In a career that saw duties in Naval Intelligence, followed by US Intelligence operations, M.P.Woodward has seen a lot, probably more than he can talk about. But this, this was insane. This was a debut of epic proportions that is clearly pacing the field and will be sure to leave you amazed. Woodward defies logic of most debuts by creating cinematic quality on every page, and I hope this is the first of many knockout stories he gifts us.
Following the Iranian desire to increase production of ‘yellowcake’ to hold the necessary materials to create a nuclear weapon, Meredith Dale and former husband John are thrust into action. Meredith is recovering from the unfortunate failure of losing an asset in Dubai when the past comes calling. The man once run by John Dale, the supposed mole in Iranian centrifuge operations has reestablished communication and wants the one thing the CIA doesn’t, John.
John and Meredith have a meeting to discuss that his services are being requested, he doesn’t want to help. Case closed right? Wrong. As if his permanent vacation from the CIA couldn’t have been ruined anymore, he’s attacked on American soil by a foreign intelligence service. Things start to spin up quickly and you get to meet the not so smart team players that Meredith works with. Unbeknownst to the group, there are multiple spy agencies running operations against each other trying to find the suspected mole. The people that John and Meredith are trying to stay away from are always one step ahead which could lead to a potential all-out war between non-friendly countries. The United States, Iran, and Russia are all in a covert game of cat and mouse and it couldn’t be any better.
John Dale must fight for his life on the road to redemption with the CIA while trying to recover a former asset who is in the world's largest pickle. The amount of character background and development is perfect and the timeline and setup for the finale are brilliantly paced. The Dale’s face constant Jason Bourne style action and deceit with lives on the line. Woodward brings the heat in The Handler and will put a check in every box that you would expect from an experienced veteran author. Do not miss out on this one.
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