The Break Line    by James Brabazon Order:  USA  Can Random House, 2019 (2018) Hardcover, Softcover, e-Book      Reviewed by Hilary Williamson James Brabazon introduces British intelligence operative, Max McLean in The Break Line. An Irishman, he was trained by Commander Frank Knight to be a 'legally sane psychopath', and has spent two decades as an assassin. As The Break Line opens, for the first time in his career, Max chooses to disobey orders and fails to kill his female target in Caracas, Venezuela - something seems off about the operation. Of course, that doesn't go over well with his superiors - the woman saw his face, and being an Unknown operator is a necessity in his job. He is assigned another black operation, a solo in Sierra Leone against a formidable opponent, a Russian trained white man leading a force of rebels. An audio recording of the massacre they perpetrated reveals the extreme terror experienced by victims before they died. And what he experienced in Sierra Leone drove a very tough colleague of Max's mad. In Africa, Max heads towards the scene of the slaughter, and find bodies not only torn apart but also devoured. He also learns that his superiors very definitely do not have his back. He makes it to the rebel camp, where he has a chance to kill the leader but again disobeys orders, shocked by the man's identity. Max ends up fighting almost invincible monsters, in the grisly, action-packed end game. The Break Line is a mix of military thriller, espionage and horror - not a read for the fainthearted! Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews