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Jeremy Fisk #2
The Execution: A Jeremy Fisk Novel
NYPD Detective Jeremy Fisk--introduced in Law & Order creator Dick Wolf's New York Times bestselling debut The Intercept--must stop an assassin in the pay of a shadowy cartel in The Execution, a tense thriller that superbly blends suspense, politics, intrigue and high-flying action in the tradition of Vince Flynn, David Baldacci, and Robert Crais.
Ten days after the Mexican presidential election, twenty-three bodies are discovered beheaded on the United States border, each marked with a carving of a Hummingbird. Detective Cecilia Garza of the Mexican intelligence agency recognizes it: it is the signature of an assassin called Chuparosa. Garza has been pursuing the killer for years, yet knows little about him, except that he's heading to New York--with the rest of the world.
It's United Nations Week in Manhattan and Jeremy Fisk can't let grief over a devastating loss keep him from safeguarding his city. Complicating matters is the startling news of a mass murder in nearby Rockaway--and the arrival of a disturbingly beautiful and assertive Mexican cop.
To have a chance at finding Chuparosa, these uneasy allies must learn to work together and fast. As they soon discover, there's more to this threat than meets the eye--and that justice is not always blind.
Ten days after the Mexican presidential election, twenty-three bodies are discovered beheaded on the United States border, each marked with a carving of a Hummingbird. Detective Cecilia Garza of the Mexican intelligence agency recognizes it: it is the signature of an assassin called Chuparosa. Garza has been pursuing the killer for years, yet knows little about him, except that he's heading to New York--with the rest of the world.
It's United Nations Week in Manhattan and Jeremy Fisk can't let grief over a devastating loss keep him from safeguarding his city. Complicating matters is the startling news of a mass murder in nearby Rockaway--and the arrival of a disturbingly beautiful and assertive Mexican cop.
To have a chance at finding Chuparosa, these uneasy allies must learn to work together and fast. As they soon discover, there's more to this threat than meets the eye--and that justice is not always blind.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 7, 2014
233 people are currently reading
1506 people want to read
About the author
Dick Wolf
14 books192 followersRichard Anthony "Dick" Wolf is an American producer, specializing in crime dramas such as Miami Vice and the Law & Order franchise. Throughout his career he has won several awards including an Emmy Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Wolf worked as an advertising copywriter at Benton & Bowles creating commercials for Crest toothpaste, all the while writing screenplays in the hopes of a film career. It was at this time that he briefly collaborated on a screenplay with Oliver Stone, who was also a struggling screenwriter at the time. He moved to Los Angeles after a few years and had three screenplays produced; one of these films, Masquerade starring Rob Lowe and Meg Tilly, was well received. He started his television career as a staff writer on Hill Street Blues and was nominated for his first Emmy for an episode (entitled "What Are Friends For?") on which he was the only writer. He moved from there to Miami Vice, where he was a supervising producer.
Wolf's Law & Order, which ran from 1990 to 2010, tied Gunsmoke for the longest-running dramatic show in television history, making it one of television's most successful franchises. It has been nominated for the most consecutive Emmy Awards of any primetime drama series. Wolf serves as creator and executive producer of the two current Law & Order drama series from Wolf Films and NBC Universal Television – Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Law & Order: UK – and did so for the three that have been cancelled – Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order: Trial by Jury and Law & Order: Los Angeles. In addition, he was the creator and executive producer of NBC's courtroom reality series Crime & Punishment, which chronicled real-life cases prosecuted by the San Diego District Attorney’s office.
Wolf's company also produced Twin Towers, the 2003 Academy Award-winning Short Documentary about two brothers, one a policeman and the other a fireman, who lost their lives in the line of duty on September 11, 2001. Wolf was also involved with the production of a theatrical documentary about the popular rock group The Doors, titled When You're Strange.
Wolf's personal honors include the Award of Excellence from the Banff Television Festival, the 2002 Creative Achievement Award from NATPE; the Anti-Defamation League’s Distinguished Entertainment Industry Award, the Leadership and Inspiration Award from the Entertainment Industries Council, the Governor’s Award by the New York Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the 1997 achievement award from the Caucus for Producers, Writers, and Directors, the 1998 Television Showman of the Year Award from the Publicists Guild of America, the 2002 Tribute from the Museum of Television and Radio, and a 2003 Special Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America.
Wolf is also an Honorary Consul general of Monaco and is actively involved in the principality’s prestigious annual Television Festival, and is its primary liaison with the entertainment community.
On March 29, 2007, Wolf received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7040 Hollywood Boulevard.
In addition to having been a classmate of former US President George W. Bush, Wolf was an employer of Fred Thompson, who sought the Republican nomination for President in 2008 with help of the national attention he gained playing the district attorney on Law & Order. Wolf supported Thompson in his bid, as he did Bush, as it has been reported that he contributed money to Thompson even before he officially announced he was running.
Wolf was credited with "Special Thanks" for the episode "Basic Lupine Urology" from "Season 3" of NBC's "Community", an homage to the style of his Law and Order series.
Wolf developed Chicago Fire, an drama about a group of men and women working at the Chicago Fire Department. The series was picked up by NBC in May 2012, and premiered on October 10, 2012, with meek numbers in the ratings and minimal reviews.
Wolf worked as an advertising copywriter at Benton & Bowles creating commercials for Crest toothpaste, all the while writing screenplays in the hopes of a film career. It was at this time that he briefly collaborated on a screenplay with Oliver Stone, who was also a struggling screenwriter at the time. He moved to Los Angeles after a few years and had three screenplays produced; one of these films, Masquerade starring Rob Lowe and Meg Tilly, was well received. He started his television career as a staff writer on Hill Street Blues and was nominated for his first Emmy for an episode (entitled "What Are Friends For?") on which he was the only writer. He moved from there to Miami Vice, where he was a supervising producer.
