Plot
On the snowy slopes of Utah, a wall of snow crashes down, burying the President of the United States. The Secret Service team is wiped out, leaving only Scot Harvath, an ex-Navy SEAL, alive. Harvath does not believe the report that Middle Eastern groups are to blame. He starts his own hunt for the truth. Moving through the mountain peaks and deep snow, Harvath is pushed by his job and a thirst for payback. He fights to find the President and hunt down the men who caused the slide.
Harvath rejects the report and starts his own search. He believes the snow slide was a trap, not an act of nature. Even after he is framed for a killing and hunted by the law, his will does not break. He tracks every clue through the cold to find where the President was taken. As he searches, Harvath finds a scheme that goes well past the Utah peaks. A group of hidden men across the world stole the President to grab power and cash. Harvath sees he is fighting a trained, deadly team. Time is running out, and he must move now to stop a total wreck.
Harvath's search brings him to a lonely house in Midway. Inside, he finds an elderly man and woman murdered. The sight shows just how cruel his enemies are. As he looks around, he sees that the killers used this house to get away. Finding them like this only makes him want to catch the murderers and free the President even more. Harvath's hunt is full of lies. He hits many blocks, such as a device used to block radio signals during the snow slide. As he looks closer, he sees the lies are piled high to keep the truth hidden. Harvath relies on his gut to get through the traps and stay ahead of the killers.
Harvath does not back down. He feels the weight of the men who died and the risk to the President. As he tracks each sign, his will stays firm. He knows he has to move fast. Every tick of the clock brings him closer to the end, and he must find the truth to save the man he serves. The scheme falls apart as the pressure grows. Harvath races to stop a wreck. Many lives depend on him. He uses his training to outsmart his enemies and bring the President back. The last fight is near, and he is ready to lose everything to finish the job.
Blamed for killing and the theft of the President, Harvath escapes to Switzerland. He follows a trail from André Martin's files. Hiding in plain sight, he moves through the Swiss Alps to find the truth. He knows the answers are in the center of the country, where he thinks the kidnappers are tucked away. Once in Interlaken, he prepares for a deadly hunt, set on clearing his name and finding the President.
Harvath sends a coded note to a woman called "Aunt Jane," hoping to lure the men out. He sets a meeting at the Jungfraujoch, a high peak for travelers, to face whoever takes the bait. As he waits, he thinks back to the signs that brought him here: a Swiss candy paper and a mail box. Harvath knows this talk is his one shot to break the group and save the President. Vice President Marshfield is trapped in lies. Senators Snyder and Rolander pull his strings, promising him full power if he follows their lead. Marshfield shakes after he gets a cut finger in the mail as a threat. The Senators tell him all is well, but his fear grows as the plan spins away.
At the peak, the meeting turns to blood. A woman pulls a gun on Harvath. Before either can move, a shooter fires on them. Harvath barely gets away, seeing just how deep the crime goes. This fight proves that strong men are behind the crime. The kidnappers, a team called the Lions, tell Marshfield to pay up or the President dies. Marshfield hits his breaking point. The Senators are ready to let the President die to get what they want. Their greed creates a spark that could blow up the world.
Harvath finds a move to flee and find more proof. He acts fast to stay ahead of the men hunting him. Moving through the icy Swiss peaks, his will stays firm. He relies on his training to outsmart his enemies and show the world the truth. On the cold slopes of the Jungfraujoch, Harvath barely escapes an ambush. He uses his wits to slip away, hiding among travelers to get clear. Even with men on his heels, he is set on finding the President. The path is full of risk, but he does not slow down.
Harvath finds a hidden fort where the President is kept. He faces the man in charge, Gerhard Miner. The fight is hard, Harvath uses all his strength to beat him. He is set on bringing Miner to his end.
Reception
Publishers Weekly wrote "it's hard to get past the novel's many graceless shortcomings, clichéd language [...], cartoonish scenes and a protagonist whose superhero character desperately needs fleshing out." [2] A reviewer for Kirkus Reviews called Thor's prose "tangled" at times. [1] [3] Library Journal , however, highly recommended the novel, calling it "an assured debut" and concluding that "this international thriller will delight readers with its nonstop action, relentless suspense, strong protagonist, and wintry settings in Utah, D.C., and Switzerland. Well researched, high-voltage entertainment reminiscent of Robert Ludlum and David Morrell [...]." [4]
Other media, notably regional titles, were just as positive. The Anniston Star wrote that Thor had recreated "a genre that has been firmly in the grasp of Tom Clancy for so long is not an easy feat. Fortunately for military intrigue devotees, Brad Thor has done just that — and on his first time out too." The Tacoma Reporter wrote "this book is one of the best entries into the military thriller genre since the early works of Tom Clancy" and that Harvath "will definitely take a place beside Cussler's Dirk Pitt and Clancy's Jack Ryan."
Named one of the 10 of The Best Political Thrillers Ever [5] by Barnes and Noble
