THE ASSASSIN
Andrew Britton
Kensington
Thriller
ISBN-10: 0758213344
ISBN-13: 9780758213341

• Read an Excerpt

The first question I had upon reading THE ASSASSIN, Andrew Britton's much-anticipated sequel to his 2006 debut novel THE AMERICAN, was, "Is he really that smart?!" It didn't take me long to come up with the answer: "Yes!" Still in his mid-20s, Britton appears to be positioning himself as the next Robert Ludlum. He may be well on his way to successfully doing so, creating the building blocks of what could evolve into a literary dynasty.

THE ASSASSIN is superior to its predecessor in some ways and perhaps less so in others, though on balance it is more than worth the wait. This new thriller features the return of CIA agent Ryan Kealey, badly bent if not broken from the events of the previous novel, as well as Will Vanderveen, Kealey's eternal nemesis and the cause of his damage and heartbreak. Believed by Kealey to be dead at the end of THE AMERICAN, Vanderveen is very much alive, seeking revenge against Kealey for the failure of his prior mission while intent upon bringing the government of the United States down for good.

The path by which Kealey uncovers Vanderveen's subterfuge and ultimate trail moves a bit slowly at times during the book's first half, though much of this is due to Britton's painstaking insistence on getting his world right. To his credit, he does not take intellectual shortcuts or talk down to his reader. If anything, it gives us time to catch our breath between flash fires and explosions, which are more than plentiful in THE ASSASSIN.

The second half of the book is much faster-paced --- Britton having set his blocks up where he wants them --- and the result is a heart-in-mouth read where anything can and does happen, including a possible tip-off concerning where the author's franchise (at least this one) might be in 30 years or so. It is not unlikely at this point, given his age and status, though I for one might not be around to see if I'm right. Perhaps the possibility will give me the proper incentive to do so.

It's exciting to watch someone of Britton's talent build a career from the ground up. If you haven't jumped on the locomotive yet, what are you waiting for? THE ASSASSIN, like THE AMERICAN, demonstrates that Britton can and will do anything to keep his readers guessing and turning pages. And, may I add, living.

   --- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

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