The frogman cometh.

My journey began with this article in the Wall Street Journal…

The Former Navy SEAL Who Keeps Churning Out Hit Books

Jack Carr draws in unlikely readers with his personal details from battle and Amazon turns his work into a TV show

The part about unlikely readers caught my eye. To create new readers in this digital age is quite a feat but Carr’s done it – people who haven’t cracked a book since high school are devouring his thrillers. Now that I’ve cruised through all seven books featuring James Reece I’m ready to help spread the word.

Carr’s work appeals on many levels, including the authenticity of his writing and the charm of SEAL Commander James Reece, the Frogman, a sincere, loyal and tenacious leader of men. The action and jargon are as real as can be and never dumbed down for civilians. And Reece? He’s an unwilling hero, a man with principles, and a killing machine.

After reading the article I got the first book, The Terminal List (2018) from the library, but it didn’t click for me at the time. Then I started the 2022 Amazon Prime show* of the same name starring Chris Pratt as Reece and I was all in from the first episode. The title refers to the list of people responsible for destroying his family and his SEAL team. Reese is on a personal mission to make them all pay.

Once I finished the series I started the book again but this time via the audio version which was a good call. Narrator Ray Porter’s voice has just the right tone and edge and he skillfully portrays all the characters, especially the different sides of Reece, from his playful moments to scenes where the fighter emerges.

I’m not here to review each one of the books individually but I do have my favorites, favorite moments, and things I love about the series. The first book definitely sets the tone and is masterfully crafted; it’s a real page-turner and nail-biter all in one.

Think of The Terminal List as James Reece’s origin story. As the years pass, Reece is asked to lead missions that only he can handle and finds himself in all sorts of precarious situations. Here’s Reece trekking across Siberia to settle a score; there he is battling a group of killers armed only with bottles of scotch and champagne (that is until he liberates their guns). He’s also a solidly trained medic, saving multiple lives including those of blood brother Raife Hastings and Liz Riley, an Army pilot who Reece rescued in Afghanistan. Liz and Raife are both great supporting characters.

The third novel is one of my favorites. Savage Son is a homage to a short story that’s stuck with me over the years: The Most Dangerous Game. Remember it from high school or college? It’s the one where the hunter turns to human prey to satisfy his lust to hunt and kill. Carr’s take is pretty epic. Other books have plots related to bioweapons, nuclear weapons, AI gone wild and deep state traitors. Reece takes them all on with his single-minded focus.

The series is known for detailed descriptions of Reece’s weapons including his trusty tomahawk and flathead screwdriver. His books also feature blood and gore and scenes of ‘enhanced interrogation techniques’ that are tough to read. The battles and fights are so precisely described it’s easy to visualize them. All seven books are seriously, extremely violent.

Some of my favorite moments are when the Frogman gets into his element: the water. Like the time he’s on a ship, getting his equipment together for the mission, and then without a word he just stands up, takes a few steps and silently slips overboard. Chills.

I also love it when Reece talks himself through battles, skirmishes, and unexpected situations:

Take a breath and make a call, Reece.

Observe, orient, decide, act.

Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

Win the fight, Reece.

As an added bonus, Carr includes author’s notes and commentary in his novels. In the intro to the audiobook for The Terminal List he talks about his journey from the military to novelist. He’d always been a reader and knew early on that he wanted to write. He made his plans, set goals, and moved forward, trusting the process and making it happen with some serendipitous connections and occurrences along the way.

At the end of the last book, Red Sky Mourning, Carr talks about books as time machines, and how he spent a lot of time reading library books as a kid. That just makes me more of a fan.

The series ends in heart-stopping fashion and the next novel (Cry Havoc, out this fall) features Reece’s late father, Tom. Here’s to Jack Carr continuing to churn out the hits.

*Streaming for free on Freevee!