I thoroughly enjoyed Ward Larsen's latest David Slaton series novel.

To be honest, I hate to admit it, but it was even better than I had initially expected.

I truly miss stories of this caliber.

In this thrilling narrative, a Russian test pilot has completely lost faith in the system.

He decides to take an extreme measure of payback against his father-in-law, a GRU general.

The only way he can reach him is by defecting while carrying a highly prized piece of technology.

However, not everything goes according to plan.

A CIA paramilitary is dispatched far behind enemy lines, and the new CIA Special Activities Center director, David Slaton, oversees the operation.

As events unfold, he becomes more deeply involved than the White House is comfortable with.

In fact, the White House grows downright anxious about his leadership and the direction the mission is taking, especially as it incorporates some new Space Force technology.

Ward Larsen has truly knocked it out of the park with this fast-paced thriller.

It has a familiar feel, yet it manages to surprise over and over again.

So, go ahead and get it. Read it. I'm confident you'll thank me!

Evidently, Daniel Silva's Gabriel Allon series achieved remarkable success, which led publishers to be extremely eager for other books centered around a Mossad assassin. As a result, Ward Larsen's David Slaton can be considered as the less accomplished counterpart of Gabriel Allon.

Although The Perfect Assassin is not nearly as excellent as Silva's books, it still manages to be entertaining to a certain extent.

However, here is a word of caution: it is advisable to pass on the audiobook. The casting of the narration was rather poor. While Amy McFadden did a decent job for the leading lady character, through whom a significant portion of the story is narrated, she was a very poor fit for all of the English characters.

How can I phrase this more diplomatically? Her English accents give the impression as if they were taken from a high school production of My Fair Lady.

This lackluster performance in the audiobook detracts from the overall experience of the story.

A good fast-moving thriller about a conspiracy in the Israeli intelligence service which spills over into a manhunt in England.

This exciting story takes readers on a wild ride as they follow the twists and turns of a complex plot. The conspiracy within the Israeli intelligence service unfolds in a thrilling manner, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats.

As the situation escalates, it spills over into England, leading to a tense and heart-pounding manhunt. The characters are well-developed, each with their own motives and secrets.

The author's writing style is engaging and fast-paced, making it difficult to put the book down. The detailed descriptions of the settings and the action add to the overall atmosphere of the story.

Overall, this is a must-read for fans of thrillers and conspiracy theories. It will keep you guessing until the very end and leave you wanting more.

4 1/2 stars!

This is an incredibly intricate story that delves deep into the realms of manipulation, greed, power, and so much more. From the very beginning, it will have you sitting on the edge of your seat, completely engrossed. The unique storyline is filled with complex characters, a hint of romance, secrets and lies, betrayal, treason, constant danger, and intriguing twists that will keep you turning the pages at a rapid pace, eager to discover what happens next. It's an outstanding book and a great start to this exciting series.

David Slaton, a Kidon in Mossad's organization and a highly skilled assassin, finds himself in a fight for survival after his latest assignment turns deadly. After floating in the ocean for an indeterminate amount of time, he is miraculously rescued by an American woman on her own journey. Unsure of who he can trust, learning that his best friend is dead, and trying to figure out what happened to the cargo they were transporting, he is bombarded with more questions than answers.

He knows that once anyone discovers he survived, they will come after him. As the bodies start to pile up and everyone believes he has gone rogue and sank the ship himself, a massive manhunt is launched for him. As things gradually start to fit into place, he begins to understand what is happening, but still can't determine the end goal.

Will David be able to protect both himself and the woman who rescued him from the numerous people hunting them, including the bad guys? Despite still grieving for his wife and daughter, will he lower his defenses and explore where the attraction between them might lead? With an outrageous story that most would find难以置信, can they convince the inspector in charge of the case to listen to them and keep Christine safe so he can locate the missing cargo and uncover who is behind this deadly game? You'll have to read it to find out!

I highly recommend this book, the series, and the great author. I have voluntarily reviewed this complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

This is the first book in a brand new series. It's yet another assassin/espionage series, and I must admit, I have a penchant for this genre. This particular offering is a good effort. I've awarded it 4 stars, and it truly deserves that rating. It may not be on the same level as the works of Daniel Silva just yet, but it introduces us to another Israeli assassin who has a tragic history of losing loved ones.

Larsen crafts a captivating story that is filled with complexity and numerous twists. There are also some well-developed characters, and the opening is quite engaging. The hero is found floating in the Atlantic and is rescued by a young female doctor who is sailing alone as a final adventure before she commences her residence work. Don't they all seem to do that?

The plot is highly relevant, almost as if it was ripped right out of today's headlines. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I'm already eager to begin the next installment in the series.

This remarkable book was meticulously crafted, boasting an intimate and intricate character development. It managed to engage the reader without burdening them with excessive and frivolous information. It struck a perfect balance, leaving the reader utterly breathless with appreciation for the captivating plot that was unfolding around these well-developed characters.

