exploits. But what Black List offers up that the others don’t is genuine literary insight into the lives of the many characters who come into play. Throughout the book, I kept switching loyalties every time I met a new face and the story of why he became the person he is.
Moreover, Thor kept me guessing as a reader; while there’s something to be said for a pleasant, straightforward literary read, this spy novel kept me guessing.
November 30, 2012
Thor, the master of his genre, has done it again. Turning his main character from covert hunter to black listed (pardon the pun) hunted, the high-paced action keeps the book moving and regular Thor readers are sure to enjoy the latest installment. Add to that the return of The Troll, that slightly off centre major/minor character and you have a jam packed book that is sure to be talked about for years to come. Insight into a truly shocking amount of surveillance at the fingertips of the United States Government makes me want to return to smoke signals and paper maps, for my own privacy and safety.
Thor introduced the novel with his own preface, in which he outlines that all the technology found therein is real and its use is not exaggerated. If we are to believe this, Americans have no security and privacy from their government and its agencies. Turning those with electronic technology into massive beacons to help those 'behind the curtain' find anyone they want at any time. I was stunned, both at Thor's presumptions and with the detail used in the book to lay all these possibilities out. What else am I ignorant to when it comes to the espionage capabilities of the US Administration? And here I thought the Bush Fascist regime was gone.
Kudos Mr. Thor. I always thoroughly enjoy your books and this only helps prove my love of your work.
Thor introduced the novel with his own preface, in which he outlines that all the technology found therein is real and its use is not exaggerated. If we are to believe this, Americans have no security and privacy from their government and its agencies. Turning those with electronic technology into massive beacons to help those 'behind the curtain' find anyone they want at any time. I was stunned, both at Thor's presumptions and with the detail used in the book to lay all these possibilities out. What else am I ignorant to when it comes to the espionage capabilities of the US Administration? And here I thought the Bush Fascist regime was gone.
Kudos Mr. Thor. I always thoroughly enjoy your books and this only helps prove my love of your work.
August 18, 2012
In a change of pace from the typical Scot Harvath novel, Brad Thor has changed his protagonist's role from the hunter to the hunted in this novel. I thoroughly enjoyed this twist. Like most of these types of novels, the action starts early, is fast paced, and goes all the way through to the end. Unlike most of these types of novels, the action seemed semi-realistic and believable.
The scariest aspect of this novel is the premise upon which it is based. We, as a society, generate massive amounts of data that, when used improperly, could be used against us in a dangerous way. Additionally, we have become so dependent on the internet to function that shutting it down would be a catastrophic event. Both of these scenarios are taken to a logical extreme in this novel and I found the premise both exhilarating as well as terrifying.
I can't deny I'm a sucker for a good thriller and this thriller was well worth the day on the beach I spent reading it. It was good enough I would have given over a day at my house to read it.
The scariest aspect of this novel is the premise upon which it is based. We, as a society, generate massive amounts of data that, when used improperly, could be used against us in a dangerous way. Additionally, we have become so dependent on the internet to function that shutting it down would be a catastrophic event. Both of these scenarios are taken to a logical extreme in this novel and I found the premise both exhilarating as well as terrifying.
I can't deny I'm a sucker for a good thriller and this thriller was well worth the day on the beach I spent reading it. It was good enough I would have given over a day at my house to read it.
May 25, 2016
This was a good and scary read. Kept having to remind myself that this was just fiction. I am eager to see where BT is going with Scot. Is he going to finally allow him to find someone special that is ready to settle down and have a family. Never seen a character so ready to be a daddy. Now if he can just hang on to the baby's mama. :-) I also want to call BT a chicken for now detailing that last scene...come on...all authors are trying new things in their writing, you could have detailed that love scene. We wanted to know just how good Scot really was...well I did anyway. ;-)
August 6, 2024
An entertaining enough read, although I don’t think this is one of Thor’s best. Some very realistic parts are intertwined with some plot points that I found a bit too unrealistic, sometimes even cartoonish.
At the center of this 2012 thriller is the issue of privacy, that everyone used to complain and scream about in 2012 (and for a few years after that).
It was interesting to hear about it, because today no one seems to be talking about it anymore. It’s disappeared from mainstream media news and talk. Seems like we’ve resigned ourselves to being spied on, through our computers, phones and tech gadgets at all times.
At the center of this 2012 thriller is the issue of privacy, that everyone used to complain and scream about in 2012 (and for a few years after that).
It was interesting to hear about it, because today no one seems to be talking about it anymore. It’s disappeared from mainstream media news and talk. Seems like we’ve resigned ourselves to being spied on, through our computers, phones and tech gadgets at all times.
June 25, 2013
A review by Anthony T. Riggio of Brad Thor's “Black List”.
I had seen this book on the book shelves in books stores and chose to pass on reading it. It sounded like so many of the genre of books that deal with some former CIA, Delta Team member or Seal Team #(whatever). The hero is no longer in the service of their country but are hired on by one of the multitude of private contractors that seem to have become ubiquitous in the running of the government. It leads me to believe our “big and getting bigger” government seeks insulation for itself or setting up some future scape goat. Black List has all of these elements, including incredible physical feats that defy or perhaps provide some escapism for the great number of “couch potatoes” wannabe heroes who relish in these types of books.
This being said, Black List is well written and reasoned out and the author has some bona-fides that qualify him, unlike the growing number of vicarious writers who create these kinds of stories that seem to simply titillate readers who are looking for meaning in their dull lives.
What astounded me was how prescient the author was in writing this book given the disclosures of the NSA analyst Edward Snowden who “blew the whistle” on his perceptions of government abuse. Snowden was not a highly educated person but was making mega bucks, i.e., high six figure income. I would have thought this impossible but as one of the characters in the book, namely Kurt Schroeder, is not only a drop out, but one who has previously committed criminal acts. The author's premise is that these types are so talented in their computer skills that the government will look the other way. I believe the motives might have included the value of compromised morality. Hard to believe but then fiction is not stranger than reality when we see the Edward Snowden debacle.
The book also points out the increasing use of third party contractors by our government believing them to be more cost effective. In the parallel current reality issue, the contractor is a huge contractor (Boze Allen) involved in so much of what our government does, including the war efforts in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
While I am critical of the premise of Black List, the books revelations support this theory, which I found scary, beyond anything the average American frame of reference could relate to.
I gave this book four stars because it does capture the readers attention and imagination. I received this book as a gift from a friend who shares similar concerns of a government that seems out of control and whose hypothesis is now reinforced by true life.
I would recommend the reading of this book because the theme is so current and worrisome for most Americans who fear that we are now living in George Orwell's world. This could be a wake-up for many of us.
I had seen this book on the book shelves in books stores and chose to pass on reading it. It sounded like so many of the genre of books that deal with some former CIA, Delta Team member or Seal Team #(whatever). The hero is no longer in the service of their country but are hired on by one of the multitude of private contractors that seem to have become ubiquitous in the running of the government. It leads me to believe our “big and getting bigger” government seeks insulation for itself or setting up some future scape goat. Black List has all of these elements, including incredible physical feats that defy or perhaps provide some escapism for the great number of “couch potatoes” wannabe heroes who relish in these types of books.
This being said, Black List is well written and reasoned out and the author has some bona-fides that qualify him, unlike the growing number of vicarious writers who create these kinds of stories that seem to simply titillate readers who are looking for meaning in their dull lives.
What astounded me was how prescient the author was in writing this book given the disclosures of the NSA analyst Edward Snowden who “blew the whistle” on his perceptions of government abuse. Snowden was not a highly educated person but was making mega bucks, i.e., high six figure income. I would have thought this impossible but as one of the characters in the book, namely Kurt Schroeder, is not only a drop out, but one who has previously committed criminal acts. The author's premise is that these types are so talented in their computer skills that the government will look the other way. I believe the motives might have included the value of compromised morality. Hard to believe but then fiction is not stranger than reality when we see the Edward Snowden debacle.
