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Assassin's Code (Joe Ledger #4)

by Jonathan Maberry (Goodreads Author)

4.33 of 5 stars 4.33 · rating details · 1,229 ratings · 143 reviews

In ASSASSIN’S CODE, the fourth book in New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Maberry’s Joe Ledger series,Joe Ledger and the DMS go on a relentless chase to stop an ancient order of killers from plunging the entire world into Holy War.

When Joe Ledger and Echo Team rescue a group of American college kids held hostage in Iran,the Iranian government then asks them to help...more

Paperback, 432 pages

Published April 10th 2012 by St. Martin's Griffin

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Sep 22, 2012 Paul rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: thriller, nook-read

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 14, 2013 Julie Davis rated it 4 of 5 stars

In my trade, confidence is built on a platform whose legs are made up of good intelligence, continuous training, proper equipment, and field support. I had a sick dog, a dead man’s gun, a stolen briefcase, a vampire hunter’s stake in my belt, and a cell phone…

Joe’s dealt with zombies, the island of Dr. Moreau, and the Seven Plagues of Egypt. Surely nothing can surprise him now. At least that’s what he thinks.

After rescuing American college students held hostage in Iran, Joe is contacted with the alarming news that the Iranians want his help in locating six stolen nuclear bombs. Nukes are soon the least of Joe’s problems when he’s attacked by super-powered killers who are probably genetically engineered and may actually be unbeatable. Certainly, it’s the first time he’s been told to “run away” when he calls Mr. Church for orders. The mysterious assassin Violin, with her mommy issues, adds an intriguing element that I liked, although her name made me snicker. Whose side is she really on? Toss in the mysterious Book of Shadows together with an age-old Holy Inquisition* that’s gone off the rails and you’ve got a fast-paced thriller with the usual slight touch of science needed to make us wonder “could it happen…” As usual Joe is sarcastic but has the heart of a warrior so he never quits.

As always, Ray Porter IS Joe Ledger. As I’ve said before, his narration is the reason I wait for the audio books instead of snapping up the printed versions. He’s got a direct, blunt delivery that can go from sarcastic to heart-felt to outraged in 60 seconds. Believably. That’s good because sometimes that’s the way Joe’s day goes.

The fourth entry to the Joe Ledger series piles surprise upon surprise until there are so many moving parts you need a score card to keep up. That’s ok. The ride is most of the fun anyway. It was refreshing to see Echo Team on an assignment that didn’t involve anything supernatural or genetically engineered. It also explained why Joe is sometimes incredulous about the strange situations in which he becomes embroiled. He’s so deep into rescuing college kids that he just plain forgets about his first zombie killing assignment.

Yeah right.

That excuse doesn’t really work for the many times that people who should know better protest, “What? Supernatural? That’s just crazy!” That really is the weakest part of these stories. Shouldn’t Echo Team be surprised if there isn’t a monster or super-villain somewhere in the shadows?

This was a return to the Joe Ledger adventure style of the first book in a way, which I liked very much. It also satisfactorily tied up some loose ends that had been accumulating through the last book or two. Highly recommended for those who enjoyed the previous books.

NOTE: This book was originally reviewed for SFFaudio.

* Catholics needn’t worry. Maberry plays fast and loose with elements but he’s generally respectful of religions. Any Catholics involved in this were lied to, folks. Lied to!(less)

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Apr 14, 2012 Sara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-s, favorites, 100-in-2012

Echo team is doing a covert operation in Iran. Three American hikers have been captured and accused of spying by the Iranian military. Joe and Echo team go in to rescue them, hopefully, without sparking off a war. The mission goes well. The team is away and Joe is getting ready to follow his own exit plan when everything goes to hell. He plays tag with a couple of snipers, meets with the head of Iranian Intelligence, and gets attacked in his hotel room by a man with superhuman strength and fille...more

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Jul 05, 2012 Markus rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, action, joe-ledger, published-2012

Best one yet. Solid 4 and half stars. How much more Joe Ledger can take before his sanity drops to zero? Once again Maberry shines on action scenes, especially martial arts stuff, you could almost feel the pain of each punch and kick, primal is a one word that's comes to mind. New conspiracy-plot is not as crazy as previous, but up there high at wtf-scale, and once again it fits nicely in the Ledgers world. An old enemies come back, a new allies are introduced, some warriors die, and lot's of ac...more

