The Medusa Protocol

Rob Hart’s recent writings have been simultaneously entertaining on the surface with chase scenes and shoot ‘em-ups while running deep with underlining social commentary, redemption, and reflections on one’s identity. Following 2024’s Assassins Anonymous, Hart returns to the lives of the Pale Horse, and Azrael with The Medusa Protocol, a fast-paced, killer of a sequel that plays with circumstances, coincidences, and consequences. And for a story about a pair of killers who have gone cold turkey on killing, this one is brutally fun, too.

Title: The Medusa Protocol (2025)
Author: Rob Hart
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Book jacket: 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?

Joe says: The Medusa Protocol, a fast-paced, killer of a sequel that plays with circumstances, coincidences, and consequences. And for a story about a pair of killers who have gone cold turkey on killing, this one is brutally fun, too.

Assassins Anonymous introduced Mark, the assassin FKA the Pale Horse. Mark had since come to view his murderous ways an addiction and, in an attempt to reign in those base feelings of playing god, went sober and joined AA. But getting out of the game, as many, many action movies have shown over and over, is as tricky as juggling cats. While blindfolded. On one foot. With vials of nitroglycerin wrapped around your legs.

Hence the need for a sequel.

But not exactly, as Hart is much more craftier than that.

The Medusa Protocol splits the narrative between Mark and Astrid, FKA Azrael. Astrid, it seems, has her own cycle of redemption to deal with and is forced into such reconciliation on a snake-infested, prison island off the coast of Sao Paulo where Dexy’s Midnight Runners are still playing the hits. Mark, along with Booker, another AA member, come to her rescue out of respect, camaraderie, and a weird appetite for pizza with (ugh) olives.

The Medusa Protocol opens up the Assassins Anonymous world both into a wider genre as well as truly exploring the ramifications of a glamorized, fictionalized lifestyle. Hart bounces Astrid’s story back and forth through her beginnings, middles, and present day endings. Her character becomes well-rounded by expanding upon the mistakes she makes as well as her reasons for such decisions. Astrid is not a killer with a conscience but one with a death wish. Perhaps. Hart creates external conflict for her while emphasizing on the constant internal one. Then he throws Mark back into the mix.

Their distress makes for a highly entertaining read.

Hart jumps around in premise, layout, and finale a little too easily, but his hip style is certainly more forgiving than Mark and Astrid’s sobriety. The Medusa Protocol comes close to satirizing the whole hitman genre but Hart is clearly having too much fun swimming around in this particular pool. So much fun, in fact, you should probably strap on a pair of swimmies and jump on in. Having a Kevlar vest nearby might not hurt either.