Line of Demarcation (novel)

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Line of Demarcation is a techno-thriller by M. P. Woodward, published May 20, 2025. It’s the second Jack Ryan Jr. novel in the Ryanverse and follows Jack Ryan Jr. and the Campus as they try to stop a conspiracy between a Venezuelan drug lord and Russian mercenaries to take control of Guyana’s new oil fields. The book was a New York Times bestseller and received praise for its fast pace and action-filled plot.

Plot in brief
- In the Orinoco Basin, a U.S. Coast Guard ship is attacked by Tiburonistas, mercenaries working for the Venezuelan drug lord Juan “Tiburon” Machado, who seek to seize the region’s oil resources.
- Jack Ryan Jr. travels to Georgetown, Guyana, on a private assignment and learns that the government’s privatization plan for oil is tied to powerful allies of Tiburon. An attack on Jack’s contact prompts a failed assassination attempt on him and his associates.
- Ding Chavez, working undercover for Tiburon, uncovers links between Tiburon and the Russian Wagner Group. He is captured but later rescued by a Campus team led by John Clark.
- Jack’s investigation leads to Dr. Alberto Quintero (Guyana’s acting attorney general) and other officials, who are pulled into Tiburon’s web of corruption. Violence erupts as Tiburon tries to eliminate rivals and cover his tracks.
- The Campus launches its own operation against Tiburon’s base in Venezuela. They pursue Tiburon’s yacht, the Gran Blanco, and join forces with other operatives to kill Tiburon and his men.
- Meanwhile, Wagner Group mercenaries attack the Marlin oil platform, capturing Lisanne (Jack’s fiancée) and Dr. Quintero’s family. A tense rescue sequence unfolds as American forces respond.
- In Abu Dhabi, Guyanese President Ali Khasif is rescued after being stranded and helps foil a coup attempt. Castillo, Guyana’s prime minister, is later arrested, and Tiburon’s influence is exposed.
- Two months later, Castillo is extradited to the United States, and Clark and Chavez track down and kill Morozov, Tiburon’s Russian ally, in Tobago.

Why it was written
- The story draws on real-world oil discoveries in Guyana and the author’s research and visits to the country, giving the thriller a sense of immediacy and realism.

Reception
- Line of Demarcation debuted at number eleven on the New York Times Combined Print and E-Book Fiction list for the week of June 8, 2025.
- Publishers Weekly praised Woodward for juggling multiple subplots and delivering a climactic finale.
- Red Carpet Crash called it an action-filled read with sharp twists.
- Best Thriller Books highlighted the energetic narrative and fast-paced, engaging storytelling.