Wolf's Law & Order, which ran from 1990 to 2010, tied Gunsmoke for the longest-running dramatic show in television history, making it one of television's most successful franchises. It has been nominated for the most consecutive Emmy Awards of any primetime drama series. Wolf serves as creator and executive producer of the two current Law & Order drama series from Wolf Films and NBC Universal Television – Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Law & Order: UK – and did so for the three that have been cancelled – Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order: Trial by Jury and Law & Order: Los Angeles. In addition, he was the creator and executive producer of NBC's courtroom reality series Crime & Punishment, which chronicled real-life cases prosecuted by the San Diego District Attorney’s office.
Wolf's company also produced Twin Towers, the 2003 Academy Award-winning Short Documentary about two brothers, one a policeman and the other a fireman, who lost their lives in the line of duty on September 11, 2001. Wolf was also involved with the production of a theatrical documentary about the popular rock group The Doors, titled When You're Strange.
Wolf's personal honors include the Award of Excellence from the Banff Television Festival, the 2002 Creative Achievement Award from NATPE; the Anti-Defamation League’s Distinguished Entertainment Industry Award, the Leadership and Inspiration Award from the Entertainment Industries Council, the Governor’s Award by the New York Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the 1997 achievement award from the Caucus for Producers, Writers, and Directors, the 1998 Television Showman of the Year Award from the Publicists Guild of America, the 2002 Tribute from the Museum of Television and Radio, and a 2003 Special Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America.
Wolf is also an Honorary Consul general of Monaco and is actively involved in the principality’s prestigious annual Television Festival, and is its primary liaison with the entertainment community.
On March 29, 2007, Wolf received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7040 Hollywood Boulevard.
In addition to having been a classmate of former US President George W. Bush, Wolf was an employer of Fred Thompson, who sought the Republican nomination for President in 2008 with help of the national attention he gained playing the district attorney on Law & Order. Wolf supported Thompson in his bid, as he did Bush, as it has been reported that he contributed money to Thompson even before he officially announced he was running.
Wolf was credited with "Special Thanks" for the episode "Basic Lupine Urology" from "Season 3" of NBC's "Community", an homage to the style of his Law and Order series.
Wolf developed Chicago Fire, an drama about a group of men and women working at the Chicago Fire Department. The series was picked up by NBC in May 2012, and premiered on October 10, 2012, with meek numbers in the ratings and minimal reviews.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 288 reviews
September 11, 2015
Who hasn’t seen at least one episode of Law and Order, the longest running scripted show on television? It’s been around, would you believe, since 1990. Dick Wolf, the creator of the show, is an award winning director, and producer. Now he's turned his hand to writing books, and he's proved that he can tell gripping stories no matter the medium.
In 2013, he released his first book THE INTERCEPT, and it took me a while to get around to reading it. (If you saw my to-be-read review pile, you would be afraid.) Once I did get to it, I read it in a few sittings. It was brilliant, and a masterful thriller debut.
Its not surprising that Wolf can write a page turning thriller/drama. He does wonders with a 40-minute television slot. Through that discipline, it’s clear he’s learned the craft of grabbing hold of a reader and not letting them go until the last page.
This year he’s released the second in the series THE EXECUTION—although you can read either of these books as a stand-alone. Both stories are a cross between a police procedural and a political thriller set in New York.
His protagonist, Jeremy Fisk, is an investigating officer from the department's Intelligence Division in New York, and he is the perfect, intelligent character on the wrong side of authority to take us on a thill ride.
The story setups are very good. In THE INTERCEPT a plane hijacking is foiled and the passengers who prevent it become instant celebrities. Fisk suspects there is more to this attempt than meets the eye, and that there is an even greater terrorist threat connected to it.
In THE EXECUTION, we follow on directly from the first book, and in the opening scenes, there are some grizzly, nasty chapters à la Breaking Bad involving a Mexican drug lord. Wolf introduces us to Detective Cecilia Garza of the Mexican intelligence agency, and she is a great foil for Jeremy Fisk.
Dick Wolf has become one of my favorite authors. I never miss an episode of Law and Order; in 24 years I’ve only ever missed a couple of episodes of any of the series. I won’t be missing any of his books either. He is an accomplished author and knows how to entertain in any format.
Thank you to Hachette Australia who supplied both these books to me in return for my honest opinion.
In 2013, he released his first book THE INTERCEPT, and it took me a while to get around to reading it. (If you saw my to-be-read review pile, you would be afraid.) Once I did get to it, I read it in a few sittings. It was brilliant, and a masterful thriller debut.
Its not surprising that Wolf can write a page turning thriller/drama. He does wonders with a 40-minute television slot. Through that discipline, it’s clear he’s learned the craft of grabbing hold of a reader and not letting them go until the last page.
This year he’s released the second in the series THE EXECUTION—although you can read either of these books as a stand-alone. Both stories are a cross between a police procedural and a political thriller set in New York.
His protagonist, Jeremy Fisk, is an investigating officer from the department's Intelligence Division in New York, and he is the perfect, intelligent character on the wrong side of authority to take us on a thill ride.
The story setups are very good. In THE INTERCEPT a plane hijacking is foiled and the passengers who prevent it become instant celebrities. Fisk suspects there is more to this attempt than meets the eye, and that there is an even greater terrorist threat connected to it.
In THE EXECUTION, we follow on directly from the first book, and in the opening scenes, there are some grizzly, nasty chapters à la Breaking Bad involving a Mexican drug lord. Wolf introduces us to Detective Cecilia Garza of the Mexican intelligence agency, and she is a great foil for Jeremy Fisk.
Dick Wolf has become one of my favorite authors. I never miss an episode of Law and Order; in 24 years I’ve only ever missed a couple of episodes of any of the series. I won’t be missing any of his books either. He is an accomplished author and knows how to entertain in any format.
Thank you to Hachette Australia who supplied both these books to me in return for my honest opinion.
January 23, 2014
Tremendous second novel in the Jeremy Fisk series! I would highly recommend you read "The Intercept" first as this is a continueing series. If you haven't read the "The Intercept", start ASAP!
