Hey guys, I’m still putting the finishing touches on the website but I had to post this as quickly as possible. About an hour ago the May edition of the official VinceFlynn.com newsletter arrived in the inbox’s of all it’s email subscribers. The big announcement this month is the unveiling of the cover for The Survivor. I’m posting the picture here, but please make sure you go see it on Vince’s website as well. And if you’re not a subscriber to the monthly email already, get on over there and sign up!

Obviously I’m excited beyond anything I can put into words. I think what makes this franchise so special is that while Vince Flynn was the king of his genre, his character, Rapp, is poised to thrive going forward because of the people Vince worked with. More on that in a minute, though.

I think a lot of fans, myself included, figured that Flynn’s death would be the end of Rapp as well, making his passing a double edged blow. Then it was announced that author Kyle Mills was taking over and it’s only natural to be skeptic about someone else continuing a character you love. I don’t, however, think there is anything to worry about with this franchise, and here’s why…

First of all, Kyle Mills does have some experience doing this. And by this I mean continuing on characters he didn’t create. He wrote a fantastic novel in the Robert Ludlum universe called The Ares Decision, which is part of the Covert-One series. Additionally, he’s worked hard to really nail down Vince’s writing style. He’s a Rapp fan himself, and a terrific writer.

Secondly, and this point is critical, as I’ve already noted Vince had a great team around him. For instance he’d been with his editor (Emily Bestler) for fifteen years. Bestler is now the Editor-in-Chief of Emily Bestler Books, an imprint of Atria, and will continue publishing Rapp novels into the future. Fans can rest assured that Bestler knows Rapp inside and out, and therefore has the ability to ensure everything stays true to the Mitch Rapp we’ve all come to know and love.

That certainly helps, especially when history hasn’t always been favorable to characters continued on after the death of their creators. Fans of James Bond can argue amongst themselves over whether or not Bond novels were still as great after Ian Fleming died, but I know my dad, a big Bond fan himself, certainly doesn’t think so. The same can be said for Jack Ryan/Jack Ryan Jr. after the death of Tom Clancy, and so on. There are many other examples, but I personally remain confident that Rapp will be an exception and highly successful moving forward.

For this reason my favorite part of the cover is simply the words “A Mitch Rapp novel” because I think that’s the key here. Regardless of who wrote it (and for the the record Vince Flynn started it, Kyle Mills finished it) this book is centered around Mitch Rapp, he’s the star. Vince Flynn will forever be missed, and I urge fans to remember his family during this time. It must be bittersweet for his wife, Lysa, to see the character her husband created continue on without him. However Rapp will always be a part of Vince, and that’s a wonderful part of his legacy. He created a character so beloved that he’s continuing on full-steam ahead even after his passing – which in a way means Vince will always be with us, too.

Enough of the heavy stuff though, the best way to honor Vince is to crack open a Rapp novel and pour his words straight into your imagination. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. The Survivor hits shelves 10.6.2015 PRE-ORDER NOW