★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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WHAT'S THE MEDUSA PROTOCOL ABOUT?
I'd written about half of this section, and wasn't quite satisfied with it, and took a quick glance at the Publisher's Description and realized that 1. I was echoing it in an unnerving way, and 2. It was better than i could deliver. So, I'll borrow it and save myself from plagiarism accusations:

When Astrid, known in her assassin days as Azrael, stopped showing up to Assassins Anonymous, the group assumed her past had caught up with her. Only her sponsor Mark, formerly the deadliest killer in the world, holds out hope that she’s okay. Then, during a meeting, the group gets a sign, or rather, a pizza delivery. Is there another psychopath out there who actually likes olives on their pizza, or is Astrid trying to send Mark a message?

Meanwhile, Astrid wakes up in the cell of a black site prison, on a remote island. A doctor subjects her to mysterious experiments, plumbing the depths of her memory and looking for a vital clue from her past. She’ll do anything to escape, except…killing anyone. Hmm. Turns out it’s not easy to blow this joint without blowing anything, or anyone up.



LOOKING FOR ASTRID
The group at the meeting splits into two groups—some head for safety, just in case someone's coming for someone in addition to Astrid. Mark and Booker take the sign of the disgusting pizza as a signal to go looking for Astrid.

This is where you get your thirst for adventure slaked. They take a globe-trekking route while hunting for clues, pick up an ally or two along the way, go up against some pretty lethal guys—and really lethal snakes.

They do this with aplomb, nerve, and some really bad jokes.

ASTRID'S STORY
Meanwhile, Astrid faces two challenges—figuring out where she is, why she's there, and how to make the best of the situation until she can find a weakness to exploit and get out of there. None of that will be easy.

But also, whatever this doctor is doing to her causes her to relive some of the bigger moments in her life—things she's never really put behind her, but she has to look at them anew, and maybe a bit more intensely than she usually does.

The stakes are high (higher than she realizes), and without support, she has to rely on what she's picked up from the meetings and her own grit to make it through each day.

SOBRIETY
While Assassins Anonymous showed the meetings, Mark hitting rock bottom, and choices to pursue this group's particular expression of sobriety, The Medusa Protocol focuses on taking responsibility for your actions, making amends, and maintaining one's sobriety. While none of the 12 Steps seem particularly easy, these things seem like harder work to me—and it's good to see that reflected honestly.

(There's some other things along these lines, but we can talk about that after you've read this book.)

The decision to stay sober—especially in the circumstances these characters find themselves, fighting for their lives against people who don't have any problem taking a life, when a lifetime of reflexes tells them to do something else—takes a monumental effort. It takes monumental effort for more "traditional" 12-Step program attendees, too. But this makes for more exciting reading—it should, however, remind the reader what their friends/acquaintances go through on a daily basis.

I really admire Hart for this focus in these books, and hope these keep coming if only for it.

SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT THE MEDUSA PROTOCOL?
There's part of me that wants to copy and paste most of what I said about Assassins Anonymous last year here. There's also part of me that wishes I'd re-read or listened to it before this—not because I need the refresher, I just had fun with it. Yet...I think this is a better novel. It's not quite as fun—Astrid's POV is too prevalent for that and her sense of humor isn't what Mark's is (this is a good thing)—but the story is more emotionally developed, Astrid's trauma is deeper-seated, and that comes through in the flashbacks (obviously).

Also, the Big Bad of the first book is a pretty standard kind of bad guy for the genre. The person responsible for Astrid's plight, on the other hand, is just evil. Like a gut-twisting, I don't want to think there are people like this in the world, kind of evil—sadly, it's probably the most realistic part of this book.

I'm afraid I might give the impression that this book is so heavy on the trauma, the emotions, the recovery struggles, and so on that it's not a Thriller. Sorry if I did. This is a rollicking, rocking Thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat with the kind of action you expect in a Thriller about a group of former (and current) assassins. If you liked the action, the humor, the pacing, and all the thriller aspects of the last book, don't fear—it's still there. It's just the percentages of the book devoted to each are a little different. Mark is still a prominent character, and you can't get away from his sarcasm, his humor, and his efficiency in a fight scene. That goes for the other people in the program, too. And when Astrid gets to do her thing, either in the present or in flashback—I'm telling you, it's good stuff.

I had a blast with this, enjoying the opportunity to reconnect with characters like Mark, Astrid, Valencia, Booker, and so on. The one new face (at least) that will recur? Oh, I'm looking forward to getting to know them a lot more. The new characters we meet that we definitely won't be seeing again? They're as good as you want them to be.

Oh, and the titular Medusa Protocol itself? That was really cool.

There's no reason not to pick this up if you're in the mood for a thriller that embraces and yet puts a twist on the conventions. Would it help to have read Assassins Anonymous first? Yeah, but you'll get in the groove pretty quickly if you haven't.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Putnam Books via NetGalley—thanks to both for this. Sorry that it's up late.

The main reason that Assassins Anonymous exists is to give its members a way forward so they no longer are assassins. Following their twelve steps isn’t easy for them. When one of their own, Astrid, is terribly threatened, the group springs into action to rescue her, save themselves, thwart the evildoers and still try to maintain their sobriety…. not easy! A fast read that gives more back story to the group’s characters. High octane! Recommended. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this title – I want another one!

Assassins Anonymous is back with Astrid's story. This hooked me from the beginning and my interest never wavered. Child sex trafficking is the crime and Astrid is on her own personal assignment looking for justice. I like all of the AA characters and how they once again show you choose your family, those you will bleed for. Cinematic action and a deeper emotional pull, this series is a winner.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

Actions have Consequences. Redemption is a hard choice. The road to redemption isn’t easy. “…If you feel genuine sorrow and regret for the things you did, that means you’re healing. It means you’re alive.” ~The Medusa Protocol, said by Mark.

We’re back, and this time, we learn more about Astrid’s journey to becoming and being an assassin.

With the three people planning to help break her out, they’ve gotten sloppy since they’ve been out of the game. They are slower, and Mark says it best, “Need to get more cardio in…” in order not to be so inept. There are many poignant moments, with some humor mixed in. The humor is a cover-up for their pain.

Dual POV between Astrid and her sponsor, Mark. This gives Astrid the redemption arc as she reflects back on her life and owns what she’s done and the consequences that come with what she is: an assassin with a conscience.

What I loved was the flashbacks of how Astrid came to be and how she once loved and lost someone. Filled with her raw and unguarded moments, Astrid is truly revealed to us.

This sequel was as good as the first book. We dive into Astrid's back story. The gang is all here to help her out of a bind while trying to maintain their sobriety. We need more adventures.

A 12-step program for Assassins. Member Astrid stops coming to meetings. Her sponsor, Mark and fellow members hope there is an explanation but fear she’s met her end.
When Astrid awakes in a black site prison with a doctor trying to retrieve a memory she finds a way to send a message to her AA group.
And so begins an action packed adventure of rescue, regret and redemption.

I had a lot of fun with this one. We follow a group of Assassins who have decided to change the trajectory of their lives and help each other through this transition with Assassins Anonymous. When one of their members, Astrid, goes dark, they don't know what has happened to her. Is she missing? Did she go back to her previous life? Well, it turns out she is in a black site prison, and once she can get work to her sponsor Mark via a pizza with olives, he and the other AA members get to work figuring out where she is and how to get her back. And while they are doing that, Astrid is also using all her skills to figure out how to rescue herself.

I loved the characters and how they will go all in for each other. They have become each other's family. There is plenty of action, humor, and heartwarming moments that have me itching to go read the first book in the series.

“’I’m Mark, and I haven’t killed anyone in two and a half years,’ I say.
‘Hi, Mark.’”
The Medusa Protocol is author Rob Hart’s second book in his Assassins Anonymous series. Happily for me, I didn’t notice that I was reading the second in a series; I didn’t read the first, and I might have sidestepped it had I realized I was entering mid-series. As it was, I had fun and enjoyed this satirical romp through a sea of professional murderers, sharks, and poisonous vipers.

My thanks go to NetGalley and Putnam Penguin for the invitation to read and review. This book is for sale now.

Our story commences with a group of recovering assassins meeting in a church basement. Then things start to go sideways; a member who’s expected isn’t there, but sends her personal choice of pizza to let them know she’s in trouble just as enemy assassins crash the meeting.

Huh? What?

From there, we dive down the rabbit hole, seeing the past and present alternately through the eyes of Mark, who is Astrid’s mentor in the program, and Astrid, a recovering killer who has been kidnapped and is being held in a Brazilian prison on an island in shark-infested waters, and which is home to a great many large, venomous vipers. How can her friends rescue her without having to kill anybody?

Just keep whispering the Serenity Prayer to yourselves, guys.

This is a fun read. Although the point of view shifts with every chapter, either between characters or time periods, these are clearly delineated, and I have no trouble keeping them straight. I only had the digital galley, not the audio, but I suspect that, assuming the reader provides the headings at chapter beginnings, it will be fine. The humorous moments when the rescuers worry about the mission threatening their sobriety are meted out exactly as they should be, not so many that it stops being funny, but frequent enough to keep me chuckling. There isn’t a lot of character development, but I don’t expect it from a satirical, action-packed novel like this one; there is some dialogue toward the middle that is overly wordy and should be edited down, but apart from that, it’s smooth as glass.

Some reviewers suggest not reading this one unless one has read the first; I am glad I didn’t see that advice till after I had read this one. I don’t care that this book provides spoilers for the first, because I am not going to read that one anyway. I will, however, cheerfully read the next in the series, whenever it becomes available. Meanwhile, I recommend this nifty little book to you.

Thank you Putnam for my gifted copy!

As if I didn’t think I could love a sequel more. Wow! The Medusa Protocol was even better than Assassins Anonymous. It was just as witty as the first, but with a depth that astounded me. And we got a killer (ha) background on one of my favorite characters, Astrid. I really hope that Rob Hart continues down the line of assassins in this manner, because it makes the universe all that more rich. This book was a blast and I highly recommend it - and the series in general!

This is a sequel. I have not read the previous novel so the characters have an unknown (to me) history that formed their commitment to each other. We do learn more about one of them in this novel, however, Astrid. There are a number of flashbacks so we get to experience the events in her life that brought her to the current era. There is much action, almost in the superhuman vein. Both the heroes of the novel and those opposing them are quite skilled so the conflicts are exceptional.

The concept of the novel is interesting in that past assassins are reformed and trying to live a new way. I was surprised to encounter humor in this type of novel. The narrative is written in the present tense, something I always find a bit disconcerting. The flashbacks, while necessary to understand the background of Astrid, do break up the flow of the plot.

This novel is a good one for readers who would like unusual heroes and lots of action.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent review.

I kept thinking as I read that this ought to have been a screenplay on one of the streaming platforms.

Because of the fast pace and action, I didn’t get as much character development on some of the characters as I would have hoped for--they were barely there, in service of plot rather than developing into complex characters; the advantage of a book is that the author can take the time to delve into complexities.

Of course this was second in a series. I didn't know that. P,erhaps there was more depth in the first.

The Medusa Protocol by Rob Hart has an interesting premise- a member of Assassins Anonymous disappears and sends a cryptic message to the rest of the group. Several of the members go on a hunt to locate and bring her home.

The premise of this definitely hooked me. As I was reading, this has all the makings of a great action movie/tv series. Because of the fast pace and action, I didn’t get as much character development on some of the characters as I would have hoped for. Since this is the second in a series, perhaps there was more of that in the first. I’m definitely intrigued and will read future books in the series!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Medusa Protocol by Rob Hart is an absolute knockout of a thriller—bold, fast-paced, and emotionally resonant in all the best ways.

What gripped me most was the redemption arc that pulses through every chapter. Hart doesn’t just flirt with the theme—he dives in headfirst. Every character feels like they’re fighting for a second chance, and the weight of their past decisions gives the story real emotional stakes. I couldn’t help but root for them, even when their hands weren’t exactly clean.

And let’s talk about Assassins Anonymous—yes, you read that right. The idea of treating killing like an addiction shouldn’t work, but somehow? It absolutely does. It’s darkly clever, a little bit tongue-in-cheek, and surprisingly thoughtful. The parallels to real recovery give the story depth and a kind of grounded honesty that adds complexity to all the action.

The found family vibes also got me right in the feels. There’s something about a group of broken people coming together and trying to do better—especially when they’re being hunted and trying not to murder anyone—that just hits differently. The relationships are raw and real, with just enough warmth to give you hope in the chaos.

And pacing? Forget about sleep. The action kicks in early and never lets up. I flew through the pages, totally hooked from start to finish.

If you’re into adrenaline-fueled thrillers with heart, The Medusa Protocol delivers in spades. Rob Hart’s writing is sharp, stylish, and packed with unexpected emotion—I loved every second.

I was not expecting to really enjoy The Medusa Protocol as much as I did! Since it is the second book in a series about assassins who are working on themselves to stop killing, I figured I’d be totally lost. Not the case.

We are thrown into the melee from the start with Astrid, or Azrael as she is known in the assassin world. She is kidnapped by a mysterious group, imprisoned on an impenetrable island, but manages to get a message to her Assassins Anonymous group. Several members start to work on saving her. There is a lot of action, humor, and heartwarming moments that only assassins can have.

