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The Lions of Lucerne | 
| Author: Brad Thor
Publisher: Pocket Books
Category: Book
Buy New: $49.99
New (4) Used (9) from $34.18
Avg. Customer Rating:  68 reviews
Sales Rank: 155282
Format: Bargain Price
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 432
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.4
Dimensions (in): 9.6 x 6.1 x 1.4
ASIN: B0001I1KMI
Publication Date: January 1, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: new abridged AUDIO CD
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
In this incredibly fast-paced thriller, a conspiracy hatched close to the Oval Office results in the kidnapping of the president and the slaughter of a company of Secret Service agents commanded by ex-Navy SEAL Scot Harvath. The story careers from the ski slopes of Utah to the top of Switzerland's Mount Pilatus and sets Scot on an impossible mission: recover the president, evade renegade Swiss spy Gerhard Miner and his cadre of trained agents, and elude the American conspirators who are hot on his trail. Framed for murder, his reputation in tatters, his former colleagues turned against him, Harvath finds an unlikely ally in a beautiful Swiss prosecutor who's been checkmated by Miner once too often. Together they play a high-stakes game of mixed "doubles" to save the president and uncover the conspiracy. Brad Thor's debut novel is a tightly wound spy tale that makes up in excitement what it lacks in subtlety and character development. Ludlum fans will love it. --Jane Adams
Book Description
In a daring and chilling debut, Brad Thor draws us into a sinister labyrinth of political intrigue and international terrorism, serving up an explosive cocktail of unrelenting action -- and a shattering climax -- as one man is pushed to the edge. On the snow-covered slopes of Utah, the unthinkable has just become a nightmarish reality: thirty Secret Service agents have been viciously executed and the vacationing president of the United States is kidnapped by one of the most lethal terrorist organizations in the Middle East -- the dreaded Fatah. But one man, surviving agent and ex-Navy SEAL Scot Harvath, doesn't believe the Fatah is responsible for the attack. Driven by his professional code of duty and honor -- and a solemn vow to avenge his fallen comrades -- Scot creates his own rules to get some answers. But his search for the truth raises the blood pressure of his superiors...and casts his own life in mortal jeopardy. The deadly machinations have been set in motion by a shadowy coalition, comprising some of the highest-ranking officials in government and business -- men who operate above the law, men who realize the threat Scot poses to their hidden agenda...men who will do anything to stop him. Now framed for murder and on the run, Scot goes for broke and takes his own brand of justice to the unlikeliest place of all -- the towering mountains of Switzerland. It is there that he finds an improbable ally in the beautiful Claudia Mueller of the Swiss Federal Attorney's Office. Together they must brave the subzero temperatures and sheer heights of treacherous Mount Pilatus -- and enter the den of the most notorious team of professional killers the world has ever known.
Download Description
"In a daring and chilling debut, Brad Thor draws us into a sinister labyrinth of political intrigue and international terrorism, serving up an explosive cocktail of unrelenting action -- and a shattering climax -- as one man is pushed to the edge. On the snow-covered slopes of Utah, the unthinkable has just become a nightmarish reality: thirty Secret Service agents have been viciously executed and the vacationing president of the United States is kidnapped by one of the most lethal terrorist organizations in the Middle East -- the dreaded Fatah. But one man, surviving agent and ex?Navy SEAL Scot Harvath, doesn't believe the Fatah is responsible for the attack. Driven by his professional code of duty and honor -- and a solemn vow to avenge his fallen comrades -- Scot creates his own rules to get some answers. But his search for the truth raises the blood pressure of his superiors...and casts his own life in mortal jeopardy. The deadly machinations have been set in motion by a shadowy coalition, comprising some of the highest-ranking officials in government and business -- men who operate above the law, men who realize the threat Scot poses to their hidden agenda...men who will do anything to stop him. Now framed for murder and on the run, Scot goes for broke and takes his own brand of justice to the unlikeliest place of all -- the towering mountains of Switzerland. It is there that he finds an improbable ally in the beautiful Claudia Mueller of the Swiss Federal Attorney's Office. Together they must brave the subzero temperatures and sheer heights of treacherous Mount Pilatus -- and enter the den of the most notorious team of professional killers the world has ever known. "
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| Customer Reviews: Read 63 more reviews...
 A time-filler, nothing more June 24, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
In Brad Thor's first thriller, the U.S. President gets kidnapped, the hero is implicated, and a round-the-world chase shortly follows. *Yawn* Forgive me for being bored, but this book felt a bit too formulaic for me. There are undoubtably flashes of brilliance here and there, but overall it is a very average thriller.
One of the biggest annoyances I had with this book was the lack of credibility. Though the plot is obviously far-fetched, you want to be able to believe that the events described are within the realm of possibility. I wanted to believe Mr. Thor's yarn, but his descriptions of utah mormons (towards the beginning) obviously played to certain stereotypes. As a member of the LDS church, I was disappointed to see a blatant misrepresentation of what we believe. Though it was a fairly little thing, the author obviously didn't do his research and it caused me to question his later descriptions of the CIA, FBI, and Swiss government. Bigger than that though, the book read like it was National Treasure. I just couldn't take anything seriously.
I don't expect huge things from a thriller, but this book fell below my expectations. There were a few parts that were enjoyable. Aside from a few cliches, the dialogue wasn't awful. The constant action also made for some fun parts. In closing, there was enough here to cause me to look at another Brad Thor book, but this certainly wasn't one of the best.
 Not What I Was Hoping For June 12, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Any comparisons to Vince Flynn or Robert Ludlum are WAY off base. The dialog was brutal, at times cringe-inducing, the storytelling weak. The main character (Harvath) is not compelling at all, the rest of the characters are one dimensional. Perhaps Thor gets better in later books, but I'll take Mitch Rapp any day of the week over Harvath. Was a chore to complete....
 Enjoyable May 23, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
In this book secret agent Scot Harvath comes across as somewhat slow witted. This could be because he received a concussion during an avalanche in the opening pages of this book. Despite all of this he is able to outthink everyone else in the investigation, including the FBI, and the Secret Service. His leaps of logic put him on the trail of the bad guys when everyone else is looking in the wrong direction.
You are going to have to suspend your disbelief several times while reading this book, but in the end it is all worth it. This is really a fast pace, fun read. Most action adventure fans might not love it but the will enjoy it.
Excellent Thriller February 29, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I really enjoyed this book. I hesitate reading a lot of popular fiction because it gets rather obscene. A few of the bad guys swear in this, but, overall, not so bad. The story is really interesting. It weaves its way through so many paths that it is difficult to believe that they are all going to end up in the same place, but they do.
Since it is one in a series about the same character, you know the good guys win. What you don't know is how. The bad guys are smart, just not as smart or tough as the hero.
Lot of interesting details. Who knows if they are real? Who cares? They are still interesting.
This is the second Brad Thor book I have read. I stumbled into the first one in a secondhand store. It was so interesting that I went looking for more. i will continue to look for them.
If you like good action thrillers, I would recommend this to you.
A Good Beginning February 8, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is a real page turner. It is an interesting idea--the kidnapping of the President. The middle of the book shows possibilities. The problem is that the excitement of the search and the understanding of the characters, especially in Washington, was put aside for the never ending chase scene. Scot Haveth is a superman but there is a limit to how many close calls and injuries he can have and still keep going. Less is sometimes more.
As a note it seems interesting to read a pre 9/11 thriller. The world somehow seems simpler in the old days. I will read another one of his books before I decide whether it is worth continuing the series.
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