The Eighth Sister - Review and Giveaway!

Author: Robert Dugoni
Genre: Suspense, Espionage, Thriller
Type: Trade Paperback
Pages: 478
Publisher: Thomas and Mercer
Source: TLC Book Tour??
First Published: April 9, 2019
Opening Lines: "Zarina Kazakova stepped into the glass doors of Belyy Dom, the Russian White House, and peered out at the leaden sky threatening to suffocate Moscow."

Book Description from Amazon.ca: A pulse-pounding thriller of espionage, spy games, and treachery by the New York Times bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite Series.

Former CIA case officer Charles Jenkins is a man at a crossroads: in his early sixties, he has a family, a new baby on the way, and a security consulting business on the brink of bankruptcy. Then his former bureau chief shows up at his house with a risky new assignment: travel undercover to Moscow and locate a Russian agent believed to be killing members of a clandestine US spy cell known as the seven sisters.

Desperate for money, Jenkins agrees to the mission and heads to the Russian capital. But when he finds the mastermind agent behind the assassinations—the so-called eighth sister—she is not who or what he was led to believe. Then again, neither is anyone else in this deadly game of cat and mouse.

Pursued by a dogged Russian intelligence officer, Jenkins executes a daring escape across the Black Sea, only to find himself abandoned by the agency he serves. With his family and freedom at risk, Jenkins is in the fight of his life—against his own country.

My Rating: 4.5 stars

My Review: Normally, I don't read spy thrillers but for Robert Dugoni, I made the exception. I'm a HUGE fan of his Tracy Crosswhite series and if I want a twisty, thrilling suspense read, Mr Dugoni is my go-to guy.

The Eighth Sister is a stand-alone thriller that features a new character, Charles Jenkins, who is a retired CIA operative in his 60's. He's married with a young family and with his security business in shambles, he agrees to take an undercover case to get his business back in the black. But he learns that the job isn't what it seems and soon finds himself running for his life.

The first two-thirds of the book are a non-stop, heart-thumpin' manhunt across Russia and Europe that kept me on the edge of my seat and wishing for a bout of insomnia. Ya, it was that good. The last third is a legal drama and I'll admit that my interest faded just a bit. I like the occasional legal drama but found this one got bogged down in the details when I would have preferred keeping the initial momentum of the hunt going.

The secondary characters are a diverse and well-rounded bunch and include an awesome female Russian spy, an ambitious and well-matched FSB nemesis (FSB being the successor of the KGB) and Jenkins' friends and family back home. But it is Jenkins himself, who will keep readers riveted. He's a well-developed main character (I kept picturing an older Idris Elba - le swoon) with smarts, mad spy skills and a healthy dose of integrity. Long-time Dugoni fans will also enjoy seeing lawyer David Sloane (from a previous series) make an appearance in this book.

Overall, this is a must-read for Dugoni fans who will enjoy this tense, action-packed and clever suspense read. If you haven't picked up a book by Robert Dugoni, what are you waiting for? 

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Thomas and Mercer and TLC Book Tour for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

GIVEAWAY  

The generous folks at Thomas and Mercer and TLC Book Tours have given me one copy of The Eighth Sister to giveaway (sorry, only open to Canadian and US residents).  Good luck to everyone who enters!

 a Rafflecopter giveaway