Tom Clancy Shadow State
Jack Ryan Jr. Book 12
M. P. Woodward
G. P. Putnam’s Sons
August 20th, 2024
Tom Clancy’s Shadow State by M. P. Woodward delves into the world of Jack Ryan Jr. The author, a former naval intelligence officer with the US Pacific Command blends his personal experiences within the plot line. The thread involves industrial espionage and a connection to American defense technologies.
Woodward has taken over writing the Jack Ryan Jr. Series. “After this book there will a second book coming out in seven months. The next book is titled Line of Demarcation where the characters go to battle against a strong Wolper Organization, the Russian mercenary group. I am currently working on one more, maybe two or three more. I do consult with the authors Brian Andrews and Jeff Wilson, who wrote Act of Defiance, of the Jack Ryan Sr universe, to collaborate and to keep things current.”
The plot has the setting of Vietnam because of its vibrant economy that lures Western capital. Companies are racing to uncover ideal opportunities. Not wanting to be left behind, Hendley Associates has sent their best analyst, Jack Ryan, Jr., to mine for investment gold. And he may have found some in a rare earth mining company—GeoTech. Henley and Associates is a financial trading institution founded by Gerry Hendley. The company itself is a front for the Campus, the off-the-books private security firm for which Jack is the lead operator. GeoTech is a rare earth mining company that operates primarily out of the Vietnamese highlands.
“I think every Tom Clancy book should tell something of a national security story. In this case, I highlighted American dependence on Chinese mineral refining and their industrial espionage.”
Jack Jr. is invited to take a helicopter tour to observe the company’s operations. But some want to eliminate him, and the helicopter is shot down over the Vietnam jungle. Now Jack is in a race for his life. He’s got to stay one step ahead of a pack of killers while supporting his wounded friend. Jack Jr. must fight a savage Vietnamese gang that rules the jungles and is involved in a human trafficking operation.
“I set it in VN because many people think it is a good place to redirect supply chain resources. Bad countries are using bad people to get things done. It is titled Shadow State because things are done through gangs. I highlighted how the Chinese used a gang in the Golden Triangle called the Snakeheads, who are active in narcotics and sex-trafficking.”
One character that was introduced, which readers will look forward to seeing more of is Master Chief Moore. “John Clark, the Campus Director of Operations, is the one who represents the Navy SEALs throughout the series. But he is getting old, so I wanted to bring in another senior operator. He is a little bit damaged and feels the need to prove something. I put this quote in the book, ‘the problem is optics and the media.’ This refers to the blurry line about what is an acceptable military action versus not. In the story, he had his Trident taken away and prosecuted in the press as a war criminal for killing a terrorist even though the terrorist was on the Air Force kill list. He did not get a fair shake because if a drone killed the terrorist nothing would have happened.”
Moore is both tactical and strategic. “One of the purposes Moore serves in this book is as a mentor. In the series, I want him to be the one to continue John Clark’s legacy. He has been around the block, has seen it all, and I really wanted to bring a Navy character back into the story because many of the others, like Midas, are army guys.”
The plot mixes action, intrigue, and political drama by the author of the “Handler Series,” where there is another book in the works.
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