Alex is a legitimate badie. She seems quite humble, but thrives in whatever chaos she find herself in. This is great book that starts out in the middle of a fire fight over a stolen nuclear bomb and just picks up speed from there. I highly recommend for anyone that enjoys Jack Ryan like action.

Another new author to me. Found the storyline and characters very interesting. Would definitely read more

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Special Agent Alex Martel has a reputation as a decorated Army sniper. She is relentless and lethal. Now working for the FBI on loan to Interpol, she is pulled back into a world she left behind. Alex must follow clues left by a former friend to try and stop a nuclear warhead from detonating. She must use all of her Spec Ops skills to survive and save the world from the worst.

I wanted to like Perfect Shot more than I did. I love the characters of James Reece, Scot Harvath and Mitch Rapp. I was very excited to pick up a book with a female version of some of my favorite characters. Instead Alex was slightly annoying and I just couldn't get invested in her. I felt like the story was missing something to connect her to readers. Everything just felt a little flat.

What a great story. Contemporary tale of intrigue and international politics. This was a treat to read. A real escapist story to get lost in. The characters were so well drawn the reader can easily picture them. This is a read for men and women who love this genre. I’ll read more of this author’s books given the opportunity.

A former military sniper has left her days on the battlefield behind her….until the fight is brought right to her door.

FBI Special Agent Alexandra Martel is working in Europe as a liaison to Interpol. As the story begins, she and her team are working in the Netherlands to prevent the sale of nuclear material to an up and coming Islamic terrorist group. Despite their best efforts they are unable to complete the takedown of the involved parties; two of the terrorists make an escape with the contraband, and Alex and her mysterious new teammate Caleb (whom she suspects is CIA) pursue them in a helicopter. With the chopper almost out of fuel, she calls upon her extraordinary sniper skills to bring the fleeing criminals down. Local law enforcement is less than thrilled with the wild chase and the gunfight, but Alex’s bosses try to smooth it over given the satisfactory outcome. Alex, it will become apparent, is very good at what she does, but her actions often result in gunfire and dead bodies…and that tends to annoy the locals. On the heels of this situation, Alex receives notification that Krysten, an MI5 agent with whom she had struck up a friendship some years ago at a security conference, has died. It has been ruled an accident, but Alex is not so sure and heads to London to investigate. Shortly after her arrival Alex finds herself being tailed by Russians (and yes, another firefight ensues), which only intensifies her suspicions. She discovers more about what Krysten was doing undercover for MI5, and learns disturbing facts about Krysten’s background that make her question their friendship….and the encrypted information that Krysten sent to Alex in her final moments. When Alex is yanked out of London and directed to Turkey where a nuclear weapon has gone missing from the American airbase, she reluctantly reunites with Caleb to find out who stole it and why….and must find and neutralize it before it can be released upon the world.
In this first book of a projected series, I enjoyed reading the exploits of a highly trained and very capable woman who started her military career as a medic, morphed into a legendary sniper, and then after experiencing several losses opted to dial back her level of engagement in the world’s conflicts. While she wants to continue to contribute to the effort, she no longer chooses to be the tip of the spear. Caleb has been sent to persuade her otherwise, to remind her of the breadth of her skills and the satisfaction that using those skills brings her. When she is thrust into the murky world of spies and disinformation, she taps into her instincts to sort truth from obfuscation, and follows those instincts even when they contradict direct orders. The author’s background both as a medic and as a CBRNE incident responder provided interesting details throughout the chase, and he wove an interesting plot. Alex seems to get away with a lot of breaches of procedure and protocol to a degree that might strain credulity, but overall it was a fast paced and engrossing read. Readers of Jack Carr, Mark Greaney and Marc Cameron (all of whom have blurbed the novel), as well as Francine Mattews and Cara Black, should pick up a copy and give Alex Martel a spin. Many thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press/Minotaurs Books for allowing me access to an advanced reader’s copy.

Steve Urszenyi storms the thrillerverse with a debut that brings with it incredible action, a memorable and powerful female protagonist, and a killer story that opens up a lot of doors for future adventures that I’m desperately looking forward to.

Perfect Shot introduces us to Special Agent Alexandra Martel, a formidable and lethal Army sniper now utilizing her skills in service to the FBI for kinetic operations. When she learns of the suspicious circumstances regarding the death of an old friend and MI5 officer, she’s catapulted into the shadowy world of espionage where she’ll need to sharpen her spycraft in addition to employing deadly force. Pairing up with an enigmatic CIA operative who’s trying to recruit her for his team that responds to timely threats, Alex finds herself in a muddled battlefield where failing essentially means changing the world order for the worse.


