What do you think?
Rate this book
Isabella Rose #2
The Asset: Act II
Isabella Rose, the Angel, is used to surprises, but being abducted is an unwelcome novelty. She’s relying on Michael Pope, the head of the top-secret Group Fifteen, to get her back. When ISIS get involved, the situation becomes even bleaker. Isabella’s abductors are in turn abducted, and she finds herself trapped in Raqqa, the capital of the self-styled caliphate. Meanwhile, Pope has problems of his a new danger has emerged from the shadows and is threatening both him and his family. His only option is to head for the war-torn border of Turkey and Syria―a murderous, lawless place where potential enemies lurk around every bombed-out corner. Pope knows that he is risking everything to find Isabella, but finding the Angel is not a choice―it’s a necessity. The Asset is the second part in a continuing story involving Isabella Rose that started with Act The Angel . The story will be continued in Act III .
352 pages, Paperback
First published June 21, 2016
1387 people are currently reading
539 people want to read
About the author
Mark Dawson
114 books1,848 followersFor news and special offers join Mark's mailing list at:
http://eepurl.com/Cai5X
Mark Dawson was born in Lowestoft and grew up in Manchester and Chicago. He has worked as a lawyer and currently works in the London film industry. His first books, "The Art of Falling Apart" and "Subpoena Colada" have been published in multiple languages.
He is currently writing two series. Soho Noir is set in the West End of London between 1940 and 1970. The first book in the series, "The Black Mile", deals with the (real life but little known) serial killer who operated in the area during the Blitz. "The Imposter" traces the journey of a criminal family (think The Sopranos in austerity London and you'd be on the right track).
The John Milton series features a disgruntled special agent who aims to help people to make amends for the terrible things that he has done. Mark, as a child of the 80s, will freely admit that he watched a lot of The Equalizer in his youth.
Mark lives in Wiltshire with his family.
You can find him at www.markjdawson.com or www.facebook.com/markdawsonauthor.
http://eepurl.com/Cai5X
Mark Dawson was born in Lowestoft and grew up in Manchester and Chicago. He has worked as a lawyer and currently works in the London film industry. His first books, "The Art of Falling Apart" and "Subpoena Colada" have been published in multiple languages.
He is currently writing two series. Soho Noir is set in the West End of London between 1940 and 1970. The first book in the series, "The Black Mile", deals with the (real life but little known) serial killer who operated in the area during the Blitz. "The Imposter" traces the journey of a criminal family (think The Sopranos in austerity London and you'd be on the right track).
The John Milton series features a disgruntled special agent who aims to help people to make amends for the terrible things that he has done. Mark, as a child of the 80s, will freely admit that he watched a lot of The Equalizer in his youth.
Mark lives in Wiltshire with his family.
You can find him at www.markjdawson.com or www.facebook.com/markdawsonauthor.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 199 reviews
July 14, 2022
A satisfying book and obviously you'd have to read Act I to understand what is going on. I did and still struggled with some of this but it did merit a solid 3.
July 31, 2016
Book #2, in the Isabella Rose series
What an exhausting read, the action is non-stop from the opening pages and never quits, so be ready to flip pages to stay in pace with this exciting story. Yes, Dawson did it again and with this second act has given us a full novel to enjoy.
“The Asset” picks up where “The Angel” left us to continue Isabella’s adventure in grand style with great imagery and detail. This story is exciting and very hard to put down. Isabella has been kidnapped and taken to Syria by ISIS. While we follow her predicament at the hands of her captors we also follow in alternate chapters the efforts Pope need to overcome in order to get her out. Of course nothing is easy and with lots of bang we are caught up in one of those edges of the seat drama only an expert storyteller can imagine and deliver. From the first page till the last we have enemies lurking around every corner…chilling thoughts and a thrill ride across Syria and Turkey…..Main and secondary characters played out their role to a tee and their performance was an excellent distraction that held my attention to the last act….
The story didn’t leave us as abruptly as “The Angel” did but to pique our interest to pursue with act 111, the melodrama ends in suspense, another cliff-hanger……
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer in exchange for an honest review
What an exhausting read, the action is non-stop from the opening pages and never quits, so be ready to flip pages to stay in pace with this exciting story. Yes, Dawson did it again and with this second act has given us a full novel to enjoy.
“The Asset” picks up where “The Angel” left us to continue Isabella’s adventure in grand style with great imagery and detail. This story is exciting and very hard to put down. Isabella has been kidnapped and taken to Syria by ISIS. While we follow her predicament at the hands of her captors we also follow in alternate chapters the efforts Pope need to overcome in order to get her out. Of course nothing is easy and with lots of bang we are caught up in one of those edges of the seat drama only an expert storyteller can imagine and deliver. From the first page till the last we have enemies lurking around every corner…chilling thoughts and a thrill ride across Syria and Turkey…..Main and secondary characters played out their role to a tee and their performance was an excellent distraction that held my attention to the last act….
The story didn’t leave us as abruptly as “The Angel” did but to pique our interest to pursue with act 111, the melodrama ends in suspense, another cliff-hanger……
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer in exchange for an honest review
June 10, 2021
Another good installment in this incredibly exciting series.
I enjoyed the fast pace of the story and I like the characters.
The narration again, was good.
Will be downloading 3rd one soon.
I enjoyed the fast pace of the story and I like the characters.
The narration again, was good.
Will be downloading 3rd one soon.
October 9, 2017
I discovered Mark Dawson only this year but it didn’t take me long to speed through about eight of his books. His writing is concise, engaging and full of suspense. I’ve read several books from his most popular series focused the disgraced British assassin John Milton, and they are excellent, but I feel his Isabella Rose is a better series. That’s probably more of a personal taste as I like spy stories more than I like crime stories. If John Milton is a British version of Jack Reacher, Isabella Rose is British female version of Mitch Rapp.
Isabella Rose is fifteen, but instead of living the life of a school girl her age, she’s witnessed the death of both her parents and has feared for her life most of her life. That does something to a young mind. But before her mother passed Isabella received a fast-tracked course in the tradecraft of spies and assassins. That’s because her mother was one and knew Isabella needed the skills to survive in the world she was thrust into.
While Isabella is an orphan, she’s been competently looking after herself until London spy master John Pope enlists her to gain intelligence on a supposed financer of the Islamic State. That all went horribly wrong in the first book of the series, The Angel, so The Asset focuses the consequences of those failures.
Isabella is a prisoner of the Islamic State, trapped inside the caliphate in northern Syria. Dawson does an excellent job of portraying how horrible it must be to live inside the barbaric feudal society that reads like a medieval adventure that one wouldn’t normally expect in the modern world. Yet Isabella is resourceful, and this makes her a compelling character. Despite her bleak situation, she’s always trying to find a way out. The chase sequence through the partially destroyed buildings is one of Dawson’s best action sequences I’ve read.
Meanwhile Michael Pope is coming after her, feeling responsible for putting her in such a dangerous predicament. He’s a very likable tough-guy character and worthy of his own series. Pope isn’t trusting anyone except Isabella, and the paranoia he projects perfectly builds a sense of dread through the narrative.
Of all the Dawson novels I’ve read, this one has the most tension, the best action and an excellent mix of high-tech modern weaponry. It is definitely an author at the top of his game. Highly recommended.
Isabella Rose is fifteen, but instead of living the life of a school girl her age, she’s witnessed the death of both her parents and has feared for her life most of her life. That does something to a young mind. But before her mother passed Isabella received a fast-tracked course in the tradecraft of spies and assassins. That’s because her mother was one and knew Isabella needed the skills to survive in the world she was thrust into.
While Isabella is an orphan, she’s been competently looking after herself until London spy master John Pope enlists her to gain intelligence on a supposed financer of the Islamic State. That all went horribly wrong in the first book of the series, The Angel, so The Asset focuses the consequences of those failures.
Isabella is a prisoner of the Islamic State, trapped inside the caliphate in northern Syria. Dawson does an excellent job of portraying how horrible it must be to live inside the barbaric feudal society that reads like a medieval adventure that one wouldn’t normally expect in the modern world. Yet Isabella is resourceful, and this makes her a compelling character. Despite her bleak situation, she’s always trying to find a way out. The chase sequence through the partially destroyed buildings is one of Dawson’s best action sequences I’ve read.
Meanwhile Michael Pope is coming after her, feeling responsible for putting her in such a dangerous predicament. He’s a very likable tough-guy character and worthy of his own series. Pope isn’t trusting anyone except Isabella, and the paranoia he projects perfectly builds a sense of dread through the narrative.
Of all the Dawson novels I’ve read, this one has the most tension, the best action and an excellent mix of high-tech modern weaponry. It is definitely an author at the top of his game. Highly recommended.
April 13, 2016
I am grateful to Mark Dawson for allowing me an advanced copy of The Asset, the second Isabella Rose thriller.
The ending of The Angel upset a number of readers as it left so much in the balance. For me however, I was breathless at the end; no-one wants a great book to finish but with the promise of another story I was more than happy for things to be left in the air. The downside for reading a book so far ahead of publication was Amazon and Goodreads didn't list the book. I have been waiting until today to share my review. The magic of this book is that I can now recall how good it was and how passionately I would recommend this second instalment.
There were lots of factors working against Pope and his team; not withstanding that young Isabella Rose is compromised and taken prisoner, Pope's operation has failed, he wonders who he can trust but he must rescue Isabella.
Happily, he appears to have the backing of his control and he is prepared to risk all to save the girl and fulfil the mission.
What I particularly loved was the tracking of Isabella, the constant danger and the sense of others working against him. He traces the family who Isabella infiltrated for information to Turkey and then all are taken deep into IS held Syria.
Mark Dawson is so up to date in his writing it seems like news coverage more than fiction. He manages to make the story appear not just authentic but so credible.
An action packed thriller that never eases up on tension or explosive set pieces.
The ending is just the beginning. So, those readers who don't like to allow their immaginations to be set free will demand more certainty. There is none we have a few unresolved issues, fears for characters and a cliffhanger to overcome.
If you trust an author any worthy reader in my opinion will accept this isn't a commercial ploy but a terrific writing style that maintains suspense and interacts with his audience. I like this hiatus, and feel confident that my commitment to this series will be fully rewarded in the author's time.
The ending of The Angel upset a number of readers as it left so much in the balance. For me however, I was breathless at the end; no-one wants a great book to finish but with the promise of another story I was more than happy for things to be left in the air. The downside for reading a book so far ahead of publication was Amazon and Goodreads didn't list the book. I have been waiting until today to share my review. The magic of this book is that I can now recall how good it was and how passionately I would recommend this second instalment.
There were lots of factors working against Pope and his team; not withstanding that young Isabella Rose is compromised and taken prisoner, Pope's operation has failed, he wonders who he can trust but he must rescue Isabella.
Happily, he appears to have the backing of his control and he is prepared to risk all to save the girl and fulfil the mission.
What I particularly loved was the tracking of Isabella, the constant danger and the sense of others working against him. He traces the family who Isabella infiltrated for information to Turkey and then all are taken deep into IS held Syria.
Mark Dawson is so up to date in his writing it seems like news coverage more than fiction. He manages to make the story appear not just authentic but so credible.
An action packed thriller that never eases up on tension or explosive set pieces.
The ending is just the beginning. So, those readers who don't like to allow their immaginations to be set free will demand more certainty. There is none we have a few unresolved issues, fears for characters and a cliffhanger to overcome.
If you trust an author any worthy reader in my opinion will accept this isn't a commercial ploy but a terrific writing style that maintains suspense and interacts with his audience. I like this hiatus, and feel confident that my commitment to this series will be fully rewarded in the author's time.
July 14, 2018
my second read of this 2nd book in the series enjoyed it just as first time 2 years ago
September 27, 2020
I am enjoying Isabella & Pope Characters..... Narrator - Napoleon Ryan does an excellent job.
June 25, 2021
2.5-3 stars.
Very repetitive, boring at times, and rather silly situations at times.
Very repetitive, boring at times, and rather silly situations at times.
June 23, 2016
The Asset takes up right where The Angel left off, with ‘Bella being taken against her will by Salim, Jamsine, and Kahil. A lot of readers took issue with the ‘cliff hanger’ ending of The Angel. While I think all readers would like each novel to come to a conclusion on its own, readers of series know that is just not going to happen.
The Asset is action packed. Readers who are interested in a thrill ride will not be disappointed in Dawson’s latest novel featuring Isabella. While this book ends with several unanswered questions and certainly contains fodder for those who complain about cliff hangers, it was a fun read.
In an email I asked Mark Dawson why he didn’t market the Isabella series as a series for teens, as Isabella is 15. He stated that the material was not really teen oriented. After finishing the book, I understand what he meant.
