Mitch Rapp and the book ‘The Last Man’ by Vince Flynn

The character Mitch Rapp has enjoyed a long and adventurous lifespan thanks to the series of books begun by Vince Flynn. The thirteenth book in the Mitch Rapp series when taken in order is The Last Man, which was the thirteenth book in the series when published in November of 2012. The sequence of the Mitch Rapp books can be found here. Flynn would die in June of 2013, making The Last Man the final book written by the creator of this series.

(Vince Flynn created Mitch Rapp, writing The Last Man as his last Mitch Rapp book before his death in June of 2013).

When reading The Last Man carefully, I can see some of the notes of what I take to be Vince Flynn facing his own mortality in the character of Stan Hurley, who has been given six months to live as a storyline snaking through the larger narrative of The Last Man. Hurley was the trainer for series star Mitch Rapp, the latter of which is the unofficial yet leading Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) assassin fighting wrongdoing of mischief abroad and at home.

(Books currently in the Mitch Rapp series, including 13 written by Vince Flynn, six written by Kyle Mills, and another outside the series written by Flynn).

The Last Man introduces the CIA operative Joe Rickman to the Rapp storyline, whose knowledge of clandestine methods and personnel in the Middle East and other parts of the world makes him effective. It is that value that immediately makes Rickman a risk should he be abducted, tortured, and a risk to the American and foreign espionage service if pressed for details after abduction. It is just such an abduction, to external understanding, that brings Mitch Rapp to Afghanistan.

(Vince Flynn created Mitch Rapp, writing The Last Man as his last Mitch Rapp book before his death in June of 2013).

Louis Gould, who we last encountered in the Flynn book Consent to Kill, reappears in the context of The Last Man. Gould had killed Rapp‘s wife, Anna, along with Rapp‘s unborn child. The web weaved in bringing characters back from previous works in the Mitch Rapp series, added a depth previously absent from some of the more episodic experiences I’ve had with the series. This shift in narrative style is and was a welcome development for these books.

(The Last Man by Vince Flynn features fictional characters Mitch Rapp, Joe Rickman, Louis Gould, Irene Kennedy, Mike Nash and Stan Hurley).

There is plenty of detail about the nature of what happens in The Last Man that I have deliberately withheld. My encouragement for you is to engage in the series and enjoy to your heart’s content. The book The Last Man by Vince Flynn worked better than many of the books in this series, which leads me to a rating of 4.25-stars on a scale of one-to-five.

Matt – Saturday, May 15, 2021