Assignment: Paris

A SpyCo Novella, Book 2

By: Craig A. Hart, S. J. Varengo

Narrated by: Richard Peterson

One man broken-hearted by his wife's brutal slaying...one nuclear device primed to destroy the city of Paris...one chance to save over two million lives. Can Perry Hall set aside his grief long enough to prevent the unthinkable?

After his wife was slain by a sadistic assassin, SpyCo agent Perry Hall stopped caring whether he lived or died. Nothing mattered, save binge drinking and caring for his bulldog, Fleming. His disdain for life-threatening operations makes him an asset to Director J. Carlton Moore, who sends Perry into the most dangerous situations to ever face the covert organization. So, when the City of Lights faces extinction at the hands of the world's most feared terrorist group, Perry emerges as the only hope for over two million innocent civilians.

©2017 Craig A. Hart (P)2018 Craig A. Hart

Very enjoyable

Writing style is reminiscent of Robert Parker’s Spencer novels. I found it to be enjoyable and a bit quirky. easy to listen to.

Assignment: PARIS

As with his Serenity series, Craig A. Hart knows how to tell a brisk, action-packed tale.

In Assignment: Paris, we follow Perry Hall, a SpyCo agent haunted by the death of his wife. When he’s called to Paris for a new assignment, he’ll not only have to stop a nuclear device from detonating, but also go head-to-head with his wife’s killer. The ending was a bit of a “Deus Ex Machina” for me, but nonetheless, it wrapped up nicely, and I’m anxious to read more in the series.

Paris Isn't Always or Lovers

After a diplomat and his spy wife disappear in Paris, a SpyCo agent with tragic memories of Paris swings into action in this heart-pounding thriller. I loved the first book in this series and this one was even better. It's full of spies, thugs, self-serving industrialists and even a slobbery dog. What else could you ask for in an afternoon's entertainment?

Enjoyed this espionage novella

While the characters from Assignment: Athens were briefly mentioned in this book, it’s not necessary to read/listen to that one to enjoy this. However, they will feature more prominently in the next book – so the series should be read in order.

This a great mix of espionage, thriller, mystery, & suspense with a dash of humor. Even though it’s only 3 hours – this was a fulfilling and complete adventure.

Perry Hall is drowning his grief in alcohol and what little humanity he has left is directed toward his English Bulldog, Fleming. Perry is basically given the high risk assignments because he’s practically lost the will to live. It’s a little heartbreaking, but he does work diligently and competently to rescue/recover missing operatives and attempt to thwart Scorpion’s plans to nuke a city. He gets help in unexpected places – including from the ever-loyal Fleming.

The main mission is accomplished, but Perry has a personal vendetta yet to be avenged and I’m looking forward to Assignment: Istanbul.

Narration:
This was my first experience with narrator Richard Peterson. I thought he was a good choice for the gruff & sometimes cynical Perry. He gave all the characters unique personalities and voices. I do wish the accents for secondary characters were more consistent – but it wouldn’t keep me from listening to him in the future.

Another note: It wouldn’t keep me from listening to this again, but there was one chapter and instances in other places where secondary noises like breathing, lip licking/smacking, etc. were really loud and consistent enough to get distracting to the story. I’m not sure if it’s an issue with narration or post production.

Another great spy novella...

The authors, Craig A. Hart and S. J. Varengo, are masters at packing so much action and adventure (as well as a touch of humor) into such compact stories. This is the second SpyCo novella and features a different main character than the first, but there are common characters which tie the two stories together. I think they, at least so far, can be read as standalones or enjoyed as an ongoing series. In this installment we get to tag along as a psychologically challenged agent, reeling from the loss of his wife, is thrust into a scenario in which the fate of Paris is dropped into his hands. As a well-trained and accomplished operative, he is able to get his act together, quell his burgeoning alcohol problem, and step up to perform at a level we armchair adventurers live to vicariously enjoy. The addition of his dog, Fleming, as a character was an inspired stroke of genius as he adds so much charisma and humor to the otherwise adrenalin-laden, deadly serious sequence of events. (Reminiscent of John Wick but with a small and delightful touch of comic relief). I shall forever be a fan of the fabulous (and frequently flatulent) Fleming. I chose to read along as I listened to the audio version of this book and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The narrator, Richard Peterson, offered a brilliant performance that served to complement this highly entertaining tale. Without reservation, I can recommend this book to all enthusiasts of action, adventure, and spycraft.

While I did purchase a copy of this book, the author gifted me with a code for the audio version and the above is my honest and unbiased review.

If you find this review helpful, thank you for so indicating.

Excellent Spy Novelle

An excellent fast paced thriller with a great storyline and a touch of humor. Characters are good and the audio book was hard to put down. The narrator gave an excellent performance resulting in a very enjoyable listening experience.
I received a free copy of this audio book and voluntarily wrote this honest review.