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Assassins Are Our Greatest Assets A Dark Gripping Crime Thriller Corporate Strategy Meets Cold-Blooded Murder A Novel Guide to Terminating Employees
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 5, 2026
This book had me completely hooked and I was done with it in a sitting. It’s a sharp look at ambition, the use and misuse of power in the corporate world and how far people could go to protect their family and friends.
Since this is the second book in a five-part series, I found it easy to slip back into the story because I already knew the characters and understood Ishmael Dolah's instinct, resolve and ruthlessness. That familiarity made everything feel more intense. And I loved the introduction of Inspector Julia. At their core, both Dolah and Inspector Julia are idealists who believe in justice even when their choices aren’t entirely right.
Yet again, I found myself admiring Dolah’s clarity, discipline, and confidence which has clearly helped him grow as an assassin. His relationship with Nysa felt more raw and real in this book. Love them as a couple.
The real tension lies in the moral questions in the protagonist’s choices. They had me raise my eyebrow more than once. Sheesh trusts us reader to wrestle with these dilemmas and decide for ourselves where the line between right and wrong truly lies.
And I must add that although it has been years since I last visited Singapore, thanks to Sheesh, the city feels familiar. Overall, a gripping and thrilling read. Eagerly looking forward to the next book in the series
Since this is the second book in a five-part series, I found it easy to slip back into the story because I already knew the characters and understood Ishmael Dolah's instinct, resolve and ruthlessness. That familiarity made everything feel more intense. And I loved the introduction of Inspector Julia. At their core, both Dolah and Inspector Julia are idealists who believe in justice even when their choices aren’t entirely right.
Yet again, I found myself admiring Dolah’s clarity, discipline, and confidence which has clearly helped him grow as an assassin. His relationship with Nysa felt more raw and real in this book. Love them as a couple.
The real tension lies in the moral questions in the protagonist’s choices. They had me raise my eyebrow more than once. Sheesh trusts us reader to wrestle with these dilemmas and decide for ourselves where the line between right and wrong truly lies.
And I must add that although it has been years since I last visited Singapore, thanks to Sheesh, the city feels familiar. Overall, a gripping and thrilling read. Eagerly looking forward to the next book in the series
January 22, 2026
I’m pleased to have started off my year with this book! I had enjoyed the previous book in the series, Sixty is the New Assassin, and this new one is a perfect sequel to it.
The story continues from the previous book. Ishmael Dollah is back and how! Within the serene and comfortable setting of his home in Singapore, where he enjoys his retired life with his wife, Nysa, he encounters another threat, propelling him to take action. But his previous assignments, to put it eloquently, have caught Inspector Julia’s eye. She is sharp, irritatingly persistent, and will not rest until she finds the perpetrator.
Let me begin my review by saying that I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The narrative follows a very casual approach. It is witty, dotted with humour, and makes reading so easy that you don’t realise how many pages you’ve turned. The story is fluid and holds the reader’s interest through and through.
The character of Dollah goes from being a novice in getting rid of ’employees’ in the previous book to being much more experienced and confident in this one. The method in which he plans- using his old acquaintances, cleaning up his digital footprints, etc., is simply praiseworthy. Dollah makes sure he is at the top of his game. The book ends with a promise of a more interesting continuation in the series.
I especially found the feelings Dollah has for Nysa heartwarming and loved how he unabashedly expresses them in random places in the book.
“I washed up and went to the living room seeking light.
I found Nysa.”
How charming! Another one of the quotes that will, hopefully, summarise the suave writing in the book:
“Strange that smoke helps one see so clearly.”
Assassins Are Our Greatest Assets follows an old-school writing style that is gripping and fast-paced for the genre. Also, the story is set in Singapore, and I have to thank the author for describing it so beautifully. The lanes, the people, the parks- all come together to complete the story. I’m itching to visit the city!
Final Verdict
Assassins Are Our Greatest Assets is a fast-paced, witty thriller with breathtaking Singapore vibes. I would highly recommend this series, especially if you’re into crime/murders.
January 6, 2026
I loved Ishmael Dollah... I thought he was twisted and amoral and absolutely lovable. And I absolutely loved the first book Sixty Is The New Assassin.
So i wasn't sure if the second book in the Corporate Assassin series would be able to live up to the first. But how wrong i was!!!
