Assassin

Alex Hawke, Book 2

By: Ted Bell

Narrated by: John Shea

Length: 14 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

In an elegant palazzo on the Grand Canal, an American ambassador's tryst turns deadly. In the seamy underbelly of London, a pub-crawling killer is on the loose. And in a storybook chapel nestled in the Cotswolds, a marriage made in heaven turns to hell on earth.

Isolated incidents? Or links in a chain of events hurtling towards catastrophe? So begins Assassin, the tour de force thriller that heralds the return of every terrorist's worst nightmare: Alex Hawke.

A shadowy figure known as the Dog is believed to be the ruthless terrorist who is systematically and savagely assassinating American diplomats and their families around the globe. As the deadly toll mounts inexorably, Hawke, along with former NYPD cop and Navy SEAL Stokely Jones, is called upon by the U.S. government to launch a search for the assassin behind the murders.

Hawke, who "makes James Bond look like a 'slovenly, dull-witted clockpuncher'" (Kirkus Reviews), is soon following a trail that leads back to London in the go-go 90s, when Arab oil money fueled lavish, and sometimes fiendish, lifestyles. Other murky clues point to the Florida Keys, where a vicious killer hides behind the gates of a fabled museum, and to a remote Indonesian island where a madman tinkers with strains of a deadly virus and slyly bides his time.

Hawke must call upon resources deep within himself. He must enter a race against time to stop a cataclysmic attack on America's most populous cities and avenge the inexplicable and horrific crime that has left him devastated.

Take another thrill ride with Alex Hawke.

©2004 Theodore A. Bell (P)2005 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Assassin is the most highly imaginative thriller to come along in a long while. Ted Bell can really, really write." (James Patterson)

"Whether the novel is taken as a grown-up boy's book or a modern thriller, readers will be caught in the whirlwind of action and find themselves having a grand old time." (Publishers Weekly)

"Like Ian Fleming's James Bond novels, this series is a mix of over-the-top thrills and grounded characterizations. The mix is well served by Shea's efforts." (AudioFile)

Great Book

I enjoyed the book very much. John Shea's performance was fantastic. I didn't give it five stars because the end felt a little anticlimactic to me.

Totally engaging!

Exciting read. Alex Hawke and his compadres wowed me once again. My only critique is that secondary storyline involving his fiancée could have been fleshed out more.

Outstanding!

This is one of the best combinations of great story and wonderful narration I've come across. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this from start to finish. A great experience.

Alex saves the day again!

All the excitement as the other Alex Cross books I've already hears and read. Excellent reader
PrO u

Like it, but could use better narration

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The story was good, a bit too detailed. The narration was hard to understand, but I do realize they were truely trying to give it a english flare.

If you’ve listened to books by Ted Bell before, how does this one compare?

First Ted Bell Story.

Would you listen to another book narrated by John Shea?

No, probably not

Was Assassin worth the listening time?

Yes

Any additional comments?

Good book, but it took quite a while to get moving, very very detailed in the beginning and but story played out very well in the end..

Typical Action Hero Story

What did you love best about Assassin?

The descriptions of the scenery and the people. You felt you were there

What other book might you compare Assassin to and why?

Don't know

How did the narrator detract from the book?

I was surprised that so many people praised the narrator. To me, he spoiled the story completely. The descriptions were really great and set the scene beautifully, but I never had time to visualize them because he was off and running and on a different subject before I had a chance to figure out what just happened. He hardly even paused between sentences. He talked like he was double parked outside and had to hurry up and get this done before he got a ticket. What was the big rush?
It spoiled the dramatic effect for me.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Not so far, I haven't finished the book.

Any additional comments?

The writing is a little predictable, a series of unrelated tragedies and then the Caped Crusader will land and sort everything out.

Great book AMAZING narrator!

This is an exciting listen! Lots of action and intrigue. John Shea is a reader beyond belief! I would have sworn I was listening to multiple readers, since the accents and the difference in characters is amazing! I will listen to anything he reads! Fun listen!

Another great listen!

The Alex Hawke books have become some of my favorites. Another great job by John Shea. If you are a James Bond fan you should really like the series. I wish I could find the first book, "Hawke", but it is only available as unabridged, which would be a waste. "Assassin" is the 2nd book and you get to see characters evolve as you go through Pirate and SPY. They are supposed to be making a movie out of one of these, check out the Ted Bell website. This book is worth the read just for Stokley Jones, but there is so much more. Get this book, you won't be sorry.

Why?

I loved the book as a stand alone and it is spellbinding.

But having cheered on Hawk to save a life in another story I was shocked to see her cruel death in this very next book....WHY?

Another great Hawke adventure read by John Shea.

John Shea makes the Ted Bell stories come alive. He does a amazing job with his accents and voice inflections to make each character stand out from each other. He uses other techniques to simulate radio transmissions and others to help the story come alive.