I will definitely go back and read book one and look forward to more installments. Good entertaining read!

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

The Medusa Protocol by Rob Hart has an interesting premise. It is about a group of people, previously assassin, who have taken a pledge, similar to Alcoholics Anonymous, to stop killing. Assassins Anonymous is a close-knit group, still pursued by people in their past, who fight back without killing. Not always an easy proposition. The problem right now is that their friend and member, Astrid, is missing. They don’t know where, or why, or even if she’s still alive. They also have a new life to guard, a three-week old baby named, named Lucia who is the daughter of one of their ranks, seven years sober, named Valencia. Mark, not his real name but not his code name, either, has been taking martial arts classes from Master Feng, at the urging of Mrs. Nguyen, another member of the group, hoping to suppress his anger.. After that, time to prepare for their meeting. Mark sets out chairs every one living and dead, missing or present. Still worried about Astrid, someone rings the bell. It turns out to be a pizza delivery guy with a pizza full of black olives, a signal from Astrid that she is alive. It also is a signal for a bunch of guys who want them all dead.

These are not people without resources.. It is not too long before Mark has someone figure out the place of origin of that callordering the pizza, after they had destroyed his building and tried to kill them all. They are off to find Astrid, leaving Mrs. Nguyen, Valencia, and baby Lucia behind, in a safe place. Astrid is not without resources where she is and not dependent on the group to save her. While they are working, so is she. In a novel full of violence, there are very few deaths, although some. Astrid is clever and manages to rescue at least one other in her escape plan. This is a fast-paced, interesting novel full of creative and interesting characters. It certainly kept me reading, although not my first choice of genres.

I was invited to read The Medusa Protocol by the Penguin Group Putnam. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #PenguinGroupPutnam #RobHart #TheMedusaProtocol

The Medusa Protocol is a terrific follow-up to Assassins Anonymous. While the latter focused on protagonist Mark as he attempts to rehabilitate himself, with help, from his years as an assassin, The Medusa Protocol showcases a parallel narrative between Mark and Astrid, the assassin formerly known as Azrael, whose past has caught up with her. As Astrid's backstory is revealed bit-by-bit while she attempts to escape from her predicament, Mark and the rest of their AA group begin the hunt for Astrid to spring her from whatever physical torment she is enduring.

A story of loving friendship, and doing whatever one has to do without crossing a line they swore to never cross again, to rescue a loved one, The Medusa Protocol may not be as big on action as its predecessor, but it still kept me reading at a frantic pace. Definitely recommended!

This was a quick and entertaining read that I finished in a few hours.
A well written story that kept me hooked from the very beginning.
The characters draw you in and keeps you flipping the pages.
The characters were all realistic and very well developed.
I really enjoyed the writing style. I found myself hooked, turning the pages.

A fun follow up to Assassins Anonymous, this installment adds emotional depth to a fun romp about hitmen who don’t kill any more.

This is the second book of the Assassins Anonymous series featuring Astrid. She is a recovering assassin and finds herself kidnapped, brought to a mysterious island prison where she endures torture from her captors trying to extract information from her. Mark, her sponsor and a former deadly assassin himself, knows something is amiss when Astrid has not shown up for meetings and embarks on a recovery mission.

This story is filled with dark humor, lots of action, moral dilemmas, and found family vibes. I loved the first book, and the second is just as good! I wouldn't be surprised if this series is picked up by Netflix!

I didn’t know when I started reading Bob Hart’s The Medusa Protocol that is was the second book in the Assassins Anonymous series. And while I had no problem following the story I very much intend to go back and read the first book. So what is the book about? Imagine if the John Wick films were dark comedies. Yes, the book is filmed with assassins. Only most of them have tried to quit killing, thus their Assassins Anonymous support group meetings. Astrid, a deadly assassin (that’s probably redundant. I mean when is comes to assassins, deadly is a given, right?) has gone missing. Mark, her sponsor and the once deadliest assassin in the world, isn’t sure if she still alive. But when an olive covered pizza gets delivered to their meeting, Mark realizes she is asking for help. And after escaping an attack on the group, he and another member of AA set out to track her down and rescue her. This is a fun, action filled adventure and as I have a dark sense humor this one was right up my alley. I only wish I’d read the first book before starting this one. Something I shall rectify shortly. I’d like to thank PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of The Medusa Protocol.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R2OLVL4Q4BOD0Q/ref=pe_123899240_1043597390_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv