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Tom Clancy's Op-Center #11
Call to Treason
Call to Treason by Rovin, Jeff. Published by Berkley,2004, Mass Market Paperback
401 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published June 29, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
September 28, 2019
The death of a British financial giant after attending a party hosted by a U.S. Senator that’s ready to start a third-party run for the White House grabs headlines then a suddenly downsized Op-Center gets a call from Scotland Yard. Call to Treason is the eleventh book written by Jeff Rovin of the Op-Center series as a suddenly out-of-work Mike Rodgers is recruited by Senator Orr to be apart of this third-party run for the White House when Op-Center begins investigating the death of a British financier who’s business ideas opposed those of the Senator thus forcing Rodgers to make some hard choices as events unfold.
General Mike Rodgers attends a party thrown by Senator Don Orr and finds himself being recruited to join the Senator’s team for a run for the White House, also at the party is British financier William Wilson who hours later is killed in his hotel room by an unknown woman with an injection underneath his tongue. The next day Rodger’s learns from Paul Hood that Op-Center’s budget has been slashed and he is out of a job which makes his decision to join the Orr campaign easy but then Darrel McCaskey gets a call from Scotland Yard to take a look at the Wilson’s death he finds the injection site with he coroner and suddenly Op-Center is investigating the death and having to investigate Senator Orr’s party guests and his staff making Rodgers be in a tough spot. Orr’s soon to be Vice Presidential candidate Admiral Link, a former head of Naval Intelligence and director of covert ops at the CIA, thinks this is Hood trying to get Op-Center’s funding back and is hostile to Rodgers. Then a American businessman is murdered the same way as Wilson making it appear like a serial killer, but McCaskey’s wife Maria Corneja sees it as a way to distract from Wilson. The two hit the pavement and the misdirection gets them to focus on Link and Orr’s staff, which results in Link sending an E-bomb to Op-Center that knocks out all their electronics and kills someone. Though he had told Hood he was resigning that day, Rodger’s is pissed at the death of a coworker and tells Hood he didn’t official change his resignation date and will join the investigation. McCaskey and Corneja find out that a Washington detective was being blackmailed then using information that Rodger’s remember from his interaction with Orr’s staff arrest the killer while Rodgers realizes he’s being had at the third-party convention in San Diego when suddenly Link is kidnapped. However, Rodger’s figures out that the target is Orr and stops his abduction then locates Link who admits that he had the second victim killed to keep his plan to discredit Orr and force him out of the race especially after Orr had Wilson killed. Orr and his staff are arrested the next day and Rodgers effectively kills the newborn third party.
From the beginning this book was a mess, the first thing was slashing Op-Center’s budget in the era of Homeland Security and the War on Terror which were referenced in the book when the exact opposite would have happen especially given Op-Center’s record of taking out terrorists. The downsizing was essentially a vehicle to get Rodgers on Senator Orr’s team to make his conflict of interest to add to the story, only it became frustrating since it rolled back character development of several books. But the worst part of the book was the unreliable narrator device Rovin used for two character POVs to create a surprise twist at the end of the book, however given that over 10 books and every other POV in this book he had never used this device before thus making it’s inclusion problematic at best or just plain lying to readers at worst. The only good thing I could say about this book were the McCaskey’s interacting with one another.
Call to Treason is the penultimate book in the first run of the Op-Center series, but it’s probably the worst. Since finishing the book my view of it has diminished a lot as it seemed that Jeff Rovin was told that the series would be ending after the next book, War of Eagles, and he decided to just call it in. The result was a insult to readers who were teased with a potentially interesting political thriller and were instead given a Swiss cheese novel with glaring plot holes and diminished characters.
General Mike Rodgers attends a party thrown by Senator Don Orr and finds himself being recruited to join the Senator’s team for a run for the White House, also at the party is British financier William Wilson who hours later is killed in his hotel room by an unknown woman with an injection underneath his tongue. The next day Rodger’s learns from Paul Hood that Op-Center’s budget has been slashed and he is out of a job which makes his decision to join the Orr campaign easy but then Darrel McCaskey gets a call from Scotland Yard to take a look at the Wilson’s death he finds the injection site with he coroner and suddenly Op-Center is investigating the death and having to investigate Senator Orr’s party guests and his staff making Rodgers be in a tough spot. Orr’s soon to be Vice Presidential candidate Admiral Link, a former head of Naval Intelligence and director of covert ops at the CIA, thinks this is Hood trying to get Op-Center’s funding back and is hostile to Rodgers. Then a American businessman is murdered the same way as Wilson making it appear like a serial killer, but McCaskey’s wife Maria Corneja sees it as a way to distract from Wilson. The two hit the pavement and the misdirection gets them to focus on Link and Orr’s staff, which results in Link sending an E-bomb to Op-Center that knocks out all their electronics and kills someone. Though he had told Hood he was resigning that day, Rodger’s is pissed at the death of a coworker and tells Hood he didn’t official change his resignation date and will join the investigation. McCaskey and Corneja find out that a Washington detective was being blackmailed then using information that Rodger’s remember from his interaction with Orr’s staff arrest the killer while Rodgers realizes he’s being had at the third-party convention in San Diego when suddenly Link is kidnapped. However, Rodger’s figures out that the target is Orr and stops his abduction then locates Link who admits that he had the second victim killed to keep his plan to discredit Orr and force him out of the race especially after Orr had Wilson killed. Orr and his staff are arrested the next day and Rodgers effectively kills the newborn third party.
From the beginning this book was a mess, the first thing was slashing Op-Center’s budget in the era of Homeland Security and the War on Terror which were referenced in the book when the exact opposite would have happen especially given Op-Center’s record of taking out terrorists. The downsizing was essentially a vehicle to get Rodgers on Senator Orr’s team to make his conflict of interest to add to the story, only it became frustrating since it rolled back character development of several books. But the worst part of the book was the unreliable narrator device Rovin used for two character POVs to create a surprise twist at the end of the book, however given that over 10 books and every other POV in this book he had never used this device before thus making it’s inclusion problematic at best or just plain lying to readers at worst. The only good thing I could say about this book were the McCaskey’s interacting with one another.
Call to Treason is the penultimate book in the first run of the Op-Center series, but it’s probably the worst. Since finishing the book my view of it has diminished a lot as it seemed that Jeff Rovin was told that the series would be ending after the next book, War of Eagles, and he decided to just call it in. The result was a insult to readers who were teased with a potentially interesting political thriller and were instead given a Swiss cheese novel with glaring plot holes and diminished characters.
November 11, 2019
I wanted to give this book 3 1/2 stars because I found the general story engaging. However, in an attempt to hide who-done-it the story seemed to lose focus. About 1/3 through the book, I had figured out who murdered/assassinated the guy killed in the beginning of the book. Then I realized that I was wrong, but halfway through the book I figured out who was the leader behind the murder, but then I discovered that I was wrong. I was jerked back and forth several times, and while I appreciate an author who is not too obvious, it didn't quite work.
The story: Op-Center is losing a lot of its funding so the assistant director is laid off. He gets offered a job with an up and coming third-party presidential candidate. Then the candidate is linked indirectly to the death of a prominent businessman. Then an Op-Center operative discovers evidence that the businessman had been murdered. This discovery is perceived as Op-Center's attempt to show itself as invaluable and to get its funding back. Eventually, the investigation discovers who the assassin was, but it didn't help much. Then (without spoilers) the story takes another turn, and ends with yet another turn.
Be sure to wear a neck brace. I don't want you to get whiplash.
As far as the idea that a government agency would create a riot in order to prove how needed they are, all one need do is to watch the FBI. Every few weeks yet another knucklehead is handed a fake bomb by the FBI and then the FBI arrest the knucklehead for attempting the bombing of a [fill-in-the-blank-with-some-building-or-group-of-people]. Everyone shouts, "Thank G-d for the FBI" and they get their funding. I have no sympathy for the knucklehead, but it seems wrong to entrap citizens, even socially despicable citizens. This is America. We are allowed to be repulsive and stupid without fear of our government arresting us.
In favor of the book, I had stopped reading the series after book 2 which I found tedious. I dropped in on book 11 and was delighted to find that the author (Jeff Roven) had written a book better than book 2. I am now thinking of going to book 3 to see if I missed something.
I doubt I'll read this book again, but I am glad I read it once.
The story: Op-Center is losing a lot of its funding so the assistant director is laid off. He gets offered a job with an up and coming third-party presidential candidate. Then the candidate is linked indirectly to the death of a prominent businessman. Then an Op-Center operative discovers evidence that the businessman had been murdered. This discovery is perceived as Op-Center's attempt to show itself as invaluable and to get its funding back. Eventually, the investigation discovers who the assassin was, but it didn't help much. Then (without spoilers) the story takes another turn, and ends with yet another turn.
