Savage Son

Savage Son is a thriller novel written by Jack Carr. It was Carr's third book preceded by True Believer, and was followed by The Devil's Hand.^[1]

The book was released on April 14, 2020, by Atria/Emily Bestler Books.

On Medny Island, a woman flees across snow while Aleksandr Zharkov and Sergei pursue her. The American woman tries to escape but dies after falling from a cliff. Aleksandr resolves to find more difficult prey. In Montana, former Navy SEAL James Reece heals from brain surgery at a ranch owned by the family of Raife Hastings. Jonathan and Hanna welcome Reece while he mends.

In Saint Petersburg, traitor Oliver Grey offers help to Ivan Zharkov, head of a Russian crime group. Grey, looking for safety, tells Ivan about U.S. assets and offers to help kill Reece. Ivan tasks Grey with the assassination. Grey uses knowledge of CIA money moves to find Reece in Montana. He sends two teams to the United States. One team, led by Dimitry Mashkov, goes to kill Reece. A second team goes to kill Raife to stop a counter-attack. Aleksandr, looking to hurt his father, tells a CIA contact about the attack. Vic Rodriguez calls Reece right before the ambush starts.

Reece escapes and runs to the ranch. The second team pins Raife down while he hunts. Reece and Jonathan fight back and kill the squad. The survivors gather at the house, where Annika and Katie Buranek defend against the remaining men. The attack leaves most Russians dead, but Reece takes Dimitry alive. Reece asks Dimitry questions and learns Grey works for Ivan, and Aleksandr runs a hunting ground on Medny Island. Dimitry says Aleksandr told the CIA about the mission to lure Reece and Raife to his island.

The family finds that Hanna was taken in Romania to be bait. Raife goes to Romania but finds only a message to book a hunt on Medny Island. The U.S. won't allow a rescue due to the risk of a fight with Russia. Reece and Raife build a team of former operators and use Hastings planes to start a rescue. The team jumps into Russian space and lands on the island. They find Aleksandr used a pulse weapon that breaks their gear.

Reece and his team walk toward the lodge. They meet a security force. Using flares to ruin the enemy's night vision, Reece's team kills the guards but loses men. They enter the lodge and find a prison. They learn Hanna is dead. Raife, taken earlier, was let go to be hunted. Reece leaves the team at the pickup point and tracks Aleksandr and Raife into the mountains. In the wild, Reece meets Sergei. After a fight, Reece kills him. Raife attacks Aleksandr on a cliff, and they fall to the beach. Raife breaks bones. Aleksandr lives and tries to kill Raife. Before he can, Reece arrives and kills Aleksandr. A U.S. submarine arrives to pick them up. Raife and his sister's body are loaded up. Reece stays behind. He tells Jonathan his work is not done because Grey is still in Russia. Reece goes into the woods.

For six months later, Reece travels across Russia and hides. He tracks Ivan and Grey to a house. Reece uses bombs and a rifle to destroy their guards. He meets the two men in the fire. Reece kills Grey with a mine. He lets Ivan live for a way out of Russia and help finding a sniper. Reece returns to the U.S. and meets Katie. He finds a car and a letter from his father. At the finish, Reece vows to keep fighting.

• Official website