THE SILENT SISTERS

5 stars out of 5

This book brings closure to the trilogy of the "seven sisters" - Russian women who for years have been engaged in spying activities in their country for the benefit of America. The first two, both of which I read, were outstanding - as is this one. Here, American Charles Jenkins, who led the exfiltration of others in the uber-secret group, has been called back into action to retrieve the final two.

Problem is, Jenkins almost bit the dust during his last foray into Russia, and now he's on a kill list. A much-loved wife, a couple of [ditto] kids and a relatively satisfying life render him reluctant to take on the assignment - but the lure of action (and his sense of responsibility) reels him in and off he goes. He's been outfitted with multiple disguises to help him get past those pesky Russian face-recognition cameras, but that doesn't cut down much on the potential for discovery; Jenkins is, after all, a very tall Black man - not easy attributes to cover up, especially in Russia. 

Another attribute he finds hard to conceal is his sense of fair play and concern for the underdog; his first night in Moscow, he can't resist intervening to save a helpless person and ends up on the wrong side of a particularly ruthless Russian Mafia boss. So now, he's got two factions to steer clear of - and much as they despise each other, both are determined to capture and have their way with him. Under these circumstances, going it alone would be tough enough; a couple of on-the-run females added to his baggage put Jenkins's skills to the ultimate test and considerably reduce his chances of returning to his family.

Needless to say, it's the thrill of the chase - and the complexity of the well-developed characters - that make this book (all three of them, actually) very hard to put down. And in the end, I was a little sad that there are no more sisters left to save. But I look on the bright side; although that series seems to have ended, I saw no evidence that it's the last readers will see of Charles Jenkins - and that's a very good thing in my book. I'll keep my fingers crossed that we'll see him again soon; meantime, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to once again read and review a pre-release copy. Another one well done!

The Silent Sisters by Robert Dugoni (Thomas & Mercer, February 2022); 399 pp.