PERFECT SHOT - Steve Urszenyi

Special Agent Alexandra "Alex" Martel has had a remarkable career in the U.S. Army - as a medic and as a well-decorated sniper.  Now she works for the FBI and is currently on assignment, loaned to Interpol when she learns of the death of a friend, an MI5 agent, who died under mysterious circumstances. Alex feels a duty to investigate her friend's death and partners with a CIA agent (who is actively trying to recruit her) to dig deeper into the circumstances around the woman's death.

Their investigation takes them around the globe and puts them in danger at every turn. Alex's reputation has made her a target for everyone who might be considered a terrorist. Alex will need to defy direct orders for her own superiors when she strongly believes she knows where a stolen nuclear warhead has been placed.  No one seems to take her 'hunch' seriously but if it should detonate, it would kill millions and wreak havoc internationally for decades. She'll risk her career, and her life, to find and disable the bomb.

I haven't read a lot of modern thrillers - for no particular reason - and when I saw this, and that it was a first book in a proposed new series, I decided to take the plunge.

I thought that there was a nice development of the two main characters (Alex and the CIA agent Caleb). There could be a romance blooming here, but right now in this first book it's not much more than a hint of possibilities (and the end of the book promises even more potential for Alex).

The fact that our protagonist is female is really great.  But I would say that I didn't sense anything here that was specific to her gender - in other words, is it important that Alex is a woman?  Not yet.  "Alex" could have been male and it wouldn't have changed anything (other than that hint of romance ... maybe). 

The action moved swiftly and the last quarter of the book was a true page-turner.

There were moments that kept this from being best seller material, despite the thrill ride.  For instance, early in the book we have this: 

"Nyet," replied Alex, all but exhausting her Russian vocabulary. "But she apparently thought me a better friend than I was."

"It's a pity we don't realize such things until it's too late."

"Da," agreed Alex, realizing her knowledge of working Russian was quite extensive after all.

Seriously?!  This Special Agent thinks that "Nyet" and "Da" indicate an extensive knowledge of Russian?! Then I'm a freaking linguist!

This was a fun read and I think more excited to read the next volume than I was with this.

Looking for a good book? Perfect Shot is the first book in a new, international thriller series by Steve Urszenyi. A female protagonist offers some exciting new possibilities, though Urszenyi doesn't capitalize on it just yet.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

* * * * * *

Perfect Shot

author: Steve Urszenyi

series: Special Agent Alexandra Martel #1

publisher: Minotaur Books

ISBN: 9781250879103

hardcover, 368 pages

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