new-series, first-in-series, international-espionage, thriller, unputdownable, action-adventure, international-crime-and-mystery, international-tensions, intrigue, agents, suspense, contemporary, Europe, undercover, riveting, terrorism, PTSD, debut-author, dual-time-frames, duplicity, intense, Americans, British-intelligence, Interpol, Russian-intelligence, sniper*****

I huffed and puffed to keep up with this fast paced thriller right out of recent headlines. Multiple international antiRussian agencies work (more or less) together to stop a diabolical plot. Spec Agt Martel is a bit lone ranger in her efforts to bypass all the interagency politics and Get The Job Done. Just when she has a clue, she is called to the Middle East to put out a figurative brush fire. Definitely needs to Drain The Swamp one way or another with or without complicit assistance. Absolutely an adrenaline rush!
I requested and received an EARC from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

WOW! This story took me on one exciting ride. LOTS of action, adventure, and intrigue. The characters are well developed, and who doesn't love a tough, female lead! Truly a great international action book. The book reads similar to a Tom Clancy book, a must read!
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Much thanks to Minotaur Books/St. Martins Publishing for the ARC of "Perfect Shot" in return for an honest review..
Wow. And double wow. I tore through this book faster than the bullets that come flying in all directions at Special Agent Alexandra 'Alex' Martel. For every reader who loves diving into a non-stop, perpetual motion international thriller. this one's a must.......this is the epitome of Action-Adventure with two capital "A"s.
FBI Special Agent Martel, combat veteran, ex-paramedic and world class sniper is on loan to Interpol for her 'particular set of skills'. And she's instantly plunged into thwarting an attempt by terrorists to swipe a nuclear warhead.
But in this world of increasing, dire global threats and double dealing espionage, nothing (and nobody) is what they appear to be. And that includes a murdered young woman whom Alex once befriended in Paris and now revealed as an MI5 British agent......an agent who may have died uncovering intel related to Alex's hunt for the stolen warhead.
Up against continuous violent action, Alex finds herself at odds with her new unwanted partner CIA special operative Caleb. But you can bet your Sig Sauer firearms they've got each other backs when bullets and fists start coming at them at every twist and turn of the plot And once Alex is provoked into action, it doesn't bode well for her many assailants.
From the opening firefight to the slam bang clock-ticking-down finale, 'Perfect Shot' gave me perfect thrill ride, guaranteeing I'll be first in line to read Alex's next adventure. And I'm pretty sure everyone's figured out by now that I'm talking 5 star review here.

Steve Urszenyi has crafted a beautifully written, fast piece, female lead thriller on par with any James Bond novel I’ve ever read. I was particularly impressed with the authors, character development, work, and dialogue use . This will be a great read for someone walking for a fast spy, thriller experience.

Interpol and FBI agent Alexandra Martel is a former army sniper with an impeccable reputation for her shooting skills. She has just completed a successful mission when a friend and MI 5 agent is murdered in the process of sending Alex evidence of a conspiracy to steal and detonate a nuclear bomb. This book is action-packed from the very first page and does not let up as it follows Alex and her mission to avert a nuclear disaster from London, to Turkey, and Paris.
Along the way, Alex works with the American military, the CIA, and MI5 but not everyone is who they seem. Alex has to trust her own instincts to identify the bad guys, locate a stolen nuclear bomb, and stop a catastrophic international incident. If you like fast-paced spy thrillers, Perfect Shot is a good one and I am looking forward to reading the next one in the series.
#PerfectShotBook

Loved the story here and the main character. There is a nice backstory here and you really learn about what she has been through. I actually enjoyed a lot of the technical details here. Storywise , I really like this book and look forward to the next in the series.
What lowered it a star for me was some of the comments seemed out of place. Caleb's 'thoughts' bordered on very immature. And the mention of James Bond irritated me for some reason.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Wow! What an action-packed heart-racing book. If you like Jack Ryan on Amazon Prime, then you are gonna love this.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book for my honest opinion

Tom Clancy meets James Bond in this thriller. Special Agent Alexandra Martel has had a storied career first as an Army medic and then a sniper as she served in Afghanistan. A desire to be home more led her to the FBI and the FBI loaned her to Interpol. When a friend she met at a law enforcement conference sends a strange message and then is found dead, Alex decides to look into the death.

As she searches through what her friend sent her, she uncovers a plot to set off a nuclear bomb at a Paris Peace Conference. She also discovers that her friend was a Russian sleeper agent who has finally come upon something that she can't tolerate. And the Russians know about her and want to stop her before she can disrupt their plot.

The story travels from Brussels to Paris to Turkey and back again. The descriptions of the various places were well drawn, and the action was intense.

The story was filled with "technobabble" with detailed descriptions of all sorts weapons. It was also filled with lots of technological spying which was also described in great detail. And it was packed with political maneuvering as she deals with the various agencies she works with. Alex was a more humanized James Bond who knows herself and her purpose and suffers from some flashbacks to earlier actions.

This one is the start of a series.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Alexandra is highly trained shooter in the military. She decides to leave the military for a peaceful life. When an individual she knows is murdered, it will take all the weapons in her arsenal to solve thus puzzle. This book was well written.

