Traitors by Alex Shaw is the first book in a new thriller series, featuring Sophie Racine a
French Intelligence officer who is tasked with travelling into the heart of a warzone in Ukraine. Her mission is to assassinate a Russian spy who took the French secret service apart piece by piece and gave their secrets to the Kremlin.
Ex-SAS trooper and MI6 Officer Aidan Snow is also in Ukraine. Sent by British Intelligence, he must extract an innocent citizen caught up in the conflict in rebel-controlled Donetsk.
When their missions collide, Snow and Racine find themselves outgunned and outnumbered. Even if they make it out of the warzone alive, danger won’t be far behind…
An action spy thriller that starts as it plans to go on. A high action and high speed thriller that has enough tension to keep you turning the pages. This book grabbed my attention as soon as I started it. A story that is packed with espionage, action, lies, danger. All revolving around an assassin that can give as good as they get. Everything about this book really had me thinking just one more page.
A brilliant beginning to a new series, and one I plan to keep up with.
Thanks to HQ and netgalleyfor my copy of the bool and place on the tour.

What a great read!! I absolutely loved this book. Action packed spy thriller and a female James Bond only better. I would definitely read and recommend this author.

Excellent story. It introduces the French agent Racine. Fast paced action throughout. The ending lines it up for a continuation of this character.

:A rollicking female led spy fest

A new protagonist for author Alex Shaw, in the guise of French DSGE agent Sophie Racine. This lady kicks asses and takes names throughout a dizzying race around the world’s current geo-political hot spots.

The action is gripping, with a series of flashbacks helping to create back stories for the differing protagonists, with a surfeit of local flavouring from the author’s time spent living/working in Ukraine and other global locations.

Racine almost appears as a female version of Stephen Leather’s ‘Spider Shepherd’ and she seems almost indestructible as she pursues her target – for both personal and profession purposes.

There are a number of fortuitous coincidences, which allows the action to continue its flow – but then fiction, does allow for such things

Overall a rollicking female led spy fest


My thanks go to Netgalley and the Publisher, for the chance to read an advance review copy of this book, in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is the first book that I have read from Alex Shaw and it did not disappoint.
Action throughout the book that had me stressing are they going to make it or not!
Sophie Racine is on a mission for the DGSE, and she finds Aiden Snow on a mission that means they are on the same path but for different reasons. Snow & Racine end up joining forces to deal with a hostage situation but also to catch the man that Racine is to assassinate.
Great thriller that kept me turning the pages, to see how it all ended.

Alex Shaw has produced another bang-up action thriller in the grand tradition of action thrillers. He seems to go from strength to strength. Highly recommended. At times I wanted to stop reading because I just wanted the action to go on for longer.

Where to start? Well, if you want the positives, this is a rollicking adventure with action aplenty. Unusually, the lead character is a French DGSE agent with what is, perhaps, best described as whatever the French equivalent of a double O designation is - most assuredly licensed to kill!
The author makes this a distinctly international thriller, involving a MI6 agent working on a parallel mission to our French heroine as she spreads mayhem across France and into the contested Ukrainian territory around Donetsk. As such it is very much ‘of the moment’ and captures aspects of the ‘hybrid warfare’ currently being practised by Russia.
It would be fair to point out that, like many other books in this genre, the plots have a somewhat tenuous connection with what might be plausible in normal circumstances, but that’s OK as you probably expect to be required to suspend disbelief if you are to get best enjoyment from this kind of book. To be fair, the action scenes are well-described, and the characters are reasonably filled out. Great literature it isn’t, but it’s a page turner and will entertain readers who enjoy action spy thrillers. Recommended.

Traitors, by author Alex Shaw, is the first installment in the authors Sophie Racine series. Sophie Racine is a highly-skilled assassin who is employed by The General Directorate for External Security (DGSE), a blacks ops unit and part of the French Secret Service bureau of Foreign Intelligence. Known as the Division Action, its mandate included the design and delivery of clandestine and covert operations. The DA specialized in the black arts of sabotage, assassination, detention, and kidnapping, and the infiltration and exfiltration of agents into and out of hostile territory.

The story actually begins 3 months, before in Tunisia. Racine's target is a former paratrooper named Jean Yotte who is now a private contractor who overseas security and babysitting of dignitaries. He's also been known to be an assassin with direct links to terrorists. Racine's own division determined that he should be removed and who is better than Racine to get the job done and they vanish without getting caught? Unfortunately, Racine exposes herself and is forced into hiding.

