Quite liked this it was fast paced and it really got me intrigued right from the beginning. Very enjoyable and great read.

I was given a free copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

What a read. Action packed and never lets up. I feel it would make a fantastic film or series. I understand this is the first in a series and I can't wait to read more.

Thanks to Alex and NetGalley for allowing me to read Traitors.

The book is very topical, being primarily set in Russia and the Ukraine.

It is a fast paced action thriller with double agents galore and an occasional 007 sense of humour.

First book I've read by this author and on the store gth of this book it definitely won't be the last. It's rare to find a book with a strong female protagonist and espe ially one like Raccine who is a spy and a government backed assassin. She works under cover for a secret department who, in the event of her capture will deny all responsibility or liability. In other words., when out I'm the field she's pretty much on her own and has to rely on her own wits and strength to accomplish her mission and get out alive. I loved this book and couldn't put it down. Can't wait to read more.

Traitors by Alex Shaw was a fantastic read. The characters were extremely well-developed. The action and storyline were thrilling, with numerous unexpected twists. I can't wait for the next book. Do yourself a favor and get this book now! Thank you NetGalley and HQ for this copy.

Full speed ahead thriller well written and plotted with action, good characters. If you like International thrillers that's fast paced this is for you.
I received this book from the HQ Digital via Netgalley for a review.

Brilliant spy thriller Racine on a mission for the French to kill a French special agent turned traitor. Snow a British agent sent to rescue a British national. Fast paced and even as things seem to eventually go to plan there are still more plenty of turns and as you turn the last page you will be waiting for next book!!

This isn’t my usual genre of reading but occasionally I need to mix it up a bit and Alex Shaw has a great way of pulling you into the murky world of spies, killers and drama. The characters are well defined (although I did get slightly missed up with the Russian/Ukrainian men). The story moves at an exhilarating pace and I can see this being made into a film. A great break from my norm

Alex Shaw’s dangerous protagonist of his new series – Sophie Racine – is a treat to read and is just as badass as the male protagonists of his other series. His latest thriller – Traitors – is filled with high octane cinematic action sequences, espionage, many plot twists, and a good amount of heart. The usual amount of blood and gore is present, but I was surprised to find a likable female action hero written by a male author which wasn’t sexualized to any of the stereotypes.



Sophie, a French assassin for the DGSE, is a complex character that even the male reader base of the genre can empathize with and cheer for as the story develops in its non-linear narrative, but the action is extremely satisfying just like reading a thriller with any badass, crazy, and brilliantly relentless action hero. The DGSE and the French perspective of the protagonists are rare in the genre, but it’s handled well in a believable yet classical way, with more focus on old-school espionage tradecraft.



The plot of Traitors has many moving parts, involving Sophie going into war-torn Ukraine under the cover of a Russian journalist to kill a French traitor who had struck a large blow for the DGSE, an SIS Increment operator in Ukraine who’s rescuing a British citizen held captive by Sophie’s target, multiple personal vendettas that span years(even decades), scheming spymasters with scores to settle, and a fight against overwhelming odds with no backup or support. This is peppered with good doses of dark comedy, wildly fun action-packed escapades, a constant stream of tension and plot twists, realistically seeming tradecraft and action, and high use of non-linear narratives to unravel the numerous connected pieces of the story that give it a personal touch. Too many guns, bombs, grenades, armored vehicles, drones, and more spice up the propulsive narrative, and it felt like watching an awesome movie.



Aiden Snow, the protagonist of another series written by Alex Shaw, has a major role in this book as the British SIS operator sent to rescue the British Muslim student(with secret political connections) help captive by Sophie’s target. Though Snow’s a fun, dangerous, wacky, and smart character who vaguely forms a bond with Sophie as they work together in their connected objectives, he does and also does not steal the show as his major ‘subplot’ never connects to Sophie’s main plot and character arc. I liked that the two operators who meet accidentally in a tough fix are mature enough to avoid territorial/political/tactical disputes over their different countries/agencies/objectives and work together in their own way without hindering each other which is the opposite of what is normally done in such stories.



An interesting side character in the form of a British expat turned pro-Russia English language TV journalist(entertainer/puppet) was an annoying comedic relief at best and a nuisance at worst throughout the story who meets a fitting end in the multi-layered climax. This is a thriller with too many shadowy players involved and though the villain gets terminated, his twisted schemes lay active and give many major characters a tragic end which establishes an overarching story arc for many sequels to come in the series. Traitors can be read as a standalone, but I felt it ended in a very anticlimactic manner with multiple climaxes for the many plot threads that crash disastrously in a shockingly smart and unique narrative that will surprise both the cerebral spy thriller and the adventurous action thriller fanbases.



