Assassin's Edge: A David Slaton Novel

David Slaton #8

by Ward Larsen

USA Today bestselling author Ward Larsen's globe-trotting assassin, David Slaton, returns for another breathless adventure in Assassin's Edge !A U.S. spy plane crashes off the northern coast of Russia at the same time that a Mossad operative is abducted from a street in Kazakhstan. The two events seem unrelated, but as suspicions rise, the CIA calls in its premier operative, David Slaton.When wreckage from the aircraft is discovered on a remote Arctic island, Slaton and a team are sent on a clandestine mission to investigate. While they comb a frigid Russian island at the top of the world, disaster strikes yet a U.S. Navy destroyer sinks in the Black Sea.Evidence begins mounting that these disparate events are linked, controlled by an unseen hand. A mysterious source, code name Lazarus, provides tantalizing clues about another impending strike. Yet Lazarus has an agenda that is deeply personal, a thirst for revenge against a handful of clandestine operators. Prime among David Slaton.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Espionage, Action, Suspense

288 pages, Paperback

First published April 12, 2022

About the author

Ward Larsen is the USA Today bestselling author of espionage thrillers. A seven-time winner of the Florida Book Award, his first novel, The Perfect Assassin, has been optioned for film by Amber Entertainment.
A former Air Force fighter pilot, he has also served as an airline captain, and is a trained aircraft accident investigator.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the feeling when you discovered a new author? Okay, not new but new to me. The best part? I have 7 more in the series to read!!

David Slaton and his family live under deep cover, a CIA witness protection-style ranch with a security detail. While fishing and camping with his son, David receives a text from his wife that he has a visitor.

Anton Bloch, a former Israeli spymaster needs David's help finding his agent daughter who's been kidnapped in Kazakhstan. Owing Bloch a favor, David agrees. While on their way to a waiting jet in Missoula, the plan has changed. An American spy plane crashed while performing standard surveillance in the Arctic near Russia's border. It's not yet known what brought down the plane. According to warnings that Bloch received, the two incidents seem to be related so they head to Alaska to investigate.

Honestly for me, this wasn't easy audio to listen to without a print version. I would consider this a military/espionage techno-thriller. But I love following a deadly sniper and assassin's train of thought as he hunts down the villain. The pace is nice and there's plenty of action. I really like David Slaton's character and I have a feeling I'll enjoy the series even more if I read from the beginning.

P. J. Ochlan is the narrator and did a wonderful job with many different accents, hats off to you!

Thank you Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for this ALC for review.
Available April 12, 2022!

[Marilyn (not getting notifications) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Assassin’s Edge:A David Slaton Novel was the first book that I had read in this series by Ward Larsen. It reminded me of Daniel Silvia’s earlier books but even better. I listened to the audiobook that was well narrated by P.J. Ochlan. Assassin’s Edge could be described as engrossing, fast paced and heart pounding. It combined the elements of spies, snipers and abduction to made the plot both enticing and thrilling.

When three separate but internationally seemingly unconnected incidents occurred, the United States and Israel immediately became concerned, suspicious and ready to investigate. One of the disasters occurred when an American spy plane, Raven 44, crashed near the northern coast of Russia. The wreckage was believed to have crashed on a remote Arctic Island and it was doubtful that any of the crew survived. As the United States learned about this disaster, another potential incident was simultaneously occurring in Kazakhstan. A female Mossad agent had been assigned to a case. She was in control of performing the steps to complete this assignment when suddenly with no warning everything went south and she was abducted. The female Mossad agent was the only daughter of the former head of Mossad. When a third incident occurred, the United States and Israel knew deep down in their guts that the three incidents were somehow connected. A U.S. Navy destroyer mysteriously sunk in the waters of the Black Sea.

The former Mossad leader went to David Slaton’s home and begged him to help find his daughter and bring her home safely. David was retired from Mossad and lived on a remote farm with his wife and young son. He was presently in the Witness Protection Program but David could not refuse to help his old friend. They shared so much history and David had known his daughter, Ila, since she was a little girl. David agreed to work with the CIA to uncover who was behind all three incidents and to attempt to bring Ila home to Israel. Someone named Lazarus seemed to be behind all three disasters. Who was Lazarus? Why was he orchestrating these horrific incidents? What was his motive? Could a fourth incident be imminent? Would Slaton be able to accumulate enough clues and evidence to discover the identity of Lazarus and prevent another disaster from taking place?