The Asset is action packed. Readers who are interested in a thrill ride will not be disappointed in Dawson’s latest novel featuring Isabella. While this book ends with several unanswered questions and certainly contains fodder for those who complain about cliff hangers, it was a fun read.
In an email I asked Mark Dawson why he didn’t market the Isabella series as a series for teens, as Isabella is 15. He stated that the material was not really teen oriented. After finishing the book, I understand what he meant.
September 10, 2016
I'd give four stars, but I don't care for books that continue the story into future books. I like stories to be complete in themselves. I don't like being forced to buy the next book in the series if I want to know the resolution. Other than that, the book is action-packed an moves at a fast pace.
May 22, 2020
Now that I get his writing style. This book was better than the first one.
April 21, 2018
So, the story continues with Pope and Isabella. Pope is still trying to rescue her from Abu and she’s still trying to escape. It’s just one exciting moment after another. BUT there were 3 times I really thought the whole thing was rather stupid and it was nothing more than filler. The rescue accomplished nothing, but it did give Pope the idea they had a traitor among Group Fifteen or higher up.
I did realize one thing while reading the last two books in this series; if this would have been written by a woman there would have been soooo many inner thoughts it would have made the reader crazy. BUT as it was written by a man there were maybe two. So, that was good. I’m sure the thoughts of this fifteen year old heroine would have been too insane anyway. Who could possibly guess what a fifteen year old assassin could be thinking?
Isabella was taught by her mother to kill and after she died Isabella continued learning about weapons and practicing her martial arts so when Pope asked her to go undercover in private school she was more than ready.
I really like Pope and Isabella but everyone around them ended up dead. LOL, they really were bad luck to be near.
The F-bomb was used 8 times.
On to the third book: The Agent
AS to the narration: Napoleon Ryan is simply awesome in everything he narrates. His voices are terrific.
September 24, 2023
Better read than the first book. The Characters have developed more and an unusual partnership is formed. The ending/prologue leaves you on a cliffhanger and is completely unexpected.
July 4, 2023
Throughly enjoyable read, as was the first book. Kept me on the edge of my seat. Loved the characters Issabella and pope. Would recommend. Read book 1 in the series first.
December 2, 2023
A plane is horrifically blown out of the sky on the outskirts of London by terrorists while at the same time there are other terrorist activities going on in Westminster and the authorities are desperate to find the murderous activists. Meanwhile Isabella Rose has been placed in an upper class school in Switzerland, mainly to befriend an Asian boy who’s rich father is a highly regarded man of interest and it is Isabella’s job to try and find out information about him. Whilst at a party with the Asian family they are all abducted by, it seems ISIS, and are taken to a highly hostile place somewhere in Syria where they are imprisoned and threatened by their kidnappers.
It is up to Michael Pope, the head of the top secret Group Fifteen, to find and rescue her and so he heads to the borders of Turkey and Syria where his options of finding her are few and far between in this war torn part of the world.
Meanwhile Isabella has ideas of her own and has to drum up her instincts on how to free herself from her captivity before she is tortured or even executed, but how far is it before she can even reach safety?
Mark Dawson always tells a full blooded story where life means nothing and is usually just a mass of bloodshed and corpses and after, what I thought was a bit of a slow start this book gradually sprung to life and had me, once more, gripped to the very end. Give me more! 4.5 to 5/5.
It is up to Michael Pope, the head of the top secret Group Fifteen, to find and rescue her and so he heads to the borders of Turkey and Syria where his options of finding her are few and far between in this war torn part of the world.
Meanwhile Isabella has ideas of her own and has to drum up her instincts on how to free herself from her captivity before she is tortured or even executed, but how far is it before she can even reach safety?
Mark Dawson always tells a full blooded story where life means nothing and is usually just a mass of bloodshed and corpses and after, what I thought was a bit of a slow start this book gradually sprung to life and had me, once more, gripped to the very end. Give me more! 4.5 to 5/5.
October 30, 2016
I've had this on my Kindle since it came out I love Mark Dawson's work but wanted to stretch it out a bit; otherwise I'd go through severe withdrawal, and it's not pretty. Waiting awhile was well worth the effort.
The Asset opens with a bang I big bang! I can't think of a book I've read whose intro chapter was a gripping and nail biting as this. Since this is a Mark Dawson/Isabella Rose book, I knew how that first chapter woud end but kept hoping it wouldn't.
When we left our heroine in Book #1`,she had just been abducted and on her way to somewhere in the middle east Syria? Lebanon? Iraq ?Iran? Even Turkey. As it turns out her abductors get abducted and don't get to where they're going and the "fun" begins. Just what is going on here. Who's the good guys? Who's the bad guys? And why? Guess! As usual, Mark brings all the locations to life--obscure places for many of us, small details, and a wealth of local color. Oh and wonderfully strong and resourceful female characters on both sides.
I'm not going to write up the narrative for this one for fear of giving something away. Isabella is back and nobody to mess with will suffice She's amazing. The 15-year old girls I'm familiar with wouldn't know the difference between a Glock and a mousetrap. She's her mother's daughter. When I grow up I want to be Isabella.
The Asset opens with a bang I big bang! I can't think of a book I've read whose intro chapter was a gripping and nail biting as this. Since this is a Mark Dawson/Isabella Rose book, I knew how that first chapter woud end but kept hoping it wouldn't.
When we left our heroine in Book #1`,she had just been abducted and on her way to somewhere in the middle east Syria? Lebanon? Iraq ?Iran? Even Turkey. As it turns out her abductors get abducted and don't get to where they're going and the "fun" begins. Just what is going on here. Who's the good guys? Who's the bad guys? And why? Guess! As usual, Mark brings all the locations to life--obscure places for many of us, small details, and a wealth of local color. Oh and wonderfully strong and resourceful female characters on both sides.
I'm not going to write up the narrative for this one for fear of giving something away. Isabella is back and nobody to mess with will suffice She's amazing. The 15-year old girls I'm familiar with wouldn't know the difference between a Glock and a mousetrap. She's her mother's daughter. When I grow up I want to be Isabella.
May 24, 2019
After the cliff-hanger ending from 'The Angel', I hopped on to reading this straight away and wasn't disappointed.
Dawson brings Isabella and Pope into new fields of conflict as we follow the money trail (literally) with them. We discover unfortunate things about the intelligence community that we would only suspect if we follow some of the wilder conspiracy sites on the interwebs.
A new set of actors step out of the shadows and we're introduced to a super assassin (wait, I thought Pope was one of them?) as loose ends from the first book are put down and it becomes clear that there's *a lot* of manipulation going on here.
Despite the wildly improbable scenes in Syria (no, really, they are bonkers), you gotta love the ride.
This is only the second Mark Dawson book I've read - I will definitely finish this sequence (2 of 4, I think?) and probably pick up some others, if only for pure adrenaline and entertainment value.
Dawson brings Isabella and Pope into new fields of conflict as we follow the money trail (literally) with them. We discover unfortunate things about the intelligence community that we would only suspect if we follow some of the wilder conspiracy sites on the interwebs.
A new set of actors step out of the shadows and we're introduced to a super assassin (wait, I thought Pope was one of them?) as loose ends from the first book are put down and it becomes clear that there's *a lot* of manipulation going on here.
Despite the wildly improbable scenes in Syria (no, really, they are bonkers), you gotta love the ride.
This is only the second Mark Dawson book I've read - I will definitely finish this sequence (2 of 4, I think?) and probably pick up some others, if only for pure adrenaline and entertainment value.
January 11, 2018
I strongly recommend reading the Beatrix Rose novels before you embark on the Isabella Rose series. To fully enjoy the novels you need to know the backstory. You should also know that there are, at the moment, three novels in the series and the first two end in cliff-hangers. I haven’t finished the third yet but I understand, as another is planned, it will too. You will need to commit to all the novels to get to the final denouement. That, for me, is not a chore!
As with all Dawson’s novels they are action-packed page turners and this and the other Rose novels are quick and satisfying reads. It is good to see a powerful, female protagonist.
As with all Dawson’s novels they are action-packed page turners and this and the other Rose novels are quick and satisfying reads. It is good to see a powerful, female protagonist.
May 2, 2018
The Asset
This book had me hooked from the very beginning. To the terrorist attacks in London, to two English born Muslim boys being dejected by their community and running off to join ISIS, to Pope hiring Isabella Rose to act as an asset to get to a probable terrorist funder. When things start going wrong Pope starts to question his orders and is obsessed with finding Isabella. A 15 yr old girl he may have put in harm's way. With Pope's determination and Isabella's tenacity they manage to escape the terror of Syria only to find more terror and more questions waiting for them. An excellent read in the Isabella Rose series. I'm looking forward to the next book.
