Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
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The Teeth of the Tiger By Tom Clancy
I enjoy different kinds of novels for what they are. Grisham for formula suspense. Patterson for the same. Turow for legal thrillers with horrible female characters. Atwood for quirkiness. Cussler for great underwater scenes. And Clancy for details and espionage.
Tom Clancy’s latest best-selling novel is The Teeth of the Tiger. Fans of his earlier works like The Hunt for Red October and Red Storm Rising just hate this latest book, much like they hated his last one, Red Rabbit. I actually enjoyed both, not having the ability to compare to his first novels because I didn’t read them. Clancy fans I know can’t believe this is the same author, wondering outloud if he had a ghostwriter that helped him with Patriot Games.
But I have to admit – I enjoyed The Teeth of the Tiger. We meet Jack Ryan, Jr. in this novel. Jack Senior is now a former president (did I miss the novel when he was president or did Clancy just skip that part?) Of course this novel is about intrigue and terrorism and doing what it takes to defend America. This is Clancy after all. The title Teeth of the Tiger refers to the quote on the back of the book, paraphrasing now, “If you want to kick the tiger in his (tush), you’d better have a plan for dealing with his teeth.”
My only complaint about Teeth of the Tiger is the end. Clancy just stops. Perhaps this is better than the slow, painful, stop-already endings of some books, but with this one I feel a little too set up for the sequel. Having said that, I still recommend it. It is what it is, and what it is is well done. On the Book Beat for KSL Newsradio 1160, I’m Amanda Dickson.
