This is a fun little series. I really enjoy Hart’s genre hopping across his novels. This gives me A-Team vibes which is a fun throwback!

I read the first book in Hart's new series with great interest, and I'm happy to say this follow-up book snapped me right back into place with the characters, and brought new dimensions to our protagonist and his sponsee. This book is well-paced, with snappy dialogue and a great premise. It also takes good care with the female characterization, never falling into stereotypes even with possibly delicate topics like sex trafficking and sex work. Well done!

I love this series! Mark is a retired assassin leading an AA-style twelve-step program for other assassins ready to leave that life behind. But their pasts keep catching up with them, and their commitment to the program is tested when have to save one of their own without leaving any bodies in their wake.

Smart, funny, and well-plotted, with a great cast of characters! Definitely read Assassins Anonymous before diving into the Medusa Protocol — and definitely read them both!

📖 The Medusa Protocol by Rob Hart

I really liked this one in general! After getting the ARC, I went back and read the first book to catch up, and I’m so glad I did—it definitely made the experience better.

This had a sharp, fast-paced energy with a great balance of action, humor, and intrigue. The Assassins Anonymous concept remains such a fun twist on the thriller genre, and Astrid’s storyline kept me hooked. The black site prison, the experiments, the no-kill escape plan—it all added up to a wild, high-stakes ride.

It’s not quite Richard Osman, but it’s close. The wit and character dynamics make it feel in the same ballpark, but with a grittier, more action-packed edge. If you like thrillers with a clever premise and strong, memorable characters, this one delivers.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

This just might be my favorite book of the year and as a librarian I read a lot of books. If you want an original storyline that hasn't been written before, this is it! Non-stop, action packed thriller with dry humor and a heartfelt storyline. I could not put the book down! Rob Hart, I hope Netflix picks this up!

Mark and the other members of his twelve-step support group, Assassins Anonymous, return in The Medusa Protocol. Once again, Mark travels the world, meets interesting people, and beats most of them to a pulp (all without killing them). But we get more of Astrid and more introspection about wrestling with addiction and making amends while still primarily focused on bringing the action.

A 12-step program for assassins? That's what you get in Rob Hart's novel The Medusa Protocol. Various assassins come together the same as in AA, and they face temptation to return to killing. Now that one of their members has gone missing, the temptation to save her by killing others is even stronger.
The novel has various action scenes, lead characters who were prime killers, and a lot of AA. I found it mildly interesting.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

I haven’t been reading a ton of action type books of late because I feel like there is a lot told repetitiveness and not a lot of good. But this book somewhat breaks that mold. There is a little bit “oh this is convenient”, but in general these are expertly trained individuals with the skills and know with all to do what they say they can do. And that is somewhat refreshing. The characters were entertaining, though the jumping around between characters and times was a little tough. Overall an entertaining and enjoyable book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rob Hart, and GP Putnam’s Sons for providing me with an advanced reading copy.

What would the assassin’s version of Alcoholics Anonymous look like?

Well, for starters, the assassiholics would choose to stop killing. They’d have to take it one day at a time, go to meetings, hand out recovery chips for months or years, and spend time with mentors. Then they’d have to work through the rest of the 12 steps.

But even worse, they’d have to stop playing at being gods… and they’d have to find another way to get an adrenaline fix. What will they do with their skills? More worrisome, can they quit their old careers cold turkey? Worst of all, how can they make amends?

Rob Hart’s second volume picks up the story of a character from the first novel. Everyone in their group is still struggling with the assassin’s version of hangovers. “One day at a time” seems impossible when so many people are trying to kill them. Even worse, their enemies don’t know that these former killers are also trying to go straight. How does a recovering assassin convince another assassin to stop trying to kill them?

Their stories are incredibly creative and compelling. But if you’re a recovering alcoholic… maybe go to a meeting before you start reading.

The Medusa Protocol is the second book in the Assassins Anonymous series. I was initially drawn to the series by its unique premise: a 12-step support group where assassins come together to help each other give up their killing ways. It's harder than it seems, as their pasts keep catching up with them. Reading the first book will make this sequel more understandable and entertaining.

The story focuses on Astrid, formerly known as Azrael, who has stopped showing up to meetings, which is concerning for her sponsor Mark. Unbeknownst to Mark, Astrid has been imprisoned on a remote island where a doctor is performing experiments on her to retrieve memories from her past. Astrid does not know what the Doctor is trying to uncover and we learn the reason behind her imprisonment alongside Astrid.

After sending a sign to Mark, Astrid embarks on a truly skillful and complex escape plan. Meanwhile, Mark begins working on finding her. The narrative alternates between Astrid's time in the prison and Mark's efforts to locate her. As reformed assassins, their adventures involve disabling the enemy rather than killing them, which makes for an inventive and entertaining adventure.

I particularly enjoyed the story's ending, which fit well with the overall narrative. I hope there are more books to come in this series.

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

Welcome back to Assassins Anonymous, the only twelve-step group where joining can be deadly.

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.

I was a little confused and that was because it is book 2 of a series. I enjoyed the story but I need to read the 1st book in the series to truly understand.

“The Medusa Protocol” was intense and amusing. The idea of retired assassins trying to make amends is an interesting one, especially when one of their own (Astrid) goes missing and has to be saved but killing the “bad guys” must be avoided if at all possible. The assassins are an eclectic bunch with interesting backstories regarding their careers and motivations. The black site where Astrid is being held, the security precautions in place, and the “research” being carried out by the doctor who operates the site are quite creative. The woman behind Astrid’s kidnapping and placement at the black site was somewhat surprising, as I was expecting it might be someone else.

The Assassins Anonymous action continues at breakneck speed! I really enjoyed the structure of two alternating central characters, in large part because the switching from the one to the other, both in first person, is clear and well-timed, so that it really enhances the storytelling, and yes even the suspense, instead of just causing confusion. Exploring addiction through this lens not only deepens the characters, it helps illuminate the genuine trials of people who are addicted to things other than killing people. It's a great literary device, and also a great thriller.

Non stop riveting suspense and action.
Assassin's Anonymous is a group of killers who are working their way through recovery and
rehabilitation into mainstream society when one of their regular meeting attendees disappears.
Mark, a former notorious assassin for hire, who now shepherds the group, is worried that Astrid could be in trouble. And when Astrid's favorite pizza is delivered to their meeting, with no name attached, they all suspect she is sending them a message: she needs their help.
The story takes off and pulls you in immediately. Hart does a fabulous character analysis of each and they literally jump right off the pages. The plot, as always with him, is absolutely intriguing and immediately engrossing.
Another intriguingly fabulous edition of the assassins.
There just HAS to be more to come.

I LOVE this series! Hart has done such a fantastic job creating a unique cast of characters that are pastiches of so many tropes yet remain wholly original and compelling. I love the badinage between the group, as well as the sense of loss and honor and need for redemption. It makes everything resonate on a very powerful emotional level - while simultaneously offering those emotions on a platter generously sprinkled with dark humor and dry wit and plenty of snark...

I flew through this one, furiously turning pages to see where things would go. I cannot wait to see what's up next!

The Pale Rider returns in Rob Hart’s “The Medusa Protocol”, the fast-paced sequel to last year’s “Assassins Anonymous”.

Mark, the ex-assassin known as the Pale Rider, is trying to maintain his “sobriety” as he heads his local chapter of Assassins Anonymous, a twelve-step recovery group for killers who are trying to stop killing. Unfortunately, he’s quite worried about one of the members, Astrid, whom Mark has taken under his wing as her sponsor, who hasn’t been showing up at the meetings for a while. Has she “fallen off the wagon” and gone back to being Azrael, a notorious assassin working for the Agency? Or has something worse happened to her, has her past caught up?

Turns out it is something worse – Astrid has been kidnapped and taken to a remote prison on an island in South America. There, a doctor performs experiments on her, probing her memory for something from her past, something so valuable that someone has taken all this trouble to find out the information without Astrid realizing what exactly this information is. And Astrid has made quite a few enemies over the years, some of which are also housed in this prison. How can she possibly escape the prison and make it past the deadly snakes that cover the island, all while maintaining her vow of not killing?

Through careful planning, Astrid is able to get a message to Mark and the group (a pizza covered with olives!) to let them know that she’s alive. No sooner has the pizza arrived then it is followed by a group of mercenaries out to kill Mark and his non-lethal group. Can Mark and friends avoid the mercenaries, find Astrid and rescue her, all without killing anyone?

Another humorous ride through the deadly world of assassins. We learn a little bit more about Astrid, how she got into the business and some of the things that are haunting her to this day, things that sent her into the support group. We also see Mark and friends making sacrifices in their quests to make amends. And we get plenty of thrills and actions, all with a layer of levity as we watch the extraordinary lengths the assassins go to in order to avoid killing anyone. Another quick exciting thrill ride with bad guys trying to become better.

I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Penguin Group Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons via NetGalley. Thank you!

God, but these books are fucking fun.

I had a really good time reading ASSASSINS ANONYMOUS so why not get the follow up early from NetGalley?

It was just as good. They’re like funnier Jason Statham/John Wick movies. Good action, funny, a bit of angst. Popcorn for days. And the concept of Assassins Anonymous just makes sense to me - making amends, trying to stay clean… I love these books. Super fast reads too. So fun.

This was a strong sequel in the Assassins Anonymous series, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed from the first book. It had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed getting to go back to this world. Rob Hart does a fantastic job in writing this and left me wanting to read more in this world.

I loved Assassin's Anonymous, but wasn't sure what to expect in his sequel. But it starts with a bang. Or at least with a bag... over the head of Astrid, the latest member of the reformed assassin's group, as she is kidnapped.

Then a mysterious pizza delivery during a twelve-step meeting of the Assassin's Anonymous group sets off a thrilling chain of events. Mark, once the world's deadliest killer, suspects the delivery is a message from Astrid, his missing sponsee, but it also triggers an attack by other hitmen. The challenge for all these former killers? Escaping without killing anyone.

Hart masterfully balances two narratives: Mark's investigation and Astrid's imprisonment, while using the opportunity to explore Astrid's compelling backstory. The premise of assassins in recovery could easily become absurd, but Hart handles it with both dark humor and surprising sensitivity.

While this high-octane thriller stands on its own, reading the first book is recommended for full appreciation of the character dynamics. For readers seeking a fresh take on the genre, "The Medusa Protocol" delivers action, suspense, and unexpected depth in equal measure.

A big thank you to the Penguin Group and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Free eARC provided by Netgalley and the publisher for reviewing purposes.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Assassins Anonymous, where we follow Mark, formerly the deadliest assassin in the world, as he stays sober (by not killing people) while on the run. The first book could've been a standalone, but I was glad to find the author continuing with this universe. This book follows his sponsee from the end of the last book, Astrid. Much like Mark's story, we have flashbacks of her past interspersed with the ongoing action. We also get cuts between Astrid's point of view and Mark's, which I enjoyed because Mark's POV really made the last book. I also preferred the action of the "current" events over the flashbacks. As much as you learn about Astrid's backstory from seeing her past, I don't think that her character was as developed as Mark's was in the last book, and I don't think the mystery that runs throughout is as complex, so the payoff at the end is not quite as satisfying.
Honestly, if you enjoyed the first book, you'll probably like this one because it is definitely more of the same without being too repetitive. I love the other characters in the Assassins Anonymous group and I want to see more of their stories, but I do worry that future installments might be too much of the same thing.