I was holding my breath during most of this book. Assassin’s Edge was well plotted and the characters were complex and believable. The ending was quite satisfying. I never came close to guessing the identity of Lazarus or why he was plotting these unimaginable disasters. Ward Larsen’s writing was well prosed and he proved himself to be a masterful storyteller. I am glad to say that I have discovered a new author and series that I enjoyed very much. I will most definitely try and read some of the prior books in this exciting series and look forward to new ones. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to this audiobook through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Jeremy Peers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always thought Ward Larsen is criminally underrated and his newest book, Assassin's Edge, only reenforces my belief. In my opinion, he should be mentioned alongside the greats of the genre. Especially after his last couple of books.

A few years ago, I was beginning to think Larsen's Slaton series was becoming stale and fairly predictable, and he needed to shake things up. He must of felt my angst in his soul because since then he's written his best stuff.

When reading Larsen's work you can count on a few things: great, great characters, lots of action with believable dialogue and aviation will be prominently featured with at least one crazy-ass scene involving a plane. Lately, Larsen has changed up the things I was worried were becoming monotonous and he has never been better.

If you are new to the Slaton series, Assassin's Edge is a great place to begin. You won't regret it.

My sincere thanks to Ward Larsen, Macmillan-Tor/Forge, and NetGalley for the privilege to read an advance copy of Assassin's Edge!

[Ross Sidor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply excellent. Nine books in now, and this series still feels fresh and is going strong. This one is a bit different than the previous books and elevates to the series to a new level. Like the other books, there's a bit of a mystery that is slowly unraveled throughout the book, not fully revealed until the end, and excellent research into all aspects of the plot. This time, US military ships and planes are afflicted by strange strikes that are exacerbating international tensions. The only lead is a mysterious, Israeli intelligence asset code named Lazarus. Slaton's investigation takes him from the Arctic and the ocean floor to Kazakhstan, Albania, and Israel, and sees him pitted against a cabal called The Trident that is supplying high tech weapons and missions to mercenaries. Tightly plotted, up-to-date thriller that reads like a Ludlum novel with touches of Clancy and Daniel Silva.

[Abibliofob · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has it all. Arctic warfare, desert warfare, ship on ship action, flying, diving, cqb and intelligence work. Not to forget that Jammer Davis is back. I almost read it in one sitting. Assassin's Edge by Ward Larsen is the latest book about ex Kidon David Slaton. I think that this seres is only getting better and better with each new book and I feel like I have to read the Jammer Davis series as well. He seems like a fun guy. I give a big thank you to @forgereads @MacmillanUSA @edelweiss_squad @this_is_edelweiss for giving me this advance copy #AssassinsEdge out in stores 12th of April and a big well done to @wardlarsen for making this stuff up.

[Shirley McAllister · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lazarus's Revenge

Spies, espionage, abduction and a mystery make for some exciting reading. This book does not disappoint. It is fast paced and holds your interest from the beginning to the end.

David Slaton is camping with his young son when he receives a text from his wife that he needs to return home he has a visitor. His visitor is Tom Block, head of Mossad and his agent daughter Ila has just been abducted from Kazakhstan. He wishes David a retired agent to help find his daughter.

Unfortunately as Tom is talking to David his phone rings and a spy plane "Raven 44" has crashed on an island in Russian territory a short distance from Alaska. Fearing the two are linked he now travels with David to Air Station Kodiak in Alaska. They need to investigate the crash site before the Russians do to find if there are any survivors. As they are on the island investigating the crash site a ship has been sunk in the Black Sea.

Fearing all three incidents are related they need to find out what has happened and who is behind it. Who is the elusive informant calling himself Lazarus who is providing clues to another impending disaster? Little do they know that Lazarus has a personal vendetta against several operatives and foremost amongst them is David Slaton.

If you like spy thrillers you will love this one .I listened to the audio book. The narrator did a fantastic job and was easy to listen to and understand. The dramatization was good and the voice was pleasant to listen to .

I enjoyed this book and I would recommend it.

Thanks to Ward Larsen for writing a great spy story, to P.J. Ochian for a fantastic narrating job, to MacMillan audio for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available to me.

[Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

What may be the best of the David Slaton novels starts out with the crash of an American spyplane north of Russia, followed by the sinking of an American warship.

