A great introduction to David Slaton, a Mossad operator who is dealing with great personal pain. This prequel has action, fab characters and intense surprises that keep you reading and leave you wanting More!! Slaton lucks into a chance to take on the person responsible for taking his loved ones away. And soon takes on this new mission himself, no worries about remarks or orders from Mossad, this is His mission!
Now I definitely need to get to other books in this series! I highly recommend for all thriller lovers!!

Assassin's Dawn is a prequel novella to Ward Larsen's improbable but engrossing thriller series starring legendary assassin David Slaton. Recruited out of university, he was trained by Mossad as a sniper.

Early in his career, readers see how Slaton settles his account with terrorist Ramzi Tayeb, 'notorious for targeting noncombatants to achieve the most gruesome possible headlines.'

As always, an action-packed, engrossing read!

Ward Larsen has just released his latest novella, Assassins Dawn, and boy does it read like a full length novel! This plot is intricate in a short amount of time with a full length story arc that feels like the script for a Hollywood blockbuster.

In this novella, we get to see our favorite Mossad assassin, David Slaton, and where his motives came from. As we start this novella, it has been three years since Slaton has lost the two most important people in his life. After this tragedy, Mossad recruits Slaton, and he has been on the hunt for who committed this atrocity ever since.

When the whereabouts of the financial guru behind this infamous terrorist attack surfaces, David and his team are sent on a mission to bug his computer, and to glean as much information as they can. As the mission tumbles out of control, the team is put under a microscope for a possible murder charge. During all this, the mastermind of the terrorist attack that rocked David’s world resurfaces, and David will stop at nothing until he has been neutralized.

Assassins Dawn is a must read prequel for any diehard David Slaton fan. Also, anyone new to the David Slaton series wanting a peek behind the curtain to understand Slaton before diving into the series, can’t go wrong with this novella! Either way a must read!

Reviewed for Best Thriller Books

One of the most dangerous tools that the Israeli government can use is back at it again in this quick-paced hard-hitting novella. David Slaton is a certified badass from the grips and imagination of Ward Larsen and this hits the bullseye without any question.

Slaton is on a standard clandestine mission, one that you could see the Mossad trying to pull off because they are one of the world's most sly agencies. Things immediately go sideways after a botched prostitution adventure for enemy player number one. Long lost enemy number two turns up near the location of enemy number one. Looks like a clean-cut case of get the bad guy, but it could not be further from the truth. The intrigue heats up, action comes to a crescendo, and Slaton is left doing what he does best, dealing death.

Larsen is a tremendous author and after having a minute to soak up this incredible read, I have decided that he is very underappreciated and underrated. I could not put this book down and it was done in two hours. That is it. There is no argument needed. He has delivered a classic good versus evil afternoon read that will leave you ready for more David Slaton.

Assassin's Dawn is a prequel novella to the David Slaton series by Ward Larsen. For those that are not familiar with the character and the series, this is the perfect introduction to one of the most exciting characters in the genre today. Fans of the series will enjoy the view into Slaton's beginnings with the Mossad.

David Slaton is THE tip of the spear for Israel. He is both patient and lethal, the perfect traits for a sniper. In this novella Slaton is part of a Mossad team that is monitoring an accountant that moves money for funding terrorist activities. The hope is that monitoring this accountant will lead up the chain to bigger targets within the organization. Join Slaton as he has to improvise and adapt as the situation on the ground rapidly changes.

Assassin's Dawn by Ward Larsen is my first book to read in the David Slaton universe and I enjoyed it so much that I will definitely be adding Ward Larsen to my TBR list of authors. The action, intrigue, and dialog was more than enough to keep me coming back to read every free minute that I could find. After reading Assassin's Dawn, I now want to read all of the David Slaton books by Ward Larsen and keep this story going. I highly recommend this book for those that have or have not been reading the David Slaton books. It is the perfect book to get started on and I am sure that those that have been reading will enjoy this quick hitting, action filled novella that takes David back to his origins.

