Name - Mitch Rapp
Codenames – Iron Man, Mitch Kruse
Hometown – McLean, Virginia
Education - Syracuse University- Major in International Business, Minor in French (attended with a Lacrosse scholarship)
Languages - English, French, Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Pashto, Spanish, Italian
Siblings – Steven Rapp
Other – Ambidextrous, but naturally left handed, Won the Iron Man Triathlon twice
History
Mitch Rapp attended Syracuse University on a Lacrosse scholarship (he was an All American) majoring in International business and minoring in French. Originally he was offered a scholarship with the University of North Carolina, but turned this down to go with his high school sweetheart Maureen Elliot to Syracuse where she studied Broadcasting. Rapp had known Maureen since he was 15 years old. Maureen was killed in the bombing of Pan Am 103 on December 21st 1988 along with 34 other students returning from a semester overseas.
A year after Maureen’s death ,Dr Irene Kennedy (Deputy Director CIA, runs the counter terrorism centre) recruited Rapp to the CIA. At the age of 21 just a week after graduating university Rapp begun his training. Rapp was sent on specialist training for a year, being sent from place to place, training with special forces instructors a plethora of skills including firearms, marksmanship, hand to hand combat, and explosives. Endurance was key with long runs, swims and weights. The CIA also taught him languages, he was then taught Arabic, Persian, Urdu and Pashto.
After completing his training he became a member of the CIA’s secret Orion Team codename Iron Man. An off books black budget team authorised by congress to take the war to the terrorists headed by Dr Irene Kennedy. Rapp quickly became the most effective counterterrorism operative in the America’s Arsenal. During his work in the Orion team he is often supported by all parts of the American military including Navy SEALs and DEVGRU, Delta Force, Air Force Special Operations Command, the FBI Hostage Rescue Team, and the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne).
His cover at the CIA is (and who he is known too by most CIA employees) Mitch Kruse, a moderately successful entrepreneur running a computer consulting company. This cover allows him to travel fairly freely around the world under the guise of doing International Business.
The Books
Transfer of Power 2000
In Transfer of Power the Whitehouse is been taken over by Islamic terrorists. Mitch Rapp is secretly sent into the Whitehouse to recon the situation and monitor the terrorist actions. While inside the Whitehouse he rescues Anna Reilly (NBC’s Whitehouse correspondent) who at the end of the book he takes out to dinner. During this book Rapp openly clashes with the politicians but is proved right in the end.
The Third Option 2001
Thomas Stansfield the Director of the CIA is dying and powerful government insiders wish to stop Dr Irene Kennedy becoming the next Head of the CIA. To do this they attempt to kill Rapp whilst on a foreign mission in an allied country. Rapp uses all his training to escape, go off the grid and hunt down those that attacked him! Sometimes The Third Option must be used! In this book Rapp has fallen in love with Anna Reilly and is keen to put life at the CIA behind him and start a new life together.
Separation of Power 2002
Iraq has a nuclear weapon and Israel has given the USA just two weeks to take them out before they go to war with Iraq. America sends in Mitch Rapp to find the weapons and plan a way to remove the threat. In this book Rapp is more settled with Anna Reilly. Kennedy offers Rapp the job of running the CIA’s Orion team in a bid to get him out of the field but to keep his skills within the CIA. At the end of Separation of Power Rapp asks Anna to marry him, by the start of Executive Power they are married
Executive Power 2003
In Executive Power Mitch Rapp has had his cover blown and is now at the top of every terrorist groups hit lists. Despite being supposed to cut down on his field role, Rapp is sent out to the Middle East where American hostages have been taken and Navy SEALs ambushed. Rapp must rescue the hostages and discover who is leaking information to the enemy.
Memorial Day 2004
Rapp discovers intelligence that a major terrorist attack will take place in the United States during Memorial Day and is in a race against time to stop it, but is the danger over?
Consent to Kill 2005
In Memorial Day Rapp imprisoned Waheed Abdullah, faking his death to prevent the Saudi’s trying a rescue. Waheed’s father a rich Saudi businessman wants Rapp killed and puts a $20 million bounty on his head. They fail to kill Rapp but his wife and unborn baby is killed in the blast. Rapp is out for revenge and the President of the United States privately gives “Consent to Kill” anyone involved.
Act of Treason 2006
In Act of Treason Rapp is still reeling from the death of his wife Anna Reilly, but when Presidential candidate Josh Alexander is ambushed by a terrorist bomb he is called back into service to track down those involved, at first glance all signs point to terrorists, but it soon becomes clear forces within the USA have committed an Act of Treason.
Protect and Defend 2007
After a attack Iran are left seeking vengeance on Israel and the USA. Mitch Rapp is called in by the president to protect America against fanatical terrorists in Protect and Defend.
Extreme Measures 2008
In Extreme Measures the politicians are after Rapp for torturing information out of terrorists. Rapp has information of an attack on Washington, but is partially sidelined due to the investigation. Mike Nash helps Rapp but will it be in time?
Pursuit of Honour 2009
Mitch Rapp is on the trail of the traitor within the USA. A Pursuit of Honour and Honour must be satisfied.
As always if there’s anything we’ve missed or you want to add, use the contact us form to let us know, Thanks!
The other good news is that Amazon list the UK release date as the same date as in America! October 12th. Very little information has been released regarding American Assassin but from what Vince Flynn has said, It’s the birth of Rapp… how he was recruited and trained, his first kill and his first act of insubordination that lands him in the ultimate snake pit. His superiors back in D.C. know he has some unique talents, but even they could not have guessed just how brutally efficient he would be at bringing the fight to the enemy.