With the kidnapping of Anton Bloch's daughter Slaton is called in to try to retrieve her. He's quickly detoured to check out the crash site of the spyplane along with Jammer Davis, since CIA has determined the events are related.

A third party is using new technology to stir up trouble between Russia and the US.

[Julie Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ward Larsen has produced probably the best written novel of his career in the David Slaton saga titled ASSASSIN’S EDGE. It has an intensity to each scene, every chapter, ALL the way to the last page, something I’ve not seen before in thrillers, not in his previous books or any other authors in the genre. There has to be a higher superlative than superb.

It is a tale of revenge, of hate, a visceral hate, the kind that guts your soul and leaves a shell of a man, who is driven to exact a revenge of carnage proportions to meet his hellacious needs. In many ways it’s a psyop conducted by a psychopath against his deepest unsuspecting enemies. For a man who flew jets at a time of war, thousands of feet above the clouds, Ward Larsen has an intense understanding of human nature in ground events in the middle of a war and what motivates men active in this war zone. I love novels that focus on and examine human behavior, what is the driving force behind what people do. Ward Larsen delves into the thought and emotional processes of both the protagonist and antagonist and subsequent reactions. One has only to look at the Russians in Ukraine to understand this wartime rationale of the antagonist.

Larsen begins his tale with a set of seemingly unrelated vignettes - the kidnapping of the daughter of the former Mossad Director from the streets of Almaty, Kazakhstan. The breaking apart mid-flight of an American RC-135 on a routine spy mission conducting on the edge of Russian territory in the Arctic Circle that sends the aircraft into a spiral dive into Russian territory. A US destroyer on patrol in the Black Sea, not realizing its radar/sonar computer software has misaligned, finds itself in a collision with a transport vessel and sinks within an hour’s time. Seemingly unrelated events, yet they can be linked further along in this journey of intrigue.

Because of the location of the downed aircraft and its specialized top security equipment, the Deputy Director of the CIA’s Special Operations Group,Anna Sorensen, is called in,as the Agency has special contingency plans drawn up already for such a possibility in hostile territory. Paths intersect when Mossad notifies the White House that a new spy source, code name Lazarus, gave warning of a serious incident to occur with a US spying operation, and that this man’s handler, the daughter of retired Mossad Director Anton Bloch, was kidnapped from the street while going to a meet. Bloch goes to Sorensen to track down his retired former Mossad agent David Slaton for assistance. Slaton now lives in the great beyond of the Rockies and does occasional work as a freelancer for Sorensen. Learning of the downed spy plane, a warning by Lazarus who is the link to the kidnapped Mossad agent, Sorensen sends Bloch to Slaton and on to Alaska to do an investigation into the downed plane and recovery of the sensitive equipment.

Larsen relates the recovery of the specialized equipment, and the underwater work required to reacquire it. I found it uncanny that a man who spent his life in the clouds has such a keen understanding of what it is like, what it feels like, to lose your sense of balance and direction, where up is at and down when in total pitch black darkness. Many folks do not realize your cochlea and eyesight are tied together for balance and direction. Slaton discovers this the hard way in a precarious recovery operation. Description of life in a sub is accurate too- I’ve been in one. Larsen’s accuracy and attention to details sent a shudder up my spine with this chapter. He’s got the claustrophobia down pat.

Who is this mysterious Lazarus? A coincidence that a US destroyer finds itself sabotaged and sinking beneath the waves of the Black Sea on the same day that a US spy plane spirals into the Arctic Ocean? And the link keeps returning to Lazarus. And what does his name imply? Slaton sets off to Israel for answers.

Little by little, Larsen reveals bits and pieces of Lazarus’s past and the motivator for the carnage he leaves behind, all tied through time to a Mossad operation that went wrong. Larsen exposes you to the innate evil found in man, especially those who cater to mercenaries. Give thought to Wagner and the Russians in the Ukraine when reading this segment. The story becomes a cat and mouse game. Who is the hunter, who is the hunted? The pieces finally fall into place connecting all the events, all the parties involved, of why people lived and people died. And it makes it self explanatory of why David Slaton resides where he does.

ASSASSIN’s EDGE may well prove to be the best written novel of Ward Larsen’s career. He is at the top of his game. The attention to details, building the danger, tension, the intensity of relating the story, all build to a stunning ending. I don’t think Thor’s Harvath or Flynn/Mills’ Rapp ever gave thought to doing to a villain what was done in ASSASSIN’S EDGE. The Russians did, and this book should give you some insight into what they are capable of in the real world. This is an Outstanding read! It holds you mesmerized to the last page. A big 5*! I can’t wait to see the next offering! This is a thriller you do not want to miss!

[Loy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read all of Ward Larson’s book in this series. This was just as good as the rest. David Slaton worked for Mossad but is now living peacefully with his wife and son. His old mentor comes to see him – His daughter who worked for Mossad too is missing. David with the blessing of his wife – goes to find her
The book is jammed packed with action as David navigates the world to find out what happened.
The writing is very good, and the story moves along quickly. I recommend this book! Thank you, Net Galley, for an advanced copy for an honest review.

[Thrillers R Us · Rating 5 out of 5]

Admitted to the US as the 49th State on January 3, 1959, nary six years after the close of hostilities on the Korean peninsula, Alaska is the largest US state by area, being able to swallow the next three largest states (TX, CA, & Montana) with ease. The former territory across the Bering land bridge was purchased from Russia in 1867 for two cents per acre, more than half of which are still in the possession of the US government, mostly in the form of national forests, parks, refuges, and military bases. Sharing some of that rugged vastness and the types of people it attracts is Montana, and where ASSASSIN'S EDGE initially finds David Slaton, on a father-son camping trip in the boonies.

The chirping lifeline to civilization soon disturbs the pastoral pleasantries from deep within a tactical backpack packed for just that kind of emergency. A child in danger, a debt owed, so David Slaton has to do it. Invading sacrosanct territory is a friend and mentor from Mossad, and the odds are stacked against the world's number one killer from the get-go, for even his doting wife sanctions the mission; it's a righteous cause and not just an adrenaline rush addiction, high stakes op. Besides, this mission runs deeper and more consequential--the US and Israel once again find interests converging, all rolled into one convenient Matzah ball of trouble. Leaving the comfort and the soft life of semi-retirement in the Bitterroot Mountains, MT, this mission means it's once more unto the breach and just baby steps back to normalcy, deftly accomplished with lean prose and weaving in deliberations and concepts like rivet joints, circadian arrhythmia, analysis paralysis, and terminal homing.

Hopalong Cassidy is naturally experiencing volatus interruptus on the way into the sandbox and coincidence diverts Slaton to Alaska to help investigate a mysteriously downed US plane that may or may not have something to do with the kidnapping of the fledgling Mossad operative and a US vessel sunk in the Black Sea. Throwing gold flakes into the simmering stew is a most ruthless terrorist, ironically named Lazarus, dangling a high value intelligence asset with the equivalent skill set of Inspector Clouseau. Lazarus's so devious in fact, the CIA Ground Branch and Mossad are baffled and suckered into the biggest honey pot intelligence op since the 1980s--a crooked war lord, running guns all over the world, now working for the highest bidder, which is a trifecta simply named 'The Trident', and bent on asymmetric warfare on hyperdrive. The usual obvious targets, of course, are the US and Israel. But is there more going on? Black Water & Wagner Group proxy wars eat your heart out, as this is terrorism on the next level. In your head. But Lazarus has dual masters, as he is fighting one more war--the last mission. With enough Bitcoin stashed to disappear behind the moon, this one's personal. A matter of vengeance.

Boasting a long and storied history, the rail gun or its invented equivalents finds apt use in modern military fiction, often with mythical implications, the movie ERASER being a good example. Coming in just off center stage in ASSASSIN'S EDGE, a directed-energy weapon is all the rage, giving the eighth outing of Slaton the feel of Brad Thor's BLACK ICE meets IN THE BLOOD (though Ward Larsen got the jump on this one by more than a month) with good heapings of 007 GOLDENEYE and 1969's DR. STRANGELOVE. In particular, the latter's Wing Attack Plan R, which the character General "Buck" Turgidson explains as 'an emergency war plan in which a lower echelon commander may order nuclear retaliation after a sneak attack if the normal chain of command is disrupted." One of the main tasks for David will be to find out if it's China, Russia or someone else trying to start World War III to seize global control. Sticking to the axioms that junior officers should always listen to crusty NCOs, and that in absentia of tech, spy craft in its elemental form is gonna do the trick, David Slaton is the Goliath to get the girl, best the bad guys and save the world. But does he have the ASSASSIN'S EDGE? Get into this finely honed global thriller and find out.

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars 🌟

Okay, I have to start this off by saying that I am a HUGE fan of this series. I have read and loved every single book about David Slaton and his crazy life so far so I couldn't wait to dive in to this one. I actually listened to the entire book on audio which is a little bit different for me because I tend to alternate between reading and listening. P.J. Ochlan has been the narrator for the last several books in this series and I have to say that I enjoyed his narration so much, that I just kept listening.

This book starts off with a couple of events that seem entirely separate, but in true Larsen fashion, little by little we begin to see that they are somehow intertwined. And these are not little events. We have the world's biggest powers somehow involved in events that could possibly affect global stability.

I think part of the reason that I enjoy this series so much is because of the history that we as readers have experienced along with David. Could this be read as a stand alone? Probably. But, without knowing David's back story, without the emotional history that we have experienced with David and his family as they have fought so hard to come away from and attempt to escape from - I don't think you can understand how beautiful it is for them to have their somewhat normal life.... And without knowing how hard they fought, you then do not understand how big of a deal it is for him to put all of that away to go back into the fight to help when called. But, that was part of the deal, so that is what he does.

In this book in particular, we really do not get to see the "superhero" that we have seen in the past. This book has David being more of an investigator. Yes, there are times that he performs great actions, but they are nothing like the events from his past. I was actually a little disappointed in this story in the fact that we do not really have a resolution of the story arc. Yes, some of the bad guys get taken care of, but we do not see a complete resolution. I guess, though, that is a good thing because that means there is going to be another book to continue on with this story arc. And truly, I'm completely okay with that.

Bottom line, this was another winner. Another book filled with action, drama, fighting, underwater scuba diving in sub artic temperatures, plane crashes, close quarters battles....you name it, we had it....

See why I LOVE this series?

[Michael L Wilkerson (Papa Gray Wolf) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The more I read Mr. Larsen's work the more I like, and I liked it a lot from the first.

There are two series; the main featuring the kidon, David Slaton. The second features Jammer Davis and I believe that one is ended, though Jammer is a character that I like. He does show up in this novel which was a pleasant surprise.

This book has twists and turns galore, many locations and lots of characters. Larsen does something that I've noted my favorite authors do; not all of the good guys survive his telling. It tugs at my heart when that happens but it also adds a level of realism to his stories. That's the way it is in real life.

I like Larsen's characters; even the bad guys. His development is excellent, giving us knowledge of who the character is, their background and why they are included in the narrative.

Ward Larsen writes action thrillers. It's hard to say which of those two words, action and thrillers is the most descriptive of his work. Let's just use both. If that's what you like to read and you haven't yet read about this stonemason (yes, the assassin is also a stonemason) and his adventures then I suggest you grab one of his books. If that isn't a genre you normally turn to then don't pick up this book. It is addictive and you'll become an action thriller like me.

Note to self: Cancel my rehab; I like reading action thrillers too much to quite.

[Wayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2***David Slaton (former Mossad assassin returns to his Montana home after a short outing with his young son only to find his former Israeli boss sitting on the front porch. He needed Slaton's help to find the killer of his daughter. This situation, however, is stalled due to the crash of an American military plane in the Arctic on the shore of a Russian island and the request of the head of the CIA for Slaton to head directly to this Russian island to investigate. And this is only the beginning of a series of discoveries and investigations into other menacing events happening around the globe.
Slaton to the rescue! In a variety of threatening events around the world, Slaton, working with both the US and Israel, is called on to investigate.
The last 3rd of the book becomes fast page-turning time, putting the reader on the edge of his seat!
The scrapes he gets into are all plausible and frightening. Much of the early part of the novel is involved with technical terms and situations that do little to move the plot along. As the pages are turned, this seems to pass as danger increases as did my heartbeat.

[Steven Netter · Rating 5 out of 5]

READ MY FULL REVIEW AT Best Thriller Books

[Stuart Ashenbrenner]

READ MY FULL REVIEW AT BEST THRILLER BOOKS

[Richard Guerrero · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy it, but on this one, it just kept on going. Again, overall love the series, but way over the top at times.

[Kevin B Chill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two different events set off this book and has Steve Slaton in many countries and environments. He works to prevent a World War helping the Americans and the Israelis stop what kind of weapons?
As my first book in the Ward Larsen universe I did not find it difficult to follow the back stories of the characters, they were explain just enough for me to know them but not enough for me not to want to know more. The most excitement of this book is knowing that I now have prior books to start reading. I need to find out why Slaton is in the position he is in.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

An alarming set of seemingly unrelated events brings one of my favorite characters out of his self-imposed exile to discover what is going on. To sweeten the pot, another series favorite, Jammer Davis, joins David Slaton and puts is aviation accident investigated skills to go use. What a formidable combination.

This is one of those adrenaline charged thrillers that keeps you engrossed from the very beginning, and let me tell you about the ending. On second thought I have no intention of spoiling the ride.

Put this one on your to-read list!

[Kate Niestrom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I realize it was probably not wise to come to this series on the eighth book, but this is not my usual type of read and I didn't choose it so much as it landed on my shelf. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised! I felt a little bit lost at not having the history provided by books #1-7, but I didn't feel too adrift, and this was a fine little spy story. My bigger issue was with the inundation of descriptions of guns, boats, and planes that accounted for 75% of this book and wish the actual story had been given a bit more attention.

David Slaton is a former Mossad operative that now lives in hiding with his family in the states. He's married to Dr. Christine Palmer (unclear if this is the same Christine Palmer from Doctor Strange. Does this series actually take place in the MCU??? She has only a few speaking lines so I couldn't determine) and they share a son named Davvy. He's ripped away from a camping trip with his three-year-old son (which actually seems way too young to go camping alone) when the daughter of his former Mossad director is kidnapped. Additionally, an American plane has gone down near Russian airspace and the CIA believes the two incidents are related. Only David can solve the case, which, coincidentally, is being carried out by a vengeful ghost from his past.

Almost every single one of the 72 chapters in this book begins with a description of a gun, boat or plane. None of this mattered to me because I don't know what any of it means, so I got really annoyed with what felt like filler, but maybe some people are into it. I wish instead that the same care had been given to the characters and the plot. I had to look up David Slaton because I had no idea if he was a native Israeli or if he was born in America or how he ended up in America or really anything about him. I assume this wouldn't have been a problem for me if I'd read books #1-7, but I can only image how many types of boat I'd have to sift through to get through seven books.

I also don't love when it's impossible for a reader to solve the book's central mystery, which is the case here. Even a diehard lover of this series was not familiar with the mystery villain in this book, which was teased for the entire story as a figure from David and Anton's past. Right before revealing who it was, Larsen told us of a mission gone awry that David and Anton had been apart of that held the key to the antagonist's identity. It also seemed that Lazarus's anger was really misplaced. He should have been way more upset with Kalman than Anton and Slaton. They literally did nothing wrong, and he had to have known that.

I also had a hard time following how the CIA knew that the terrorist attacks were related to Ayla's kidnapping. I had a hard time following it in general. But what I did like was how uncomplicated the actual story was. A strong man needs to find a bad guy to stop bad things from happening. He's able to do this relatively easily, everyone gives him all the assets he needs to do this, and he saves the day. How nice. Genuinely. Could I read an entire series of this? Absolutely not. But I didn't hate reading this one relatively slim book.

If you're really into spy books, this doesn't seem like a bad one. If you don't like them, this probably won't be the one that changes your mind.

[Cliff Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

WARNING SPOILER ALERFTS
I would like to fist thank Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Forge Books for allowing me to read and review this book.
I have been a fan of ward Larsen and have read all of his other books.

To sum it up. A good/fun book to read but not one of Mr. Larsen’s best.

The fate of the world is in Jeopardy Again! so who do you call: The Israeli Globetrotting superspy David Slaton
This is a good book; however, the original intent of the story was that the character was trying to "leave the life he had been living". However occasionally he would be forced: to work one of the intelligent agencies. Either the CIA or the Mossad. Sometimes both at the same time. With this book he has settled down and has a wife family.
The mission is to locate and eliminate the latest evil villain, Lazarus who has been working to get revenge on Mossad the Israeli intelligent service, to do this he needs money and hardware and the easiest way to do that is steal it. and the best way to get it. First it was an Israeli intelligent agent, who the happens to be the daughter of the Former head of the Mossad. At the same time a United States super-secret spy plane. Then a successful assault on an US naval Destroyer in the black sea. All of the assaults start to point to a mysterious figure Lazarus
So traveling the world to catch this new villain is David’s newest mission who just happens to be a former team mate who was left behind on a mission and was captured and tortured for years by the (usual) evil Arab forces
This book follows the same formulas as his other books in the series. This is a good book that was fun to read but the author is starting to go down thew same road of other authors and is starting to make his character a James Bond look-a-like He goes through great danger and had narrow escapes but shrugs them off no matter the cost. When he finally confronts the evil Lazarus. He realizes that he was the cause of the ultimate evilness that was unleased.