This book had me hooked from the very beginning. To the terrorist attacks in London, to two English born Muslim boys being dejected by their community and running off to join ISIS, to Pope hiring Isabella Rose to act as an asset to get to a probable terrorist funder. When things start going wrong Pope starts to question his orders and is obsessed with finding Isabella. A 15 yr old girl he may have put in harm's way. With Pope's determination and Isabella's tenacity they manage to escape the terror of Syria only to find more terror and more questions waiting for them. An excellent read in the Isabella Rose series. I'm looking forward to the next book.
December 17, 2022
Yes it was a very good book. Still should’ve been called the Michael Pope Chronicles, or M 15
Chronicles . about 50% of this book did feature Beatrix Rose’s daughter Isabella. I rated it at four stars but would like to give in at 4 1/2. It’s starting to get a lot more interesting and it definitely left off making you want to read the third one, the assassin. I assumed that the asset was going to be Isabella rose but it is not. No spoilers but the asset is something nobody wants to mess with , believe me. Looking forward to the next one and probably going to be five stairs from here out because it’s starting to get somewhere.
Chronicles . about 50% of this book did feature Beatrix Rose’s daughter Isabella. I rated it at four stars but would like to give in at 4 1/2. It’s starting to get a lot more interesting and it definitely left off making you want to read the third one, the assassin. I assumed that the asset was going to be Isabella rose but it is not. No spoilers but the asset is something nobody wants to mess with , believe me. Looking forward to the next one and probably going to be five stairs from here out because it’s starting to get somewhere.
March 14, 2019
Lots of bad things happening, but the worst may come in the next novel!
After Pope's Elimination Group has done work that he hadn't cared for, both he and Isabella find themselves finally free of the recent terrors, they retreat to Pope's family home in Italy, only to find none of his family but an assassin, who attempts to kill Pope and is defeated by Isabelle. The novel ends with a meeting of the powerful people who plot the way to eliminate Pope is through his family. But how much success will they capture. The intrigue never stops!
After Pope's Elimination Group has done work that he hadn't cared for, both he and Isabella find themselves finally free of the recent terrors, they retreat to Pope's family home in Italy, only to find none of his family but an assassin, who attempts to kill Pope and is defeated by Isabelle. The novel ends with a meeting of the powerful people who plot the way to eliminate Pope is through his family. But how much success will they capture. The intrigue never stops!
September 12, 2019
The Asset: Act II
Here we go again!
Isabella and Pope are on the move again and this time were moving just as fast as they are from page to page. From kidnappings to gun fire to getting captured by an enemy they never knew existed.
But, our main characters are up to the challenge... or are they? Guess you'll have to read to find out! I will say this—you won't be disappointed!
Here we go again!
Isabella and Pope are on the move again and this time were moving just as fast as they are from page to page. From kidnappings to gun fire to getting captured by an enemy they never knew existed.
But, our main characters are up to the challenge... or are they? Guess you'll have to read to find out! I will say this—you won't be disappointed!
September 17, 2020
I Did Not See That Coming
I saw the twist which popped up in the early stages and I was comfortable with the turns that developed throughout the book. But I was taken in by the extent of the double dealing which worked into a crescendo while our heroes were wearing thin on survival. The story is expanding through several volumes and the tension is at the point of delamination. In other words this is another fine story in the series and I must read less frequently and sleep more often and much earlier.
I saw the twist which popped up in the early stages and I was comfortable with the turns that developed throughout the book. But I was taken in by the extent of the double dealing which worked into a crescendo while our heroes were wearing thin on survival. The story is expanding through several volumes and the tension is at the point of delamination. In other words this is another fine story in the series and I must read less frequently and sleep more often and much earlier.
September 8, 2018
Exciting and Riveting
Absolutely love Mark Dawson’s books so far. His writing is exciting and suspenseful. He really keeps you entertained and at the edge of your seat. He made Isabella Rose just 15 years old both her own age but yet again an Adult. Her compassion for others in this book is stupendous. Mark Dawson leaves you wanting to read more and more of his works, he leaves you never wanting to put his books down. His characters are like no other.
