The Wayward Assassin

by Susan Ouellette

Overview

Revenge knows no deadline.

Although told to stand down now that the Chechen rebel who killed her fiancé is dead, CIA analyst Maggie Jenkins believes otherwise and goes rogue to track down the assassin. Soon it becomes clear that failure to find Zara will have repercussions far beyond the personal, as Maggie uncovers plans for a horrific attack on innocent Americans. Zara is the new face of terrorism–someone who doesn’t fit the profile, who can slip undetected from attack to attack, and who’s intent on pursuing a personal vendetta at any cost.

Chasing Zara from Russia to the war-torn streets of Chechnya, to London, and finally, to the suburbs of Washington, D.C., Maggie risks her life to stop a deadly plot.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780744304787
Publisher:	CamCat Publishing
Publication date:	03/15/2022
Series:	Wayward , #2
Pages:	416
Product dimensions:	5.51(w) x 8.50(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Susan Ouellette was born and raised in the suburbs of Boston, where she
studied international relations and Russian language and culture at both Harvard University and Boston University. As the Soviet Union teetered on the edge of collapse, she worked as an intelligence analyst at the CIA, where she earned a commendation for her work done during the failed 1991 Soviet coup. Subsequently, Susan worked on Capitol Hill as a professional staff member for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI).

It was there in the Capitol Building, during quiet moments, that Susan conceived of Maggie Jenkins, an intrepid female character thrust into a dangerous situation borne of tragedy. Next came the threads of a plot, and from that blossomed her first espionage thriller, The Wayward Spy.

Susan lives on a farm outside of Washington, D.C., with her husband, three boys, cats, chickens, turkeys, and too many honeybees to count. In her spare time, she loves to read, root for Boston sports teams, and spend time staring out at the ocean on the North Carolina coast.

Editorial Reviews

01/17/2022

In 2004, CIA analyst Maggie Jenkins is assigned to the U.S. embassy in Moscow, where she learns that a school in Beslan, a town some thousand miles south of the capital, is under siege by Chechen rebels, in Ouellette’s entertaining sequel to 2021’s The Wayward Spy. While viewing images from inside the school intercepted from Russian sources, Maggie believes she recognizes her fiancé’s murderer, Zara Barayeva, one of the world’s most wanted terrorists. After arriving in Beslan, the intrepid Maggie goes rogue and is soon on the trail of the woman everyone, except Maggie, thought was dead. The action races from Russia to London before returning to the Washington, D.C., area, where Maggie must stop Zara’s “most spectacular operation yet.” Ouellette, herself a former intelligence analyst for the CIA, imbues the exciting action with authenticity. Readers will want to see more of the wily Maggie, whose exploits have led her colleagues to brand her as either “a legend in the making” or “a loose cannon liable to ignore the rules when they got in her way.” Agent: Steven Hutson, WordWise Media. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

"[I]n Ouellette’s entertaining sequel . . . Ouellette, herself a former intelligence analyst for the CIA, imbues the exciting action with authenticity. Readers will want to see more of the wily Maggie . . .” —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

05/01/2022

Quellette, who grew up in the Boston area, studied international relations as well as Russian language and culture at Harvard and Boston Universities. She's worked as an intelligence officer for the CIA and on Capitol Hill for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Her work and travel experiences inspired the character of Maggie Jenkins, a clever and fearless CIA analyst, and gives the novel's plot authentic touches. In this compelling spy thriller, Maggie sets out to track down the Chechen rebel who killed her fiancé (even though her supervisors assure her the assassin is dead). Aware of their subterfuge, she goes rogue to track down Zara, who she finds has plans to attack U.S. citizens. Her chase follows his trail from Russia to London and, finally, to the Washington, DC, area. Erin Bennett, who performs the novel, is a precise and nuanced performer who is adept at bringing the drama alive (and keeping it alive) with conviction. VERDICT An enjoyable spy thriller from an authentic source.—Pam Kingsbury

Library Journal - Audio