[Thomas Franks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read a lot of Thrillers. I have read all of Clancy, Brad Thor, Vince Flynn, Mark Greaney, and Daniel Silva. I like almost all the books by these authors and their replacement authors more than I liked Assassin's Edge. I enjoyed Deep Fake by Ward Larsen a little bit better than this book as well although gave it 3 stars as well. This is my First David Slaton book by Ward Larsen.

This is my Summary and Spoiler free review of Assassin's Edge. David Slaton at first seems a lot like Gabriel Allon and Mitch Rapp. Retired spies trying to live a "normal" life when they get recruited back to "the game". Despite being retired they still have their skills, they are still at their best. I expect that. Slaton, from the reading of this book at least, does not seem to have personal stuggle to over come. Maybe that makes him a little bit boring to me.

The villians are fine, the other people Slaton is helping are fine and colorful and many I am sure in other books. The action reads fine, the pacing is fine. The whole book is fine, 3 stars, but nothing in it really made me not want to go to sleep and read a few more chapters. It was close enought I thought it turn the corner am become compelling, but it never really did, then it was over rather quickly. I can not say what would have made it better.

Should I have read the earlier Slaton books first? Please let me know.

Anyway if you have read all the Thrillers from other authors go ahead and try Ward Larsen. You might like them better than me.

[Kym's Open Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

I need a good assassin novel every now and then! This is book 8 in a series but I never even realized that until I wrote my review. Obviously I wasn’t missing a lot of the story which is just how I like it.

This one was full of action, “incomprehensible weapons,” abduction, unexplainable accidents and more.

One of the things I liked best about this novel was its lack of language. Honestly, assassin novels are fast-moving, high stakes stories. Language, violence and more are very common. The fact that this author kept me entertained and didn’t add a lot of that is admirable. It’s a rare find.

Now, on to the audio. The narrator had very little inflection in his voice. He wasn’t quite monotone but had a matter-of-fact way of speaking which didn’t work as well with this story. At a higher speed, it sounded mechanical and off. His child voice sounded too young and a bit whiney. I find most adults can’t mimic a child’s voice properly so it’s not just him. All of this could have been due to the higher speed problems. I had a difficult time finding a speed that worked for my brain that didn’t warble his voice too much. I honestly think this one would’ve been better to be read instead of listened to. The story was good, but I struggled with the audio continually.

More details are on my blog:

https://www.theopenbooks.net/2022/04/...

[SteVen Hendricks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review – Assassin’s Edge – Ward Larsen
Author Ward Larsen's globe-trotting protagonist, David Slaton, returns in another gripping and explosive action-adventure thriller in “Assassin's Edge,” book 8 in the series. When a US spy plane crashes on a remote Arctic Island in Russia, when an Israeli Mossad operative goes missing in Kazakhstan, and when a US Navy ship sinks in the Black Sea, questions arise regarding the unrelated events. Subsequently, the CIA calls in their leading clandestine operative - David Slaton and his paramilitary team to investigate. As evidence and clues are exposed regarding the events' relatablity, another impending catastrophe is exposed and Slaton and his team are also targeted for elimination by the shadowy entity causing the calmity. This story has a thrilling plot, lots of twists and turns, well thought out characters and plenty of action. Although I’m not a big fan of cliffhanger endings, this one was satisfactory because Larsen does a great job in not leaving the reader uncomfortably hanging with ‘anxious angst’, but more of a ‘curious wonderment’ with the continuation of the story in the next novel. I like this series – especially the main character, David Slaton. It’s dangerous, adventurous, and entertaining. Assassin’s Edge is a very good read!

[Joel · Rating 5 out of 5]

An American spy plane mysteriously crashes, killing everyone aboard; on the same day, the daughter of Mossad commander is kidnapped in Kazhakstan. Two seemingly unrelated events, but connected enough that the CIA calls in its best, including David Slaton. As the investigation unfolds, they find the trail leads to a man known only as Lazarus, a man who seems to know too much about the terrorist attacks, and who may have his own connection to Slaton.

This is the 7th book in the Slaton series, but the first I've read. Nevertheless, it wasn't difficult to follow the plot or to know the characters. It's an episodic series so even though there are mentions of David's relationship to Mossad, this is a neatly encapsulated story that doesn't require prior knowledge. The story starts out with a bang--two bangs, really--and continues to ramp up the stakes. This is a pure action thriller, so you won't find much in the way of dynamic character arcs, but you will find lots of action. Larsen knows his stuff, with detailed descriptions of the military operations, gear, and political power structures. There were some chapters that seemed to drag on a bit with overly detailed conversations, but overall it is an enjoyable read. Strongly recommend to fans of military thrillers.

[Leane · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Slaton adventures have always been a satisfying spy thriller experience for me, and in this 8th in the series our former Israeli assassin is working with both the Mossad and the US on international crisis and a kidnapping of a Mossad agent. The spycraft is well detailed, and adds to the always growing foreboding Tone and increases the Pace of the page turning. Larsen does CH, Setting, and armaments well (with not too much detail but enough for those craving the techno-thriller aspects who will not be disappointed). The Plotting contains the requisite twists. I care about David and appreciate his need for justice even if it is sometimes delivered off-the-grid. Larsen's personal background as a aircraft accident investigator adds gravitas and punch to some of this novel's specifics enriching the plotting. One must start with the first in this series, The Perfect Assassin in order to truly appreciate the CH development and it stands as one of my all-time favorite spy thrillers. Definite must for readers who crave more when waiting for a Daniel Silva, or has enjoyed a Jason Matthews, Jack Carr, Frederick Forsyth or early Ludlum.

[Joel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good story, if a bit dense in spots perhaps aided by a little too much emphasis on details meant to provide an immersive effect for the reader. However, my chief complaint is the small and almost italic-like font chosen by the publishers. The effect was a washed out hard to read grayness that was hard on my eyes. My vote is to find a different, easier to read font.

This author and series is on my short list of fav black ops type reads. This one had some new twists and David Slaton had to face some mistakes in his past that had dramatic consequences. However, since he is the protagonist, all was well in the end.

I thought the cross-over of Jammer Davis being a character in the David Slaton series was a good idea. I've never read any of those books that I believe were Larsen's first action series. He comes across as a good character and might induce me to read those books, as well.

[Ricki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stayed up all night to read this. David Slaton a former Isreali assassin now lives in hiding in the US with his family in exchange for doing a job for the CIA now and then. While away camping with his son, his old Mossad boss Anton Bloch comes to ask a favor, find his kidnapped daughter.

David however gets diverted to a downed plane investigation that comes at the same time as the kidnapping and these two events converge with others which would indicate the US is under attack.

There are some especially hairy situations for David but although he finds the culprit , it is too late to save the kidnapped girl Ayla. The second half of the book is more exciting than the beginning and it seems there may be more bad actors beyond the one everyone thought was the leader. Will we see the Trident in future books?

[Maria-Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like lots of action and political intrigue this book is for you.
Is this going to start World War III? A couple of events are happen simultaneously. A U.S spy plane crashes of the northern coast of Russia. A U.S. Navy destroyer sinks in the Black Sea. Is the guilty party Russia? The daughter of a former head of Mossad is abducted. Some events points to a personnel vendetta and others point to China, Russia or a third party trying to take over the world’s power position.
I listened to this book narrated by P.J. Ochlan who did a great job in presenting the story and made it easy listening too. I did not read the previous books in the series so it can easily be read as a stand-alone.

[Pennie Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one had me starting and finishing almost in one day, well in two days since it is nearly 14 hours in length (audio book) and I had to sleep and work. It takes place over several countries, continents, Federal agencies, and nearly caused a World War. A plane suddenly goes down in the Artic and a Mossad agent is kidnapped. Are they related? So many questions and yet they are not answered until the end and still could be open ended. I will leave this one to you to decide. I love this kind of book because it is so real and though provoking.

**Received this ARC for review in audio from the publisher via NetGalley**

[Jan Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Assassin's Edge by Ward Larsen pulled me in from the very beginning. I loved the nonstop action, vibrant descriptions, and the details that painted a full picture in my mind. I loved how P.J. Ochlan performed the book. He added the right emotions to the book and fits the action/thriller genre perfectly. His multiple voices for numerous characters also helped me know exactly who was speaking. Thank you #NetGalley and #Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to this pre-release audiobook. I loved it and can't recommend it enough for those who love a great thriller. This book is part of a series and a solid standalone.