BOOK REVIEW: Cry Havoc: A Tom Reece Thriller
By Jack Carr / Atria
Reviewed by: Susan Gorgioski
The Reviewer —Susan Gorgioski is a writer who lives in Australia. She informs us that she has never served in special operations or intelligence -- but likes to read those genres among others. She’s researching a novel while enjoying life with her family and three amazing dogs.
REVIEW — War is hell, and the Vietnam war was its own singular version of hell. Former SEAL and successful thriller writer, Jack Carr takes a step back to 1968 in his latest novel, Cry Havoc. In this novel he introduces us to Petty Officer Tom Reece, SEAL and member of MACV-SOG (Military Assistance Command, Vietnam — Studies and Observations Group) operating in secret deep behind enemy lines in LAOS.
Reece and his superior officer, Frank Quinn, together with some indigenous Montagnard men compose the Team Havoc unit which patrols the Phu Bai area. Combating the many dangers native to the jungle wilderness and the mortal threat posed by the enemy and their trained bloodhounds.
They operate deep within the enemy territory in Laos. A secret force of exceptional warriors tasked with finding and identifying enemy facilities and responsible for planting wiretaps and mines, as well as identifying targets for B-52 bombers to destroy and capture enemy soldiers.
After a routine mission goes dramatically awry, Tom embarks on a hunt for a mole. The chase is thrilling and explosive, taking him from the hot jungle to five-star hotels and restaurants that present their own unique dangers and challenges. Saigon is beautifully described, capturing the contrast between its imperial French past, and the bleak war time present. There’s no time for contemplation as Tom is already hurtling towards his next brutal encounter. Working for the CIA, Tom chases down leads in a desperate race to prevent the death of his colleagues.
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In the Soviet Union, the GRU actively works to stymy the progress of the United States and its coalition. When the North Koreans capture the USS Pueblo together with most of the sailors onboard and, crucially, the secret coding machines and operating manuals, the Russian cause is advanced. The ability to negate the integrity and effectiveness of American military communications would be a coup for the USSR.
The novel concludes in Berlin, in what is, arguably, the most chilling moment in the book. Stark precise and bitterly cold. Tom is a different man than the one we met at the beginning. He is ready to take on a new role and he has the skill sets to succeed. I hope we see him again in another novel.
The narrative travels from Saigon to Moscow to Berlin, Paris and Washington DC. Carr lightly explores the competing interests dueling for gains in the theatre of the Vietnam war. Carr cleverly touches on most of the competing arguments for and against the American position in the Vietnam war. He has a critical eye which can be discerned in his non-fiction work, Targeted: Beirut written with James A. Scott.
Tom Reece is the father of James Reece who is the popular hero in Carr’s best-selling thriller series. This book is a difficult task for Carr; the novel must satisfy longtime fans and have the necessary ingredients to stand alone in its own right. This novel gives further insights into Thomas Reece, James’ grandfather and also a member of the secret forces community.
Cry Havoc is an excellent addition to Carr’s oeuvre. Jack Carr has a deserved reputation for research, verisimilitude and graphic depictions of violence. The portrayal of violence is clinical and surgically precise. Fans will be curious to learn more about James Reece’s father. New readers will enjoy this tale of courage and battle. Cry Havoc is heavy on details, the exact specifications of every gun and bullet Reece and team use, to the minute niceties of a classic French style dinner. These scenes sometimes drain the narrative force generated by the excellent action scenes. It is a balance that needs to be minded. A thriller needs to thrill.
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