I’m so happy have my spot on the blog tour of NERVE ATTACK, organised by Random Things Tours. Thank you for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. If you want to read my other book reviews, click here.
Synopsis
Former U.S. intelligence operative Kolya Petrov, struggling with the physical and psychological aftereffects of kidnapping and torture, is drawn back into the game when he learns that Dmitri, his childhood best friend, holds the key to stopping an attack by terrorists armed with a deadly nerve agent. Working with Dmitri, however, is complicated. While their friendship had been forged during their years in an abusive Russian boys’ home, the two men’s lives took very different paths. Dmitri had headed the North American branch of a Russian gang until Kolya, working undercover, put him in prison. Ten years later, Dmitri’s cooperation is essential to finding the smuggler of the nerve agent, and he refuses to work with anyone but Kolya.
Kolya reluctantly agrees to undertake one more mission, but to succeed, he must come to terms with the past. Can he trust Dmitri not to take revenge for the betrayal of their friendship? Can he rely on his own judgment and abilities, despite a leg injury and ongoing PTSD, to survive an elaborate plot that threatens his life and that of his fiancee, as well as the lives of hundreds of innocent people?
My Review
LI was aware that Nerve Attack was the second Kolya Petrov book but it held its own as a standalone. That said, I will read the first book so I have better understanding of Kolya’s backstory.
This book grabbed my attention early on and didn’t let go until I’d finished. Living not all that far from where Novichok nerve agent was actually deployed by Russian agents in the UK, and reading about the after effects and clean up operations, this story was terrifying. That was on a miniscule scale compared to the threat in the book.
I instantly liked Kolya and Alex, and had a grudging respect for Dmitri. As someone who is dealing with PTSD, the author’s descriptions felt well researched and executed. Kolya’s struggle felt so familiar to me.
The story was fast paced and exciting, and I could feel the tension rising as it wound towards the inevitable confrontations. Would I recommend Nerve Attack? Absolutely, but I would read Trojan Horse first for better context. I gave Nerve Attack five stars.
Author Bio
S. LEE MANNING spent two years as managing editor of Law Enforcement Communications before realizing that lawyers make a lot more money.
A subsequent career as an attorney spanned from a first-tier New York law firm—Cravath, Swaine & Moore—to working for the State of New Jersey, to solo practice. In 2001, Manning agreed to chair New Jerseyans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (NJADP), writing articles on the risk of wrongful execution, and arguing against the death penalty on radio and television in the years leading up to its abolition in the state in 2007.
An award-winning short story writer, Manning is the author of international thrillers. Her life-long interests in Russia and espionage are reflected in her Kolya Petrov thrillers, Trojan Horse and Nerve Attack (Encircle Publications, 2020 and 2021). Manning is currently working on the third thriller in the Kolya Petrov series.
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