Rising Tiger (Item 1673269; 7/5) will be available in most Costco warehouses.

Mixing fact and fiction

In Rising Tiger, Brad Thor’s 21st thriller about America’s top spy, Scot Harvath, finds the operative facing down an enemy like no other, while democracy hangs in the balance.

Costco Connection What inspired this particular story?

Brad Thor The real-life events from summer 2020, when Chinese troops crept across the border in the Himalayas and launched a deadly six-hour medieval-style hand-to-hand melee with Indian soldiers.

CC What do you like most about your character Scot Harvath?

BT I like that he does the right thing, not the easy thing. He has a code, and he lives by it. This is very important, because as he is tasked with some of the nation’s most dangerous assignments, he enjoys a special status. He isn’t expected to play by the “rules.” He is expected to succeed, and by any means he deems necessary. Harvath is the kind of operative we’re all hoping is out there keeping us safe.

CC Is there anything else you’d like readers to know about Rising Tiger?

BT I call what I do “faction,” because you don’t know where the facts end and the fiction begins. This year, I wanted to put the “action” in the faction. I wanted a fast-paced, intriguing plot that readers hadn’t seen before, but I also wanted action—lots and lots of action.

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