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Ana Grey #3
Judas Horse
Maverick FBI Agent Ana Grey is back in a suspense-charged new novel, going undercover into the volatile core of a terrorist cell.
Emotionally vulnerable after a shooting incident, Ana has just returned to the job when she learns that a fellow agent has been murdered by a group of hard-core anarchists operating behind the façade of FAN (Free Animals Now). Dispatched to the FBI’s infamous undercover school to learn the art of deceit, Ana takes on the identity of a down-on-her-luck animal lover determined to save the wild mustangs of the West. Now she’s ready to work her way into the inner circle of Julius Emerson Phelps, the unstable, charismatic leader of a “family” of outcasts who live on an isolated farm in Oregon, and who are preparing an act of terrorism Phelps has dubbed “the Big One.”
The stakes increase significantly when Ana learns that Phelps is playing his own game of dangerous deception, and that he possesses a stockpile of dirty secrets about the Bureau sufficient to blow it sky-high.
With razor-sharp realism, Smith renders the psychological vise of a deep-cover agent living a lie 24/7. Negotiating a minefield of loyalty and betrayal, under constant threat of discovery, Ana is forced to commit the very crime she’s determined to stop.
Judas Horse is a breathlessly exciting thriller.
Emotionally vulnerable after a shooting incident, Ana has just returned to the job when she learns that a fellow agent has been murdered by a group of hard-core anarchists operating behind the façade of FAN (Free Animals Now). Dispatched to the FBI’s infamous undercover school to learn the art of deceit, Ana takes on the identity of a down-on-her-luck animal lover determined to save the wild mustangs of the West. Now she’s ready to work her way into the inner circle of Julius Emerson Phelps, the unstable, charismatic leader of a “family” of outcasts who live on an isolated farm in Oregon, and who are preparing an act of terrorism Phelps has dubbed “the Big One.”
The stakes increase significantly when Ana learns that Phelps is playing his own game of dangerous deception, and that he possesses a stockpile of dirty secrets about the Bureau sufficient to blow it sky-high.
With razor-sharp realism, Smith renders the psychological vise of a deep-cover agent living a lie 24/7. Negotiating a minefield of loyalty and betrayal, under constant threat of discovery, Ana is forced to commit the very crime she’s determined to stop.
Judas Horse is a breathlessly exciting thriller.
338 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 10, 2009
10 people are currently reading
193 people want to read
About the author
April Smith
168 books127 followersHere's the down and dirty: grew up in the Bronx, went to college in Boston, graduate school in California, back to Cambridge to write a first failed novel and learn how the world works by writing ad copy,west to Los Angeles in 1976 for a career writing and producing TV, until the writer's strike of 1988 when I wrote my first novel on spec, North of Montana. Two wonderful grown children and the best husband in the world, now of 34 years. Stable enough on the outside but take away swimming, writing, hiking, yakking with girlfriends, pet pooches, chocolate chip cookies (the gooey kind), British TV series and grapefruit Martinis -- well, don't.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
November 5, 2022
I've read the first two books of this series--and this the third is my favorite. Ana Grey is maturing, no blatantly stupid decision-making--maybe it's part of her under-cover character! The ending was a little disappointing, but I'm assuming that will lead into the fourth book. As much as I liked the Los Angeles setting in the first two books, Oregon was a nice change. Some bleak moments, and some of the top individuals in the FBI are seemingly corrupt. I'll take a little break, and read the fourth book soon.
March 22, 2015
This is third in a series, first that I've read. Ana Grey learns her former fiance has been killed in an undercover assignment. She becomes an undercover agent herself and thrown in with the same group of Eco-terrorists that killed him. As she penetrates their secrets she learns more than she would have liked to about her agency, past mistakes and current corruption. An enjoyable read obviously meant to be continued.
February 9, 2009
People who don't know guns shouldn't write about guns. I assume the author spoke to an expert consultant before writing about snipers in her novel, but her lack of knowledge means there are awkward incongruities that destroy our belief in the story. Besides that the plot is awkward, and the characters wooden. I gave her two stars because it's not Mickey Spillane.
December 21, 2014
The 3rd of the series and the 2nd that I've read...Tough as nails Ana Grey goes undercover and infiltrates an ecoterrorist group lead by a former Fibbie who who went native in the 70s...outstanding descriptions of the UC training and mindset provided along with a decent story...fun read!
July 25, 2023
This has sat molded and curly on my hard drive for days short of 14 years. It was time to delete it or read it first, then delete it.
So, if I stream the correct channel these days, I can usually find Rep. Jim Jordan (R—Ohio) gesticulating and waxing emotionally about corruption in the FBI. I didn’t think I’d stream that kind of thing in my book player, but hey, here it is!
