| | |  | Amazon Kindle | Home » » » The First Commandment | | | | | | | Description: | | When the president of the United States is blackmailed into releasing five detainees from Guantanamo Bay, a sadistic assassin with a vendetta years in the making is reactivated. Suddenly, the people closest to counterterrorism operative Scot Harvath are being targeted and he realizes that somehow, somewhere he has left the wrong person alive. With his life plunged into absolute peril, and the president ordering him to stay out of the investigation, Harvath must mount his own covert plan for revenge—and in so doing will uncover shattering revelations about the organizations and the nation he has spent his life serving. | | | Product Details: | | | Average Customer Rating:
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Average Customer Review:
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22 of 23 found the following review helpful:
 Brad Thor raises the adrenalin with this terrific thriller.Aug 11, 2007
By Harriet Klausner
President Jack Rutledge authorizes a deal with terrorists. Although the American government leaders always insist they will never negotiate with terrorists even for the release of hostages, he secretly releases five hardcore known terrorists locked away at Guantomino as part of a deal to protect at risk children. In fairness his advisors told them they can keep this quintet under control with monitoring of the isotope they put in the blood of these killers.
The President's advisors missed another slammed dunk when they lose sight of the fearsome five. Just under six months later, an assassin shoots Homeland Security agent Scot Harvath's girlfriend Tracy Hastings (see TAKEDOWN), leaving her comatose and he furious as isotopic blood is found at the crime scene. Soon afterward, his mother is attacked by locusts and some friends of Harvath murdered. He knows someone is coming for him, through his loved ones. Harvath begins to make inquiries, but is told to stay out of it. Even before these incidents he knew the leadership saw him as an expendable renegade so he ignores the order to take no action against the person methodically destroying his loved ones.
TAKEDOWN is an exciting action-packed frightening thriller; THE FIRST COMMANDMENT is as exhilarating and action-packed, but even more frightening as the plausibility of the plot will not be questioned. Harvath is at his anguished best in this often violent tale as he is ordered to do nothing although his counter terrorist instincts are screaming to go on the offense. The return of several characters from previous books enhances the feel of the long term concept of the war against terrorism as Brad Thor raises the adrenalin with this terrific thriller.
Harriet Klausner
23 of 31 found the following review helpful:
Not to be Missed!!!Aug 30, 2007
By John R. Linnell
Brad Thor is one of the best. Right up there with Vince Flynn for writing topical thrillers that entertain and educate, this may be the most tightly written of his six novels that it has been my pleasure to read. The protagonist of these books is Scot Harvath a former Navy SEAL and Homeland Scurity operative.
This book picks up where the last one, "Takedown" leaves off. At the end of that book, Scot Harvath's girlfriend Tracy steps out on the porch of his home and is felled by an assassin's bullet which is just enough off target to spare her life, but serious enough to put her in a coma and on a ventilator.
Harvath does not realize it at the time, but that attack on Tracy is the first of several that are planned for people close to Harvath. Who is carrying out the attacks, who is planning them and why consumes not only Harvath, but the reader as events unfold. Someone appears bent on revenge, but for what?
It is a large onion that Harvath must peel his way through to get to the answers and telling you more than that could spoil the masterful writing effort that Thor has offered for our reading enjoyment.
Do not pass this one by.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Wow, glad I found Brad ThorSep 07, 2009
By Jeffrey Roberts
I have long been a fan of Vince Flynn and Lee Child, when a friend said I should read Brad Thor. I was not disappointed....I do wish I started in the order, but that is what I intend to do now.....Very similar to Vince Flynn in plot lines, but a good, fun, quick and exciting read....
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 Not a bad thriller, not the bestSep 05, 2010
By Bella GW
Anyone looking for a decent intelligence-agent thriller should check out some of Brad Thor's books, but I'm not sure this would be his best. I think Lions of Lucerne was better. The ideas were solid, but not overally original, and it's hard not to get the feeling that a lot of the action is loaded with political messages shoved down reader's throats.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
If nothing else - pay attention to the Kobold WatchesAug 17, 2010
By Michael Horn
"mikie"
Like Cussler's Brad Pitt and his Doxa watches - Thor's Scot Horvath features Kobold watches for his protagonist. As a watch collector - I admire both - but only own a Doxa 750 GMT Divingstar.
Make no mistake - this is a crowded, well worn venue - kept alive by our 8-9 year old war on terror. I got just a bit of the 'been there - done that' feeling. I get many mental links to USA Network's "Burn Notice" and a host of other thriller characters by various authors. Most of us know that the alphbet soup of government special agents fail to play nice with each other as budget and power issues often trump doing the right thing. The 'lone wolf' who ignores all interagency rivalry is also a well trod path.
Thor likes Horvath to play with toys - pistols, assault rifles and shotguns; tasers and even pepper gas shoved in the ear to give the tangos a memorable experience - a Thor 'standard' or trademark. Thor's DHS experiences come into play - giving us a writers tease or a peek into black ops. Why am I thinking that Thor is somewhat frustrated in what actually happens at DHS vs what he'd LIKE to see done?
As a summer read in paperback - its a fast moving ride - as Horvath cuts a mighty swath through bad guys and girls, good guys and all those inbetween. He befriends ladies, dogs and dwarfs. Not quite predictable - used a few twists and turns to keep me going - but falls short of 'WOW' as some earlier story lines have done.
As a retired intelligence soldier who works as an Army contractor - I share an environment with returning combat OIF and OEF veterans - some of whom exhibit various stages of PTSD. I think Thor captures this 'syndrome' fairly well as his character exhibits 'compact' twinges of dysfunction - but not enough to jeapordize the mission.
Many reviewers here are 'functional disbelievers' to quote a Hillary comment on an Army General ... and suspending this - perhaps is necessary to overlook some of the impossible situations and just enjoy the romping stomping bodycount.
Reaction to Thor's writing is more a function of the readers background and attitude than anything Thor puts in print and you can almost predetermine how a certain personality will react to the writing and storyline.. While not his best novel - not all can be 'above average' ...
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