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May 24, 2012 Paul Montgomery rated it 5 of 5 stars

I first caught Jonathan Maberry when I bought Patient Zero on a whim a couple of years back. Basic story was that lunatic terrorists were creating a zombie plague (of sorts), and a hastily-assembled tactical team attempted to take them out. In the course of the book, we were introduced to key characters Joe Ledger (our protagonist), Ghost (his dog), Rudy (his friend and therapist), Echo Team (the hastily-assembled tactical team), DMS (the covert agency responsible for dealing with situations lik...more I first caught Jonathan Maberry when I bought Patient Zero on a whim a couple of years back. Basic story was that lunatic terrorists were creating a zombie plague (of sorts), and a hastily-assembled tactical team attempted to take them out. In the course of the book, we were introduced to key characters Joe Ledger (our protagonist), Ghost (his dog), Rudy (his friend and therapist), Echo Team (the hastily-assembled tactical team), DMS (the covert agency responsible for dealing with situations like this), and Mr Church (the boss of DMS).

I've never been a huge fan of the military operation books. Andy McNab does not grace my bookshelves (although I have the utmost respect for him). Zombie books do, although I'm not a hardcore obsessive. So, taking a chance, I tried a new author (something I do every now and then, usually when I've exhausted whichever author currently has me hooked. Most recently, Preston and Child. But that's another story). I was, very pleasantly, surprised. Ledger turned out to be an engaging character, with the sense of (often inappropriate) humour which tickled me. That same sense of humour helps drastically in cutting through what could be a fairly ridiculous situation. Thoroughly recommended.

Anyway, following the initial Patient Zero came Dragon Factory and The King of Plagues. Each with their own new challenges for the developing Echo Team. Relationships and friendships built. Challenges were faced, adversities overcome, and each would make a fine standalone adventure. But, building behind the scenes, a bigger story started to emerge. A shadowy organisation (of Kings) bent on twisting the world for their own purposes. And lurking in the shadows, given nothing more than a throwaway moment, someone else.

Which brings us to Assassin's Code. The theme of each of the books so far has been to take a genetically-modified twist on some classics - zombies, dragons, etc. This time we're treated to vampires, in the name of terrorism. Being only the fourth book in the series, this is still early enough to feel fresh, and gives a nice little take on the vampire mythos. Some familiar characters reappear, to greater and lesser degrees. And there's the usual mix of excitement, adventure, action and suffering. Maberry has a nice touch when writing action and fight scenes - enough technical info to feel interesting, without overloading. Echo Team, at this point, have their core membership and their new members (which seems to be a now standard format in the books), and as with the previous titles, no one is safe. Knowing that Maberry is not afraid to kill off established or new characters lends a nice sense of risk to every scene. (And yes, two of those deaths are brutal and upsetting. I will miss those characters.)

Joe continues to evolve, and from the initial Echo Team encounter spends a good half of the book working in isolation from his teammates, accompanied only by Ghost - although relations between the two end up a little strained. Joe's backstory is expanded on a little more - the history of what led to his psyche fracturing a little, and it's nice to see that he hasn't immediately moved on from loves lost. I find Joe to be a surprisingly engaging lead, rooting for him in action, and more than once laughing at his snarkiness. His interactions with his team, Ghost, adversaries, superiors, and a potential new... partner, continue to delight. The overall story contains vamps, genetics, a race to find nuclear bombs, and a few other things which would be implausible in lesser hands (can you tell that I'm trying to avoid spoilers here?). Which makes for an ideal story.

However, it's the behind-the-scenes action which raises the interest another notch. After the introduction of the Kings earlier, I suspect a pattern will be to see them returning again and again in different incarnations and/or roles. Assassin's Code uses two Kings to varying effect, and brings in another old character (marking their third, and presumably not last, appearance). Beyond them, another figure starts to move into prominence, and in doing so brings a noticeable and not fully-comfortable shift in the tone of the books. Where previously the zombies and the dragons and the vampires had been genetically modified creatures, with at least some basis in nature and/or science, this figure seems to be fully routed in the supernatural. Certainly his actions and abilities seem immediately unexplainable by conventional methods. How this pans out, we'll have to wait and see.

The only other niggle I have is that all four books appear to have taken place in the space of a year. That's a tough year. And I'm not really sure that Joe and his team actually have any time to recover - mentally, emotionally, physically. Other than that, it's a hell of a book. Thoroughly enjoyable - accessible to people new to the series, but you'll benefit far more from having read the first three. (less)

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Apr 29, 2012 Indigo rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, military, nookbook, political, romance, vampires

Joe Ledger, his dog Ghost, and the Echo team are back!

