First time reading a Brad Thor book! I found the story to be action-packed and appreciated that even if you hadn't read anything in the series before, you could jump right in without previous knowledge of the characters. The story was good - I think it will appeal to fans of spy thrillers and less to those who enjoy a lot of descriptive language. It's pretty straight up with the facts and no extra fluff.
The new character, Sølvi Kolstad, is a strong female character based on a real Norwegian intelligence, which I found fascinating. I appreciate how she stands on her own, apart from Scot Harvath.