Book Review: Dead Drop by M.P. Woodward

By Jeff Ayers

June 12, 2023
In M.P. Woodward's new thriller Dead Drop, international nuclear negotiations turn allies into enemies. They are pawns in an international chess game, and any player knows you cannot capture the king without sacrificing some pawns. Read on for Jeff Ayers' review!

The world of the CIA gets a realistic spin in Woodward’s follow-up to The Handler. John and Meredith Dale are divorced, and while Meredith continues to operate in the spy world, John wants nothing to do with that life anymore. Negotiations for a nuclear deal between Iran and the United States are delicate, and the Iranian helping stays secure in a safe house. John is thrust into the mix when an agent from Mossad forces him to protect the asset from Iranian assassins, and Meredith has to use all of her contacts to keep the deal alive.

Woodward’s background brings authenticity to the story, making it more than a mere thriller with espionage elements. While the action plays out in a similar style to most novels in this genre, the uniquely compelling characters make Dead Drop exceptional. Woodward has a great series on his hands.

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Jeff Ayers

Jeff has been a book reviewer for The Associated Press, Library Journal, and Booklist. He co-hosted a podcast for Suspense Magazine and wrote numerous interviews for magazines and newspapers, including Dan Brown, Michael Connelly, and Harlan Coben. Jeff recently retired from his position as a public research librarian. He is currently the Co-Executive Director of Thrillerfest for the International Thriller Writers. His first book, Voyages of Imagination: The Star Trek Fiction Companion was published in October 2006 by Pocket Books, and covers over 550 novels and short stories and has interviews with more than 350 people who wrote or worked behind the scenes on the books. These people included William Shatner and John DeLancie. With Jon Land, he's currently working on a National Park thriller series for Minotaur Books, the first of which, Leave No Trace, publishes in the Spring of 2024.
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