Author: Tom Clancy

Title: Dead or Alive

Publisher: Putnum  

Ever since Tom Clancy's first published novel, The Hunt for Red October, launched his uber-successful career as a techno-thriller author, his books have been widely anticipated and devoured by eager readers. Between 1984 and 2003 Clancy delivered thirteen, thick novels centered on reluctant CIA spook Jack Ryan, and the darker, field proven spy John Clark who heads the elite, multinational, counterterrorist unit, Rainbow Six. It has been seven years since Clancy released The Teeth of the Tiger where the focus shifts from now President Jack Ryan to his son, Jack Ryan Jr., and his involvement with an off-the-books, intelligence agency known as The Campus.

Dead or Alive begins with Jack Ryan Jr. getting bored doing analysis from behind a desk and itching to get into more field work. His father, finding himself restless in retirement writing his memoirs, keeps an anxious eye on the current imbecile of a president. John Clark, with his right hand man (and son-in-law) Ding Chavez are retiring from Rainbow Six and are looking for better paying jobs that match their adventure seeking skill sets.

While Dead or Alive is billed as an "electrifying thriller" with an all-star cast of Clancy's favorite characters, it comes across more as a transition book for the main players:  Jack Ryan Jr. gets the spy training and experience he needs to personally pursue terrorists; Jack Ryan Sr. makes the decision to campaign again for president; and Clark and Chavez make adjustments to working for The Campus so they can make a run at the future bad guys in subsequent books. While that may be great news for Clancy fans wanting more courses, reading these 960 pages is like finishing a big meal of Chinese food—you think you should be satisfied, but push away from the table wanting something more.

It isn't that Clancy doesn't have a good story line. His pursuit of "The Emir", who is Clancy's version of Osama bin Laden, is intriguing—Imagine that the United States' most pursued enemy has left his caves in Pakistan, obtained face altering, plastic surgery in Europe, and has now taken up residency in Las Vegas to plan his next attack on American soil. Nobody would think to look for him there… except for someone with the last name of Ryan.

One of Clancy's most amazing accomplishments in his writing is the technical details he provides about weaponry, military science, and political maneuvering. Instead of vaguely suggesting how The Emir and his cohorts get into the country while smuggling in their weapons of mass destruction, Clancy painstakingly lists down each ingredient in their terrorist recipe, down to the population number of Nampa, Idaho where one of the bad guys spends the night. While this level of detail can bring a sense of believability to his spy stories, several times in this book Clancy bogs down the narrative with too many bit players and tangents from the sidelines and not enough action from his all-stars.

Dead or Alive will serve as a helpful transition book to fans who have had to wait seven years for a Clancy thriller—as long as there isn't a seven year gap before the next one. For readers who haven't exposed themselves to a great Tom Clancy novel, they'd be better off picking up a well worn, paperback copy of The Hunt For Red October instead.

*This Review First Published 12/21/2010