Vince Flynn | |
|---|---|
 Flynn inSan Diego, California on October 31, 2008 | |
| Born | Vincent Joseph Flynn[1] (1966-04-06)April 6, 1966 Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Died | June 19, 2013(2013-06-19) (aged 47) Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Occupation |
|
| Language | English |
| Education | University of St. Thomas (BA) |
| Period | 1997–2013 |
| Subject | Political thriller,techno-thriller,action thriller |
| Spouse | Lysa Flynn |
| Children | 3 |
| Website | |
| vinceflynn.com | |
Vincent Joseph Flynn (April 6, 1966 – June 19, 2013) was an American author ofpolitical thriller novels featuring the fictional assassinMitch Rapp. He was a story consultant for the fifth season of the television series24. He died of prostate cancer on June 19, 2013.[2]
Flynn was one of seven children born to Terry and Kathleen Flynn,[3] and a graduate ofSaint Thomas Academy (1984) and theUniversity of St. Thomas with a B.A. in economics (1989).
After graduating, Flynn went to work forKraft Foods as an account and sales marketing specialist. In 1991, he left Kraft to pursue a career as an aviator with theUnited States Marine Corps. One week before leaving forOfficer Candidate School, he was medically disqualified from the Marine Aviation Program.[4]
In an effort to overcome the difficulties ofdyslexia, Flynn forced himself into a daily writing and reading routine. His writing influences includedLeon Uris,Tom Clancy,Ernest Hemingway,John Irving,Robert Ludlum,J.R.R. Tolkien, andGore Vidal.[4]
Flynn's newfound interest in fiction motivated him to begin work on a novel of his own. While employed as a bartender in theSt. Paul area, he completed his first book,Term Limits, which he self-published.[5] Of the book, Flynn said: "I had just finished readingThe Government Racket: Washington Waste from A to Z, by Martin L. Gross. It is without a doubt the most disheartening and enlightening book about politics that I've ever read. I was out jogging one day wondering what it would take to really change Washington, when my thoughts turned to a friend who had been shot and killed in Washington, D.C., several summers earlier. As I continued running, a story started to unfold."[citation needed]
Pocket Books published the hardcover edition ofTerm Limits in 1998, and amass market paperback in 1999, which spent several weeks on TheNew York Times bestseller list. Subsequent works, including Flynn's 1999 novelTransfer of Power, his 2000 novelThe Third Option, and his 2001 novelSeparation of Power, also appeared on theNew York Times bestseller list, withSeparation of Power rising as high as No. 7.[citation needed]
Flynn's fifth novel,Executive Power, was published in hardcover by Atria Books in 2003, followed by his sixth novel,Memorial Day in 2004, his seventh,Consent To Kill, in 2005, his eighth,Act Of Treason, in 2006, his ninth,Protect And Defend, in 2007, and his tenth,Extreme Measures, in 2008. Except forTerm Limits, his books centered around counterterrorism agent Mitch Rapp.
Flynn wrote sixNew York Times bestsellers for Atria Books, and had a contract for four more. He remembered deciding between following the path that was the most uncomfortable—continuing with what looked to be a promising career as a commercial real estate leasing agent—or taking a big risk and starting a new career as a writer: "I look back on it now and I couldn't be happier with my decision, but at the time I remember a lot of people thought I was nuts."[6]
In February 2008, Flynn agreed on film and book projects withCBS Corporation units CBS Films andSimon & Schuster/Atria Books.Lorenzo di Bonaventura was negotiating to produce Mitch Rapp films. The first film,American Assassin, was released in 2017. Atria Books got worldwide rights to four of Flynn's books.[7] In August 2010, Flynn signed a two-book deal for a new series that he would have co-written withBrian Haig, a retired Army lieutenant colonel.[8] He was a frequent guest onThe Glenn Beck Radio Program on theFox News Channel, and onDan Barreiro's radio program on Twin Cities stationKFAN.
Flynn lived with his wife, Lysa, and their three children in theTwin Cities (Minneapolis-St. Paul) area.[3] He was Catholic.[9]
On February 1, 2011, in his fan newsletter, Flynn announced that he was being treated for advancedStage III prostate cancer.[10] He died of a rare form of aggressive prostate cancer in Saint Paul, aged 47, on June 19, 2013.[3][11]
Mitch Rapp is a fictional undercoverCIAcounterterrorism agent. Rapp's primary focus is to thwart terrorist attacks on the U.S., and he is presented as an aggressive operative willing to take measures more extreme than might commonly be considered acceptable. His constant frustration with procedures and red tape is a major theme in the series.[12]
From 2015 to 2023, the Mitch Rapp series was continued byKyle Mills. Starting in 2024 withCapture or Kill, the Mitch Rapp series has been continued by Don Bentley.
Related book