Be sure to wear a neck brace. I don't want you to get whiplash.
As far as the idea that a government agency would create a riot in order to prove how needed they are, all one need do is to watch the FBI. Every few weeks yet another knucklehead is handed a fake bomb by the FBI and then the FBI arrest the knucklehead for attempting the bombing of a [fill-in-the-blank-with-some-building-or-group-of-people]. Everyone shouts, "Thank G-d for the FBI" and they get their funding. I have no sympathy for the knucklehead, but it seems wrong to entrap citizens, even socially despicable citizens. This is America. We are allowed to be repulsive and stupid without fear of our government arresting us.
In favor of the book, I had stopped reading the series after book 2 which I found tedious. I dropped in on book 11 and was delighted to find that the author (Jeff Roven) had written a book better than book 2. I am now thinking of going to book 3 to see if I missed something.
I doubt I'll read this book again, but I am glad I read it once.
June 5, 2019
C; I know I enjoy Clancy's writing; the problem I had with this book was my own fault. I picked up an abridged version. There are WAY too many details in this style of book to be able to follow a shortened version (at least for me). I listened on a CD and even started over a few times to see if I wasn't concentrating. I found this abridgment to gloss over key plot points. I held on to the end but was left feeling unsatisfied. The ending seemed wrapped up a bit too neatly (again I blame the abridgment). The good side is this was the first I've read in the Ops Center Series. I could tell there were references to previous books but nothing that threw me (any more than what I've already mentioned). I am interested enough to pick up the series again (the full version, of course).
June 8, 2019
Not sure how to classify this book. It's not a Tom Clancy techno-thriller like Hunt for Red October, even though Clancy is listed as an author. It's not a political thriller like Vince Flynn or others like him. It's not a murder mystery like Robert Parker or James Patterson. It has all of the above but not enough.
Worse, there is one recurring mistake that I doubt Clancy would have made. Towards the end, the Apache AH64 attack helicopter makes an appearance, and it is treated like a troop transport. Fail. It's a two seater attack helo. Not even used for emergency VIP vehicle.
The series seems to be running out of steam.
Worse, there is one recurring mistake that I doubt Clancy would have made. Towards the end, the Apache AH64 attack helicopter makes an appearance, and it is treated like a troop transport. Fail. It's a two seater attack helo. Not even used for emergency VIP vehicle.
The series seems to be running out of steam.
May 28, 2020
CC1
This was an excellent read. It delved into the political protect my turf. Put Paul in middle. Then Mike had to deal with the cutbacks and then had to deal with the 3rd party hoax in which he was suppose to be secretary of defense. Then Admiral Link sent a electromagnetic pulse bomb to OP-center. So it was really neat Mike and Darrel working together to solve all issues. Unfortunately Mike ends up looking in from outside. 5 stars plus . Can't for book 12. Thanks Carl Clause
This was an excellent read. It delved into the political protect my turf. Put Paul in middle. Then Mike had to deal with the cutbacks and then had to deal with the 3rd party hoax in which he was suppose to be secretary of defense. Then Admiral Link sent a electromagnetic pulse bomb to OP-center. So it was really neat Mike and Darrel working together to solve all issues. Unfortunately Mike ends up looking in from outside. 5 stars plus . Can't for book 12. Thanks Carl Clause
April 13, 2023
__________________________________________
1 star = Did not finish / did not like
2 stars = Had trouble keeping attention to finish
3 stars = Good enjoyable book. A great way to spend my time.
4 stars = Couldn't set the book down. Engaging. Great Book.
Will likely reread when more of the series is released.
5 stars = (4 stars) plus such a good book I will re-read it periodically.
___________________________________________
July 1, 2017
Goodbook
A very good book for reading. All of his books are good including the non fiction. So I can not say anything bad.
A very good book for reading. All of his books are good including the non fiction. So I can not say anything bad.
August 11, 2017
Super!
July 2, 2018
Very erratic plot, not a book that kept my attention.
January 11, 2019
Not my favorite Op Center...
February 14, 2019
Nice closure
Moved fast. Times it was predictable. But led to A twist at end with clean closure. Worth the read to see more cynical view of federal system and government.
Moved fast. Times it was predictable. But led to A twist at end with clean closure. Worth the read to see more cynical view of federal system and government.
October 27, 2019
OpCenter at its best!
