A Game for AssassinsThe Redaction Chronicles, Book 1
James Quinn
novel (528 pages)
mystery, thriller, spy thriller, espionage
The assassination of a Caribbean dictator….The “hit” on a traitor in Beirut……The brutal murder of a young CIA officer behind the Iron Curtain…..So begins the game……
It is 1964, the height of the Cold War, and British Intelligence is riding high with its top double agent network: Constellation.
But in the secret war fought across Europe the enemy is never far away and soon the agents of Constellation are targeted by an unknown team of assassins. In desperation British Intelligence sends in their best agent to protect the network and hunt down the killers.
Jack “Gorilla” Grant isn’t your typical Cold War secret agent. Short, tough, uncompromising, rough edged. He doesn’t fit in with the elitist spies and debonair intelligence agents. He prefers working at the rough end of British covert operations.
But “Gorilla” is one of the best “Redactors” in the business. He’s an expert at close quarter shooting: quick to the draw and deadly accurate when it comes to the elimination of traitors and extremists on behalf of the British Secret Service (SIS). He is soon drawn into a game of cross and double cross where nothing is as it seems and even the most perfect spy can die in a wilderness of mirrors.
A Game for Assassins is an action packed edge of your seat thrill ride played out across the global stage of the Cold War.
Buy Links
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Review
3.5 stars
A Game for Assassins was an entertaining tale. This is not a genre I often read, but I do enjoy some spy-based TV programmes and films such as Alias, so when the blog tour invite came through, I decided to give it a try.
The plot concept is interesting and the characters well-drawn. And for the most part the story moved at a good pace. As you would expect from an author with experience in the field, this tale came across as believable and nicely detailed.
For me the only downsides were: 1) some minor editing issues; 2) the fact some information felt "repeated" since we had it from two different view points, often in consecutive chapters; and 3)the fact the plot (which had moved at a nice fast pace prior) started to slow towards the end as we left Gorilla and joined the CIA investigator instead. On this last point, I feel it would have worked better had this investigation storyline been mixed in more in between Gorilla's (and associated) chapters to keep a more even pace throughout.
But overall this was a very pleasing read and it is sure to impress fans of spy thrillers looking for an authentic feel and good characterisation.
Giveaway
About the Author
James Quinn spent 15 years in the secret world of covert operations, undercover investigations and international security before turning his hand to writing.
He is trained in hand to hand combat and in the use of a variety of weaponry including small edged weapons, Japanese Swords and Hunting Bows. He is also a crack pistol shot for CQB (Close Quarter Battle) and many of his experiences he has incorporated into his works of fiction.
He lives in the United Kingdom and travels extensively around the globe.
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