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Tom Clancy's Op-Center #8
Line of Control
It's a mission that only Striker - the military arm of Op-Center - can handle: capture an Islamic cleric who is stirring up a rebellion against the Indian government. But when the border between India and Pakistan erupts, the Striker team gets caught in the crossfire. Now America's most proficient covert team is trapped in a full-fledged war. Their fate rests in the hands of a devious double agent whose own agenda is unknown - a man who could just as easily sell them out as set them free...
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 5, 2001
224 people are currently reading
1725 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
March 29, 2019
The most dangerous border on the planet is days, if not hours, away from potentially exploding in a nuclear fireball but suddenly finding itself in the middle of the crisis is Op-Center’s own Striker team. Line of Control is the eighth book of the Op-Center series written by Jeff Rovin picks up right where the last book left off as Paul Hood deals with government spending cuts, Mike Rodgers and the Strikers are headed to India to help find Pakistani missile silos only to find itself in the middle of a secret Indian conspiracy to use Kashmiri terrorists to setup a preemptive nuclear strike.
Traitorous NSA agent Ron Friday is on hand in Srinagar, India when a terrorist attack destroys a police station, a Hindu temple, and a bus of Hindu pilgrims. Friday realizes something isn’t right especially when the regular investigating agency is left out of the loop. The cell of Kashmiri terrorists responsible for bombing of the police station know they’ve been set-up and take the young Indian woman they had been holding as a hostage with them towards Pakistan to prove they are innocent of escalating this into a religious war. Op-Center suddenly finds its Striker team heading into dangerous situation especially once the new NSA chief gets in touch while on the phone with Friday who reports what he witnessed and the apparent sidelining of the usual Indian investigative team. Satellite coverage shows the usurping Indian agency attempting to the capture the terrorists only to fail thanks to the Kashmiri terrorists finding the cellphone on their hostage, who happens to be a civilian operative. Like Friday, the Op-Center team realizes this is a plan to set up a preemptive nuclear strike by elements in the Indian government and decide to have Striker help the terrorists get their hostage to Pakistan to tell her story. However, the Indians and Friday have other ideas while the one wants their plan to go off without a hitch the other is serving his own interests. Unfortunately for Op-Center, all but three members of their Striker team are killed while parachuting into the Himalayas by Indian groundfire but Rodgers is one of the survivors and kills up with Friday, the Indian young woman, and one of the terrorists then leads them to a secret Pakistani missile silo on the titular Line of Control where they use a communications link to get the young woman’s story out to the world thus preventing a nuclear exchange. Rodgers, the young woman, and the Indians who were after them escape the Pakistani facility before it explodes, but the self-serving Friday dies. The resulting international praise for Op-Center is nothing compared to the domestic as Striker is disbanded and it will be severely downsized.
Published in 2001 before the 9/11 attacks, Line of Control focused on what at the time was considered—and probably still is—the greatest risk of a nuclear confrontation in the world. Like most of the books in the series Rovin has written a few implausible elements in the book—namely the new NSA chief not reprimanding Friday for some of the things he said to Bob Herbert or the young Indian civilian operative’s many personality changes throughout the book—however unlike the last book they were more forgivable. Yet from the outset the Paul Hood point-of-views essentially gave away the fact that the series would be taking a major shift with a change in how Op-Center would function in the future thus when the Striker team was butchered it was the writing on the wall that Op-Center would have a paramilitary wing anymore and sets up how Rovin will make the agency unique compared to the CIA, NSA, and others. Given all that, the action sequences throughout were well written and plotting was well down making a for an overall nice read.
Line of Control is a watershed moment in the Op-Center series as some of the elements that made the agency unique came to an end and Rovin decided to go into a new direction with the series. Overall the book is good action piece and overall better narrative than the previous installment as well as making this one the high quality books of the series.
Traitorous NSA agent Ron Friday is on hand in Srinagar, India when a terrorist attack destroys a police station, a Hindu temple, and a bus of Hindu pilgrims. Friday realizes something isn’t right especially when the regular investigating agency is left out of the loop. The cell of Kashmiri terrorists responsible for bombing of the police station know they’ve been set-up and take the young Indian woman they had been holding as a hostage with them towards Pakistan to prove they are innocent of escalating this into a religious war. Op-Center suddenly finds its Striker team heading into dangerous situation especially once the new NSA chief gets in touch while on the phone with Friday who reports what he witnessed and the apparent sidelining of the usual Indian investigative team. Satellite coverage shows the usurping Indian agency attempting to the capture the terrorists only to fail thanks to the Kashmiri terrorists finding the cellphone on their hostage, who happens to be a civilian operative. Like Friday, the Op-Center team realizes this is a plan to set up a preemptive nuclear strike by elements in the Indian government and decide to have Striker help the terrorists get their hostage to Pakistan to tell her story. However, the Indians and Friday have other ideas while the one wants their plan to go off without a hitch the other is serving his own interests. Unfortunately for Op-Center, all but three members of their Striker team are killed while parachuting into the Himalayas by Indian groundfire but Rodgers is one of the survivors and kills up with Friday, the Indian young woman, and one of the terrorists then leads them to a secret Pakistani missile silo on the titular Line of Control where they use a communications link to get the young woman’s story out to the world thus preventing a nuclear exchange. Rodgers, the young woman, and the Indians who were after them escape the Pakistani facility before it explodes, but the self-serving Friday dies. The resulting international praise for Op-Center is nothing compared to the domestic as Striker is disbanded and it will be severely downsized.
