Written by a debut author whose real-life experiences as a Naval Intelligence Officer working with U.S. Special Forces, CIA and NSA clandestine operations through-out the Middle East, Persian Gulf and Far East, makes Mr. Woodward exquisitely well qualified to write about the covert doings which are being carried out all over the world in furtherance of U.S. foreign policy.

The novel begins when a mole, code named Cerberus, five years incommunicado, anonymous, and working somewhere deep inside the Iran uranium enrichment program, reaches out and tries to contact his old handler, a man named John Dale . . . a former spy who’s since been drummed out of the CIA in disgrace . . . a man Cerberus knows only as “Reza.” Cerberus seems ready to defect, but the only person he trusts enough to deal with, is John “Reza” Dale, whose ex-wife Meredith, is now the head of the CIA’s Counter-Proliferation Division, is given the unenviable job of trying to coax him out of his forced retirement. Dale is reluctant and bitter, feeling it was a superior’s incompetence and malfeasance that got him axed in disgrace—and it’s only after a botched murder attempt by a Russian Special Forces hit team at his remote northwest mountain home that he agrees to be reactivated. Thereafter, the novel continues from several points-of-view, including a beautiful female Russian agent and assassin, a lieutenant colonel with the Iranian Quds forces: a branch of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, and Cerberus himself, among others. Conflicts come fast and furious as Dale tries to shake off the rust, extract the beleaguered Iranian scientist, elude the Russians and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards . . . stay alive long enough to tell the tale . . . and maybe even exonerate himself in the process. This is an electrifying and edge-of-the-seat nail-biter in which the action never stops and the twists just keep on coming!!

An excellent espionage thriller. Like Tom Clancy novels, there are lots of characters and different intelligence agencies, but the writing was so good, I never found it difficult to follow. Well developed characters and a fast moving plot kept me reading late into the night. For fans of Tom Clancy or Daniel Silva. Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley books for the advanced reader copy.

Great Characters Propel the Narrative

SUMMARY
Meredith Morris-Dale is a CIA case officer who has been summoned back to Langley, where she expects to be fired. Instead, she is met by the Deputy Director with startling news. 

A CIA mole in Iran’s uranium enrichment program has kept that country from building a bomb by sabotaging their centrifuge equipment.  Now the situation is getting dangerous, and the mole wants out. The only person he trusts to pull him out is John Dale—Meredith’s disgraced and fired CIA operative and ex-husband. Meredith and John must work together through their strained relationship, a dysfunctional CIA political hierarchy, and Russian interference to recover the mole.

REVIEW
THE HANDLER is a suspenseful and intriguing debut spy thriller. The story is complicated, dangerous and fast-moving. The writing is good and demonstrates the author’s knowledge of the intelligence community. While it’s a bit long and repetitive in places it is worth the read.

Meredith and John’s characters were well-developed and they propel the narrative. The characters are full of angst, fear, and bravery

Author M.P. Woodward is a veteran of both US intelligence ops and the entertainment industry.  As a naval intelligence officer with the US Pacific Command, he scripted US war game exercises in the Middle East. In multiple deployments to the Persian Gulf and Far East, he worked alongside US Special Forces, CIA, and NSA. His knowledge come thru in this story.

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher Berkley
Published May 31, 2022
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

Meredith Morris-Dale is a CIA case officer and a damn good one...even if this last mission did go terribly wrong. Now she has been summoned back to Langley where she expects to be fired. Instead, she is met by the Deputy Director with stunning news. A single well-placed CIA mole in Iran’s uranium enrichment program has kept the terrorist nation from building a bomb by sabotaging the performance of their covert centrifuge arrays. But after losing his daughter in an airliner shoot down, the mole wants out. His one demand: a reunion with the only handler he ever trusted, John Dale—Meredith's disgraced, fired, wayward ex-husband. As Meredith and John struggle through their relationship, a CIA political hierarchy, Russian interference, and the rogue spy’s manipulation, they must reach deep within their shared connection to maintain, recover, or kill the asset.

I love thrillers, and this is in the vein of Lee Child's Jack Reacher and Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp. If you like these authors, you will like this book. I think this is his first novel, and it is outstanding. His writing makes it obvious that he has worked with the U.S agencies he has described in the book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publlisher for this introduction to a new author that I hope publishes future books with these characters. I highly recommend.

An enjoyable thriller that kept you wondering what was coming next. The plot was very believable and in depth; also enjoyed all the characters. The only issue I had was with the abrupt ending, but definitely setup a second book in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance readers copy.

I was ready for a new black ops book and this one fit the bill! Sometimes taking a chance on a new author can be a hit or a miss and this one is definitely a hit.

