You hear the word spy and somehow your mind goes to a place where that spy is a Bond character and wet work is physically strong individuals between 25 and 35 who live out of a suitcase with no family. In this book, Cindy Dees took all these stereo types and threw them out the window. Instead, she can use a new but no less touch, she gave us a mama bear spy protecting her kids. To really shake things up, she made that mama bear middle aged or not as young as she once was.
All it takes is a shot, a shot to the heart of that mana bear former spy to have her throwing away the word former and jumping back into her old life. You had to laugh when she used her age to her advantage to hide a quick meeting. Nothing like mentioning a bodily function to make the questions stop. While that was by no means the heart of the heart of the action, we found out quick that Helen could think on her feet. Back to that shot, it only took one shot to set into motion a course of events that spanned from the past rife with scandal to present. And only one shot to bring a mana bear spy out of retirement and back into the action which there was a lot of. Along the way, we got a character with guts, brains, and her priorities straight. Family first and if you mess with Helen’s family she is coming for you.
There were a couple of witty moments when the deaths began in her presence and even her mentor had to confirm she did not drop the body. In addition to the action, there are plenty of questions. Some of it felt like typical spy stuff with nothing being truly private. We also get some darkness that serves as a stark reminder of the pain humans can inflict on each other. Those dark moments were necessary without being gratuitous. This is a longer book with plenty of action to keep the pages turning and plenty of drama along the way. We get a partial ending and while only partial, it is very important at least to a mama bear spy. However, the big bad is still out there so we can guess that another book is coming. Helen may have the enemy in her sights as he has her in his but it is not yet the end game. I’ll be back for what comes next.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Helen Warwick is back, and this fast-paced thriller has her using all her considerable assassin skills to hunt down the mysterious Scorpius, a Russian mole embedded in the highest levels of the CIA. This book is fun and exciting, and I tore through it. I can't wait for book 3! Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for a digital review copy.

Once again, Cindy Dees has penned an exciting, action-packed, and suspenseful thriller with a more mature main character in her second book in the Helen Warwick series, Double Tap. Helen is about fifty-five and recently retired as a deadly sniper for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) with many sanctioned executions. Her cover was as a foreign trade specialist for the State Department. After spending their childhood traveling overseas on assignments, Helen is still hoping to repair her relationship with her three children, Mitch, Peter, and Jayne and work on her marriage.

Mitch is the acting district attorney for Washington D.C. and is announcing his candidacy for the permanent position. When Helen sees a laser light on his forehead during the press conference, she knocks him and his wife down to save their lives. While Helen prefers to keep a low profile and blend into the background, she’s been forced into a different role. Who is coming after her family and why? Is it the Russian mole embedded in the Central Intelligence Agency or is it someone else? Helen agrees to rejoin the CIA and lead a team looking for the mole. Who, if anyone, can she trust and is this related to the threat to her family?

Helen is mentally tough, aggressive, an excellent sniper, and able to compartmentalize her emotions, but she hasn’t been working out as much lately and is slightly claustrophobic. She’s also a proud mother, but her children resent her absence during their childhood years. Her flaws make her more relatable. Readers learn more about Mitch in this novel as well as Yosef, Helen’s handler before she retired.

This is a strong and impactful tale. This book demanded my attention during its entirety. The twisty plot is layered with plenty of angst, action, and suspense that kept me engaged and rapidly turning the pages. There was a terrifying realism to some of the scenes. The story grabs your attention in the first chapter and doesn’t let up until its astonishing conclusion. This novel is fast-paced with a strong female main character. The antagonist’s psychosis is terrifying and memorable. It features death, murder, spies, secrets, lies, politics, family relationships, friendship, power, and much more. The ending didn’t resolve everything so I can’t wait to read book three in the series.

Overall, this fantastic novel is shocking, emotionally-charged, and pulse-pounding. Be aware that there is plenty of danger, violence, intrigue, and references to child abuse and torture in this story. Readers who enjoy action thrillers and espionage thrillers will likely enjoy this book.

Kensington Books and Cindy Dees provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via Net Galley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for May 21 2024.

Double Tap is a suspenseful, action packed and highly entertaining thriller with a hell of a body count. A buffet of death served up by a fifty-something year old woman who at this stage of her life would prefer serving apple pie at family functions rather than being called to thwart would be assassins. Cindy Dees has delivered another tantalizing story of deceit, spy craft and violence that will satiate even the biggest appetites for blood lust.

Retired CIA assassin Helen Warwick is brought back into the agency to hunt down a Russian mole embedded in the CIA, code name Scorpius. Not only has this individual provided Russia with unparalleled access to American intelligence, but this person has been recruiting psychopaths who have mustered out of the military, training them to become an extremely off-the-books hit squad. With her family at risk, Helen has never been more motivated to succeed. And the only way she can enjoy the peaceful retirement she earned is to go head-to-head with this traitor, expose the conspiracy and put an end to their nefarious endeavors. That is, as long as she can stay alive while being targeted by a bevy of crazy killers.

Once again readers will be captivated with Helen Warwick’s guile, intelligence and deadly skillset as the quinquagenarian woman is called upon to ply her trade one more time in service to her country. But it’s the personal aspect of this mission that hooks you in and keeps you engaged. With her family at risk and past secrets coming to light, the stakes are higher than just stopping a mole. Additionally, Helen’s adversary is equally cunning as more ruthless, willing to do whatever it takes to ensure they come out on top. Which leads to an intense journey for the truth that leaves many dead bodies in its wake.

If you’re middle aged and looking for a protagonist in your age bracket, then this is the series for you. But even if that’s not what you seek, Double Tap provides an array of skills, thrills, and kills sure to entertain thriller fans of all ages.

Cindy Dees does it again! Helen Warwick just gets better and better. I enjoyed the first book and I think this sequel gets it right. I am ready for the third book in this series. Will Helen catch Scorpius? Will Helen's kids ever come around and cut her some slack? What is her daughter up to? Will her husband's return change things for her going forward with being called out of retirement? I am here for all of it!

Helen Warwick continues to capture and entertain the reader's imagination in this terrific read.
Helen, who is supposed to be retired from here undercover CIA operative days, is really not.
Ot so it seems.
when her son is targeted with a laser dot from an assassin's gun, as he appears at a campaign event, Helen
starts the thrilling and very entertaining story off as she dives into him on stage, in front of hundreds, to save
him from the shot.
The story just takes off, like a shot (from the shot) and never slows down.
Helen's nemesis, Scorpius, whom she thought had been killed, apparently had not died and is back hunting
her and her family, once again..
Great characters and a terrific forward heading plot that keeps you whipping those pages to see what happens next.
Helen's kids are their usual mish mash of spoiled entitled kids with an occasional brush back from mom or one another and
serves up some amusing moments. And her mother's appearance truly adds to the eye rolling experiences.
Just a rally good story and so now, bring on the next one.
Viva Helen.
Never. Back . Down.

At 55 she wasn’t ready to leave her job as a wet work specialist for the CIA, and now the CIA comes begging for her to return. Scorpius needs to be removed, and her politician Excellent action tale.son needs to be protected from a would-be assassin. Coincidence or are the events related?

Again 55 year old Helen tries to retire from the CIA. But her old boss thinks she’s the only woman for the job. Will she catch Scorpius before he ruins the country and her family or will he kill her first. Love this series and can’t wait for the next book.