Bulletproof Angel: A Novel

by C.J. Perry, Blake Northcott

A high-octane spy thriller from the international bestselling author of Arena Mode and The North Valley Grimoire

Reagan Ashe—a young CIA operative on her first undercover assignment in Russia—poses as the girlfriend of a ruthless mafia boss. Her shut down a multi-billion dollar arms deal that could lead to a terror group acquiring next-gen military tech… weaponry so advanced it would shift the balance of power on a global scale.

When a firefight erupts, the code to unlock a superweapon known as the “Skeleton Key” is destroyed, but not before Reagan uses her photographic memory to capture every line. With her cover blown, Reagan is hunted through Moscow’s icy no backup, no exit strategy, nowhere to hide . . . and the world’s deadliest weapon trapped in her mind.

Disavowed and left for dead, her time is running out, until a legendary spy comes out of retirement for an unauthorized a woman she hasn’t spoken to in years . . . her mother, Bex. The unlikely duo are forced to work out their differences as one navigates the harsh realities of life on the run, and the other has to reconcile with a dark past she thought she’d left behind.

Another gripping story from Blake Northcott, Bulletproof Angel is a well-shaken cocktail of blistering action, double-crosses, and a treacherous cat-and-mouse game—all leading to an explosive climax that lands like a missile strike.

Genres: Mystery

352 pages, Paperback

Expected publication November 10, 2026

Reviews

[Patti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure what more you would want from an action-adventure, spy novel so I looked up key elements and this book checked all the boxes:
Grounded Politics and Realism ✓
Paranoia and Isolation 🗹
Flawed, Human Protagonists 🗹
High Stakes and Ticking Clocks 🗹
Plausible Twists and Clandestine Craft 🗹
4.5 out of 5, but overall 5.

Realism gets half check mark because, just when you think a situation is too wild and unrealistic or would never happen, you realize there are evil masterminds as well as hackers with mad crazy skills that exist. So really, anything is possible! Still, half check because it did cross my mind.

Character Cheat Sheet:

Reagan: She is a sharp, rookie CIA operative with a photographic memory on her first major undercover assignment in Russia.

Bex: Reagan’s estranged mother. She is a legendary, hardened, retired elite spy who comes out of hiding and goes rogue to save her daughter.

The Russian Underworld: There were honestly more Russian bosses than I could keep track of, including the ruthless boss and source of Reagan's mission.

This is a non-stop high-stakes battle of wits. One minute you're the cat, the next you're the mouse. Oh wait - here comes another cat! But who is in charge of the catnip?

Favorite Character: The hacker! Wicked smart tech wiz Chase with his "hippie meets surfer dude" energetic, albeit laid back, attitude.

Favorite Quote: Sofia (another hacker) quoting Sun Tzu: "The art of war. Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight 100 battles without disaster".

Bottom Line: The story wraps up but leaves the door open for a sequel. If there is a book two on the table, I wouldn't be mad about it.

🎧 Narrator: Erin Moon, amazing right off the bat. The higher the stakes, the faster she talks. She emphasizes both panic and confidence at the same time!

Five Star Highlights:
High Stakes Battle of Wits
Never Underestimate the Mother-Daughter Connection
Non-Stop Action
Hippie Meets Surfer Dude Hacker. Chase stole the show!

Not yet published. Expected 11-10-2026
Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the free (listen now) ALC in exchange for my honest review.

[Hank Wu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance reader copy of this book and am voluntarily providing an honest review.

Premise
Retired CIA operative pulls out all the stops to save her undercover daughter in the heart of Russia against impossible odds

Liked
* Intense, insane action from beginning to end with twists that come faster than you can blink
* Writing that leaps from one scene to another but is never difficult to keep up
* Moscow comes alive as a setting
* Just plausible enough to be enjoyable

Not for Me
* Really, the main characters should have died dozens of times
* Very conveniently resolved obstacles
* Reagon sidelined in most of the second half

Closing Comment
This is a fast-flowing romp of a spy novel in the vein of a Hollywood blockbuster, with all the pros and cons of a story that needs to deliver thrills without too many real-world considerations. Once I decided to enjoy the ride it was easy to root for the special agents, and I look forward to future episodes from this hard-hitting team.

[Brittany Lynn · Rating 3.25 out of 5]

Bulletproof Angel by CJ Perry and Blake Northcott

⭐ Story: 3.25/5
🎧 Narration: 3.5/5

Bulletproof Angel certainly doesn’t lack action! From covert operations and international espionage to betrayals and deadly weapons, this story throws you straight into a high-stakes thriller and rarely slows down.

The premise was intriguing. A young CIA operative whose cover is blown during an assignment in Russia, a dangerous weapons conspiracy, and an estranged mother who happens to be a legendary former spy? There was definitely potential for an exciting, suspenseful story.

Unfortunately, the execution didn’t entirely work for me.

My biggest issue was how far-fetched so much of the action felt. Now, I certainly don’t expect every thriller to be completely realistic, and I’m more than willing to suspend disbelief for a good story. But there were so many seemingly impossible situations and convenient escapes that eventually I found myself struggling to take the danger seriously. When characters repeatedly survive circumstances that should be nearly impossible to escape, the stakes start to lose some of their impact.