The general twist in this novel is the ex-wife/ex-husband connection and it sets up the story perfectly. The characters have that innate knowledge about each other that really showcases the plot. Even their daughter has an interesting side role that is yet to be completely explored…maybe a future storyline to come.

Woodward takes us around the world with suspenseful chases and twists that you don’t see coming. Interference from all sides keeps you guessing who can be trusted and the good vs evil theory is tested more than once.

Due to Woodward’s past career, he is highly knowledgeable about this topic and the chosen locations of the plot which makes it tough to put this one down once you get going. I stumbled through a few spots where I kept losing track of who was who due to the high number of characters, but once I got them down, the story flowed smoothly at a fast pace.

The story is unique, detailed, and highly descriptive. Woodward nailed the deep, twisted, tangled webs of mystery, suspense, and plot twists. Plus, the edge of your seat suspense-filled ending leaves you looking for more from this up-and-coming author of note.

A work about a CIA operative who has lost favor with the agency and ends up returning to the field with his ex-wife as his handler. It is full of political intrigue involving Iran and nuclear enrichment. Of course the Russians also get involved in the mess. I wouldn't quite call it "edge of your seat" but I would say that you won't be leaning back relaxing while reading it either. It's an exciting tale of intrigue. If you like writers like Tom Clancy and Jack Higgins, I believe you will enjoy this book.

There are any number of thrillers based on the sensational idea of the fates of nations being determined by a single individual battling impossible odds. Never before have I read an espionage book that has made me believe such a fantasy was not only possible, but logically probable. In The Handler, M.P. Woodward has fused authentic tradecraft, riveting plotlines, plausible motives, and a cast of characters that will elicit strong emotional responses the further along the journey you go.

CIA agent Meredith Morris-Dale finds herself recalled to Langley after a botched operation in Dubai. Waiting to hear the words that will end her career, she’s taken aback when a priority mission is thrust into her hands. Instead of running assets in foreign lands, she has been tasked with an infinitely more challenging task… handling a disgraced agent, who also happens to be her ex husband.

A strategically placed mole in Iran's uranium enrichment program has kept thwarted the eforts to build a bomb by sabotaging their centrifuge's performance. After a tragic event reshapes his life, the mole wants out, leaving the world teetering on the edge of a nuclear Iran. His extraction is the highest priority for the CIA, the only catch is that he will only meet with his former handler… John Dale.

Meredith and John would be forgiven for thinking their greatest challenge would be getting the mole out of the country, but with the Russians on the hunt and a crippling bureaucracy back in Virginia, there is no telling when or from where the kill shot will come.

Woodward’s personal experience in the Intelligence Community is obvious on every page. Each interaction, altercation, and assassination seemed grounded in an undeliable reality. With a constant level of intensity, combined with just the right dose of violence, The Handler puts you on edge as if you were the one sticking out your neck, just waiting for the ax to drop. It is one of the most efficient stories I’ve read in years. That this is his first novel is mindblowing. This will definitely be on my best debuts of the year list.


With a fictional universe primed to keep this family of spies in the action for years to come, I am hoping that a deal for a longer series is in the works. The Dales could be a multigenerational force on the international stage for years to come.

Wow. Woodward keeps a lot of balls aloft in this one:

CIA: Meredith Morris-Dale, Sr operations officer; John Dale, suspended (indefinitely) case officer now living a quiet life as a painter in rural Washington, divorced from Meredith; Ed Rance, head of the CPT division and Meredith's boss; plus a few more who support CPT division activities

Russians: Yuri Kuznetsov, SVR officer based in Damascus; Maria Borbova, SVR officer based in London; plus about a half dozen more who provide muscle (think of these guy as the men who wore red shirts in the original Star Trek, only smarter)

Iranians: Zana Rahimi (aka Cerebrus), nuclear physicist who's been keeping the CIA abreast on Iran's nuclear program; Nadia Rahimi, Zana's wife; Kasem Kahlidi, Quds Lt. Colonel who, back in the day, had been imprisoned with John Dale and managed to escape their ISIS captors with Dale's help; plus a bunch of other Quds and Iranian Republican Guard officers.

The story begins with a retelling of an actual event, the accidental downing of a Ukrainian commercial airliner by an Iranian missile. On the plane was Zana and Nadia's daughter returning to college in Canada. In his period of mourning, Zana reaches out to the CIA that he's done and wants to come in, but they have to guarantee safe passage for both he and his wife. And the kicker is that he'll only work with his original handler, one John Dale.

John was a student McGill University and had already been approached by the CIA for future employ in part because John's mother was Iranian and it helped that he spoke Farsi. While at McGill, John was to look out for potentially friendly students because Iran was well known for sending its brightest scientific minds to Canadian universities. John met and developed a minor friendship with Zana while both were at McGill. Years went by and John, now a CIA handler (with a knack for improvisation in the field) and based in the middle east, recruited Zana who became a valuable and trusted asset who not only kept the CIA informed on Iran's enrichment program, but also was a conduit to bits of malicious code provided to him that would slow down the enrichment process (ever heard of Stuxnet?).

But the problem is that John is persona non grata with the agency. So the agency presses John's former wife Meredith to convince her ex- to return to the agency, make contact with Cerebrus, get a feel for Cerebrus' motivation, devise an exfil plan, and execute the plan. When John was busted and fired by the CIA, contact with Cerebrus also disappeared.

No small task for Meredith given her less than cordial feelings for John and John's less than heartfelt attitude toward the agency that sent him packing. After plenty of self-reflection on John's part, he agrees . . . with conditions. One is that he will report only to his handler (Meredith) and will do so on his schedule, effectively leaving Langley in the dark for large chunks of time - something that really isn't in their procedural manual, but was par for the course considering his history and flair for the creative while in the field.

The Russians are helping the Iranians with their nuclear program. But some tidbits of information from Damascus (where John once operated) and some curious issues within the Iranian nuke program lead both the Russians and Iranians to suspect a mole. But there are potential moles on all sides meaning trust is hard to come by for anyone in this 3-sided operation.

Once John takes up the cause, the hunters on all three sides must try to both find the hunted while protecting their own. The hunt/chase jumps all over the board from John's cabin in Washington, to the Canadian border, London, Langley, Damascus, Iraq, Turkey, Kurdistan, and Iran. Each stop is increasingly more perilous to both John and Cerebrus.

Get set for some palpable tension throughout this expertly detailed and presented adventure. Page turning intrigue and action told with an experienced eye that only one who has been on the inside from a history in the military and intelligence communities can do. The minutia and motivations of the characters is about as realistic as it gets (this coming from one who hasn't existed in that world). Woodward left that work and now handles content distribution for Amazon Prime Video both nationally and internationally. Given his military history, I suspect his next thriller will be based either back again in the Middle East or east Asia. Regardless, Woodward could well be an author to be reckoned with.

Brilliantly crafted with precision, realism and anxiety-inducing tension, The Handler is one of the most exquisite and intricate spy novels I have ever read. A smashing debut of epic proportions by M.P. Woodward that currently sits as the leader in the clubhouse for best debut novel of 2022.

Iran’s nuclear program is in full swing and rapidly progressing towards achieving weapons-grade enriched uranium, but their progress is being sabotaged by a CIA mole who wants to keep his nation from becoming a nuclear power. However, after suffering a personal tragedy the mole now wants out. Meanwhile, the Russians enter the picture to help the Iranians accelerate their nuclear capabilities and now the level of danger increases significantly for the mole, necessitating a daring and treacherous extraction attempt. Only there’s a catch. The mole will only trust his old handler, John Dale, to communicate with and commence an exfiltration plan they hatched years ago. But John left the CIA under a cloud of suspicion a while back and has no desire to re engage with an agency that doesn’t trust him. The CIA recognizes the dire implications of a nuclear Iran and will do anything to bring Dale back into the fold to secure their Iranian asset. So, they force Dale’s ex-wife and current CIA agent, Meredith Morris-Dale, to bring Dale in to save the day. Which kicks off a deadly cat-and-mouse game between the Americans, the Iranians and the Russians with nothing short of catastrophic consequences hanging over the world like a guillotine poised to drop on its victim.

It wouldn’t surprise me to learn that M.P. Woodward spent years honing this story. Because every character, action sequence, piece of tradecraft, and plot twist in The Handler are done with extreme care and purpose to ensure it fits the narrative of the story and the nature of each character. Every detail seamlessly comes together with intention to play a part in the bigger picture. There’s no wasted movement. No superfluous actions. Not a single hair is out of place. The result is a near flawless, wonderfully written novel that sucks you in early, keeps you emotionally invested throughout, and sticks with you after completion. Hallmarks of a great novel!

It’s obvious that M.P. Woodward’s experience in the intelligence and entertainment fields uniquely position him to be a successful thriller author. But just because someone has the background doesn’t mean they will automatically execute. Thankfully for thriller fans, M.P. Woodward has the goods and delivers big time with The Handler. It will be exciting to see what he has in store for us next. And with the way this book ended, there seems to be room for a sequel. If that’s indeed in the cards, sign me up right now to be first in line to pick up a copy.

The Handler was a action packed spy thriller filled with plenty of action, suspense and double cross. A high speed international race for critical assets.