The Seven Kings have been shut down, but there is no rest for the wicked, evil never sleeps, pick your cliche. Either way, Echo Team is sent to Iran on a mission of mercy -- to rescue three college age hikers who were captured and imprisoned as spies.

Joe is the only one who doesn't make it to a pick up point as planned. And when he stops for coffee en route to his safe house, he is accosted by an Iranian political figure who offers him data...more

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Apr 11, 2012 Robin Edman rated it 5 of 5 stars

It's refreshing to see talk about the Middle East that doesn't embrace hatred. I enjoyed the approach to religious tolerance, though I felt a little sorry for Captain Ledger when I learned that he believes in god, which is just silly for a man who has seen what he has seen. I am choosing to believe that it was one of his minor personality splinters who said that, though it was probably really the rule-accepting Civilized Man.

Jonathan Maberry has an amazing ability to describe an action sequence...more

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May 15, 2013 Jeff Miller rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Joe Ledger books are like the summer blockbuster with lots of action and doomsday plots and multiple hidden organizations competing against each other. They also have some depth to them in the characterization of Ledger who is a bit more than the action star. In fact the hero seems to be self-consciously aware of portrayal of the action star killing people and emitting one-liner.

One problem when you have a series a books each trying to top each other with the next doomsday scenario that must...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Bjorn rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was the Joe Ledger novels back to form.

After being slightly disappointed by The Dragon Factory and The King of Plagues, I was apprehensive about getting another one of these books.

I was pleasantly surprised, however. Maberry seems to be back on form, with an interesting blend of martial arts, covert ops, well thought out and researched mythology, and no time to catch your breath between paragraphs.

If I have to make a complaint, it is that the ending came a little bit out of nowhere... We're...more

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Mar 20, 2012 Kristin (MyBookishWays Reviews) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: thriller

You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2012/03/...

Joe Ledger is back in the 4th thriller from Jonathan Maberry! I’m a huge fan of this series, and have loved every one, so I was eager to dive back into Joe’s world. The day after Joe and Echo Team rescue a group of college students held hostage in Iran, Joe is sitting in a coffee shop with a laser sight trained on his groin. He gets a call and a mysterious female voice gives him very specific instructions to meet a man in...more You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2012/03/...

Joe Ledger is back in the 4th thriller from Jonathan Maberry! I’m a huge fan of this series, and have loved every one, so I was eager to dive back into Joe’s world. The day after Joe and Echo Team rescue a group of college students held hostage in Iran, Joe is sitting in a coffee shop with a laser sight trained on his groin. He gets a call and a mysterious female voice gives him very specific instructions to meet a man in the coffee shop. It’s not like he has much choice. I mean, there are laser sights trained on his, er, man parts! Just a day in the life of our man Joe, yes? Trouble tends to follow Joe around, and he’s about to discover just what kind of trouble has found him, and it’s the worst yet…

Poor Joe. The author really puts him through the ringer in this one, physically and emotionally. A particularly nasty blast from Joe’s past is on the loose, vampires are running amok, an ancient order is bent on destruction, nuclear bombs are in the hands of mad men, and Joe can’t catch a break. Seriously, Joe is constantly fighting in this one, and it seems no place is safe. His loyal dog Ghost is always at his side, and even Ghost is run ragged. I think one thing I really love about Joe is that he’s willing to do what needs to be done, even if things get a bit unpleasant, and yet, all the while, he fights with himself, with the Warrior within who craves the fight. This struggle just makes an almost superhuman man seem more human and never fails to make me like him more. Of course Joe has the support of the DMS, and his boss, Mr. Church on his side, but he also acquires some unlikely allies, my favorite being in the form of a lethal assassin that calls herself Violin. I’m sincerely hoping we’ll see more of her in future books.

