Military Thriller

Cry Havoc (released October 7, 2025) is not just another James Reece sequel; it is the highly anticipated prequel that serves as the origin story for the entire “Terminal List” universe.

The Plot: The Father’s Legacy

Instead of following James Reece in the present, Cry Havoc takes us back to 1968 to follow his father, Tom Reece, during a pivotal deployment in the Vietnam War.

The story kicks off with the real-world historical capture of the USS Pueblo (a spy ship) by North Korean forces. The crew thought they had destroyed their classified documents, but they were wrong. The resulting intelligence leak triggers a shadow war that spans the globe—from the Kremlin to the White House.

Tom Reece, then a young Navy SEAL attached to the ultra-secretive MACV-SOG (Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group), is sent “across the fence” into Laos and North Vietnam. His mission: to stop a Soviet-orchestrated plan that threatens to shift the entire global balance of power.

Key Appeal Notes

• The Origin of “The List”: Readers finally see where James Reece inherited his relentless nature and his specific “hard-target” mindset.


• Historical Accuracy: Carr spent months interviewing MACV-SOG veterans to ensure the jungle warfare, 1960s tradecraft, and “sterile” (unmarked) weaponry used by the units were perfectly depicted.


• Cold War Espionage: Unlike the pure revenge focus of The Terminal List, this is a complex spy thriller with layers of KGB and CIA internal politics.


• The “McCloskey” Effect: Since its release, it has been compared to Damascus Station for its brutal realism and the way it blends historical fact with high-stakes fiction.

Why the Date Matters

The book was originally slated for June 2025, but Jack Carr “pushed it to the right” to October to finalize the intense research required for the historical setting. Since its release, it has become a #1 New York Times Bestseller and is currently the primary focus of Carr’s 2026 tour.

The Terminal List by Jack Carr (2018) is a high-octane political thriller that launched a massive franchise, including a hit TV series starring Chris Pratt. Written by a former Navy SEAL, the book is famous for its extreme technical accuracy and its unflinching, sometimes brutal, depiction of revenge.

The Plot: A Mission of Vengeance

The story follows Lt. Cmdr. James Reece. During a high-stakes mission in Afghanistan, Reece’s entire Navy SEAL troop is ambushed and killed. When Reece returns home to discover that the tragedy wasn’t a battlefield mistake—but a deep-state conspiracy reaching the highest levels of the U.S. government—his life is shattered further by a personal tragedy.

With nothing left to lose and a terminal brain tumor giving him a deadline, Reece applies the “laws of war” to domestic soil. He creates a literal “Terminal List” of everyone involved in the conspiracy and begins hunting them down one by one using his specialized SEAL training.

Key Appeal Notes

• Authentic Tradecraft: Because Carr was a SEAL, the descriptions of weaponry, tactical maneuvers, and gear are incredibly detailed. It’s often called “gear porn” for fans of military hardware.


• A “Darker” Hero: Unlike some thrillers where the hero tries to stay within the law, James Reece is a man who has completely checked out of the system. He is a “calculated monster” hunting other monsters.


• Fast-Paced Action: The book reads like a movie, with relentless pacing and high-stakes set pieces.


• Political Intrigue: While it is an action novel, it explores themes of government corruption, the military-industrial complex, and the betrayal of veterans.

Comparison: The Novel vs. The 2022 TV Series

The Amazon Prime series brought the story to a global audience, but there are significant differences in tone and plot.