FREE ARC from Netgalley

Okay, not sure the writer has much if any experience with women in SF or the FBI 'loan' program.

I know it is a thriller, written for enjoyment, but if you get thru the first helicopter impossible shot from the lone girl in camo that ends up on the news and blah, blah, blah. You got to base this a little on the real world.

Sorry bro, moving on here.

I'm sure to be the odd one out - the only one who didn't finish this fast paced novel that starts with a literal bang. Thriller fans might enjoy the exploits of Alex Martel, a decorated soldier turned FBI agent turned global hunter of bad guys but it was all too much for me. I struggled to find a connection with her- the personal got lost in all the noise. And it's as implausible as can be. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm all in on strong female protagonists but this was exhausting. It will however, make a terrific movie. Over to others.

An edge of your seat roller coaster ride. Alex is an FBI agent that is working for Interpol. She tries to stop some men from selling nuclear material and ends up chasing them all over the countryside. Everyone is impressed with her daring moves. Then she gets word that a friend of hers has been killed in England. While investigating things, some Russians come after her and she has to kill several of them. She realizes that she didn't really know her friend after all. As she puts things together, she realizes that it is all connected. She is being recruited by a CIA agent, Caleb, who keeps popping up wherever she is. Then a nuclear missile is stolen, and Alex ends up in Turkey. Alex and Caleb uncover some more Russian moles. Alex is ordered back to the States and finally puts the pieces together and knows that she needs to be in Paris. She is sure that is where the missile is. Will she put her career on the line for a hunch? She just knows that she has to be in Paris, but it could end her career.

What a powerful start for a debut novel! Perfect Shot,/i> by Steve Urszenyi is the first book in the Special Agent Alexandra (Alex) Martel series and is a combination of a political thriller and an espionage thriller. Alex, a decorated Army sniper is now an FBI special agent on loan to Interpol. From dangerous criminal groups in the Netherlands to the death of an old friend, Alex begins to put together clues left behind pointing to a conspiracy that becomes dire when a nuclear warhead is stolen. She reluctantly joins forces with CIA agent Caleb Copeland. This thriller takes Alex to London, Turkey, and Paris as she unravels the clues.

Alex loves action, is a problem solver, trustworthy, intelligent, and courageous. She’s a strong warrior protagonist who believes in justice, duty, and honor, and she feels satisfied when she halts a threat. Caleb has a calm and casual façade, but he is confident, effective, and lethal. I enjoyed their banter and want to know where it will go in the future.

With exciting action scenes and a couple of surprises, the story kept me captivated from beginning to end. The riveting plot moves at a sizzling pace and the tension level was high throughout. Nearly everyone had agendas and the novel features deception, betrayal, espionage, power, and more. This book felt like it could happen all too easily. Real-world issues were incorporated into the story that added an extra layer of suspense. Do we have an Alex ready to save the world?

Overall, this tense and exciting thriller keeps the reader on an emotional rollercoaster, quickly turning pages with the hope that the world will be safe. This was an excellent start to what I hope will be a long high-octane and dynamic series. I can’t wait to read the next book featuring Alex.

St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and Steve Urszenyi provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for November 14, 2023.

Perfect Shot by Steve Urszenyi is the first in an outstanding new series featuring Special Agent Alexandra Martel.
This action filled debut was a stellar read and I can’t wait for book two.
This book was amazing! The story was written in such a way that I could visually imagine each scene and thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Alexandra Martel.
I found myself instantly gripped once I’d started reading and I only got more engrossed the further I got into the book.
It is solid, quick reading and won’t disappoint.
Once you get in to the story, you can’t put the book down. I really enjoyed the story and look forward to more in this series.
If you’re looking for a great read with a badass female character and lots of action then look no further than this book.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Minotaur Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Perfect Shot by Steve Urszenyi is a debut novel.
The main character is Special Agent Alexandra Martel, who was in the military and is a sniper
Now an FBI agent on loan to Interpol in Europe.
When an old friend is killed, she goes all out to solve the murder.