The book also points out the increasing use of third party contractors by our government believing them to be more cost effective. In the parallel current reality issue, the contractor is a huge contractor (Boze Allen) involved in so much of what our government does, including the war efforts in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
While I am critical of the premise of Black List, the books revelations support this theory, which I found scary, beyond anything the average American frame of reference could relate to.
I gave this book four stars because it does capture the readers attention and imagination. I received this book as a gift from a friend who shares similar concerns of a government that seems out of control and whose hypothesis is now reinforced by true life.
I would recommend the reading of this book because the theme is so current and worrisome for most Americans who fear that we are now living in George Orwell's world. This could be a wake-up for many of us.
February 17, 2019
Another entry in the awesome Scot Harvath series that I gotta put up there with Full Black, one of the best in the series! And this time, instead of fighting Terrorists across the globe, the action takes place a little closer to home.
Black List picks up right after Full Black, after a failed assassination attempt on Harvath's life, but resulting in the killing of one of his friends, Harvath realises that someone has added his name to a closely guarded list known as the Black List, it contains targets that are supposedly a threat to the United States, and once your name is on the list, it doesn't come off, until you're dead.
Now with no one else to turn to, including his own government, Harvath, along with Nicholas AKA The Troll, goes up against a rogue US Organization with a deadly agenda years in the making that would bring total chaos and destruction to the United States, and Harvath intends to clear his name, take the fight to bad guys, and find out why he's been targeted.
A solid, fun Mission Impossible-type thriller, and plenty of action to keep the pages turning!
Black List picks up right after Full Black, after a failed assassination attempt on Harvath's life, but resulting in the killing of one of his friends, Harvath realises that someone has added his name to a closely guarded list known as the Black List, it contains targets that are supposedly a threat to the United States, and once your name is on the list, it doesn't come off, until you're dead.
Now with no one else to turn to, including his own government, Harvath, along with Nicholas AKA The Troll, goes up against a rogue US Organization with a deadly agenda years in the making that would bring total chaos and destruction to the United States, and Harvath intends to clear his name, take the fight to bad guys, and find out why he's been targeted.
A solid, fun Mission Impossible-type thriller, and plenty of action to keep the pages turning!
January 3, 2013
Just wrapped up Brad Thor’s latest thriller, Black List, and found it nearly impossible to put down. Another Thor masterpiece, filled with fast-paced action, plenty of intrigue, and multiple plot twists that disrupted my sleep patterns and forced me to miss a meal or two. Scot Harvath is back, and he, along with the rest of the Carlton Group, is being hunted. Driven underground, Harvath calls in favors from an assortment of familiar friends to help him unravel the plot against him. Thor has consistently walked a thin line between fact and fiction, and his books often open with the disclaimer that all technologies and systems presented in the novel are real or in development. With that in mind, Black List is scary. Not zombie-walking dead-one-eyed-creature-under-the-bed scary, but crush your cell phone, close your Facebook account, disable your car’s GPS, and run for the hills with a trunk load of food and ammo scary. The book offers four hours of page-turning excitement and then months of paranoia as you start noting security cameras hidden in streetlamps, avoiding credit card use, and censoring your text and email messages. Two-thumbs up. Must read.
April 19, 2025
Cometi o erro de ler esta obra, 11ª da série “Scot Harvath”, tendo lido apenas outros dois anteriormente. Apesar de conhecer várias das personagens, dei por mim um pouco perdida nalguns momentos da leitura, já que a minha memória e conhecimento de casos anteriores era escassa e o autor escreve de uma forma em que parte sempre do princípio que o leitor sabe do que ele está a falar, não se preocupando em acrescentar um pouco de background quando insere assuntos dos livros anteriores no meio de conversas.
A história é rápida, tem ação e lê-se bem, no entanto, quando terminei fiquei com a sensação de que a sinopse prometia muito e não correspondeu totalmente, pelo que as minhas expectativas foram um pouco defraudadas.
A pontuação aqui no Goodreads é excelente e tenho plena noção de que se tivesse lido a série por ordem, teria apreciado muito mais este volume, já que estaria muito mais ligada às personagens e às suas vidas do que realmente tive capacidade para estar. Não consigo perceber esta maldita teoria de as editoras portuguesas não lançarem as séries pela sua devida ordem, não tem sentido lógico e os livros só ficam a perder.
Pontuação: 3.5/5
A história é rápida, tem ação e lê-se bem, no entanto, quando terminei fiquei com a sensação de que a sinopse prometia muito e não correspondeu totalmente, pelo que as minhas expectativas foram um pouco defraudadas.
A pontuação aqui no Goodreads é excelente e tenho plena noção de que se tivesse lido a série por ordem, teria apreciado muito mais este volume, já que estaria muito mais ligada às personagens e às suas vidas do que realmente tive capacidade para estar. Não consigo perceber esta maldita teoria de as editoras portuguesas não lançarem as séries pela sua devida ordem, não tem sentido lógico e os livros só ficam a perder.
Pontuação: 3.5/5
August 12, 2013
This was a one-sitting read. It has been a while since my husband and I read a Brad Thor book together on my laptop. I had forgotten how good Thor is in pacing his action sequonences. I had also forgotten the intensity of his views on moral issues of the day. Black List is more thought-provoking than most. WE all see hints of 1984 when I we see our purchases, likes and dislikes thrown back at us on the margins of the web sites we visit. I would not be shocked to learn that government is harvesting what books I read, the brands I buy, the nationalities of the authors with whom I communicate, and who knows what else. It is not that much a leap to envision a fringe entity associated with government and controlled by people in high places exploiting the new technologies and our dependence on it to take control of our society. While the plot in this one is too far out to be believed, it still makes a believable point. I would like to see more of Thor's fact paced writing and less of his politics, but that said, there is much to commend this fast paced story.
February 5, 2013
For freedom lovers, this describes the scary scenario affecting our daily lives by the government and other forces. If you aren't worried, you should be. 8 of 10 stars
June 24, 2015
I refuse to say. Because obviously the government is reading this review and adding it to my file. ;)
April 6, 2022
This series keeps getting better and better :)
November 13, 2012
Although I really, really do enjoy reading Brad Thor's thrillers, they can get a bit ponderous when he takes off on several pages of ranting about one or more of the issues that are near and dear to his heart. Here, for instance, it is the potential for government misuse of personal information that's being collected as a result of ever-advancing technology: cell phones, social media websites, security cameras in retail establishments and such. But unlike the last few books, his message came through loud and clear - and it's an important one about which everyone in this country should be aware - but I didn't get the feeling that I was a child on the receiving end of a lecture as I usually do.
The book begins with the unexpected and horrifying death of a colleague (and potential love interest) of Scott Horvath, a savvy and highly skilled counterterrorism operative who works for a private security firm. Horvath himself narrowly misses being killed, and he's unaware that a similar attack has been made on the firm's leader, Reed Carleton. As the plot progresses, he learns about the murders, and attempted murders, of other operatives - that include his boss (who may or may not still be alive). Soon, Horvath discovers to his horror that the attacks are coming from somewhere inside the U.S. government; he and his colleagues have been put on a secret list of people to be eliminated at all costs - and no one's name is ever removed until that happens.
Even worse, if that's possible, is the awareness that there's much more at stake than their lives. Apparently, the inside-government group is planning some kind of attack that could bring the United States to its knees for many years to come - one somehow related to technology. So not only do Horvath and a less-than-handful of trusted friends have to go off the grid to save their own lives, they must race to find out what's about to happen - and who's behind it - before it's too late.
Even if you aren't concerned about the potential loss of personal privacy that can come with advancements in technology (and in all likelihood, you will> be after you finish), this book is a real page-turner. I must say I wasn't thrilled with the conclusion - I guess I've never been totally comfortable with the notion that the end justifies the means. Still, what happens fits with the events that transpired earlier as well as what Horvath and his team are about.