Ana Grey, fresh from a traumatic shooting in the last book, goes to undercover school to learn how to essentially live a double life and thereby trap bad people. I’m not sure I’m going to send an unstable traumatized employee off to undercover school, but before this ends, you’ll wonder whether the entire bureau is a writing mass of emotional instability waiting to impose its will on others.
So, Ana graduates ok from how-to-live-a-lie school and she draws an assignment to infiltrate a group of ecoterrorists in Oregon. (That may have been the most realistic part of the book—that Oregon would be home to a bunch of goat-cheese-chomping ecoterrorists.) It seems this terror group is responsible for the death of Ana’s former lover and one-time mentor, Steve Crawford—an agent well beloved by his peers.
So, this wasn’t as painful to deal with as running an electric sander up and down your bare leg, but it was a nearly 14-audiobook hour grind that would have improved had the author slashed it in half. Things get difficult for Ana when she learns that a corrupt colleague is assisting the terrorists.
So, if I stream the correct channel these days, I can usually find Rep. Jim Jordan (R—Ohio) gesticulating and waxing emotionally about corruption in the FBI. I didn’t think I’d stream that kind of thing in my book player, but hey, here it is!
Ana Grey, fresh from a traumatic shooting in the last book, goes to undercover school to learn how to essentially live a double life and thereby trap bad people. I’m not sure I’m going to send an unstable traumatized employee off to undercover school, but before this ends, you’ll wonder whether the entire bureau is a writing mass of emotional instability waiting to impose its will on others.
So, Ana graduates ok from how-to-live-a-lie school and she draws an assignment to infiltrate a group of ecoterrorists in Oregon. (That may have been the most realistic part of the book—that Oregon would be home to a bunch of goat-cheese-chomping ecoterrorists.) It seems this terror group is responsible for the death of Ana’s former lover and one-time mentor, Steve Crawford—an agent well beloved by his peers.
So, this wasn’t as painful to deal with as running an electric sander up and down your bare leg, but it was a nearly 14-audiobook hour grind that would have improved had the author slashed it in half. Things get difficult for Ana when she learns that a corrupt colleague is assisting the terrorists.
January 13, 2018
So, it’s a bit of an absurd premise with the emotionally damaged and (as we see in the story) unrecovered agent being assigned to a case where her former lover was killed.
But. Smith can spin a yarn. The ending had one or two too many twists/climaxes but the prose was great and it was certainly a ripping tale. Hard to tell if there will be another in the series as the agent was pretty much toast at the end.
But. Smith can spin a yarn. The ending had one or two too many twists/climaxes but the prose was great and it was certainly a ripping tale. Hard to tell if there will be another in the series as the agent was pretty much toast at the end.
February 26, 2024
This third installment in the Ana Grey series starts out as a promising mystery/thriller. Then, things begin to fall apart. The over-complicated plot loses focus. Loose ends emerge. Contradictions and inconsistencies abound. Literary confusion leads to a messy conclusion that can be described as an amalgam of improbable events. The central character – a female FBI agent operating under cover – is very likable. I only wish she was featured in a more strongly constructed novel.
August 29, 2019
I loved the beginning as April set the stage with an interesting plot. The middle to later part setup the book for the next in the series. I feel I may have missed some of the facts as started with this book and not at the beginning of the series.
February 12, 2018
The author used to many adjectives and adverbs. I feel this slowed down the story. I will not read any other books by Ms. Smith.
January 2, 2021
Doing under cover work for the government is a tough job. Keeping your own personas straight must take a certain type of individual to make it work. I felt sorry for the poor blind colt.
September 25, 2022
Read in 2008. A family becomes the victim of a witch hunt during the McCarthy era.
September 26, 2016
4 books in 22 years and counting makes for a tough series to follow, especially when the first two were nothing outstanding, but she's managed to keep me interested. And I'll happily accept these terms if it means more installments like this, the third, a pretty riveting and seemingly well researched undercover operation tale. When your reader's biggest gripe is that they would have loved more this, more that, you know you're doing it right. Would another hundred pages have worked as well? – dunno, I'm happy left wanting more.
July 4, 2008
i love genre fiction that is so sophisticatedly literary. the language here is super. some passages are extremely cool.
"The tension in the kitchen is like waiting for a hurricane. We are losing the sun and the palm trees are blowing inside out; traffic lights swing wildly on their cables. The storm shutters are up and the house is sealed, but within the hour we will be beset by knocking winds like a thousand screaming inmates."
the plot, though, leaves a lot to be desired. one small thing that bothered me quite a bit is that smith throws a little omniscient narration here and there without separating it from the rest of the narrative, which is in the first person. what is an omniscient narrator doing in a first person narrative?!? there's more. in spite of the gorgeous writing, the characters don't convince. what is ana grey's story? what is she after? what are her longings, her frustrations? what does she want? what is she afraid of? Dick Stone is supposed to be charismatic in a troubled sort of way, but i didn't get any of his charisma. was ana seduced by it? not clear. the plot is supposed to delve into the complexities of power and corruption, but that, too, remains vague. the best parts of this book, which i am still happy to have read, are the small moments. ana in undercover school. ana on the scrambled phone in the stable at dawn, before anyone gets up. ana chatting up the wrangler, not knowing who he is, vaguely repelled by a brown hole in his gum. ana in meetings, trying to hold her own while the guys piss on each other.
why did this book remind me of michael ondaatje's Divisadero? the disjointedness, the never-quite-coming-togetherness, coupled with the fabulous language and an ill-defined psycho-existential longing. do you really want to stick with mysteries, april smith?
"The tension in the kitchen is like waiting for a hurricane. We are losing the sun and the palm trees are blowing inside out; traffic lights swing wildly on their cables. The storm shutters are up and the house is sealed, but within the hour we will be beset by knocking winds like a thousand screaming inmates."
the plot, though, leaves a lot to be desired. one small thing that bothered me quite a bit is that smith throws a little omniscient narration here and there without separating it from the rest of the narrative, which is in the first person. what is an omniscient narrator doing in a first person narrative?!? there's more. in spite of the gorgeous writing, the characters don't convince. what is ana grey's story? what is she after? what are her longings, her frustrations? what does she want? what is she afraid of? Dick Stone is supposed to be charismatic in a troubled sort of way, but i didn't get any of his charisma. was ana seduced by it? not clear. the plot is supposed to delve into the complexities of power and corruption, but that, too, remains vague. the best parts of this book, which i am still happy to have read, are the small moments. ana in undercover school. ana on the scrambled phone in the stable at dawn, before anyone gets up. ana chatting up the wrangler, not knowing who he is, vaguely repelled by a brown hole in his gum. ana in meetings, trying to hold her own while the guys piss on each other.
why did this book remind me of michael ondaatje's Divisadero? the disjointedness, the never-quite-coming-togetherness, coupled with the fabulous language and an ill-defined psycho-existential longing. do you really want to stick with mysteries, april smith?
February 8, 2011
I have heard of a "Judas Goat" but not a "Judas Horse". If you don't know a Judas Goat is a goat that leads sheep from their holding pens to the slaughter house. Just before the Judas Goat is to enter the house he takes a ramp off to the side, the entrance to the ramp is closed and the sheep are funneled into the slaughter house.
The same seems to be true of the "Judas Norse" who leads horses to their slaughter house. On should keep this in mind when reading this book.
Ana Grey is an FBI Special Agent and has volunteered to go "underground" to infiltrate FAN (Free Animals Now). FAN has been targeted by the FBI for subversion and Ana is to identify its leades and future plans. Ana finds herself on a farm that is dedicated to sheltering hurt and abandoned animals. However, she also finds that the people on the farm are controlled by an ex-FBI agent who feels has been wronged by the Bureau and his Governement. In retaliation, he is planning to topple the head of the Bureau and mastermind an explosion that will cause major havoc called, "The Big One".
This is a good read, especially for those who do not like sexual content and a blood and guts type mystery. It is very interesting and although it does tend to get a bit tedious through the middle, the ending is more than satisfying.
The same seems to be true of the "Judas Norse" who leads horses to their slaughter house. On should keep this in mind when reading this book.
Ana Grey is an FBI Special Agent and has volunteered to go "underground" to infiltrate FAN (Free Animals Now). FAN has been targeted by the FBI for subversion and Ana is to identify its leades and future plans. Ana finds herself on a farm that is dedicated to sheltering hurt and abandoned animals. However, she also finds that the people on the farm are controlled by an ex-FBI agent who feels has been wronged by the Bureau and his Governement. In retaliation, he is planning to topple the head of the Bureau and mastermind an explosion that will cause major havoc called, "The Big One".
This is a good read, especially for those who do not like sexual content and a blood and guts type mystery. It is very interesting and although it does tend to get a bit tedious through the middle, the ending is more than satisfying.
June 19, 2011
This tale of an undercover agent who infiltrates an environmental terrorist ring in the Pacific Northwest was a great read. I liked the character of Ana Grey/Darcy Guzman a lot, and also enjoyed the other characters. Only the other FBI agents seemed a bit flat. I really liked the details of undercover school and the look into undercover work. I haven't read anything like that before.
