I just finished this book today, and I can honestly say I am sad to see the series go. If nothing else, it is going out on a high note, with an interestingly complex and very human story surrounding the Chechen rebels and the tragedy of the women forced to become Black Widow martyrs. One of the real selling points of the series to me is the fact that although there are characters in the Room 59 hierarchy that appear as regulars, the lead characters for each story are different. As such, there is no guarantee that any particular character is safe. You really don't know until the final pages whether Ajza Manaev will live or die, and either would have been equally plausible and satisfying within the context of the story. Kudos to Mel Odom for taking the series out with a bang (and perhaps literally....).