Tom Clancy brings admirable balance in an endgame resolution, that will keep you on the edge of your seat! Great read!
Tom Clancy brings admirable balance in an endgame resolution, that will keep you on the edge of your seat! Great read!
January 8, 2021
this book was systematically written
June 28, 2023
Solid political thriller. A little out of date as it was written almost 20 years ago.
November 29, 2023
Clancy's Book
Far to complicated, to many people. I read the entire book and the more I read the more I was confused I became. Not one of Clancy's best books.
Far to complicated, to many people. I read the entire book and the more I read the more I was confused I became. Not one of Clancy's best books.
January 1, 2024
not always engaging, story unplausible, focusing too much on the american superior morality concept
February 9, 2015
I really do get disappointed by the commercialism of the 'Tom Clancy' authors these days. While it is undoubtedly a legitimate technique to utilize the worlds and characters created by other authors, this particular work will never be anything like a Clancy at its best.
As these series develop they seem less and less like Clancy.
The characters are becoming unbelievable and the plots lack both plausibility and grit. The "Clancy" of old exploded nuclear weapons in the USA, overturned corrupt presidential régimes and had key characters die when least expected. He took risks based on somewhat believable, though remote, probabilities and displayed to us all some wonderfully flawed characters.
The flawed General Rodgers and Paul Hood of Op-Centre despite their almost diametrically opposed judgments both succeed at the end, but reality isn't like that. It is inevitable that this plot will resolve in the best way for the ongoing society that is the US of A, though the reality of September 11 clearly indicates that truth is never as glowing as Op-Center's successes.
All that said if this wasn't plastered with Tom Clancy's name all over it, the book could probably stand as a reasonable airplane read.
There is a rapidly developing plot but the reader is given too many facts when the surprises could have been so much better had they been revealed later in the plot.
The first murder is engrossing, carefully thought out and well paced but then it all goes downhill. Rovin can obviously write, arouse emotion and deliver action but he is just not able to put this incredibly complex plot together. I doubt anyone could. Maybe it was released for the USA election fever.
Op-center needs to go back to its roots - action, technology, planning and teamwork. I can only hope that number 12 finds its way there. Smart plots building on the characters already developed, with a few surprises, will lead this team back from the wilderness. I hope so as airplane seats are getting smaller and a good yarn is essential to pass the time.
As these series develop they seem less and less like Clancy.
The characters are becoming unbelievable and the plots lack both plausibility and grit. The "Clancy" of old exploded nuclear weapons in the USA, overturned corrupt presidential régimes and had key characters die when least expected. He took risks based on somewhat believable, though remote, probabilities and displayed to us all some wonderfully flawed characters.
The flawed General Rodgers and Paul Hood of Op-Centre despite their almost diametrically opposed judgments both succeed at the end, but reality isn't like that. It is inevitable that this plot will resolve in the best way for the ongoing society that is the US of A, though the reality of September 11 clearly indicates that truth is never as glowing as Op-Center's successes.
All that said if this wasn't plastered with Tom Clancy's name all over it, the book could probably stand as a reasonable airplane read.
There is a rapidly developing plot but the reader is given too many facts when the surprises could have been so much better had they been revealed later in the plot.
The first murder is engrossing, carefully thought out and well paced but then it all goes downhill. Rovin can obviously write, arouse emotion and deliver action but he is just not able to put this incredibly complex plot together. I doubt anyone could. Maybe it was released for the USA election fever.
Op-center needs to go back to its roots - action, technology, planning and teamwork. I can only hope that number 12 finds its way there. Smart plots building on the characters already developed, with a few surprises, will lead this team back from the wilderness. I hope so as airplane seats are getting smaller and a good yarn is essential to pass the time.
September 15, 2012
Politics is the engine that drives our government and in this book, Director Paul Hood and the other members of Op-Center find themselves even more subject to the political winds than usual. Their budget has been cut and personnel must be let go, causing a host of internal problems. They have too few supporters and too many detractors. Simultaneously a murder investigation leads them to look into the individuals associated with a newly formed third party.
This is a quick paced thriller that holds the readers’ interest, the quid pro quo bargaining forces individuals to make moral compromises some great and some small. However, the finale of this book was a disappointment for me. There was insufficient clarification of the actions and motives of the guilty parties. I guess this murky view is typical of what you get from politics.
