There are any number of thrillers based on the sensational idea of the fates of nations being determined by a single individual battling impossible odds. Never before have I read an espionage book that has made me believe such a fantasy was not only possible, but logically probable. In The Handler, M.P. Woodward has fused authentic tradecraft, riveting plotlines, plausible motives, and a cast of characters that will elicit strong emotional responses the further along the journey you go.
CIA agent Meredith Morris-Dale finds herself recalled to Langley after a botched operation in Dubai. Waiting to hear the words that will end her career, she’s taken aback when a priority mission is thrust into her hands. Instead of running assets in foreign lands, she has been tasked with an infinitely more challenging task… handling a disgraced agent, who also happens to be her ex husband.
A strategically placed mole in Iran's uranium enrichment program has kept thwarted the efforts to build a bomb by sabotaging their centrifuge's performance. After a tragic event reshapes his life, the mole wants out, leaving the world teetering on the edge of a nuclear Iran. His extraction is the highest priority for the CIA, the only catch is that he will only meet with his former handler… John Dale.
Meredith and John would be forgiven for thinking their greatest challenge would be getting the mole out of the country, but with the Russians on the hunt and a crippling bureaucracy back in Virginia, there is no telling when or from where the kill shot will come.
Woodward’s personal experience in the Intelligence Community is obvious on every page. Each interaction, altercation, and assassination seemed grounded in an undeniable reality. With a constant level of intensity, combined with just the right dose of violence, The Handler puts you on edge as if you were the one sticking out your neck, just waiting for the ax to drop. It is one of the most efficient stories I’ve read in years. That this is his first novel is mindblowing. This will definitely be on my best debuts of the year list.
With a fictional universe primed to keep this family of spies in the action for years to come, I am hoping that a deal for a longer series is in the works. The Dales could be a multigenerational force on the international stage for years to come.
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