Books › The Old Man
The Old Man
337 pages
A chilling, high-octane thriller where a quiet retirement shatters into a desperate, snow-bound fight for survival.
What it feels like
This propulsive thriller strips away the veneer of a quiet Vermont retirement to plunge the reader into a relentless, adrenaline-fueled chase. The mood is tense and paranoid, anchored by a pragmatic protagonist whose hidden past refuses to stay buried. As the narrative shifts from deceptive domesticity to high-stakes survival, the atmosphere grows increasingly chilly and dangerous, culminating in visceral, snow-bound action. The prose is sharp and tactical, perfectly suited to the gritty reality of armed mercenaries and spectacular escapes. It is a gripping experience for readers who crave suspenseful, action-packed espionage stories where moral ambiguity and lethal competence collide, offering a breathless ride through the consequences of long-ago choices.
- Mood
- suspenseful
- chilly
- relentless
- paranoid
- Tone
- tense
- pragmatic
- gritty
- unsentimental
- Pace
- propulsive
- Themes
- inescapable past · survival instincts · hidden identities · moral ambiguity
- The writing
- Sharp, action-oriented, and tightly plotted, focusing on tactical details and relentless momentum.
- The arc
- Moves from a deceptive, quiet domesticity into a high-stakes, adrenaline-fueled fight for survival.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love gritty, fast-paced espionage thrillers featuring highly competent protagonists forced out of retirement.
Content notes
- gun violence
- car crashes
- mercenary violence
About the book
To all appearances, Dan Chase is a harmless retiree in Vermont with two big mutts and a grown daughter he keeps in touch with by phone. But most sixty-year-old widowers don't have multiple driver's licenses, savings stockpiled in banks across the country, and a bugout kit with two Beretta Nanos stashed in the spare bedroom closet. Most have not spent decades on the run.
Thirty-five years ago, as a young hotshot in army intelligence, Chase was sent to Libya to covertly assist a rebel army. When the plan turned sour, Chase reacted according to his own ideas of right and wrong, triggering consequences he could never have anticipated. And someone still wants him dead because of them. Just as he had begun to think himself finally safe, Chase must reawaken his survival instincts to contend with the history he has spent his adult life trying to escape.
Armed mercenaries, spectacularly crashed cars, a precarious love interest, and an unforgettable chase scene through the snow-this is lethal plotting from one of the best in crime fiction.
Description from Open Library.
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