March 9, 2014
I like what Mr. Wolf does to television. He is a master and he knows how to create good television shows that last a long time due to really nice writing. That is why I was excited to see what he could do in the book world. While there is not a lack of action, I struggled with this book. In fact, I finished this book a long time ago and have not found the right words to put down for my thoughts on this book. In fact, I don't know if I still really have found them but I am going to try.
The beginning started out great but then it slowed down in the middle, which was kind of funny as the chapters were short, but the ending finished out alright. With the chapters being short, it felt rushed and therefore I did not get the connection I usually get from Mr. Wolf with his characters. So I found myself breezing through the book but going through the motions. Nothing special about this book just another book. If you want to feel a stronger connection to Fisk then you might want to start out with book one, The Intercept.
The beginning started out great but then it slowed down in the middle, which was kind of funny as the chapters were short, but the ending finished out alright. With the chapters being short, it felt rushed and therefore I did not get the connection I usually get from Mr. Wolf with his characters. So I found myself breezing through the book but going through the motions. Nothing special about this book just another book. If you want to feel a stronger connection to Fisk then you might want to start out with book one, The Intercept.
October 17, 2019
A wonderful continuation of the Jeremy Fisk series. A nice enjoyable escape into a crime mystery. I grew to love Fisk in the first novel, and felt his female counterpart in that story was great, but here I loved even more the character of Cecilia Garza. She was a much stronger rival/lover for him. She was such a strong woman with that right amount of vulnerability. Her story was fascinating; interactions between her Fisk were interesting and compelling. I hope that we will see more of her as the series continues. Overall it was a very interesting and well-written story. I can't wait to read more stories from Dick Wolf and go on more adventures with Jeremy Fisk.
September 8, 2025
“We have to be better than those we hunt."
That is the goal, however...cupcakes anyone?😁 Anyway, Dick Wolf's Detective Jeremy Fisk of the NYPD Intelligence Division is back, and he's caught up to Magnus Jenssen, his nemesis from book one, with some interesting results, but the majority of this story centers around Mexican cartels and their most accomplished assassin, a really bad hombre with the unlikely nick name of "Chuparosa" which I learned is hummingbird in Mexican Spanish. Apparently this assassin has come to NYC to kill the president of Mexico who is visiting to sign an important agreement with President Obama. Fisk teams up with a lovely female Federale to make sure everyone is safe but Comandante Garza has a history of her own with the assassin, and of course things aren't always what they seem. Very entertaining, I am definitely going for book three!
That is the goal, however...cupcakes anyone?😁 Anyway, Dick Wolf's Detective Jeremy Fisk of the NYPD Intelligence Division is back, and he's caught up to Magnus Jenssen, his nemesis from book one, with some interesting results, but the majority of this story centers around Mexican cartels and their most accomplished assassin, a really bad hombre with the unlikely nick name of "Chuparosa" which I learned is hummingbird in Mexican Spanish. Apparently this assassin has come to NYC to kill the president of Mexico who is visiting to sign an important agreement with President Obama. Fisk teams up with a lovely female Federale to make sure everyone is safe but Comandante Garza has a history of her own with the assassin, and of course things aren't always what they seem. Very entertaining, I am definitely going for book three!
January 27, 2014
I enjoyed this book by Dick Wolf more than his first. Maybe it was because, having read the first one, my expectations were lower.
Pretty fast paced thriller about two agents, one NYPD and the other Mexican, chasing an assassin. You learn early on that this assassin is one bad dude.
Twists at the ending, although the clues were there during the book, were surprising to me.
All in all worth the read, even though I don't think it will ever achieve 'classic status' along the lines of Flynn, Berenson, Thor, etc.
But that's just my view and as always your mileage may vary.
Pretty fast paced thriller about two agents, one NYPD and the other Mexican, chasing an assassin. You learn early on that this assassin is one bad dude.
Twists at the ending, although the clues were there during the book, were surprising to me.
All in all worth the read, even though I don't think it will ever achieve 'classic status' along the lines of Flynn, Berenson, Thor, etc.
But that's just my view and as always your mileage may vary.
November 18, 2014
This was my first introduction to any writing by Dick Wolf, create of TV's successful Law & Order series. I had high hopes therefore going in. But for me this was a mediocre crime thriller. I read crime and thrillers more than any other genre so I know what I love and what I don't, this was a middle of the road novel in my opinion.
What's the book about?
The second page-turning thriller from the creator of Law & Order starring NYPD Special Agent Jeremy Fisk.
Soon after the Mexican presidential election, twenty-three bodies are discovered beheaded on the United States border, each marked with a unique symbol - a carving of a hummingbird. Detective Cecilia Garza of the Mexican intelligence agency recognizes it as the signature of Chuparosa - an assassin feared for his cunning and brutality. The fierce and intense detective has been pursuing the killer for years, yet knows little about him, except that he's heading to New York - with the rest of the world.
It's United Nations Week in Manhattan and Jeremy Fisk can't let grief over a devastating loss keep him from his duty to safeguard the city. Complicating matters is news of a mass murder nearby - and the arrival of the disturbingly beautiful and assertive Cecilia Garza, determined to do things her way.
In the race to catch Chuparosa, these uneasy allies must learn to work together, and fast. As they soon discover, there's more to this threat than meets the eye - and Fisk will have to learn the hard way that justice is not always blind.
My Review:
So essentially we have murders galore going on at the US/Mexico border, executions of rival Cartel members and innocent people alike, the dead bodies are piling up (minus their heads and various other body parts) and Detective Cecilia Garzia knows who she is looking for to pin the blame on. She's after a powerful and dangerous Cartel leader called Chuparosa, known for his drawings of a Hummingbird sometimes on the bodies of his victims. We are talking ruthless Mexican drug cartel stuff.
I had trouble connecting with Garzia as a character, she is known as the "Ice Queen" due to her poker faced ability to be tough, she has to be, she is in a man's world and has to earn the respect of those around her. I wanted her to be more realistic, I wanted to connect and see underneath a bit more, we got glimpses but I was left wanting.
