I LOVED IT!! I was a little nervous going into this one... I loved the spy bits of the first book, The Eighth Sister, which comprised about the first half of the book, but the remainder was a bit more courtroom drama than I am normally interested in, so I netted out at three stars. Still, I loved the characters and the Cold War, old-school spy feel of the parts that focused on the mission and escape so much that I knew I'd give the next in the series a chance, and I was not disappointed!

This one is a classic US/Russia spy story from start to finish. And it's BRILLIANT. Think Nelson DeMille or John Le Carre in their heyday. Seriously. It's that good. The characters, the pacing, the drama, the settings and details - it's all spot-on marvelous. Dugoni is a very strong writer - I've said that before and I'll say it again. He crafts complex tales with complex characters, throws them into unbelievable situations, and then forces them to navigate their way out. It should, at least occasionally, mean suspensions of disbelief - after all, some of the things Charles Jenkins pulls off seem near-impossible - but somehow it never does. That I chalk up to his facility with language and ability to pain vivid pictures that suck the reader entirely in. It doesn't leave any room for disbelief - largely because the action is so non-stop you don't have time to entertain it. They HAVE to escape, so they do. Cogito, ergo sum.

It makes for an incredible heart-pounding read, all the more emotionally charged because of its references to contemporary geopolitical realities and emotionally charged responses to them. This one also ended with a lot of things left open - which I'm hoping means we'll get to see more from the marvelous Mr. Jenkins and his improbable team of Russian compatriots. And I say bravo!

A strong follow up to The Eighth Sister, Dugoni's series featuring retired agent Charles Jenkins, the newest thriller takes our hero back to the last place he pulled off a coup and barely made it out alive-Russia. Attempting to rescue the only survivor of that mission, he must do the impossible : get into Russia without being caught himself, get her out of her heavily guarded cell in an impregnable prison, and get her safely back to the United States. Several narrow escapes later he succeeds, but until then there's enough tension and drama in the narrative to keep you turning the pages.

Robert Dugoni always gives us more story in exchange for our reading loyalty. If you read THE EIGHTH SISTER, you know he often tells a character's story in distinctive parts. THE LAST AGENT is again centered on Charles Jenkins, a man of principle who just wants to be left alone so he can raise his children in peace. He does not trust people easily and reacts quickly to threats against those he feels indebted to. When he learns that a Russian woman who helped him escape needs rescuing herself, Charles takes us on a wild journey and survives many near misses to find her. Mr. Dugoni's book are full of action and tension from the first chapter to the last. You will feel a definite sense of winning...a YES moment....at the end of this book!

The tension never sags. Electrifying narrative never lets the tension sag. Exciting, biting, gripping. Engaging protagonist and support characters. Pulse-pounding storyline winter time in Moscow. Coming out this September. This is a not to be missed novel.

Thriller spy fiction with a twist - the spy saves the spy who saved the spy. At first it appears to be escape from the bad guys at all costs. But the escape was very well described. I do not think I would like to fly with Mr. Studebaker. Highly recommend!

Let me start by saying I love Robert Dugoni. That said, I did not care for this book. It was extremely well written, but the subject matter was not for me. Too confusing...espionage, blackmail, Russian spies. It's just not my type of book. Do not let that discourage you from reading it. It has great reviews and if you like those types of books, you will love it.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book for an unbiased review.

A great second book in this series. A spy novel for those who love adventure and close calls. An agent and pilot who can accomplish the impossible team up to best the Russians.

The Last Agent by author Robert Dugoni is the second book in the Charles Jenkins Series

A Thriller espionage series

Charles Jenkins is an American operative who spent time in Russia the first time we were introduced to him.

The pace starts off fast pretty early on in this book, and continues the adrenaline driven race until the end

He is back in Russia to see if Paulina Ponomayova is still alive. She is the agent who sacrificed her life to save him in the first book of the series -The Eighth Sister

A very enjoyable style of writing, with another great storyline

Looking forward to more from this author in the future

Thank you to GoodReads, Author Robert Dugoni, and Thomas & Mercer for my advanced copy to review, in exchange for my opinions!

#TheLastAgent #NetGalley

A High Octane Novel

Men rush into a woman’s hospital room and hustle off her to cell to be interrogated quite painfully. The novel then switches to the main character, Charles Jenkins, who six months after being found not guilty for espionage. He is finally free of the vestiges of these events by signing his last check to pay the last contractor hired by his former company. He was now debt free and living with his wife and children on his Washington State Camano Island farm. He is visited by a well dress man looking for Jenkins. Jenkins asked what it is about. The man responds, “Russia.” He is from the CIA and explains that the woman that helped Jenkins escape from Russia, Paulina Ponomayova, is believed to be alive in Lefortovo prison. She is being interrogated for the identity of the last four sisters, U.S. spies. The CIA wants to get her out, and who is better candidate for this job than Jenkins. How could Jenkins refuse to save the woman who he thought had died saving him and named his then unborn daughter after her? From this seed, the main storyline grows.

Once Jenkins makes the decision to proceed, the action is fast-paced. I was captivated immediately. Many of the characters from the first novel make an appearance starting with Demir Kaplan who helped Jenkins escape from Russia the first time. New and equally entertaining characters are introduced that enrichen my reading enjoyment. Jenkins also needs his former nemesis during his escape from Russia, the disgraced former FSB Colonel Victor Federov. The plan develops and morphs as the situation changes. The main storyline stays fresh as it continually shifts and proceeds in a new direction. The voices of the chapters changes and belongs to the main character of that chapter. The reader receives multi-perspective view into the main storyline.

The storyline is very rich. At the start, the decision to proceed is a family discussion. There is much interaction with his wife that provides a very poignant insight into the Jenkins’s character. Additional insight is provided in Jenkins interaction with Victor and Paulina. Jenkins’s nemeses in this novel also are well developed as are some new and returning FSB characters. These B-storylines were well woven into the main storyline threads.

The level of sex and language is very low. There is violence and described as it happens, but the descriptions are not graphic. These aspects should not hinder most readers. This is the second novel in the series. Many characters reappear with the baggage from the first novel. I have read the first novel, but adequate background and context were provided, so I believe reading this novel first is quite feasible. A reader will just miss a great story.

I observed only one drawback. The ending was a plug for the next novel. I call these ending after the seasonal ending to the TV show, Dynasty, “Who shot JR?” ending. The ending of the first novel didn’t have this type of ending. It was saved for beginning of this novel. This is a nitnoid of mine.

Based upon the enjoyment I received in reading this novel and how it held my interest right up to the end, I rate it with five stars. If you liked The Eighth Sister, do not miss this one. If you like exciting chases, do not skip either. I am looking forward to reading the next novel in the series.

I have received a free e-book version of this novel through NetGalley from Thomas & Mercer with an expectation for an honest, unbiased review. I wish to thank Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. A classic spy novel with near impossible situations dealt with handily by a black former CIA operative. Taken as a whole the action is interesting and exciting. There is, however, much more dialogue and narrative than necessary. Give the reader the story and the connundrums without adding needless verbiage.

Robert Dugoni takes step 2 in what promises to be a great series. Ex-spy Charles Jenkins shows his loyalty, spycraft, and intelligence as he travels the globe, especially Russia, in search of the truth as he tries to locate and save a lost colleague.

Charles Jenkins, retired and living with his much younger wife, son, and baby daughter gets the information that Paulina Ponomayova, the woman who he thought had sacrificed her life so that he could return to his family, may be alive, and if scuttlebutt is to be believed in heinous Lefortovo prison. Beyond hell on earth, if she's there it's to extract the remaining four names of the Seven Sisters. He barely escaped home after that mission and was then brought up on charges of treason. Later exonerated. But, Paulina--the thought of her at the mercy of those vicious Russian interrogators tears at his heart.

Upon returning to Russia, Charles will contact Viktor Federov, the agent treated as badly as Charles, his fault for letting Jenkins escape. Viktor is driven by two motives and one is money. He'll enlist Viktor's help in penetrating the prison. Each holds a grudging respect for the other as well as a modicum of mistrust.

Paulina, a magnetic, empathetic operative from Book 1 as well as Viktor are both formidably strong support characters. The antagonist in Book 2 is wickedly intuitive and whether a step ahead or behind, raises the apprehension, missing his targets by inches. You don't get to relax or take a breath. The chase is on in frigid winter Moscow and the stakes are high. Can they escape with FSB ranking Efimov desperate to capture not only Paulina but Charles and Viktor as well?

The well-plotted suspense thriller brings each heart-stopping scene to within a hair's breadth and then the author throws another curve, another red herring or spine-tingling twist. Unique espionage storyline, electrifying narrative, immersive, engaging, and never lets the tension sag.

You could very well enjoy this book as a standalone as there are references back to Book 1 interactions, relationships, and motives. I received this digital uncorrected proof by the publisher and NetGalley and SOOO appreciate the opportunity for the read and review. This novel releases in September. Get your pre-order in now. Totally recommended!

I really enjoyed this book. Character development was good. The plot was very interesting. Not a lot of typos.

Slow start, somewhat repetitive from previous book, Improves in second third, still trying to finish

Thank you to Net Galley,the publishers and the author for an ARC copy for review, and apologies for the delay.

Firstly I have read some of the Tracy Crosswhite books, but I personally loved this character and book more, here we have Charles Jenkins.

Net Galley, the publishers gave me the second book in the series, I had not read the first, but the author explains so much and so well in this second book I understood this book fully and the history of the first.

An American operative in Russia is on the run for his life in a thriller of heart-stopping betrayal and international intrigue by the New York Times bestselling author of The Eighth Sister.

Betrayed by his own country and tried for treason, former spy Charles Jenkins survived an undercover Russian operation gone wrong. Exonerated, bitter, and safe, the retired family man is through with duplicitous spy games. Then he learns of a woman isolated in Moscow’s notorious Lefortovo Prison.

If it’s 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, Jenkins must return to Russia. Next move: blackmail Viktor Federov, a former Russian officer with his own ax to grind, into helping him infiltrate Lefortovo. The enemy who once pursued Jenkins across three continents is now the only man Jenkins can trust.

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.

This was an action packed thriller, action, crime, espionage the tension builds as each chapter flies by and there were moments I wanted to close my eyes! Panicked at what was about to happen, I felt all the time this would make a great film.

Great characters,all the way through you could not be sure who Charles could trust, who was helping, who wasn't and throughout he was literally steps ahead.

The pace, the strength of the story, the characters, the tension, also how tired I am do justice to how good this book was, late nights yes... Tired.. yes!

Five stars.

In this second installment to his Charles Jenkins spy series, Robert Dugoni delivers another riveting, edge-of-your-seat story that left me clamoring for more!

While “The Last Agent” can easily be read as a standalone, the main premise is a follow-up to the first book in this series, “The Eighth Sister,” bringing Charles Jenkins back to Moscow on another heart-pounding mission that’s tied to his past.

Though this s not typically my preferred genre, Robert Dugoni has made me a convert. Clearly, he has the Midas touch—because whatever he writes is absolutely golden. And “The Last Agent” is no exception. Pick it up and give it a try. If you love a good spy novel, you won’t be disappointed!!

The Last Agent by Robert Dugoni is a great read! A real engrossing page-turner and worth the time of a read!!

This second book in the Charles Jenkins series reads like ‘Mission: Impossible’, with high stakes and astronomical risks.

In the espionage game of cat-and-mouse, it is one thing to engage on a playing field whereupon the variable pieces are already laid out, and success depends on staying at least one step ahead of your adversary. It is an entirely different level of complexity to set up the board, without your partners even being aware that you have chosen to engage them, and fueled by the hopeful expectation that the opposing party (friend or foe) will react in the way you’d anticipated. Furthermore, your opponent must be led to think that he’s making all the moves, but is in fact playing into your hands.

This is a definite page-turner, a thriller that is as much cerebral as it is action. I like this novel as much as I liked the first one; 5-star reads for both.

Thanks NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer publisher for the ARC in exchange for this honest review, which contains NO SPOILERS. This is Book 2 in a Charles Jenkins series. I disagree with some reviewers who think this book is heavily dependent on Book 1 (The Eighth Sister). I haven't read the first book, and yet very quickly caught on on what happened there. The author gives enough information in this second book for the reader to understand the most important points from Book 1. I didn't feel at a loss, and it didn't seem like I was missing something. This book easily stands on its own. A WORD OF CAUTION: If you plan on reading The Eighth Sister, then do NOT read The Last Agent first. By necessity (to provide enough information so that the second book makes sense), the author had to supply spoilers for Book 1.

The book is briskly written and provides forward momentum all throughout. There are no slow parts. It's easy to read in one sitting or over the course of several days. The book is highly enjoyable, even though at times it feels like it's written for the future screen adaptation. I usually don't go for thrillers, but was intrigued by the place of the action (modern Russia). For a thriller, it was a solid book worth the time!

I received a free ARC of The Last Agent from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Once again, Robert Dugoni has produced a well-written, multi-layered spy novel. To be fair, this second entry in the Charles Jenkins series is heavily dependent on the first, The Eighth Sister. The events of this novel require some understanding of the plot from the first one, but even more importantly, Charles Jenkins's motivations for returning to Russia are all developed in the first novel. Paulina saved his life and he thought she had lost hers in the process. Learning that she may be alive, a captive held by the FSB (formerly KGB) in the infamous Lefortovo Prison, forces him to risk his life to save hers.

Jenkins, a large black man in his sixties, sticks out wherever he goes. He is a wanted man in Russia where he made many enemies and few friends. Jenkins always has contingency plans within contingency plans so readers never see the twists and turns coming. Former pursuers of Jenkins from The Eighth Sister reappear in this novel but now their motivations and their intent may be different. Jenkins is not always sure who he can trust and readers will harbor the same doubts and hesitations.

Sheer luck, as in many spy thrillers, plays a role here but Dugoni never lets luck supersede strength of body and character. He leaves open the possibility of another entry in this series but the ending here is still satisfying. A thrilling read.
#CharlesJenkins #NetGalley #TheLastAgent