Edge of Honor by Brad Thor Book Review

Title: Edge of Honor
Author: Brad Thor
Publisher: Atria / Emily Bestler Books
Genre: Political / Spy Thriller / Action-Thriller
Year of Publication: 2025
Date of Publication: July 1, 2025
Pages: 336 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1982182274

Summary of Edge of Honor by Brad Thor

Edge of Honor is part of the Scot Harvath Series and is Book #24.

Scot Harvath, the series protagonist and elite counterterrorism operative, has spent six months abroad (on honeymoon with his wife, Sølvi Kolstad). He returns to the U.S. under a newly elected administration, expecting to pick up a much quieter life but he and Sølvi’s escape from duty is cut short, as both of them find themselves in positions where they must return to their former demanding roles—he with the Carlton Group, and she with Norwegian intelligence.

At a public event in Washington, DC, Harvath witnesses what appears to be bombs going off amidst protests. This marks the start of a large conspiracy involving very powerful people, politicized factions positioning themselves, threats to national security, and Harvath is caught in the center.

In Washington, the newly elected President has promised sweeping reforms, but his rhetoric has only fueled division and left a lot of people unsatisfied. In a controversial move, the administration strips away Secret Service details from members of the outgoing government. Soon, high-profile figures find themselves pursued by professional killers, even in places once thought untouchable. Sølvi, fulfilling a debt owed by her former mentor, is drawn into protecting Norwegian diplomats, while Harvath is tasked with safeguarding Brendan Rogers, the former National Security Advisor.

Originally, Harvath thought Rogers was targeted as part of retribution for all those who were involved n the U.S. operation that eliminated Qasem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s Quds Force. A photo had been taken from the night Soleiman was taken out and released by the White House. It showed the Situation Room. Two people captured in that image have since died, though under seemingly ordinary circumstances. When Rogers comes under direct attack, Harvath is called in to protect him and figure out who is behind it.

Deciding to work with some of his closest allies, Harvath begins to trace the outlines of a conspiracy that stretches into the upper tiers of power. The threat is not only from political adversaries but also from extremist networks and highly trained operatives bent on destabilizing the United States. To stop them, Harvath must cut through layers of deception before the country plunges into chaos.

The story also follows the events surrounding the upcoming NATO summit, scheduled to be held in D.C. The main issue to be discussed was a proposed European-wide missile defense system known as Sky Shield. The meeting was going to be one of the first international meetings to be hosted by President Mitchell. But with enemies circling and conspiracies unfolding, even this global security initiative is at risk of being overshadowed by violence.

Main Plot & Characters

• Scot Harvath — He is a former Navy SEAL turned spy/operative. He used to be part of the Carlton Group, which is a private intelligence agency. He is married to Sølvi. They got married in Oslo and only just moved back to the United States.
• Sølvi Kolstad — She is Harvath’s wife. Sølvi is a former Deputy Director for Norwegian intelligence Service. Harvath jokingly calls her “the Norwegian Ninja.” She is asked to join the Norwegian Prime Minister security detail for the NATO submit.
• Brendan Rogers — He is a former officer in the Navy JAG (Judge Advocate General) Corp. He was part of the special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs (SPEHA). The press nicknamed his position the “Hostage Czar.” Rogers replaced the outgoing National Security Advisor for a year. He was a successful attorney before he worked for the government.
• Jennifer Fields — She is an FBI Special agent. She works under the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division, under the Russia Operations Sections (CROS). Part of her job is to disrupt all Russian cyber & intelligence activities that threaten the U.S.
• Joe Carolan — He is Jennifer’s boss at the FBI and is a supervisory special agent. Nicknamed “Bear’ by his colleagues for his size and temper.
• Alan Gallo — He is the head of the FBI’s CROS. Carolan and Fields work under his department.
• James Alexander Mitchell — He is the U.S. President. He studied Russian in Moscow.
• Chris Cates — He is the Vice President of the United States.
• Bill Blackwood — He is a 65 year old senator from Missouri. He endorsed President Mitchell early on because he wanted a seat at the table. He expected to be the Secretary of State. He felt President Mitchell used him during the campaign but ignored him once he was elected.
• Agent Matthew Kennedy — He is another FBI agent who has worked almost as long as Carolan.
• Nicholas — He and Rogers spent some time at a Hostage Recovery Fusion cell years ago. Nicholas connects Rogers with Harvath.
• Josef Vissarionvich (a.k.a. Joe Nistal) — He has been in FBI custody for seven months.
• Kari Hansen — She is the Norwegian Ambassador.
• Anita Stang — She was the Head of Norwegian Parliamentary Intelligence Oversight Committee. She later became Prime Minister.
• Mike Haney — He was in rehab at the start of the book. He worked with Nicholas and Harvath in the past. Harvath invites him to collaborate again.
• Bob McGee — He and Harvath work together to protect Rogers. He used to be the former Director of the CIA.
• Russ Gaines — Former colleague of Harvath from when he worked at the White House.
• Bente Bergstrøm — She is a friend of Sølvi and part of the Norwegian Police Security (PST) service.
• Christoffer (Just Chris) — He is the Norwegian Ambassador’s driver.
• Claire Bennet — She is in a relationship with Bill Blackwood.
• Lucas Weber — He is a twice-convicted felon who managed a martial arts gym. Weber is a white supremacist and was asked by agent Fields to identify a tattoo. He did time for kidnapping and armed robbery and is part of White Wolf Combat fighters.
• Chuck Coughlin (Charles Armstrong Coughlin) — He is a radio host and a podcaster.
• Alex Cobb — He was one of the attackers at Ambassador Roger’s house.
• Dennis Hale — He used to work as a former green beret and a strategist. He was being investigated before he took an early retirement package. He now works in the private sector.
• Richard ‘Ricky’ Thomas Russell — He used to be a part of a White nationalist organization know as Iron tree. He is married to a woman named Tammy and has a son with a serious medical condition.
• The Willis Family — They were once client’s of the Carlton group. Dennis Hale now works for them.
• Andy Conroy — He is the Deputy Director of Operations at the CIA.
• Paul Taylor Jordan — He is the head of the Iron Tree movement.

