- Hardcover: 368 pages
- Publisher: Bantam Press; UK First Edition edition (2 July 2009)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0593062310
- ISBN-13: 978-0593062319
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 15.2 x 3.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 392,305 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Assassin
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More About the Author
Product Description
Book Description
The Accident Man is back in Tom Cain's high-octane new thriller
Product Description
When a people-trafficker bites the dust in Dubai, and a gangland money-launderer has a fatal car accident in San Francisco, both deaths bear the hallmarks of a Sam Carver ‘accident’.
But Carver is no longer supposed to be in the game. He’d sworn to leave that life behind. So his old contacts at MI6 want to know why Carver has gone off the reservation. Who is paying him? And who will be his next target?
Someone is setting Carver up, framing him for crimes he didn’t commit - a copycat killer, motivated by revenge. He wants to crush Carver, and then to beat him at his own game by hitting the world’s most prominent target, the new President of the United States.
Now Sam Carver will have to use all his cunning and tradecraft to track and stop this deadly opponent. Alone and on the run, he fights to clear his name. But first he must stop a fatal shot that will be heard around the world.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is the third book to feature Sam Carver - The "accident man" - a highly skilled assassin now retired and running a security business and a more 'normal' life. We find Sam slightly traumatised and a little bit paranoid but his skills have not deserted him as we find out when the past catches up with him.
In Assassin we have Carver being framed with events pointing the authorities to him with the suggestion he has taken up his old trade. This was a little convoluted with some caricature bad guys, but once Carter starts to evade and strike back, things start to whip along nicely. Can Carver stop the big event that he is being put into the frame for...?
I enjoyed this as an entertaining page turner, but the original book, The Accident Man, was quite refreshingly different but this, and the previous book, do tread familiar territory. The current most popular thriller theme is very much 'lone guy against the odds', pretty much re-hashing the Bourne formula. I recently read the latest Brett Battles and that was much the same again. Don't get me wrong, this is very readable and is a page turner, it just didn't do enough to differentiate itself from the others of a similar style
In Assassin we have Carver being framed with events pointing the authorities to him with the suggestion he has taken up his old trade. This was a little convoluted with some caricature bad guys, but once Carter starts to evade and strike back, things start to whip along nicely. Can Carver stop the big event that he is being put into the frame for...?
I enjoyed this as an entertaining page turner, but the original book, The Accident Man, was quite refreshingly different but this, and the previous book, do tread familiar territory. The current most popular thriller theme is very much 'lone guy against the odds', pretty much re-hashing the Bourne formula. I recently read the latest Brett Battles and that was much the same again. Don't get me wrong, this is very readable and is a page turner, it just didn't do enough to differentiate itself from the others of a similar style
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Former hitman Sam Carver has given up killing for a living and is working as a specialized security consultant, staging mock assassinations on high profile figures in order to highlight deficiencies in their security systems. However a former enemy, Damon Tysack, is using Carver's name to commit high profile assassinations, which bear strong resemblances to his former modus operandi. Gradually Carver realises that he is under Tysacks's surveillance, but even he has no idea of exactly what Tysack is planning and the role that he wants Carver to play in those plans.
This is the third book in a series which started with The Accident Man, but it isn't necessary to have read the other books. I also felt this was the best yet - and thankfully, Carver's tedious former love interest Alix barely appears.
After a shaky start, it's a fast moving story that's hard to put down. The action moves between Dubai, the US, Norway and the UK without letting up. Cain is adept at taking his inspiration from current events and the story feels very up-to-date. The best parts of the book are when Carver starts to realise what he's up against - he's a good action hero, courageous and highly skilled, but certainly no superman.
I did feel that initially the plot borrowed a little too heavily from Robert Ludlum's novels, (right down to a high altitude parachuting sequence that felt very similar to one in The Janson Directive). It also has many of the flaws that are so common in this genre: the villain over-complicates his plot, feels the need to boast about his plans to Carver and never eliminates his foe when he's able to. Nevertheless, it's every bit as gripping as a thriller should be.
This is the third book in a series which started with The Accident Man, but it isn't necessary to have read the other books. I also felt this was the best yet - and thankfully, Carver's tedious former love interest Alix barely appears.
After a shaky start, it's a fast moving story that's hard to put down. The action moves between Dubai, the US, Norway and the UK without letting up. Cain is adept at taking his inspiration from current events and the story feels very up-to-date. The best parts of the book are when Carver starts to realise what he's up against - he's a good action hero, courageous and highly skilled, but certainly no superman.
I did feel that initially the plot borrowed a little too heavily from Robert Ludlum's novels, (right down to a high altitude parachuting sequence that felt very similar to one in The Janson Directive). It also has many of the flaws that are so common in this genre: the villain over-complicates his plot, feels the need to boast about his plans to Carver and never eliminates his foe when he's able to. Nevertheless, it's every bit as gripping as a thriller should be.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
If you you like like your thrillers set out in a paint (write) by numbers fashion, this will hit the spot. Sometimes I do if, within the book, the story unfolds reasonably and there is good character development.
In 'Assassin' you don't quite get this. When Cain writes the action scenes, the book is the cliched 'page turner', though I'm beginning to despair of Carver, the all-action loner who seems to be caught by the arch criminals as easily as a mouse in a household trap.
It's not that the hero should be invincible but rather, with Carver, the author needs the pain Carver suffers whilst in captivity to build up Carver's strength and character. Frankly, this doesn't work. In fact, it spoils the story as we all know he'll escape with one bound just before the credits roll.
And then there's the dialogue. This is definitely not Cain's strong point. It reads like school playground stuff when dealing with the males and more like a teenager's introduction to the opposite sex where Carver's female friends/lovers/squeezes are concerned. Still, easy reading, entirely forgettable, some really good passages and some quite boring pages, too. There seems to be a trend these days to fill out the chapters with historical events as to why the main protagonists do what they do and this just slows down the main story.
Lee Child has a lot to answer for but, for my money, nobody as yet comes close to this one man against the world of criminals as Jack Reacher and, regrettably, Sam Carver is not a close second.
If you're going on a journey and need a book, take this one with you, read it and then leave it for the next traveller.
In 'Assassin' you don't quite get this. When Cain writes the action scenes, the book is the cliched 'page turner', though I'm beginning to despair of Carver, the all-action loner who seems to be caught by the arch criminals as easily as a mouse in a household trap.
It's not that the hero should be invincible but rather, with Carver, the author needs the pain Carver suffers whilst in captivity to build up Carver's strength and character. Frankly, this doesn't work. In fact, it spoils the story as we all know he'll escape with one bound just before the credits roll.
And then there's the dialogue. This is definitely not Cain's strong point. It reads like school playground stuff when dealing with the males and more like a teenager's introduction to the opposite sex where Carver's female friends/lovers/squeezes are concerned. Still, easy reading, entirely forgettable, some really good passages and some quite boring pages, too. There seems to be a trend these days to fill out the chapters with historical events as to why the main protagonists do what they do and this just slows down the main story.
Lee Child has a lot to answer for but, for my money, nobody as yet comes close to this one man against the world of criminals as Jack Reacher and, regrettably, Sam Carver is not a close second.
If you're going on a journey and need a book, take this one with you, read it and then leave it for the next traveller.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
boring and predictable
This the second tom cain book i have read and the last the other book the accident was pathetic and this book assassin is not much better . Read more
Published 9 days ago by oldginger ebbw vale
Brilliant As Ever
Tom Cain is an author who is scaling the heights of espionage / action thrillers like a mountaineer with a point to prove. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Mr X
Another Great Tom Cain Book
I love Tom Cain's Character Samuel Carver. The book has plenty of action which keeps interest in the plot. I never used to read much but I have now read three so far. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Teresa
Excellent
I have read all 3 in this series, and I really enjoyed them all. The fact that the story grips you and you want to keep reading more is excellent. Read more
Published on 22 Oct 2009 by Jillian McFarlane
The assassin by Tom Cain
This is the third book in a series about a character called Sam. The books are really well written & fast moving. I can't wait for the next one to be published.
Published on 28 Sep 2009 by Mrs. Doreen Eifiona Rider
Brilliant
Really enjoyed this book I found it to be as good as Accident Man. The plot was excellent, once I started I could not put it down untill I finished it
Published on 16 Aug 2009 by Ms. Mary Kelledy
Big story, big waste
If you liked the other Carver books in the series you will find this one equally riveting, well written & fast paced. Read more
Published on 11 Aug 2009 by Steveb99
Outstanding
I thoroughly enjoyed Tom Cain's first book, but this new one is even better. The character and concept in Carver is great, and add this to the well researched and intricate plot... Read more
Published on 11 Aug 2009 by Mr. Harry C. Sharman
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