I don't know whether you'll agree with me or not, but I'm confident that once you start this one, you'll be hard-pressed to put it down!
The book begins with the unexpected and horrifying death of a colleague (and potential love interest) of Scott Horvath, a savvy and highly skilled counterterrorism operative who works for a private security firm. Horvath himself narrowly misses being killed, and he's unaware that a similar attack has been made on the firm's leader, Reed Carleton. As the plot progresses, he learns about the murders, and attempted murders, of other operatives - that include his boss (who may or may not still be alive). Soon, Horvath discovers to his horror that the attacks are coming from somewhere inside the U.S. government; he and his colleagues have been put on a secret list of people to be eliminated at all costs - and no one's name is ever removed until that happens.
Even worse, if that's possible, is the awareness that there's much more at stake than their lives. Apparently, the inside-government group is planning some kind of attack that could bring the United States to its knees for many years to come - one somehow related to technology. So not only do Horvath and a less-than-handful of trusted friends have to go off the grid to save their own lives, they must race to find out what's about to happen - and who's behind it - before it's too late.
Even if you aren't concerned about the potential loss of personal privacy that can come with advancements in technology (and in all likelihood, you will> be after you finish), this book is a real page-turner. I must say I wasn't thrilled with the conclusion - I guess I've never been totally comfortable with the notion that the end justifies the means. Still, what happens fits with the events that transpired earlier as well as what Horvath and his team are about.
I don't know whether you'll agree with me or not, but I'm confident that once you start this one, you'll be hard-pressed to put it down!
January 10, 2021
Another terrific Scot Harvath novel in Brad Thor's long running series. Whenever Scot is the main character the books don't disappoint. An interesting observation about this one is that it was written in 2012, but is incredibly relevant to what government is doing at the present time.
October 13, 2012
In Brad Thor's latest, Scot Harvath, is ambushed in Paris and barely escapes with his life, while his partner is killed and many of his fellow operatives for Carlton are also wiped out. Someone has put out a hit order on Harvath.
Meanwhile, the Troll, the master thief and computer hacker is contacted by a friend's sister with a computer memory card containing information about an organization known as ATS. ATS, which has close ties to the NSA, and is practically a shadow government, is a huge secretive organization with its fingers in every governmental pie.
During another attack on Harvath, he learns from one of his attackers that he has been put on a Black List, a list of traitors to the United States. Who put Harvath on this list? Why is he being targeted? Who is out to get Carlton and what is ATS planning.
These are some of the questions that will be answered in this quite thrilling thriller from Brad Thor, who increases the tension by putting Harvath, the Troll and Carlton on the run.
Meanwhile, the Troll, the master thief and computer hacker is contacted by a friend's sister with a computer memory card containing information about an organization known as ATS. ATS, which has close ties to the NSA, and is practically a shadow government, is a huge secretive organization with its fingers in every governmental pie.
During another attack on Harvath, he learns from one of his attackers that he has been put on a Black List, a list of traitors to the United States. Who put Harvath on this list? Why is he being targeted? Who is out to get Carlton and what is ATS planning.
These are some of the questions that will be answered in this quite thrilling thriller from Brad Thor, who increases the tension by putting Harvath, the Troll and Carlton on the run.
March 28, 2015
Working my way through, but not having a good time. This book is so full of inaccuracies that it's a chore. Yes, it's fiction. However, much of the book is based on treason, which anyone with a smattering of knowledge about the constitution would know that a person can be charged with treason ONLY if we are at war -- as declared by Congress (Article 3). The last person actually tried for treason was in WWII.
Worst book ever by Brad Thor. His researchers should be fired. First, the debacle over "treason," what was great character development in the previous books has turned to pure crap. Harvath has gone from a pretty good character to a total dud. It seems like Thor turned this book out in about five minutes. Really disappointed.
Worst book ever by Brad Thor. His researchers should be fired. First, the debacle over "treason," what was great character development in the previous books has turned to pure crap. Harvath has gone from a pretty good character to a total dud. It seems like Thor turned this book out in about five minutes. Really disappointed.
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