I enjoyed this continuation of FBI agent Garrett Morgan's story. I did read the first book in the series. I could see that if you did not read the first novel, you might be confused. However, this is an action-packed story, so if a fast-moving plot is important to you, you should enjoy reading how Garrett Morgan solves this case.

Garrett Mann has assembled a nearly off-the-books team of FBI experts along with some Mexican law enforcement to do a deep dive into the drug and human trafficking trade across the southern US border. They answer only to an Assistant Director of the FBI who runs interference for the team any time someone gets a whiff of their activities.

They’ve learned about an underground training facility in the New Mexico desert (originally built by the CIA for training purposes). The raid results in the death of dozens of cartel types who’ve been training Mexican natives as sleeper agents on how to blend in. A lone survivor tells them of a coming action in the Sacramento area.

Mann takes his team to Sacramento. Reinforced by local and state law enforcement, they surround a mansion in a gated big-bucks community. While the home is empty, it’s not a walk in the park. The property is heavily mined. The house is wired to its foundation with explosives. All of it triggered remotely once agents are on the property and inside the house. Someone knew they were coming and were watching for the perfect time to detonate. Dozens upon dozens of law enforcement agents were killed.

The hunt for the cartel leaders behind all this is now massive. California, Sacramento, and the FBI are frothing at the bit to administer some serious revenge. It’s up to Mann to keep all in line to track down who is responsible and, importantly, the obvious presence of leaks. some to the highest levels of federal law enforcement.

The key to finding the bad guys lies deep within the mind of the survivor who is doing his best to work out a deal to save his own skin despite his own pro-cartel history.

Now this is what we at MRB live for. Slam bang, gnashing of teeth, speed of light plotting and action. Believable (somewhat) characters with righteous motivation. Just keep a notepad handy to keep track of all the acronyms and initialisms tossed around. Konkoly has a long history of writing mysteries and thrillers. Two earlier titles were favorably reviewed by MRB (by moi). Wouldn’t be a stretch to want to expand into his other titles. One never knows.

I had not read a Steven Konkoly book before so was very open minded as to how it would go!

On the whole I enjoyed the book, with a couple of reservations. It was very fast paced and action packed, story moved quickly but there were a lot of acronyms which wasn't easy to keep up with, also a lot of characters and trying to keep them organised in your mind, again wasn't an easy task..

It probably would have helped to have read the previous books, I don't think it is a true stand alone, as there are quite a few referrals to previous events.

At that start of Chapter 19 there is an error when a cigarette should have been stubbed out, but is actually written as snubbed out.

I loved this! What a thrilling read! The characters were real, well described and the plot pulled you along at a rapid pace. A true page-turner, I loved the thrill of the chase, the reveal of the secrets and the overall spythriller vibe. Well done!

A Hired Kill is a fast paced FBI story with several twists and turns. Garrett Mann is a experienced agent who gets his own way frequently but now he has to face superiors who may be his undoing. A Hired Kill is the second book in the Garrett Mann Series by Steven Konkoly.

The book starts with the macabre discovery of an underground training school in NM where only one student has survived annihilation by whoever runs the facility. Interviews of the survivor reveal that the original intent is to train students to infiltrate the US and behave like ordinary Americans. Even the students are never told why.

The story becomes very fast paced from there. The agents are searching for a serial killer who has been active enough that many of the agent have a personal issues with thi criminal. It turns out that crimes involve many high level official and Mann has his hands full trying to separate the good from the bad.

There are too many characters in the book and it is impossible for me to identify each new character as they are introduced. For this reason I find that the story to just too confusing to enjoy.

I recommend this story to people who like FBI and government agency stories but forewarn you that it will take work to follow the storyline. I give this novel 3 on 5.
I want to thank NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for providing me with a digital copy of this novel. I give the review voluntarily.

This is a fast-paced, action-filled adventure featuring Garrett Mann as the leader of a mismatched team of not very rule-abiding FBI agents and Mexican ex-different-forces that find themselves involved in a plot much bigger than they initially expected.

This is the continuity of the previous book in the saga, A Clean Kill. Having not read the first one, I was thrown into the dynamics of a group of characters with many names that were initially hard to keep track of. However, some of them grow on you page by page.

