The Last Agent reunites us with Charles Jenkins, acquitted of espionage in the previous book The Eighth Sister, who has put the events of that book behind him and rebuilt his life. Or so he thinks.

A CIA agent shows up on his doorstep - again. After being rebuffed at Jenkins' house, the agent corrals him at the local diner and tells him the agency needs him once more. For real, this time. They believe that Paulina Ponomayova, who saved Jenkins' life in The Eighth Sister by giving her own, is not actually dead, but is being held in one of the toughest prisons in Russia. They're not sure she's there, or what information she may have given up on the other Sisters. They are sure that they want Jenkins to return to Russia, free her from the prison, and get her out of the country.

I wondered at this point just how long the author was going to push a 6' 5", 65 year old black man into a country where a) he sticks out like a 6' 5", 65 year old black man would in a rather overwhelmingly white country, and b) he's already been there, is known to the FSB (the KGB's successor), and has previously created havoc there.

Jenkins isn't sure he wants to go, is definitely sure his wife and kids won't want him to go, but does feel that he owes Paulina to help her if he can. Of course he signs on, and once again, he's off to Mother Russia.

Viktor Federov is back (and on a side note, I would love to have a couple of books about THAT guy), retired now from the FSB thanks to his inability to catch Jenkins in The Eighth Sister. Jenkins blackmails him into assisting, first with figuring out a way to get Paulina out of the prison, and then getting all of them away safely.

I won't spoil any of that except to say that the bank scene was quite funny, and one of the nonverbal discussions with Paulina is rather ingenious, relying on knowledge of where the cameras are and where the guards will be.

The chase that ensues - three targets instead of one - is now lead by a prototypical old KGB-style chief, who constantly silences his underlings, ignores the supposed lead investigator's advice, but tells him failure will be on his head. When that investigator suddenly "retires" to take care of his father, it's all out pursuit, by land, water, and even by air into another country's airspace.

It's a fun book, and better than The Eighth Sister, although readers will still have to up their suspension of disbelief game.

A solid four stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the reading copy.

"The Last Agent" by Robert Dugoni is the second book to feature Charles Jenkins.. The first to feature Jenkins, "The Eighth Sister", was one of the finest spy thrillers I ever read and"The Last Agent" is just as amazing. It could be read as a stand alone novel as Dugoni does a fine job of giving enough backstory so you're not lost. But to get the entire sense of how epic both books are i would definitely read "The Eighth Sister" first. Either way you can't go wrong and I can't recommend this novel enough!

This is the 2nd book in the Charles Jenkins series but I think it could be read as a stand alone. The author fills you in on details from the previous book so you won’t get lost. I enjoyed reading the book but it does require you to suspend reality. There are too many close calls that Charles manages to escape from. Also I have a little trouble with his age and some of the situations he gets in, the average man his age wouldn’t be able to perform at the level in this book. On the whole I enjoyed the book and would recommend it. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

This book is really 3.75 stars but Goodreads doesn’t allow for that. I was able to read this book as an #ARC from #netgalley
I really enjoy Robert Dugoni’s novels. I’ve read many. I like his Tracy Crosswhite series and his stand alone legal thrillers. This was a second novel in the Charles Jenkins series. I had not read the first novel in the series- but having read the Crosswhite series, I figured it would be OK to read this second novel. Dugoni usually does a good job filling in gaps you might have from missing a novel in order.
This is a CIA spy type series about Charles Jenkins, a retired ghost operative for the CIA. He’s bitter from his final experiences with the government and wants nothing more to do with spying or the CIA. But then he finds out the woman who saved his life in Russia is in a notorious prison because she saved him. Off Charles goes to Moscow to try to save her.
So did I like this book? If you can suspend reality then you will. I did. Like I said, I enjoy Dugoni’s style. It does defy reason though. So many improbable close calls with weather, trains, planes, automobiles...it can seem ludicrous. Also, Charles seems a bit old for the type of field work he’s being sent out to do. However, If you can suspend reality and just let it go- you’ll have an entertaining escapist read!

To begin, I strongly recommend reading The Eighth Sister before reading The Last Agent, which I did not. I honestly didn't do my research and had no idea until I started the book, that it was a continuation of a series. This did not affect my understanding but it definitely hindered my connection with Jenkins relationship/devotion to Ponomayova and I didn't have the opportunity to experience his previous incident(s) in Russia so I lacked some back story that eventually revealed itself throughout the story. I found that Jenkins was easy to like and the story was very familiar but unique it it's own ways. Overall, a good read

a wonderful continuation of the Charles Jenkins mystery series. This was an action packed book that didn't stop from the very start. I loved every minute

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for the preview copy.

OK- I've been a Dugoni fan for a while, but now- officially hooked. Waiting for the next installment. I love the characters, the settings, the plot, the action. Sold.

“The Last Agent” is a thrilling novel, full of suspense. It is the story of Charles Jenkins, a spy agent in his sixties, returning back to Moscow to find out if Paulina Ponomayova, the agent who sacrificed her life to help him escape from Federov and leave Russia safe and sound, is still alive and if so, if she is imprisoned in Lefortovo. Throughout the novel it is pleasant to admire Charles' bravery and ability to overcome every obstacle and every challenge. Loyalty and gratitude is what comes first in his mind, even if it means he has to sacrifice everything he loves most. Jenkins’ mission is motivated by the desire to take Paulina away from the prison and give her a second opportunity to build a new life away from Russia. This time the main obstacle is Efimov, a cruel officer who wants to achieve a rapid social climbing, while Federov becomes Jenkins’ main ally in his flee. What I really loved are the detailed descriptions Robert Dugoni gave, especially in the moments of maximum tension, when his mission was in jeopardy. I'd really recommend reading this book, a very page-turner. I’m looking forward to seeing the film version of this book.

The Last Agent is the second book in the Charles Jenkins series. I would recommend that you read the first book in order to be able to appreciate this story. It is also clear that there will be a third book in the series. I thoroughly enjoyed the book (as I do all Robert Dugoni's books). The story line was compelling and kept me guessing throughout. I do however have to say that I got a bit bored with the elaborate escape scenes all the time. I would have appreciated a bit more 'story' and intrigue and less running. I still highly recommend it!

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I am loving this Charles Jenkins character. He is strong, honest, and loyal. This book is full of action and thrills. He will do anything to save Paulina. But at what cost? Unputdownable!

Thank you Net Galley and Thomas & Mercer (publisher) for allowing me to read the latest book by ROBERT DUGONI. He proves yet again that he is one of the finest storytellers writing today, as well as one of the best writers period. I first read one of his books, JURY MASTER in 2006. In that book, Charles Jenkins first appears as a private investigator. Thank you Mr. Dugoni for for a decade and a half of great entertainment.

Over the years, I have been fortunate enough to to hear the author speak at various author events in my part of the country. At these events, one of the many things that impressed me about the author was the amount of research that he does for each story. For example, when he started writing the David Sloan courtroom books, he talked to criminal trial lawyers about preparation and courtroom decorum. Although a lawyer himself, he was not a criminal lawyer. When he started writing the Tracy Crosswhite police procedurals, Mr. Dugoni had conversations with trackers, forensic experts, prosecutors and police officers so he could speak with some authority in his books. For the Charlie Jenkins spy thrillers, the author consulted with people who knew that field.

Now the second book in the Charlie Jenkins saga is ready. The title is THE LAST AGENT. Along with THE EIGHTH SISTER (the first Charles Jenkins story), the two books have been optioned for a television series. I see LL Cool J or Vin Diesel as Jenkins but I am not the casting director.
In book two, Jenkins is called upon by his former employer, the C.I.A., to return to Russia to see if Paulina/Anna who rescued Jenkins in book one, is alive and is in Lefortovo Prison. If so, he is to see if it it is at all possible to rescue her. This trip will be fraught with danger since the FSB, Vladimir Putin and Adam Efimov will be particularly on alert for him. He is definitely a persona non grata in Russia. As an added incentive for Jenkins is the fact that his one-year-old daughter is named Elizabeth Paulina in honor of the woman he thought had died saving him.

Jenkins returns via the same route by which he left in book one. Through Turkey, across the Black Sea via a fishing boat operated Desmir Kaplan and two sons and into southern Russia. He makes his way to Moscow where is going to look for Viktor Federov (retired FSB Colonel) who chased him out of Russia. Why would Federov be willing to help his former adversary? There are 10 million reasons. That is the amount of US dollars in a Swiss bank in Moscow, now frozen by Russia, and split 60 – 40 in two accounts – one Federov’s name and one in Jenkins’ name. Charlie has a plan to gain control of the accounts to access all $10,000,000, to be used to gain Federov’s assistance.

The money is acquired. The rescue of Paulina takes place. Efimov unearths the plot. Efimov enlists Simon Alekseyov and Arkady Voltov to catch the plotters. The chase takes follows them from Moscow to Saint Petersburg in the dead of winter. The weather plays a major role as an adversary. The finale ends up in a Baltic state after a harrowing trip.

Fans of Mr. Dugoni rejoice. Fans of spy thrillers rejoice. This is a page-turner. You will love the action, the characters and the descriptions of the places. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. If I could give more than five stars, I would gladly do so. Although this can be read as a stand-alone story, I strongly suggest reading book one first.

GO! BUY! READ!

After the Tracy Crosswhite Series by Robert Dugoni, next on my TBR was Charles Jenkins. Created by the same author, Jenkins is a former spy who first appeared in the 2019 novel, The Eighth Sister.

The Last Agent follows the events of the first book. Betrayed by his country and tried for treason, Jenkins survived an undercover Russian operation gone wrong. Exonerated, bitter, but safe, he is through with duplicitous spy games, until he learns of a woman isolated in Moscow’s notorious Lefortovo Prison.

If its Paulina Ponomayova, the agent who sacrificed her life to save his, Jenkins can’t leave her behind. But there’s no guarantee it’s her. Or proof Paulina is still alive. To find out, he must return to Russia and blackmail Viktor Federov, a former Russian officer who once pursued Jenkins across three continents, into helping him infiltrate Lefortovo.

Every step of the way—from Moscow to Scandinavia to the open ocean—they’re hunted by a brutal Russian agent on a killer quest of his own. Out of loyalty to Paulina—dead or alive—Jenkins is putting everyone’s life on the line for a new mission that could be his last.

A 60 something, retired, family man, Charles Jenkins is unlike your usual spy-thriller protagonist but what he lacks in age, he more than makes up in experience and skill. He managed the unthinkable once and is determined to do it again, if only on a wing and a prayer. This is where Dugoni’s masterful writing comes into play. The mission being high-stakes, he quickly builds momentum with plenty of twists to keep you engaged.

Drop everything else before you read this. This requires to be read in a single sitting, even if it means reading through the night.

This ARC courtesy of Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer, an imprint of Amazon Publishing.

Espionage, sleeper cells, betrayal, oh my! Robert Dugoni has done it again. Anytime Charles Jenkins is involved, I now know Dugoni is pulling out all the stops and giving his fans exactly what they want, and more!

First off, if there’s a pitbull in the book, I’m automatically a fan. Charles Jenkins will now and forever be my favorite spy. I feel in today’s society, we always associate “spy” with a bad person. I personally think of Charles Jenkins as my modern day American James Bond. (But, more relatable and entertaining).

Jenkins is extremely fast paced to be a man in his sixties. Sometimes I feel like he goes and goes and goes so much, that even I have to stop and take a breath to keep reading. To say it’s fast paced or action packed is an understatement. I used to get caught in the excitement that I would have to slow my eyes down to really soak in Dugoni’s literary descriptions.


I am glad this centers around Russia, just as today’s media does from the 2016 election (and is even referenced). I love seeing the parallels in literary fiction and real life news events. This has short chapters, which was fun to break up. As a major fan of the Tracy Crosswhite series, I am now loving Charles Jenkins and everything Dugoni.

Thank you Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the ARC

Loved this book! For fans of Tom Clancy and Steven Konkoly you will love this series.
Jenkins last mission left him deserted in Russia with no hope of escape. A woman, Paulina, sacrificed her life to save Jenkins and get him back home to his family.
Now, Jenkins is home enjoying family life with his wife and kids, when he finds out that Paulina didn't actually die, but is being held at a Russian prison where they are torturing her for information. Jenkins can't let her rot there after she saved him, but going back into Russia is a suicide mission. With the help of a current FBI agent, Jenkins embarks on a mission to not only get in and out of Russia, but to take Paulina home with him. But first he has to decide which players in this cat and mouse game he can truly trust, and which are going to burn him.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A wonderfully crafted story with twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat right to the last page. His well-developed characters and wonderful writing style, full of twists and turns, will keep you on the edge of your seat from the first page, trying to anticipate where this story would go. This is a definite page-turner that I couldn’t put down until the very last page. It is realistic with engaging characters that you're sure to love! I am anxious to read the other books from this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book in the Charles Jenkins series; the first is The Eighth Sister, which was very good. I'm excited that The Last Agent is also very good. I've read other Robert Dugoni's books, and I have liked every single one, so I am very grateful for this ARC.

I requested this book because I very much enjoyed Dugoni's previous book, The Eighth Sister. 3.75, rounding up because ultimately an entertaining, diverting read.

This book is a continuation of the story of former CIA agent Charles Jenkins. Dugoni devotes considerable time to setting up the premise and providing background from the previous book.

Jenkins is visited by current agent, Matt Lemore, who tells him that Paulina Ponomayova, the agent who sacrificed her life to save his, may still be alive in Moscow's notorious Lefortovo prison. He asks Jenkins to return to Russia, to ascertain if this is so. Jenkins deliberates--not wanting to leave his wife and son and get back in the game. BUT. As Jenkins has given his newborn daughter the middle name Paulina; the pull for helping is strong. And the plot is set in motion.

Espionage, blackmail, and lots of cat and mouse.

I thought the book got off to a very slow start. Even somewhat boring.

Many bad Russian characters. [Putin is mentioned many times--his KGB/FSB connections, etc.] And what of VIktor Federov, a former Russian officer and key player in the story, who Jenkins must blackmail [i.e, hold out the possibility of getting millions of dollars] into helping him.

I was not totally engaged until almost half through but by then I couldn't put it down and couldn't wait to get back to reading and seeing how it would all pan out. I loved the chase and back and forth--and especially all the shell-games set up, The last quarter of the book really ramped up the suspense for me. Would they? Could they? Did they? Well, no spoiler from me, but of course

And at the very end, wait for Charles Jenkins #3.

I am a huge Robert Dugoni fan and was very excited for this next chapter in the Charles Jenkins saga. The book kept me on edge throughout most of the story. That being said, for how suspenseful & the fast paced the plot was, the ending fell a little flat for me. Perhaps the ending is setting up a plot line for a future book. The character development was great and lends itself to continue the series. I would recommend this book to fans of Dugoni or someone interested in thriller series.

After reading Robert Dugoni’s soon-to-be-released The Last Agent, I am more thankful than ever that a book with the rather strange title The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell caught my eye almost exactly a year ago. When I picked up Sam Hell in May 2019, Robert Dugoni was a new-to-me author whose work I was completely unfamiliar with; by the time I finished the novel a few days later, he was someone I wanted to know a lot more about. Still unaware at that point that Dugoni was best known for the five-book David Sloan series and the then six-book Tracy Crosswhite series, I happened to stumble upon a new Dugoni book on display at my local library called The Eighth Sister a few weeks later.

Much to my surprise, The Eighth Sister was nothing like The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell. Instead, I held a spy thriller in my hands that rivals the classics of the genre in complexity, character development, and sheer storytelling. Charles Jenkins, as a six-foot-five black man, is not your typical CIA spy, much less one who has much of a chance of blending into a Russian crowd. But that’s who he is, and that’s what he has to do if he is going to survive long enough to get back to his ex-spy wife and children. Jenkins only makes it out of Russia in The Eighth Sister at all because a heroic Russian agent sacrifices her own life to make his escape possible – or so he believes.

But what if it turns out that she’s not dead?

Now, in The Last Agent, Jenkins learns that Paulina Ponomayova may be suffering a fate worse than death – months-long interrogation in the notorious Lefortovo Prison at the hands of one of Russia’s most ruthless interrogators. Jenkins is not even sure if the woman he’s heard about really is Paulina, but he knows one thing: if it is her, he will not leave her behind. Jenkins will do whatever it takes to rescue the woman who saved his life and allowed him to meet his new baby daughter. Without her sacrifice, that could never have happened.

