The Cardinal of the Kremlin (Jack Ryan #4) by Tom Clancy ★★★★☆

Comrades, this was much better the second time around. I got choked up at the end, a tear nearly escaped. Complex, tense, and insightful, this story sees Ryan making bold moves. 

I sped through the Afghan parts because it was bitter and depressing. That entire situation was, in hindsight, a facepalm in American foreign manipulation. You can hear the Russians laughing: How do like your Afghan comrades now? 

*Audible note: the narrator was irredeemably bad. I read the ebook instead.