The erstwhile assassins from Assassins Anonymous are back for another adventure and trying not to kill anyone. In The Medusa Protocol, Astrid stops showing up to the group’s support meetings. Turns out, Astrid has been kidnapped and is being held in a prison on a remote island. Mark, Astrid’s sponsor and formerly the world’s deadliest killer, mounts a rescue operation. But can they succeed without killing anyone?

Author Rob Hart once again delivers a fast paced, action filled, and humorous thriller. This time around, we learn more about Astrid’s background along with the why and how she became an assassin. This can be read as a stand alone book, but I think reading this series in order is a better option if possible. There’s enough information in this one to get the gist of the first book, but the added context of knowing the plot of the previous book would definitely provide better understanding. This is a fun and entertaining read. I’m already looking to the next installment.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the early read. Rob Hart drew me in with Assassin's Anonymous and nailed it with The Medusa Protocol! Check both books out.

Astrid is a new member of the 12-step program known as AA: Assassins Anonymous. These are people who have killed for a living, but want to leave that life and stop killing. She makes it partway through the steps before disappearing. Her sponsor, Mark, isn't sure if she left voluntarily to accept another hit job or had some other reason for leaving. When a pizza with her favorite toppings arrives at the AA meeting, Mark is sure that it is a message that she is alive and possibly needs help.

Astrid wakes up in a cell of a 'black site prison' (privately owned and unregulated) and finds that the on-site doctor is using various methods to try and retrieve information from Astrid's memory. She is desperate to escape, yet maintain her vow of no more killing. Mark investigates her disappearance until he finds the spot where she is being held. Can they free her from the prison without anyone dying?

This is one of the most bizarre books I have ever read (not being familiar with black site prisons and all that), but I loved it. The quirky group of AA members use all the means at their disposal, short of killing, and all the things that they have learned in their careers in order to free Astrid from a seemingly impossible situation. A high level of suspense is maintained throughout the book and the reader will turn pages well into the wee hours to learn Astrid's fate.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book was so fun and entertaining to read. I love switching between perspectives and time traveling, which reveals more about Astrid's character and past. I wish Astrid's character and backstory contained more detail. It almost felt like her story was not fully told. I like her struggle with her sobriety at the end. Her emotions while saving the doctor and then almost immediately going into a bloodthirsty blackout are indicative of that internal struggle. Overall, a really great book,

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Medusa Protocol.

The Medusa Protocol is the sequel to Assassins Anonymous, which I enjoyed.

But I have to say I liked the sequel more, which is rare.

It might be because the main character is Azrael this time, who has been kidnapped and 'relocated' to a black site prison.

As Azrael figures out an escape plan without killing anyone in the process (not easy t0 do) Mark and his friends make their own place to rescue their friend.

I love the concept of the AA group but with former assassins trying to reform their bad ass killing ways.

How do you live a reformed life without killing when so many other people want to kill you?

The concept of remaining true to your non-killing ways even as mercs and other assassins try to kill you is a great concept.

I enjoyed the flashbacks into Azrael's past and Mark's determination to find out where she was and attempt a rescue no matter how bleak their prospects might be.

Is this hard to suspend disbelief for?

Sure, but so is James Bond and those are exciting to watch, which is one reason they're so popular.

This series is wild with assassins and bullets and fighting with a dose of painful reality offered by the AA tenets; how to do better is a day to day process and we get through it by helping and supporting others.

Medusa Protocol (and its predecessor, Assassins Anonymous) are quintessential action-movie-junkie catnip. The action is top-notch, the stakes just high enough and the characters just loveable enough that this was a 2-day read for me. I could easily picture Jason Statham in the role of Mark, a little bit brooding, but a leader prepared to do anything to keep his friends (and sponsor) safe.

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!

My only gripe was with the Chea storyline. For the majority for the second half, I was convinced this was going to go OLD GUARD, with the former protege/friend becoming the enemy. Hart made an intentional choice to not have Astrid find or go looking for Chea's body after the boat accident, so perhaps this will come into play in the next installment? (Please, please).

Overall, a fantastic read and I'm so glad I was able to get my hands on this early copy. I'm already chomping at the bit for more.

Hart is a master storyteller. His MEDUSA PROTOCOL picks up where ASSASSIN'S ANONYMOUS left off. I love the concept of assassins joining up and attending AA-like meetings to stop themselves from killing - it's a unique way to explore the role of violence in the world. The philosophical adventure is wrapped in a well-written thriller package that is both entertaining and emotionally satisfying. I recommend it!

This is a fun little series. I really enjoy Hart’s genre hopping across his novels. This gives me A-Team vibes which is a fun throwback!

I read the first book in Hart's new series with great interest, and I'm happy to say this follow-up book snapped me right back into place with the characters, and brought new dimensions to our protagonist and his sponsee. This book is well-paced, with snappy dialogue and a great premise. It also takes good care with the female characterization, never falling into stereotypes even with possibly delicate topics like sex trafficking and sex work. Well done!

I love this series! Mark is a retired assassin leading an AA-style twelve-step program for other assassins ready to leave that life behind. But their pasts keep catching up with them, and their commitment to the program is tested when have to save one of their own without leaving any bodies in their wake.

Smart, funny, and well-plotted, with a great cast of characters! Definitely read Assassins Anonymous before diving into the Medusa Protocol — and definitely read them both!

📖 The Medusa Protocol by Rob Hart

I really liked this one in general! After getting the ARC, I went back and read the first book to catch up, and I’m so glad I did—it definitely made the experience better.

