4.5 stars

The nitty-gritty: Unexpected twists and laugh-out-loud humor make this assassins-turned-good guys story an excellent sequel.

Assassins Anonymous made my top five books of 2024, so The Medusa Protocol obviously had a lot to live up to. And it was an excellent follow-up, although it didn’t quite have the emotional impact of the first book, which is why I’m rating it slightly lower. If you aren’t reading this series, I urge you to try it and I guarantee you’ll have a rollicking good time! The books are fairly short with lean writing (not a single wasted word), incredibly funny dialogue, and characters you’ll fall in love with—even the bad guys. 

To set the stage, the story is about a group of ex-assassins who have, for various reasons, decided to quit killing people, and they have started an AA group—Assassins Anonymous—to support each other. The last book focused on Mark and was told exclusively from his point of view. This time we get alternating chapters from another ex-assassin, Astrid, also known as Azrael when she was in the business. When the story opens, Astrid has been “sober” for six months with Mark as her sponsor, but one day she stops showing up to the AA meetings. Mark is worried and assumes one of two things: she’s either decided to go back to killing, or her lifestyle has caught up with her and she’s dead.

It turns out neither is true. One day during a meeting, Mark and his ex-assassin friends get an undeniable message that Astrid is still alive—and she’s trying to communicate with them. At the same time, the church they’re meeting at, which Mark has rigged to alert them of intruders, is invaded by a black ops team. Mark and his fellow AA friends—Booker, Ms. Nguyen and Valencia and her three week old baby Lucia—suddenly find themselves fighting for their lives and trying not to kill anyone in the process. Is the strike connected to Astrid’s disappearance? Mark is determined to find his sponsee no matter what—as long as he can stay clean doing it.

What follows is a high octane, high stakes adventure, complete with poisonous snakes, international travel, a harrowing helicopter ride, non lethal weapons, and plenty of old scores to settle. Hart takes his idea of recovering assassins and builds on it in the sequel, putting his characters in even more precarious positions and ridiculous amounts of danger. All this is done with the author’s signature tongue-in-cheek humor, and I literally laughed my way through the entire story. Rob Hart is a genius when it comes to dialog, and I’m sure this would be awesome in audio as well.

I loved getting to know Astrid’s backstory too, and while she’s got a fair amount of skeletons in her closet, her overall emotional arc didn’t hit me as hard as Mark’s did in the last book. But I do love the way Hart formats his flashbacks. Each of Astrid’s flashback chapters is labeled with “Twenty-two Year Ago,” “Thirteen Years Ago,” etc., bringing us all the way to the present by the end of the book. Even though the book is fairly short, this method filled in the gaps of Astrid’s younger years and burgeoning assassin career beautifully.

The other character that stuck with me is Booker, a Marine-turned-Black Ops assassin who has been sober for five years. Hart drops hints about his past (even though we don’t get any real flashbacks) that made me wonder if Booker might be the focus of the next book. In any case, I want to learn more about him, he was hysterically funny, lovable and terrifying, all at the same time. Valencia and her baby are barely in the story at all, but I have a feeling they might have more page time in book three.

And of course, there’s Mark, the leader of the gang, who used to be one of the most mysterious and feared assassins of all time. Mark goes through a lot of mental angst in this book, especially since he’s trying to do things that would normally require killing, but because of Assassins Anonymous, he’s unwilling to break his sober streak. This leads to some very funny scenarios involving stun guns, pepper spray and paint ball guns, and he seems to know just how far he can go to knock out his opponents without causing lethal damage. Hart explores the familiar twelve step program of Alcoholics Anonymous and shows how difficult it can be, especially since Mark has been stuck on step eight (making amends) for a while.

Hart asks the question, can assassins really change? And the answer is: sometimes. Mark, Astrid, Booker and the others are all human, even if their assassin personas seemed larger than life, and I loved seeing all of them both succeed and fail in this story.

According to the author, he’s currently working on the next book in the series, which has the wonderful title of Three Hitmen and a Baby. I broke out of my usual genre to try these books, mostly because Rob Hart has written speculative fiction in the past and I’ll read whatever he writes, and I’m so glad I did. This series is the perfect slump-breaker, a thrilling, fast-paced, funny, feel-good tale with some nice messages to boot. Start with Assassins Anonymous, you won’t be disappointed.

Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.

MARK IS BACK!!!!! And boy am i glad, I didn't get into this one as much as the first, but still a top recommendation from me.

So Astrid has gone missing and the AA team in on the hunt to find out what's happened to her. As she comes to terms with her past; Astrid is still fighting demons and wonders if sobriety is in the cards for her!

Thanks to G.P Putnam's for this ARC, such a fan of this series, bring on BOOK 3!!!!! I'm so thankful

Solid 4 stars!!!!

"THE MEDUSA PROTOCOL" out June 24th 2025!

Strap in and prepare for a wild ride through the pages of "The Medusa Protocol" by Rob Hart, a book that is less of a leisurely stroll in the park and more like a rollercoaster of absurdity, action, and a dash of moral dilemmas.

Imagine a world where technology and ethics meet in a chaotic, laugh-out-loud fashion—where the heroes are a motley crew of reformed assassins with more baggage than at an airport during the holiday season. This book is a delightful story that will have you questioning your own sense of right and wrong while simultaneously chuckling at the ridiculousness of it all.

At the heart of this thrill-a-minute tale are our dynamic duo, Mark and Astrid, whose chemistry could light up a small city. Picture him as a character torn between wanting to be a hero and being really good at being a villain. His past just will not leave him alone. You can’t help but root for him, even when he’s making questionable choices.

In this book we see more of Astrid and her back story. We come to understand who she really is and why. Astrid has been taken to a secret prison that against her will.

Does Mark and the gang find her, or must she fend for herself?

It’s like a giant game of chess where the pieces are constantly moving, and every time you think you’ve figured it out, everything flips upside down. Hart has a knack for crafting twists that are as unexpected as they are entertaining. Just when you think you know where the plot is headed, bam! Another curveball lands right in your lap, and you can’t help but laugh at the sheer absurdity of it all.

Hart expertly balances the tension with humor, making you feel like you’re in on the joke while still exhilarated by the stakes. The action sequences are reminiscent of a blockbuster movie, with explosions, chases, and some truly outrageous scenarios that defy logic but embrace the fun. It’s a wild ride that feels like a mash-up of heist films, buddy comedies, and a dash of existential dread—all wrapped up in a candy-coated shell.

But let’s not forget the heart of the matter: the moral quandaries that lurk beneath the surface of all this absurdity. Hart has a playful way of addressing complex themes of redemption, justice, and the nature of good and evil. While the characters are undeniably engaging, the narrative challenges readers to consider the implications of their actions. Are they truly redeemable, or are they simply glorifying a life of chaos? It’s a slippery slope that Hart navigates with finesse, allowing readers to laugh while also engaging in deeper reflections about the choices we make and the consequences they bring.

In conclusion, "The Medusa Protocol" is a delightful blend of action, comedy, and moral conundrums that will keep you entertained from start to finish. Rob Hart masterfully weaves a tale that is both fast-paced and thought-provoking, making you laugh while simultaneously questioning the nature of justice and redemption.

It’s a book that doesn’t shy away from the absurdity of its premise, instead leaning into it with a playful abandon that makes every character's misadventure feel like an exhilarating ride. As you follow Mark and Astrid on their journey, you’ll find yourself not just turning pages but guffawing at the sheer ridiculousness of their escapades. So, grab your favorite snack, find a comfy spot, and prepare to dive into a world where chaos reigns, laughter is abundant, and nothing is quite as it seems! It goes fast!

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for the free Advanced Readers Copy of the book. All opinions expressed are my own because I have freedom of speech.

I’m delighted to return to the world of Assassins Anonymous, which was one of my favorite books of 2024! The Medusa Protocol follows Astrid, the reformed (or reforming) assassin formerly known as Azrael. Much like with Mark’s journey in Assassins Anonymous, Astrid's past is catching up with her and it's difficult to avoid the lifestyle of a killer when people come looking for you.