This is a quick paced thriller that holds the readers’ interest, the quid pro quo bargaining forces individuals to make moral compromises some great and some small. However, the finale of this book was a disappointment for me. There was insufficient clarification of the actions and motives of the guilty parties. I guess this murky view is typical of what you get from politics.
February 22, 2017
I have been a fan of the Op-Center series for about a year. I have read two previous Rovin books without noticing the author's name, listed at the end of a string of sponsoring (read, money) names.
This book really struck me because even though it was written in 2004, a lot of the material would be applicable in this the Trump era. I kept thinking, Trump would do that!
Trouble at the Op-Center. An off-the-wall event, only Op-Center receives severe cut back in budget! Paul Hood has to deliver some devastating news, staff cuts would be made.
This is Op-Center #11 and it is no secret that they are quick, deal with a dangerous situation, and the outcome usually not a happy event. Everyone knows that. Somehow as I was reading the author drew me in. This story was different, and something terrible was going to happen!
This book really struck me because even though it was written in 2004, a lot of the material would be applicable in this the Trump era. I kept thinking, Trump would do that!
Trouble at the Op-Center. An off-the-wall event, only Op-Center receives severe cut back in budget! Paul Hood has to deliver some devastating news, staff cuts would be made.
This is Op-Center #11 and it is no secret that they are quick, deal with a dangerous situation, and the outcome usually not a happy event. Everyone knows that. Somehow as I was reading the author drew me in. This story was different, and something terrible was going to happen!
July 27, 2010
I was actually a bit disappointed with this one. I've read Op-Center, Acts of War, Games of State, and Mirror Image. All of which had great espionage, tactical teams and weaponry, and detective work using high-tech gadgets and machinery. This one, zzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Oh, sorry. :P
This book turned Op-Center into a metro police station-level of excitement, compared to what I was used to with these books. I still have high hopes for the other novels in this series, though. I'm going to gather that others, including Clancy himself, agree that this was a lackluster book as it is the only on audio CD available at the local regional library. To consign it to such a level must be saying something. The other ones, I read the paperback versions.
This book turned Op-Center into a metro police station-level of excitement, compared to what I was used to with these books. I still have high hopes for the other novels in this series, though. I'm going to gather that others, including Clancy himself, agree that this was a lackluster book as it is the only on audio CD available at the local regional library. To consign it to such a level must be saying something. The other ones, I read the paperback versions.
October 21, 2010
Based on a Clancy theme and written by Jeff Rovin its a straight forward political/suspense thriller where the Op-center is being downsized and a charmistic congressman from Texas is out to start a third party aimed at taking the US into a protectionist mode and when several murders take place that seem to point in the direction of the party and its principals, members of the op-center get involved in the investigation.
March 26, 2013
I probably wasn't in the right mood to listen to this book. Its full of political intrigue, and it involves different levels of government and police enforcement. It involves loyalty and betray. Doing things for a perceived good reason, but with the wrong methods. The bad guys try to stop a man's plan to change our country, in ways they think will be bad for it.
September 26, 2013
a little slow on the beginnning. picks up after 60% of the book. Mike Rodgers is the main guy here but still has some weak parts of the narrative. Paul Hood looks like a guy that is ready to become a homeless guy, not interesting at all and has suffered a devolving during the series. not quite a good book but still better that the horrible Balance of Power and Mirror Image.
October 30, 2019
Overall, a very slow starter in comparison to most Op-Center books - picked up steam at the end. Overall, the series has taken a disappointing turn. When you read all the books back to back with no context to actual time, you can see the dark place the author has moved too. Overall, still a decent and quick read - but not the best of the series
December 15, 2007
Not my fave Op-Center book, as it didn't hold my attention as well as some of the other Op-Center books did. Maybe that's beause the characters were somewhat disjointed from each other, and at odds since Mike Rodgers had been let go from Op-Center.
December 26, 2013
What I like about these books is to learn how these government security people interact, and what it is like in their world, and their technology and methods. Do I like the plot? Not so much. But it's all fun.
May 3, 2016
I had trouble remembering who was on which side or trying to frame someone. I hope that Op Center doesn't keep going downhill or there won't be anyone left. There are still several books left in the series.
December 31, 2020
Read and listened to this one on the Kindle. Another fantastic Op Center story. Keeps you going with the action that is alive in this book. Jeff does it again with his cast of characters that keep the nation safe.
October 27, 2008
Not enough action...
January 20, 2010
I liked this book quite a bit. This is my first op-center book. I'll have to check out the other ones in the series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews