I can’t tell you the missions that could have been completed in an hour or less if there hadn’t been guards running about. Pesky little things.
Craig A. Hart & S.J. Varengo
Assignment: Athens
Format:
Started with the Audiobook, then switched to ebook. (see note under Narration)
Note: ebooks 1-3 of the series have been combined into a single set, Assignment: Adventure.
Publisher’s Synopsis:
When a SpyCo agent is killed on a deserted road during the wee hours, things begin falling apart for SpyCo chief J. Carlton Moore. A briefcase containing classified information disappears, leaving the future of the United States’ war on terror in doubt. With the terrorist group Scorpion suspected of possessing the missing briefcase and vital information somehow leaking from the most secure SpyCo meetings, Moore calls on covert operative James Reagan Burke. Thrown together into an unlikely team composed of a former flame and a Grecian body-builder, and seeing shadowy pursuers at every turn, Burke must decide whom he can trust and recover the briefcase before it’s too late.
Point of view:
3rd person
Rellim’s Thoughts:
I was interested in this series after having listened to and enjoyed several books in Craig A. Hart’s Shelby Alexander series. Hart has teamed up with S.J. Varengo to bring a series of fun thriller novellas to life. At less than two hours to read, these would be best enjoyed by readers who are looking for quick missions and witty banter. While each story has a complete storyline, subsequent books build on characters and events from previous books, so you’ll want to read these in order.
Assignment: Athens introduces SpyCo (yes, really), it’s taciturn leader J. Carlton Moore, and agents James Burke and Lindsey Archer. Burke, code name: Tiger and Lindsey, code name: Venus are tasked with recovering a stolen briefcase leading them to Greece. Just traveling turns out to be perilous and once they arrive it’s apparent there are forces working against them from more than one agency. Adding to the tension is the fact that Burke & Lindsey have a previous personal relationship.
This was an entertaining read and I’m looking forward to the next book, Assignment: Paris.
Narration:
I had such a difficult time with the narration by Anthony Lee that I stopped listening and just read the book. His main voice was OK though somewhat robotic/AI sounding. However, outside of Burke, almost everyone’s speaking voice had an identical unidentifiable accent no matter what the text indicated they should sound like.
About the authors:
The authors have a website for their joint ventures at: E2Books
Craig A. Hart is the stay-at-home father of twin boys, an author, and audiobook narrator. He has served as editor-in-chief for The Rusty Nail literary magazine, manager for Sweatshoppe Media, and publisher for Northern Lake Publishing. He was also director for Northern Illinois Radio Information Service, a broadcast outreach that brought daily news and information to the visually impaired. Craig was the host of the interview program The Games & Writers Show, and is now the host of the Good Sentences podcast, along with author S. J. Varengo. A native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Craig lives in Iowa City, Iowa with his wife, sons, and anti-social cat.
You can connect with Craig A. Hart here:
Scott James (S.J.) Varengo was born in 1960, (fifty years to the day after the passing of Mark Twain – take from that what you will), in a city called New York. Two years later he formed a band called The Beatles [citation needed]. He returned to New York City to attend Fordham University (having been told it was a basketball powerhouse) before transferring to the State University of New York at Potsdam (having been told it was located in the tropics), from which he earned a bachelor’s degree in Art History. (Aside from the handsomely framed diploma and his ability to run art categories on Jeopardy, it hasn’t really paid off).
You can connect with S.J. Varengo here:
My Favorite Quotes
He lifted the lid and had enough time to glimpse the neatly arranged explosives before the bomb exploded in his face. – Assignment: Athens/Assignment: Adventure by @craighartreads & @PapaV #Thriller #Mystery #Novella #Espionage #SpyCo
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Burke knew “at your earliest convenience” meant “immediately.” – Assignment: Athens/Assignment: Adventure by @craighartreads & @PapaV #Thriller #Mystery #Novella #Espionage #SpyCo
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I can’t tell you the missions that could have been completed in an hour or less if there hadn’t been guards running about. Pesky little things. – Assignment: Athens/Assignment: Adventure by @craighartreads & @PapaV #Thriller #Mystery #Novella #Espionage #SpyCo
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