It really is an action thriller, with a little heart that I would have liked it a bit more explored. What I liked the most is the delicate balance Mann and Serrano had to maintain. They had mutual respect and admiration, but duty intertwined with the pact they had made, and they had to dance around that sense of betrayal that strains their relationship. I would have liked a bit more exploration of that personal side.

Apart from Mann and Serrano, there were a few characters that I really liked, such as James or Gupta, their ways and characters had something special that ticked. The rest… they were too many to follow, although Konkoly has a way to take you in the right direction, but it’s hard, they are too many.

Overall, it was a well-paced action thriller.

After really liking the first in this series I couldn’t wait for another action packed ride. If I had sum up the overall tenor of the plot, it’s even more adrenaline spiked throughout than the first. Garrett Mann and his team confront multiple threats. His boss, FBI Deputy director O’Reilly, has covered their occasional coloring outside the lines methods. She’s not able to protect them now while fighting for her life. The team (ARTEMIS) is up against conspiracies that reach far higher into powerful people and places than they could foresee. The serial killer they’d encountered in NM is up to new deadly games. Everything you’d want in a thriller is covered in this plot. The characters are strong, devoted, committed and determined. The conspiracies and government agencies are all at play. The hardest part is keeping up with the numerous alphabet agencies involved. It was another complex operation that kept me reading far too late at night.
Thomas & Mercer (via NetGalley) provided an Advance Reader Copy of “A Hired Kill” Garrett Mann #2, by Steven Konkoly, publication expected 05/13/2025. These are my honest personal thoughts and opinions given freely without compensation.

Another action packed, riveting novel with Agent Mann and crew following the leads to take down AXIOS. This book was a great follow up to the last, and tied up most of the loose ends. Cata and her team of Mexican enforcers were a major part in taking down the enemy, but what will happen to them when the mission is finally put to rest? I can't recommend this series enough for those who love a great political thriller.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was unable to finish this book. I got caught up in the multiple layers and different organizations and couldn't make sense of it. I decided to move on after about 10% done. It is likely a very good book but wasn't for me.

This is the second book in the Garrett Mann series and it continues as we follow Special Agent Mann and the ARTEMIS team as they try to catch a prolific serial killer - the last of three killers that were working for the Juarez Cartel.

This book actually takes a turn in that Mann and team discover that they have actually found themselves in the middle of a quite different scenario and things are vastly more important than they realized. There are some SERIOUS consequences to the security of the US involved and they do not realize the potential consequences until it is too late.

This is where things get a little bit complicated. While this is the second book in this series, new characters are introduced into this storyline - characters who readers of Mr. Konkoly's other series are already familiar with. Unfortunately, it is confusing to have the addition of so many new characters as some are added to Mann's team, some are on Serrano's team and others are the ones we knew back from the Ryan Decker and Devin Gray series. I HAVE read all of those books and I was still unsure at times who was who. I will admit though, I enjoyed seeing Audra, Gupta and some of their gang back on the board.

This book is extremely fast paced and is full of action, combat and off the reservation type behaviors as Mann and his team realize that doing things "by the book" will only get them killed. While this typically could be labelled as a police or FBI procedural book, in a way it is as far from that as you can imagine because almost every action the team makes is against current policy and most times against the law and could get all of them arrested. But, then again, when people are trying non-stop to kill every single member of your team - and succeeding more times than not - well, being as unconventional as possible begins to look like the smart thing.

Since there is so much action, there is not a lot of character development in this series. While I really do like Mann as an MMC, I still do not feel like I REALLY know him other than the fact that he is a rogue type agent. He and the others feel very one dimensional and I think that is why there is not a lot of emotional investment on my part when someone on their team is killed. I just didn't know them well enough to feel that as a loss, and I think that is the one thing that held this book back.

This book ends with a bit of uncertainty on whether or not they were successful in eliminating the threat. The individual storyline for this book is settled and that part closed, but I think that we are going to learn that while they might have closed one chapter, there is a completely different element still out there. Maybe?

Thank you to NetGalley and to Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. The opinions above are mine and mine alone. This book will be out for publication on May 27, 2025.

If you like action with lots of shoot-outs, then this is the book for you. Unfortunately it wasn't for me. I really tried to like this book, but it was one shoot-out after another, followed by discussion between (numerous) characters. The action scenes were really well described and pacy, but the plot could do with some more depth, development and explanation. The storyline and project codewords were all rather confusing. The story was also rather protracted and long.
I also found the number of characters in the book just too many to keep up with. So many were introduced at once, and then there would be more new characters in a following chapter. I finished the book but must admit it was a struggle, just not for me this one.

Honest review in return for eARC

Sorry I read several chapters and then could not follow the plot of the book. I was lost in all of the ‘project’ names and the characters. I did not finish the book.

What a fascinating story about the [fictitious goings of of the alphabet agencies of both the known Federal government and
the paid mercenary brigades who use their shrouds of secrecy to try to stop mass death and destruction. It’s bound to have
competing interests and operators and it was a challenge to keep track of the casualty count. I like the way the story would
flow, and it was fun because no matter whether you think for a second our actual government would have clandestine op’s
set in and with Mexico - whose to say for sure…. I had not read anything by this author for awhile and I really do enjoy his
humor and writing style.. My thanks to Thomas and Mercer via NetGalley for the download copy of this book for review purposes.

This was another book that I was fortunate enough to be granted an eArc by the author (Steven Konkoly), his publisher (Thomas & Mercer) and the fine folks at NetGalley in exchange for the opportunity to post an honest review.

After FBI special agent Garrett Mann executes a deadly raid on an underground facility in New Mexico (Labrynth), the sole survivor’s testimony reveals a greater threat to come.

The covert lair was a training ground for hundreds of cartel sicarios (trained assassins), who have since disappeared into the US, their ultimate mission still unknown. When another FBI raid goes catastrophically wrong, Mann finds himself on the trail of the Bureau’s original target—a moonlighting serial killer who leads the agent into a nightmare that’s darker and more extensive than Mann ever feared.

As Mann and his team hunt their fugitive, they find he could have deep ties to powerful government officials. But even as the list of people Mann trusts grows smaller, he must find the killer and blow the heart of this conspiracy wide open before more lives are lost.

Steven Konkoly’s A Hired Kill is a pulse-pounding thriller that plunges readers into a labyrinth (pun intended) of government conspiracies and relentless danger. This second installment in the Garrett Mann series showcases Konkoly’s knack for crafting intricate plots and high-stakes action.

Konkoly’s writing is sharp and evocative, capturing the intensity and urgency of Mann’s investigation. The pacing is relentless, with each chapter ending on a cliffhanger that compels you to keep reading.

The action sequences are vividly described, immersing the reader in the heart-pounding moments of danger and suspense.

Garrett Mann is a compelling protagonist, his determination and moral complexity driving the narrative forward. Konkoly excels at creating multi-dimensional characters, and Mann’s interactions with his team and the various suspects add depth to the story. The supporting cast, including the enigmatic serial killer and the shadowy government figures, are equally well-developed, each adding to the intricate web of intrigue.

The only real issue that I found with this evocative thriller is that as the chapters progressed that I found some difficulty in keeping track of the supporting characters (both on Garrett Mann's team and on that of the protagonist AXIOM). Another point that I found some difficulty with (and this may be because I am unsure whether I read the first book in the series or not) was that it made a lot of references to the story in the first book (A Clean Kill) in the series.

Overall, this is a great novel that is sure to be a favourite of paramilitary thriller aficionados and sure to be enjoyed by fans of Tom Clancy (think Rainbow Six storyline). As such, I would easily give this book a solid four stars out of five.

As with most of my literary ramblings, these are just my five cents worth

Great sequel to A Clean Kill. I love Garrett Mann’s crew of FBI misfits – I prefer them to typical by-the-book FBI agents. This was an action-packed thriller which kept me guessing until the very end. This is a great read for anyone who enjoys police procedurals. I received an ARC from NetGalley, and the opinions expressed are my own.

