The Assassin
By Stephen Coonts Thorndike Press, Large Print Edition (2008)
ISBN 10: 0-7862-9491-4
ISBN 13: 978-0-7862-9491-6
Genre: Suspense
Reviewed by Herbert White - September 25, 2008
Stephen Coonts is back on track with his newest Tommy Carmellini / Jake Grafton novel, The Assassin. In this non-stop thriller, Admiral Jake Grafton is called upon by the President to form a special black-Ops unit. Its mission is to hunt down Abu Qasim, an al-Qaeda leader and to start a back door war in Iraq, financed by a group of well-to-do international rich cats that think they can buy their way out of the guilt they feel by not taking a personal risk in the war on terrorism. The main impetus behind this move to privately finance a new army is Huntington Winchester, who is distraught over the death of his only son, Owen. While trying to save the life of an Iraqi woman, he tripped a bobby-trap and died in the ensuring bomb blast. Full of grief and seeking revenge, his father approached the president with his plan for financing a private army to track down and eliminate the Jihadist that killed his son.
To further this plan, Grafton sends ex-thief turned CIA Agent, Carmellini, to Iraq to head-up this new task force. However, things do not go according to plan. Qasim uncovers the plot and the members of the new 'team' and its backers, and sets out to destroy them, one-by-one. Thus begins a cat-and-mouse game that finds Grafton and Carmellini trying to get the 'bad guys' before the 'bad guys' get them. Thrown into this volatile mix is a mysterious and very beautiful women, a group of Russian dissidents, a fair share of terrorist and counter-terrorists operatives, and as expected, a good dose of shooting, explosions, and general mayhem and intrigue.
In short, The Assassin is a page-turning thriller that is a bit thin on plot but jammed packed with action, adventure, and suspense, making it a must read for all Coonts' fans and adrenaline junkies the world over.
Related Reviews:
The Traitor, by Stephen Coonts.
CIA Agent Tommy Carmellini, aided by Jake Grafton, must uncover the truth behind why a high ranking French intelligence agent is secretly funneling money to the Bank of Palestine.
Wages of Sin, by Stephen Coonts.
Jake Grafton has retired, and it falls upon Tommy Carmellini, Grafton's long time friend and cohort to uncover the truth behind a horrific massacre that decimated a CIA safe house and which left an important KGB defector dead.
