Framing the Dialogue

“…politicians were all that way.  They honestly believed in their personal power of persuasion.  These were the men and women who never stopped campaigning.  Every dry cleaner, bar, and cafe they stopped in, every golf outing and fund raiser they hit, they shook hands, smiled, remembered an amazing number of names and convinced people though nothing more thatn their personality that they were likable.  These men and women excelled in politics.  They were willing to make to make concessions and be flexible so others thought them reasonable.  On the international stage, though, these types got taken to the cleaners.  Neville Chamberlain, the British prime minister at the onset of WWII, was the classic modern example.  He had met Hitler, looked him in the eye, made him laugh, and concluded that he was a decent chap despite the evidence to the contrary that had been provided by the British intelligence services.  Hitler took Chamberlain for a fool and played him through the occupation of Austria, the invasion of Poland, and right on up to the invasion of France.  Somehow Hitler had been able to resist the irresistible charm of Chamberlain.”

Those were the thoughts of CIA Director Irene Kennedy as she dealt with her new boss, a politician in charge of an intelligence agency.  In Consent to Kill, some of the strife of Kennedy and her compatriot Mitch Rapp is caused once again by Washington Politicians.  This latest Vince Flynnnovel in the Mitch Rapp series started a little slow for me.  Just as I was starting to feel a little disappointed, it took off.

Unlike the other books in the series, hero Rapp was not called upon to save the world, the United States, or even the president.  This thriller was personal for Mitch Rapp.  Don’t expect a happy ending, but as usual there is a decisive and brutal finish.  Consent to Kill is my least favorite of Flynn’s novels so far, but is certainly still worth reading. 

I always enjoy how Flynn weaves in some commentary with his stories.  I’ll finish with an homage to soldiers;

“Her new friends, a bunch of socialists, had great disdain for the military and he, like all soldiers, found it very difficult to be around people who had no concept of the sacrifice made by a professional soldier.  He was not asking for gratitude, but he was not about to tolerate outright contempt.”