Assassin’s Code is mainly told in Joe’s voice, but there are Interludes and passages where the narrative takes us back to the 9th century, and the history behind an ancient, terrifying pact. Also, we get a bit of insight into the other players in the book. I’ll admit, while I enjoyed these passages, I was always eager to get back to Joe, Ghost, and Echo Team as they race to find the nukes and get the baddies. And the baddies in this one are really, really bad, and nearly take Joe down for the count, more than once. Maberry’s fight scenes are action packed, exciting, and written so well, I never had trouble picturing what was going on; Joe’s trademark snark is on full blast here (it will make you laugh, even when the bullets-stakes, holy water, garlic, etc-are flying), and the core of humanity that is ever present in these books is always just beneath the surface, even when you think things have gotten that bad. Things do get bad in this one, very bad, but have faith in Joe. When has he ever let us (or the world) down? The series just gets better and better, and I read Assassin’s Code in big gulps, frequently losing track of time. Highly recommended!(less)

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May 02, 2013 Adam Banks rated it 4 of 5 stars

Was rather good. I am a fan of the series and have read them all. If you like Ghost then you will love this book; he becomes the main supporting character for Ledger. Ledger is the key to this novel, and for the majority of this book he is the only driving character. Unlike most of the series, for the majority of this book Ledger is a one man crew; one man and a dog. Where there is minimal staffing on Ledger's end, there is ample on the villains'. There is a rotating cast of characters trying to...more

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Apr 06, 2013 Dan rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is essentially Joe Ledger does vampires. There's a threat of nuclear weapons and it seems vampires are behind it all. Cue Ledger and Echo team going in to sort it all out.

Much of the book is taken up with explaining how vampires can exist and building the mythology for them. It goes back to the time of the crusades and brings us right up to an age where gene therapy is used to create vampires. This mythology, and the DMS working it all out is fantastic and makes it as real as is possible w...more

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Jul 17, 2012 Daniel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: military, sf, horror

Zombies, werewolves, secret societies (ala Illuminate), super-virus's and even a dragon (all of course with a mostly super-science edge, not paranormal). So the one obvious missing item in our paranormal ecology is vampires, so this book deals it out in spades. As I have read the books in this series the one thing I kept thinking is that the only person who seems to be having a worse day would have been Jack Bauer from the TV series 24. Then I remember the first line above and I am going to have...more

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May 13, 2012 Aaron Advani rated it 5 of 5 stars

Another brilliant book by Jonathan Maberry which follows the insanely hectic and dangerous life of Joe Ledger, each book has gotten better and better ramping up the stakes and thrills to an extremely high level each time out.
These books don't fall into any one genre but for me straddle two, horror and thriller which jonathan pulls off with seemingly great ease, the lead character Joe is a man that has alot of personal baggage and inner personalities that fight to come to the fore, which they do...more

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Jan 24, 2013 George-GZM rated it 5 of 5 stars

Assassins Code by Jonathan Maberry is the fourth book in the Joe Ledger Series. I know that I wrote only about the first two parts of the series, and forgot about the third, it’s happen sometime even to me, but even if the main characters are the same and even if the overall story has continuity, each volume has an ending and is freestanding. To say that again the hero saves the world? That is again a race against time? You may say that you’ll get bored, but if I already told you about a few si...more Assassins Code by Jonathan Maberry is the fourth book in the Joe Ledger Series. I know that I wrote only about the first two parts of the series, and forgot about the third, it’s happen sometime even to me, but even if the main characters are the same and even if the overall story has continuity, each volume has an ending and is freestanding. To say that again the hero saves the world? That is again a race against time? You may say that you’ll get bored, but if I already told you about a few similar themed books, as the saying is: looks like, but is not the same. And how I’ll not give you any spoiler, will not be a problem to present you the third volume later.

So set aside the "Die Hard" scenes because the author had prepared for you some bloodthirsty enemies. Does this sound familiar? Sound good for you? Anyway they are not the kind that you cherish and I don’t think that you’ll be attached to them or you’ll pity them. They will be enemies to mach and unfortunately they’ll not be the only ones. Our hero found himself trapped in a game that began with nearly a thousand years before, and to solve it there will be necessary much more than a warrior wit. And until he’ll have a clear picture of the enemy, he will be chased by all sorts of people who want to knock-off him intentionally or just because he went in their way at the wrong time and place. An unequal struggle and the more dangerous as the one who wants him dead looks like it’s out from a long forgotten legend. But unknown friends will appear and just for this Ledger will break through confrontation only serious wrinkled and not definitely dead. We’ll get all sorts of strange happenings, ancient mysteries, strange alliances, betrayals, incredible creatures, ruthless and highly efficient killers... all sorts of characters and events that you don’t expected.

You will enjoy explosive action, unexpected twists, tension from one end to the other. The author will keep out of breath throughout the novel in an incredible adventure that is well built and cleverly balanced. A new story in the characteristic style of Jonathan Maberry that make impossible for you to leave the book out of your hand.(less)

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May 23, 2012 Dave rated it 5 of 5 stars

When I was a kid I was drawn to horror stories because essentially they were about men and women going into the dark to face monsters, being tested, and walking away victorious. The older I got the more I understood and appreciated the fact that some monsters are all too human and all too often battling these monsters would change people. They were battles worth fighting, but fighting and winning them comes with a cost. When I find a story that can combine that youthful feeling of excitement wit...more When I was a kid I was drawn to horror stories because essentially they were about men and women going into the dark to face monsters, being tested, and walking away victorious. The older I got the more I understood and appreciated the fact that some monsters are all too human and all too often battling these monsters would change people. They were battles worth fighting, but fighting and winning them comes with a cost. When I find a story that can combine that youthful feeling of excitement with the grit and realism of stories that mean something and matter I devour that story. When you find an author who delivers those types of stories on a regular basis you find yourself eagerly awaiting that author’s next book. Jonathan Maberry is just such an author. I

In the previous three novels of his Joe Ledger series he’s given readers exciting tales of highly trained soldiers that battle human and man made scientific monsters and the price they pay for doing that duty. In his latest novel, “Assassin’s Code,” the fourth in the Ledger series, Maberry takes his soldiers one step further into the darkness as they come up against mythic and possible supernatural monsters. The result is the best novel in the series so far.

“Assassin’s Code” kicks off in media res and dumps both readers and Joe Ledger into a tense situation. Ledger and his fellow soldiers in Echo Team are in Iran looking for an escape route after accomplishing a successful mission to free some American hikers that the Iranian government has taken hostage. While Ledger is laying low a high ranking member of Iranian Intelligence ambushes him and forces him into a clandestine meeting where he delivers some shocking news; an unknown enemy has rigged several oil fields with nuclear bombs. Ledger and his team must discover who this enemy is and stop the bombs from being detonated before it’s too late.

From there the novel takes off like a rocket. The pacing in “Assassin’s Code” is breath taking. Pacing is something Maberry has always been good at, but I think this is his most exhilaratingly paced novel yet. The main action of the story occurs over the course of only about two days and much of those days are spent running with Joe Ledger as he tries to stay away from a horde of enemies, or with the command and support staff of the Department of Military Sciences, the clandestine organization Leger works for, as they try to decipher the clues to the mystery of what they’re facing. There are some flashbacks that take place months, and even centuries earlier but they are useful and shocking revelations that only heighten the enjoyment of the story.

Speaking of revelations, now we come to spoiler territory. Let’s see if I can dance around it. The primary enemies that Ledger, Echo Team, and the DMS face in “Assassin’s Code” are an ancient order of assassins known as the Red Order. Much of the novel is spent trying to determine what the members of the Red Order are and if they are products of the supernatural or some weird offshoot of science. Maberry does an excellent job handling the revelations surrounding the Red Order. With the ending of the last Ledger book, “The King of Plagues” and some of the developments in this one, especially those surrounding a returning villain from “The King of the Plagues,” it feels like Maberry is guiding his readers into the deep end of the supernatural pool. He’s doing it in the same expert way John Connelly did with his Charlie Parker series of novels. It’s exciting to see.

Since we’re on the topic of the supernatural fans of Maberry’s “Pine Deep” trilogy of novels will appreciate a fun little Easter Egg that links the trilogy to the Ledger novels. It’s the second of such links (the first being a fun short story titled “Material Witness” that is available for download.) I look forward to a later meeting by the survivors of the Pine Deep novels and the members of the DMS.

Character wise, “Assassins Code” is a great mix of old and new cast members. As usual, Maberry gives readers plenty of time inside the scarred, but noble psyche of his protagonist, Joe Ledger. He also gives us some more clues into the past of the most intriguing supporting character in the Ledger series, the enigmatic Mister Church. Echo Team doesn’t get as much time in this installment as previous novels, but you do get to know their three newest members a little more; Khalid Shaheed, Lydia Ruiz, and most importantly my favorite the sniper of few words, John Smith. You also get some time with some reoccurring villains (no spoilers here either!) One becomes a bigger character you love to hate, one has a surprising transformation, and one becomes even more frightening and mysterious.

In terms of new characters we’re given a host of intriguing ones in the form of two rival organizations. The first is a team of all female warriors and assassins known as Arklight, who Mister Church has a mysterious connection with. Their chief operative in the story is a woman known as Violin that assists Ledger throughout the story and has some pretty interesting chemistry with him. The second is the dangerous and powerful Red Order and their leader, Grigor, a bloodthristy and hateful man who has dubbed himself the King of Thorns

When Grigor and his enemies come up against Joe Ledger and his allies the results are some pretty powerful and exciting action scenes. Those of you who have read my previous reviews of the Ledger novels know how much I love Maberry’s action scenes, particularly the ones involving hand to hand combat. “Asssassin’s Code” is packed with those. There are several stand out brutal and vicious fights that really test Joe Ledger’s mettle as a character. Lately, I’ve been reading Jack Kirby’s work on Marvel Comics “Black Panther” series and one of the reasons why Kirby was called “The King of Comics” was because of the visceral and powerful ways he brought to life action scenes. The action scenes in the other Ledger novels and especially “Assassin’s Code” are a pretty good argument for dubbing Maberry “The Jack Kirby” of prose.

The action, characters, plot, and pacing, all combine together for Maberry’s most satisfying Joe Ledger novel to date. The ending of the book really kept me guessing and ended on several very cool notes. The epilogue wraps up several things and also sets the stage for the next Ledger novel, which I eagerly await.(less)

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Jul 14, 2012 Robert rated it 4 of 5 stars

Assassin's Code is the 4th in The Joe Ledger series by Jonathan Maberry, and I have to say that I think it's the best of the 4. The first (Patient Zero)received the most acclaim and was a New York Times #1 best seller. The books follow Joe Ledger. The leaders or a special ops team called Echo Team. Working for the DMS (Department of Military Sciences)Basically, it's kind of a special forces X-Files. The first book dealt with terrorist creating zombies to let loose and use as weapons on U.S. soil...more

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Apr 15, 2013 Cat Case rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2013

I suppose it's no surprise that the book closest in, well, everything, to the Pine Deep Trilogy is my favorite Joe Ledger novel.

I think Maberry took some risks that paid off (and some that didn't but they were few) and overall wrote a book that engaged me quickly, stayed true to the overall series while moving it forward, and basically was just a lot of fun. I love Violin and the whole Arklight group and I really hope we see more of them. Since I don't think Joe and Violin will work out long te...more

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Jan 13, 2013 Jen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Usually when you get to a 4th book in a series, you worry about the quality.
There really is no need with Maberry. Joe Ledger is back and still wondering why his life sucks so hard after joining the DMS.

Characters: We are re-acquainted with our old Echo Team and meet some new good guys and bad guys. I was happy to see that every character is easily distinguishable and get their own screentime... Even Joe's dog, Ghost!

Setting: Great action scenes. This book, as with the previous ones, teach you...more

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Dec 31, 2012 Mark rated it 5 of 5 stars

After rescuing a group of American students in Iran my favourite mentally unstable hero Joe Ledger finds himself in another mess with nukes, assassins and ancient secrets.

One of the things I enjoyed was the level representation of the Middle East, they weren't treated as the great evil of the world but it didn't glaze over the problems with their politics and society. Assassin's Code is part action thriller part horror, while I've seen the monsters in this novel done in a similar way they were s...more

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Jul 06, 2012 Nate rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror

I enjoy Joe Ledger for many reasons. He's a thinking man's soldier. He's a good guy thrust into bad situations. And they're always entertaining.

That said, there are some troubles with this book. Joe's up against vampires and despite apparently being a huge threat they never really scare me. They certainly don't have the same effect as Maberry's perfectly human villains in the other books. Hugo Vox shows up, and seems much more 2-dimensional than in his previous appearance. Joe's wisecracking si...more

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Jul 02, 2012 Schnaucl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, horror, library, july, last_in_currently_following_series, read_2012, series

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 03, 2013 Chris rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In this fourth installment of the Joe Ledger series, the world is threatened by an ancient conspiracy of violence and deception, with the DMS caught up in a race to find not one, but several nukes planted in various key oil fields. (Mild spoilers ahead!) But that is only the tip of the global iceberg. After Ledger is contacted by a high-ranking Iranian official while in-country during a rescue mission in Tehran, he's given vital intel on the nuke's location, along with help from a beautiful and...more

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Apr 26, 2012 Bobby Cooper rated it 5 of 5 stars

Joe Ledger and Echo Team are back in Maberrys 4th. Installment.
After rescuing a group of college kids being held prisoner in Iran,Joe learns of several nuclear devices hidden across the mideast and is asked to locate them by the Iranian government. Joe with the help of a beautiful,but lethal assassin named Violin set out to find them,along with his faithful and deadly sidekick,Ghost. But this time Joe and EchoTeam learn a whole new meaning to the word,Assassin! Joe has vital information on a...more

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Mar 25, 2013 Jehaenah de Ramos rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is my first time reading Maberry's book and I gotta say the title itself drew me to that book as if saying "read me! Read me!" It was really good and I love how he used actual facts to this story it totally surround it with mystery and I'm so determined to finish the book I ended up sleeping at 5 in the morning!!! Anyways it was a really good book the sense of humor of the protagonist (Joe Ledger) was not lost on me and I totally fell in love with his character. This book is a MUST read to...more

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May 26, 2012 Pam rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, horror, favorites, paranormal, science-fiction, series, vampires

I liked it more than the last two combined. Fast and furious and full of the trademark Maberry dorky humor.
Sometimes he goes a wee bit overboard on the pathos, but considering this is one of those rare novels in this genre not depicting Islam and the Middle East as the source of all evil...it's a easy one to forgive.
Plus he seems to have gotten the "women read these books too" memo, his female characters are a notch above most action writers. Seriously kick-ass.
Keep 'em coming, mr. Maberry.

(Jus...more

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Mar 30, 2013 Twainy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Book 4 - Echo team is back. I missed most of echo team. The focus was more on Joe. They were all there but I love the banter they have. The loss of Smith seems to have thrown them off. I hope Echo team reconnects and is solid in the next book. Still I liked this book more than the last two. Islam wasn't stereotyped, I liked the intrigue and Violin. I hope she is kept as a future character? I like her as a friend for Joe. I'd like to see her with a prince or something. I like how characters are d...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Brittney rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: creature-books, series, theoretical-isolated-evolution

So Joe Ledger and Echo Team are up to their chins in it again. Poor Joe seems to be losing his mind-just a little. He is also separated from his team for the better part of the novel, which, if you know Joe, just means that his personal body count went up significantly. He has help from an outside source that he's not sure what to think of, as well as his dog, Ghost. And the threat this time is more deadly and immediate than any he has faced so far with the DMS. The bad guys are sufficiently cre...more

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Apr 26, 2013 Rina Amz rated it 5 of 5 stars

First, Jonathan Maberry makes zombies eerily believable in modern day society with Patient Zero and now, he successfully takes on vampires in Assassin's Code. Each book gets better and better, and for me, this nudged out Dragon Factory as my favorite of the series. The addition of Ghost brings a whole new vulnerability to Joe Ledger and in this installment, the four-legged sidekick shines! Need to linger in the after bliss of this one for a little longer before picking up Extinction Machine, the...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Debbie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampires

4.5 stars
I am a huge fan of Maberry's YA books and his adult zombie books have also been awesome. Dead of Night actually brought tears to my eyes at one point. From the Joe Ledger series I've only read Patient Zero and didn't realize there were two other Ledger books prior to Assassin's Code. So fans whether old or new will definitely enjoy this one!

For those who have watched the TV show 24 did you ever think that wow, Jack Bauer has to have the crappiest luck to have all those horrible things h...more

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About Jonathan Maberry

JONATHAN MABERRY is a New York Times best-selling and multiple Bram Stoker Award-winning horror and thriller author, magazine feature writer, playwright, content creator and writing teacher/lecturer. His books have been sold to more than a dozen countries.

His novels include the Pine Deep Trilogy: GHOST ROAD BLUES (Pinnacle books; winner of the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel in 2006), DEAD...more JONATHAN MABERRY is a New York Times best-selling and multiple Bram Stoker Award-winning horror and thriller author, magazine feature writer, playwright, content creator and writing teacher/lecturer. His books have been sold to more than a dozen countries.

His novels include the Pine Deep Trilogy: GHOST ROAD BLUES (Pinnacle books; winner of the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel in 2006), DEAD MAN’S SONG (2007) and BAD MOON RISING (2008); the Joe Ledger series of action thrillers from St. Martin’s Griffin: PATIENT ZERO (2009, winner of the Black Quill and a Bram Stoker Award finalist for Best Novel), THE DRAGON FACTORY (2010; now available), THE KING OF PLAGUES (March 2011), ASSASSIN’S CODE (March 2012), EXTINCTION MACHINE (2013); THE WOLFMAN (NY Times bestseller from Tor, based on the Universal Pictures film starring Benecio Del Toro, Emily Blunt and Sir Anthony Hopkins; winner of the Scribe Award for Best Adaptation); the forthcoming standalone zombie thriller DEAD OF NIGHT (Oct 25 2011); and the Benny Imura series of Young Adult dystopian zombie thrillers from Simon & Schuster: ROT & RUIN (2011; named in Booklist’s Ten Best Horror Novels for Young Adults, a Bram Stoker and Pennsylvania Young Readers’ Choice Award finalist; winner of the Cybils Award, the Eva Perry Mock Printz medal, Dead Letter Best Novel Award, and four Melinda Awards), DUST & DECAY (Aug 30 2011), FLESH & BONE (2012) and FIRE & ASH (21013).

Jonathan was an expert on the History Channel documentary on zombies scheduled to air October 26.

His nonfiction works include: VAMPIRE UNIVERSE (Citadel Press, 2006), THE CRYPTOPEDIA (Citadel, 2007 –winner of the Bram Stoker Award for Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction; co-authored by David F. Kramer), ZOMBIE CSU: The Forensics of the Living Dead (Winner of the Hinzman and Black Quill Awards and nominated for a Stoker Award; 2008), THEY BITE! (2009 co-authored by David F. Kramer), WANTED UNDEAD OR ALIVE (2010; Bram Stoker nominee; co-authored by Janice Gable Bashman), and THE VAMPIRE SLAYERS FIELD GUIDE TO THE UNDEAD (2001, written under the pen name of Shane MacDougall).

He writes a variety of projects for Marvel Comics involving CAPTAIN AMERICA, BLACK PANTHER, DOOMWAR, WOLVERINE, DEADPOOL, THE X-MEN, FANTASTIC FOUR, the NY Times bestselling MARVEL ZOMBIES RETURN, MARVEL UNIVERSE vs THE PUNISHER and MARVEL UNIVERSE vs WOLVERINE. All of Jonathan’s comic book collections are released as Graphic Novel collections within a month or two of individual comic publication.

Recent short stories include “Pegleg and Paddy Save the World” (HISTORY IS DEAD, Permuted Press 2007), “Doctor Nine” (KILLERS, Swimming Kangaroo Press, 2008; and reprinted in THE STORIES (in) BETWEEN Edited by Greg Schauer, Jeanne B. Benzel, and W.H. Horner. Fantasist Enterprises, 2009), “Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Greenbrier Ghost” (LEGENDS OF THE MOUNTAIN STATE 2, Bloodletting Books, 2008), “Clean Sweeps” (AND SO IT BEGINS, Dark Quest Books, 2008), “Family Business” (THE NEW DEAD, St. Martin’s Press, 2010), “Like Part of the Family” (NEW BLOOD edited by Patrick Thomas and Diane Raetz, Padwolf Press, 2010), “Zero Tolerance” (THE LIVING DEAD 2, Night Shade Books), “Flint and Steel” (GI JOE: COBRA WARS, 2011), “Saint John”(THE MONSTER’S CORNER, 2011, St. Martin’s), “The Death Song of Dwar Guntha” (Under the Moons of Mars: New Adventures on Barsoom, 2012, Simon & Schuster), and “The Wind Through the Fence” (an original e-story available for all e-readers). His essay, “Take Me To Your Leader” will be included in the nonfiction book, TRIUMPH OF THE LIVING DEAD: Robert Kirkman's Zombie Epic on Page and Screen edited by James Lowder (BenBella Books/Smart Pop, 2011).

All of Jonathan’s novels are available on audio, including the audio-only collection, JOE LEDGER: THE MISSING FILES (Blackstone), which includes the short stories “Countdown”, “Ze(less)

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Quotes from Assassin's Code

“My whole body is a lethal weapon, you know. I know more ways to kill you than you know how to die.” — 9 people liked it

“She said, "Look down at your chest."
I held the cell phone to my ear as I bend my head. Two red dots, quivering slightly, danced right over my heart.
"You are one second away from death," said the caller.” — 2 people liked it

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Assassin's Code (Joe Ledger #4)

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