Behind the Book
Vince loved to arc story lines over multiple books and with Oath of Loyalty, I very much follow suit. In fact, calling the book a continuation is a bit of an understatement. It actually starts with one of the final scenes from Enemy at the Gates but rewritten from Mitch’s point of view.
Originally, Enemy at the Gates was intended to begin a three-book arc about the fall of America’s democracy. Mitch has faced unscrupulous politicians before, but this time it would be different. Instead of one or two, it would be dozens—all working in concert to undermine our freedoms and transform our system into something resembling that of Russia or Iran.
Unfortunately for me (and the world), claims of fraud in the 2020 presidential election and the subsequent Capitol riot made the book feel a little too on the nose. In the end, I decided to set aside the grander themes and focus on Mitch’s toxic relationship with the newly elected president.
The problem was squeezing the story I wanted to tell between the covers of a single novel. To accomplish that, I would have to either strip important elements from the plot or write a thousand-page tome that might risk feeling more like Tom Clancy than Vince Flynn.
A more sensible path seemed to be arcing the narrative over two installments. That presented its own set of challenges, though. I’d have to figure out how to wrap up enough loose ends to make Enemy at the Gates satisfying as a stand-alone while maintaining a solid platform from which to launch Oath of Loyalty.
Most fans seem to agree with the balance I struck, but I’ve also heard from readers concerned that I was never going to fully resolve the matter of Anthony and Catherine Cook. I assured them that wasn’t the case and, finally, here’s the proof.