It’s not often that the thriller begins with a bang and offers one of the most badass introductions in the thrillerverse as we get action in abundance while falling in love with the protagonist. Urszenyi masterfully packs action and storytelling into a taut and lean narrative that progresses the story through gritty combat in a manner that also builds up and offers insights into Alex’s character. It’s a tough line to walk but it’s one that Urszenyi masters much more confidently than one would expect from a debut author. There’s no dull moment to bog the story down as we get to experience the characters through their actions more than lengthy backstories. The cherry on top is the vibe of a globe-trotting adventure filled with suspense and danger and mystery as Alex has to fulfill her role as an FBI agent as well as her loyalty to an old friend. The well-timed twists and turns keep the narrative exciting and ultimately result in an intense finale with a new side to Alex to be explored in the upcoming books which are all but guaranteed with such stellar writing.

Full review to be posted on https://www.bestthrillerbooks.com/kashif-hussain

Wow! This story starts our with non-stop action that really caught my attention. I loved that the protagonist was a strong female. I would have liked it if the beginning action had been consistent throughout the book. I found there were a few too many times when there seemed to be a big data dump of information explaining various government areas and how they operated; and a bit too many acronym drops with explanations of what they were. That got me skimming some middle sections of the book as it tended to take me out of the story. Alex is an interesting character and I think the dynamics between her and Caleb are well set up for future books in this series. The ending was a big improbable, but that was easily overlooked because the action started up again. I enjoyed the story and would like to see more from this author (with a bit less data dumps of information and more intertwining of that information as part of the plot.)

Enjoyed the story and looking forward to future efforts from Urszenyi. I found the characters engaging. The story was interesting while stretching credulity at multiple points including inexcusable lack of situational awareness in multiple tier one situations, silly lax nuke security, ridiculous operator access to Russian President, lack of resources for a tier one team, silly opsec with phones, etc. Over many years reading technical thrillers, this first effort naivete is common and can be expected to improve greatly with experience. Readers of the genre will enjoy this debut effort and welcome a new and promising talent.

Crackerjack opening and well written action, The story moves along at a cinematic clip, although it could use some trims; the technical digressions are not always useful, and tend to pop up mid-set piece.

Plot and character, however, are strictly in the we-have-been-here-before section of the Dad Books section, despite the female hero. Alex is likable enough but bland, and the narrative is so deeply in the bag for her that there's never really a sense of jeopardy. The bad guys are sub-Clancy cartoons, and the plot doesn't have any of the stunning reverses that would justify the length.

That said, it was a fast, fun enough airplane read. I don't feel obligated to finish this kind of book (action, but I've seen it all before and know there are no big surprises), but I did. Doubt, though, that I would pick up the next in the series without an additional reason.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of Perfect Shot. First of all it caught my eye because of the Mark Greaney comment on the front cover.... Huge fan. I always find it interesting when a man is writing as a woman protagonist. Alexandra (Alex) Martel is a special agent who was a former sniper. This is an action packed highly anticipated thriller that I would highly recommend. It is the kind of book that when you read through the action series you actually read at a faster pace like you are really inside of the book.

This book was a different journey in my reading. I don't usually read or listen to a lot of thrillers set in the present era or with such military jargon. I was very pleasantly surprised at the extent that I enjoyed this novel.

The main character Alexandra, (Alex), Martel is smart and witty and likes to go with her gut. A former Army sniper, Alex is now an FBI agent on loan so to speak to Interpol. From the first chapter, the action is non-stop and it is almost hard to believe that only a few days pass throughout the course of this first book. Alex is a smaller sized woman and regularly gets beat up by various bad guys and the fight scenes are believable and plausible.

The author takes great care to give you all kinds of assorted military acronyms, (it is almost too much to keep up with). Because of the nature of the story-line, (A missing nuke), all of these are required to carry the story.

This is a very well written and well executed action thriller. If there was anything to complain about, it is that the descriptions of the countryside while she and her CIA compatriot, Caleb, are driving back to the Hague are a tad bit long. In the early chapters there was a repeated sentence that was probably just an adjustment to the speech a character was giving and that should be corrected in the final edit.