I also never felt particularly invested in Reagan or the overall story. The complicated relationship between Reagan and her mother, Bex, had the potential to provide some much-needed emotional depth, but I never connected with their journey as much as I wanted to. There was plenty happening on the page, yet I often felt like I was simply following the action rather than genuinely caring about the outcome.

As for the audiobook, Erin Moon delivered a solid performance. She handled the intensity and fast-moving nature of the story well, and I appreciated the effort she put into bringing the characters to life. However, with multiple prominent characters, shifting perspectives, and so much dialogue, I really think this audiobook would have benefited from at least two narrators. A single narrator had a lot to carry here, and while Erin did a pretty decent job all things considered, a larger cast could have made the listening experience more immersive.

Ultimately, Bulletproof Angel was a mixed experience for me. I can appreciate the ambition, the nonstop action, and the cinematic approach to storytelling, but the increasingly implausible situations and my lack of emotional investment kept it from being a stronger read.

If you enjoy action-heavy espionage thrillers and don’t mind suspending disbelief, this one may work better for you than it did for me.

Thank you to CJ Perry, Blake Northcott, Brilliance Audio, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this ALC!

[Justyna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great audiobook. Erin Moon's narration really created a whole vibe and made the story easy to get immersed in. The book was entertaining and packed with action from start to finish.
One thing I found interesting was that the description did the job of settting up the story, but there is actually very little in depth detail about the case itself throughout the book. Instead, the real focus is the mother-daughter relationship and the lengths a parent will go to for their child. That emotional core ended up being the central focus.
I enjoyed the book and was entertained throughout, but I also found myself wanting a deeper dive into the espionage side of the story. Overall, a solid, action-packed listen with strong family themes and an engaging performance by Erin Moon.

Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for the ALC.

[Fallon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't understand what the WWE star means on the cover; is that who the cover model is based on? I'm not a sports person, so any of that is not important at all. This story follows Reagan Ashe, a CIA Operative in Russia who gets captured; luckily, she memorized the skeleton key code and is now a walking cypher basically. So the Russian mob can't kill her. Unfortunately, the CIA is not coming after her because she's just one person. Her mother, on the other hand, a former agent, is brought in to extract her, not on the CIA's dime or approval. Mom, Bex, has a lot of time in Russia and a lot of contacts. She easily falls into her old persona. As the two are gallivanting in Russia, trying not to die, we uncover CIA secrets as well as unraveling some mob stuff.
I thought that the story was overall entertaining; it was easy to follow and fairly fun. It was a bit repetitive and gave 90s James Bond vibes, with women. I like the mother-daughter dynamic but didn't love the vibes as much as I would like. The best part is the narrator, who did a wonderful job bringing these characters to life. The accents were fantastic, and the tone was top-notch. Just an overall great performance.

[JMT Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the fast pace and stereotypical clichés that made this as close as watching an action spies movie. It was not realistic but it surely was such a fun time.
I absolutely adored Bex's story: the reminiscing, the action, the unhinged shit. It was so fun to see her reconnect with a part of herself that she thought lost. However, Reagen felt like a stupid little child playing pretend into a play so much bigger than her. I didn't like her at all by the 50% mark. Luckly, Bex's story was more developed.
A lot of it was predictable but I still enjoyed the twists.
If there was a spin-off of Bex's days as the Bratva darling, I would absolutely read it and probably enjoy it way more. I personally (this has nothing to do with the book itself, it's totally subjetive) like more being on the other side of the law in books.

[tan · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author , publisher and Netgalley for making it available in the LISTEN NOW section.

My rating : 3.5/5

If I had to explain this book with one word, it would be "twist". The utter amount of twists both in the backstories and the ongoing story kept me hooked and in awe for most of the time. The second point is , it was full of drama . This was a classic cat-and-mouse spy universe book and the most appealing part is the fact that the protagonist is a woman. The end definitely implied that there is always a place for a sequel to pop up.
I do think that some parts were a bit too stretched for my liking , though.

[Ivy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a spy thriller that kept me on my toes all the way through. When Reagan goes missing and disavowed by the CIA her mother (a retired agent) goes looking for her.
I found that I was always wanting to know what was going to happen next. I was grabbed from the beginning and couldn’t put it down. The description of the citys in Russia where so well written that I felt like I was there with Reagan as she struggled to get free.

[Audiobooksgirlie · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Holy smokes. This was seriously HIGH STAKES from start to finish.

Think The Americans meets Salt. Espionage, betrayals, covert operations, and absolutely no idea who you can trust.

What really hooked me, beyond the nonstop action, was the mother and daughter relationship between Reagan Ashe and Bex. Their complicated history adds another layer to an already intense story. I love when a thriller gives me something to care about beyond who survives the next chapter.

And can we please appreciate an FMC over 40 who is an absolute force? THANK GOODNESS. Bex is ruthless, experienced, and certainly no wallflower. We need more mature heroines like her.

The stakes just keep climbing, and every time I thought I had a moment to breathe, something else happened. This book does not believe in downtime.

Erin Moon did a great job capturing the intensity and keeping me invested. My only minor complaint was the frequent announcements of dates and times, which occasionally interrupted the flow of the narration.

If you love espionage thrillers, complicated family dynamics, morally gray characters, and women who can absolutely handle themselves, get this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for the gifted ALC.