A Hired Kill picks up where A Clean Kill left off, with Garrett Mann and his team tracking a serial killer and delving deeper into a massive conspiracy they encountered in New Mexico. Just as in the first book, Konkoly is great at writing action scenes and crafting an exciting story to keep the reader engaged.
I enjoyed the second book more than the first due to some increased plot development with Mann’s boss. However, I still have some issues that carry over from book one to book two. First, there are still too many characters introduced at once, it was difficult to keep up with who’s who.
I would still say that a lot of plot and character development was missing. We never get to know the characters and see them grow or change and we go from shoot-out to dialogue back to shoot-out and back to dialogue. The last issue I have with this is that everyone is always too cooperative with Mann. He never has issues getting approvals for something or getting people to his side and I would have liked to see him struggle a bit more or have to fight for what he needs/wants.
I do enjoy Konkoly’s writing style and despite the issues that I have with the book it was still enjoyable overall and anyone that loves an action story will really enjoy this. I look forward to the next book in the series.

A Hired K, by new to me author S. Konkoly, published by Thomas & Mercer, is the second book in the Garret Mann Series.
FBI special agent Garret Mann is on his next case. Complex, complicated, compelling, literally unputdownable.
Blurb: After FBI special agent Garrett Mann executes a raid on an facility in New Mexico, the survivor’s testimony reveals a greater threat to come.
The covert lair was a training ground for hundreds, who have since disappeared into the US, their mission still unknown. When another FBI raid goes wrong, Mann finds himself on the trail of the Bureau’s original target—a moonlighter who leads the agent into a story that’s darker and more extensive than Mann ever feared.

I really enjoyed the thriller element to this book, it had that element that I was looking for. The serial killer element worked well overall and was enjoyed the overall concept. Steven Konkoly has a strong writing style and was able to create great characters.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Steven Konkoly’s A Hired Kill is a pulse-pounding thriller that plunges readers into a labyrinth of government conspiracies and relentless danger. This second installment in the Garrett Mann series showcases Konkoly’s knack for crafting intricate plots and high-stakes action.

The novel follows FBI special agent Garrett Mann, who finds himself in the midst of a deadly conspiracy after a raid on an underground facility in New Mexico goes catastrophically wrong. The sole survivor’s testimony reveals a chilling truth: the facility was a training ground for cartel sicarios, who have now vanished into the United States with an unknown mission. As Mann digs deeper, he uncovers a moonlighting serial killer with ties to powerful government officials, leading him into a nightmare that threatens to unravel everything he holds dear.

Konkoly’s writing is sharp and evocative, capturing the intensity and urgency of Mann’s investigation. The pacing is relentless, with each chapter ending on a cliffhanger that compels you to keep reading.

The action sequences are vividly described, immersing the reader in the heart-pounding moments of danger and suspense.

Garrett Mann is a compelling protagonist, his determination and moral complexity driving the narrative forward. Konkoly excels at creating multi-dimensional characters, and Mann’s interactions with his team and the various suspects add depth to the story. The supporting cast, including the enigmatic serial killer and the shadowy government figures, are equally well-developed, each adding to the intricate web of intrigue.

One of the standout aspects of A Hired Kill is its exploration of themes such as loyalty, betrayal, and the impact of past traumas on the present. Konkoly delves into the psychological toll of Mann’s work, making his struggles and fears feel real and relatable. The twists and turns are expertly crafted, with each revelation adding to the overall sense of unease and suspense.

A Hired Kill is a gripping and well-crafted thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Steven Konkoly has delivered a story that is thrilling and thought-provoking.

For fans of crime fiction and high-stakes thrillers, this book is a must-read.

Thank you for the opportunity to preview A Hired Kill this is a solid thriller with a political theme and an interesting storyline. Our protagonist is a FBI agent, Garrett Mann who does not follow the rules. Along with.Mann is a band of agents who have been involved in the investigation that Mann has been involved in. Their involvement is to stop the bad guys using somewhat different techniques that may not be quite orthodox.
But the problem is the force behind the battle against America will stop at nothing to meet their goals. And Mann and his team are not going let that happen.
4 stars. There are a lot of characters and at times I had to look back to figure out who they were and were they good or bad.