289: The Medusa Protocol by Rob Hart – Summer Reading Spectacular

Circulating Ideas

Continuing the 2025 Summer Reading Spectacular, Steve chats with Rob Hart, author of The Medusa Protocol, the follow-up to Assassin’s Anonymous, about the importance of libraries in his life (and how he’s fought for them!), the inspiration behind his unique take on the assassin genre, his creative process, and much more! Following the interview, in The Circ Desk segment, Rebecca Vnuk from Library Reads and Yaika Sabat from NoveList offer reading recommendations related to Rob’s book.

Read the transcript!

Welcome back to Assassins Anonymous, the only twelve-step group where joining can be deadly.

When Astrid, known in her assassin days as Azrael, stopped showing up to Assassins Anonymous, the group assumed her past had caught up with her. Only her sponsor Mark, formerly the deadliest killer in the world, holds out hope that she’s okay. Then, during a meeting, the group gets a sign, or rather, a pizza delivery. Is there another psychopath out there who actually likes olives on their pizza, or is Astrid trying to send Mark a message?

Meanwhile, Astrid wakes up in the cell of a black site prison, on a remote island. A doctor subjects her to mysterious experiments, plumbing the depths of her memory and looking for a vital clue from her past. She’ll do anything to escape, except…killing anyone. Hmm. Turns out it’s not easy to blow this joint without blowing anything, or anyone up.

SHOW NOTES:
The Medusa Protocol
Assassin’s Anonymous

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Library Reads

The Circ Desk recommends:
Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
Fate of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
Battle Ground by Jim Butcher
Killing Me by Michelle Gagnon
The Recruiter by Gregg Podolski