An excellent introduction to the character. Quickly-paced (long) novella, with intrigue and action. Definitely made me want to read more of the series, which I hope to start very soon.

For fans of Vince Flynn, Kyle Mills, Karen Cleveland, Brad Thor and others of that ilk.

Recommended.

My first book by Ward Larsen but definitely not my last. The David Slaton series has been on my radar for a long time and I absolutely loved this novella. It’s fast paced, action packed and entertaining. The characters are so well developed and likeable and the atmosphere of the book was great, it reminded me a lot of the Gabriel Allon series. I can’t wait to read the other books in the series. I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for this copy.

Being a novella, it's a quick read, but is packed with everything thriller fans enjoy in a novel -- action, tradecraft, politics, suspense, humanity, adversaries deserving karma, and even a bit of mystery. This is the perfect backstory for fans of the David Slaton series, and is sure to entice new readers to it. Thoroughly enjoyable and well-paced story!

Ward Larsen presents his protagonist David Slaton in both a nuanced intelligence and visceral depiction of his origin story which leaves you wanting more. Brand new to the Assassin's world of thrillers I could not put it down. His writing is not caught in a lot of technical jargon nor does it drag on with just the right pacing for the right situations David and his friends from Mossad find themselves in. Much of it directed by David or someone hunting David. FIVE STARS for Assassins Dawn. I am a new fan of Ward Larsen!

I was very fortunate to win the NetGalley from Ward Larson and his publisher in a giveaway done in conjunction with Best Thriller Books. I had previously read only 2 of the David Slaton series: The Perfect Assassin (#1) and Assassin's Strike (#7).

After completing this novella, I cannot wait to read 2-6 in the series to get caught up. David Slaton is a very intriguing character. An Israeli who is trained by Mossad who is trying to find his identity as an Assassin after the death of his wife and child by terrorist.

Assassin's Dawn is a great introduction to the characters in the David Slaton series. Easily read in 1 sitting if you are not careful as Ward pulls you in with fast paced action. The story sets the stage for the rest of the series, and now I am ready to follow along.

An origin story! Fans of the series and those looking for a new thriller will find this fast paced novella a worthy introduction to David Slaton. Slaton is a Mossad officer who is selected for training as an assassin. He's almost immediately sent on an operation in Luxembourg which goes sideways and forces him to change tactics. You'll learn his motivation and see his commitment to his colleague Anna grow. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. It's an action packed and entertaining read.

This is the first Ward Larsen book I have ever read and certainly not the last. I won this book in a giveaway by Best Thriller Books. This is the first time I read book 8 in a series as the first and it doesn't matter since it's a prequel. In this book we get to know a little about the beginnings of David Slaton and his work as an government assassin for Israel. I found the book to my liking and has already begun collecting the earlier ones. I must thank @netgalley @BestThrillBooks @forgereads for giving me this advance copy.

Assassin’s Dawn: A David Slaton Adventure is the eighth book in the David Slaton series. I have read and enjoyed the first six (6) of the seven (7) books previously published in the series. I am looking forward to reading the 7th book soon. This book is a novella and a prequel to the series.

Slaton is a Mossad operative. He will later become one of their most successful assassins or kidon. The author Ward Larsen is a former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot and a former law enforcement officer. He is also the author of the Jammer Davis series and a couple other novels.

This review contains spoilers.

The story starts out at The Israeli Defense Forces sniper course, at Camp Adams with a dialogue between its director Major Avram Berkovic and the Mossad director Anton Bloch. Mossad occasionally sends one of their candidates to the IDF for sniper training. David Slaton was one of those candidates sent here and Bloch wanted Berkovic’s opinion of Stanton’s mindset. Bloch wanted to gauge Slaton’s propensity for following orders. Slaton had been on several missions without a problem, but Bloch wanted to gauge whether he could stay focused. Berkovic gave a glowing report on Slaton’s performance in sniper training and thought that he could be depended on to follow orders.

Slaton is leader of a mission in Luxembourg. He has to get into the hotel room of an accountant and attach an electronic device to his computer to download its contents and to place a Trojan horse to provide continuous information to Mossad. It appears to be a very simple mission if it can be accomplished without the target finding out his computer was tampered with. The target Moussa Tayeb is the financial brain for al-Qassam, a terrorist organization in the Middle East. His brother Ramzi Tayeb is the operations chief of this vicious group.

Slaton successfully gets into Moussa’s room while another Mossad operative, Anna Altman, is charged with keeping him entertained in the hotel bar. She is dressed provocatively as any high class prostitute would be. She keeps Moussa drinking until he finally wants to get her up to his room. Yosy Meire, another Mossad operative, has the job of letting Slaton know when they are on their way up to the room, which is on the fifth floor. Unfortunately the program has not finished on the computer. The program finally finishes and he removes the device but has to hide in the closet because they are already at the door. Having really completed her mission Anna tells Moussa she has changed her mind. He tries to manhandle her and ends up getting a good beatdown. After Moussa falls asleep Slaton makes his way back to their safe house. Mission completed.

Back at the safe house they talk about the operation. Slaton tells Anna that he thinks she broke Moussa’s nose. It turns out that Anna has a black belt in Jiu Jitsu and is a Krav Maga instructor. Krav Maga is a fighting technique developed by the Isreali defense forces. The technicians say that the program appears to be working fine. Everything seems to have worked out. Anna asks Slaton if there is a place open where they can get a drink. The two leave to find a place. They walk and talk. Anna senses that the operation meant more to Slaton than the other operatives. Slaton tells her that he was being recruited by Massod while at his university and that al-Qassam attacked outside Natanya, Israel his wife and young daughter were killed along with twenty other people. So he was also motivated by wanting revenge. They never got that drink and walked back to the safehouse.

The next morning Moussa was found dead by the maid. The police are called and they suspect murder. They go about their job finding out what Moussa was doing last night. Slaton and his team learn about the murder and are instructed to leave Luxenbourg. They split up the technicians together, Yosy in one car, and Slaton and Anna in another car. The police find pictures of Anna and her car. A lookout is issued for Anna and her car. They stopped for gas and coffee just before getting to the border of Belgian. Police spotted the car and Anna is arrested. Slaton was inside getting coffee and was able to get away and to Belgian. He called headquarters to let them know that Anna had been arrested. Bloch wanted Slaton to get far away. Later, in a follow-up call with Bloch he told Slaton that Ramzi was rumored to be in Luxembourg. Bloch had made arrangements for Slaton to get to Tel Aviv. Slaton ended the call.

Slaton has a new mission first, see if Anna is okay and second to trackdown and kill Ramzi. He heads back to the city he had just escaped from. The balance of the story is on getting Anna off the murder charge and tracking down Ramzi. Lots of action and lots of twists and turns. Mossad is a red herring because they are the suspects and both Anna and Slaton are innocent.

A big punch was packed into this novella. Two missions for the price of one. I think the novella is a worthwhile addition to the series. Great characters and character descriptions. Anna is a touch and great character. I hope to read more of her in the future. Slaton is always on point.

In the end we do find out who killed Moussa, but do we really care?

I was provided this book by the publisher via NetGalley.

4.5 stars 🌟

First of all let me say that I am a HUGE fan of the David Slanton series. This book is actually a prequel. We get to go back to the beginning and get a peak at David during the early years with Mossad. This story is actually fairly short. I would personally label it as more of a novella. It deals with basically one situation and how the team - specifically David - deals with the events and ramifications of that event.

As a novella, I enjoyed the story. Would I have liked there to be more? Absolutely. I personally think that Mr. Larsen has done such a great job of developing the character of David Slaton that he was able to slip right back into his role. If someone is just reading this as a stand alone, I think it could work. Unfortunately though, you would miss all the nuances that are there with his history and experiences.

