The Asset: Act II (An Isabella Rose Thriller Book 2)

Superb action a few story line, would love to see John Milton join Isabella and Pope, Dawson at his best

As other reviewers have stated – you should read the “Beatrix Rose” books before you start on this 4-book “Isabella Rose” series. Thus, you get the necessary background to these action-packed thrillers by Mark Dawson.As I said, there are 4 relatively short books in this series and you really need to treat them as a single novel or you will be left rather disappointed as each part ends without a conclusion. Alas, this is becoming a common but disappointing practice among Kindle book publishers. Pope, our co-star, is a government security specialist who tries to unravel apparent conspiracy and deceit by senior people in government. He faces one impossible situation after another as even his closest family get embroiled in the affairs. Isabella Rose proves to be a surprisingly able accomplice - a girl with an intriguing upbringing.The series is well worth the read. I just find having to buy 4 books for 1 story a tad disappointing. Hence, the 4-star rating.

A continuation of book 1 in the series - with Isabella infiltrating the household of a suspected ISIS financier by chatting up his teenage son, also 15. Unfortunately, the FBI stages a raid, and the financier and family plus girl (for no obvious reason other than it would cut the book a bit short) get carried away to Syria to escape the Feds.A lot of characters are like the guys with red shirts in Star Trek. When the author has finished with them, they die, usually painfully. Well, it IS a war zone.In Syria, it transpires that the financier has nothing to do with ISIS, who reckon that it's some sort of plot by the Great Satan.So what's going on? For that, you have to buy the next thrilling episode. Oh well, if Charles Dickens can do it, so I suppose can Mark Dawson

It's always been the case with me that I found it difficult to relate to women characters in these action roles, due to the cost of the original John Milton series I thought I'd give them a try, despite the mistakes and dispite finding it awkward to think of someone as cold and efficient as Milton being an alchoholic, I did enjoy the books and found the quality and consistency of writing improved through the series. After a while I tried the Beatrix Rose series( not the Hong Kong ones) but the main last three. I really enjoyed these, taking very quickly to the character andI felt these were even better than the Milton series. It came as no surprise that I then bought the Isabella Rose books and yes she is young, but her vulnerabilities are not glossed over and the stories are very good, the Asset being no exception. My only worry given Marks apparent need to limit his heroes by making them alcoholics or dtprug addicts is that he doesn't do this to Isabella she clearly is not going to follow in her mothers failings if she has any sense. Sometimes you try a new book and more often than not you fail to bond in any way with the personalities involved. To Mark Dawson's credit I never had that issue with any of these books and would recommend all that I have read to anyone with an interest in this genre. I couldn't wait to read the Assett and am looking forward to the follow up immensely. Well done Mark these books are a welcome change to the usual and quite average books that populate this type of thriller novel.

This review is like this book (Act 2) in that it is an almost identical review of an almost identical book (Act 1) I have been a long term fan of Mark Dawson up until now. If you look back over my reviews I would think his John Milton and Beatrix Rose books averaged more stars than probably any other author so it is great regret that I cannot give this sorry tale more than 1 star, and that was a struggle. It is the second chapter in a four chapter (book) series. I call it a chapter because that is about what it could be easily condensed into. Slow moving , excessive meaningless descriptions. I have now ploughed through the first three and at best I am numb. I have not tried to review the story such as it is as I don't feel it warrants the effort. I can scarcely remember being so disappointed I purchased the first three books in one go, so sure I was of this author, however I shall not be bothering with the fourth I have that little connection with the "characters" I am not really interested what happens

Not sure if I want to read the next book or not. Getting a bit tedious how inept she is, the parts of the book with pope are good, the parts with Isabella are frustrating, I'm just waiting for the next time for her to be disarmed or captured. Reminds me of McNabb books were he gets captured in every story, yawn yawn.