Dead or Alive [Hardcover]

I plodded through this expensive and over wordy 950 page novel. I've usually been able to respect Clancy's attention to detail and depend upon that accuracy to carry me through parts of the plot that might elude my own knowledge. I'm a Canadian and was not shocked to see some of the silliness that is believed to be the case by American readers such as the RCMP wearing red tunics and riding around on horses. The Mounties wear regular police type uniforms albeit it in a tan shirt and navy blue pants configuration and ride around in regular police cruisers. Detectives dress in civilian clothing from suits to undercover garb the same as any other police force. Once again as soon as a terrorist arrives in Canada via an airliner with a nuclear device he is wisked through customs without a hitch while explaining that had he attempted to pull the same thing in the United States he would have been quickly discovered. Instead he slips through a hole in the fence on the Canadian/American border. There is the claim about the best in the world American sniper which at the time of writing was untrue. These lapses in accuracy tend to make me leery of Clancy's claims in other areas. It only takes one clanger to queer the whole thing.
This book was obviously written too early to account for the underwear bomber's easy access to an American carrier and his eluding security despite his father giving him up and the British having him on their no-fly list. So much for Clancy's belief that the intelligence services in the US are state of the art.
As is the case with most American books the precision with which their intelligence and covert services work is well oiled and razor sharp but also a myth and this made it difficult for me to make it through a great deal of the prose. About 4 or 5 years ago some kid in England using no special programs hacked into the Pentagon and NASA databases using his girlfriend's laptop proving how secure these were.
The story took too long to develop and frankly I wondered at the editors at Putnam who just rubber stamped this one and let it through on the strength of Clancy's earlier books. Too many big writers are getting trash out in the major book circuit because their publishers are relying on their former popular writers instead of investing in new talent claiming tough times due to recession and the introduction of E-books.
I admit that the premise appealed to me but I had just come out of reading three 5 star (should be 10 star) books by Stieg Larsson beginning with the "Girl With The Dragon Tattoo". These were great writing without the need to wave a flag throughout. I was actually depressed when I had finished Larrson's series. Dead Or Alive was the next book after that read and a real letdown. It was lacking in character description and scenario setups and detail and was a slow read. I could put it down but did read it through to the end because I paid a lot for the book. I am a conservative and believe in a strong, well trained military but do not believe that any military is as sharp as Clancy likes to draw the characters in this book. But then this is a work of fiction.

"For my iniquities have gone over my head;
Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
My wounds are foul and festering
Because of my foolishness." -- Psalm 38:4-5 (NKJV)

Dead or Alive pits the Emir and his global terror network against the United States, with only the hope that the secret group, The Campus, can act in time to avoid horror. If that plot sounds familiar, you've read some variation on it several times in the last decade by other authors. What's different here? Authors Tom Clancy and Grant Blackwood work in the major surviving characters from the earlier Jack Ryan novels. Although the names are familiar and friendly to the memory, the characters themselves are more similar in name than in reality. So if you think you are going to enjoy a vintage Jack Ryan thriller, think again.

If that puts you off, realize that you'll be disappointed if you are looking for the old zing in this series. It's just not there. You'll probably grade the book as one or two stars, as a poor imitation of "the prior characters and stories."

If you can put that feeling aside and focus on the book itself, it's about a two-and-a-half star effort that's mainly marred by taking forever to develop over the 950 pages in my edition. The strength of the slow development is that your curiosity will grow about what the terror plot involves, but I doubt if you'll be intrigued. If you enjoy learning how to run a terror network over the Internet, the book becomes a little more interesting. If you want to gain a little paranoia about American vulnerability to terrorists, the book is decent in that regard.

The test for me with such a "thriller" is whether I can put it down in the middle for a few days and feel relaxed about not knowing what's coming next. I did such laying aside with no problem.

The book opens on a high point, as an Army Ranger team strikes into the cave network along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border seeking to capture a potentially high-value terror suspect. They come across something quite unsuspected, which begins to slowly reveal a mystery in motion. Terror cells are described in action, moving towards undefined objectives with great remorselessness. Treasure those parts of the book. What's coming isn't nearly as fast-paced and interesting.

What's the nicest thing I can say about the book? It's definitely better than The Bear and The Dragon.

What's the worst thing I can say? The Kindle version is overpriced.

Should you read it? You'll probably enjoy the trip if your expectations aren't set by the best of the prior Jack Ryan books.

Despite the fact that not a single 9/11 hijacker came through Canada (they all entered the US through sea or airports), most Americans still believe the oft-repeated lie that several of them or most of them came through from Canada without ever being challenged by us.

Unfortunately, Clancy must be one of those ignorant fools, because he has Canada time and time agin letting terrorists through to the US without even a superficial investigation. Plane disappears over Moose Jaw after declaring an emergency, and there is no follow-up? No Cf-18s from CFB Moose Jaw go up to check the area and see that there is a relatively slow jet proceeding towards the US border? Nonsense.

Nuclear bomb disguised as equipment allowed into Vancouver and thence to the US after being told it was merely a portable x-ray machine to x-ray cattle? No visual inspection or request to see the schematics? No check with the university that was mentioned?

Canadian security is nearly as good as American, if not AS good. After all, Toronto is just one Canadian city that was targeted by terrorists (and fortunately, they were forestalled and arrested). We know we are not entirely immune to Arab and Muslim hostility and jealousy.

This kind of misguided American patriotism just convinces more Americans that we are a bunch of soft clowns who should be taken over by the US for their own good. At worst, it leads to more hate and distrust of us. At best, Americans think we are lazy, stupid and naive, and a dubious ally against terrorism.

The rest of the book was enjoyable enough, and Clancy does point out some weaknesses with American security too; the Emir has a solid plan to trick the FBI and CIA into blaming Pakistan for the terrorist acts, and American security fails to catch of the dozens of terrorists in the US. Only the Campus manages to get in the way, preventing the main act of terrorism and greatly reducing the impact of another.

But I can't give this book more than 3 stars. How much of this book was Clancy's inspiration I can't say, but between the two writers, they slammed Canada way too much and made some careless editing mistakes too. I only paid $5 each for this and the next book Locked On, so if Locked On is no better, well, I got 2 books for the price of one and will stop buying Clancy books. So I'll save money one way or another.