Writing Style

The book is fast-paced, action driven, and gives readers a lot of political intrigue. The story is told using a narration style but from multiple perspectives.

Even though this book is part of a series and we had not read any of the previous books, it was very easy to follow and we are definitely looking forward to going back and reading other books from the series. We really like the fact that the action never really lets up in the book. Brad Thor’s descriptions are so detailed that you visualize the action very clearly, almost as though you are watching a really good action movie.

Memorable Quotes

• “What troubled him was that as the character of America’s politicians declined so too did the character of it’s people. They were inexorably linked.” — Harvath’s reflections
• “Scot Harvath had killed more people than cancer.” — Narrator
• “When I was in Iraq, I drove Route Irish so many times my buddies said I should start my own version of Uber and called it Suber.” — Eric Sorola
• “I’ll know it when I see it.” — Carolan quoting Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart.
• “…he then sat for a series of interviews and gave a flurry of statements – DSS, USSS, FBI, it seemed that all of the alphabets in the soup had descended upon the residence.” — Harvath’s reflections
• “…a resounding denunciation of President Mitchell and a rousing vote of confidence for Vice President Cates. Combined with Cate’s fantastic remarks, that was going to help get people leaning even more in the right direction. Then all America would need was one good push.” — Senator Bill Blackwood
• “I’m not sure what he did, but by the following month, his home was listed on the MLS. The month after that, he was in default of his mortgage, and behind on both his car payment and his wife’s….then everything changes the next month.” — McGee
• “Until then remember–when you’re under attack, Chuck Coughlin has your back. And we are all, God help us, definitely under attack. Stay safe America.” — Chuck Coughlin’s signoff slogan for his podcast
• “Option B.”— Harvath
• “By almost every single metric, America remained the envy of the world. In a nation defined by its freedom, its prosperity and its abundance of opportunity, how do you find citizens willing to attack and kill their fellow countrymen and women?” — Harvath
• “Our ancestors would marvel at how incredibly good we have it. Yet people seem angrier and more pissed-off than ever before.” — McGee
• “The Internet is where human potential goes to die.” — Harvath

Final Thoughts on Edge of Honor by Brad Thor

Coming into Edge of Honor without having read any of the earlier Scot Harvath books, we were pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to follow. Brad Thor gives just enough background to understand Harvath’s world and the people around him. The story is fast-paced and tightly focused on the action at hand.

We really liked how well the author describes events in the book and how the story keeps you on the edge-of-your-seat. Reading this as our introduction to Harvath makes us want to go back and see how his story has unfolded over the years. At the same time, the book works perfectly well as a standalone. It delivers everything you want in a political spy thriller. You get just the right amount of action, conspiracy, and time to reflect on the world we live in today.

Rating

Characters ★★★★⯪ (4.5/5)

Plot ★★★★⯪ (4.5/5)

Writing ★★★★★ (5/5)

Book Cover ★★★★⯪ (4.5/5)

Audiobook (Narration Only) ★★★★★ (5/5)

Overall ★★★★⯪ (4.5/5)

Have you read Edge of Honor yet? If so, how did you feel about its portrayal of political polarization and the thriller elements?

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