Absolutely love Mark Dawson’s books so far. His writing is exciting and suspenseful. He really keeps you entertained and at the edge of your seat. He made Isabella Rose just 15 years old both her own age but yet again an Adult. Her compassion for others in this book is stupendous. Mark Dawson leaves you wanting to read more and more of his works, he leaves you never wanting to put his books down. His characters are like no other.
July 11, 2016
Act II in this sequence of books about ISIS and fifteen year old Isabella Rose - however, the story does not fully conclude, so I assume Act III will appear sometime in the future. A bit frustrating.
January 2, 2024
This book is terribly annoying.
I guess Mark Dawson wanted to create a superhuman ice-cold teenage girl assassin, hard as nails and cool as fuck, but at the same time he does not seem to believe in the badass-ery of teenage girls, or maybe his own daughters are rather the sissy kind, so his prototype is warped, I don't know.
The result of this dichotomy is a socially awkward adolescent psychopath who bumbles through one dangerous situation after the other (from London tube bombings to undercover spook stuff to multiple kidnappings to ISIS crucifixions, you name it) and botches just about every harebrained plan she hatches in her silly little head. I am not exaggerating - she fails every time, like a female teenage Pinocchio, and has to be rescued repeatedly damsel-in-distress-style, sometimes by Michael Pope, sometimes by shear luck or other deii ex machina, like an equally harebrained British teenage wannabe-Jihadist who changes his mind about his life goals as soon as he finds himself in the ISIS-caliphate instead of cosy old England.
The distorted monologue in Isabella's head (that Mr Dawson forces onto his readers practically nonstop) is a strange mixture of unintentional comedy and unbearable embarrassment. Isabella is either too young or has been too busy with target practice and Krav Maga training to form a critical image of her own self, or why else would she constantly fail in her undertakings and still keep thinking that her advantage is that the others "don't know who she really is" or "what she can do" and that everybody underestimates her, when in truth the problem is quite the opposite: She is forever at a disadvantage and Michael Pope inexcusably overestimated her capabilities and should never have engaged her in his schemes in the first place.
Highlights of Bella's inner blah being completely detached from reality are situations like Michael Pope shouting "Run, Isabella!" in a truly life-threatening moment, which results in Isabella meditating about how it can be that Michael is here and how did he find her, and … well all kinds of untimely thoughts until the moment to run is missed and she is taken hostage by some tangos. Or when she ponders that the success of her and Aqil's escape would solely lie on her shoulders, ignoring the fact that she would not even have been on the run if Aqil had not broken her out of prison. And true to fashion, their flight takes a distinct turn to the worse when she ignores Aqil's hint towards a safer escape route and instead attempts to go right through an armored street block, which of course - as always - goes horribly wrong…
Oh, and best of all are Isabella's inner comments whenever she is in danger, like a bunch of hostiles advancing on her with their automatic weapons drawn and pointed at her: "She didn't have a choice: she HAD to get away." No, really, you don't say? Whodathunkit???
I have to stop picking examples of Isabellas blundering right now, otherwise I end up quoting the whole book, because that kid is one magnet of disaster and bad choices like you wouldn't believe.
I listened to the audiobook edition, and the fact that narrator Napoleon Ryan deterioriates to terribly phony, high, breathy voices (like Daisy Duck during phone sex) whenever a female is speaking does definitely NOT help Isabella's case. Come to think of it: her nom de plume "Daisy" seems to be one of the few well-fitting ironies in this whole catastrophe of a thriller.
I guess Mark Dawson wanted to create a superhuman ice-cold teenage girl assassin, hard as nails and cool as fuck, but at the same time he does not seem to believe in the badass-ery of teenage girls, or maybe his own daughters are rather the sissy kind, so his prototype is warped, I don't know.
The result of this dichotomy is a socially awkward adolescent psychopath who bumbles through one dangerous situation after the other (from London tube bombings to undercover spook stuff to multiple kidnappings to ISIS crucifixions, you name it) and botches just about every harebrained plan she hatches in her silly little head. I am not exaggerating - she fails every time, like a female teenage Pinocchio, and has to be rescued repeatedly damsel-in-distress-style, sometimes by Michael Pope, sometimes by shear luck or other deii ex machina, like an equally harebrained British teenage wannabe-Jihadist who changes his mind about his life goals as soon as he finds himself in the ISIS-caliphate instead of cosy old England.