Immersive storytelling, authentic writing that felt well-informed to the inner handlings of CIA Operatives and the high stakes game of espionage.

Filled with plenty of twists and turns to keep your heart racing and details to make the reader feel “read in” on the ops. A unique mix of husband/wife CIA team as handler/agent with compelling character and skill, engaged in the good fight to save critical assets.

An intriguing adventure through the last page.

The Handler, the debut from M.P. Woodward, is a work of art and probably in my top 10 best espionage thrillers I've read. I had a nice long review written but I deleted the text on accident like a dumdum. Regardless, I cannot recommend The Handler enough.

Thanks to M.P. Woodward, the Berkeley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of The Handler!

Two CIA officers with a past. One retired and one current. And then a third CIA officer who has a past with both of them, What could go wrong. Well, a lot. There are competing operatives from Russia and Hezbollah and Iran, one of which as a very attractive efficient female officer. Lots of action, good characters, and a very satisfying ending. A good story.

In THE HANDLER, Meredith Morris-Dale is a CIA case officer who is being asked by the deputy director to get her disgraced ex-husband back into the fold so he can contact a CIA mole in Iran’s nuclear program. The mole will only talk to John Dale.

Dale takes on the mission but refuses to remain within the confines of CIA sanctioned communication protocols. He goes dark and things get very dangerous in Iran for both Dale and the mole.

There are a few too many places, people, and lettered agencies to keep track of, but thriller fans will enjoy it.

M.P. Woodward is an excellent wordsmith. The writing is wonderful. The two main characters John Dale and his ex-wife Meredith are fascinating. There is one thing wrong with this book though. It is much, much too long. If it was edited down to maybe 500 or so words, my review would be 5 stars but I honestly have to say that I felt like skimming parts. Focus much more on the two main characters. That would be the step needed to bring this book to 5 stars for me. They are great characters.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e ARC of this book.
Old time espionage with modern twists. Likeable characters with a fast paced plot with a few twists but with a pretty predictable outcome. Read like a much longer book but I was interested enough to keep reading.

I enjoyed this book until the end.. I felt the ending was to abrupt, but definitely leaving it open to series with additional cases. Lots of action, overall solid entry to the spy thriller genre.

Wow!! Lots of action in this one!! This book had suspense, intrigue and as I said tons of action! What a heart pumper! Lol the storyline was very intense and very interesting! There was lots of tactical action! I highly recommend reading this book! It was a great action pact read! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

The Handler is a special new addition to the thrillerverse. Not only is it written with a deft keenness for realistic dialogues and terrifyingly enthralling action but it also presents a truly memorable assortment of characters on both sides of a conflict that wonderfully highlights personal motivations and egos above the basic geopolitical climate.
John Dale is a veteran CIA case officer, who upon escaping imprisonment and torture at the hands of enemy combatants, is suspended from the service on account of potentially treasonous behavior. After a short time of seclusion, he’s called back into the fold by his ex-wife and former handler, Meredith, to extract an Iranian asset working to subterfuge Iran’s nuclear efforts. From US to India to Iran, John races against time to take control of the escalating situation while evading Russian operatives hot on his tail.
From the very first page, the story simmers with grounded and empathetic tones as it sets up strong and original characters. M.P. Woodward invokes a brilliant aura of exciting adventure surrounded by tense moments of conspiratorial actions and situations that keep you on the edge of your seats. There are genuine surprises and twists throughout the story that shock the narrative to its core. This is enabled by Woodward’s impressive and solid writing chops. His vast expertise in shadowy intelligence goes a long way to ground the story with necessary details to require minimal suspension of belief in even the wildest moments.
Speaking of wild moments, The Handler has its fair share of high-powered and gritty-to-the-bone action sequences. John Dale isn’t simply a former intelligence officer; in addition to running assets, he’s trained in the deadly and formidable arts of long distance as well as close quarters combat. There’s no way you won’t feel the intensity of the gunshots and the punches and kicks.
At its core, The Handler is ultimately a conflict of man rather than nations. M.P. Woodward delightfully syncs up the story with ripped-from-the-news headlines but emphasizes the focus on plausibly flawed human beings that elevate the stakes and soul of the narrative. Out of all the upcoming books I have read for the year, this one may very well be THE hottest debut and it most certainly belongs in the Thillerverse Hall of Fame!

Full review will be posted with blurb image on: https://www,bestthrillerbooks.com

An absolutely amazing book and an instant classic of the genre. I found myself reading slower and slower as I approached the end because I didn't want the pleasure I got from reading it to stop. Probably one of the half dozen best spy thrillers I have ever read.

I am flattered as hell the publisher was willing to treat me to an ARC, and I thank you so much.