Published in 2001 before the 9/11 attacks, Line of Control focused on what at the time was considered—and probably still is—the greatest risk of a nuclear confrontation in the world. Like most of the books in the series Rovin has written a few implausible elements in the book—namely the new NSA chief not reprimanding Friday for some of the things he said to Bob Herbert or the young Indian civilian operative’s many personality changes throughout the book—however unlike the last book they were more forgivable. Yet from the outset the Paul Hood point-of-views essentially gave away the fact that the series would be taking a major shift with a change in how Op-Center would function in the future thus when the Striker team was butchered it was the writing on the wall that Op-Center would have a paramilitary wing anymore and sets up how Rovin will make the agency unique compared to the CIA, NSA, and others. Given all that, the action sequences throughout were well written and plotting was well down making a for an overall nice read.
Line of Control is a watershed moment in the Op-Center series as some of the elements that made the agency unique came to an end and Rovin decided to go into a new direction with the series. Overall the book is good action piece and overall better narrative than the previous installment as well as making this one the high quality books of the series.
January 23, 2016
It's a mission that only Striker -- the military arm of Op-Center -- can handle: capture an Islamic cleric who is stirring up a rebellion against the Indian government. But when the border between India and Pakistan erupts, the Striker team gets caught in the crossfire. Now America's most proficient covert team is trapped in a full-fledged war. Their fate rests in the hands of a devious double agent whose own agenda is unknown -- a man who could just as easily sell them out as set them free.... A powerful profile of America's defense, intelligence, and crisis management technology, Tom Clancy's Op-Center is the creation of Tom Clancy and Steve Pieczenik -- inspiring this and other gripping audiobooks." Amazon.com I learned a lot about Kashmir and the tension between Pakistan and India over who controls it. We tend to get so focused on the Middle East we forget there are "hot spots" everywhere. Once again the tension between the Washington politicians calling the shots and the men and women in the field is a major theme of the book.
January 5, 2016
Overall this is a fantastic book and starts relatively fast compared to some books I've read and I absolutely love the plot. It contains more information about India than I have seen in a book and has enough action to last the reader a long time. I would gladly recommend this book. There are to many government conspiracy theories to count. It is a little hard to understand in the middle but overall I love this book and couldn't put it down.
October 21, 2022
Plot or Premise
There's a crisis on the Pakistan-India border and Op-Center sends in Striker, their military arm.
What I Liked
The tensions between the two countries come off well, and most of the action scenes are done well.
What I Didn't Like
The emotional angst between members of Op-Center read almost like a soap opera, and any subterfuge is telegraphed so early it's hard to believe they are intelligence agents. On top of that, the battlefield has bunkers seemingly pop up out of nowhere, with zero indication of how they could have been built without anyone noticing.
The Bottom Line
Okay story, would prefer it without the soap opera scenes
There's a crisis on the Pakistan-India border and Op-Center sends in Striker, their military arm.
What I Liked
The tensions between the two countries come off well, and most of the action scenes are done well.
What I Didn't Like
The emotional angst between members of Op-Center read almost like a soap opera, and any subterfuge is telegraphed so early it's hard to believe they are intelligence agents. On top of that, the battlefield has bunkers seemingly pop up out of nowhere, with zero indication of how they could have been built without anyone noticing.
The Bottom Line
Okay story, would prefer it without the soap opera scenes
April 11, 2023
__________________________________________
1 star = Did not finish / did not like
2 stars = Had trouble keeping attention to finish
3 stars = Good enjoyable book. A great way to spend my time.
4 stars = Couldn't set the book down. Engaging. Great Book.
Will likely reread when more of the series is released.
5 stars = (4 stars) plus such a good book I will re-read it periodically.
___________________________________________
February 22, 2020
CC1
Snow excellent book. Sad part was the loss of the Striker team. But they did make the ultimate sacrifice for peace. But the whole plot was great. Of course the politicians can't keep their fingers out of a very useful process. Unfortunately with all things budgets interfere with progress. But was absolutely 5 stars plus. Can't wait for next one. Thanks, Carl Clause
Snow excellent book. Sad part was the loss of the Striker team. But they did make the ultimate sacrifice for peace. But the whole plot was great. Of course the politicians can't keep their fingers out of a very useful process. Unfortunately with all things budgets interfere with progress. But was absolutely 5 stars plus. Can't wait for next one. Thanks, Carl Clause
March 27, 2021
The author has no idea of the terrain or the facts on ground. A school kid could have done better research. If the story was set in US - it would have been stating that Niagara falls are located in Texas.
