Terminal List by Jack Carr

I started this I think about two years ago, before it was even announced they were making a Prime Video series based on it. I was just looking for a by-the-numbers military/action thriller, as I typically like to read something like that while I also read something a bit more dense, basically as a literary palette cleanser.

The action was decent, but while the book didn’t really start overtly political, by the end the author was constantly attempting to subtly trash Democrats/the left wing, and failing horribly at the subtlety aspect. It didn’t bother me because he was trashing left-wingers (which I consider myself), it bothered me at how hamfisted it was, and I would be just as annoyed if it were a left-wing author doing it towards right-wingers. I can handle the author using their book as a pulpit, but only in small doses and only when it’s not shoehorned in.

On top of that, all of the good characters were salt of the earth people who drove old Toyota trucks that they maintained themselves and couldn’t use cell phones, while all of the bad characters were snivelling smartphone addicts who drove newly leased German luxury cars, wore fancy expensive suits and were cartoonishly villainous - again, no subtlety. Wouldn’t recommend the book to anyone.