Fabulous!! This was a great story which I could not put down. Would recommend this to everyone who loves this genre.

Fast pace novella part of a series that readers will want to read the first in the series to have a better idea of who the people are.
With that being said this story is story and to the point making it the perfect beach read. Readers will be pulled into the action unable to put the story down until the very last page.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of Leo Maloney Hard Target

I loved the characters and the storyline development of this book. It was absolutely one of my favorites so far and I can't wait to delve in to the next one that this author writes. The storyline was simple, enjoyable, and entertaining. The characters were complex while being completely entertaining.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Leo J. Maloney, and Kensington Books for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Leo J. Maloney is back with another adventure for the younger Morgan family member. Alex has become the rising star in Zeta Group, even though some cannot see the benefit in her role. When Alex and a handful of others are tasked with helping the NSA, things go wrong while they are in Chicago. An attempt on the vice-president’s life is foiled, but bodies are everywhere, with Alex the sole apparent survivor. Many feel that this is a Zeta mission and a manhunt is started to bring Alex Morgan to justice. She’s on the lam, just her and a motorcycle, but she won’t be able to do it alone. It’s fast-paced like you have never seen it before in this novella. Maloney fans will not be disappointed.

Whispers of a planned attack in Chicago reach the highest levels of US security, which causes worry when the vice-president is set to speak there. Zeta Team is sent in to help, seconded to other agencies, though there are multiple issues to tackle and little time to do it. When an explosion rips through an underground passage, many die and an ensuing shootout brings the body count even higher. When the smoke clears, it seems only one person is left alive, Alex Morgan. Rather than cheering this, US officials wonder if she was behind the attack and have started a manhunt to locate her.

Left with little to do but hide, Alex tries to make her way out of Chicago on her motorcycle, which is not the most conspicuous of transportation modes. She will have to be as stealthy as possible, but even that can’t be done alone. While traveling, she learns of a second attack on a uranium facility, sending Alex on another mission to protect her country. It won’t be easy, but she finds help in an unlikely source to make it a little easier. Meanwhile, her ever-protective father, Dan Morgan, is working with Zeta to save all involved before it’s too late.

This was a great novella that read family quickly. It’s got all the elements that Leo J. Maloney usually brings to a book, with strong characters, action that never stops, and short chapters to push the story forward. The reader familiar with the series and Zeta will know that there is little time to rest at any point, keeping a heightened level of excitement throughout. While only a short piece, Maloney hit the mark with this one. Teasers can only help fuel the interest in the next publication, something that I am eager to see, when it comes to fruition.

Kudos, Mr. Maloney, for another winner in this series. I have come to expect great things when you write and rarely am I disappointed.

Hard Target by Leo J. Maloney is intriguing and suspenseful; a novella you can’t put down. It brings almost non-stop action to the first book in a new spin-off series featuring Alex Morgan, the daughter of Dan Morgan.

When reports of a terrorist attack in Chicago during the Vice President’s speech are received, the NSA pulls in the covert agency Zeta to help along with the F.B.I., Secret Service, and state and local police. Alex leads the Zeta tactical team, but when things go awry, she becomes a primary suspect. What follows is a cross-country journey to stop another attack and clear her name. There is a lot packed into this novella.

Due to the shortness of the story and the prolific action, there is limited character growth. However, the reader does get a look at Alex’s intelligence, her fighting capability, one of her interests outside of work, and how she goes about making friends. She is definitely memorable and she came to life for me as the story progressed. She felt multidimensional.

The author does a great job of world-building. I was able to easily visualize the settings whether it was Illinois or Nevada or someplace in between. The prose is well-written, skilled, and proficient. There are sub-plots to the story which tie together well. While the main ones are resolved, there are threads that can be pulled in the next book in the series. Themes include trust, teamwork, friendship, and terrorism, as well as interagency rivalries. With an action political thriller such as this one, the reader normally has to be able to suspend belief. Despite this, the author’s own black ops experience made the action and story line seem very real. It added authenticity and depth that many lack. The plot was clever, intense, and impactful.

Overall, this book was fast-paced, action-oriented, and very entertaining. The high stakes made it a page turner. It is best read in one sitting. Once I started it, I couldn’t stop until I reached the end. The story line felt fresh and certainly delivered on the promise of its opening scenes. If you enjoy action thrillers or political thrillers that have a strong female character, then this may be the series for you. Those that enjoy riding motorcycles may also enjoy this novella. I can’t wait to find out what is next for Alex. I also want to read the series featuring her father.

Kensington Books and Leo J. Maloney provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for May 25, 2021. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

Alex Morgan is back in Hard Target, it's the second book in this sort of spin off series by Leo J. Maloney. This series is almost a revival of the series about Dan Morgan that I think was needed. This time Raven is tasked with helping the NSA to stop a plot killing the vice president or is she? I found the book fast paced and funny especially the Route 66 parts. Dan Morgans concern about cars is also great. I really am starting to like this series better than the origins with Dan but they are both great. I have to thank @netgalley @kensingtonbooks for giving me this advance copy and @leo.j.maloney for writing it. Recommended reading.

Dan Morgan’s daughter, Alex, continues to grow in this series. The story is fast-paced withe plenty to keep action addicts satisfied. Looking forward to the time when we’ll think of Dan as Alex Morgan’s dad.

I have been a fan of the Dan Morgan series and have liked the spin off to his daughter Alex. What I'm not sure about was whether this was a novella or a full size novel. It seemed extremely short to me and while there was a lot of action, it was all very superficial. The plot - while full of action - seemed very surface level. There didn't seem to be any depth to anything that was occurring.

Without going into spoilers, there were about three different plot lines going on yet it seemed more to me like an outline of what needed to happen and then what was happening. I know that in this genre, the reader has to suspend a certain amount of believability. It is just expected. But in this, that level seemed like it was exceeded. Somehow, everyone got to the expected place, all at the same time, without communication. And somehow, a man she had just met was able to partner with Alex in a matter of National Security, providing all of the necessary resources.

Did that mean I didn't enjoy it? No, I did. But it pulled me out of the story more times than usually I am comfortable with. I think if it had been just a little longer, there could have been some fleshing out of the plot to give some added depth, details and believability.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC for an honest review. All opinions are my own.