Review: The Terminal List, by Jack Carr

First off: this book isn't for everyone. It's politically opinionated. It's graphically violent. It shows the author’s deep affiliation for gun craftsmanship.

The Terminal List is also a really engrossing story.

The author, Jack Carr, has a remarkable story of his own, serving in Naval Special Warfare for over 20 years. Carr’s service included duty as a SEAL sniper, junior officer, platoon commander, and commanding a Special Operations Task Unit. He saw extensive fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Carr's firsthand experience shines through in his writing. The adage "write what you know" definitely applies here, and Carr is able to color his writing with details, emotions, and insider-military politics only someone who has lived the Seal experience could share.

In an extensive interview with Joe Rogan, Carr reveals how he always believed he would serve his country first and become a writer afterwards, and that's exactly what he's done.

“I knew that after the military, I knew I would write.”

Carr prepared by reading his favorite authors while growing up and then serving, and finally began writing late in his military career.

The main character, James Reece, is a Navy Seal who finds his platoon caught in an ambush. He's blamed for the death of his subordinates, but Reece’s experience tells him something wasn’t right about the tragic Slowly, Reece uncovers a very dark plot, and with his own world shattered, sets out to administer his own justice.

The book includes a lot of what I can only describe as gun porn: deep descriptions of the materials, craftsmanship, and proper operation of guns. used in guns, and how they operate. Much of that was lost on me, and I found myself skimming over the descriptions. But I’m sure the deep dives will resonate with many in Carr’s core audience.

Ultimately, Carr show us what happens when a Navy Seal takes his training, expertise, and rage and channels it into a Charles Bronson / Death Wish revenge vendetta.

I loved the story, and will read the next two books in the series: “True Believer” and “Savage Son.” The book series will become a series on Amazon Prime, produced by and starring Chris Pratt.

Jack Carr continues to serve us even after leaving the military, with compelling, interesting stories informed by his own service. The Terminal List is a great addition to the military action genre, and main character James Reece will be compelling in future books and Amazon Prime.