Vincent Joseph Flynn (April 6, 1966 – June 19, 2013) was an American author known for his political thriller novels, particularly the series featuring the fictional assassin Mitch Rapp. He also served as a story consultant for the fifth season of the television series 24.

Born as the fifth of seven children in St. Paul, Minnesota, Flynn graduated from the St. Thomas Academy in 1984 and earned a degree in economics from the University of St. Thomas in 1988. After college, he worked for Kraft General Foods as an account and sales marketing specialist before leaving in 1990 to pursue a career in the United States Marine Corps. Unfortunately, he was medically disqualified from the Marine Aviation Program due to a history of concussions and convulsive seizures.

Despite this setback, Flynn began thinking about writing a book, marking the start of his remarkable literary career. Flynn passed away on June 19, 2013, after a three-year battle with prostate cancer.