The Terminal List

Content Warning: The source material features graphic violence and torture and references to sexual assault, suicide, drug overdose, and racism.

Carr begins the Preface by stating, “This is a novel of revenge” (i). He encourages readers to stay vigilant and informed about their constitutional rights as Americans and to be wary of government officials who attempt to restrict or alter those constitutional rights. He says that the Department of Defense (DOD) asked him to redact some material in the novel, but he did not comply.

Marcus Boykin is a wealthy accountant who lives half the year in one of his Wyoming vacation homes. He enjoys a rigid routine and drives into town three times a week to eat at gourmet restaurants and connect with other rich residents of the area.

James Reece hikes into the mountains dressed as a deer hunter. He has scouted out a perch in the mountains that overlooks the highway and studied this area aerially and on foot. Reece carries a rifle that his father gave him after Reece’s first deployment following 9/11. As he prepares to sleep, he remembers his dead wife and young daughter.

The next morning, Boykin follows his typical routine, driving into town.