I am very impressed by Urszenyi's story telling ability. This reads like a well seasoned writer crafted it. Well done.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of Perfect Shot. First of all it caught my eye because of the Mark Greaney comment on the front cover.... Huge fan. I always find it interesting when a man is writing as a woman protagonist. Alexandra (Alex) Martel is an a$$ whooping special agent who was a former sniper. This is an action packed highly anticipated thriller that I would highly recommend. It is the kind of book that when you read through the action series you actually read at a faster pace like you are really inside of the book. Love!

BRAVO! BRAVO! BRAVO! Give a curtain call and a standing ovation to this cast of characters which there were many, Each taking the essentially placed to aid in the fast paced flow of the book. There truly aren’t enough superlatives to express my love for this novel, first in a series story of FBI Special Agent Alex Martel, only called in when the special detail is going to need a kill shot. Explains all the detailed information one has to take into consideration before taking the shot (the mental analytics, Ie. speed of wind mullet exiting gun, etc) aware of her abilities requests her to come work for them the U.S. put her on loan to work with Interpol’s MI5 and MI6. They are in search of rogue soviets stealing nuclear parts and then a nuclear bomb possibly heading to the Paris talks. I not only highly recommend this novel but I also highly recommend this up and coming author I am looking forward to the next in the series following Alex Martel. Special thanks to the following for allowing me to review this book early and I have given my own honest opinion:
#NetGalley
#StMartinsPress
#SteveUrszwnyi
#PerfectShot
Pub.Date: Nov.14, 2023

The plot of this book is similar to other spy/military type thriller where the nation/world is in danger and a person/team have to stop the event. We follow a FBI agent who has been stationed with Interpol chasing a possible nuclear material as part of her duties. But that may not be all she has to chase to complete her mission despite being told to back down and stay in her lane. The character development and prose is well defined and keep invested in the story and characters. I really enjoyed this book and will be looking forward to the next book.

Very entertaining. Lots of sustained action. Somewhat unbelievable at times, but worthwhile and strongly recommended.

Special Agent Alexandra Martel was a decorated Army sniper. Now with the FBI she is tasked to find out about the death of an old friend who was a MI5 officer. Her investigation uncovers a nuclear warhead that is missing. She is hardheaded, relentless, and not a team player. Not everyone is happy about her being on the team. Her investigation takes her to London, Turkey and Paris and a need to use her sniper skills. The author does a good job of describing how the camp was set up in the Middle East. The description of the catacombs and the bomb making were also interesting. There is a lot of action, and it was not predictable. Great story.

Lots of action with strong female protagonist who just happens to be an expert sniper. The action moves quickly with a variety of CIA types - both good and bad.

Perfect Shot. Perfect book.

Special Agent Alex Martell is on loan to Interpol from the FBI when a nuclear weapon is stolen from the American military base in Turkey. Alex is assigned to the team charged with recovery of the weapon and capture of the perpetrators. In a real hard- to-put-down thriller, Alex and her team’s findings chase her from one European capital to the next with unexpected revelations along the way.

The plot and characters are perfectly executed and I will eagerly look forward to the next adventure from the pen of Mr. Urszenyi. Thank you NetGalley for the introduction to this author and the opportunity to read an advance copy of this novel.

My book review for Perfect Shot by Steve Urszenyi
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was a great, fast paced thriller and I devoured it in no time.
Thank to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this early copy. This will be out November 14, 2023 and I recommend you order it.
Special Agent Alex Martel is a decorated Army sniper , who is now working as a FBI special agent on loan to Interpol. When we meet her she is in the middle of an operation to stop an attack of stolen nuclear materials.
She gets a strange call after the operation about a friend that has been killed. She was working with British intelligence and has left a message for Alex. It is in code and the letter that she left explains she was actually a Russian spy. Her friend has left her a message describing a nuclear attack. Once she begins to put the pieces together she races to stop a nuclear warhead that has gone missing from being detonated. Her persistent nature has her in the sights of the Russians, on her boss's 💩 list and the Parisian's not happy with her either.
She will stop at nothing to save unsuspecting people!
This was right up my alley. Loved it!
#crazybooknerd
#netgalley
#perfectshot
#bookstagram
#stmartinpress
#steveurszenyi

Great book! Definitely a heart pounder! It had my heart racing for sure! This book also had high suspense, intrigue, action packed, crazy shoot outs, adrenaline racing moments, CIA bad guys and CIA good guys! The storyline was crazy interesting and had me glued to my Kindle! I highly recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! I look forward to more from this author! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!