Perfect Shot by Steve Urszenyi
Special Agent Alexandra Martel #1

Hooked on page one and reeled in a bit more with each page read ~ Couldn’t put it down!

What I liked:
* Alexandra “Alex” Martel: widow, ex-military sniper, special ops experience, FBI Special Agent, on loan to Interpol, strong, resilient, lethal, strategic thinker, puzzle solver, follows her gut, dependable, someone I would want on my side
* Caleb Copeland: CIA branch chief developing a unique team of operators that Alex would be perfect for, experienced, dedicated, patriotic, capable, survivor, warrior, knowledgeable, lethal, interesting
* Beginning to know and care about characters that I hoped would make it through the book alive so that I can read more about them in future books
* The plot, pacing, settings, and writing
* That acronyms, agency names, military equipment, and technical information were well enough defined for me to follow without getting bogged down while reading the story
* The twists and turns
* Being thankful that there are people dedicated to keeping the world safe
* Being able to thoroughly dislike the bad guys and hope they would be vanquished
* The conclusion and lead into the next book of the series
* Reading a debut novel that is well written by an author I see great promise for

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about how warped some thinking can be and how it leads to such evil plots, plans, and deeds

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars ( )

Thus is one intriguing and fast paced debut novel with super hero characters, conspiracies too terrifying to contemplate and just the right amount of back and forth snark and sarcasm. Urszenyi portrays his protagonist, Alexandra Martel, as many faceted, complex with extraordinary intelligence and logic. Her counterpart is a CIA operative who is equally talented, operating in the shadows, and he wants Alex, but to what purpose. So wow, wow, wow - the heroine knows how to use her skills, knows how to shoot, knows how to fight, and is fiercely loyal. Her back story is filled with accolades, commendations and heartbreak. Thrown into one conflict after another, it seems as if her next fight might be her last. She lives by the mantra “Here I am. Send me?” She is dedicated to making the world a better place and if a few bad guys have to die she feels no remorse.

This book kept moving and changing with a plot that was completely believable. The threats and evil have become commonplace and recognizable. The ending was so frustrating, acknowledging that is precisely how things go down within government agencies. There just has to be another installment of Alexandra Martel coming and I can’t wait.

Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for a copy. ( )

Special Agent Alexandra Martel has just discovered her friend has died. Then she discovers her friend was possibly murdered. This sends Alex on a mission to find out why. This leads her around the world in pursuit of a killer and she has to fall back on her Special Ops training to survive.

This story starts out strong with Alex showing her strength right off the bat and I loved Special Agent Alexandra Martel. She is a bad A$$. I love her intelligence, her wit and her courage. Then the tale slows down just a bit or rather it may just be a bit wordy in places. The author uses every agency in the world in this thriller, CIA, FBI, Interpol, MI5 and lots of others I had never heard of. It sort of gets bogged down with all the acronyms and who is who.

Now, I am in a minority on my rating and it could be for several reasons. I was in a partial reading slump and I had put down a few books. So, if I had been in full reading mode, this might have been a 5 star for me. So, like I always say, read the book for yourself! It might just hit YOU at the right time.

Need a thriller with a fabulous character…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review. ( )

Perfect Shot by Steve Urszenyi is a very highly recommended, action packed thriller and the first book in a new series.

FBI Special Agent Alexandra Martel, a former decorated Army sniper and combat medic, is currently on loan to Interpol and in the Netherlands when she learns an old friend, Krysten, an MI5 officer, has been killed under mysterious circumstances in London. Once in London, Krysten left clues that only Alex can follow. It becomes clear that much more is going on and that Alex has a target on her back and there is a larger scheme developing. Along with CIA agent Caleb Copeland Alex is called to Turkey to recover a stolen nuclear bomb.

Action explodes through the Netherlands, London, Turkey, and Paris. Alex is an intelligent, tough, tenacious woman and a good character to feature in the first novel of a new series. Caleb is still a bit of an enigma, but is clearly more than her equal. The two verbally spar, but work well together when threatened, pursued, and the conflict is intense.

The heart-stopping action, dangerous conflicts, espionage, and skirmishes are the main purpose of this thriller and Perfect Shot certainly delivers that globally. All this action makes for an un-put-downable thriller from start to finish. If undercover, global geopolitical action grabs your attention, then Perfect Shot will deliver.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of St. Martin's Press via NetGalley.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2023/11/perfect-shot.html ( )

This book starts with a chase and the action does not stop before the very last page. Special Agent Alex Martel chases a stolen nuclear warhead and at the same time tries to solve the clues left behind by her friend, a murdered MIG agent.

These characters are tough, Alex most of all. She's professional, passionate and would do anything to find out the truth. Her combat and shooting skills are also quite spectacular. She's someone you would want on your side when the hell breaks loose.

The author has done a thorough research for this book. I learned a lot about nuclear warheads and military. Some parts were heavy with all the different acronyms and military jargon. These were the hardest parts to read as I found it difficult to concentrate facing so much information at once.

This is a great debut and I will definitely be on the lookout for the next book in this series. Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for a copy of this book. ( )