Many thanks to Patricia and FFBC Tours for my spot on this Blog Tour.

Whoa… This book was a non-stop action thriller from the first page to the last with Jessie being a kick-ass protagonist. A spy thriller like this, I haven’t read in recent times, maybe never, this would make a brilliant action movie.

The book dealt with the issues of human trafficking where Athena was the covert operational agency started by 3 women who wanted to make a difference and 3 operatives who did all the work. Jessie was one of the operatives, who took a decision against their protocol and was kicked out. With her mother going on another operation and Jessie’s instincts warning her against it, she knew she had to take action to protect her mother.

My first book by author Shamim Sarif, the book was a bundle of pulsations. It thrummed with a beat so fast that I couldn’t help but surrender myself completely into its emotions. This was an all-girls team which made me pump my fist in air with happiness. The scenes felt that it had been loaded on pure adrenaline.

The characters had their skirmishes, but they were supportive of each other. Jessie’s heart was in the right place. I understood why she felt the need to wipe the earth clean of people who abuse women. Her relationship with her mother was rocky, but the bond of love was evident. Jessie was quite complex in characterization yet simple and clear in her thoughts.

The writing could have been smoother, but I also understood that a spy thriller often is choppy just like its scenes. The story was straightforward with action and reactions.

There was romance, but I didn’t give it much weight as it were the other scenes which fired up my imagination. I often see myself as a kick-ass heroine with a gun and knife. So Jessie fit right into my imagery.

Overall, this was a thrilling read which skyrocketed right into my hemisphere and blew me away.

I received a free ARC from Edelweiss and publisher, and this is my journey into its pages, straight from the heart!! STRICTLY HONEST AND UNBIASED.

All my reviews can be read here

Born in the UK, Shamim is an award-winning novelist, screenwriter, and director.

Her next book, The Athena Protocol, is an all-female YA contemporary action thriller that is published by Harper Teen in September 2019.

Her debut novel, The World Unseen, won a Betty Trask award and the Pendleton May First Novel award.

Shamim has adapted and directed the films of three of her novels including, most recently, Despite the Falling Snow. The book was published by Headline in the UK and St Martin’s Press in the US. The movie stars Rebecca Ferguson and Charles Dance in a story of love and betrayal in cold war Russia. Her films have won 47 awards internationally.

Shamim’s third novel, I Can’t Think Straight, formed the basis of her cult hit film of the same name.

Shamim’s book festival appearances include Hay-on-Wye, Cheltenham and Edinburgh.

An accomplished speaker, Shamim has spoken at TED events worldwide, at the INK Conference in India and DLD in Munich. Corporate speaking events have included Deloitte, Goldman Sachs, Citibank and Disney.

Shamim lives in London with her wife, Hanan, and their two sons.

Jessie Archer is a member of the Athena Protocol, an elite organization of female spies who enact vigilante justice around the world.

Athena operatives are never supposed to shoot to kill—so when Jessie can’t stop herself from pulling the trigger, she gets kicked out of the organization, right before a huge mission to take down a human trafficker in Belgrade.

Jessie needs to right her wrong and prove herself, so she starts her own investigation into the trafficking. But going rogue means she has no one to watch her back as she delves into the horrors she uncovers. Meanwhile, her former teammates have been ordered to bring her down. Jessie must face danger from all sides if she’s to complete her mission—and survive.

Publication Date: 8th October 2019

Publisher: HarperTeen