Been a fan of Tom Clancy since I read Hunt for Read October way back when. I'm glad to say Mr. Clancy's legacy is in good hands with Marc Cameron.

Got this for my fiance who is a big Jack Ryan fan. I gave it a read not knowing as much about the series. This was a good, fast paced read.

Book Review – Marc Cameron is the perfect author to carry on the Tom Clancy Jack Ryan universe. In Tom Clancy’s “Chain of Command”, I thought Cameron was brilliant in Book 21 of the Jack Ryan series. I've always been a fan of Marc Cameron – his Jericho Quinn and now Arliss Cutter novels are immediate must-reads for me now. So, I was thrilled when Cameron took over writing the Clancy novels from another favorite author, Mark Greaney. Each Clancy book has been better than the one before and 'Chain of Command' is one of my favorite action thrillers for 2021. The sudden death of the Vice President of the United States kicks off this story with suspense and intrigue. And then the First Lady is kidnapped and then there’s this shadowy billionaire exuding his corrupt ambitions that turns up the excitement and the tension. President Ryan must not only save his wife and the country in this all-encompassing thriller but at the same time find the people responsible for his problems. Ryan calls on his established “off the books’ intelligence organization and private military operatives to assist with his dilemma, “The Campus.” Unlike Rainbow (Six) or other intelligence organizations, The Campus is not hampered by international laws and policies and can combat terrorism and other geopolitical criminal activities on an extremely covert level. The Campus can take action when the conventional methods are not feasible. And this is where the thrill begins. Many of the old Campus characters – John Clark, Ding Chavez, Dom Caruso, and Jack Jr. are back and so are some new ones. I loved the police officer Steven ‘Chilly’ Edwards' character and hope he appears in future books. I also commend Cameron for adding the list of principal characters at the beginning of the book as it was a very useful resource while reading the almost 500-page novel. Character development was awesome, story plotting was creative, technical knowledge was absorbing and the whole pharmaceutical perspective was informative. Unlike some other novels in the action thriller genre, Chain of Command is likable, understandable (especially for a long Tom Clancy novel), and full of action and intrigue. Another terrific action thriller novel by one of my favorite authors, Marc Cameron. An outstanding read!

Since the passing of Tom Clancy, the Jack Ryan universe books have been written by a few different authors. I think I've read them all at least once and enjoyed their books, but Marc Cameron is my favorite. Partly that is because his books focus more on Jack Sr. (the original Jack Ryan) while some of the other authors write more about Jack Jr (the son of the original Jack Ryan).

I've been reading Tom Clancy's series for 20 years - I started reading them after graduating college and made me fall in love with reading again (my college years left little time for leisure reading). So I'm always partial to stories featuring Jack Sr. Even though he is now the President of the United States and not out in the field anymore, I still find the stories exciting. Chain of Command is extra thrilling because the First Lady is kidnapped while attending a medical conference in Texas.

There's a new VP who was just sworn in when the kidnapping occurs (the previous VP had a heart attack or stroke) and he finds himself assuming the role of President since Ryan is incapable of being both the president and fiercely protective husband. I'm sure he is capable - he's Jack Ryan after all, but this is what really would happen. Also, it also allows someone that isn't part of Ryan's inner circle (those who have been with him since his early days in CIA) in on the secret that is The Campus - the black ops group ran by Ryan's longtime friend John Clark. It's a tightly held secret as they operate outside of congressional review and some might see them as mercenaries.

The cast of characters is quite large. We get to check in with some of the characters that long-time readers of the series have come to love, but new characters are introduced that we are sure to see in future stories.

While this is an exciting thriller from start to finish the ending did have me huffing out a laugh and cracking a smile. It was so typical of a Jack Ryan novel.

Whether you are a long-time fan or just starting out with the series, you are in for quite the ride.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Saturday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2021/12/two-thrillers-for-long-winters-night.html

This is the first Clancy book I've read in many years, and I'll admit a few things in this one that confused me a bit would have been obvious, I think, if I'd read at least the last couple of entries. That said, I was able to get into the swing of things rather quickly and, like the others I've read, I enjoyed it thoroughly.

At this point, Jack Ryan is President, his wife Cathy is holding her own as FLOTUS and son Jack is out in the field trying to keep America safe for democracy as part of a heavyweight clandestine organization. Ryan's pet annoyance at the moment is that generic drugs imported to America come from faraway and largely unregulated manufacturing facilities in foreign countries and are being counterfeited. His plan, for which he's pushing passage of a bill, is to build a U.S.-owned plant much closer to home and much easier to inspect.

Needless to say, that doesn't sit well with the owners of those foreign facilities, one of whom has decided to take matters into his own hands and squash the President's plan (if not the President himself). He and his dastardly henchmen and women have concocted a plan they think will do the trick: They'll kidnap the First Lady when she makes a keynote address at a medical convention in San Antonio.

Of course, there's much more going on here; sub-plots, like a couple of do-good physicians who have gone missing in a remote part of the world, a big and unexpected shake-up in Ryan's cabinet and cybersecurity attacks traced to a specific country provide diversion for readers. Overall, it's nonstop action, with just about all the loose ends wrapped up by the end one way or another - perfect encouragement for me to look forward to the next one. Meantime, thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me a pre-release copy of this one. Well done!

Marc Cameron's latest Tom Clancy espionage/thriller, Chain Of Command, hits the spot and keeps the reader glued throughout. President Ryan is trying to normalize prescription drug prices and the quality of offshore imported medications. Enemies quickly emerge as they scramble to protect their political and economic interests. The novel shifts locations seamlessly as new and intense problems challenge the President and the recurring cast of familiar characters. The V.P. dies unexpectedly, and somebody gets kidnapped. Political shenanigans, violence, and raw emotion capture the reader leaving the audience begging for more—pure entertainment for all.

Cameron continues to deliver thrill ride after thrill ride. The audaciousness of the attack, the interwoven storylines, and his phenomenal writing made this a fantastic read. The Clancy universe is in good hands.

Chain of Command has the distinctive aura of a classic Tom Clancy thriller with a timely story wrapped in captivating multilayered subplots deftly woven to unravel in a nail-biting ending.

President Jack Ryan faces his most personal threat in the recent years in the form of foreign pharmaceutical giants who, threatened by President Ryan’s agenda to focus on more localized pharmaceutical companies, hatch an audacious scheme to throw a big wrench in the President’s actions by contracting a merciless group of mercenaries to kidnap the First Lady.

Marc Cameron develops the story in smooth and swift fashion, building a binding rapport with the reader through vivid renditions of fan-favorite as well as novel characters sporting realistic and modern agendas. The fresh narrative of pitting a powerful nation against wealthy private citizens reaching out from behind shadows via cutouts is scarily in-keeping with recent real-life examples of private organizations amassing the powers of nations. With a greater focus on President Jack Ryan handling crisis after crisis in the Oval Office, readers are treated to insightfully commanding peeks at the sheer chaos that comes with the job of running a country with strongly divisive policies.

Of course, no Jack Ryan thriller would be complete without authentically crafted action sequences. Marc Cameron is no stranger to writing fast-paced shootouts, a fact to which the gritty combat sequences in the story coupled with captivating tidbits about weaponry and tactics will testify. A cinematic Texas shootout involving a SWAT operative riding a Harley Davidson into the heart of an active shooter situation is particularly delightful and goes a long way to establish a brand-new recruit for The Campus.

Chain of Command is worthy of Tom Clancy’s legacy as a grand reading experience brimming with creativity and authenticity. Marc Cameron has outdone himself with this one!

Full review is posted with a blurb image on: https://www.bestthrillerbooks.com/kashif-hussain/chain-of-command-by-marc-cameron

Overlapping stories keep this book moving quickly. The regulars are back along with a new group of baddies. Everything gets tied up nicely in the end. (That this is an uncorrected proof is evident. Hopefully, it will be read carefully and the many, many errors will be corrected before publication.)