The Medusa Protocol

by Rob Hart

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Despite Assassins Anonymous' good intentions of helping killers recover from their violent ways, violence finds them when a member goes missing. This spirited addition to the series is just as rip-roaring and builds on the tremendous cast of characters.

Welcome back to Assassins Anonymous, the only twelve-step group where joining can be deadly.

When Astrid, known in her assassin days as Azrael, stopped showing up to Assassins Anonymous, the group assumed her past had caught up with her. Only her sponsor Mark, formerly the deadliest killer in the world, holds out hope that she’s okay. Then, during a meeting, the group gets a sign, or rather, a pizza delivery. Is there another psychopath out there who actually likes olives on their pizza, or is Astrid trying to send Mark a message?

Meanwhile, Astrid wakes up in the cell of a black site prison, on a remote island. A doctor subjects her to mysterious experiments, plumbing the depths of her memory and looking for a vital clue from her past. She’ll do anything to escape, except…killing anyone. Hmm. Turns out it’s not easy to blow this joint without blowing anything, or anyone up.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593717424
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	06/24/2025
Series:	An Assassins Anonymous Novel , #2
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Rob Hart is the author of Assassins Anonymous, The Paradox Hotel, The Warehouse, and the Ash McKenna crime series, and the co-author of Scott Free with James Patterson. He’s worked as a book publisher, a reporter, a political communications director, and a commissioner for the city of New York. Hart lives in Jersey City.

Editorial Reviews

★ 04/14/2025

Hart triumphs with this deliriously enjoyable sequel to Assassins Anonymous. Mark, once a legendary killer known as the Pale Horse, has assumed leadership of a serial killer recovery group that meets in a Manhattan church. Among the regular attendees is Astrid—the real identity of a notorious master assassin known as Azrael—who’s been conspicuously absent from recent meetings. Unlike Mark, readers know that Astrid has been snatched from the streets of New York City and is being held hostage on an island by unknown captors. After Mark gets a clue (in the form of a pizza whose toppings may contain a secret message) that Astrid is still alive, the group springs into action, though Mark struggles to balance finding his friend with his vow to abstain from violence. Hart toggles between Astrid’s perspective, sections that flesh out her history in contract killing, and Mark’s increasingly harried efforts to track her down. All the while, he keeps the tone sharp and the intensity high. Fans of Jeff Lindsay and Jeffery Deaver will delight in this series’ effortless mix of wit and brutality. Agent: Josh Getzler, HG Literary. (June)

Publishers Weekly

"Terrific . . . This new entry in Hart’s solid series is just as good as the first, with thrills, humor, and an ingenious plot. The cast of characters continues to grow, and each is fleshed out enough to lead their own book. Readers should get on the Assassins Anonymous wagon." —Library Journal (starred review)

“Hart triumphs with this deliriously enjoyable sequel to Assassins Anonymous . . . He keeps the tone sharp and the intensity high. Fans of Jeff Lindsay and Jeffery Deaver will delight in this series’ effortless mix of wit and brutality.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“[C]heeky, swiftly paced . . . [T]he stakes are human, the worldbuilding is fun, and the vibrant supporting cast is stocked with spinoff-worthy personalities. Hart brings the heart in this entertaining tale of redemption, sacrifice, and found family.” —Kirkus

"High octane and irresistible, this page-turner is not only breathtakingly smart, but heartbreakingly unique. Completely cinematic, constantly entertaining, and written with Hart's signature dark wit, The Medusa Protocol offers non-stop suspense with the highest of stakes. Do not miss this!" — Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today bestselling author of One Wrong Word

"The Medusa Protocol is an exhilarating, pulse-pounding sequel to Assassins Anonymous that expands the world while standing on its own as a startlingly original thriller. Not to be missed." —S.A. Cosby, New York Times best selling author of All the Sinners Bleed

"The Medusa Protocol is a cracking-whip of a read. From characters and settings to fight scenes, Rob Hart knows how to land a punch—to the gut and to the heart. This follow-up to the kinetically-brilliant Assassins Anonymous buzzes with energy and action." —Rachel Howzell Hall, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Last One

"Hart strikes an incredible balance between nonstop action and unforgettable characters to examine the nature of violence and repentance. The Medusa Protocol is thrilling, funny, and heartfelt—clear your calendar before you start because it's impossible to put down." —Mark Greaney, New York Times bestselling author of the Gray Man series

From the Publisher

★ 05/01/2025

Hart's terrific follow-up to 2024's Assassin's Anonymous continues to grow the surreal world of former assassins seeking redemption. Astrid, who helped Mark in the previous book, has now also joined the 12-step program for professional killers who want to stop murdering people, with Mark as her sponsor. But when Astrid disappears, the rest of Assassins Anonymous believes she's fallen into her old ways. Then, during a meeting, the group receives a mysterious delivery that seems like a sign, and Mark begins to suspect that Astrid didn't go missing of her own volition. In fact, she's been kidnapped and is being held on a remote island teeming with snakes. Can Mark rescue her before her captors unleash the mysterious Medusa Protocol, and can he do it without killing anyone? VERDICT This new entry in Hart's solid series is just as good as the first, with thrills, humor, and an ingenious plot. The cast of characters continues to grow, and each is fleshed out enough to lead their own book. Readers should get on the Assassins Anonymous wagon.—Jeff Ayers

Library Journal