As a loyal reader and fellow author, Russell provided me with an advanced copy of his newest release, Revenge of the Assassin. How do I repay his trust? By taking forever to finally get around to a review. I did have a vacation to Scandinavia to enjoy…that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it. Check out my review of Blake’s follow up to the smash sensation, King of Swords. It goes without saying that I continue to be impressed by Russell Blake’s offerings. I know you will too.

“Russell Blake continues the blistering, “no holds barred” saga of El Rey in his smashing sequel to King of Swords. Demonstrating his unmatched versatility as a writer, he once again shifts gears and delivers a gritty, unapologetic look at the dark side of the Mexican drug war and its most feared instrument, El Rey. As a reader familiar with Blake’s works, I anticipated nothing less than an engaging thrill ride for this follow up to King of Swords. Blake clearly delivers more. Rarely has a sequel exceeded my expectations like Revenge of the Assassin. As I clicked past the last page on my Kindle, I said to myself…”@#!% if he didn’t do it again. Even better than the last one.”

As with every Blake novel, the description, settings and detail bring you right into the book. I hate to be repetitive in my reviews, but I felt it was worth mentioning again. Whether you are witnessing the stark brutality and ugliness of the drug cartels’ day to day “business” on the outskirts of a border town or sipping cold beers with the leader of the Sinaloa cartel at a plastic table overlooking a quiet cove on Zihuatanejo Bay, you’ll be immersed.

Where Blake raises the bar in this novel is the way he fully fleshes out the cat and mouse chase between El Rey and Captain Cruz. He builds on the history established between the two characters in King of Swords to bring the tension to new heights. For fans of Forsyth, Captain Romero Cruz is Claude Lebel…methodical and obsessed with bringing his assassin down against nearly insurmountable odds. Beyond this, I particularly enjoyed the behind the scenes politics between Mexican federal agencies, which adds another layer of complication for Cruz to navigate.

Blake’s Assassin series occupies a prominent place in my e-bookshelf, and I eagerly await the next installment…which is rumored to be close at hand. If your a fan of relentless action, unpredictable twists and immersive writing, this series is for you.”