This had a sharp, fast-paced energy with a great balance of action, humor, and intrigue. The Assassins Anonymous concept remains such a fun twist on the thriller genre, and Astrid’s storyline kept me hooked. The black site prison, the experiments, the no-kill escape plan—it all added up to a wild, high-stakes ride.

It’s not quite Richard Osman, but it’s close. The wit and character dynamics make it feel in the same ballpark, but with a grittier, more action-packed edge. If you like thrillers with a clever premise and strong, memorable characters, this one delivers.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

This just might be my favorite book of the year and as a librarian I read a lot of books. If you want an original storyline that hasn't been written before, this is it! Non-stop, action packed thriller with dry humor and a heartfelt storyline. I could not put the book down! Rob Hart, I hope Netflix picks this up!

Mark and the other members of his twelve-step support group, Assassins Anonymous, return in The Medusa Protocol. Once again, Mark travels the world, meets interesting people, and beats most of them to a pulp (all without killing them). But we get more of Astrid and more introspection about wrestling with addiction and making amends while still primarily focused on bringing the action.

A 12-step program for assassins? That's what you get in Rob Hart's novel The Medusa Protocol. Various assassins come together the same as in AA, and they face temptation to return to killing. Now that one of their members has gone missing, the temptation to save her by killing others is even stronger.
The novel has various action scenes, lead characters who were prime killers, and a lot of AA. I found it mildly interesting.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

I haven’t been reading a ton of action type books of late because I feel like there is a lot told repetitiveness and not a lot of good. But this book somewhat breaks that mold. There is a little bit “oh this is convenient”, but in general these are expertly trained individuals with the skills and know with all to do what they say they can do. And that is somewhat refreshing. The characters were entertaining, though the jumping around between characters and times was a little tough. Overall an entertaining and enjoyable book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rob Hart, and GP Putnam’s Sons for providing me with an advanced reading copy.

What would the assassin’s version of Alcoholics Anonymous look like?

Well, for starters, the assassiholics would choose to stop killing. They’d have to take it one day at a time, go to meetings, hand out recovery chips for months or years, and spend time with mentors. Then they’d have to work through the rest of the 12 steps.

But even worse, they’d have to stop playing at being gods… and they’d have to find another way to get an adrenaline fix. What will they do with their skills? More worrisome, can they quit their old careers cold turkey? Worst of all, how can they make amends?

Rob Hart’s second volume picks up the story of a character from the first novel. Everyone in their group is still struggling with the assassin’s version of hangovers. “One day at a time” seems impossible when so many people are trying to kill them. Even worse, their enemies don’t know that these former killers are also trying to go straight. How does a recovering assassin convince another assassin to stop trying to kill them?

Their stories are incredibly creative and compelling. But if you’re a recovering alcoholic… maybe go to a meeting before you start reading.

The Medusa Protocol is the second book in the Assassins Anonymous series. I was initially drawn to the series by its unique premise: a 12-step support group where assassins come together to help each other give up their killing ways. It's harder than it seems, as their pasts keep catching up with them. Reading the first book will make this sequel more understandable and entertaining.

The story focuses on Astrid, formerly known as Azrael, who has stopped showing up to meetings, which is concerning for her sponsor Mark. Unbeknownst to Mark, Astrid has been imprisoned on a remote island where a doctor is performing experiments on her to retrieve memories from her past. Astrid does not know what the Doctor is trying to uncover and we learn the reason behind her imprisonment alongside Astrid.

After sending a sign to Mark, Astrid embarks on a truly skillful and complex escape plan. Meanwhile, Mark begins working on finding her. The narrative alternates between Astrid's time in the prison and Mark's efforts to locate her. As reformed assassins, their adventures involve disabling the enemy rather than killing them, which makes for an inventive and entertaining adventure.

I particularly enjoyed the story's ending, which fit well with the overall narrative. I hope there are more books to come in this series.

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

Welcome back to Assassins Anonymous, the only twelve-step group where joining can be deadly.

When Astrid, known in her assassin days as Azrael, stopped showing up to Assassins Anonymous, the group assumed her past had caught up with her. Only her sponsor Mark, formerly the deadliest killer in the world, holds out hope that she’s okay. Then, during a meeting, the group gets a sign, or rather, a pizza delivery. Is there another psychopath out there who actually likes olives on their pizza, or is Astrid trying to send Mark a message?

Meanwhile, Astrid wakes up in the cell of a black site prison, on a remote island. A doctor subjects her to mysterious experiments, plumbing the depths of her memory and looking for a vital clue from her past. She’ll do anything to escape, except…killing anyone. Hmm. Turns out it’s not easy to blow this joint without blowing anything, or anyone up.

I was a little confused and that was because it is book 2 of a series. I enjoyed the story but I need to read the 1st book in the series to truly understand.

“The Medusa Protocol” was intense and amusing. The idea of retired assassins trying to make amends is an interesting one, especially when one of their own (Astrid) goes missing and has to be saved but killing the “bad guys” must be avoided if at all possible. The assassins are an eclectic bunch with interesting backstories regarding their careers and motivations. The black site where Astrid is being held, the security precautions in place, and the “research” being carried out by the doctor who operates the site are quite creative. The woman behind Astrid’s kidnapping and placement at the black site was somewhat surprising, as I was expecting it might be someone else.

The Assassins Anonymous action continues at breakneck speed! I really enjoyed the structure of two alternating central characters, in large part because the switching from the one to the other, both in first person, is clear and well-timed, so that it really enhances the storytelling, and yes even the suspense, instead of just causing confusion. Exploring addiction through this lens not only deepens the characters, it helps illuminate the genuine trials of people who are addicted to things other than killing people. It's a great literary device, and also a great thriller.