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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
A lot
Graphic violence — assassination training; Rapp's operations against terrorists; the Lockerbie backstory
Language
Some
Moderate profanity
Sexual Content
Barely any
Mild — some adult situations
Substance Use
None
No meaningful substance use
Emotional Intensity
Some
Rapp's transformation — grief weaponized; the CIA's decision to use him; the first operations of a man who will become the series' defining antihero
What this book is about
Mitch Rapp's fiancée was killed in the Pan Am 103 bombing. He spent the following years transforming himself from a grieving college student into a lethal operative — honing himself specifically for revenge. The CIA recruits him before he can act alone. American Assassin is the origin story of Mitch Rapp — a prequel Flynn wrote after twelve novels showing Rapp fully formed.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
The Lockerbie bombing as backstory — real event, fictional response
A man who trains himself to kill — the ethics are complicated
Graphic violence — assassination training and operations
Mitch Rapp origin story; first in chronological order
Reader Verification
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