A riveting and thrilling ride from start to finish, and a great addition to the series. This page turner kept me on the edge of my seat from the first chapter. The plot is intricately woven with many twists and turns that kept me guessing. This story is both heart pounding and heartwarming as Helen’s relationship with her son adds a layer of susceptibility to her character.
Many thanks to Kensington and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Helen Warwick is an ex-CIA assassin and while at an announcement of the running of a political office of one of her children, she spots a gun. After the chase, she finds out she now must come out of retirement to hunt another assassin. Avery good book that is action and Helen at times also being a mother and grandmother makes for a good story.

The second book in the Helen Warwick series, Double Tap, does not disappoint. I know that it is said that authors tend not to live up to the hype of their first novels, but this is definitely not the case with this series. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I have no trouble saying I loved it. Helen Warwick is an amazingly written character. She has flaws, especially if you ask her three adult children. However, she had a job that kept her away from her husband and children when they were a young family. She retired and had plans to make up for her absence from each of them. As seen from the start of the series, Second Shot, she has trouble breaking away from her government employers.

As you read through Double Tap you keep wondering if the people who do this job in real life have the same family life issues, i.e., inability to bond due to extensive absences from her family’s everyday life. Do government assassins usually have families? Do they spend their lives spinning lies to everyone around them? How successful are they at retiring? Do they spend their retirement years with a target on their back? Helen Warwick is trying to find out what retired life is like. She has had several pointed conversations with her Russian nemesis about what is expected after they hang up their guns. The expected respect for their private lives once their government career ends. Helen’s problem is that despite all the new talent that has come on board after her retirement, they just do not seem as good as she is at dark work. I have to admit I sure hope that the entire series will not always be about Scorpius and the Russians. It would be good to see her measure up against different foes. Either way, I look forward to the next Heken Warwick book. This review can also be read at Ladytechiesbookmusings.blogspot.com.

Cindy Dees has become one of my new favorite authors. Huge fan of the action packed plots, detailed settings, and fantastic character developments. Thriller fans will not be disappointed in this one.

I enjoyed this fast paced romantic suspense that kept me on my toes from the first page because I just had to know what happened.

Ex-CIA assassin Helen Warwick is back and this time she’s officially out of retirement and on the hunt for the Russian mole known as Scorpius seated deep within the CIA. Firmly embedded in the highest echelons, he has been providing Russia with US secrets for decades and has spies in every division reporting back to him, so the agency needs someone they can trust to flush him out.

At fifty five, Helen is no spring chicken but she’s worked to keep fit and is still a damn good shot. Always proficient at keeping a low profile, her age has become an extra asset, allowing her to pass as nearly invisible when wearing grandmotherly attire. When her son, Mitch, currently acting DA for Washington DC, opens his campaign to run for the permanent position, Helen has to attend his press conference in the role of his mother, leaving her gun backstage. However, when she spots a laser fixed on him, her reflexes send her into CIA mode and she pushes him off the stage, saving his life. Now she must hunt down Scorpius, the man she thought she had killed, who has set his sights on her family.

Helen agrees to come out of retirement to head a team hunting for Scorpius and the team of specially trained psychopathic killers he has been quietly building up. Although she’s been provided with a team to assist her, she doesn’t know if she can trust any of them not to report on her actions to the very man they are hunting. Yosef, her CIA handler for thirty years is the only one she fully trusts, but she is cautious about putting him and his wife, now gravely ill in the final stages of ALS, in a dangerous position.

This is excellent contemporary spy fiction. Action packed and full of intrigue and suspense, Dees has woven a complex network of lies and deception where no one can be trusted. Often quite dark and violent with first rate spy craft and a high body count, it’s also tinged with humour. Helen’s family have no idea that her career involved more than working as a trade representative for the State Department and put her frequent ‘business trips’ overseas ahead of caring for a family. A running joke is that she is yet to master baking an apple pie for her family. On the other hand, she is a tough, intelligent spy and, as a mother protecting her young in this very personal battle, she’s unbeatable. As she closes in Scorpius becomes more and more dangerous as his desperation to remain undercover sets in.

A definite must read for all those who enjoy thrilling, heart pounding espionage novels. Although this should work well as a stand alone, readers may first wish to 'Second Shot', the first in the series to get to know the characters and set the scene.

Double Tap by Cindy Dees
Helen Warwick series #2. Mystery, thriller, spy games.
Helen Warwick is an ex CIA elite assassin. She tried to retire and walk away to be with family and future grandchildren. With her son in the public eye as a political candidate, Helen is right onstage when he’s targeted by a laser from a rifle scope and she jumps into action to save him. Helen is drawn back into the espionage life and the hunt for Scorpius, a threat that reaches the highest levels of the government.