Inspector Julia! Holy smokes.... She deserves a book on her own. And not just one... Several!
If you haven't read Sixty... Do yourself a favour and read it today! Then sit back and enjoy Assassins Are Our Greatest Assets.
If you are a fan of a dark and comical story... Or if you've lived in Singapore, this book will wing its way into your heart. (And stomach... Don't even get me started on that).
So i wasn't sure if the second book in the Corporate Assassin series would be able to live up to the first. But how wrong i was!!!
Inspector Julia! Holy smokes.... She deserves a book on her own. And not just one... Several!
If you haven't read Sixty... Do yourself a favour and read it today! Then sit back and enjoy Assassins Are Our Greatest Assets.
If you are a fan of a dark and comical story... Or if you've lived in Singapore, this book will wing its way into your heart. (And stomach... Don't even get me started on that).
January 16, 2026
Sometimes I wonder at myself, but I found book two even more hilarious than book one. But then I am writing a ‘comedy’ about a serial killer, so maybe I just have a warped (and dark) sense of humour.
In book one, retired CEO-turned-assassin Ishmael Dollah dispatched his first two victims and is getting pretty good at it. It’s all in the planning you see. It must be meticulous. Leave no stone unturned, though I think he needs to improve his disposal methods. Not of the bodies, but of his clothing and murder tools ie the evidence.
We now have a potential third target – the man who spread the false rumours about his son’s wife having an affair and almost destroyed their marriage. The man is a trouble maker and needs to go. Deserves to go in fact. So Ishmael decides to set him up online. It’s called catfishing apparently – I learned a lot if I ever decide to assassinate anyone (I’m joking).
In the meantime Inspector Julia Binti Shafiq of Singapore CID is looking at CCTV of who was coming and going on the evenings of the first two killings from book one. There is only one person she sees both times, but no-one believes her. She needs to get on with her other cases she is told by her boss, and forget about what’s been and gone. And one of those cases revolves around a domestic help who was bullied and starved by her employers.
We follow both threads and wonder if they will come together. That remains to be seen.
I loved this series. It’s just up my street. And who else spotted that Ishmael’s wife Nysa is going to order their son’s birthday cake from Sinsations, which is owned by the author’s wife Radhika in real life. I hope we get to see his cake on Instagram! Her cakes are amazing.
Many thanks to the author for inviting me to submit a review of book two in the series.
In book one, retired CEO-turned-assassin Ishmael Dollah dispatched his first two victims and is getting pretty good at it. It’s all in the planning you see. It must be meticulous. Leave no stone unturned, though I think he needs to improve his disposal methods. Not of the bodies, but of his clothing and murder tools ie the evidence.
We now have a potential third target – the man who spread the false rumours about his son’s wife having an affair and almost destroyed their marriage. The man is a trouble maker and needs to go. Deserves to go in fact. So Ishmael decides to set him up online. It’s called catfishing apparently – I learned a lot if I ever decide to assassinate anyone (I’m joking).
In the meantime Inspector Julia Binti Shafiq of Singapore CID is looking at CCTV of who was coming and going on the evenings of the first two killings from book one. There is only one person she sees both times, but no-one believes her. She needs to get on with her other cases she is told by her boss, and forget about what’s been and gone. And one of those cases revolves around a domestic help who was bullied and starved by her employers.
We follow both threads and wonder if they will come together. That remains to be seen.
I loved this series. It’s just up my street. And who else spotted that Ishmael’s wife Nysa is going to order their son’s birthday cake from Sinsations, which is owned by the author’s wife Radhika in real life. I hope we get to see his cake on Instagram! Her cakes are amazing.
Many thanks to the author for inviting me to submit a review of book two in the series.
January 2, 2026
The best thing about Shesh's books, be it this one or the previous book, is his writing style. It is different and engaging. The writing flows and entertains, as all good fiction writing should. Shesh's wordsmithery is something I always look forward to. Recommended!