So it’s back into Russia, where all Jenkins has to do this time is free Paulina from one of the most security-conscious political prisons in the whole country and get them both safely back to the U.S. Even James Bond in his prime might find this task a bit difficult, but it’s going to take a series of miracles for an unusually tall black man - a sixty-something-year-old one, at that - to pull off this one.

Bottom Line: The Last Agent picks up almost where The Eighth Sister ended. The two novels are so closely tied together, in fact, that the reader can’t help but be a little astounded that Jenkins would dare risk his life by returning to the country he so recently barely escaped with his life. That, of course, is exactly the point. Charles Jenkins is not the kind of man who could ever turn his back on someone who sacrificed her life to save his. If fate has given him the unexpected chance to even the scales, he is going to take that chance while he has it. Robert Dugoni has written another exceptional spy thriller, one that works well as a standalone, but is even better when read as the sequel it is. The Charles Jenkins series is proving to be a good one.

Mission: Impossible. I could hear the music from that late 60s-early 70s TV spy series in my head throughout my entire reading of Robert Dugoni’s new Charles Jenkins thriller, The Last Agent. Jenkins’ mission, should he choose to accept it, is to get into back into Russia, find out whether a prisoner the Russians are holding is the asset Paulina Ponomayova, and smuggle her out of Lefortovo and into the US for debriefing. Piece of cake, right?

Jenkins has reasons to refuse. He has a family, wife Alex, son CJ, and a new baby daughter Lizzie. He has just been acquitted of espionage after his government threw him under the bus. Now the Agency has the nerve to come asking for his help. If it were anyone else, Jenkins would likely decline, but Paulina Ponomayova saved his life. His baby girl is named for her: Elizabeth Paulina Jenkins. He believed Ponomayova to be dead, but now, if she is alive, he must try to get her out because he owes her. Alex understands this, but the decision weighs heavily on Charlie.

Sending Jenkins to Russia as an undercover agent is no small task. Literally not small. Jenkins is a six foot-five-inch tall African American man, which makes him stand out in Moscow. So he must rely upon his experience and his contacts, plus the resources and backing of the CIA to maintain his cover. To whom does he turn when he arrives? His old nemesis, Viktor Federov. It was fascinating to watch their rivalry transform into an uneasy partnership, with neither totally trusting the other, but rather cooperating because the other options are unacceptable.

With Federov assisting Jenkins in attempting to learn if Paulina is indeed the prisoner inside the notorious prison, a new, extremely dangerous foe, Adam Efimov. Efimov claims to have ties to Putin himself and knows if he does not get the information they need from Ponomayova, his head will roll. So he pulls no punches when it comes to pursing Charlie Jenkins. He will stop at nothing to prevent him from letting her escape from Russia, even if it means endangering lives of his men or innocent civilians.

This was a brilliantly conceived story. Once I got the hang of who was who with all the Russian names, I just sat back and enjoyed the ride. “Enjoy” has different meanings at different times. This was not like your walk in the park or a ride the merry-go-round. This was like, I don’t know, pick your favorite bumpy ride. At times, I held my breath. At times, I gripped my Kindle tightly and wanted to shut my eyes. A few times, I even chuckled, like when the pilot, Rod Studebaker broke out into song, “Come on baby, light my fire” as he was flying his nervous passengers through a particularly rough patch in a snowstorm. “Hot Rod” was quite a memorable character.

Federov turns out to be memorable, if not rather sad at times. He’s basically a lonely man, and he seems to respect Jenkins. I liked Matt Lemore, and I hope to see him again in future books. The good news is that it seems quite likely that there will be at least one more book to follow this one as the mystery of the “Seven Sisters” isn’t quite wrapped up. If it’s anything like The Last Agent, I may need to stock up on vodka before I read that one!
Highly recommended. You’ll want to read The Eighth Sister before reading this one so that the characters and events make sense.

My thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and the author for this ARC copy. My views and comments are my own.

5 stars