Jack Flynn Books

Vince Flynn is one of my favorite authors. Every one of his books has been a blast to read.

A good author, enjoy his books. Seems to have captured current events is an exciting way.

This is the first Vince Flynn book I have read and I must say he is my new fav. In the same line as Clancy, his books are easier reading. Great writing, he keeps you interested and the story and characters are very interesting. I recommend his books to anyone wanting to read a good spy novel that you cannot put down. I have already ordered 2 more books. I can't wait.

Can somebody tell me why all thrillers now have to have a 'romantic' element, ripe with predictable sexual tension and resolution as some type of prerequisite for being well received? This phenomena is bad enough, but becomes unbearable when applied to high-concept political thrillers with serious subject matters.

Knock out the rubbish 'love-story' with the reporter and this is a solid read, with it it's just a typical neo-thriller, with all the typical neo-thriller elements. I will not be reading the sequels.

Mitch Rapp. The larger than life clandestine CIA operative who will just not answer the prays of the terrorists, and die. This may be Flynn's finest novel involving the rogue agent. The White House is brilliantly taken over by Muslim terrorists with a vendetta to resolve. The story line is quite plausible, and the texture rich. The action is fantastically chaotic, and never slows. The deceptive plotting by both sides of the battle is rivetingly laid out for the reader's view. As always, the good guys win, but not free of costs.

Jack Flynn takes us back to a time when children played outdoors and televsisions and refridgerators were rare. Buddy Reardon is a charming young boy eager to follow the good moral practices of the Lone Ranger. The author effectively captures the emotions and drama of a twelve-year-old boy as he grows into puberty and adolescence. His characters are charming, realistic and well presented. I look forward to reading more of the adventures of Buddy Reardon. I highly recommend this enjoyable book.

Buddy Reardon is everybody's younger brother who just happens to be trapped in the 50's. I couldn't wait to sit down to read the book and as I read, the descriptions felt very familiar. The book was humorous, sad, thought-provoking, and very well-written. A book to be savored. Thank you to Jack for remembering!

Not as good as the 1st two books in the "Jack Flynn" series by McGrory, but still better than most.

Keep in on the shelf. This book is filled with weak writing, cliches, non-sequitors, the whole gamut. And the plot is weak--we all know McGrory is talking abt Whitey. I much prefer McGrory's columns--and think he should stick to non-fiction.

Dead Line is the third entry in Brian McGrory's Jack Flynn series. It's every bit as good as the two earlier novels, The Incumbent and The Nominee, and that's saying a lot.

This time out the extremely likeable Mr. Flynn finds himself embroiled in a very interesting case that pushes his skills as a newspaper reporter to their limit. Early in the narrative, a young attorney named Hilary Kane is murdered, presumably because she has uncovered new information about a brazen, 13 year old multimillion dollar art heist that has remained unsolved. The case assumes political undertones once Toby Harkins, the son of Boston's mayor, Dan Harkins is implicated in the theft.

There's plenty of action as Jack's frantic search to find Hilary Kane's murderer takes him to Rome and Paris and subsequently back to Boston. His devotion to the case makes him a target and on more than one occasion, he finds himself in mortal danger. No matter how harrowing the situation, Jack never abandons his very appealing, largely self-deprecating sense of humor.

Dead Line also contains a number of interesting subplots which serve to add substance to Jack's persona by exploring his relationships with other characters. Three such characters are his girlfriend Elizabeth, his pet dog Baker and his coworker Vinny. Their presence helps the reader appreciate Jack Flynn in all his three dimensional complexity.

Another solid 4 star effort featuring the thoroughly entertaining Jack Flynn. Dead Line is an engaging thriller written with plenty of good natured wit. Read it.

My favorite investigative reporter is back, this time solving the murder of a young Boston lawyer whose reckless one-night stand with the Mayor of Boston gets her killed. The senseless murder is linked to an old, unsolved art heist, which in turn is linked to the Mayor's fugitive crime-lord son. As Jack is drawn into the unfolding mystery, he helplessly watches as his personal life comes crashing down around him.

Jack Flynn is as likable a character as any I have read. The intrepid reporter is dedicted to furthering the public good by exposing ugly truths to daylight. He seems to live in a world populated by a higher-than-normal percentage of beautiful, successful, intelligent women who are attracted to him. Yet the history of tragedy in his own life, coupled with a terrifically self-deprecating sense of humor make him a very sympathetic character.

Through Flynn, McGrory takes us on a fast-paced quest for truth and justice with deft plot twists and a smooth, conversational narrative that makes all of his books a real pleasure to read. The only problem is that, just as with the other two Jack Flynn novels, you'll read it too fast and the fun will be over too soon.

Dead Line is a decent novel. It is not great and not very original.

The hero in this book is a reporter, Jack Flynn. He is not a particularly credible hero who is in a story that is pretty much run of the mill.

I bought this in a bargain book bin, for which I was thankful. I would not have been too happy had I paid full price for this hardback. It is much more suited to pick up as a used paperback.

Mr. McGrory is clearly a good writer. The book is well written; it is just not particularly interesting or exciting. Although billed as a thriller, I would say that description is overly generous.

If you are interested in a fast paced, exciting novel, I would not recommend putting this book at the top of your list.

Jack Flynn, ace reporter, finds himself once again embroiled in turmoil - he's got dirt on the state's governor who's just been nominated by the President to be the next US attorney general, his newspaper, (the bedrock of Massachusetts and New England), is in the midst of a hostile takeover by the Wal-Mart of the publishing world, his boss/mentor is brutally murdered which may tie back to his former boss/mentor being murdered 5 years earlier, there's a crazed gunman following him up and down the east coast and his ex-girlfriend won't leave him be. It all sounds confusing and defies belief but Mr. McGrory is able to juggle these many sub-plots coherently ... really. Here's where I got lost, to get to the bottom of all this evil-doing Jack publishes a story in the paper, actually several stories. Jimmy Olsen with a big red "S" on his chest saves the day and gets the girl... I think. My frustration here is that this author is truly able to construct plots and sub-plots with the best of them, he spins a great yarn, but then seems stuck as to how to solve them. Writing a news article/expose just didn't work for me.
(As an aside, Jack's sense of humor/joke telling is reminiscent of an old uncle's at Thanksgiving dinner, extremely tiresome - tongue in cheek or not.)

I had never heard of this book or author before. I just happened to run across it and decided to check it out. It turned out to be a pretty good find.

The story features a Boston reporter, Jack Flynn, who gets involved in a wide range of happenings including the following: the murder of his publisher, the suspicious death of the previous publisher of his paper, the alleged false reporting of one of his colleagues, and the nomination of his state's governor to be the U.S. Attorney General.

Brian McGrory wove these various elements into a well done thriller. One annoyance I encountered was the author's propensity to switch between first and third person during the course of the story. It wasn't a major distraction, but is an area that he might want to work on in future works.

I would recommend this. It will keep the reader's attention engaged quite well.

Few fictional characters score as high in the category of likeability as does Jack Flynn, The Nominee's main character and sometime narrator. Jack is an investigative reporter for The Boston Record, New England's most respected daily newspaper.

Two major storylines dominate the narrative of The Nominee. Lance Randolph, the governor of Massachusetts, has just been nominated to be the next U.S. Attorney General. Jack has reason to believe Randolph has a secret in his background that will scuttle his Senate confirmation and is waiting for the right moment to go to press with what he knows. Secondly, when Jack's close friend Paul Ellis, the Record's CEO, becomes a homicide victim, Jack takes it upon himself to identify the murderer, thereby placing his own life in jeopardy.

This highly readable novel has many interesting subplots which serve to flesh out Jack's persona. Like his on again, off again relationship with the lovely Elizabeth Riggs, a reporter for a rival Boston paper. Furthermore, author Brian McGrory's writing style is quite engaging, consistently displaying an unselfconscious brand of wit throughout.

A solid 4 stars for this second novel in the Jack Flynn series. It's a great follow-up to McGrory's equally engaging first effort, The Incumbent.

For those that don't know there is a maxim that the majority I would say of people who have ever thought about or aspired to write are quite familiar with: "Write about what you know."
Brian McGrory, a Boston newspaperman did just that in "The Nominee". McGrory a Boston newspaperman, has written another novel where his protagonist is newreporter Jack Flynn.
Jack Flynn can be described as a sardonic, witty, and articulate wordsmith leading me to suspect there is a lot of McGrory in his lead character. Who by the way is quite likable due to above traits, yet Flynn is human in the angst he carries with him throughout the plot and subplots of the story.
This book is a fun read, and the alternating viewpoints from first to third person, while offputting to some, rather appealed to my tastes.
McGrory not only describes life at a newspaper through the novel, but also has managed to write a fun and fast paced thriller to boot. Highly recommended. (Hope that wasn't a dangling participle Flynn would kill me haha.)

Brian McGrory knows newspaper reporting, and writes pretty good thrillers about the world of journalism. The continuing main character in these novels is Jack Flynn, a reporter for the Boston Record, who is not only involved in the action, but is continuously fighting off murderers determined to end his life. I've only read two of these books, but it seems iffy if poor Jack can survive much more abuse. This tale involves a Massachusetts governor about to become the U.S. Attorney General. Woven into the story is an attempt by a Murdoch like mogul who is trying to take over the newspaper. Jack's role is to stop the takeover, find out more about the governor's past, and deal out abuse to his girl friend. When it comes to his personal life our hero seems spectacularly thick headed. He believes people he should question, and disbelieves those he should trust, such as his girl (or ex-girl)friend.

McGrory puts enough action in the story, but also spends a lot of time venting about the sad decline of journalism brought about by profit minded owners who turn their newspapers into McPapers. This may bore some folks, but I looked at it as an interesting insider essay on the topic.