January 16, 2026
Retired from a high profile career as CEO and saviour of not one but several sinking corporates, overhauled and brought back into the profit making world, Ishmael Dollah has chosen to roll up his boots and enjoy a blissful existence of lounging in his study, and partaking of a succession of delights concocted by his wife of many years, interspersed with serious attempts at fitness with daily morning runs, and weekly tennis matches. But fate has other plans in store. His blissful, though monotonous existence, is interrupted by troubles in the married life of his only son. Not one to leave things to chance, Ishmael investigates and decides to intervene. Used to hiring and firing, downsizing the workforce, and taking swift action, he turns back to the familiar corporate strategy- research, investigate, plan and act, but this time, for so heinous a crime, permanent action is called for and thus is born the Corporate Assassin.
The current book takes off from here and is much faster-paced than the first in the series. All doubts, hesitation, debates between right and wrong are over, now it is Plan and Act. Once again, his daughter in law is the target and his goal is to save her from all unnecessary angst by taking quick action. And action, he does take. But this time, another angle is introduced. The police have a new young recruit, Inspector Julia Binti Shafique, who is much like a dog with a bone in its mouth. No amount of tugging can detach her from her bone (idea) that “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark” (Singapore). Can he deflect her instincts?
Between all this planning and action are interspersed verbal images of Singapore at dawn, at dusk, by the river, in the fancy condos and huge malls, which you may be familiar with, but also the dimly lit, dustbin lined, dingy lanes, which the reader is unlikely to know. The food courts, where you can safely leave a mobile to reserve your table, relaxed driving with courteous drivers on the road (long forgotten in other parts of the world), and delicious laksas and roti-pratas specific to the cultural mix of the city.
The author’s tongue in cheek humour is a major source of enjoyment. Here are some samples:
Referring to his friends: “They trusted you and were very understanding if you murdered someone. They had also murdered a few people themselves and were not inclined to throw stones”.
When assessing risks: “Fake it till you make it. That was the name of the game”.
When seeking reassurance, while running along the riverside boardwalk, “If I, a glorified canal can be marketed as a river, it seemed to say, you can do anything you want”.
When the tables are turned against you: “Whenever you are feeling down or worried or depressed, read the Economist”. Its pages are suffused with so much gloom and fear, that the problems you are facing almost seem like blessings.”
There are several such gems scattered through the pages.
All in all, a great read. I am eagerly awaiting the next in the series.
The current book takes off from here and is much faster-paced than the first in the series. All doubts, hesitation, debates between right and wrong are over, now it is Plan and Act. Once again, his daughter in law is the target and his goal is to save her from all unnecessary angst by taking quick action. And action, he does take. But this time, another angle is introduced. The police have a new young recruit, Inspector Julia Binti Shafique, who is much like a dog with a bone in its mouth. No amount of tugging can detach her from her bone (idea) that “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark” (Singapore). Can he deflect her instincts?
Between all this planning and action are interspersed verbal images of Singapore at dawn, at dusk, by the river, in the fancy condos and huge malls, which you may be familiar with, but also the dimly lit, dustbin lined, dingy lanes, which the reader is unlikely to know. The food courts, where you can safely leave a mobile to reserve your table, relaxed driving with courteous drivers on the road (long forgotten in other parts of the world), and delicious laksas and roti-pratas specific to the cultural mix of the city.
The author’s tongue in cheek humour is a major source of enjoyment. Here are some samples:
Referring to his friends: “They trusted you and were very understanding if you murdered someone. They had also murdered a few people themselves and were not inclined to throw stones”.
When assessing risks: “Fake it till you make it. That was the name of the game”.
When seeking reassurance, while running along the riverside boardwalk, “If I, a glorified canal can be marketed as a river, it seemed to say, you can do anything you want”.
When the tables are turned against you: “Whenever you are feeling down or worried or depressed, read the Economist”. Its pages are suffused with so much gloom and fear, that the problems you are facing almost seem like blessings.”
There are several such gems scattered through the pages.
All in all, a great read. I am eagerly awaiting the next in the series.
February 4, 2026
Having thoroughly enjoyed the entertaining, darkly humorous and fast-paced Sixty is the New Assassin, the author's debut, I was eagerly awaiting the next instalment and Assassins Are Our Greatest Assets lived up to its promise and more.
In the first book we met Ishmael Dollah, former CEO who's living a relaxed but somewhat boring retired life. But when he gets some hint of trouble in his daughter-in-law, Marianna's life, he decides to intervene and uses all he knows from the corporate world to ‘help’, with the result that his life takes a very unexpected, but exciting turn. In Assassins Are Our Greatest Assets, Marianna is facing troubles anew with a colleague sullying her name at work. Ishmael feels called upon once again to rid her of this problem.
