It really pains me to say this, but I am not a fan of this book. I love Robert Dugoni's Tracy Crosswhite series and adored The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell. But this one, nope. I tend not to read spy thrillers in general but since it was Dugoni, I wanted to try. It was slow paced and predictable.

Robert Dugoni has become one of my favorite authors over the last few years. His series about Seattle PD detective Tracy Crosswhite is awesome and so is his series on lawyer David Sloane. This book, however, is about neither of these, although David Sloane makes a significant contribution to aid our main protagonist,
Charles Jenkins who is a former CIA agent who out financial issues with his company gets pulled into participating in a counterespionage situation in Russia where some undercover agents get killed off one after the other.
Things, however, are far from what they appear on the surface and soon Jenkins' life is turned upside down, becoming the target of both foreign and domestic agencies.
Another fascinating story by Dugoni and I can't wait to read more about Jenkins in future books. Highly recommended.

Having been a fan of Robert Dugoni for years, I was excited to receive an ARC to review. This book introduces Charles Jenkins, who had been a CIA operative decades prior, called to duty in order to possibly save the lives of embedded operatives still in play in Russia. This is a fast-moving, engaging spy novel which has twists and surprises throughout the story. David Sloane, a character in several of Dugoni's novels, appears as a supporting character and fits well into the story. Characters are well-developed, the story has an exciting plot line. I highly recommend this book.

I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was so thrilled when I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley! I was first introduced to Robert Dugoni with his Tracy Crosswhite series and I was excited to explore his writing with a different character.

I have to say: I enjoyed this book a lot! I love conspiracy theories and procedural storytelling so it was something of a given that I'd like this story. But the layering in of Russia and Russian culture, a behind-the-scenes look at CIA field work, and an older cast of characters made it all the more appealing. Charlie Jenkins is a guy I'd like to chat with!

Robert Dugoni never disappoints with his storytelling. It was intriguing and dynamic and moved at just the right pace for the story he was telling. And while his cast of characters was extensive, they joined in seamlessly with the flow of the narrative. <spoiler>I particularly loved that about half the story involved the aftermath of Charlie's adventures in Russia. Too often stories like this are all action until it's neatly wrapped up at the end.</spoiler> This felt realistic; it felt like an article I could read today.

I would ABSOLUTELY recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the advance reader copy The Eighth Sister by stellar mystery and detective author, Robert Dugoni, in exchange for an honest review. This latest mystery is Dugoni at his best; weaving a knuckle gripping espionage thriller, grabbing you from the first page and hooking you to the very last page. I could not stop reading this suspenseful story of Charles Jenkins, an ex-CIA case officer, age sixty-four with a failing business, a nine-year old son and a wife ready to deliver a baby at any moment. As Jenkins takes a risky assignment (kept secret from everyone he knows) he finds himself in Russia, duped and not quite sure who he can trust and how to return to the U.S. I could not stop turning the pages as Jenkins world comes crumbling down. Even more exciting was the return of David Sloan, from the original David Sloan series; as he takes on his friend’s case as Jenkins is tried for treason. Suspense abounds while you root for Charles Jenkins; highly recommended!

The Eighth Sister is a well written espionage thriller. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. The best part was the first half of the book, in which the protagonist, Charles Jenkins, travels to Russia to take part in a clandestine operation. The mission is not what he was led to believe, and he must improvise in order to escape Russia and the dogged Russian FSB agent assigned to track him down. The cat and mouse between Jenkins and the Russian agent makes for very good reading and is difficult to put down. The chase is very realistic, and the fact that Charles Jenkins is an agent around 60 years of age with deteriorating but still formidable operational skills is a refreshing twist.

My only criticism is that the second half of the book, when Jenkins arrives home. At that point, it turns into a legal thriller rather than an espionage story. It is a very well done legal thriller, but the second half involves a lot of courtroom preparation and legal maneuvering rather than a traditional espionage story. It was still very enjoyable, just not what I expected. The legal details seemed very realistic and very plausible to this non-legal reader. It was still a very exciting read, just not the espionage I expected. To me, this was a very innovative story structure, and it worked.

I could see this book becoming a movie. The juxtaposition between the action scenes in the first half of the book and the courtroom drama in the second half of the book would play out very well on the screen.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

A truly fascinating read by Robert Dugoni. Former CIA Charles Jenkins is approached by his former station chief to undertake an assignment in Russia to locate the eighth sister. The eighth sister is believed to be killing off the members of a group called the seven sisters who have been secretly spying for the United States. Charles walked away from the CIA decades ago and is married to Alex, with one son and another baby on the way. Needing funds for his security business, Charles agrees to be reactivated knowing that if the mission goes awry that he will be on his own. What he doesn’t expect is to be arrested and charged with treason upon his return to the states. He has been set up. But why? This is a whirlwind ride that captured me from the very beginning as Charles survives the many dangers in Russia to the realization that he must now defend himself against charges that he was spying for Russia. With the help of his lawyer, David Sloane, will he be able to beat the charges or will he be sentenced to prison for the rest of his life? I don’t normally read books that involve Russia and spies, but this is a must read! I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

I'm not a big fan of spy thrillers, but I'll read anything that Robert Dugoni writes. This stand alone novel has Charles Jenkins, a mid 60s retired CIA agent forced to come out of retirement to raise enough money to save his security business. He is sent to Moscow to discover who is killing the members of a US spy ring.
Dugoni once again reeled me in immediately. He does a superb job of painting the Russian atmosphere - the FSB and Putin's power, the Russian character, even the weather. He's also done his research when it comes to how the spy industry works and effortlessly instructs the reader as well. The book moves at a fast pace, like an action movie. There are a lot of close calls. Nothing is as it should be and Jenkins is constantly running to stay one step ahead. The second part of the book becomes more legal procedural than spy thriller, but it's equally engaging. This might not hold together completely, but it's so much fun I didn't mind. (It's best that one not think too hard about some of the plot points.)
I enjoyed the characters, not just Jenkins, but Federov and Paulina. Once again, Dugoni has proven he can handle any genre he decides to take on.
My thanks to netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advance copy of this book.

The first half of this novel is a real roller-coaster with cold war style undercover espionage in Moscow and a heart stopping manhunt across Europe. The second half segues into a legal drama, which is no less riveting.

The main character Charlie Jenkins, a former CIA agent for a short time in the 1970s has bought himself some real trouble when financial troubles and a family to support leads him to accept an undercover job for the CIA in Moscow where he has business dealings. Although it sounds simple enough, nothing goes to plan and Charlie is soon fighting for his life and his freedom.

The characters were excellent, especially the dogged Russian agent who never gave up, the female spy who helped Charlie and lawyer Sloane and his son Jake. While I enjoyed both the suspense and intense action followed by the clearly laid out legal drama, I felt there were a few niggling loose ends regarding the original motive behind Charlie's mission that weren't resolved for me.

This was a real pulse-pounding thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed. I haven't read any of the author's previous books but I'll look for them in the future.

The book tells the story of a former CIA officer named Charles Jenkins whose business isn't doing too well when he gets a visit from his former CIA case manager who wants him to go back to Russia on an unsanctioned job. Charles is wary but he needs the money, and he has experience with the Russians from his previous time in the CIA. When he arrives in Moscow nothing goes as planned and he ends up on the run.

The plot takes several unexpected twists and turns that made this a great read. I recommend this book.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Floored with the subtle entrance into this spy thriller world. Even though this is a novel, this is not a fluff piece. I read this book and kept looking over my shoulder, second guessing what was next, the intrigue was over the top (in a so so good way). Twists, turns, good guy, bad guy, who is really who. This book made me want to read up on our world history and the cold war. Sit down and be entertained, taught, and gasp as its just all so plausible and real in our world. The ending? Read the book. Thank you Robert Dugoni, Thomas and Mercer, Net Galley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and were unsolicited.

This is a stand alone that ties in to the author’s David Sloane series. Charlie Jenkins is the MC, a former CIA agent whose past comes back to haunt him.

Forty years ago, Charlie walked away from his career after a case left him disillusioned & disgusted with the job. Now he lives on a farm in Washington state with his wife & son & runs a private security firm. Money is tight, especially with another baby on the way.

So when his old CIA handler shows up with a paying proposition, it gets Charlie’s attention. The job: go to Moscow for the security firm, make contact with the FSB (new KGB) & convince them he’s a disgruntled former CIA agent with info for sale. His real task is to identify a Russian agent who is killing long time American assets. Sure. What could possibly go wrong?

Oh man, where to start……Suffice to say things don’t go as planned & on his second trip to Moscow, Charlie finds himself running for his life. But what he doesn’t realize is getting home in one piece is only half the battle.

The first 60% is a rip-roaring tale of espionage with all the proper ingredients. Clandestine meetings, deadly Russians, Gorky Park & lots of vodka. There’s even a femme fatale. Charlie has to draw on old skills as he tries to evade a determined FSB agent & make it back to the States.

It’s a tense, wild ride & we all breathe a collective sigh of relief when he makes it home. But maybe don’t pop the champagne yet. Seriously, this guy cannot buy a break. I don’t want to give away too much about the second act but at this point, action switches to the court room after Charlie is arrested. He calls on old friend/lawyer David Sloane to defend him in what is literally a hopeless case that could put him away for life.

Dugoni excels at creating clever suspense populated with well developed characters. In Charlie, we get a sympathetic MC, a man with integrity who just wants to provide for his family. The surrounding cast is an interesting mix & it can be a challenge to tell the good guys from the bad. One of the standouts was Viktor, a burly FSB agent who I became quite fond of.

All in all, it’s an entertaining read full of twists that will keep you turning the pages.

One thing I've learned about books by this author: It's not likely I'll be disappointed. No surprise, then, that this one earned yet another five-star rating from me. Here's the scoop:

Charles Jenkins is in his 60s now, married to a younger woman who's close to delivering their new baby. A former CIA case officer, he left the agency with a bad taste in his mouth after a case that didn't go as planned some 40 years ago. Now, he runs a security consulting business that appears to have a single client - a high-profile firm in Seattle that tends to be in arrears when it comes to payment for services rendered. Then one day, Charlie gets a surprise visitor: his long-ago CIA station chief, Carl Emerson, who begs him to take on an undercover job in Moscow (where, conveniently, Charlie's client has an office). The task is to determine the identity of the "eighth sister," a Russian agent who is behind the recent murders of a couple of members of a U.S. spy cell known as the seven sisters. They've operated successfully and secretly for many years until now; the hope is that Charlie will nail the eighth sister before she finishes off all the others.

Desperate to stop the red ink in his business, Charlie reluctantly takes the assignment without letting his wife in on his secret. But early on, he learns something is dead wrong; for openers, the woman he believes is behind the killings isn't the assassin. Even more frightening, what she tells him - if in fact she can be believed - forces him to doubt everything he's been told about the case so far.

Everything goes totally haywire when Charlie and the woman find themselves in the crosshairs of a Russian agent who wants them in jail (or better still, six feet under). But why? Nothing Charlie has said or done should have triggered that kind of response. Could it be that something or someone's gone afoul in the CIA? And if so, who? Everything ends up in a trial, during which a possible insight on that question (as an aside, especially relevant these days) is offered. When Charlie asks, "How do we get the government to lie?" the response speaks volumes: "We just get them to move their lips."

Fast-paced, exciting and another winner, this is a not-to-be-missed thriller. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

This is an exceptionally well written book, but it's not what you'll expect from the cover synopsis...it's actually better. Rpbert Dugoni took the typical spy thriller and turned it 90 degrees. Yes, the thriller is still in there, but it's really not the main focus of the book. The story is broken into parts, before, during and after. Each is an outstanding example of thriller, but the story takes you from America to Russia and back with each section giving the reader a great adventure. You are definitely not sure of the ending although you root for Charlie and his family the whole way. Charlie's fight to do what's right is an excellent story.

Robert Dugoni is a new author to me. The Eighth Sister kept my interest despite the time in Russia being a bit confusing. I liked the Charles Jenkins character and enjoyed the trial scenes. Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

This is a great suspense, a little different from the norm. The main character, Charles Jenkins, is a former CIA agent in his sixties, with a young son and a baby on the way. His business is failing, so when he is recalled by the CIA for a very risky assignment, he reluctantly agrees to travel to Moscow on a dangerous mission.

Things don't go as expected, all is not what it seems, and Jenkins is soon in a fight for survival, for himself and his family. Aside from a compelling and enjoyable storyline, this one has nonstop action and pulse-pounding excitement. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of the book in return for an honest review.

I’ve read all of the books in the Tracy Crosswhite series and have listened to two in the David Sloan series. I didn’t initially remember Charles Jenkins’ character as this story began but when David Sloan’s name was mentioned, I recalled that he had worked for David. I’m not clear if this will be a separate series or a standalone but it starts off with fast-paced and almost heart stopping suspense as Charles travels to Russia and then tries to leave that country. It was quite intense and kept me flipping the pages on my Kindle.

Once he returns home, the story is slower but then builds again as charges are brought against him and seemingly no way to prove his story. Charles was a CIA agent many years prior and was asked to take on another assignment. From the beginning I was leery of the whole situation so I knew there would be some scary ‘spy’ business going on. Even though he’s much older than his initial CIA days, he’s able to consider all possibilities on how to escape and find essential evidence.

You can easily read the blurb and many other reviews to know more about the story. I want to note that I’ve enjoyed every book by Mr. Dugoni. He writes well-developed characters with compelling storylines. He adeptly provides bits and pieces of details that keep you reading and guessing throughout each story. This story was well plotted and had plenty of twists and turns to keep me interested. I especially liked the ending which caused me to laugh at some unexpected events and conversations. I highly recommend any book by Mr. Dugoni.

Robert Dugoni is a master storyteller. The Eighth Sister is a nail bitting, thrill of a ride read that is current to today !

Charles Jenkins is a retired CIA agent who happens to be desperate for money, comes out of a long retirement to take a dangerous assignment in Russia.

Things don't go as plan and the escape is on !!

The pages fly by, you want to know how Charles will manage to escape ; I spent time yelling at him, don't do that !

Don't want to give anything away so pick up your copy, clear your calendar and enjoy a great ride.

Please take time to read the author's notes at the end of the book, it totally enhances the book.

Thanks again to Net Galley and the publisher Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read The Eight Sister !! Can't wait to get a copy for my bookshelves.

A combination of spy and legal thriller, this latest book by Dugoni is a fast paced adventure that will keep you intrigued until the very end. Compelling characters, realistic settings and storylines make for a page turner.

I am a huge fan of Robert Dugoni’s Tracy Crosswhite series and this is much different. It kind of goes toward the intrigue of Russia today with a espionage feel.
It’s well written and enjoyable for those who enjoy action packed espionage thrillers.