Into the Fire

Near Dark by Brad Thor is the latest thriller in the Scot Harvath Series. 

Scot Harvath is a broken operator, having been forced by a Russian ops group to watch the slaughter of the people he loved, and then to be transferred and tortured and crashed into the frozen tundra in Backlash. Now in Key West he spends his waking hours drunk in the hotel bar until he's requested to leave. 

Encountering sure death after a mean fight outside another bar in a Florida town, Scot is rescued.

Knowing his former boss, the "Old Man" (Reed Carlton), is gone and his friend and computer genius Nicholas is in command, he returns to hear about why he was suddenly rescued. What he learns is that Gary Lawlor, former friend and associate, is now in charge having taken Reed's place since Nicholas expounded on why he wasn't the best man for the job of leader for the Carlton Group.

The shocking revelation of the bounty out on the lotto death of Scot Harvath is coupled with the knowledge that no one knows who the donor is of this $20 million reward. Added to this is yet another revelation from the NIS (Norwegian Intelligence Service) that a former colleague and friend has been brutally tortured and murdered with evidence of the perpetrator(s) looking for information on Scot Harvath. 

Lawlor is displeased and unsure of the plan Harvath creates to flush out the source of the bounty along with the identification of the man who tried to kill him in Florida. Lawlor recognizes this prime operative he once had in Scot Harvath isn't fit to do this serious of a job at this time. He's got a major drinking problem and his head is in disarray and not fully in the game as expected after the tragedy he's endured. But you don't really argue with Scot Harvath because if you do, and he's determined enough, he'll just find a way to do it on his own. And they value him enough as an operative and as a person who is deeply hurt to go along with his cockamamie plan.

With Nicholas in full operation mode, Scot heads out to discover who wants him dead enough to pay the exorbitant bounty. Scot's every intention is to make sure his friend Carl Pederson's death is avenged as well. There's someone else who wants that particular death avenged, and she won't take no for an answer. When Scot is introduced to her unexpectedly, things begin to change for him. 

Near Dark shows us the brokenness of an operative who dared to fall in love, who suffered the consequences of a grave loss, and who couldn't cope like many who've survived the losses of those precious to them. When a stark reality zooms into his attempts to slowly kill himself, he forces himself to take responsibility for solving a problem. This solution requires a lot of strings being pulled, trips to different countries, a Norwegian and Lithuanian ally, quick exits, and a resolve to do what Scot's best at which requires him to stay sober and focused.

While the conclusion is somewhat satisfying, having established Scot's weakness, it seemed surprising to add alcohol back into the "celebration". It also left the door open for yet another calculated attack on his life in a future book.

Interesting characters, profanity present from page one, intriguing confusion, some calculated violence, and ultimate resolution. 

Father, only you know the hearts of all of us. We're laid bare before you. No secrets kept. Please continue to bless Brad's life and provide what he needs to continue writing. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.