When execution style murders happen on US soil with the signature of Chuparosa all over the bodies, Garzia teams up with NYPD Special Agent Jeremy Fisk to solve the crimes. For a lot of the book they are not gelling together well, approaching things from different angles.
I found Fisk a better character to feel connected with slightly, perhaps reading the first book might have introduced me to his character more in-depth, but again, he kind of escaped me. Didn't stand out as a memorable character at all.
The middle of the book just lost me after it's all-action gruesome starting point and developments. I was just bored, too much emphasis on ongoing conversation, politics and procedures for me. I felt it lacked the flair it needed to keep the book really bouncing along. I like my crime to be gutsy and to hold me through every word. Don't get me wrong, there are good parts in the book too, it just was not consistent for me.
It combines politics with police work, blends together police and special forces from Mexico and the USA, throws together unlikely people into working relationship but do they get their man?
Does The Hummingbird fly free? Is Chuparosa's time up as a violent and dangerous man. And how many headless bodies turn up before they even gets close to him? You have to read the book to find out.
I think fans of this style of crime novel might indeed love this book, as will fans of Dick Wolf's previous novels. It's not bad, but it's not going to stick in my memory.
I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
What's the book about?
The second page-turning thriller from the creator of Law & Order starring NYPD Special Agent Jeremy Fisk.
Soon after the Mexican presidential election, twenty-three bodies are discovered beheaded on the United States border, each marked with a unique symbol - a carving of a hummingbird. Detective Cecilia Garza of the Mexican intelligence agency recognizes it as the signature of Chuparosa - an assassin feared for his cunning and brutality. The fierce and intense detective has been pursuing the killer for years, yet knows little about him, except that he's heading to New York - with the rest of the world.
It's United Nations Week in Manhattan and Jeremy Fisk can't let grief over a devastating loss keep him from his duty to safeguard the city. Complicating matters is news of a mass murder nearby - and the arrival of the disturbingly beautiful and assertive Cecilia Garza, determined to do things her way.
In the race to catch Chuparosa, these uneasy allies must learn to work together, and fast. As they soon discover, there's more to this threat than meets the eye - and Fisk will have to learn the hard way that justice is not always blind.
My Review:
So essentially we have murders galore going on at the US/Mexico border, executions of rival Cartel members and innocent people alike, the dead bodies are piling up (minus their heads and various other body parts) and Detective Cecilia Garzia knows who she is looking for to pin the blame on. She's after a powerful and dangerous Cartel leader called Chuparosa, known for his drawings of a Hummingbird sometimes on the bodies of his victims. We are talking ruthless Mexican drug cartel stuff.
I had trouble connecting with Garzia as a character, she is known as the "Ice Queen" due to her poker faced ability to be tough, she has to be, she is in a man's world and has to earn the respect of those around her. I wanted her to be more realistic, I wanted to connect and see underneath a bit more, we got glimpses but I was left wanting.
When execution style murders happen on US soil with the signature of Chuparosa all over the bodies, Garzia teams up with NYPD Special Agent Jeremy Fisk to solve the crimes. For a lot of the book they are not gelling together well, approaching things from different angles.
I found Fisk a better character to feel connected with slightly, perhaps reading the first book might have introduced me to his character more in-depth, but again, he kind of escaped me. Didn't stand out as a memorable character at all.
The middle of the book just lost me after it's all-action gruesome starting point and developments. I was just bored, too much emphasis on ongoing conversation, politics and procedures for me. I felt it lacked the flair it needed to keep the book really bouncing along. I like my crime to be gutsy and to hold me through every word. Don't get me wrong, there are good parts in the book too, it just was not consistent for me.
It combines politics with police work, blends together police and special forces from Mexico and the USA, throws together unlikely people into working relationship but do they get their man?
Does The Hummingbird fly free? Is Chuparosa's time up as a violent and dangerous man. And how many headless bodies turn up before they even gets close to him? You have to read the book to find out.
I think fans of this style of crime novel might indeed love this book, as will fans of Dick Wolf's previous novels. It's not bad, but it's not going to stick in my memory.
I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 14, 2014
Great read. Beyond the lines drawn between countries there are those who blur the lines for their own benefit, they are called assassins. With one federal agents mission to find the truth and another agent from Mexico trying to catch a self made man in brutality. Then add this directive of the killer, whom has managed to hide his idenity, to make his mark before he is killed in this game of cat and mouse. Very well written, thoroughly enjoyed this book. Highly recommended read.
February 13, 2014
I loved this book. There were a lot of different stories that interconnected. I loved the character of Garza as she was such a strong, incorruptible police officer. Her story was fascinating and her interactions with Jeremy were compelling. A very interesting and well-written story. Can't wait to read more stories by this author.
August 25, 2015
This is the second book by Dick Wolf and you may recognize his name since he co-created/wrote the Law and Order series on TV. Main character in this book is Jeremy Fisk and he works for the NYPD. Jeremy is what you would call your normal cop working for the department. He works on his own trying to find terrorists based in New York. This time he is after a group that reminds me of ISIS. This book is scary and not in the horror way but in the real life way because this can happen and then again it may be happening as your reading this. I thought the book was going to be like this throughout boy was I wrong.
The book opens with Jeremy sitting in a car at the Canadian border (New York side) waiting for terrorists to cross who have a highly toxic, radioactive isotope in the middle of winter during a snow storm. Windows ice up and it is Jeremy’s turn to scrape windows. Jeremy goes to take care of business in the trees and hears a lot of gun fire (fade out). Now it is July and the setting is Mexico where a group of men standing around smoking cigs while 1 guy is chopping heads off of people that are tied up with a tool that was made just for this purpose. This is all tied in to the book. Just reading the first couple of chapters I know that I was going to be kept guessing till the end of the book on who the real culprit is.
What I liked about the book was it wasn't your normal espionage/political book. The story is told as if you were watching a movie. Doesn't jump back and forth a lot and is written very smoothly. Love it when the good guys win fairly without any dirty tricks and the right thing is done. Only if our world can be like that.