This time, he dives in more confidently, his plans becoming more sophisticated and complex, and while the reader may still raise their eyebrows at his doings, we can't help but read on to see how things play out, and whether he succeeds. And all this unfolds while Dollah is also living his usual life enjoying the delicious meals his wife Nysa makes, advising her with work contracts when she needs his help, and enjoying his games and runs.
Alongside, in interludes between the chapters, we meet a new character, Inspector Julia Binti Shafiq. A tenacious officer, she has caught a whiff of something wrong in Ishmael's previous doings, though not quite what or who. But she isn't one to let go easily, and presses on, even though she has another rather serious case on hand.
Do Ishmael's plans work out? Does the Inspector catch on to him?
Assassins Are Our Greatest Assets is every bit as exciting and fun, in fact even more so than the first book as we watch Ishmael make and put into action his plans,using as always the rules and methods of the corporate world but adapted to these new ‘problems’. He does his research thoroughly, prepares well and even manages to address contingencies, but for all the success he has, he isn't infallible either, but in a different way than we think or expect, and which gives the book another interesting touch.
The entry of Julia into the scheme of things brings with it new developments and a surprise twist, giving a different direction to Ishmael's story.
I really enjoyed the writing which draws one in right from the start and keeps one glued all through, humorous and fun. I also loved the allusions and references peppered throughout the book, whether to popular self help books or a certain very wise green jedi or a special Singapore bakery business! Food too, there is plenty of, and all so delicious sounding that it makes one hungry. And then of course, there's Singapore itself, with its different shades and facets, where on the one side are its malls where a phone left to claim a table is safe while on the other, a space that should be safe turns out not to be for those at the other end of the spectrum, and oftener than one realises.
Assassins Are Our Greatest Assets is a fun ride from start to finish, and I'm thrilled to know that there are three more books on the way. Can't wait to see where Ishmael's adventures take him next!
In the first book we met Ishmael Dollah, former CEO who's living a relaxed but somewhat boring retired life. But when he gets some hint of trouble in his daughter-in-law, Marianna's life, he decides to intervene and uses all he knows from the corporate world to ‘help’, with the result that his life takes a very unexpected, but exciting turn. In Assassins Are Our Greatest Assets, Marianna is facing troubles anew with a colleague sullying her name at work. Ishmael feels called upon once again to rid her of this problem.
This time, he dives in more confidently, his plans becoming more sophisticated and complex, and while the reader may still raise their eyebrows at his doings, we can't help but read on to see how things play out, and whether he succeeds. And all this unfolds while Dollah is also living his usual life enjoying the delicious meals his wife Nysa makes, advising her with work contracts when she needs his help, and enjoying his games and runs.
Alongside, in interludes between the chapters, we meet a new character, Inspector Julia Binti Shafiq. A tenacious officer, she has caught a whiff of something wrong in Ishmael's previous doings, though not quite what or who. But she isn't one to let go easily, and presses on, even though she has another rather serious case on hand.
Do Ishmael's plans work out? Does the Inspector catch on to him?
Assassins Are Our Greatest Assets is every bit as exciting and fun, in fact even more so than the first book as we watch Ishmael make and put into action his plans,using as always the rules and methods of the corporate world but adapted to these new ‘problems’. He does his research thoroughly, prepares well and even manages to address contingencies, but for all the success he has, he isn't infallible either, but in a different way than we think or expect, and which gives the book another interesting touch.
The entry of Julia into the scheme of things brings with it new developments and a surprise twist, giving a different direction to Ishmael's story.
I really enjoyed the writing which draws one in right from the start and keeps one glued all through, humorous and fun. I also loved the allusions and references peppered throughout the book, whether to popular self help books or a certain very wise green jedi or a special Singapore bakery business! Food too, there is plenty of, and all so delicious sounding that it makes one hungry. And then of course, there's Singapore itself, with its different shades and facets, where on the one side are its malls where a phone left to claim a table is safe while on the other, a space that should be safe turns out not to be for those at the other end of the spectrum, and oftener than one realises.
Assassins Are Our Greatest Assets is a fun ride from start to finish, and I'm thrilled to know that there are three more books on the way. Can't wait to see where Ishmael's adventures take him next!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews