In his first entry into the Tom Clancy universe with Shadow State, M.P. Woodward hits the ground running. Woodward is a relatively new author; his debut The Handler is lights-out good. Shadow State doesn’t reinvent the wheel; it’s a smooth and fast ride with a great new character and enough misdirection to keep your attention. Tom Clancy would approve and will you, too.

Thanks to G.P. Putnam and Sons for a copy of Tom Clancy’s Shadow State via NetGalley.

M.P. Woodward (https://www.mpwoodward.com) is the author of four novels. Tom Clancy Shadow State was published this past August and is the 12th novel in the Jack Ryan Jr. series. It is the 74th book I completed reading in 2024.

Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence, I categorize this novel as R.

The US has new stealth technology that seems to render aircraft invisible to Chinese radar. The technology relies on super magnets supplied by GepTech in Vietnam.

Analyst Jack Ryan, Jr. and Chief Financial Officer Howard Brennan are representing Hendley Associates on a trip to Hong Kong. Hendley is in the final stages of negotiations to buy GeoTech. This will establish a solid supply of magnet material for the stealth tech the US has developed.

As Ryan delves into the records of GeoTech, he finds what may be anomalies in their accounting. He insists that he and Howard visit the GeoTeh mines in the Vietnam highlands. The CEO of GeoTech, Bruce Stephenson, offers to fly them in his refurbished Huey helicopter. As they approach the highland area, their helicopter suffers a malfunction. They go down in the dense jungle.

The area is part of the Golden Triangle, home to gangs, drug traffickers, and human traffickers. Soon, the survivors of the helo crash are being chased. Clearly, the search is not to rescue them.

A Campus team has been in the Philippines in pursuit of a terrorist. After that mission, they are directed to Vietnam to look for the survivors of the helicopter crash. Signal intelligence gets them to the proper region. It then becomes a race as to who will get to the survivors first.

I enjoyed the 11+ hours I spent reading this 374-page thriller. The story is based on a long-term Chinese plot, but other plots are woven into the story. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a rating of 3.8 (rounded to 4) out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

I continue to read this series more for nostalgia but every once in a while I so completely enjoy the book that I fall in love with the series all over again. The Jack Jr books aren't usually my favorite in the series (I much prefer Jack Sr.) but Shadow State was a really great book - probably my favorite Jack Jr. book.

The reason I'm not usually as thrilled with the Jack Jr. books is that the action is usually too over the top (see my review of Weapons Grade). The amount of violence that Jack Jr. endures is just too unbeliever. Perhaps it is the change in authors (Shadow State is written by M.P. Woodward and the previous books I've read were written by Don Bentley), but this book seemed to tone it down a little.

Don't get me wrong, there is still plenty of action as Jack is involved in a helicopter crash and then abducted by sex trafficking gang members.

I also enjoyed that there was more interaction with the Campus team. Jack is still on his own for a lot of the book but I always like reading about him working with the team.

I'm always surprised at how well multiple writers can capture the same characters. So while there were a few noticeable differences overall in the plot the characters felt like themselves. This is most evident in the long-time characters such as John Clark.

If you've read this series then you are going to get what you expect. But the predictability isn't boring. The twists and turns kept me engaged and once I started the book I didn't really want to put it down.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Monday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2024/09/tom-clancy-shadow-state-by-mp-woodward.html

Tom Clancy Shadow State by M.P. Woodward is a fast-paced, action-packed thriller that thrusts Jack Ryan Jr. into the growing economic landscape of Vietnam. What begins as a routine trip to explore an investment opportunity in a rare earth mining company quickly spirals into a deadly game of survival when Ryan’s helicopter is shot down, revealing a hidden web of secrets. From the dangerous jungle to the looming presence of Chinese forces, Ryan must outwit his enemies, protect his wounded colleague, and uncover the truth behind the factory's covert activities.

Woodward, stepping into the shoes of a legacy author, delivers a solid story full of twists, turns, and a relentless cat-and-mouse chase to the finish. The characters are well-developed, and the setting of Vietnam is a refreshing departure from more traditional backdrops, adding depth to the military espionage plot. While the story occasionally feels overly dense with action, teetering on the edge of being overwhelming, it remains an entertaining read that provides a subtle review of historical and geopolitical dynamics in the region.

Overall, Shadow State is an engaging and suspenseful read for Jack Ryan fans, blending history, espionage, and high-stakes action in a way that keeps you turning the pages.

A big thank you to Penguin Group Putnam for providing me with an Advance Reader’s Copy.

A Tom Clancy had always been on of my favorite suspense action writer. M. P. Woodard this books did not disappoint, I will be posting my reviews a bit later but this was a 4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read. Thanks you NetGalley, M.P. Woodard and Penguin Random House for this ARC.

Jack Ryan Jr. is back to outwit the bad guys. Except this time out, he's got to also outwit the perils of a jungle in Vietnam with a lot of nasty mosquitos as well as a bunch of people who want him dead. He was in Vietnam to do due diligence but thought something was wrong with the company-turns out he was right. This takes some good turns and has a few surprises; a very enjoyable read. Glad to see the series continue it's quality as it shifts writers to M.P. Woodward. You don't want to miss this one.