The book opens with Jeremy sitting in a car at the Canadian border (New York side) waiting for terrorists to cross who have a highly toxic, radioactive isotope in the middle of winter during a snow storm. Windows ice up and it is Jeremy’s turn to scrape windows. Jeremy goes to take care of business in the trees and hears a lot of gun fire (fade out). Now it is July and the setting is Mexico where a group of men standing around smoking cigs while 1 guy is chopping heads off of people that are tied up with a tool that was made just for this purpose. This is all tied in to the book. Just reading the first couple of chapters I know that I was going to be kept guessing till the end of the book on who the real culprit is.
What I liked about the book was it wasn't your normal espionage/political book. The story is told as if you were watching a movie. Doesn't jump back and forth a lot and is written very smoothly. Love it when the good guys win fairly without any dirty tricks and the right thing is done. Only if our world can be like that.
October 22, 2014
This book starts quickly, but I almost didn’t make it to the end, so a little advice up front: Do try, since the pace picks up and the story improves toward the end. Until then, although there were interesting, exciting moments, the story mostly seemed to plod along. Too much explanation, not enough action. There are frequent intrusions into the story while the author provides information he thinks the reader needs. These range from blatant parenthetical asides while a character is “on stage” to paragraphs of background information about government agencies and their operating methods. Every time this happens, we suddenly “see” the author, which ends our immersion in the story. This is not a book you’ll get lost in. Additionally, much of what happens to the characters is telegraphed well ahead. Any character who claims to be too busy to become involved will surely become involved, any head of state who fears making a bad decision will soon make one to move the plot along, and possible romances end up right where you suspected they would as predictably as a romance novel. Dick Wolf’s writing is solid, despite the issues with style and plotting. His knowledge of the setting (New York) adds great dimension, and the plot itself is an attention grabber.
August 15, 2014
Dick Wolf does not disappoint. In this second novel we find Jeremy Fisk continuing to battle Islamic terrorists from Sweden in the cold woods of New York on the Canadian border. However, the main plot of this book is set in NYC and involves narco-terrorists from Mexico. Fisk butts heads with an attractive, no nonsense Latina from the equivalent of the Mexican FBI/CIA. She is in town protecting the President of Mexico. Fisk has been sidetracked to a mission involving the United Nations. It's UN Week in NYC and the place is crazy with diplomats and their personal security detachments. Fisk and Commandante Garza are attracted to each other but maintain a professional distance. This possible romance or hook-up is played out in a race against time to catch an evil drug lord who has left Mexico for it seems one purpose-to take out the Mexican president. When this novel is over, it's not over. So many twists in this plot left you just stunned at the end. Where's Dick taking us in book three? I can hardly wait.
September 16, 2021
This was one of those books that I felt I should have enjoyed much more than I did. The characters were okay, Fisk was a decent lead & a nice contrast to the aloof Ice Queen aka Celcilia Garza. The storyline on the face of it was just my thing - twenty-three beheaded bodies discovered & carved with a humming bird had me intrigued & I was expecting a gripping read....but for me it didn't deliver.
I did consider packing it in early on. There a lot of "information" passages & while at least not textbook-like in their dryness, they did have me skimming rapidly over them to stop my eyes glazing over. There were quite a few of these passages throughout the book & I felt they slowed down the pace, detracting from the story, but there were enough parts of interest to keep me reading. However, some parts didn't come together particularly well & the ending was a bit of an anti-climax.
Overall it was a middle-of-the-road tale - wouldn't say you must read it but wouldn't say you shouldn't! 2.5 stars seems fair
I did consider packing it in early on. There a lot of "information" passages & while at least not textbook-like in their dryness, they did have me skimming rapidly over them to stop my eyes glazing over. There were quite a few of these passages throughout the book & I felt they slowed down the pace, detracting from the story, but there were enough parts of interest to keep me reading. However, some parts didn't come together particularly well & the ending was a bit of an anti-climax.
Overall it was a middle-of-the-road tale - wouldn't say you must read it but wouldn't say you shouldn't! 2.5 stars seems fair
February 18, 2014
While not quite as good as the first Fisk book this one is still pretty decent. NYPD Detective Fisk is back on the case and chasing down a hummingbird in this installment. Hummingbird is the name of a ruthless assassin visiting the Big Apple up from Mexico. With the Federales hot on his tail he splits from Mexico with what appears to be plans of assassinating the Mexican Presidente at a meeting with Obama. This one just seemed a bit slower and fit with a rushed ending as opposed to the first Fisk novel. I did like the twists thrown in at the end even if it did feel a bit rushed. I look forward to the next novel in the series, if there are going to be more.
October 30, 2020
The second book in a series is often a little bit of a let down from the first. I have to say this book is no exception, the story started out well and then seemed to stall in the middle a bit. That being said, I still left a fan of Dick Wolfs writing and look forward to more in this series!
April 9, 2025
NYPD Intel agent Jeremy Fisk is back again on a city-wide manhunt to stop a heinous Mexican serial killer from committing acts of atrocities in New York. Like the Intercept, The Execution is a great thrilling page-turner, but does not quite live up to the quality of the first novel.
Our reintroduction to Fisk after another banger of a cold opening chapter sends the novel back and forth between Mexico’s comandante Cecilia Garza and Fisk’s NY setting before they join forces. The pacing and smooth chapter transitions keep the book flowing at a rapid pace that is super easy to digest and never gets boring. Wolf’s writing style definitely grips your attention and seemingly inconsequential chapters tie into the later plot in very creative ways. For a while this book seemed to tackle a Mexican cartel vs USA angle as opposed to the former novel’s terrorism vs USA angle, but that’s where I think the novel loses itself a little bit. It never really follows a groove. We have terrorism in the first couple of chapters, then you have cartel violence, then you have an assassination plot, then you have a serial killer, then you sort of get a conglomeration of these things all somewhat related but not really. The Execution felt like 4 different ideas that never really mesh together like the situation with “the six” did in the first novel. The script flip with the informant wasn’t nearly as impactful as Jennison flip was in the Intercept.