Astrid is captured and hauled off to some sort of black site prison where she’s drugged and interrogated. The purpose and goal is unknown - it could be anyone when you have as many enemies as her. Mark and Booker decide to find Astrid and break her out when they receive a subtle message that she is alive. The subtle message being a delivery of her preferred pizza order to one of the AA meetings. What follows is a rather exciting dual POV adventure that kept me on the edge of my seat. We bounce back and forth between Astrid’s time in the prison and her past, thus revealing Azrael’s origin and why Astrid decided to drop that moniker and leave her old life behind. The reader also gets quite the adventure following Mark and Booker as they track down Astrid and non-lethally take on enemies of their own.

The Medusa Protocol has some incredibly fun action sequences and emotional moments, but I felt like the impact wasn’t quite as deep as with Assassins Anonymous. Don’t get me wrong - Astrid has a sad story and what led her to dropping the life was a tragedy, but Mark’s was definitely more heartrending. Now, in real life I would say not to compare one person’s pain to another as each is valid, but this is fiction and I’m reviewing a book and the impact to me the reader was just not on the same level. The action bits were super fun though and I liked the scenes in the prison once Astrid is put amongst the general population. 

Overall, The Medusa Protocol turned out to be a good sequel that was just as fun as the first, though didn’t quite give me the emotional gut punch I would have hoped for. I also seriously missed P. Kitty (who’s name has not aged well) though he did get a teensy bit of page time. I would definitely read another book set in this world following any one of the other characters in the Assassins Anonymous group, though I’ll be honest I hope Valencia can just live her life in peace because anything otherwise would stress me out.

What a fun book! The unique premise coupled with the endearing characters, the well paced plot and the unexpected twists kept me turning the pages. I read it straight through in one day. This is the second book in the Assassins Anonymous series. I haven't read the first one but I plan to do that as soon as I can. I didn't feel lost by not having read the first book but if it is as good as this one, you might want to start there for the continuity. Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for an advanced reader copy.

The stories Rob Hart tells and the way he tells them just CLICK right in with my brain! I loved Assassins Anonymous last year and was so excited to read the second in the series, and this one did not disappoint.

When Astrid stops showing up to Assassins Anonymous, the group assumes her past caught up to her, until she sends them a pizza that only she would send. Mark and Booker find themselves traveling the world attempting to find her, and with their vows to not kill anymore, the journey is uniquely dangerous.

I loved getting to know more about Astrid's personality and past, and as always enjoyed Hart's creative approaches to action scenes in the world of reformed killers. Fans of action packed thrillers that explore deeper philosophical issues will LOVE this second installment of Assassins Anonymous.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the DRC of #TheMedusaProtocol. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

A found family story about world-class assassins in recovery (assassins anonymous)? Yes, Please! This is a really fun read even when it deals with some triggering topics (sex trafficking).

When Astrid stops showing up at meetings, her sponsor Mark suspects something is wrong. A cryptic message followed by a swarm of mercenaries sends them on a rescue mission. But when you're committed to not kill anymore, rescuing your friend from a black site prison compound is a lot more challenging.

Looking forward to checking out the first book in the series and hoping for more to come. Highly recommend.

The Medusa Protocol is the second book in the An Assassins Anonymous series. This series follows retired assassins who have formed an AA support group. I really love this series. The books are fast paced and very entertaining to read. I highly recommend starting with the first book to understand the characters better, and I hope Rob Hart continues to write more in the series. Thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The second in a series about former assassins in a 12-step program, this one distinguishes itself by weaving the past, via ever-enlightening backstory sequences, with the present’s current emergency. While the uniqueness of the premise of this group of ex-assassins is certainly a hook, it is the evolving nature of their interactions and relationships that is the unexpected yet satisfying draw here. This group, made of former colleagues, profession rivals, and unfortunately sworn enemies, is at times combustible as they navigate acting as a team to try and save one of their own while strengthening the bonds of their shaky yet developing “family.” Full of interesting and quirky characters and fast pacing, this is perfect for fans of the books by Duane Swierczynski, Tom Straw, Lou Berney, or Steve Hamilton.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC to this book.

This is Book #2 in this series about a group of reformed assassins who have created a rehab group inspired by AA for killers who no longer want to kill. This is a short book but a very fun read as we delve deeper into the histories and the evolution of the mindset of these assassins looking to regain their humanity. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and highly recommend it. 4 stars!

A superb series starter like ASSASSINS ANONYMOUS can be a hard act to follow, but Hart delivers another awesome installment.

In THE MEDUSA PROTOCOL, Hart uses two perspectives, following Mark aka the Pale Horse, the protagonist from the first book, and Astrid aka Azrael, the Angel of Death. When Astrid is kidnapped and taken to a remote black site prison, Mark feels compelled to rescue her. Not only does he consider her family, he’s her Assassins Anonymous sponsor. The story delves into Astrid’s past using flashbacks.

The novel is action-packed and infused with the signature dark humor displayed in the first book. For example, Astrid has a pizza with olives delivered to one of their AA meetings. Mark, who believes that only monsters order olives on their pizza, immediately understands Astrid is alive and needs help from her AA group.

The plot brings plenty of obstacles such as various people Mark and Astrid have wronged and dangers related to the island where Astrid is imprisoned. The title plays into the story in a cool way.

In my review of ASSASSINS ANONYMOUS, I called the world “John Wick lite,” and those elements are displayed in this book as well. Beloved characters such as Mark’s cat P. Kitty and former neighbor Mrs. Nguyen are included.

While the characters are well-developed and the plot well-designed and well-executed, my favorite thing about the book is how it handles addiction, the interactions between the characters, and the cool character arcs. I look forward to seeing what Hart has in store for future installments.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to G. P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, for providing an Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A fun and charming follow up / sequel to Assassins Anonymous. Fans of Stephen Rowley will enjoy this series. You will want to begin with the first book.

The Medusa Protocol is the follow up to Assassin's Anonymous and the gang must rescue Astrid from a black site. Following the AA 12 step program, they have chosen not to kill anymore(all former assassins). The book focuses on Astrid this time and we learn more about her background and history. Mark and company must try to figure out where she is, rescue her, while not killing anyone or getting killed in the process.
My thanks to NetGalley and the Penguin Group for the ARC. I suggest reading the 1st book before you read this one.

Astrid has been kidnapped and is in some type of prison - somewhere. She has no idea who has kidnapped her or why - just that she is being tortured in some rather unorthodox ways. Obviously Mark and the rest of the group are worried. Eventually she manages to contact them and a rescue mission is launched.

I really enjoyed Assassins Anonymous so I was thrilled to hear that there was a second book. The story flips back and forth between Mark and Astrid. And we learn a lot about Astrid's history as she digs into her memories.

Just like the first story, there are overtones of John Wick, James Bond, and even a bit of Indiana Jones! (Snakes...) And some truly awful people are removed from the planet. Hart certainly left the door open for a third book so I'm hoping we will read more about this motley crew.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a digital ARC!

The Medusa Protocol has an interesting premise with a group of assassins trying to stop killing. The description of the book pretty much tells you everything you need to know until you get into the book. It is an entertaining and quick read. I finished it in two days. I would recommend picking up this book if you are in the mood for a light mystery/thriller. This is the second book in this series. I would suggest reading Assassins Anonymous first because that introduces you to the main characters.

Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced copy of The Medusa Protocol. #TheMedusaProtocal # NetGalley #RobHart

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 plan 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.

The first book in this series, Assassin’s Anonymous, was one of my favorite reads last year. I just loved the concept of a group of former assassins following a 12 step program. This second book was also a lot of fun and I really enjoyed learning more about one of the characters from the first book, Astrid, while still hearing about Mark’s journey to recovery as well. This one was perhaps not as laugh out loud fun, but I still really enjoyed it.

This story is split between Astrid’s and Mark’s points of view. Astrid’s is also split between present day and her past. I really liked Astrid and learning more about how she became an assassin and why she chose to leave that life was very interesting. She is a fierce example of a survivor. She is a bit hot tempered and rash at times, but I also totally got why she would act before thinking. Her journey in this book was great and I loved that she was finally able to open up to the others in the end.

Although I liked Mark’s part of this journey, I wasn’t very happy with his decisions concerning his atonement with another former assassin. I kept hoping for a better outcome from their interactions. I really enjoyed the lengths he went through to keep from killing in this one, including fighting another assassin and leaving him alive in the end. Mark’s growth as a character in this one was more subtle, but still very important.

The writing and the pacing were once again perfect for this thriller. I loved how Mark and Booker are out to rescue Astrid, but she pretty much rescued herself. The setting of the remote snake infested black site prison was well done and it felt creepy and scary all at the same time. The dialogue is snarky and well done. This was a book that I just raced through because I needed to know what was going to happen next.

If you enjoy thrillers, especially those about former killers who are trying to be better people than this is a series you need to give a chance. I love the morally gray characters, the 12 step program that they follow and all of the ways they find to not kill someone. This is also a rather funny book, if you like dark humor. You could read this as a standalone, but I encourage you to start with the first book.

This book has an unusual pretext. There is a group of very dangerous assassins who have vowed to never kill again. They have meetings and count the days since their last kills. When a colleague of theirs disappears they decide to try and rescue her, but no killing allowed. The book is filled with suspense from the first page and has some clever dialogue. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for sending me an ARC of The Medusa Protocol in exchange for an honest review.

The Goodreads description of this book tells you everything you need to know about the plot, so I’ll jump directly to my thoughts.

The Medusa Protocol takes place about a year and a half after the end of the first book in this series, Assassins Anonymous. All the characters who survived that story are back here, with several new ones thrown in. The story moves between three timelines: Mark’s present-day perspective, as he tries to find Astrid; Astrid’s present-day perspective, as she tries to understand and escape her predicament; and Astrid’s past, as we see various turning points that might explain who is holding her prisoner and why.

As with Assassins Anonymous, The Medusa Protocol works on a number of levels. There’s the mystery of what’s happening to Astrid and why. There are the thriller aspects of the attempts to free her. But mostly the story works because both Mark and Astrid are engaging characters, and the more you learn of Astrid’s backstory, the more you care about what happens to her character. I’m already looking forward to the next book in the series. Recommended.

Title: The Medusa Protocol
Series: Assassins Anonymous #2
Author: Rob Hart
Publisher: Penguin Group Putnam/J.P. Putnam’s Sons
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Pub Date: June 24, 2025
My Rating: 3.7 Rounded up
Pages: 320

Story is told from the POV of Astrid and Mark and is the sequel to Assassins Anonymous. I didn’t read the first book so aware I missed important things but got a good idea about this AA Group!
Mark and Astrid as well as several others are all ex-assassins. And they have promised themselves to never kill again. When Astrid, FKA The Angel of Death is a retired assassin has been ‘kill free’ for several but has stopped showing up to Assassins Anonymous- probably means one of two things: Astrid has "slipped" and gone back to killing or has been killed. Only her sponsor Mark, FKA ‘Pale Horse’, had been deadliest killer in the world, holds out that she is okay. In fact, Mark keeps saving a chair for her in hopes that she will show up.
Then, during a meeting, the group gets a pizza delivery. The group immediately wonders if there is another psychopath out there who actually likes olives on their pizza, or is Astrid trying to send Mark a message?
(This made me laugh as I just finished a Young Adult and ta Pizza with olives was order – One of them was indeed was close to being
psychopath!)

Story actually started when Astrid wakes up in the cell on a remote island. Her captures are looking for a vital clue from her past.
Mark and Booker - a fellow AA comrade - set out to rescue Astrid from a South American prison located on’ Snake Island’ a restricted island off the coast of Brazil covered in poisonous snakes, and mean armed guards barbed-wire fences and security cameras,
Booker pointed out that prisons are designed to keep prisoners from breaking out not breaking in!
But first they need to secure some nonfatal weapons and a sitter for Mark’s cat. Yes glad there is some humor in this story – perhaps but you knew that when you found out this story is about a group in ‘Assassins Anonymous’. But there is sure nasty things going on.

I want to thank NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam/J.P. Putnam’s Sons for this adventurous story.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for June 24, 2025.