Tom Clancy Shadow State by M.P. Woodward is a very engaging story.
The characters and plot kept me wanting to read well into the night.
This book didn't disappoint. It was action packed, gripping, intense, fast paced, chilling – there wasn’t time to take a breath.

Thank You NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Tom Clancy Shadow State by M.P. Woodward
Jack Ryan, Jr. is engaged in a legitimate task performing due diligence on a business transaction involving a company that supplies rare earth minerals. Jack sees some suspicious activity and a potential source being pursued. Before he knows it Jack is thrown from the frying pan into the fire. M.P. Woodward demonstrates his chops in this enjoyable thriller.
#TomClancyShadowState #M.P.Woodward #PenguinGroupPutnam #NetGalley

Fighting the elements and some really nasty bad guys in the middle of a Vietnamese jungle isn't a particularly desirable topic for my reading enjoyment, I must admit. But if anyone could entice me to stick with it it's Jack Ryan Jr., the son of U.S. President Jack Ryan. He's a pretty cool dude, after all, and it's always an extra treat to re-meet his teammates at the mostly clandestine Hendley Associates - including his fiance.

The situation here is that the United States has developed a device that somehow masks airplanes so they can move in and out of other countries' air space without detection. Making more of them, though, requires hard-to-find rare earth minerals; one company, GeoTech, is a highly successful miner of these minerals. To that end, the "legitimate" business of Hendley is in serious negotiations to acquire the company for an astronomical sum. Wanting to avoid taking a financial bath, Jack Jr. is sent to Vietnam to do an up-close-and-personal audit to satisfy the lender and Hendley execs before the final handshake takes place.

But early on, it all goes sideways; Jack begins to smell a rat and demands to visit one of the company's facilities in that remote jungle location. On the way, the helicopter in which he's [reluctantly] traveling goes down, taking with it all but Jack and one other passenger. With no food, no water and no bars on their cell phones, the two must try to find their way to some semblance of safety before the jungle eats them alive (trust me, the mosquitos do more than their fair share). And that's before they meet up with some characters who seem bent on making sure they don't survive - or worse, are captured by a foreign enemy.

The whole thing is a race to the finish, accompanied by a few surprises as to what's really going on behind the scenes. The action heats up toward the end to the point that I stayed up late so as to not wait to finish the last half-dozen chapters till the next morning. Another series winner, for which I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for giving me the opportunity to read a pre-release copy (and lose a little sleep).

Absolutely incredible story line. Jack Ryan Jr and friends sure like to find themselves in all kinds of fun troubles.
Very cool learning about Laos and Vietnam from a different perspective.
And did Jack jr become a pirate? Read to find out …

Rock em sock em Tom Clancy. Lots of action and technical information. Typical Clancy book but entertaining.

Jack Ryan is back with all the usual suspense and adventure that come with him. A good addition to the series. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Shadow State was a good read, but lacked a bit more action to make it great. Another reviewer called it "routine" and it was. I would call it pedestrian. Hopefully M. P. Woodward cranks it up in his next novel. The plot was good, had a great cast of characters, and the ending didn't leave
you hanging. I would recommend this novel and for an ARC, there weren't many typos/errors.
Thanks to Penguin Group Putnam/G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was the first Tom Clancy book with M.P. Woodward as a writer and he did the franchise proud. Five stars and I will definitely now read all his stand alone books. I’m looking forward to the next book in this particular series. They left some open items to lead nicely into the next book.

So happy to see Jack Ryan Jr back in action but with his teammates on a different assignment. I like the new character in the team, a great addition. As always couldn’t put it down!

In TOM CLANCY SHADOW STATE, the USA has developed new technology that is undetectable to radar. They only have to modify some existing aircraft to house the equipment. One test run went successfully, or so they think. Now, the main problem is obtaining the rare Earth materials to make the equipment. It just so happens there is a deal in the works to get the needed materials, so Jack Ryan Jr. is sent in to audit the company records. Jack does have a few questions and ends up fighting for his life in Vietnam.
TOM CLANCY SHADOW STATE is a military espionage adventure that teaches/reviews some history along the way. You not only see the USA side but are given a glimpse as to why some people would want to be on the other side. I like the fact that it is told some of the characters had family killed back in the war.
I received an uncorrected ebook proof from Netgalley and was surprised to note very few errors.

As a fan of Tom Clancy it is nice to see the story telling continue. Jack Ryan is the President and his son ends up in the middle of intrigue that could blow up into something much larger. Good book and will suggest to any fans of Tom Clancy's to read it.

I could not put this book down. Classic Clancy and a modern action-adventure page turner. Highly recommended.

M.P Woodward steps comfortably into the vast world of Tom Clancy’s universe with a style that takes us back to the roots of each character, especially Jack Ryan Jr. it’s a riveting thriller that not only packs great action but also advances the story arcs of each of the fleshed out heroes we’ve come to love.

Continues the Jack Jr. series, per usual Jack finds himself in an unexpected situation and along with the rest of the campus must fight his way out. What should be a simple and safe mission/audit turns into more. The story follows Jack from conducting a simple audit to trying to escape after a helicopter crash.

A fun quick read. Lots of action but good plot and story development.