I firmly believe that I don't necessarily need to issue a spoiler alert to convey that, despite being a mystery, this book also possessed a charming fairy tale quality. That is to say, you could sense from the outset that, in the end, everyone would "live happily ever after." (Ha Ha - how can a reviewer make such a claim when there is someone dropping dead on almost every other page... but you understand precisely what I mean.) The ending, while perhaps slightly contrived to achieve this idyllic happily ever after conclusion, in no way detracted from the greater glory and allure of the overall story. It was a masterful work that kept the reader enthralled from beginning to end.

2 Bombs

Dr Christine Palmer makes a bold decision to sail the vast Atlantic Ocean in her boat, Windsom. Her father, who taught her the ropes of sailing when she was just a child, would surely have been proud. After several days at sea, as she scans the horizon, she spots a man floundering in the water. Without hesitation, she maneuvers her boat towards him and rescues him. It seems that her father may not have fully impressed upon her the perils of sailing alone and taking on strangers. However, being a doctor, it's understandable that her humanitarian instincts prevailed. I, too, would likely have done the same. But in such situations, it's truly a toss-up. You can never be certain if the person you're rescuing is a thief, a serial killer, or just an innocent soul in need. Overall, this book may have been a bit on the long side, but the captivating story it tells is most definitely worth the time invested in reading it.

Really good read….


I have thoroughly enjoyed starting this new series. The author, Larsen, has done an excellent job in creating the protagonist, David Slaton. This is truly a great read that keeps you on the edge of your seat, trying to keep up with the flow of words and anticipate what is coming next. I found myself constantly guessing how the story would unfold, and I was not disappointed in the end. Since there are more books in the series, I knew that Slaton would have more adventures.

Larsen has cleverly crafted the end of this book in a believable manner, leaving the reader craving for more. The way the story builds up and the悬念 that is created makes it impossible to put the book down. I am really looking forward to reading the next installment in the series and seeing what new challenges and adventures await David Slaton. Overall, this is a highly recommended read for anyone who loves a good thriller.

It was a good read.

However, I deducted one star due to the description and the presence of too much unnecessary information.

The description might have been a bit lacking in clarity or perhaps not as engaging as it could have been.

Also, the excessive amount of unnecessary details sometimes made it a bit of a chore to get through the book.

Despite these drawbacks, I still found the overall story interesting enough to keep me reading.

I'm looking forward to reading his next book, hoping that he will address these issues and deliver an even better reading experience.

I believe he has the potential to create something truly outstanding, and I can't wait to see what he comes up with next.

This is truly an extremely well-crafted suspense nail-biter.

Undoubtedly, it is a work of fiction, yet the characters are rich and fully developed.

The plot progresses smoothly, and there are scarcely any sections where the action slows down.

"Thrill a minute" would be an apt description of this book.

I read it some time ago when I first purchased it, but it remains an excellent read upon the second encounter.

It has the power to keep the reader on the edge of their seat from beginning to end, with its engaging storyline and well-drawn characters.

The author has done a remarkable job of creating a sense of anticipation and excitement throughout the narrative.

Whether you are a fan of suspense novels or simply looking for a captivating read, this book is definitely worth checking out.

It will surely provide you with hours of entertainment and keep you guessing until the very last page.

The plot, characters and fiction of this book were truly great. The story was extremely well designed, with many twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat.

However, it was also a rather difficult book to understand. Not everyone could easily grasp what was happening within its pages. Personally, I had a really hard time making sense of some of the more complex concepts and events.

Moreover, it was very mysterious. Even at the end of the book, there were still question marks lingering in my mind. I found myself constantly wondering about certain aspects of the story and its characters.

Since I don't really like books that leave so many unanswered questions in my mind, I can't say that I liked this one very much. It was an interesting read, but ultimately it didn't quite meet my expectations.

Book Review – The Perfect Assassin – Ward Larsen

After delving into author Ward Larsen’s initial David Slaton novel, “The Perfect Assassin,” I have now become an ardent fan of Ward Larsen. This was my very first encounter with Larsen’s work, and I was thoroughly impressed. Larsen’s writing prowess is truly remarkable. He writes with a finesse that outshines many and is on par with the best. The story is a captivating blend, consisting of two-thirds intense action and one-third cleverly placed and timed phrases. It is filled with well-developed characters and a plethora of intrigue.

The plot of “The Perfect Assassin” is highly enjoyable. A young female American doctor finds herself thrust into an international conspiracy when her sailboat is commandeered by a man she rescues from the Atlantic Ocean. This man is a ‘Kidon’ - an Israeli assassin who narrowly escaped death when the ship he was on, carrying nuclear weapons, was hijacked. The assassin decides to take matters into his own hands and recover the nukes. In the process, he becomes the target of both the British (Scotland Yard) and his own Israeli authorities. As he flees from the authorities and pursues the hijackers of the nuclear weapons, he drags the American doctor along.

Larsen’s storytelling and writing are of the highest caliber. The action unfolds at a rapid pace, yet slows down in the appropriate places to ensure a well-presented narrative. The characters are vividly portrayed, and the details are meticulously explained. I relished Larsen’s writing style and his attention to detail. So much so that I have already ordered several other books in the David Slaton series. Ward Larsen has clearly done extensive research for this spy/espionage thriller, uncovering numerous new aspects of spy craft that I was previously unaware of. I truly adored this book and eagerly anticipate adding this series to my personal library.