MCGARVEY 3.5 STARS
Kind of interesting story line written in Hagbergs easy readable style. The characters remain likeable but the quality seems to be declining in recent novels.
When Kirk McGarvey investigates the mysterious death of his parents so many years ago, he uncovers long-buried secrets that put him head to head and mano a mano with . . . Vladimir Putin.

In this 25th in the series, Mac finally discovers who killed his parents, scientists working at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, so many years before.

Before doing so, he's 'caught up in the middle of a power struggle between the two most powerful men in Russia.' Can this possibly end well?

Read McGarvey for extreme and improbable escapism, an entertaining distraction in these challenging times.

McGarvey is the twenty-fifth instalment in the Kirk McGarvey series. CIA Black Ops Officer McGarvey is about to hit his mid-sixties and is preparing to retire to spend more time with his new wife, but he begins looking into the suspicious death of his parents in a car crash twenty-eight years ago desperate for answers. Through a series of flashbacks, we discover his parents had made a breakthrough while researching countermeasures to Russian laser pulse anti-satellite weapons while employed at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. Could this have put a target on their backs? McGarvey, after doing some digging, finds that a Russian KGB Agent named Yevgenni Zimin precipitated their deaths by running their car off the road, likely ordered by those higher up as perhaps his parents' intelligence was seen as a threat. Unfortunately, KGB Agents know how to carry out these types of assassinations as Zimin made absolutely sure there were no witnesses around at the time who could later finger him. We move to present day and Zimin’s peaceful retirement is shattered when he is called to put a stop to McGarvey’s investigation in whatever way he can; needless to say, Mac is in extreme danger and so are those around him.

Can he make it out alive with so many Russian operatives on his tail? This is an action-packed, adrenaline-pumping thrill ride from start to finish, and although it pales in comparison to some of the other instalments in this series, I still enjoyed it immensely. As long as you can forgive some of the happenings that stretch credulity and suspend your disbelief then you're in for an entertaining, palpably tense and compulsive read. This is a cross between an espionage thriller and a techno-thriller as both the spy aspect and the frightfully good technology play key roles in the plot. It's written in a straightforward, to the point fashion and this allows you to become immersed quickly and easily. It's a lot of fun and of course, plays on the stereotypical friction between Russian v American operatives as being a fight between good and evil. McGarvey and his intrepid team forge ahead, including his wife and ingenious CIA colleague, Pete Boylan, who helps keep them one step ahead of the Russians through her impressive skill set. And so ensues a high-stakes game of cat and mouse between enemy states and you begin to wonder whether Kirk will ever get the answers he deserves about his parent's demise. RIP Mr Hagberg.

I was very excited when I saw there was a new Kirk McGarvey title. I have been a big fan of David Hagberg's since at least the early 1990s but I had not seen a title from him in quite a while. I was very perplexed by the long list of McGarvey titles listed in this book's afterward because I had not seen a lot of them. A glance at Wikipedia and it all makes sense. Mr Hagberg died a year ago.

That being said, I do not feel at all guilty about writing a review about this incredibly mediocre book. While I was reading it I could not understand why it was so inferior to previous titles, including all the books Mr Hagberg wrote under pseudonyms. It felt almost as though someone entered a lot of data into a fairly sophisticated computer program and the computer churned out this crap. It was monotonous, unrealistic, boring, disjointed, emotionless, zero action, unrealistic technology, full of just plain idiocy like calling the computer programs "my darlings" and assorted other major major big time shortcomings. I gave it 2 stars because I did not spot a single spelling or grammar error which is incredibly rare these days.

I am all for capitalism and giving the public what it wants. In this case, the publisher needs to trademark Mr Hagberg's name - like they do with Robert Ludlum - or credit the real author like they do with Tom Clancy. Both of whom are also no longer writing.

The World’s Most Dangerous Assassin

Kirk McGarvey book # 25

When asking for this book from the publisher Macmillan-Tor/Forge through Netgalleys I had not realized it was #25 in the series, there were no notes to that effect but now looking back after reading this story there were no reason to do so. This story stood well as a stand-alone. As agreed when receiving this book the following are my thoughts.

A tid-bit of the story:

McGarvey investigates the mysterious death of his parents a long time ago that unravels a string of buried secrets that are tied to Vladimir Putin. In return the Russian dictator wants him dead and sends Russian Hit Squads to eliminate him….

My thoughts:

Some would say the plot is unrealistic, I do agree but no doubts quite fun to read if you put aside that the smartest computer expect and hacker in the world can do what he is capable of doing in this plot is implausible. He will do anything to help Kirk even if it means to destroy every computer systems on earth….

As the story switches between times from recounting the time of the accident the protagonist’s parents were involved in to his present state of looking into the reason behind their death. Along the ways he comes face to face with members of the hit squad. Of course we have some action and Kirk comes out unscathed to fight another day. The scenario is not too complicated to follow although when the tension builds we definitely want Kirk to success without declaring a war. I wouldn’t say this book is action packed but it has a fair amount to be entertaining enough to keep us pushing forward. The writing is not literature nor pompous. The exchanges between characters are rather down to earth, very simple, really what it should be. As for the characters, you will definitely root for them….maybe even Putin.

“McGarvey” is good but quite the run of the mill type of spy story.