Cry Havoc

By Jack Carr

Cry Havoc - Jack Carr
  • Release Date: 2025-10-07
  • Genre: Mysteries & Thrillers
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 781 Ratings

Description

“Easily Jack Carr’s most ambitious and best realized book yet, a scintillatingly seminal tale with echoes off le Carré, Forsyth, and Ludlum.” —BookTrib

From the “hottest author on the thriller scene today” (The Real Book Spy), #1 New York Times bestselling author Jack Carr brings the worlds of special operations and CIA paramilitary units into direct collision in the jungles of Vietnam with his explosive new thriller introducing young Navy SEAL Tom Reece, a man torn between the blurred lines and allegiances of the military and the increasingly murky world of intelligence. This is how it all began...


1968. A time of division. A time of civil unrest. A time of war.

Just before the Tet Offensive, before President Johnson announces he will not run for reelection, before the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy, as riots and protests rage across the nation, a spy ship is captured by communist forces off the coast of North Korea.

The crew thought they had destroyed everything of intelligence value. They were wrong.

As a KGB “illegal” elicits information from a high-ranking NSA official, and teams of special operators infiltrating into Laos, Cambodia, and North Vietnam disappear without a trace, an ambitious Soviet advisor launches an ingenious plan that could forever alter the world balance of power.

Tom Reece, a SEAL operator attached to the highly classified and shadowy MACV-SOG is about to be thrust into a bloody battle to discover the truth.

From the Kremlin to the White House, from the streets of Saigon to the rugged A Shau Valley, along the paths of Ho Chi Minh Trail and into the secret war in Laos, Navy SEAL Tom Reece has an official mission assigned by Military Assistance Command, Vietnam-Studies and Observations Group, but it’s his unofficial mission that might get him killed.

From “master novelist” (Ballistic) Jack Carr comes a fast-paced and brutally realistic thriller, one that will make you question all you thought you knew about Vietnam, pressing “emotional buttons that other writers wouldn’t dare explore” (The Real Book Spy).

Reviews

  • This is the best

    5
    By SBonner
    Excellent fiction with historical reference..Read this!
  • Look Back

    5
    By Spy Life
    We don’t set aside enough time to look back at history to prepare for the future. This book does just that in a creative way. Thomas Reece the new hero has been born. With the way Jack set up Thomas and other main characters I hope he continues this series as it seems to me that’s exactly what he did.
  • Cry Havoc

    4
    By steeveskas
    Having grown up in up during the Viet Nam War, this book helped understand the intricate spiderweb of politics. The betrayals, using our soldiers as pawns, the death and sacrifice and so much more.
  • Good story. Interesting info about Viet Nam. Flawed

    4
    By WGCJr
    Way too much detail about gun types and ammo. Too many descriptions of pistols being put in the back of pants with loose shirts covering them. Gratuitous gore even in the context of war.
  • Not his best

    2
    By Gre. Md
    Boring and difficult to follow. Not one of author’s best. Stopped reading 3/4 way through.
  • Perfect

    5
    By Griffinstrings.com
    It’s a must read. One of Carr’s best. What a period piece. Please write more from the Tom Reece file! congratulations!
  • Lots of superfluous background information that doesn’t move the plot along

    3
    By CareerMoves
    Action, what there was of it, was tightly wound.
  • Loved it

    5
    By jmit22
    Great read and love the prequel storyline. Page turner.
  • Cry Havoc

    5
    By Endotrek
    Fantastic read
  • Great Read

    5
    By LDW's Dad
    Packed with Vietnam history wrapped around a really compelling fictional story. Non-stop action and a story you can’t put down. Can’t wait until the next Tom Reece story!
  • Thoughtful and well written

    5
    By Redleg227
    Well-written and a great page turner. Well researched and grounded.
  • Good Read

    5
    By Hygelac
    Nice escape from our present day nonsense. A look into the nonsense of the ‘60s. Carr is a great writer, and includes lots of interesting trivia from the Vietnam War and its history.
  • Cry Havoc

    5
    By TJ 0303
    An exceptional book! I had to read it slowly because the events of the story are from a difficult time in our nations history and for me they form the basis for my decision to enter the Marine Corps. Many of my mentors were Vietnam veterans and several of my platoon and company NCOs were decorated veterans.
  • Very disappointing

    1
    By grutfd
    This book was nowhere near the typical car novel. It was mainly boring with a lot of filler and in my opinion, a lousy ending. Not a good book.
  • Excellent start to a new series

    5
    By SARivers
    Carr picks up on some open threads from the Terminal List series and begins a new storyline. Can’t wait to see how it plays out. A great read.
  • Read It!

    5
    By aobrien27
    Jack Carr continues to captivate his audience by immersing them in the time and place he describes. This time, we find ourselves in 1968, amidst the Vietnam War, where we are reintroduced to Thomas Reese, the father of James Reese from The Terminal List novels, in greater depth. As a Navy Seal attached to MACV-SOG, Thomas Reese embarks on a journey that exposes the former Soviet Union's involvement in the Vietnam War. Through Thomas's story, we see that revenge is indeed "In The Blood," as James Reese proves to be remarkably similar to his father. This is a compelling read, blending fiction with historical facts. I highly recommend it.
  • Enjoyed

    5
    By Ndonalson107
    Enjoyed this new adventure.
  • What a book!

    5
    By worldclasstkd
    Love it! Love the stories and the back stories regarding the Reece Family. Looking forward to the next one.
  • New Era, Old Charm

    5
    By Userthe6
    The ability to tie so many different nonfiction stories alongside one grand fictional narrative is outstanding, truly great. When a book has me conducting my own little intrigued research breaks I know the author has got me hooked. Thanks Jack!