Three Months Later, a man named Roman walks into DGSE safe house where he is met by Jean Baptiste Moreau who works for the Ukrainian desk. Roman apparently has fresh intelligence on a man called Raduga who not only betrayed the DGSE, but revealed the secret identities of dozens of French undercover agents who were eliminated. Roman spins a web and a story about a man named Mohammed Iqbal who was taken by the DNR rebels backed by Russia as well as a future attack on Paris itself.

For the first time in 8 years, the DGSE has its best leads where to find the traitor named Sasha Vasilev who nearly brought down the organization. The only person capable of getting in and out without getting caught is Racine who, even though she disobeyed orders in Tunis, she saved dozens of tourists. Racine joined the organization because of Vasilev and would love to have a crack at being the person who brought him to justice.

While in the Donetsk People's Republic, Racine runs into Ex-SAS trooper and MI6 Officer Aidan Snow who is a teacher in the Ukraine. British Intelligence wants Snow to extract Mohammed Iqbal who got caught up in the conflict in rebel-controlled Donetsk and Sasha's much larger game. In a weird sort of way, Racine needs Snow in country in order to avoid being caught or captured by the DNR rebels and their Russian financiers. The sooner both can complete their respective jobs, the sooner they can get on the first transport out of country.

This story plays itself out in France, Russia, Donetsk, and Ukraine. This is one of those books that will remind you of Jason Bourne with his unbelievable feats that he somehow manages while getting the job done. Racine is almost inhuman in the way she can manage to get in and out of tight spots. This mission is also highly personal for Racine as she lost someone close to her thanks to Sasha's betrayal. The book ends on a brutal cliffhanger ending and I am eager to pick up where this one left off.

*On a historic note, Donetsk is part of the Ukraine which illegally declared its independence in 2014. They can thank the Russians for their independence as this part of the country was part of Putin's plans to reunite the former USSR under his rule. See Crimea who was invaded in 2014 and separated from Ukraine because of its access to the Black Sea.

Traitors by Alex Shaw.

A thrilling spy adventure set in the rebel controlled Ukraine province of Donetsk. Intelligence has come in showing a British hostage and a French traitor who has been hiding underground for a long time, in the same Ukrainian warzone. Sophie Racine one of the top French assassins has been given her target and little time to get moving. She leaves Paris alone, this is a deniable mission so no exit plans, she heads to the warzone of Donetsk to find and eliminate her target. Meanwhile, MI6 agent Aiden Snow has another mission, to free the British student kept hostage under suspicion of being a spy.

The two agents meet and the lone wolves join forces to stay alive in the volatile city where they attempt to save one man’s life and extinguish another.

The characters are well written and believable Racine is a highly trained fighter who people underestimate; you wouldn’t want to look at her the wrong way! I like the way she is given a background and motivation for what she does. The relationship between her and Snow is subtle and is perfect for this story. The rebels were not developed characters, enough to know their motives and not care if they are killed which I suppose is the point.

Told from various locations to remind you of where the action has moved to the chapter headings include the location, and in the various flashback scenes where we understand more about Racine the time frame is shown.

The plot is basic spy stuff done well, plenty of action, the high kicking, gun shooting, bomb exploding kind of action to keep the pace of the story up, the descriptions in some of the more complex scenes could have done with a floor plan to work out where all the threats were coming from.

I thoroughly enjoyed it, a fast paced, well plotted spy thriller, with characters I liked. I would recommend to those who like an action, spy thriller and those who think they might try the genre, it’s a good introduction, not too many characters, only a few Russian names to recognise and the plot is straightforward.

4* thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC.

This story is a rollercoaster ride for days.

The way the author has created a very intricate multi national agency full of spies and intricate political schemes story.

Sophie Racine is a very interesting character that I really liked throughout the book and I felt her charm at all times.

She has to cross roads with Aidan Snow in her new assignment and together they found themselves in the front and center of a more twisted game than they have expected.

But as highly trained agents, they get away more or less unharmed and the fast pacing of the events was really spiking my pulse rate.

I’m looking forward to see them working together in the future books because they might be my favourite agents team now.

4.5 stars
arc review from the publisher

Thanks to HQ and NetGalley, too
For my copy of this book.
This is my honest review,
I am sharing, please take a look.

If stories filled with action are your taste
Get this book, no time to waste.
Especially if you enjoy fast paced thrillers
With a female lead whose a skilled killer

This is an action driven read
One which maintains a rapid speed.
The events are described in detail
Bringing them to life - or death - without fail.

This involves a secret service and spies
But not the CIA or the FBI
This features the French DGSE
that’s a new one to me!

Sophie Racine is the main protagonist who
Is sent to the Ukraine with a killing to do
There she meets Aiden Snow from MI6
Who has his own mission but can the two will mix?

It keeps you guessing from beginning to end
Just who are the enemy and who is a friend?
There’s death, danger and peril throughout
A great start to a series of that there’s no doubt.

Welcome back, Aidan Snow!

Roman Magidov, a Ukrainian lawyer from Donetsk, arrives at the offices of the DGSE Headquarters in Paris with information that one of France’s most wanted criminals, Sasha Vasilev, is currently in Donetsk. Jean Baptiste Moreau, one of the most senior members of DGSE, interviews him and decides that the information he has is legitimate. Baptiste takes what he has learnt to his Deputy Director, Maurice Jacob, and they decide to send in their best agent, Sophie Racine, to annihilate him. It’s not going to be easy, as Russia and Ukraine are at war with each other.

Aidan Snow works for SIS (Secret Intelligence Service) his boss, Jack Patchem, summons him when he returns from a meeting with Maurice Jacob. The Ukrainian lawyer had informed DGSE that a United Kingdom medical student, Mohammed Iqbal, was being held in Donetsk by Vasilev.

Racine and Snow are on two separate missions, however, because of the connection both missions centre on Vasilev, their paths cross and they join forces against the might of the Russian invaders in Ukraine.

Sophie Racine is an interesting character. She’s happy to use her feminine charms if they help her gain the trust of her enemy. Her father trained her from a very young age to an extraordinary standard of fitness, both mentally and physically, and the DGSE has honed her skills in fighting.

Aidan Snow, who we’ve met in previous books, is a far nicer, more grounded character, with a sense of humour and the training of a SAS paratrooper to ensure that he’s always aware and able to take on whatever problem comes at him.

Alex Shaw’s used an interesting tactic in this book – combining the skills of both these highly trained agents to rescue Iqbal and annihilate Vasilev. The action never stops until the final page. I hope that we’ll see more of the two standing shoulder to shoulder in the future.

Rony

Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of the book for review.

Everything you want in a spy thriller.

Double agents, moles, sleepers and of course as here in Alex Shaw latest book, traitors. Traitors carries on that fine tradition and maximises the shady work of spies. Perfect to capture our imaginations, as authors set up to write about secret agencies, off the record, covert operation, politically deniable and with agents often sacrificed.

Enter Sophie Racine, (great name) a French patriot who kills for country. There has been a development in recent espionage novels to have female assassins from Nikita to Villanelle. Racine is a worthy addition to that hall of fame.

Time given to fill in a little backstory without getting in the way of the action this book races out of the traps. The workings are familiar as the spy-craft is exercised with deadly effort and clinical expertise.

Loved the backdrop location that he book is mostly set in, giving the story a modern Cold War twist. I also thought the involvement of two operatives with competing interests and objectives also gave the narrative an additional dimension and constant interest. As with most efforts in hostile countries, the chances of a successful mission are hindered by more of them than you. However, there is also additional politics and objectives here so it becomes blurred in terms of who is the hunter and the hunted.

I found the whole plot fun and the outcome always unpredictable. The introduction of Aidan Snow is perfect to involve previous fans of this author’s work. MI6 dovetail well into the whole scenario, with their mission to free a British National a complication to Racine’s DGSE plans.

The book is so readable and despite the large body count always credible and reflective of conflict situations. There is no violence for shock or horror’s sake and the role of arbitrary observers on the ground shows how diplomacy often isn’t enough. So this is an action filled adventure with a range of characters and more than just a sense of good v evil. I liked the reflective passages and the humanity of many of the direct combatants. Racine is a young woman driven by revenge but we are asked if we can dwell in the past without loss to ourselves rather than to live for a better future.

That the novel goes beyond the actions of political departments whose role is sensitive, especially in a modern democracy - this is always an interesting aside. The author shows in the range and depth of this brilliant book that this genre has moved on, and when done well, is still a page turner and a runaway ride. From start to finish this is a book to enjoy and leave you wanting more.

This is a great opening novel in what hopefully will be a very long running series. We are introduced to Sophie Racine, a French special agent, specializing in assassinations and her direct supervisor, Jean Baptiste, along with their Deputy Director Maurice Jacobs. These characters have known each other for quite a few years and are very good at what they do. Racine is sent on a mission to kill a traitor in disputed Ukrainian territory, which dovetails with a British hostage recovery mission. The action is intense, and not for the particularly squeamish, Racine is very good at her job and does not hesitate to use her skills to eliminate any threats to her or her nation. We also meet Aiden Snow, a former teacher and soldier who now works for the British SIS and is tasked with the rescue of a British national who's a student studying medicine in this former Ukraine republic. These two spys team up to facilitate their respective missions and try to actually succeed and hopefully escape the war zone they find themselves in. Fascinating characters, heart stopping action and an intricate plot makes me wish that this is the first of many stories incorporating these characters, I look forward to seeing much more written about Ms. Racine and company.

As usual Alex Shaw does not disappoint. We meet Sophie Racine, the main character in Traitors, and find out about her journey as an assassin. It is a good story spread between France, England and the Ukraine and is well written with lots of twists and turns. A good spy novel with lots of suspense.

A brand new thriller series featuring Sophie Racine, a fearless assassin with the inklings of a heart about her and the strength and determination to outwit and outplay anyone
Traitors is as it says, about traitors and Sophie’s, (with the help of Aiden Snow), race agains time to settle scores and free a hostage, played out in Russia, Ukraine and France it really had me hooked from the first page and kept me there throughout, I LOVE these kind of books but on occasion they can ‘tangent off’ and can be hard to follow but not so with this, it’s a high action tense thriller written for the reader and made so you feel involved and part of it
There are surprises throughout and I felt emotional when a character left the story such was my investment in them all
Needless to say this was a terrific read and really look forward to book 2
Brilliant

10/10
5 Stars

Perfect for readers who are willing to suspend reality for a short time to enjoy a fast-paced thrill ride of a story. Looking forward to more entries in this series.

A new to me author but not for long. This was an ace read and it has a FEMALE lead who is personable, intelligent, has major skills, and has a ruthless streak hiding a soft core. She may not be the friendliest of folk but if you are part of her team, then she has your back.

I loved learning about Sophie's family history and what triggered her into becoming the human weapon that she is. The DGSE don't know how lucky they are to have her on their side! The action moves from France to Ukraine and this mission has a very personal edge for Sophie.

Along the way, she accumulates a ragtag bunch of allies, including MI^ officer Aiden Snow. He has his own mission, running parallel to Sophie's. Will they work together smoothly or will there be a crisis of priorities?

Racine is a kick-butt character. She could show Bond a thing or two. Really enjoyed the fact that there was no real romance introduced between Sophie and Aiden - this stayed a true thriller. Loving the secondary characters - even when some of them are a tad dubious. I'm sure that in further books far more traitors will be found. Great book!

Traitors is the compulsive first instalment in the Sophie Racine Assassin Thriller series set in Ukraine and featuring ex-SAS officer Aidan Snow from Shaw’s canon. Sophie Racine is a highly-skilled assassin and hitwoman for hire who is employed by The General Directorate for External Security (DGSE), a blacks ops unit and part of the French Secret Service bureau of Foreign Intelligence. She is handed a dossier detailing the target she must trace, locate and kill - a former DGSE operative who was once a French asset but who has been revealed to have been a Russian mole and sleeper agent. And just like that, she is on her way to Ukraine to assassinate the person responsible for bringing death to many agents who were deemed irreplaceable. However, Racine is also seeking out personal vengeance and has a score to settle because Sasha Vasilev precipitated an incident that left her traumatised. If France wants carnage then they have certainly picked the right person for the job. She arrives in the disputed eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk, and although she is on her own, she has all of the assets that her agency can provide her with to make the job run a little smoother.

When she catches wind that innocent British medical student, Mohammed Iqbal, is currently being held captive by the Russians, the DGSE inform MI6 who send Aidan Snow to aid in his release and arrange his extrication. He had been abducted after being inadvertently caught up in the conflict between opposing forces in Donetsk People's Republic. As neither situation for Racine or Snow go exactly to plan they team up to complete their missions in the hope that a helping hand may go a long way. But the country's borders are about to be closed and by now enemies in high places know of Racine and Snow’s presence. Will they manage to avoid the checkpoints springing up all over the city, evade capture and make it home in one piece? This is a scintillating, enthralling and compulsively readable all-action spy thriller packed with lies, deceit, duplicity, danger, espionage antics and double-crossing. One of the best starts to a thriller series in a long time, the action and hand to hand combat sequences are perfectly choreographed and it takes place at full throttle with a badass assassin at its centre. A powerhouse of a thriller laden with explosive twists and pulse-pounding right from the start. Highly recommended.

Readers who love high action thrillers where one person manages to be surrounded by villains over and over again and manages to kill them all will absolutely love this book. Me, not so much. I enjoyed the first few chapters and loved the character of Sophie Racine, but after that there were just too many unbelievable action sequences and I lost interest. There are only so many times someone can be outgunned and outnumbered yet still come out unscathed. I was disappointed in the ending too, and sadly will not be reading any more in the series. A great story for those who like this kind of thing,
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest review.