Circulating Ideas

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


Listen Later

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

Find out if your library has NoveList! 
Learn more about Learn with NoveList Plus and get a free infographic!
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

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Circulating IdeasBy Steve Thomas

  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9

4.9

35 ratings


More shows like Circulating Ideas

View all
This American Life by This American Life

This American Life

91,001 Listeners

Fresh Air by NPR

Fresh Air

38,187 Listeners

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! by NPR

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

38,849 Listeners

Pop Culture Happy Hour by NPR

Pop Culture Happy Hour

11,564 Listeners

The Book Review by The New York Times

The Book Review

3,957 Listeners

Book Riot - The Podcast by Book Riot

Book Riot - The Podcast

1,019 Listeners

Code Switch by NPR

Code Switch

14,662 Listeners

Lovett or Leave It by Lovett or Leave It

Lovett or Leave It

25,139 Listeners

It's Been a Minute by NPR

It's Been a Minute

9,076 Listeners

The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

The Ezra Klein Show

16,205 Listeners

Libraries Lead! by Beth Patin, Dave Lankes, & Mike Eisenberg

Libraries Lead!

10 Listeners

NPR's Book of the Day by NPR

NPR's Book of the Day

671 Listeners

The Interview by The New York Times

The Interview

1,676 Listeners

Critics at Large | The New Yorker by The New Yorker

Critics at Large | The New Yorker

657 Listeners

Zero to Well-Read by Book Riot

Zero to Well-Read

593 Listeners