I did like that we got a bit of back story on his early days of training. I found it interesting. It was also fun to see his early dealings with Bloch. All in all I liked it. A bit short, but it left me wanting more. All good.

Thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this ARC. The opinions above are mine and mine alone.
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Assassin's Dawn, written by Ward Larsen, is the origin story of David Slaton, Mossad's deadliest assassin. I've always thought Larsen was criminally underrated and with Assassin's Dawn, Larsen has crafted the perfect origin story. Larsen was able to provide some answers to what drives Slaton and why. In previous books Slaton has worked alone so it was interesting to see Slaton as part of a team. Assassin's Dawn feels more nuanced than previous Slaton books with espionage taking a more prominent role. It feels like Larsen tried to branch out with Assassin's Dawn and the result was a very Daniel Silva-esque thriller.

If you've never read a David Slaton book, Assassin's Dawn is the perfect opening to the series.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review Assassin's Dawn.

Assassin’s Dawn is a perfect single sitting read, with enough suspense, danger, and mystery to have you flipping page after page. When you come to the satisfying conclusion, you may just start it over from the beginning… it’s that good. In fact, the pacing and writing are so good that I was getting Daniel Silva vibes all over this novella.

Brilliant, I loved it. This really was a great book from start to finish. Ward Larsen has once again done a splendid job with the assassin David Slaton. He’s definitely one man you don’t want coming after you. I love the way there is always something happening in the story to keep you interested, it really was entertaining.
David Slaton was Mossad’s most lethal assassin. His focus and commitment couldn’t be faulted, every waking moment he was on alert. Deep sadness and revenge drove Slaton to be the very best at what he did. One day someone was going to pay for what they had done to him, and he wasn’t going to stop until that man was in the ground. The latest assignment in Luxemburg seemed easy enough, breaking into a hotel room and secure some intelligence. What could possibly go wrong with that? If you enjoy Action Thrillers, then you will love this book. Well worth the 5/5 Star Rating.

Explosive, riveting and packs a powerful punch! Ward Larsen crushes it with Assassin’s Dawn, a killer prequel novella that provides a window into the beginning of Israeli covert operative David Slaton’s Mossad career.

After completing a relatively straightforward covert mission in Luxembourg to download information from a terrorist financier’s computer, things go sideways for Slaton and his team when the target is found dead the following morning. Knowing they’ll be prime suspects, the team disperses and hightails it towards neighboring countries. As soon as Slaton makes it over the border into Belgium, he learns that the target’s brother, the very terrorist who engineered an attack 3 years ago that killed Slaton’s wife and daughter, is likely in Luxembourg. Going against orders at first before influencing Mossad at the highest levels, Slaton heads back consequences be damned. Along the way he devises an intricate plan to thwart the terrorist’s plans. All that’s left is to exact his revenge and achieve the peace of mind he’s been desperately seeking.

David Slaton is a tremendously underrated character and it’s awesome to get a glimpse at his past to see how he got his start. Readers of the series have known about his incredibly capable skillset since he burst on the scene with The Perfect Assassin in 2008. But now Assassin’s Dawn provides critical pieces to the puzzle that is David Slaton. From how he excelled in sniper training to what events motivate him to do what he does, this story is a wonderful gift to Slaton fans.

As a novella Assassin’s Dawn may be short on pages, but it’s long on fascinating details, heart-thumping action and international intrigue. Ward Larsen provides a full-length novel’s worth of stellar plot and twists into this short form book. And much like his protagonist, Ward is criminally underrated and deserves a wider audience. But good news thriller fans! If you haven’t yet read your first Ward Larsen/David Slaton book, Assassin’s Dawn is the perfect place to start. But be warned that reading this story will hook you on the series and is guaranteed to increase your TBR pile. You can thank me later.

This is not a full fledged novel but it has all the ingredients that make it one of my favorite series. All the action and adventure I have come to expect plus the insight into how David was molded into the assassin he becomes.

Recommended!