Dead Drop is a sinister follow up to The Handler where MP Woodward introduced us to ex’s John and Meredith Dale. The ‘not together’ couple takes all the wrong turns while trying to avoid one terror organization's sadistic plan of death and destruction.
Woodward builds off his amazing debut as John Dale is forced into action again while ATLAS is on American soil being milked for all the information he has. The Mossad is busy causing havoc on an international scale as they’re destroying city blocks while hunting Quds forces who are arming Hezbollah soldiers. While CIA Officer Meredith Dale is trying to figure her personal life out, her ex-husband John, who also happens to be a CIA Case Officer, is just trying to get his retirement settled and leave the agency. On the heels of The Handler, Meredith is busy getting dragged back to D.C. to handle the ATLAS situation which just might keep rockets from landing in Israel.
Meredith takes a huge chance on finding out if the rockets are designed to hold radiological material when her non-official cover fails and she’s taken into a situation where most wouldn’t survive. John Dale then finds himself trying to protect and save his ex-wife while trying to ensure that he finishes the mission while being seduced by an Israeli bombshell.
Woodward smashes this out of the park. It’s the perfect sequel to watch John Dale battle to uphold his oath and dedication to the CIA. He does want to just relax on his janky ass boat though, who wouldn’t want to just chill on the water. Woodward expertly builds the lore of John and Meredith Dale with cinematic quality and primo storytelling.
His characters are all worth getting to know as they all have reasons to be rooted for. From Legos to the fascination with a decrepit barely afloat boat, he takes time to ensure you enjoy each and every one of them. The story couldn’t have been any better as Woodward kept me guessing and amazed at how imaginatively he connects the dots. This is a great sequel and a very good submission for book of the year!
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