Vincent Joseph Flynn was an American author known for his political thriller novels featuring the fictional assassin Mitch Rapp. Born on April 6, 1966, in St. Paul, Minnesota, Flynn was the fifth of seven children. He graduated from St. Thomas Academy in 1984 and earned a degree in economics from the University of St. Thomas in 1988.

After college, Flynn worked for Kraft General Foods as an account and sales marketing specialist. In 1990, he left Kraft to pursue a career with the United States Marine Corps as an aviation candidate. However, due to medical disqualifications stemming from childhood concussions and convulsive seizures, he was unable to continue with the program. This setback led him to consider writing a book.

Flynn was also a story consultant for the fifth season of the television series 24. He passed away on June 19, 2013, after a three-year battle with prostate cancer.