Warning. The author has the world's worst sense of humor. His jokes are so bad that he actually apologizes for them from time to time. And even more appalling is his total inability to write a meaningful simile or metaphor. They are so bad that they are unintentionally hilarious. Here's a few examples:

1." (her) cheekbones (were) so high and firm they looked as if they required a zoning variance."
2. "with hair so thick he all but needed a John Deere tractor to brush it."
3. "(his forehead) ..accentuated by a line of brown hair receding faster than a Kennebunkport tide."

By the way if you want to read books with main characters that actually are witty try books by Brian Haig, and Sheldon Siegel.

The ending is a bit preposterous, but all in all not a bad read.

This mystery/suspense novel did not hit its stride for me until I was more than halfway through the book. Up to that point, I found the writing very uneven and mostly mediocre. Nor was there pace or rhythm.

About midway through the book, it did pick up pace, stride, rhythm, voice, suspense, and technique, and thus I enjoyed this last as a suspenseful page-turner. As a matter of fact, the latter part of the book was well worth having to read the first part. If you love susspense and mystery, I recommend the reader do the same.

Author Brian McGrory certainly has had help in holding the reader's attention, in that the Boston Strangler case is one of the most fascinating crime cases. Not only is the orignal solution to the mystery of who the serial killer is, and its investigation, totally absorbing, but the subsequent revelation that the man charged by the media and the State with the crime (notwithstanding the fact that the serial killings ceased when he was behind bars) appears to be not guilty, and that the guilty parties may, in fact, be members of the criminal justice system, is something that people will be talking and thinking about for years to come.

This latest in McGrory's Jack Flynn series is the best to date. The story offers a fresh, fictional look at the puzzling real-life Boston Strangler serial murders when, forty years later, Boston "Record" reporter Flynn is chosen as spokesperson for the perpetrator of a similar series of murders and becomes the traget of someone who wants him out of the way. Is the Strangler back? Was now deceased Albert DiSalvo not really the serial killer he claimed to be? Who doesn't want the truth revealed?

"Strangled" is a fast-paced shuttle between Boston and Vegas that conveys the strikingly different energy of both cities. I loved it.

Forty years ago, someone killed Albert DeSalvo, the self-confessed "Boston Strangler", in prison; case closed. Until now that is. Boston Record reporter Jack Flynn, on the verge of marrying his beloved Maggie Kane, ignores his upcoming nuptials to investigate a new string of homicides that eerily parallel that of the Strangler. The press dubs the new killer the "Phantom Fiend".

Jack begins his investigation by scanning the 1960s record to determine whether he agrees with officialdom that DeSalvo was the original killer. However, not surprisingly at least to Jack who used to work the DC beat (see THE INNOCENT), several Massachusetts' prominent citizens especially those in law enforcement today and in the 60s want him to leave the past buried with DeSalvo. His first police contact FOJ (friend of Jack) Leo Goldsmith tells him for his own good to back off from that approach. Pressure to cease and desist comes especially from supporters of Stu Callahan, the State senior Senator who prosecuted the DeSalvo conviction. Ignoring everyone including his fiancée, Jack receives correspondence from the apparent killer who forces him into a contest in which not playing or failure means women will be STRANGLED.

Though an exciting journalistic investigative thriller, STRANGLED is one of those tales that could have been a classic, but chooses the modern day cat and mouse action over the more fascinating look back at the DeSalvo confession. The story line is fast-paced as Jack knows he cannot ignore the deadly contest even if every politico law enforcement type demands he does as he believes the serial killer must be stopped and he has the insider track though the cost on his personal life might prove expensive. Reader will enjoy this murder mystery, but once done wonder about DeSalvo.

Harriet Klausner

I admit that I was a little skeptical about the idea of fictionalizing the real life horror of the Boston Strangler case. However, after reading Brian McGrory's fine novel, my fears were put to rest. McGrory brings the strangler case back to life by offering enough true & disturbing details about the original crimes to make one wonder; could it happen again?
McGrory also tells his story through a multi-layered hero with flaws and steely eyed determination that would make even James Patterson proud.
Good Job Brian!

Casey Sherman, author of Search for the Strangler: My Hunt for Boston's Most Notorious Killer

The author grabs the reader's attention and satisfies the need for more. The surprises kept on comming and I found myself truely engrossed in the story of these three teens and their love afair. I was surprised to find the parents had even more secrets to share.

This book really draws you back into adolesence. It made me feel like I was in the book. I couldn't put the book down after having read only the first page. This is a book for everyone.

While I only took Texas Government as it is required to graduate, my professor required me buy this book, ostensibly as a favor to his friend, the author.
This is not a good textbook. While I did learn about Texas government, the materials for the chapters are interspersed and requires a great deal of searching to find. Additionally, much of the information presented in this book is irrelevant to the section title. In many of the sections, for example, the one in the Executive Branch chapter, attorney general section, most of the paragraph simply talks about attorney generals who have recently won elections in Texas. A more generalized overview on the Attorney General's powers and responsibilities was more lightly covered. Because of the lack of substantive material in this book, a good third of the text could be excluded and it would retain its effectiveness.