Carver has left behind his hitman role and is concentrating on advising high profile people on what security measures they need to take to protect themselves. He has split with his girlfriend Alix (having been unable to make their relationship work after his last adventures in THE SURVIVOR). He is getting on with his new life when he notices a number of hits bearing similarities to some of his previous "accidents". The new hits include a people trafficker and pimp in Dubai (with sex slave Lara Dashian being released by the hitman) and a money launderer in California. Damon Tyzack (a former SBS colleague of Carver's) leaves behind a trail linking the killings to Carver. President Roberts, on hearing the story of Lara, wants to make abolition of slavery the main aim of his presidency.

Carver's old contacts at MI6 want to know what is going on but can't find him (and they want to know who is paying him and who is his next victim). Carver meanwhile is enjoying life in Idaho with new girlfriend Maddy Cross, when he suspects that someone is watching him. Sam and Maddy travel to Norway for the wedding of his friend Thor Larson where he unwittingly becomes involved in an assassination of a slave trade campaigner in a hotel in Oslo. With Carver linked to the murder, the Norwegian Police and other government agencies are after him, so he must escape to find out who is framing him (whilst getting away from the people determined to kill him).

Tyzack is planning to carry out the biggest hit ever – the US President, can Carver stop this happening and clear his name?

This third book is fast paced and an excellent follow-up to THE SURVIVOR – roll on book number four.

Read another review of ASSASSIN.

Paul Blackburn, Scotland
July 2009

Details of the author's other books with links to reviews can be found on the Books page.
More European crime fiction reviews can be found on the Reviews page.