As a reader, I’m always on the lookout for that special book that feels like the author has tapped into the very marrow of existence and has poured this essence into my brain, leaving me shaken at the depth of insights into the human condition. Sometimes, though, I’m cracking open a book just hoping to be entertained by a clever, suspenseful, witty tale that keeps me turning the pages, wondering what’s going to happen next. I just finished a book that hits that second spot as directly as any book I can remember.
The book is “Assassins Anonymous” by Rob Hart. A great piece of entertainment requires the right ingredients, properly mixed, and it is these ingredients that Hart nails. The novel opens with our protagonist, Mark, at a 12-step meeting exclusively for former hired killers who have pledged to never kill again.
An ex-Navy SEAL, Mark spent years in the service of the mysterious Agency, helping shadowy figures pull the levers of power by eliminating threats. Mark was initially convinced he was only killing bad guys, but he reached a breaking point and is now a week away from his one-year chip. But after the meeting he’s attacked by a knife-wielding Russian who leaves Mark bleeding, having stolen the booklet that contains all of Mark’s past kills, which doubles as his list for those he needs to make amends to as the next part of the 12-step journey.
How can Mark reclaim the life he’s trying so hard to make work when he can’t kill any of the people who are.
