Takedown, the latest thriller by super-author Brad Thor, was shipped early by Amazon.com. I'm not sure whether that was by design or by mistake, but either way I was excited to receive it earlier this week. My plan was to read it during my holiday weekend trip to the beach. My plan failed.

It's no secret to regular readers of Dr. Blogstein (hi, Nana Blogstein!) that Brad Thor ranks top shelf in my bookcase, so it shouldn't come as a shock that I couldn't resist starting the book. So I popped it open and before I knew it I was halfway into it. At that point, there was no stopping me. Takedown is awesome. I read it in two sittings. You've got to get it.

Takedown is about a systematic and highly coordinated attack on New York City by Al-Qaeda for the purpose of rescuing one of their own. But what I didn't realize is that the attack on NYC occurs in the beginning of the book! What follows is a harrowing mission through a devastated Manhattan to bring the terrorists involved to justice by counterterrorism hero Scot Harvath and a group of random soldiers he was able to recruit along the way.

But, the best part of Takedown is a little man known as "The Troll." Be honest now, who doesn't love a midget villain?

The Troll is a tiny, evil Scottish dude who keeps huge, rideable dogs as pets and peddles intelligence to the highest bidder. In this case, the highest bidder is Al-Qaeda. Not since White Castle introduced the Slyder has something so small caused so much damage. With all the action and scary thrills in Takedown, The Troll steals the show.

But, hey, don't take my word for it, I'm just a doctor. Let others tell you too:
Bookgasm says, "Takedown served as my first experience with Thor's work, and the kick-to-the-testes ending all but guarantees it won't be my last," while The Tennessean of Nashville says, "If you're the type who enjoys the TV show 24 and other high-octane thrillers, Takedown is the summer book for you."