Hour of the Assassin: A Novel - Hardcover

Quirk, Matthew

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0062875493 ISBN 13: 9780062875495

Publisher: William Morrow, 2020

Synopsis

“This one is a gritty, intense political thriller, filled with nuance and dire exploits. Totally entertaining. A treat from start to finish. —Steve Berry, author of The Malta Exchange

Framed and on the run for his life, a former Secret Service agent discovers how far some men will go to grasp the highest office in the land in this electrifying tale from the author of The Night Agent—a propulsive political thriller reminiscent of the best early Baldacci and Grisham novels.

As a Secret Service agent, Nick Averose spent a decade protecting the most powerful men and women in America and developed a unique gift: the ability to think like an assassin. Now, he uses that skill in a little-known but crucial job. As a “red teamer,” he poses as a threat, testing the security around our highest officials to find vulnerabilities—before our enemies can. He is a mock killer, capable of slipping past even the best defenses.

His latest assignment is to assess the security surrounding the former CIA director at his DC area home. But soon after he breaches the man’s study, the home’s inner sanctum, it becomes clear that something is very wrong. Someone else is here—someone who has attacked the chief right under Nick’s nose. Desperately attempting to save the man’s life, Nick contaminates the crime scene. Now, investigators are sure Nick is somehow involved.

Nick knows he’s the perfect scapegoat. But who is framing him, and why? To clear his name, he must find the truth—a search that leads to a nefarious conspiracy whose roots stretch back decades. The prize is the most powerful position in the world: the Oval Office.

To save himself and the people he loves, Nick must stop the men who rule Washington before they bury him along with their secrets.

About this title

About the Author

Matthew Quirk is the New York Times bestselling author of The 500, The Directive, Cold Barrel Zero, and Dead Man Switch. He spent five years at The Atlantic reporting on crime, private military contractors, terrorism prosecutions, and international gangs. He lives in San Diego, California.

Review

“This one is a gritty, intense political thriller, filled with nuance and dire exploits. Totally entertaining. A treat from start to finish."  (Steve Berry, author of The Malta Exchange  )

“This story is impossible to put out of mind.... Relevant and revealing, this is one of the best thrillers to come along in years.” (Michael Connelly on The Night Agent)

“Baldacci’s debut [Absolute Power] kept me awake half the night. I’m still a fan... I had the same reaction when I picked up The Night Agent... Best to start this at the beginning of a weekend, as you’ll be burning the midnight oil ‘til you’re finished.” (Newark Star Ledger on The Night AGent)

“Plenty of breathless one-more-chapter, stay-up-late suspense wrapped around a meaty and timely story ... irresistible.” (Lee Child on The Night Agent)

“Quirk returns to the thriller scene with a thundering bang... Quirk’s latest feels like he’s been churning out political thrillers for decades, hitting on a timely plot that starts out fast and only speeds up as the story unfolds... [A] high-stakes, nail-biting political thriller.” (TheRealBookSpy.com on The Night Agent)

“Lots of good, tense plotting... A real pleasure of espionage fiction is tradecraft secrets, and Quirk doesn’t disappoint.” (Booklist on The Night Agent)

“The Night Agent is a whirlwind of a book, a captivating narrative that takes us inside the White House’s inner sanctum and the shadowy machinations surrounding it. A powerful and taut thriller.” ( Mark Greaney #1 bestselling author of Mission Critical, on The Night Agent)

“Strap in for one hell of a ride. The Night Agent is full of twists and surprises you’ll never see coming.” ( Ben Coes, New York Times bestselling author of Bloody Sunday, on The Night Agent)

“Matthew Quirk moves into David Baldacci and John Grisham territory with The Night Agent, a paranoid, pulse-pounding thriller that could not be more prescient. If you’re wondering where the best of the next generation of suspense talent is headed, look no further.” ( Joseph Finder
)

“Matthew Quirk is rapidly proving himself to be among our finest thriller writers, and The Night Agent is the latest undeniable evidence. Quirk writes rapid-fire, page-turning action with unusual grace and intelligence, and his latest American nightmare is guaranteed to keep readers up late.” (Michael Koryta, New York Times bestselling author of How It Happened)

About this edition

• Publisher: William Morrow
• Publication date: 2020
• ISBN 10: 0062875493
• ISBN 13: 9780062875495
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 352