The Third Option
| Hardcover edition | |
| Author | Vince Flynn | 
|---|---|
| Language | English | 
| Genre | Political thriller | 
| Publisher | Pocket Books | 
| Publication date | October 31, 2000 | 
| Publication place | United States | 
| Media type | Print (Hardcover & Paperback) | 
| Pages | 358 pp (hardcover) 432 pp (paperback) | 
| Preceded by | Transfer of Power | 
| Followed by | Separation of Power | 
The Third Option is a thriller novel by Vince Flynn, and the second to feature Mitch Rapp, an American agent who works for the CIA as an operative for a covert counterterrorism unit called the "Orion Team". The first book in the Mitch Rapp series, American Assassin, was written later, but is a prologue to Kill Shot, the second in this series. The title refers to the option in international relations when diplomacy fails and military intervention is inappropriate: black ops.