The story too is disjointed, jumpy without technical or tactical sense.
It's a shame Tom Clancy has lent his name to it.
The story too is disjointed, jumpy without technical or tactical sense.
It's a shame Tom Clancy has lent his name to it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2023
I kept waiting/hoping that book would get great. There were some short, brilliant, suspenseful sections and I really kept thinking this novel was going to go somewhere but alas, quite uneventful, predictable, plotless and boring. Honestly, my last op center series I’m going to try and read. This is NOT a Tom Clancy novel.
June 5, 2025
Well….it was a novel. It had some characters from previous Op-Center installments….and, well, yeah. Not much action, no plot, no characters I cared about, no direction or focus. Not sure I care to read book 9; but as a series completionist, I probably will continue to suffer through these “thrillers”. I am a glutton for punishment.
June 20, 2023
I usually love Op-Center stores but I had trouble concentrating on this one. Lots of action, and detailed explanations mixed with military acronyms and politics.
Guess I wasn't in the right mood for it at this time.
Guess I wasn't in the right mood for it at this time.
July 4, 2018
ok, good action, good finale. I liked it better than the one after this in the series....
July 9, 2018
Not the best of the Op Center books but still very eventful and entertaining- things are definitely going to be changing in Op Center moving forward
May 3, 2020
372 pages
May 15, 2020
Op-Center OK
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
October 17, 2021
Standard to good Op-Center fair set in the Himalayas. Though - not as complex or as many-threaded as I am used to from "Tom Clancy incorporated".
February 18, 2022
First book I ever read still favorite
March 13, 2023
Laughable. Hard pass.
November 17, 2023
This is a very inconsistent series.
May 10, 2024
Not the ghost writer s best work
This dragged on and on if it was the first I read in the series I would not be reading any more of it.
This dragged on and on if it was the first I read in the series I would not be reading any more of it.
April 19, 2025
Great entry to the series. Exciting and satisfying!
December 26, 2019
Read this one on the Nook. Really good story. Op Center does it again!
April 17, 2018
This book closed a number of plot points from the other books in the series. Changes are coming to Op-Center and I am looking forward to the next book.
March 15, 2018
Entre l'Inde et le Pakistan, 700 kilomètres d'une frontière sous très haute tension : la " ligne de contrôle ". Ici, une étincelle peut déclencher une guerre. Au moment où les Attaquants, l'unité spéciale de l'Op-Center, lancent sur place une mission secrète de reconnaissance, un attentat est commis contre des cibles indiennes. Armée, services secrets, agents troubles et terroristes... qui manipule qui ? Un conflit nucléaire se profile. Le seul moyen de l'éviter : retrouver un groupuscule pakistanais, bouc émissaire trop commode. Pour les Attaquants, débute alors une course poursuite infernale dans les montagnes du Cachemire, sur un terrain hostile où l'on ne peut se fier ni aux hommes ni à la nature.
August 10, 2022
India and Pakistan are on the brink of nuclear war after a terrorist attack on an Indian town square. Striker, the military arm of Op-Center, needs to prove that an Islamic terrorist is stirring up a rebellion against the Indian government and not Pakistan. When the border between India and Pakistan erupts, the Striker team gets caught in the crossfire and has to escape with proof against the Islamic cleric across the Himalayas. Their fate rests in the hands of double agent Ron Friday whose own agenda is unknown. At the end Rodgers gets word to the Indian Army chasing him and leaves a Pakistani Nuclear Silo with the Indians as Pakistan destructs the site killing Friday.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
March 30, 2013No stars. I gave up on this around fifty pages in. Most of the characters were uninteresting. Two of the main characters would have had to be around fourteen when they joined the military, if they served multiple tours in Vietnam and were in their late forties as claimed when this was published. The author also referred to members of the 101st Airborne as airmen placing them in the Air Force, something that would be fighting words for most airborne I served with. Lastly the supposed "elite strike team" is composed almost entirely of privates, the military rarely allows E-1 - E3 anywhere near an elite team. If you're that good you will have been promoted several times.
October 9, 2012
Although some ten years later as I write this review, I do not remember the specifics of this political/military thriller, I am sure it was captivating as are all of the books that I have read my Clancy and those other author's with whom he has worked. I have read many of his works and can't say that I recall any that were not totally enthralling.
September 23, 2013
solid history on this one, maybe a little exagerated on the nuclear war. Also the annihilation of the Striker team was too extreme...in other books this team was something almost made of uber-humans and now they are shot out of the sky like ducks?. it was made to shift the Op Center books to more politican than action thriller for the following books. i think
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 19, 2014
One of my least favourite books of the Op-Center franchise. Not only was the overall plot tedious, but I was choked at the minimal plot associated with Paul Hood and Ann Farris, and the opening action sequence of the Striker team. I'll finish the franchise, but the author group needs to redeem themselves in the next few novels.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews