It’s hard to overestimate the influence of Tom Clancy’s work on American culture—particularly on our perceptions of military intelligence, geopolitical strategy, and the heroism of national service. Now, author M.P. Woodward gives readers “Tom Clancy Terminal Velocity (A Jack Ryan Jr. Novel).”
When Clancy released “The Hunt for Red October” in 1984, it rocked the literary world and became an unexpected bestseller. President Ronald Reagan himself played a part in that success; he reportedly called it “the perfect yarn.”
Full of Clancy’s signature style, it meticulously wove military and technical descriptions into a gripping narrative and launched the career of his iconic protagonist, Jack Ryan.
Why did it work so well? Clancy’s famous attention to detail helped blur the line between realism and imagination. Regardless of the title, when you picked up a Clancy novel, you knew you would get a compelling blend of action, arms tech, and geopolitical insight.
Carrying on the Tradition
As with many iconic writers, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle or Robert B. Parker, for example, there is a strong motivation to create new works and keep the protagonists fighting the good fight. For the last three Jack Ryan Jr. novels, the publishers have turned to M.P. Woodward to get the job done.
On paper, at the very least, choosing Woodward makes sense. Spy stuff? Check: He’s collaborated with U.S. Special Forces, the CIA, and the NSA. Military stuff? Check: Multiple deployments to the Persian Gulf and Far East. And it doesn’t hurt that he led international distribution marketing for Amazon Prime Video, which just happens to feature the Jack Ryan TV series.
So, how does Woodward do?
Ryan in the Crosshairs
In “Terminal Velocity,” an old enemy of the Ryan family has been given new life. An Egyptian man known as Emir leads a murderous terrorist group called URC. He tried to kill millions of Americans in Clancy’s novels “The Teeth of the Tiger” and “Dead or Alive.”
America ultimately prevailed, and the Emir was shipped to Guantanamo Bay. However, 20 years before his incarceration, he sired an illegitimate son named Rafa, who’s likely the heir to URC.
The novel begins in a remote part of Washington State, where a barn fire investigation reveals a dead family, executed, and the building torched to cover the killers’ tracks. Alarms go off at federal agencies when the father is ID’d as a retired counterinsurgency agent. He’s the third member of his team to be killed, and each was murdered using the same MO.
The U.S. Attorney General and the DNI meet with President Jack Ryan. They confirm that the members of Poseidon Spear, a group that was tasked with combating Emir’s terrorist activities, are being targeted for revenge. There’s only one explanation for the terrorists having a list of Poseidon members. There’s a mole somewhere: either a traitor or a cybersecurity breach.
Rafa’s the main suspect for the mastermind, and he’s supposedly in the Kashmir region of Pakistan, which means President Ryan can’t order any direct action. Instead, he instructs his officials to protect the remaining Poseidon Spear members and root out the mole.
The job gets assigned to former Navy SEAL John Clark, who runs a covert operational black ops site known as “The Campus.” Clark sends two of his people to Washington State to investigate the farm murder and, despite President Ryan’s non-kinetic order, two of his best soldiers into Pakistan to “kill this little bastard Rafa before this gets any worse.”
Ryan Caught in the Middle
Meanwhile, Jack Ryan, Jr., and his fiancée, Lisanne Robertson, are arriving at the Delhi airport in India to attend the wedding of a friend. While in India, they can also test a new, high-tech prosthetic arm for Lisanne (amputated in a previous novel), and Ryan Jr. might set up a new business opportunity with the bride’s father.
Trouble seems to be on the itinerary as well when someone tries to kill them. Ryan Jr. reports the attack to Clark and learns that the new URC is targeting him. Clark sees an opportunity; he orders Ryan Jr. to assist the other Campus members in Kashmir.
This order makes things awkward for Ryan Jr. since he’s supposed to be on vacation with his fiancée, who will not be happy that he’s working. Neither of them knows that Rafa’s half-brother, Fahim, is one of the wedding guests and an executive in the company Ryan is looking to make a deal with. Oh boy.
Formulaic, but Done Well
If you were going to create a script structure for Amazon’s “Jack Ryan” streaming series, “Terminal Velocity” would check all the boxes. Woodward zips readers back and forth between exotic locations, never tarrying on each crisis point, which gets resolved quickly in time for the next one.
Characters pop in and out quickly, and not many of them are well-developed, but, let’s face it, this series is about plot and action, not heartfelt confessions in dark corridors or emotional backstory.
“Terminal Velocity” is a highly efficient, expertly crafted, bang-boom-save-the-girl-salute-the-flag story. While not particularly memorable, it provides a rousing adventure for Jack Ryan Jr. and company. Ultimately, a fine addition to the Clancy library.
‘Tom Clancy Terminal Velocity (A Jack Ryan Jr. Novel)’
By M.P. Woodward
G.P. Putnam’s Sons: Sept. 2, 2025
Hardcover, 448 pages
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