Author Jack Carr is a proven talent at crafting thrilling tales of military and political fiction, but his inaugural book in a new series adds two new ingredients to his literary stew: big city crime and, surprisingly, a hearty blend of television Westerns.
Co-written with fellow thriller novelist M.P. Woodward, ‘The Fourth Option” features the exploits of Chris Walker, a former Navy SEAL and CIA ground officer who’s disillusioned by the government and institutions he previously served.
Walker is a virtual nomad who lives quietly in a VW pop-up camper with his Belgian Malinois K-9 in the Pacific Northwest. He’s a modern-day reincarnation of a Western gunslinger and embodiment of the phrase, “Have gun, will travel.”
When Walker receives a phone message from the widow of his former SEAL buddy John Staub, he agrees to travel to New Orleans. There, he confronts a dilemma: what to do when law enforcement is corrupt, the court system is politicized, and there’s no one in authority you can trust?
Who Is Chris Walker?
Fans of Carr’s “Terminal List” series will find many similarities between its central character, Navy Seal Lt. Cmdr. James Reese, and Carr’s newest protagonist. Both are experienced warriors who’ve seen multiple Middle East deployments in special operations as Navy SEALS and with other agencies.Carr’s two protagonists are extremely loyal to their comrades. They possess exceptional tactical expertise and are principled men who wrestle with their moral actions. They seek justice for wrongs they’ve experienced in their personal service to their country.
To Carr’s credit, though, the two characters are also different in many ways. Reese was a family man whose wife and daughter were murdered in a high-level-government corporate conspiracy.
Walker was adopted and has no known family. He’s more introspective and philosophical than Reese. While he was a student at Oregon State, testing showed Walker to have a Mensa-level IQ, and he scored exceptionally high on his military aptitude tests.
He also pursued a doctorate degree in philosophy at NYU, earning him the nickname “The Philosopher” from the few who know him.
Showdown in New Orleans
The story’s opening is taut and brooding, as the authors introduce Walker’s complex personality. The phone call from John Staub’s widow interrupts Walker as he’s about to commit suicide.Walker blames himself for Staub’s death in Afghanistan; America’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan was the final straw in this decision to leave government service. “The destruction, the loss, the injustice—Those were his substance and elements, and they demanded atonement. Dignity. Finality.” This is Walker’s state of mind as he contemplates taking his life.
Walker returns Leigh Ann Staub’s phone call because he believes he owes her. He learns that her son was found dead under suspicious circumstances; he agrees to investigate when she tells him that the police have ruled it an overdose.
Upon arriving in New Orleans, Walker learns that the Staubs’ son was an aspiring journalist. He was investigating the local opioid crisis and a new drug called Snowball. Walker discovers that the conspiracy goes deeper than anyone thought, and he soon finds himself and the young woman assisting him in mortal danger, which increases with each passing day.
The sleuthing of ambitious FBI agent Jarrett Stanton further rachets up the tension. The body count piles up in Walker’s avenging wake after authorities learn his identity.
While Walker seeks to expose the corruption, he’s simultaneously targeted by the FBI, the Jalisco drug cartel, and the New Orleans police as the book rockets to its satisfying conclusion.
Popular Theme
The underlying theme of this book is timeless and classic: A stranger comes to town. He butts head with powerful locals, and the tension builds to the point where a deadly showdown is inevitable.As he always does, Carr provides a contemporary twist: A flawed avenger whose sense of justice compels him to intervene between the powerful and those being bullied.
The melding of contemporary issues like political corruption and violent drug cartels works seamlessly with a genre that Carr admits to admiring since his youth. He’s a big fan of the Western television series “Have Gun-Will Travel.” This series starred Richard Boone as a Civil War veteran and gun for hire. Carr even names Walker’s K-9 companion Paladin after Boone’s character in that show.
Some readers may wrestle with Walker’s introspective nature as he frequently muses on famous philosophers. Likewise, descriptions of the various guns in his weapons cache may seem overly technical. Such thinking misses the refreshing authenticity fused into Carr’s books, however. The former SEAL has a talent for breathing believability into his books based on his personal experiences. Consequently, all his books sizzle with stark realism and a “been there, done that” vibe.
Chris Walker and Paladin are a welcome addition to the thriller genre Carr is influencing with each new title.
