Vince Flynn; Atria, 2012; 400 pages; hardcover list $ 27.99 and paper $9.99; also available as an e-book for Kindle $9.99 and for NOOK $9.99
I love Mitch Rapp. Not that I would actually love him in real life; he lives far too dangerously for a common school teacher. But as a recurring fictional character, he is one of my favorites, in the same class as TV hero/bad boy Jack Bauer of 24: tough, very principled, and secretly–very secretly– sensitive.
This is a prequel and fills in some–not all because that wouldn’t be any fun, would it?–of the blanks in Mitch Rapp’s early days with the CIA. The plot thickens almost instantly and in true Flynn fashion, he keeps readers–even those who have read the other books and hence know going in who makes it and who doesn’t–engaged.
Young Mitch is in Paris and when his mission takes an unexpected nasty turn, discovers corruption threatens the CIA nearly as much as terrorist plots threaten the free world. He ends up out in the cold, with few to trust. Then Rapp does what he always does: keeps his wits about him and fights the good fight.
This will go down as one of my favorite summer reads.
The Joy of Teaching 
Loved the book, too and I,too, love him but he would love us and leave us and probably wouldn’t even let us buy him a farewell toothbrush. But he rocks! Jane