Special FBI Agent Alexandra Martel is a decorated Army sniper on loan to Interpol. When she learns a friend who is an M15 officer has been killed, she is drawn into a conspiracy involving Russians and a nuclear warhead. Surprising information on her dead friend is uncovered and leads to questions about the allegiance of people she comes into contact with. Action packed thriller with a strong
female lead.
#PerfectShot #NetGalley

Action and intrigue from the first page to the last. Alex doesn't seem to follow orders at all. She is a badass sniper in a world of men. She earns their respect. So when a friend dies she starts gathering clues and learns way to many secrets. Caleb wants her on his team so follows her into danger when a bomb goes missing. The two parts of her life can't be connected...can it? I like the way the story unfolds. I liked the book.

What a fantastic debut book by this my third favorite Canadian author. Perfect Shot by Steve Urszenyi is the first book about FBI agent Alexandra Martel. She is on lone to Interpol in the beginning of this book and she has a past history in the army as a paramedic and sniper. Urszenyi has created a great character and I can't wait until the next book to see where it all will go. I had some fun when I read this first installment in what I'm certain will be a great series people will talk about and I laughed out loud when two names appeared that I recognised from somewhere else. Both are pilots and one has written a book on my tbr pile. I will recommend this book to all that will listen to me. I found the plot and the telling of it very good and the author has managed to avoid most of the standard things one find in thrillers today, I don't know if it's something about Canada that is different when it comes to making up stories but the authors I like that comes from there is all blazing their own trail. Much to my delight, it can be a bit boring with the same old, over and over again. I must as always thank Minotaur Books Macmillan and Netgalley for giving me this great new book as an advance copy. It's out in stores November 14th, don't you dare miss it.

[arc review]
Thank you to Minotaur Books for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Perfect Shot releases November 14, 2023

Debut novel and first in a series, we meet Alexandra Martel, who is a FBI Special Agent on loan to Interpol. She’s currently part of a team in the Netherlands, and their mission is to intercept and secure nuclear weapons while determining the motives, targets, and threats that this group poses.

Simultaneously at play, we have a CIA agent who is trying to recruit Alex, as well as Russian’s who are deliberately misdirecting Alex’s team.

<i>Perfect Shot</I> is action packed and in theory it should have been something I loved, but the execution wasn’t quite there for me.
I found that there was just a little too much going on at once with all of the characters, country locations, and agencies/organizations.
Additionally, it’s very weighed down with a lot of technical language.

The ending sets up for a follow up book nicely without leaving the reader with a major cliffhanger.

This is a fascinating look at FBI Special Agent Alex as she battles the "bad guys" in a plot involving the transfer of nuclear materials that are initially "deposited" at the bottom of a river in the Netherlands. The novel moves from there to London, to Russia and involves an entire cast of characters that are dedicated to whatever cause they believe will keep their country safe from harm. But of course Alex emerges as the true heroine as she is eager to do her job and will stop at nothing to do what's best without regard for her personal safely. Lots of great action and adventure, and although I'm not usually a fan of military maneuvers, this novel has kick-ass women whom I loved!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

One of my most favorite things is finding a brand new character and discovering the emergence of one of the best. It is books like this one that is my reward for that search. Alex is one badass broad, she's a tough sniper who doesn't miss and somehow she's neck deep in the theft of a nuclear bomb right after a dear friend dies. Alex is a soldier who lives most in the middle of a battlefield. She fights hard and doesn't take shit from anyone, whether it's her various bosses or the CIA asshole who's trying to recruit her. When you're the best everyone wants you on the job, maybe. This is very well written and thought out. The female characters aren't ninja assassins, everyone takes their lumps, superheroes need not apply. This book works because of the supporting cast, Alex carries the load but her back up is top notch and they are colorful and always covering her six. I don't usually read female lead action series because it's not combat real for the most part. But this struck my fancy and I'm now ready for more about Alex and her team. This is the second female lead novel I've picked up recently and I'm happy to see these characters are being written better for fans of the genre. As long as the plots and action stay this tight I'm in for however long Alex keeps kicking ass.

My thanks to Net Galley and St Martin's press for allowing me to review this.arc.

Strong female protagonist sniper with.missing nuclear warheads makes and interesting plot mix. I liked this but was not wowed. A bit too much going on.

Author Steve Urszenyi's debut novel, Perfect Shot, is a promising indication of a great future in the book business. He employs a female lead, Alexandra Martel to take us through the action, of which there is plenty. The author is good at action scenes. Unfortunately, he cannot resist writing every detail that a scene might call for, even though it slows the story down. And I can see his temptation to educate us on the finer points of a missing nuclear bomb, but they left me cold. I didn't need to know such detail.
The novel builds to a spectacular finish, again all well-written by the author. One has to suspend belief to enjoy it, but it's worth the suspension!
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

4.5 rounded up
Strong female character. Well written debut and looking forward to next book in series. A big thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Perfect Shot by Steve Urszenyi is about Special Agent Alex Martel a decorated Army sniper. She is relentless and lethal. Now working for the FBI on loan to Interpol, Alex must follow clues left by a friend, who was murdered, to try and stop a nuclear warhead from detonating. She must use all of her Spec Ops skills to survive and recover the nuclear weapon. I enjoyed this book but did get a little bogged down in some of the details.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's press for my review copy of this book.

PERFECT SHOTis the first in a new series with a female protagonist out to save the world. Author Steve Urszenyi has written some absolutely great scenes that are taut and exciting and then placed them in a book that is far less so. The dialog is just nowhere near as good as the action and drags down the story. Overall the bad guys in this book are Russians, which is timely enough, but feels just a tad worn. Hopefully, the problems are easy to fix and the next book flows better. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.