Synopsis
When a high-level intelligence source reveals that Iranian agents are planning to bomb the United Nations, US Intelligence begins desperate counter-measures. Only maverick CIA agent, Ryan Kealey, sees it as a smokescreen for another, far more terrifying plot. But no-one is prepared to follow his hunch. Worse still, it would seem that even the halls of the CIA are no longer safe from possible espionage and treason.
Meanwhile a weapon of catastrophic power is smuggled into the
Kealey must battle against all odds while the clock is ticking down towards an act of unholy terror...
Download and read the prologue and opening chapters of Assassin here
Reviews
Customer Review: 14 March 2008
Reviewer: sarah pittman
I loved The Heart of Betrayal it was exciting. A true thriller to the bitter end, So I waited for The Assassin with bated breath wondering if Young Britton could be true to form and follow through with anything nearly as good. Wow he blew me away with The Assassin. I hope to see his books become movies. He is extremly talented and worth watching for in the future. For one so young he has come a long way and gathered a lot of fans along the way. His writing is brilliant and he does not hurt that he is dam good looking as well.
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Andrew Britton answers our questions...
What is the first novel you remember reading?
I can’t be sure, but it was probably something by R. L. Stine. Maybe Scavenger Hunt; I was addicted to those books when I was a kid.
Pick one: Chandler or Hammett?
In a tight race, I’d have to go with Chandler. The Big Sleep is one of my all-time favourites, though from a reader’s perspective, it really makes you work.
Which thriller do you wish you’d written?
The Silence of the Lambs. It has a kind of universal appeal, though I have to say that I preferred Lecter when we didn’t know that much about him. Hannibal Rising ruined the series for me. That said, I don’t think Harris wouldn’t have written that novel if the screenwriters hadn’t threatened to do it themselves.
Pick one: first person or third person?
I prefer third person all the way around. First-person is extremely difficult to pull off; it’s very limiting, and the author gets in the way more often than not. There are exceptions – Michael Connelly has done it well with a few of his Harry Bosch novels, and the skilled use of first-person practically made Patricia Cornwell’s career. Still, it’s hard to get it right. I think I’ll stick with the grammatical version of “he said, she said,” at least for now.
Has any thriller ever made you sleep with the lights on?
Only in the sense that I’m up all night because I can’t put it down. That happens quite often.
Pick one: series or standalone?
Since I’m working on the fourth book in the Ryan Kealey series, I’d have to go with the former. There is something great about coming back to characters you know and love; it makes it more meaningful when something happens to them, whether it’s good or bad. I like to see that as a reader. As a writer, I feel like everything is less hurried in a series – I get to take my time developing characters and the way they interact, which makes them more interesting, I think.
If stranded on a desert island, which fictional character would you most want to be stranded with, and why?
Vesper Lynd, from Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale. Especially if she’s anything like Eva Green. I heard she’s a great cook.
When you begin writing, do you know the ending?
Typically. I knew the ending when I was 50 pages into Heart of Betrayal, and I knew how Assassin would end when I was about halfway through. In that book, I really wanted to unveil a few surprises regarding Yasmin Raseen in the closing chapter, and judging by the feedback I’ve been getting, it turned out exactly how I wanted it to. The ending for The Invisible didn’t come to me until I was nearly finished; it seems to get later and later with each new book. I wonder if that’s something I should be concerned about.
Pick one: James Bond or Jason Bourne?
Definitely Bourne. I get a lot of flak for this, but I like the movies more than the books (and they are great books). I almost never feel that way; generally speaking, films based on books – especially books I’ve enjoyed – tend to disappoint me.
What’s your top tip for new writers?
Read. I know everyone says it, but reading is the most important thing any aspiring writer can do. It helps you to subconsciously learn about things like plotting, character development, and story structure. Best of all, you get to be entertained at the same time. What could be better than that?
Product details
Format : Paperback
ISBN: 9780141027975
Size : 111 x 181mm
Pages : 640
Published : 28 Feb 2008
Publisher : Penguin
Assassin
£6.99
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