A political thriller titled, ‘Near Dark’ written by Brad Thor, is the 19th book of the Scot Harvath book series of the author. Has this ever happened to you that you feel totally out of place in your life due to some recent events, but suddenly, something so urgent comes up that you can’t ignore it no matter how much you want to? If yes, you would relate to our protagonist here.
This novel is a long book series, and at first, I was skeptical about starting it due to the number of books. However, once Covid hit and I actually did start it, I haven’t been able to stop ever since! Trust me it was so addictive, I couldn’t stop once I started with this series, neither you will be able to have enough of it.
This book has been titled “the best” book of the Scot Harvath book series by many reviewers, and honestly, one wouldn’t know why until and unless they have read it. It has sadness, sorrow, intensity, passion, action, thrill, and politics, all in just the right proportions. The action, in particular, is realistic and highly convincing and brilliantly unravels the mystery.
As much as I want to rush to tell you more about this book, I suggest you go for the previous volumes of this book series for obvious reasons. But, if you’ve been following the series all along, dive into it!
Near Dark by Brad Thor | Book Review
About The Author | Brad Thor
Bradley George Thor Jr., a mystery author from the United States, was born on 21st August, 1969. Thor spent eight years in Park City, Utah, after being born and reared in Chicago. He graduated from the Francis W. Parker School in Chicago, the Sacred Heart Schools, and the University of Southern California, wherein he majored in creative writing under the instruction of novelist T.C. Boyle.
The International Thriller Writers Association put his book The Last Patriot up for “Best Thriller of the Year” while his book Blowback was selected as one of the “100 Best Ever” Killer Thrillers by listeners of National Public Radio.
Book Overview | Near Dark by Brad Thor
Full Title: Near Dark: A Thriller
Author: Brad Thor
Genre: Thriller
Publishing Date: 23rd June 2020
Series: Scot Harvath
Preceded by: The Lions Of Lucerne (2002), Path of the Assassin (2003), State of the Union (2004), Blowback (2005), Takedown (2006), The First Commandment (2007), The Last Patriot (2008), The Apostle (2009), Foreign Influence (2010), Full Black (2011), Black List (2012), Free Fall (2013), Hidden Order (2013), Act of War (2014), Code of Conduct (2015), Foreign Agent (2016), Use of Force (2017), Spymaster (2018), Backlash (2019)
Succeded by: Black Eye (2021), Rising Thor (2022)
Page Count: 432 (approx.)
Main Characters: Scot Harvath, Slvi Kolstad, Andre Weber, Lieu Van Trang, Carl Pedersen,
Setting: The world’s largest bounty has just been placed on America’s top espionage. His only prospect of life depends on his ability to outwit, outrun, and outlast his opponents for long enough to discover the truth.
Themes: Grief, Action, Thrill, Politics
Description: The biggest bounty in the world has just been set on America’s top spy. His only chance of survival is to outsmart, outpace, and outlive his adversaries for sufficient time to learn the truth. Scot Harvath will require a lot of aid to complete his most hazardous assignment to date, one that has already taken the lives of those nearest to him, notably his new bride.
Slvi Kolstad, a Norwegian intelligence agent, is an odd ally for Harvath, who is unsure of whom to trust. She possesses not only the abilities but also a damaged, broken history that matches Harvath’s own. She is equally as intelligent, deadly, and relentless as Harvath.
Book Summary | Near Dark by Brad Thor
The aftermath of Backlash (the previous novel) has left Harvath a damaged man. After traveling to various vacation places, Harvath’s situation changed when two thugs attacked the retired Navy SEAL, who became a counterterrorism agent, in a pub. Harvath takes the two thugs outside to serve them a lesson while half-intoxicated and frustrated, only to discover that the whole event was a setup.
A professional assassin who is willing to shoot him between the eyes is waiting for him. Fortunately, Scot lives thanks to the assistance of his former teammates, who bring him back into the group to inform him of a contract that has been posted on the dark web and distributed through a web of murderers.
It turns out that a 100 million dollar bounty has been set on Scot Harvath’s head by someone with a very serious vendetta. Neither The Carlton Group nor the CIA is aware of the mystery person’s identity or the reasons behind their tremendous efforts to eliminate Scot. The fact that the agreement is open makes things worse because it encourages a race to present Harvath’s skull on a platter first since the first assassin to complete the task will receive payment.
Harvath thinks waiting to die isn’t his style because there are uncounted killers out there seeking him. Instead, he decides to attack, putting things into his own hands and turning the tables on those trying to catch him. But when the time runs out, all bets are off as Scot fends off waves of killers long enough to identify his killer and revoke the contract before it’s too late.
This time, however, there is no assurance that he will be alive when the dust settles.When the stakes are at their highest, one mistake might be devastating.
My Thoughts on Near Dark by Brad Thor
This book is written in the same crisp, no-nonsense, entirely professional style that we’ve grown to enjoy in a Scot Harvath novel. Another fact I appreciate in any novel part of a series is its relevance to the previous volumes and the scope for the upcoming one. This book does that for me as it conveniently picks up from where the last novel had ended, and we also get to see some familiar characters from the past books.
Nothing about the writing or the plot was flawed, but as a fan of the series, I had become accustomed to expecting more nuance, wit, and twists. Additionally, I thought the prior 18 novels required you to be fastened to your seats, whereas I felt that this one could wait and be read in segments as time permitted.
This book is just as exciting and unique as any other thriller novel. I mean, look at the plot! I had a great time reading it.
My Ratings For The Book
Final Words
Wasn’t this fun? To me, it was a LOT of fun! The only downside of reading such a unique and exhilarating book as this one is that it ends! I had a great time reading the book and felt like I was living it. I would recommend this book (and the entire book series, for that matter) for you to read.
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