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The president of the United States has been kidnapped. Worse yet, it was on Scot Harvath's watch, and the Secret Service agent doesn't take failure well. What begins as a lovely ski vacation in Utah for the first family and entourage snowballs into a nightmare scene, leaving dozens of bodies strewn about the slopes, a cadre of law enforcement officials stepping all over each other's toes, and a country missing its revered leader. Once the snow has cleared, the awful truth becomes apparent. The Secret Service man screwed up, big time. Wisecracking Agent Harvath pushes himself, and his superiors, to the breaking point, picking up evidence where the clues lead him. As he formulates a theory about the kidnappers and their whereabouts, the rest of the agency is on a different path, one that comes around to Scot as the main suspect. Now he must not only fulfill his duty to recover the president but also regain his reputation and clear his name.
THE LIONS OF LUCERNE is off and running from the start. Each page is filled with more action and intrigue spanning several countries than would seem possible in one book. Just following ex-Navy SEAL Harvath through the author's energized words nearly wears out the reader. How Harvath avoids total exhaustion must be due to his sheer pluck, the fact that he's a 20-somethinger, or a mammoth supply of time-release adrenaline.
Naturally, we begin in Washington, DC. Soon, we hit the slopes of Utah, then join the villains in Switzerland, ultimately ending up somewhere in the Caspian Sea. How we get there is on a rollercoaster ride of chase scenes, shootouts, clue hunts, and disguise changes, with just a hint of romance thrown in to soften the edges. Our superhero Scot Harvath possesses superhuman luck, both bad and good. He's tireless, driven, sarcastic, blessed with the nine lives of a cat, a short but colorful past, and a hatred of having things pointed at him. His dogged pursuit of the coalition that snatched the president exemplifies the selfless ideal of honoring a solemn vow. After all, it was his sworn duty to protect the lives of others even at the risk of his own. Brad Thor has given us a classic good versus evil thriller.
In each chapter, skiers, snowboarders, climbers, and travelers will long to be flying, schussing and rappelling beside our protagonist. Lovers of sophisticated spy gadgets and state-of-the-art espionage toys will itch to get a hold of the assortment the "Lions" and the Secret Service have. In the midst of the action, both sides display a host of weapons that would make even 007 envious. This fresh new author brings us an exhilarating tale of power, greed, and political machinations entwined in this nonstop thriller with witty dialogue and catchy prose. Mix Ian Fleming with Robert Ludlum and the result is an exciting newcomer on the scene, Brad Thor.
--- Reviewed by Kate Ayers
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