The distorted monologue in Isabella's head (that Mr Dawson forces onto his readers practically nonstop) is a strange mixture of unintentional comedy and unbearable embarrassment. Isabella is either too young or has been too busy with target practice and Krav Maga training to form a critical image of her own self, or why else would she constantly fail in her undertakings and still keep thinking that her advantage is that the others "don't know who she really is" or "what she can do" and that everybody underestimates her, when in truth the problem is quite the opposite: She is forever at a disadvantage and Michael Pope inexcusably overestimated her capabilities and should never have engaged her in his schemes in the first place.
Highlights of Bella's inner blah being completely detached from reality are situations like Michael Pope shouting "Run, Isabella!" in a truly life-threatening moment, which results in Isabella meditating about how it can be that Michael is here and how did he find her, and … well all kinds of untimely thoughts until the moment to run is missed and she is taken hostage by some tangos. Or when she ponders that the success of her and Aqil's escape would solely lie on her shoulders, ignoring the fact that she would not even have been on the run if Aqil had not broken her out of prison. And true to fashion, their flight takes a distinct turn to the worse when she ignores Aqil's hint towards a safer escape route and instead attempts to go right through an armored street block, which of course - as always - goes horribly wrong…
Oh, and best of all are Isabella's inner comments whenever she is in danger, like a bunch of hostiles advancing on her with their automatic weapons drawn and pointed at her: "She didn't have a choice: she HAD to get away." No, really, you don't say? Whodathunkit???
I have to stop picking examples of Isabellas blundering right now, otherwise I end up quoting the whole book, because that kid is one magnet of disaster and bad choices like you wouldn't believe.
I listened to the audiobook edition, and the fact that narrator Napoleon Ryan deterioriates to terribly phony, high, breathy voices (like Daisy Duck during phone sex) whenever a female is speaking does definitely NOT help Isabella's case. Come to think of it: her nom de plume "Daisy" seems to be one of the few well-fitting ironies in this whole catastrophe of a thriller.
July 22, 2018
Nonstop Action
This book was a great read. It was non-stop action from beginning to end. The only complaint I would have is that the main characters are supposed to be highly trained yet they seem to make a lot of mistakes. Isabella could almost be forgiven of her mistakes because she is young and inexperienced, but don't sell her as someone extraordinary and then have her make mistake after mistake. Pope cannot be as easily forgiven because he is supposed to be the head of an elite group of military special services personnel.
This book was a great read. It was non-stop action from beginning to end. The only complaint I would have is that the main characters are supposed to be highly trained yet they seem to make a lot of mistakes. Isabella could almost be forgiven of her mistakes because she is young and inexperienced, but don't sell her as someone extraordinary and then have her make mistake after mistake. Pope cannot be as easily forgiven because he is supposed to be the head of an elite group of military special services personnel.
July 22, 2019
Gripping sequel in this fascinating series. Explosive right from the off, this book is littered with twists and turns, plots and subplots. Only at the end do you a sense of what Pope and Isabella have got themselves entangled in.
Great further development of the main two characters and slowly but surely Isabella is growing into the vision of her mother.
It was also good to get an insight into the world behind terrorism.. on both sides of the fence.
I read this in two days.
Just starting the third book now...
Great further development of the main two characters and slowly but surely Isabella is growing into the vision of her mother.
It was also good to get an insight into the world behind terrorism.. on both sides of the fence.
I read this in two days.
Just starting the third book now...
March 18, 2021
I enjoyed Book 2 of the Isabella Rose series and found it full of suspense and non-stop action. A continuing story line which appears to go into Book 3 is not as appealing as a stand-alone book. Mark Dawson is very talented and has created the John Milton series, think about a more polished and knowledgeable Jack Reacher, and now the Isabella Rose series, think about a young female version of Mitch Rapp. Overall, Mark Dawson has his finger on the pulse of current events, action packed storylines that are very believable, and well written.
December 6, 2022
This one grew on me as I read it. It started out a little hard to follow as it was a continuation of the first book in the series about Isabella. However, her character (a 15 year old teenager trained by her mother before she died to become a black ops specialist) grew up as she found her way through her first assignment working for the British governments' off book assassination team as she was kidnapped and taken to a key ISIS controlled town in Syria. Of course the premise is a bit of a stretch, but Dawson is good at these stories and I've grown to appreciate his style.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 199 reviews