There is something about a book dealing with spies and counterespionage set in Russia that immediately raises my heartbeat and respiration rate. At least that applies to Dugoni’s latest Charles Jenkins’ installment. I admit to being apprehensive and occasionally looking away from the page fearing what was coming next. I also admit to a modicum of incredulity from time to time, but hey, who is to say what is plausible in the current mood of the world and Putin’s Russia.

There is an extraordinarily strong subtext that deals with men who want to win at any cost and who will admit loss only upon death. They are driven beyond reason; they live for the cat and mouse manipulation, hunt, and ultimate victory. Some of these men are well intentioned even though they are deluded, some not even close, some are self-absorbed, some are malcontents, some just evil. Beside the strong personalities, twists and turns abound along with many elaborate sliding doors and timing so tight that a heartbeat can decide the ending.

Great writing, terrific plot development, intense situations – Robert Dugoni is a master of this thrill a minute genre. Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for a copy.

Thanks NetGalley for giving me an ARC of The Last Agent by Robert Dugoni in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own. This is the second book in the Charles Jenkins series, this spy thriller is a must read and a great sequel to the first book.

The Last Agent by Robert Dugoni is a fantastic tale of strength, obsession, dedication, and trust. I love this series. Charlie is such a fabulous character.

Will Charlie save Paulina and get them both to America safely?

Charlie is asked to determine if Paulina Ponomayova is in the infamous Russian prison, Lefortovo, in Moscow. He agrees since he thought that Paulina gave up her life so he could return home. However, Charlie has decided that if Paulina is alive, he isn't leaving without her. So, he sets up a plan that should work if all things go as planned. However, many things could go wrong.

We see characters from the first book again and a few new ones too. The settings are so brilliantly described that it comes alive in my mind.

Things that I liked:
• Getting to know more about Viktor Federov
• Seeing the inside of Federov's apartment
• Paulina is still as tough as ever.
• Alekseyov has a conscience.
• Efimov has a great backstory that explains his attitude.
• Rod Studebaker is fabulous. I love his philosophy on life and his attitude. Flying with him would be so fun unless you get motion sickness.
• Charlie's realization of how he feels at the end of the story

Five Stars
Robert Dugoni's books take a bit to leave my brain. I know that I have another book to read, but I need time to let the characters and the story get out of my mind. Every part of the book is resonating in my mind over and over. Honestly, I feel like I was on that wild ride with Charlie. One of the things I was trying to figure out after reading The Eighth Sister was how the author would pull off another book in this series. Yet, The Last Agent by Robert Dugoni is fabulous, and my rating is five stars.

I highly recommend this to all spy and espionage thriller readers out there. It is amazing!

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of The Last Agent by Robert Dugoni.

Until the next time,
~Jen

If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.

Another in the series of Charles Jenkins novels by Robert Dugoni. This is a fast paced spy thriller with many challenges for Jenkins as he returns to Russia to rescue another agent who was left behind and may still be alive. Who can he trust as he is hunted by Russian agents and police? An enjoyable tension-filled read.

I had not read any books by Robert Dugoni but I will read more of them now. I hadn’t read the previous book but this one works well as a stand alone. This book was exciting and tense from the beginning and kept up the pace throughout. Charles Jenkins, a former CIA field agent, is content with his quiet life on his farm with his family. On his last mission, he was betrayed by his handler and narrowly escaped Russia. On returning to the US he was tried for treason but was proven innocent leaving bitter feelings towards the government. He would never consider returning to the CIA except that he discovered that Paulina, the one person who sacrificed herself so he could escape, did not die as he’d thought but was being held in a prison in Moscow and he is compelled to get her out. He agrees to go back into Russia to try to save Paulina. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will read more by this author. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The follow up to The Eighth Sister has Charles Jenkins sent back into the heart of Russia in more death-defying action that will leave readers on the edge of their seat and thirsting for more from this fantastic addition by Robert Dugoni!

After being tried for treason from his own country and found not guilty, Charles Jenkins has put the spy life behind him. That is until he learns that the one person most responsible for his safe return home now needs his help. Paulina Ponomayova,, who he thought sacrificed her life to ensure he returned home, is in the notorious Lefortovo Prison. Once Jenkins finds proof it really is her and she is alive, he sets out to return to Russia and contact the man who used to be his enemy and may now be his only ally in helping him find a way into the prison and save Paulina. Viktor Federov, a former Russion officer who led the search for Jenkins, may now be the only man he can trust. Together the two work to stay one step ahead of the authorities and get Paulina safely away without risking the lives of anyone else, or their own.