That being said, it doesn’t make this a bad novel, it’s just not as good as the first. I really liked Garza and we do get to learn a little more about Fisk, but this novel leans more towards detective work than action. If I hadn’t read Don Winslow before reading Dick Wolf, I probably would’ve enjoyed this more, but literally everything Wolf does here is done better in Winslow’s Cartel/Border trilogy. I do feel it’s important to mention the Fisk’s revenge for Gerston was a surprise I did not see coming and Wolf’s writing style is great.
Not as many thoughts on this novel. This was still a fun read and the thriller aspects are still there, it just wasn’t quite up the par with The Intercept. It’s pacing kept me engaged more than the events themselves. Not a book I’d come back to, but I would still recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the first novel. 3.5/5 rounded down to 3/5.
Our reintroduction to Fisk after another banger of a cold opening chapter sends the novel back and forth between Mexico’s comandante Cecilia Garza and Fisk’s NY setting before they join forces. The pacing and smooth chapter transitions keep the book flowing at a rapid pace that is super easy to digest and never gets boring. Wolf’s writing style definitely grips your attention and seemingly inconsequential chapters tie into the later plot in very creative ways. For a while this book seemed to tackle a Mexican cartel vs USA angle as opposed to the former novel’s terrorism vs USA angle, but that’s where I think the novel loses itself a little bit. It never really follows a groove. We have terrorism in the first couple of chapters, then you have cartel violence, then you have an assassination plot, then you have a serial killer, then you sort of get a conglomeration of these things all somewhat related but not really. The Execution felt like 4 different ideas that never really mesh together like the situation with “the six” did in the first novel. The script flip with the informant wasn’t nearly as impactful as Jennison flip was in the Intercept.
That being said, it doesn’t make this a bad novel, it’s just not as good as the first. I really liked Garza and we do get to learn a little more about Fisk, but this novel leans more towards detective work than action. If I hadn’t read Don Winslow before reading Dick Wolf, I probably would’ve enjoyed this more, but literally everything Wolf does here is done better in Winslow’s Cartel/Border trilogy. I do feel it’s important to mention the Fisk’s revenge for Gerston was a surprise I did not see coming and Wolf’s writing style is great.
Not as many thoughts on this novel. This was still a fun read and the thriller aspects are still there, it just wasn’t quite up the par with The Intercept. It’s pacing kept me engaged more than the events themselves. Not a book I’d come back to, but I would still recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the first novel. 3.5/5 rounded down to 3/5.
January 10, 2020
NYPD Intel officer Jeremy Fisk stops a band of Swedish terrorists while Mexican Federal Police Officer Cecilia Garza is in pursuit of a ruthless cartel lord. The two lines merge when it becomes apparent the assassin is targeting the Mexican and U.S. Presidents at an upscale restaurant. (Ironic considering Fisk’s surviving on vending machine sandwiches).
Enter a host of characters from all kinds of the law enforcement alphabet and the clues dramatically come together although there is no real logical chain.
This one has so many predictable elements in it. On the other hand, it did have an interesting plot twist at the end.
For me, this one ranks as a 3/5 or an average book. Yet, it did have enough to keep the third book of the series in my TBR pile.
Enter a host of characters from all kinds of the law enforcement alphabet and the clues dramatically come together although there is no real logical chain.
This one has so many predictable elements in it. On the other hand, it did have an interesting plot twist at the end.
For me, this one ranks as a 3/5 or an average book. Yet, it did have enough to keep the third book of the series in my TBR pile.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 4, 2025
The first Jeremy Fisk book ends with Fisk in a very difficult emotional and physical shape. He gets back to work in this book and deals with his issues by befriending a colleague from Mexico. It is an exciting case that he works on, and it is very well written.
December 29, 2013
Jeremy Fisk has been cleared for police duty only it won't be the kind he was hoping for. It's United Nations Week in New York City which means he will be working Intel in aiding foreign dignitaries for their week long summit. After losing his former partner and girlfriend Krina Gersten in a terrorist plot what was discovered before it had a chance to be carried out, he still had feelings that justice had not been served the way he would have wanted. Even though the trial carried with it a guilty verdict, Fisk still wanted more than just seeing the man responsible spending life behind the bars of prison.
Fate would see to it that Fisk would be allowed that brief moment to right the wrongs he felt he was due in life and no one would be able to prove he had anything to do with it. Hoping to find out just what information they could glean from Swedish Muslim terrorist Magnus Jenssen before he was locked up for good, Fisk was granted the opportunity to speak to him privately as long as he didn't physically lay a hand on him. The Feds believed that Jenssen would be smug enough to let something slip they could use to further prevent any further terrorist activity from occurring in the United States. Just because one terrorist act failed didn't mean there were not others who were working on bigger plans.
Once Fisk had his words with Jenssen, he began to work on Intel for the UN Week. What he didn't expect during this time was that he would once again be called back into work when a mass of headless bodies appears on Rockaway Beach. Could this have anything to do with the recent mass murders that are plaguing the Federal Police Department in Mexico headed up by Commandante Cecilia Garza, also known as the Ice Queen. Now assigned as the Personal Security detail for the Mexican President, she begins to work with Detective Fisk to uncover a bigger terrorist plot that will place both of their presidents at risk of execution, if only they can unravel it in time.
In the latest novel from Dick Wolf, the New York Times best selling author of the Intercept brings you the sequel The Execution. This one will leave you virtually hanging on every page as the threat draws closer and the body count begins to add up. The real back story is the past that both Fisk and Garza carry that refuses to let them see justice prevail despite the fact that the bad guy simply gets locked up. When things get personal, it seems that revenge in the purest sense begins to rear its head and shows that justice truly is blind in the eyes of the law and for the criminals. I love the way this one ended in a so called double standard but could see that as something I would be tempted to do as well. I'll have to let you see how it truly plays out in the end. If you love shows like Law and Order, then you will definitely want to pick this one up.
I received The Execution by Dick Wolf compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own. Being a huge fan of crime novels, I easily give this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars more for the ending than anything else without giving away the ending. I can't wait for more Jeremy Fisk novels from Dick Wolf in the future.
Fate would see to it that Fisk would be allowed that brief moment to right the wrongs he felt he was due in life and no one would be able to prove he had anything to do with it. Hoping to find out just what information they could glean from Swedish Muslim terrorist Magnus Jenssen before he was locked up for good, Fisk was granted the opportunity to speak to him privately as long as he didn't physically lay a hand on him. The Feds believed that Jenssen would be smug enough to let something slip they could use to further prevent any further terrorist activity from occurring in the United States. Just because one terrorist act failed didn't mean there were not others who were working on bigger plans.
Once Fisk had his words with Jenssen, he began to work on Intel for the UN Week. What he didn't expect during this time was that he would once again be called back into work when a mass of headless bodies appears on Rockaway Beach. Could this have anything to do with the recent mass murders that are plaguing the Federal Police Department in Mexico headed up by Commandante Cecilia Garza, also known as the Ice Queen. Now assigned as the Personal Security detail for the Mexican President, she begins to work with Detective Fisk to uncover a bigger terrorist plot that will place both of their presidents at risk of execution, if only they can unravel it in time.
In the latest novel from Dick Wolf, the New York Times best selling author of the Intercept brings you the sequel The Execution. This one will leave you virtually hanging on every page as the threat draws closer and the body count begins to add up. The real back story is the past that both Fisk and Garza carry that refuses to let them see justice prevail despite the fact that the bad guy simply gets locked up. When things get personal, it seems that revenge in the purest sense begins to rear its head and shows that justice truly is blind in the eyes of the law and for the criminals. I love the way this one ended in a so called double standard but could see that as something I would be tempted to do as well. I'll have to let you see how it truly plays out in the end. If you love shows like Law and Order, then you will definitely want to pick this one up.
I received The Execution by Dick Wolf compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own. Being a huge fan of crime novels, I easily give this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars more for the ending than anything else without giving away the ending. I can't wait for more Jeremy Fisk novels from Dick Wolf in the future.
April 14, 2015
"What kind of mind dreams up abominations like this?" p 45. Creepy Mexican mobster called Chuparosa artistically carves hummingbird into "headless handless corpse" p 47. Rating could stay high to admire author ability, even if I don't "Like" mutilation.
"The explosive noise of the guns had set off a chain reaction" p 1 starts book with a bang. NYPD Jeremy Fisk holds only a windshield scraper while Swedes massacre all other agents in a white-out snowstorm. Tension builds as he takes out bad guys.
"Chain of command .. Distance yourself from Commandante Hottie" p 253. Inter- and intra-agency squabbles mean Fisk has trouble with more than villains to get the job done. He mourns girlfriend Krina Gersten, unready to romance "Ice Queen" p 46 Mexican Detective Cecilia Garza.
During UN Week in Manhattan, for "grand finale" Presidents Obama and Vargas will "sign a narcoterrorism treaty" p 101 in restaurant of Andrés León, who funds Vargas. In a twist, Hummingbird "destined to fail" p 317 makes suicide run for "someone measurably more influential" p 322 than Presidents.
C-warning. "Karma" p 334 hits Janssen, book #1 enemy who killed hero's girlfriend, "after serving only a few weeks in prison" p 335. Retribution loses CIA buddy Dave Link "I'll f-ing drone-strike your house .. You and I are strangers" p 334.
"No aftereffects from the radiological poisoning?" "None, Fisk lied" p 99. Fisk will face more personal problems and international terrorists. I flipped these pages past fast but undecided whether to continue series hinting at cancer for hero.
"The explosive noise of the guns had set off a chain reaction" p 1 starts book with a bang. NYPD Jeremy Fisk holds only a windshield scraper while Swedes massacre all other agents in a white-out snowstorm. Tension builds as he takes out bad guys.
"Chain of command .. Distance yourself from Commandante Hottie" p 253. Inter- and intra-agency squabbles mean Fisk has trouble with more than villains to get the job done. He mourns girlfriend Krina Gersten, unready to romance "Ice Queen" p 46 Mexican Detective Cecilia Garza.
During UN Week in Manhattan, for "grand finale" Presidents Obama and Vargas will "sign a narcoterrorism treaty" p 101 in restaurant of Andrés León, who funds Vargas. In a twist, Hummingbird "destined to fail" p 317 makes suicide run for "someone measurably more influential" p 322 than Presidents.
C-warning. "Karma" p 334 hits Janssen, book #1 enemy who killed hero's girlfriend, "after serving only a few weeks in prison" p 335. Retribution loses CIA buddy Dave Link "I'll f-ing drone-strike your house .. You and I are strangers" p 334.
"No aftereffects from the radiological poisoning?" "None, Fisk lied" p 99. Fisk will face more personal problems and international terrorists. I flipped these pages past fast but undecided whether to continue series hinting at cancer for hero.
July 24, 2014
Dick Wolf, the creator of Law & Order, is back with his latest Jeremy Fisk book “The Execution.”
Coming on the heels of “The Intercept,” Wolf puts Fisk back in New York during the signing of a treaty between Mexico and the United States. Wolf does an excellent job of creating a story that starts with the executions of a number of bodies on the border of the United States and Mexico. Each body has a carving of a hummingbird, giving Detective Cecilia Garza of the Mexican Federal Police force and head of security for the Mexican President while at the U.N. in New York, reason to think that an elusive figure called Chuparosa is the person responsible for the crime. Fisk, coming off the recent threat to New York, is caught in the middle when more bodies, beheaded, are found on Rockaway Beach, NY.
Wolf keeps the action flowing and puts the reader on edge while crafting a story that builds with many different layers leading up to the exciting climax with a twist. Wolf, an Emmy award winning writer, producer, and creator, is now putting his stamp in the political thriller genre challenging the likes of Brad Thor and David Baldacci. Wolf is a master storyteller and it shows perfectly in “The Execution.”
Reviewed by John Raab for Suspense Magazine
Coming on the heels of “The Intercept,” Wolf puts Fisk back in New York during the signing of a treaty between Mexico and the United States. Wolf does an excellent job of creating a story that starts with the executions of a number of bodies on the border of the United States and Mexico. Each body has a carving of a hummingbird, giving Detective Cecilia Garza of the Mexican Federal Police force and head of security for the Mexican President while at the U.N. in New York, reason to think that an elusive figure called Chuparosa is the person responsible for the crime. Fisk, coming off the recent threat to New York, is caught in the middle when more bodies, beheaded, are found on Rockaway Beach, NY.
Wolf keeps the action flowing and puts the reader on edge while crafting a story that builds with many different layers leading up to the exciting climax with a twist. Wolf, an Emmy award winning writer, producer, and creator, is now putting his stamp in the political thriller genre challenging the likes of Brad Thor and David Baldacci. Wolf is a master storyteller and it shows perfectly in “The Execution.”
Reviewed by John Raab for Suspense Magazine
August 24, 2021
Four stars. Missed five stars because Dick Wolf can't remember what he wrote half an hour ago (not that his editors gave him any help). Here's a sample:
Page 310 of the paperback, "The barrels of the Glocks had been inserted inside the handle of a hand truck." Half a page later: "The most distinctive part--the barrels--had been set aside." No mention that they'd already been mentioned. Odd, and therefore somewhat confusing.
Page 346, an old elevator is operated by a brass handle and "a spring forced [the handle] back to the off position as soon as you let go of it." Then, half a page later, the hero, Fisk, sets the elevator in motion, then jumps off and grabs the struts underneath to ride up as he's hanging below the cage. Uh, Mr. Wolf, the elevator must have stopped because of that spring you mentioned a moment ago.
So I'm picky. I like it when authors keep track of what's going on. It's a matter of seeing a novel like watching a movie. I get engrossed. It's how I write my novels.
Page 310 of the paperback, "The barrels of the Glocks had been inserted inside the handle of a hand truck." Half a page later: "The most distinctive part--the barrels--had been set aside." No mention that they'd already been mentioned. Odd, and therefore somewhat confusing.
Page 346, an old elevator is operated by a brass handle and "a spring forced [the handle] back to the off position as soon as you let go of it." Then, half a page later, the hero, Fisk, sets the elevator in motion, then jumps off and grabs the struts underneath to ride up as he's hanging below the cage. Uh, Mr. Wolf, the elevator must have stopped because of that spring you mentioned a moment ago.
So I'm picky. I like it when authors keep track of what's going on. It's a matter of seeing a novel like watching a movie. I get engrossed. It's how I write my novels.
January 25, 2014
Excellent! I did not figure out any of the resolutions (who did it and how/why) to the plot lines until they were revealed. Some were shocking. I certainly was fed the clues, but they were woven so well into the storyline, and there were so many things going on in the book, that I was still surprised. A great resolution for the first book; and an exciting new chapter waiting to be written for book #3. You really do need to read (and remember!) book 1 - The Intercept - to benefit from reading this one. Not a book that should be read out of order in my opinion. For fans of James Patterson - short chapter - lots of action but little details. Some complain because of the lack of details - said his books are written more like a screen play for tv. Sometimes that is ok. Sometimes you just need to get absorbed in the action and leave the tedious detail for other books. If it works for James Patterson, it certainly works for Dick Wolf.
August 3, 2014
The genius behind the Law & Order series is now author to a thrilling new novel series. Jeremy Fisk is a well formed character who is sharp and credible. The detail in story plot will keep you reading well into the night. This story connects New York with Mexico and an underworld of crime and drug lords. Wolf like in his tv series writes commandingly with threads of real time events and politics. The violence is portrayed with explicit detail, but is not gratuitous. I highly recommend both books in the series.
February 27, 2019
This is book #2. There are references to book #1. This is a character / universe building book, so I would recommend you read books #1 and #2 in order for maximum enjoyment.
I did not dislike this book, it just seemed more ordinary than book #1. The twist at the end did not seem all that surprising. The first third of the book was all setup. I am still deciding how much I like this character, so I will be reading book #3 in the future. I did not get the same sense of this story fitting into real world events as the debut book.
Have a GoodReads.
I did not dislike this book, it just seemed more ordinary than book #1. The twist at the end did not seem all that surprising. The first third of the book was all setup. I am still deciding how much I like this character, so I will be reading book #3 in the future. I did not get the same sense of this story fitting into real world events as the debut book.
Have a GoodReads.
April 30, 2019
Gosh! This book had be off kilter! It would seem like a really good book, then it would seem like a not so good book. It would seem like an exciting storyline, then it would seem like a boring storyline. It would seem like all of the elements of the story were melding well, then it would seem like there were wasted words. I would have given it a 3.5 given the option. It's closer to a 3 than a 4, though. My one big eye roll - how could the guy not figure out how to say the "rosa" part of "el chuparrosa"?! Come one!
October 23, 2014
This was a good mystery & covered a lot of ground. I didn't read the first, but the author caught me up on what happened well enough, probably without being overbearing for those who had. There's not a lot of action, but that is well done & quite believable. The story was logical, the motivations very good. I'll be interested in reading another.
March 1, 2015
"The Execution" is the second mystery I have read by Dick Wolf. The author is creator of the long running TV franchise "Law And Order." The main character of the novel, Jeremy Fisk, and his counterpart from Mexico lead the action in New York City during a meeting at the U.N.. The plot has enough twists without being too hard to follow. I would read another Dick Wolf mystery.
June 29, 2015
This time Jeremy Fisk is hunting for an assassin from Mexico. Beautiful Mexican Commandant partners in the search. Exciting drama at it’s best.
July 6, 2015
One of the main characters went to my high school -- The American School in Mexico City. Pretty sweet.
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