Fast moving action, lots of high tech weaponry and unraveling of secrets and cover-ups. For her age, Helen is amazingly fit and keeping up with the younger spy set. She’s got the training and experience, and most importantly, the instincts to out-spy and at least come out alive. So far.
Some resolution but not everything so yes, cliffhanger.
4.5

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

Helen Warwick - grandma, mother, assassin and wife. She’s asked to come back from retirement and find the identity of Scorpius. It’s very cat and mouse/ James Bond. With an intense CIA storyline there is also her family, the professor husband and her son running for DA. Every one has skeletons in the closet, she just knows about some of them. This is Warwick’s second book and I highly recommend reading the first where we learn about her skills and the mastermind behind the CIA’s troubles, Scorpius. It's a long one but definitely worth sticking to, there’s a lot of build up to the end for it all to make sense. I received an advanced copy and wrote this review voluntarily.

Double Tap by Cindy Dees

I was excited to read Double Tap after devouring the first Helen Warwick novel, Second Shot by Cindy Dees . I simply saw the cover, read the description and had to read it so I bought the e-book never having read Ms. Dees before. The second book did exactly what the first one did; made me anxious to read the next one.
The plot revolves around Helen Warwick, a former CIA agent who has retired but it isn’t sticking. Helen wants to be retired and give all the time and attention to her grown children and husband but somehow she gets pulled back in and the past is never buried. This novel takes place within weeks of the last so the continuity is solid. Her family and colleagues, old and new, are all intriguing. Who can be trusted? Who’s telling the truth?
I felt the first book had more humor and Double tap is more sinister. Double Tap has some touching moments that are satisfying especially if you read the first book. The author gives Helen a good grasp of instincts and tells you why she makes the split decisions she does. The more we find out about Helen and how she relates to the other characters, the more fascinating she and they become. Looking forward to the next Helen Warwick adventure. Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Books and the author for an advanced copy.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

“Double Tap” by Cindy Dees is a riveting addition to the thriller genre, showcasing the author’s knack for crafting a narrative that’s as intense as it is intelligent. The novel follows the formidable Helen Warwick, a retired CIA agent whose past refuses to stay behind her. Dees masterfully intertwines Helen’s personal struggles with her professional expertise, creating a character that is relatable and awe-inspiring.

The story opens with a heart-stopping scene that sets the tone for the entire book. Helen’s maternal instincts are juxtaposed with her lethal skills when she’s thrust into a situation that requires her to protect her son at a public event. This incident propels her back into the clandestine world she thought she had left behind, as she’s tasked with unmasking a mole within the agency.

Dees’s writing is sharp and evocative, with a narrative pace that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. The plot is a labyrinth of deception and double-crosses, where every character’s allegiance is questionable. The author’s background as a former military pilot adds a layer of authenticity to the operational details, making the story all the more gripping.

The novel’s strength lies in its central character. Helen Warwick is a paradox—a mother with the heart of a lioness and the calculated mind of a spy. Her journey is not just about espionage; it’s about reconciling her past actions with her present life, and Dees captures this internal conflict with finesse.

“Double Tap” is a story about the sacrifices one makes for family and country. It’s about the invisible battles fought by unsung heroes and the personal costs of such a life. Dees from explores the darker aspects of spy work, including the psychological toll it takes on operatives.

In conclusion, “Double Tap” is a must-read for fans of the genre. It’s a novel that combines heart-pounding action with deep emotional resonance, all while offering a window into the complex world of intelligence. Cindy Dees has delivered a story that is both thrilling and thought-provoking, solidifying her place as a powerhouse in thriller literature.

A thrilling second story for former CIA Agent Helen Warwick who will be forced out of retirement to take on a special assignment…find Scorpius and eliminate him! Over the many years, Helen’s family has no idea that she is anything more than a clerical agent for the CIA. They would be horrified to learn that she has served in a much more dangerous capacity, as a fixer and assassin. When her son is running for District Attorney, she is there when an attempt is made on his life, which she foils. As other high-level CIA officers are slowly being targeted, the search for Scorpius becomes more and more dangerous as she is now one of his targets. When she gets a hint of what and who Scorpius has developed, she fears not only for her families’ safety, but for the nation’s. An absolute roller coaster of emotion and danger as Helen tries to protect her family and continue to investigate while someone is trying to frame her for other deaths. She realizes that she is no longer the younger agent that she once was, but she still has the skills and her age becomes a plus as they underestimate her time and time again. WOW! I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

Double Tap, by Cindy Dees', is the second installment in the authors Helen Warwick series. As an elite assassin for the CIA, Helen Warwick was trained to keep a low profile. To blend into the crowd. To eliminate her targets swiftly, silently, and efficiently. After 30 years, she was told that she was too old (55) to continue, and that it was time for her to retire. But now that she’s retired, Helen is forced to take on a very different, and very public, role—as the proud mother of a rising young politician.

A role that is not so easy since both her sons are angry at her for missing 30 years of their lives. At a DC press conference for her son’s campaign, she sees the ominous green light of a gun laser fixed on her son’s head—and her CIA training kicks in. She jumps into action, pushes her son down, and saves him from a sniper’s bullet. Unfortunately, Helen's sons are not all that happy that she embarrassed them so publicly.

In that moment, Helen realizes she will never escape the secrets of her past—or the deranged man she thought she killed. After the dust settles, her former boss, James Wagner, Director of the CIA, approaches Helen about returning to work for one more mission. The mission is to find the man named Scorpius who has been a deep undercover mole who has been working for and with the Russian FSB for over a decade. His code name is Scorpius.

A Russian mole embedded in the CIA, he recruits dangerous sociopaths ejected from the military and trains them to kill at command. He runs a team of commandos, spies, and a network of informants. None of his CIA colleagues—including Helen Warwick—know his true identity. (Although I now have a pretty good guess who he is). His greatest threat, Helen Warwick, has agreed to rejoin the CIA to help expose Scorpius after the assassination attempt on her son.

She suspects that Scorpius may be one of her colleagues, part of a vast conspiracy that reaches the highest levels of government. And now that her family has been personally targeted, and certain members of her family appear to have deep, dark secrets that have been exploited, she’s willing to break every rule in the CIA handbook to stop Scorpius and his trained killers. Unless, of course, they kill her first.

*Thoughts* With the authors background, this book is easy to follow and understand without having to suspend reality to enjoy the book. As I mentioned, with the ending of the book, I am looking forward to the sequel. I am 99.998% sure I know who Scorpius is now unless the author was just messing with my mind in the hints she gave throughout the book. As someone of a certain age like Helen, I appreciate that the author doesn't try to make Helen superhuman. Her body is not the same as it was 30 years ago. She even tries to play the part of an elderly woman to lure the villains out in the open.

You hear the word spy and somehow your mind goes to a place where that spy is a Bond character and wet work is physically strong individuals between 25 and 35 who live out of a suitcase with no family. In this book, Cindy Dees took all these stereo types and threw them out the window. Instead, she can use a new but no less touch, she gave us a mama bear spy protecting her kids. To really shake things up, she made that mama bear middle aged or not as young as she once was.
All it takes is a shot, a shot to the heart of that mana bear former spy to have her throwing away the word former and jumping back into her old life. You had to laugh when she used her age to her advantage to hide a quick meeting. Nothing like mentioning a bodily function to make the questions stop. While that was by no means the heart of the heart of the action, we found out quick that Helen could think on her feet. Back to that shot, it only took one shot to set into motion a course of events that spanned from the past rife with scandal to present. And only one shot to bring a mana bear spy out of retirement and back into the action which there was a lot of. Along the way, we got a character with guts, brains, and her priorities straight. Family first and if you mess with Helen’s family she is coming for you.
There were a couple of witty moments when the deaths began in her presence and even her mentor had to confirm she did not drop the body. In addition to the action, there are plenty of questions. Some of it felt like typical spy stuff with nothing being truly private. We also get some darkness that serves as a stark reminder of the pain humans can inflict on each other. Those dark moments were necessary without being gratuitous. This is a longer book with plenty of action to keep the pages turning and plenty of drama along the way. We get a partial ending and while only partial, it is very important at least to a mama bear spy. However, the big bad is still out there so we can guess that another book is coming. Helen may have the enemy in her sights as he has her in his but it is not yet the end game. I’ll be back for what comes next.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Helen Warwick is back, and this fast-paced thriller has her using all her considerable assassin skills to hunt down the mysterious Scorpius, a Russian mole embedded in the highest levels of the CIA. This book is fun and exciting, and I tore through it. I can't wait for book 3! Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for a digital review copy.

Once again, Cindy Dees has penned an exciting, action-packed, and suspenseful thriller with a more mature main character in her second book in the Helen Warwick series, Double Tap. Helen is about fifty-five and recently retired as a deadly sniper for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) with many sanctioned executions. Her cover was as a foreign trade specialist for the State Department. After spending their childhood traveling overseas on assignments, Helen is still hoping to repair her relationship with her three children, Mitch, Peter, and Jayne and work on her marriage.

Mitch is the acting district attorney for Washington D.C. and is announcing his candidacy for the permanent position. When Helen sees a laser light on his forehead during the press conference, she knocks him and his wife down to save their lives. While Helen prefers to keep a low profile and blend into the background, she’s been forced into a different role. Who is coming after her family and why? Is it the Russian mole embedded in the Central Intelligence Agency or is it someone else? Helen agrees to rejoin the CIA and lead a team looking for the mole. Who, if anyone, can she trust and is this related to the threat to her family?