The main downside of the book was being told first-person, present-tense. There were some things that she simply could not have known at the time about what other people were doing, and there was also some foreshadowing of her own story that were equally impossible. However, the plot and characters were good enough to keep pulling me back into the story.
The main downside of the book was being told first-person, present-tense. There were some things that she simply could not have known at the time about what other people were doing, and there was also some foreshadowing of her own story that were equally impossible. However, the plot and characters were good enough to keep pulling me back into the story.
July 4, 2009
The plot of Judas Horse is intricate and suspenseful. I quickly got drawn into the story and found myself just where an undercover agent presumably ends up: unsure of anything and everything but compelled to move on. So there is much to like about this mystery.
But the plot turned in a few ways that strained my fairly low expectations for credulity. And the brief account of the FBI undercover school was too cursory to work well. Still, this was a quick and fun read. And it could make for a great movie, a powerful psychological thriller.
But the plot turned in a few ways that strained my fairly low expectations for credulity. And the brief account of the FBI undercover school was too cursory to work well. Still, this was a quick and fun read. And it could make for a great movie, a powerful psychological thriller.
January 25, 2016
April Smith read her own book, Judas Horse, and did a super job of both writing and reading it. This is the 3rd Ana Grey novel with the FBI special agent being sent undercover out west to infiltrate a group of anti government eco-terrorists trying to keep the federal government from messing with wild horses, among other things. The man responsible for the group of terrorists is an ex FBI agent gone bad. Ana's safety is made precarious when her cover is discovered.
Judas Horse finishes with all things neatly tied up but giving a hint of the next one made for a provocative ending.
Judas Horse finishes with all things neatly tied up but giving a hint of the next one made for a provocative ending.
April 3, 2008
I enjoyed the first part of the book where the FBI agent goes to "undercover school" at Quantico, but then she goes undercover for real at a ranch populated by ecoterrorists, and I got bored. But maybe that's just me -- I'm always more absorbed in the technical details of detective work than in the big chase scene at the end. The first book in this series, "North of Montana," is still the best by far.
January 17, 2016
I just didn't like this book. I didn't like the writing style. I thought the book was tedious; it took me a very long time to read this. FBI special agent Ana goes undercover, infiltrating an animal rights radical group that is led by a former, rogue FBI agent. I didn’t find the characters especially compelling, and Ana, who CHOSE to go to undercover school and take this assignment to prove something to her self, was annoying whiny about it.
November 26, 2008
Ana is sent deep undercover to infiltrate a radical environmental-terrorism cell outside of Portland, Oregon.
April Smith is a fantastic writer. Ana is a wonderfully flawed character and the stress of being deep undercover and the pull between her fake life as Darcy and the Bureau is palpable.
Quite the satisfying thriller.
April Smith is a fantastic writer. Ana is a wonderfully flawed character and the stress of being deep undercover and the pull between her fake life as Darcy and the Bureau is palpable.
Quite the satisfying thriller.
April 21, 2009
Ana Grey turns herself into Darcy to become part of FAN. Through the eyes of an ex-FBI, she sees things about the FBI and her old FBI love, Steve, that she did not see before. It makes her question what is real and what is not, who to trust and who not to trust. In the end she escapes with the help of those she does trust, but if she survives and how I guess is for another book.
December 13, 2015
This book got off to very slow start, and almost got put down because of the authors' ignorance on subjects she is giving false facts to. However the story line picked up and the book turned into a page-turner.
July 11, 2008
A new author for me. It is a thriller about a female FBI agent working undercover with domestic terrorists. It was well plotted and well written but I frequently found myself more interested in the sub-plots and minor characters than the main ones.
November 18, 2010
This book by April Smith is a good read and the title is aptly made. It has an interesting finish that could not be anticipated but which also leaves you wondering how the series can continue. I enjoyed it.
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"
January 28, 2016
This is my 3rd April Smith novel. This one goes takes the main character to a different place. It took me a little time to fall in with the theme, but I definitely wanted to see how it ended. I wonder if Ana will be back?
December 27, 2016
Loved the scenes involving the wild mustang roundup ... Also enjoyed the undercover operation at the core of the book ... Smith's plots are dynamic, her characters are varied, and some of her descriptions of places are beautiful.
April 18, 2008
I read this book because I was curious about the growth of the whole "environmental terrorist" It was a hottible book.
April 27, 2008
first time reasd for this author. Good, but at times confusing, not a spellbinder, but a good mystery.
July 10, 2008
It's a nice change of pace to read about a more serious woman at the center of a mystery novel, as opposed to her wackier counterparts in other series.
February 24, 2009
This was better then I thought it would be. I had some surprise twists that I didn't expect.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews