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.

Perfect Shot is a magnificent and high-powered adventure from debut author Steve Urszenyi, which holds nothing back with hot shot Alex Martel.

Martel’s journey starts off through the crystal-clear optics on top of her most trusted tool, while preparing to take down a group who is in possession of some stolen nuclear material. As the op starts to heat up, Martel begins a chase of epic proportions to prevent the material from leaving the eyes of law enforcement and keeping the bystanders safe. Eventually, things get personal when friend Krysten, an MI5 agent, is murdered in England and a friend reaches out for help.

Martel, an FBI Special Agent on loan to Interpol, a stack of bodies starts to build behind her, along with a reputation as a hard-nosed win-at-all cost individual. The Netherlands isn’t particularly keen on Martel’s skill set being shown in public, but after preventing a potential nuclear attack she’s let off the hook. This is where things start to get hairy. Martel is made aware of a serious situation in Incirlik, Turkey as a nuclear weapon from the American storage facility has gone missing. Will Alex be able to piece the puzzle together and recover the weapon or will the fate of millions rest in her soul forever?

Urszenyi crafts a gripping tale of perseverance highlighting dedication and selflessness while the grim reaper is knocking at the door. Martel is vivacious and cunning yet not perfect at everything, which drives confidence and understanding of how Urszenyi introduces you to Alex. He finds the perfect combination of uncertainty and creativity that allows Martel to shine. He doesn’t unload the past preventing you from indulging in the main plot line but blends the two into the right balance. Martel has a lot going on that he doesn’t let onto, but it is there for the taking in the future. Secondary characters are not overpowering and provide the right amount of support that makes them enjoyable as you try and figure out who is fighting for the right reasons.

So not what I usually read but totally grabbed me and dragged into a fascinating story. I feel like I would spoil it if I say anything else but just take a chance and read this.

Perfect Shot is a very good book. The author has created an interesting, realistic set of characters, and placed them in a believable and frightening plot. There are some very good twists in the book, and a number of interesting foreign locations. The protagonist is a female military operative with superb capabilities but someone who very much wants to do things in her own way, a trait I found likeable.

This was a debut novel for Steve Urszenyi, and a very good one at that. The author knows his way around weapons and tactics, and manages to discuss them without overwhelming a non-technical reader like myself. Urszenyi writes a good action scene, and the pace of the novel holds the readers interest. My only criticism is that the protagonist's character has a lot of potential but seemed a little undeveloped at this point. I believe his next novels will add additional dimensions to the main character, and I look forward to reading them. This series starts at a pretty high level, and I am betting it will get even better in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC.

great book and loved the mystery through out the book. I loved the characters and how they grew through all of their adventures. I enjoyed this book and this author and will check them out again add them to my reading pile.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. It was well-written and very fast-paced action thriller featuring a female protagonist (yeah).

Special Agent Alexandra Martel has put her days on the battlefield behind her. A former sniper, she is now an FBI special agent on loan to Interpol. She is on a mission with Interpol to retrieve nuclear material, when she learns that an old friend and former MI5 office, has been killed under mysterious circumstances. She decides to take some time to investigate and follows a trail of clues left behind by her friend. She soon pieces together a terrifying conspiracy that only escalates when a nuclear warhead goes missing.

She reluctantly joins forces with a CIA officer with his own motives and will stop at nothing to achieve them. Chasing the truth, the story moves from the busy streets of London to the bustling Turkish markets to the catacombs of Paris.

As the clock ticks and the world edges closer to doom, she relies on her Special Ops skills to stop the unthinkable from happening.

This book was fast paced, thrilling, exciting and without too much technical jargon. I will become a fan of this series. I read in two nights as the plot was gripping and held my attention. Wish I could give it 10 stars.

I cannot believe this is a debut novel!

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: November 14. 2023
“Perfect Shot” is the first novel by Steve Urszenyi, a former paramedic and police tactical medic with experience in every kind of urgent emergency response. “Shot” is also the first in a series, led by protagonist Special Agent Alexandra Martel.
After earning a reputation as one of the most precise and skilled shooters in the Army, Alex Martel is now working for the FBI, currently on loan with Interpol, trying to find and disarm all sorts of domestic threats. When she receives the news that her friend, Krysten, is dead, Alex also discovers that Krysten is not who she says she was. Krysten claimed to be working for MI5, but it seems she was connected to some very dangerous Russian terrorist groups, and Krysten wasn’t even her real name. However, the information she left Alex seems very legit and if true, entire continents could fall. But when Alex tries to get her contacts at the FBI involved, no one wants to trust intel from a Russian spy, and Alex is forced to go at it alone, hoping that trusting her gut will be enough to, literally, save the world.
Urszenyi has definitely put a lot of time and energy researching the novel of this plot (his personal experience doesn’t hurt either). Every agency, foreign and domestic, is involved, and every acronym comes to play- FBI, CIA, M15, FSB, SVR, and that doesn’t cover all of them. Not to mention every department and title therein, including military roles and ranks. It gets wordy and confusing, so you have to pay careful attention as to who is doing what to whom and why.
Alex is a great character and Urszenyi actually creates a representational and honest female viewpoint, which I respect. I was doubtful that brave, strong women like Alex would be given the chance to showcase their skills in male-dominated, misogynistic government and law agencies, but Urszenyi makes sure to cite a few examples in his “acknowledgements”, and I was grateful to know about these amazing human beings.
Alex narrates the entire story, which takes her all over the world, and there is not a single page in the novel that isn’t full of gun-toting, fast-paced action. If you can get through the acronyms and all of the scientific and official details provided, be prepared for lots of intrigue, subterfuge, coercion and gunfire! “Perfect Shot” sets the right amount of tension, preparing the reader for the next saga in Alex Martel’s electrifying life!

Part of book was easy to read because it was a "story" about how to find a stolen bomb and the murder of Alex's friend. The other half was technical weapons specs and political intrigue which is too dry for me. Stories I like; technical reading is not so enjoyable. I also like stories about strong, capable women and the main character was just that. Alex, an FBI special agent on loan to Interpol, can hold her own in a fight. After finding out her old friend, an MI5 officer, has been killed, she wants to know why. Clues left behind by Alex's friend, leads her to Paris and puts her at odds with her bosses. After finding out a nuclear bomb has been stolen, Alex's purpose is to find and stop the detonation of the bomb. The murder and the bomb stories intertwine to make it a good "who done it".

What a thrilling debut! This fast-paced novel hardly gives you time to breathe as highly trained FBI Special Agent Alex tracks a missing weapon of destruction. She’s disciplined while relying on her instincts and training. She’s respectful of commanding officers however, she’ll veer to her own path against orders when she’s right. She’s working with unfamiliar agencies and politics are always at play. There are double agents and spies as Russia is again attempting to assert dominance. Alex is unwavering in her loyalty and one of the best female protagonist I’ve read. She has to contend with Caleb continually appearing and not knowing exactly who he works for. I liked the tension between Caleb and Alex, they played off each other well despite differences of opinions. They each believe they’re right and friction follows. Alex is on loan to Interpol assisting with locating, recovering and determining who stole the weapon. The mission is international and will take the team from the Netherlands to London and Paris. It’s fast paced non-stop action with highly technical details. It isn’t my area of expertise so couldn’t say if it’s accurate but it kept me engaged, unwilling to stop reading.
Not to be repetitive but, this is an electrifying and highly enjoyable action mystery with substantial characters. I would read more about Alex and more by this author and am confident recommending it. I received a digital advance reader copy from NetGalley of “Perfect Shot” by Steve Urszenyi, published by St. Martin’s, Minotaur Books. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.