Helen is mentally tough, aggressive, an excellent sniper, and able to compartmentalize her emotions, but she hasn’t been working out as much lately and is slightly claustrophobic. She’s also a proud mother, but her children resent her absence during their childhood years. Her flaws make her more relatable. Readers learn more about Mitch in this novel as well as Yosef, Helen’s handler before she retired.

This is a strong and impactful tale. This book demanded my attention during its entirety. The twisty plot is layered with plenty of angst, action, and suspense that kept me engaged and rapidly turning the pages. There was a terrifying realism to some of the scenes. The story grabs your attention in the first chapter and doesn’t let up until its astonishing conclusion. This novel is fast-paced with a strong female main character. The antagonist’s psychosis is terrifying and memorable. It features death, murder, spies, secrets, lies, politics, family relationships, friendship, power, and much more. The ending didn’t resolve everything so I can’t wait to read book three in the series.

Overall, this fantastic novel is shocking, emotionally-charged, and pulse-pounding. Be aware that there is plenty of danger, violence, intrigue, and references to child abuse and torture in this story. Readers who enjoy action thrillers and espionage thrillers will likely enjoy this book.

Kensington Books and Cindy Dees provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via Net Galley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for May 21 2024.

Double Tap is a suspenseful, action packed and highly entertaining thriller with a hell of a body count. A buffet of death served up by a fifty-something year old woman who at this stage of her life would prefer serving apple pie at family functions rather than being called to thwart would be assassins. Cindy Dees has delivered another tantalizing story of deceit, spy craft and violence that will satiate even the biggest appetites for blood lust.

Retired CIA assassin Helen Warwick is brought back into the agency to hunt down a Russian mole embedded in the CIA, code name Scorpius. Not only has this individual provided Russia with unparalleled access to American intelligence, but this person has been recruiting psychopaths who have mustered out of the military, training them to become an extremely off-the-books hit squad. With her family at risk, Helen has never been more motivated to succeed. And the only way she can enjoy the peaceful retirement she earned is to go head-to-head with this traitor, expose the conspiracy and put an end to their nefarious endeavors. That is, as long as she can stay alive while being targeted by a bevy of crazy killers.

Once again readers will be captivated with Helen Warwick’s guile, intelligence and deadly skillset as the quinquagenarian woman is called upon to ply her trade one more time in service to her country. But it’s the personal aspect of this mission that hooks you in and keeps you engaged. With her family at risk and past secrets coming to light, the stakes are higher than just stopping a mole. Additionally, Helen’s adversary is equally cunning as more ruthless, willing to do whatever it takes to ensure they come out on top. Which leads to an intense journey for the truth that leaves many dead bodies in its wake.

If you’re middle aged and looking for a protagonist in your age bracket, then this is the series for you. But even if that’s not what you seek, Double Tap provides an array of skills, thrills, and kills sure to entertain thriller fans of all ages.

Cindy Dees does it again! Helen Warwick just gets better and better. I enjoyed the first book and I think this sequel gets it right. I am ready for the third book in this series. Will Helen catch Scorpius? Will Helen's kids ever come around and cut her some slack? What is her daughter up to? Will her husband's return change things for her going forward with being called out of retirement? I am here for all of it!

Helen Warwick continues to capture and entertain the reader's imagination in this terrific read.
Helen, who is supposed to be retired from here undercover CIA operative days, is really not.
Ot so it seems.
when her son is targeted with a laser dot from an assassin's gun, as he appears at a campaign event, Helen
starts the thrilling and very entertaining story off as she dives into him on stage, in front of hundreds, to save
him from the shot.
The story just takes off, like a shot (from the shot) and never slows down.
Helen's nemesis, Scorpius, whom she thought had been killed, apparently had not died and is back hunting
her and her family, once again..
Great characters and a terrific forward heading plot that keeps you whipping those pages to see what happens next.
Helen's kids are their usual mish mash of spoiled entitled kids with an occasional brush back from mom or one another and
serves up some amusing moments. And her mother's appearance truly adds to the eye rolling experiences.
Just a rally good story and so now, bring on the next one.
Viva Helen.
Never. Back . Down.

At 55 she wasn’t ready to leave her job as a wet work specialist for the CIA, and now the CIA comes begging for her to return. Scorpius needs to be removed, and her politician Excellent action tale.son needs to be protected from a would-be assassin. Coincidence or are the events related?

Again 55 year old Helen tries to retire from the CIA. But her old boss thinks she’s the only woman for the job. Will she catch Scorpius before he ruins the country and her family or will he kill her first. Love this series and can’t wait for the next book.