Starred review from May 13, 2024
A legendary assassin joins a support group of murderers hoping to cure themselves of their addiction to violence in Hart’s nail-biting latest (after The Paradox Hotel). Mark, who works under the moniker the Pale Horse, has kept his murderous impulses in check for months, but his progress is threatened when he’s attacked after a meeting of Assassins Anonymous. His Russian assailant stabs him in the chest before stealing a notebook with the names of everyone Mark plans to atone to. With the help of his former medic, Astrid, Mark recovers from his injuries. When his apartment is blown up a few days later, Astrid joins him on the run, and the pair head to Singapore, where Mark hopes to track down an old contact and ferret out whether his ex-employers in U.S. intelligence are out to get him, or if someone connected to a former target has come for revenge. Mark’s continued efforts to stay “clean” from violence provide welcome humor to the otherwise breakneck proceedings. Strong characters and rattling suspense lift things further above par. Hart remains a formidable rising talent. Agent: Josh Getzler, HG Literary.
December 6, 2024
Hart's (The Paradox Hotel) quirky latest is set against the backdrop of the kind of 12-step program that have helped people seek health and recovery from addiction. The main difference here is that the program in question is targeted toward professional assassins hoping to find relief from their addiction to killing. Mark, who goes by the name Pale Horse, is an apex predator in the assassin world, enjoying the height of success when a mistake prompts him to quit and seek recovery. Then, however, he is attacked after a meeting and is nearly killed; even more would-be assassins have him in their sights. The only problem is that to stay in recovery, Mark can't retaliate in kind. Narrator Neill Thorne offers a lively narration, gamely transporting listeners to New York, London, and Singapore as the action ramps up and Mark learns why he is being targeted. Along the way, listeners will meet unique, engagingly portrayed characters, including a freelance doctor to the criminal world, an angry cat being dragged across the globe, and the many reformed killers Mark interacts with. VERDICT Hart's enjoyably twisty thriller entertains. Recommended for fans of Byeong-mo Gu's The Old Woman with the Knife.--Scott DiMarco
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