Robert Dugoni is a master storyteller. I don’t know of anyone else that could write a thriller set mostly in Russia and keep me intrigued. Usually not my kind of thing, a setting like that just doesn’t keep me engaged. Dugoni makes it more about the characters and finding that relationship instead of the setting. I was so deeply taken in by the characters and the mission Jenkins was on I forgot to care about anything else. While this is not my favorite by Dugoni, I did enjoy this second addition to this series. Charles is a good character, he’s a good guy and his drive to do what is right should inspire all readers to follow that path even though it might not be the easiest. He had to sacrifice a lot to follow his heart even after all he went through after his last visit to Russia.

One of my favorite things about reading a Robert Dugoni novel is it is so easy to do; the writing is so good it flows without interruption and unnecessary plot points that do nothing to drive the story forward. I did have a few moments that the excitement wasn’t as thrilling as the rest of the story. The story wraps up nicely but is also left open at the end for another Charles Jenkins novel to come our way and I, for one, will be putting it on my pre-order list. I would recommend it to readers that enjoy a great spy thriller with lots of twists and fast action. Even though it is the second in the series it could be read as a stand alone without the reader feeling too lost.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

I requested this book without having read book one because I love Dugoni's Tracey Crisswhite police series. But this is a political thriller and it just didn't work for me. I was never engaged and I just didn't care. Sadly, the book and the series are not must reads.

If you like intrnational spy thrillers, you'll like this one. As usual, Dugoni delivers a great tale about a crackly old detective who wants to retire and relax, bur that's not in the cards. He's found out a double agent is being held in a Moscow prison and she's saved his live in a previous novel. So retirement isn't possible yet.

' The last agent' by Robert Dugoni has kept me reading for the past three days. I would have completed it in a day if the chores of life had not interfered.

Its been a long time since I had read thrillers with an agent/spy using intelligence and counterintelligence measures. I realised towards the later part of the book that this story seems to be a part of a series, but the author has woven the back story in such a beautiful way that the fact that I hadn't read the earlier book did not matter at all. In fact it gave me an urge to read the first book soon so i get a feeling of completion.
I also am very eagerly waiting to read the next book in the series.

The story is about Charles Jenkins who was on a mission in Russia and was helped reach back to the USA by Paulina Poloyomova. She was an asset in Russia for the US. The story starts with Charles Jenkins coming to know that Paulina is not dead as he had presumes and is is Lefertov a Russian prison, impossible to break out of. Out of his indebtedness to what Paulina had sacrificed for him he goes an a mission to rescue her and the story is about that.

The characters are well written where you get to know their personalities as well as what their attitudes are. You inevitable root for certain and wish that certain others fail in their mission. Its an exciting page turner and very difficult to put down. The plot goes through a lot of twists and turns and the ending is well written and makes the reader wait for the next.

I loved the story and the feeling of rush of emotions and action and thrill was really exciting. I would recommend this book to all those who love to read the spy thrillers kind of book.

I thank Thomas and Mercer publishing, the author and Netgalley for accepting my request to review the book . The opinions expressed in the book are solely mine.

It’s been about a year since Charlie Jenkins barely escaped from Russia after an unsuccessful CIA operation. He was assisted in that escape by Paulina Ponomayova, a Russian CIA asset who told him that she would die before allowing herself to be captured by the FSB. Charlie left believing that Paulina was dead so he is surprised to learn that the CIA believes that she is alive and being held for questioning in Lefortovo Prison.

Charlie would not return to Russia for anyone else but he feels an obligation to Paulina for helping him to safely flee Russia on his previous assignment. He agrees to return to Russia on a rescue mission. What is different this time is that both the CIA and the former FSB agent Federov are helping Charlie along the way.

There is so much that can go wrong. First, Charlie has to enter Russia unnoticed. Second he has to verify that the woman in Lefortovo is actually Paulina. Third, he has to figure out a way to communicate with Paulina. Fourth, he has to come up with a plan to smuggle her out of Lefortovo Prison. If successful with all of these challenges, he has to find a way to get her out of the country without being captured and imprisoned himself. He is faced with numerous daunting challenges along the way. He is in constant danger as he is pursued by Efimov (a Russian version of Inspector Javert) whose mission in life is to thwart and arrest Charlie Jenkins. The suspense keeps building as we read about Charlie’s attempts to rescue Paulina and safely get out of Russia, all the while being doggedly pursued by Efimov. I was cheering him on throughout. Great suspense!

I am a big fan of Robert Dugoni's writing, and this was no exception. I was immediately invested in Charles Jenkins and his world. As he got pulled back into a life he thought he left behind, I was rooting for his success and impressed with his extreme skills as he tried to save someone who had once helped him.

The book was fast paced, moved quickly, and kept my attention. At no point did I feel like the story was dragging or wish that the author would get on with it. Each part of the plot was choreographed to impress upon the reader the intensity of the situation. As I read, I tried to guess what was coming or what might happen next. While I was right some of the time, there were some surprises. I couldn't read fast enough to get to the end and find out what happened.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes fast paced thrillers that are not as straightforward as meets the eye.
Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Robert Dugoni’s new book, The Last Agent, is tense from the very beginning. The reader finds Paulina Ponimoya being dragged out of the hospital and taken to Lefortovo Prison where she knows she is going to be tortured. Next, Charles Jenkins, his wife, and children are leading a quiet life off the grid after Charles escaped from Russia, was tried for treason, and found innocent. He is determined to leave his CIA agent career behind. That is until he finds out that Paulina is alive and possibly in Lefortovo. He agrees to go back into Russia to try to save Paulina. This book reads quickly and from the beginning, I was on pins and needles until I finished the book. Thank you Thomas and Mercer and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Charles Jenkins is back in book two of the series. A former CIA spy, he has survived being tried for treason after being betrayed by his county. He is enjoying a quiet life with his wife and two children when he is approached with a mission he cannot turn down - rescuing Paulina Ponomayova, a woman who risked her life to get his out of Russia alive. But by accepting the mission, he must return to Russia, face an old and new nemesis and once again be away from his family.

Anyone who has read a Robert Dugoni book knows of his attention to detail. His ability to create interesting and well-rounded characters with intriguing back stories. I am not a big spy thriller reader, but he has sucked me in with this series. Like the first book in the series, [book:The Eighth Sister|40207839], this book is full of suspense, intrigue and even a magic trick!

I enjoyed Charles Jenkins scenes with his old nemesis, Viktor Federov. Their interactions were fun, and yet like Jenkins, I never knew if Federov could be trusted. One thing you can trust, is that this is a riveting, beautifully written and compelling spy thriller which keeps the intensity and delivers on thrills.

Another solid book by Dugoni!

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Now that’s more like it! The Last Agent is the second book in the Charlie Jenkins spy series; I was rather lukewarm about the first one - The Eighth Sister, but this one was much more exciting and the hero definitely more appealing this time round. I think you do get enough backstory to read this without having read the first instalment, although there are several recurring characters and Jenkins’ character and motivations will make more sense if you do.

A year after his daring escape from Russia and being acquitted of a treason charge, Charlie is happily back on his farm with his family - but the CIA are not done with him. Paulina Ponomayova, the Russian Double Agent who has apparently sacrificed her life to get him out, is not actually dead, and is being held in the fearsome Moscow prison, so Charlie is persuaded to go back to Russia to try and rescue her. To do this, he will need help from an unlikely source - his former pursuer, disgraced FSB officer Viktor Federenko - but this time he has an even more determined enemy on his tail, who will stop at nothing to prevent Paulina and her secrets from getting away.

I think that what made the biggest difference for me between these books was in the first one, Charlie is almost always on the back foot - betrayed, captured, tortured, chased, then forsaken once more my his own government. While his endurance and survival are heroic, I suppose, he spends most of the Eighth Sister as the victim. This one turns that around, and I loved that during the whole prolonged adventure, he’s always one step ahead of the bad guys, using all his spy skills and intuition to get away time after time, and even when he does end up in deep trouble, he is helped rather than double-crossed by the most unlikely characters. I loved the tension in the relationship with Viktor, and also the touching reunion with Paulina, and the introduction of awesome fearless pilot Hot Rod! Efimov is a great borderline-psychotic villain - an implacable Terminator-like hunter, obsessed with regaining the approval of President Putin no matter how.

Dugoni is a fabulous writer and brings all the chase scenes vividly to life - planes, trains and automobiles are only the start of it! I’m excited to read in the afterword that the books are being turned into a TV series, and hope they can do this justice - I could picture Laurence Fishburne in the lead role. The ending leaves things open for at least one more book, which is great too.
My thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC which allowed me to give an honest review. The Last Agent is published today.

The Last Agent is the second instalment in the Charles Jenkins espionage series and it managed to surpass all my expectations in terms of how gripping it was. Retired American spy and CIA asset Charles Jenkins, having been cleared of treason charges brought by the CIA, is back at home on his farm near Seattle with his family recovering from his ordeal in Russia the previous year; it had been touch and go whether he would make it out alive and ever see his wife and two children again.

But when he catches wind of some bad news - Russian spy and double-agent for the CIA Paulina Ponomayova is seemingly being held in Moscow’s Lefortovo Prison - he feels he has to do something to get her out of there as she had once saved his life and so the dangerous rescue mission begins. Charles has no reason to trust the agent bringing the news and he's aware his previous employer could be setting him up knowing he would feel he owed a debt of gratitude to Paulina. In order to try to exfiltrate her, Charles enlists the help of former FSB officer Viktor Federov who actually pursued him across Europe and Russia in The Eighth Sister and was shunned by his government for failing to catch him. But can Viktor be trusted and can they successfully smuggle Paulina out of the country?

The author masterfully recreates the fear and alarm surrounding the frosty relationship between Soviet Russia and The West during the Cold War era. The clandestine activity, espionage, disinformation/propaganda and topics pertaining to that era are woven into the very core of this story. It's thrilling, addictive and one heck of a wild ride, and it's clear once again Dugoni knows how to give readers exactly what they crave. If you enjoy books with a strong, relatable hero and danger lurking around every corner with a superb series of twisty surprises and ample misdirection then you'll have as much of a fun, entertaining time as I did throughout this novel. I am already eagerly anticipating the next instalment to be reacquainted with Charles for hopefully another nail-biting adventure. An absolute must-read for thriller fans. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer for an ARC.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Robert Dugoni for gifting me a digital ARC of the second in the Charles Jenkins series - another 5 star read! If you haven't read The Eighth Sister, start there because otherwise you'll miss a long of the fabulous back story.

Charles is done with his trial for treason and is finally back home on his farm with wife and two children when an agent approaches him with a request for his help - to try and rescue Paulina, the agent who saved his life on his last mission in Russia. They aren't sure if it's even Paulina who is in jail but Charles is convinced it's her and decides he has no choice but to try and rescue her. Then let the games begin!

This is another fabulous read by Robert Dugoni who, by the way, writes in so many different genres and all most excellently! I love the cat and mouse games that will keep you guessing as to the real plan. Plus - how do you know who to trust? Russian spy novels wouldn't be my top pick but when it's written by Dugoni, you know you're in for a wild ride. Looking forward to more in this series!

This is a great book for those who love espionage and political spy stuff. I don't. I read it because I really do enjoy most everything I've read by Mr. Dugoni. But, half of this book involves Charles Jenkins trying to escape Russia, being chased, being caught, getting away, repeat. That doesn't interest me. It probably does interest a lot of people and it is well written for those people. Just not for me. It's too bad because Charles Jenkins is a very interesting character. I'll continue to look forward to Mr. Dugoni's standalone books or future installments in the Tracy Crosswhite series.

When we return to the life and world of Charles Jenkins we learn that, luckily, he has been exonerated. All should be well as the retired man focuses on his family, right? Well, that wouldn’t be much of a story. If you haven’t read book one and are looking for an edge of your seat espionage novel, start with The Eighth Sister. Then join me with The Last Agent.

When news and suspicion reach Charles, that a woman is locked up in Moscow’s notorious Lefortovo Prison he wonders if it could be Paulina Ponomayova, who we met in book one. She sacrificed herself to save him and now Charles has a debt to clear. He can’t be certain if it is her but if it is he needs to get her out.

Dugoni succeeded in once again presenting me with a spy story I could be invested in. I started as a fan of his Tracy Crosswhite series (no surprise there as it’s a crime thriller series) so when I saw The Eighth Sister I picked it up, trusting Dugoni more than the genre. If you’re like me and spy novels aren’t always your cup of tea give this series a try.

With well-written characters, fantastic plot, surprises every time you think you know what is coming and moments that will have your heart racing as if you’re the one in danger you really can’t go wrong with the Charles Jenkins series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC of The Last Agent.

Former spy, Charles Jenkins, is back in Russia. This time to rescue Paulina, the woman who saved his life in the first book, from the infamous Russian prison, Lefortovo. With help of former FSB agent, Federov, they race to get out of the country before they are apprehended by the Russian government.
Another great, fast paced, page turner from Robert Dugoni. The conclusion was somewhat predictable, but open ended, which makes me think we will get to read more about Jenkins again soon. Thank you to NetGalley for the e-book arc.

This was my introduction to Charles Jenkins, and it is apparent that he has had adventures previous to our introduction. Author Robert Dugoni handled this very, artfully filling in enough of the back story and making it unnecessary for me to read a previous book (The Eighth Sister) in order to understand what is happening.

The character of Jenkins is interesting enough, though, to entice me to read the earlier book. Jenkins is conflicted and wants to do whatever he can to satisfy a perceived debt, yet is understandably distrustful of an agency that has betrayed him. He is forced to balance these feelings against accepting a mission that places him in danger and may cause him to never see his family again.

There is a good pace to the early plot, and the last half of the book is a virtual sprint as Jenkins tries to stay ahead of the efforts of his Russian counterparts. Definitely a solid effort that will satisfy both those who enjoy a good thriller as well as the hardcore adrenaline junkies. Four-and-a-half stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for a complimentary electronic copy of this title.