The Mark of the Assassin (Michael Osbourne, 1)

Silva, Daniel

4.12

13,428 ratings by Goodreads

9781501229978: The Mark of the Assassin (Michael Osbourne, 1)

ISBN 10: 1501229974 ISBN 13: 9781501229978

Publisher: Brilliance Audio, 2015

When a commercial airliner is blown out of the sky off the East Coast, the CIA scrambles to find the perpetrators. A body is discovered near the crash site with three bullets to the face: the calling card of a shadowy international assassin. Only agent Michael Osbourne has seen the markings before—on a woman he once loved.

Now, it's personal for Osbourne. Consumed by his dark obsession with the assassin, he's willing to risk his family, his career, and his life—to settle a score....

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Review:

Bestselling novelist Daniel Silva (author of The Unlikely Spy) draws upon his experience as a foreign correspondent and a Washington journalist in The Mark of the Assassin. Set in London, Cairo, Amsterdam, and Washington, the story line follows CIA case agent Michael Osbourne as he attempts to locate the terrorists who shot down an airliner off the coast of Long Island. Osbourne has two main antagonists: Delaroche, a KGB-trained expert assassin ordered to kill the handful of people who know the truth, including Osbourne, and the corrupt political culture of Washington, which ominously stymies him at every turn. There's a love story at the core of this book, as well as a brave attempt by Osbourne to reconcile a mystery in his past with a present he has not fully accepted. The prose is slick, and readers will find themselves racing through these pages as the body count grows and the conclusion nears. The Mark of the Assassin is a worthy effort from a rising star.

From the Back Cover:

"Filled with the kind of dark passages that keep fans of spy thrillers guessing as they eagerly turn the pages . . . briskly suspenseful, tightly constructed, and full of well-rounded, believable characters . . . reminiscent of John le Carr�'s classic The Spy Who Came In from the Cold."
--Richard Bernstein, The New York Times

"A first novel of remarkable ingenuity and daring that reignites our enthusiasm for World War II skullduggery. A book that will stick in your imagination long after you have figured out where all the pieces fit."

--Digby Diehl, Playboy

"In the mold of Robert Harris's Enigma, and every bit as good: a tense, well-crafted piece of storytelling. . . . Silva brings to life a tale of suspense that spirals its way to an evocative climax."
--Peter Millar, The Times (London)

"Silva has clearly done his homework, mixing fact and fiction to delicious effect and building tension--with breathtaking double and triple turns of the plot."

--J. D. Reed, People

"The World at War comes vividly alive. . . . A dandy tale."
--John Katzenbach, The Washington Post Book World

"The best thriller of the new year. . . . Convoluted, engrossing, and full of deception, this one will keep you nailed throughout."

--Peter Mergendahl, Rocky Mountain News

"A well-crafted World War II thriller that educates and entertains."
--Steve Weinberg, Chicago Tribune

"A literate thriller, well researched and fast-moving." --Alix Madrigal, San Francisco Chronicle

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