Alex Shaw’s Traitors is a fresh tale in the genre and is sure to shock and amaze hardcore action thriller and espionage fiction readers who are tired of formulaic and overdone stories. Plus, Ukraine, the main setting of this book, is vividly shown through Shaw’s writing, which has an on-the-ground level of expertise and lucid detail enough to make the location a character/subject of the book. I’m looking forward to the sequel whenever it releases as Sophie Racine is a major character to watch out for in this gritty genre.

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Excellent spy thriller based in the Ukraine during the Russian invasion. Believable storyline, non stop action and some great characters. Dramatic conclusion which left room for a follow on.

I always find spy books fun and interesting. I found the female main character a bit much sometimes, but overall I liked her. I wish there were some chapters in the POV of Snow, and I hope he is in future books. I think the two went well together and made the story better.I liked the flashbacks to Racine’s childhood, they added to her character development and the story as a whole. The middle was a bit dragged out, but I really liked the ending. I would rate the middle 3.5 and the ending 4.25. The ending definitely made me want to read the next books and see where the story goes.

Gripping read from the very start.

Twisty thriller, the action scenes are some of the most well written and engaging I’ve encountered.

Will look for the next instalment.

I like Aidan Snow and I like Racine but the combination / overlap of their story arcs just didn't work here. Snow just seemed to be shoehorned in.

This was my first Sophie Racine book. It started out really well, had my attention and then I’m not sure what happened. It kind of dragged for me.

This was very good. I enjoyed it from start to finish and found it to be very fast paced and well written. There were multiple locations and a number twists and turns. Sophie and Aiden were a good combination and I hope there is another novel featuring them soon. Recommended.

This is the first novel I have read by this author. Would I read another? Quite probably. The story wouldn't be out of place as an episode of the BBC's TV series "Spooks" (this is a compliment, by the way) however it was let down in the climax, which was disappointingly contrived. Intelligence services juggle multiple threats, so would the management really be caught out quite so easily? I like my espionage grounded in reality. More Spooks, Stella Rimington & Frederick Forsyth than James Bond.

Having read other books by this author previously, I thought I would see how a new protagonist series would fare. If I'm being honest, it was another great addition to the authors catalogue!

We are introduced to Sophie Racine, one of the defenders of France who will do what is needed to ensure the country stays safe. The characters are fleshed out enough to get you hooked into the story, and another character from another series also pops by to help as his mission runs parallel to hers.

If you like a good spy thriller, then this is a good place to start. The details of the locations and other characters give a very good mental image for the reader to see it in their head. I would recommend it to anyone who likes this style of thriller.

My only negative of the book came towards the end. After the main event of the book, the ending could have been used as a prologue to another in the series, but annoyed me by getting me engrossed in the follow up...then ending. But this can also be a positive, as it means I want to read the next book(?) when it comes out!

I received a free ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in return for my honest opinion.

A new series from a talented author. Previous books have featured Aidan Snow, ex SAS and now MI6 operative. He does feature in this book but as a slightly secondary character to Sophie Racine. Sophie is a great character, a French Intelligence agent and a pretty deadly one at that. She has a mission to kill an ex colleague who betrayed her and her service to the Russians.
Set mainly in the Ukraine this is a smart and action packed thriller. The author knows his stuff and that part of the world and that local knowledge just bleeds through in authenticity. Snow does play his part but this is about us being introduced and mesmerised by the new kid on the block.
Enjoyed this a great deal, hope we see more of them both.

Thank you to HQ Stories at Harper Collins for the ARC of yet another great book by Alex Shaw.

I confess from the outset that I am already a massive fan, and this new story did not disappoint!

The two new central characters were beautifully woven, and I particularly loved the glamorous, ruthless agent with a heart in Sophie Racine.

The plot buzzes along at a high-octane pace, with all the usual twists and turns of an Alex Shaw novel.. It also, like all great thrillers, leaves you wanting more as the book ends.

I am hooked, and I can't wait for the next instalment!

A solid thriller from an experienced author that knows how to tell a good tale. This will probably sell well. It has the elements of a good thriller.

Thanks very much for the free review copy!!