I enjoyed the story. The story was good – a little long winded by the author – telling us every little thing that was going on. The action was the best part – Alex showed that as a sniper and woman she is a force to be reckon with.
This is the first book and the author wanted to be sure we got all the background. If he tightens up his story and writes the part of the storyline without action a little better - try the book --

Steve Urszenyi draws on his working career and expertise to write this engaging, fast paced thriller featuring the extraordinary FBI special agent Alexandra Martel, a woman with experience as a medic, a decorated military sniper, and a charismatic and determined personality. Martel's expertise lies in guns and tactical operations, and it all begins with her in Europe, in the Netherlands taking part in a dangerous mission run by Chief Inspector Dijk. The aim is to stop the sale of nuclear materials to Islamic terrorists at all costs. There is nail biting tension as events do not pan out exactly as planned but Martel is incredible in action, showcasing her sniper skills. She ends up with Caleb in a helicopter, who not so surprisingly is impressed by her personally and professionally, but he has an agenda of his own.

Martel goes on to learn that her friend, Krysten, a MI5 agent is dead in circumstances that have her heading to London, but it turns out to her consternation that Krysten was not who she appeared to be, apparently a Russian spy, but does this negate the encrypted information she has received? Martel's gut instinct is to believe her, she has Russians following and shooting at her. New York is facing threats, she chooses to not follow orders, leaving her isolated as she prioritises the leads she thinks are significant, but at what cost to her career? Finding herself facing obstacles and gun fights, Martel chases the truth and justice in Turkey and Paris, having to rely on her well honed expertise and any other possible means at her disposal to counter the deadliest of threats.

Urszenyi has created a memorable action fuelled character in Alex, operating and battling in a world that is normally seen as the preserve of men, and likely to appeal to a wide range of readers within the crime and thriller genre. I have to say if there was one thing that really got to me here, it was the neverending use of acronyms, it really got in the way of fluid storytelling, which was a shame. Otherwise, this was a tense and compelling reading, it is a great beginning to what promises to be a wonderful series. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

An interesting and action-packed debut.

There's much to like about PERFECT SHOT, and Urszenyi has penned a novel that fits firmly within its genre - he sits comfortably alongside authors like Kyle Mills, Jack Carr, Gregg Hurwitz, et al.

The story is well thought-out, the characters are interesting and mostly well-rounded. The author's writing, though, sometimes felt a little belaboured or just a bit much. It felt like nothing was left to the reader - absolutely everything is described and explained, sometimes unnecessarily. I understand that the genre almost insists on every technical detail about every piece of gear, for example, but for the main we don't *really* need to know *everything*, do we? As a result, the pacing felt off.

If the author can tighten up his prose and pacing, then this series will have some serious legs on it. It shows a lot of promise. Just don't think it's quite there yet.

Perfect Shot is the debut thriller in the Special Agent Alexandra Martel series. Alex has put her days on the battlefield behind her. She has earned a reputation as one of the most renowned and decorated Army snipers in the service before stepping away. When Alex, now an FBI special agent on loan to Interpol, learns that an old friend, an MI5 officer, has been killed under mysterious circumstances, she’s pulled back into the dangerous world she left behind: a world where some people fear her, some want to recruit her, and everyone seems to want her dead.

The story takes place in a variety of locations, from London, to Turkey, and on to Paris. There is a lot of action behind the scenes but most of the action for the reader is in the last thirty percent. Before then we get a lot of technical military/government agency talk broken up here and there with short action scenes.

The story is at its best when there is action. I found the downtime hard to get through. There was a lot of dialogue that felt a little off. The book is fairly long and by sixty percent through I still didn't know what was going on.

It was hard to connect to Alex, but seeing as how this is going to be a series, Perfect Shot can be taken as her origin story.

What a perfect debut! Perfect Shot opens with Alexandra Martel, an FBI special agent on loan to Interpol, on assignment to prevent the sale of nuclear material which leads to some non-stop action. From Turkey to London to Paris, Alex, with the help of Caleb, an agent with the CIA, and other teammates, search feverishly for the perpetrator of a stolen nuclear warhead before a catastrophic event can occur.

Alex is a fantastic character, a former medic and army sniper, whose commitment to country is unwavering. I cannot wait for this author's next book and hopefully Alex's next adventure. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

It’s hard to believe this is Mr. Urszenyi’s first novel. What a great debut. FBI Special Agent Alex Martel is on loan to Interpol. “Several days ago, MI6 reported that they’d heard talk of nuclear materials, plutonium and highly enriched uranium in particular, being sold and exchanged by black marketeers throughout the Eurozone…” Through a series of incidents, some personal, she becomes involved in what appears to be the Russian theft of a nuclear bomb from a Turkish military base. Who has it and what are their plans are for it? Alex is a highly skilled shooter whose knowledge of shooting solutions come naturally to her—more than the detective work involved in spy craft. But she proves herself a worthy advisory for those who’ve set out to use the bomb. She joins forces with a CIA operative, Caleb, who is interested in having her assigned to the CIA.

Alex is a great protagonist and it’s fun to have a capable woman in the role. Mr. Urszenyi’s experience in multiple facets of tactical operations along with his background a a long-serving paramedic and police tactical medic provide authenticity to the story. This book is an action-packed good read told with humor. I thank NetGalley for the introduction to Mr. Urszenyi and look forward to more from him.

Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for the #AdvanceReviewCopy

Release Date: November 14 2023
Genre: Crime/Action

Summary: When FBI special agent Alex works with Interpol, she learns that an old friend has been killed under mysterious circumstances. This news thrusts Alex deep into the dangers she hoped she’d forget.

Soon Alex discovers a terrifying conspiracy, and she begins chasing the truth throughout the streets of London searching for a missing nuclear warhead and the real reason behind her friend’s death.

My Thoughts: I enjoyed this faced-paced crime overall. I appreciated that the heroine was female and a bad ass one who got the job done! There was enough seat-clenching tension throughout to hold my interest. The writing was on point and the action was carried out like lightning speed. This was clearly well researched!

It did, however, get pretty technical in terms of acronyms for all the different agencies around the world and at times there was so much going on with so many characters that it got difficult to keep track of. Due to the plot, it was also highly predictable and resembled several shows I’d seen recently so there was not much that was fresh and new here in terms of story.

With both lots to enjoy and some nuances, I landed on 3 stars.
⭐️⭐️⭐️

1.5 stars rounded up. It really pains me to give a debut such a low rating, but since I'm obviously in the minority on this book and there are plenty of raves, I have to speak my truth and my truth is that this book really, really didn't work for me. I'm so over male authors having a female heroine who is so obviously wish fulfillment. Special Agent Alexandra Martel is a former Army sniper who is totally badass, smart, and - wait for it - drop-dead gorgeous, *of course*. These heroines are never, ever ugly or even just average. No, they are the object of every man's lust. And Alex is smart until the times she consistently seems to make incredibly dumb choices, when luckily there is a man nearby to step in and save her from her mistakes. The writing is like a weird combination of ads for high-end gear and a vocabulary worksheet for insider jargon. We're not supposed to quote from ARCs (though I see people do this all the time), so this may not be in the final publication, but there were lines like, "If it were true that every Rolex tells a story, this one's would be endlessly redacted." And "Caleb was caught up in her eyes, her smile, her subtle hand movements. She had a formidable pull on him." Anyway, Alex is working for the FBI on loan to Interpol when she is pulled into a search for a missing nuclear weapon. For such a fast-paced adrenaline-fueled plot, I struggled to stay engaged. The writing just didn't work for me, and since I couldn't connect with or relate to the heroine in any way, this was a miss. Obviously other people are loving this book from the reviews I'm seeing, so don't let my negativity dissuade you from giving it a try! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for a digital review copy.

The adventure for Alex Martel started decently enough, but I felt lost steam and it lost my interest. I am about 65% into the book and I couldn't go on. I can't really put my finger on what I found uninteresting.

Perfect Shot is the opening barrage in a new action thriller series starring Special Agent Alexandra Martel. An FBI agent on loan to Interpol, Alex is who gets called in when a situation is deemed dangerous and of the utmost urgency to be resolved such as a missing US nuclear warhead. The case takes a personal twists when Alex finds out one of her closest friends was a Soviet spy. In a race with the clock, Alex will search the globe and dive head first into danger to stop a catastrophe that even her superiors fail to see. Fast paced and action packed, Perfect Shot is a perfect introduction to the strong willed, warrior heroine that is Alexandra Martel that leaves you wanting more. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

Perfect Shot is damn near a perfect thriller debut. Special Agent Alex Martel, former decorated Army sniper and currently on loan to Interpol from the FBI, is not to be trifled with. She's intelligent, charming, always underestimated and she will kick your ass. A U.S. nuclear warhead has gone missing from a base in Turkey and pulls Alex back into the world of special operations. Alex reluctantly teams up with the CIA officer trying to recruit her to find the missing nuclear warhead and stop the destruction of a major European city. Or die trying.

I have no doubt readers are going to love Alexandra Martel. In a male dominated world, Steve Urszenyi gives voice to a perspective seen rarely in this genre. And Urszenyi provides the perfect foil for Alex in her CIA "partner", Caleb. Their relationship will be interesting to watch how it evolves. At times, the dialogue between the two remindsed me of a teenage girl who tolerates the little kid with a crush on her. It's an interesting little wrinkle that works well amidst the hail of bullets.

Urszenyi has crafted an intelligent, non-stop thriller with memorable characters that fly off the page. I can't recommend Perfect Shot enough!

My sincere thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Perfect Shot.

This debut novel focuses on Andrea Martel, an FBI Special Agent and one tough character! She is working with an Interpol group in the Netherlands trying not only to intercept some nuclear weapons but also to determine what other threats might be posed by the group that is involved with these weapons.

Although the action is definitely fast-paced and the plot is laced with plenty of twists and turns, I found some of the dialogue — and the description of thoughts whirling around in Andrea’s mind — to be trite, and the vast amount of technical terminology that the reader has to wade through is something taxing (although it does help set up the next in this series, I am sure). Nonetheless, this was an enjoyable read with a very interesting new main character, and I look forward to the second in this series.

Suspenseful, action packed, full of mystery and intrigue. This fast paced story keeps you turning pages. I appreciated that there was a strong female lead character.

This book starts with a chase and the action does not stop before the very last page. Special Agent Alex Martel chases a stolen nuclear warhead and at the same time tries to solve the clues left behind by her friend, a murdered MIG agent.

These characters are tough, Alex most of all. She's professional, passionate and would do anything to find out the truth. Her combat and shooting skills are also quite spectacular. She's someone you would want on your side when the hell breaks loose.

The author has done a thorough research for this book. I learned a lot about nuclear warheads and military. Some parts were heavy with all the different acronyms and military jargon. These were the hardest parts to read as I found it difficult to concentrate facing so much information at once.

This is a great debut and I will definitely be on the lookout for the next book in this series.

Perfect Shot introduces us to an exciting new series featuring Special Agent Alexandra Martel.

Alex has more than earned a sterling reputation as an Army sniper and now is on loan to Interpol.

The action is non stop as the clock it ticking down as Alex and team race to recover a stolen nuclear weapon.

Bullets are flying , bodies are piling up and Alex is relentless.

Steve Urszenyi has cleverly plotted twists and turns and suspense that has you holding your breath.

Highly recommend you get a copy of Perfect Shot and put it to the top of your TBR list but be warned you wont want to put it down.

Cant wait for the second book in this great new series.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for a fast paced exciting read.