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The Asset
In the exciting new thriller from the author of the internationally bestselling Intern’s Handbook , a private airport security contractor becomes a counterterrorism operative and must stop an attack that will destabilize the US and cause global chaos.
Kennedy—a private airport security contractor—knows more about airports than the head of the TSA, and he feels more comfortable in his British Airways Club World flatbed seat than in his own home. Haunted by the memory of his sister’s death on 9/11, Kennedy takes his job and the protection of the American people very seriously. So when he’s kidnapped and recruited into a CIA ghost operation known as Red Carpet, he jumps at the opportunity to become a civilian asset working with a team of some of the CIA's best counterterrorism analysts and spec ops soldiers as they race against the clock to stop the greatest terrorist threat the United States will ever face.
Shane Kuhn’s bold, darkly comic voice has earned him rave reviews for his previous series, starting with the Intern’s Handbook , which was called, “a serious guilty pleasure” by The Seattle Times and, “explosively violent and psychologically wily the way a good thriller should be” by the New York Post . Shane brings that same intense voice and gripping storytelling to The Asset —an edge-of-your seat read you won’t be able to put down.
Kennedy—a private airport security contractor—knows more about airports than the head of the TSA, and he feels more comfortable in his British Airways Club World flatbed seat than in his own home. Haunted by the memory of his sister’s death on 9/11, Kennedy takes his job and the protection of the American people very seriously. So when he’s kidnapped and recruited into a CIA ghost operation known as Red Carpet, he jumps at the opportunity to become a civilian asset working with a team of some of the CIA's best counterterrorism analysts and spec ops soldiers as they race against the clock to stop the greatest terrorist threat the United States will ever face.
Shane Kuhn’s bold, darkly comic voice has earned him rave reviews for his previous series, starting with the Intern’s Handbook , which was called, “a serious guilty pleasure” by The Seattle Times and, “explosively violent and psychologically wily the way a good thriller should be” by the New York Post . Shane brings that same intense voice and gripping storytelling to The Asset —an edge-of-your seat read you won’t be able to put down.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published July 12, 2016
19 people are currently reading
831 people want to read
About the author
Shane Kuhn
9 books228 followersShane Kuhn is a writer, director, and producer with fifteen years of experience working in the entertainment business and advertising. He is also one of the original cofounders of the Slamdance Film Festival.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
October 4, 2016
Kennedy is an aviation security specialist and a virtuous man facing an evil terrorist, virtually single handedly. This felt like a thriller cobbled together from other thrillers in which a clandestine team of experts is brought together to save the world. There was never any doubt how it would end. My primary disappointment was that this book didn't show the creativity, snark and wit of the author's John Lago books. It was slow to get started, and once the plot finally kicked in, around the tenth chapter, it never really grabbed me. From the epilogue it sounds like there may be a sequel to this, but I'm not sure there is a compelling reason for me to read it. This thriller was just ok for me.
I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher, but I wound up borrowing and listening to the audiobook.
I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher, but I wound up borrowing and listening to the audiobook.
July 6, 2016
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
Unlike, say, Ryan Bingham, Kenney has a noble reason for spending so much time in airports. He flies all over the world -- particularly the U.S. -- training airport security officers (namely, the TSA). Sure, the TSA has their own training program, but airports will bring him in as a consultant to help beef things up. Thanks to a tragic loss years ago, Kennedy is one of the most invested security experts in the world -- he's more committed to airplane safety than most governments. To say he's driven is quite the understatement.
At the moment, there's a security bulletin going around with a warning of an immanent terrorist threat. A few people in the CIA, FBI, NSA, TSA are taking it seriously, but most figure it's just another in a long line of boys who cried, "wolf." Kennedy, of course, takes it more seriously than anyone, and is pretty frustrated that he's so alone in this.
So when he's approached by representatives of the intelligence community and given the opportunity to do something to stop this threat -- not just consult, but act -- he jumps in with both feet. And immediately finds himself in way above his head.
Kennedy and the team he joins are racing against the clock -- not sure when someone might strike, and really only pretty sure that they will. But if the threats reported are anything close to reality, if this attack goes off, it'll be worse than anything in history.
Kuhn's an experienced thriller writer and he knows how to keep things tense and the plot moving. From the outset we know that the attack will take place 64 days from the time we first meet Kennedy. Each time you get to a new chapter and read, "Day X," you feel the tension ratcheting up (like Lee Child's 61 Hours in reverse). Kuhn keeps you turning pages as quickly as you can while ignoring the clock and the alarm that's sure to go off in a couple of hours.
Because of the kind of book it is you that know that certain characters are going to turn out to be something they don't seem to be, or that events aren't going to be what they seem to be. But Kuhn pulls most of them off so that it's unexpected -- for example, a plot development that I spent 100 pages for took my by surprise when it actually happened. There is some violence here, but for the genre, it's pretty tame -- it's not sanitized, it's not toned-down -- it's just utilized when needed, nothing to excess.
Most of the characters were pretty much what you expect in a book like this -- but that's fine, those are why we read books like this. I don't need every character to break the mold, I like certain types to be good examples of those types, and Kuhn has many of those running throughout these pages. If Nuri isn't one of the best/most entertaining examples of she-nerd that you've come across lately, I'll eat my hat. There are a couple of characters that aren't from the typical thriller cast lists (see the musician, Love) are even better.
I don't want to compare this too often to Kuhn's John Lago books, but I have to a little. Those books are marked for their voice, their satire, their off-kilter protagonists. This protagonist is exactly what you expect he is, and is pretty typical for the genre, and the voice is pretty straight. But every now and then you get a little of Kuhn's voice (always appropriate to character and the work, don't get me wrong). Like when Kennedy and his team are trying to guess when and where the terrorists will attack, and we get the line, "Terrorists are basically psychotic public relations whores." Followed by "The choice of 9/11 was basically branding, a tongue-in-cheek play on our emergency number, which makes the date more memorable." A little snarky and astute, the kind of talk you get around a conference table while brainstorming. The analysis of holidays during this exchange made me laugh.
Basically, he knocked it out of the park. Even some of the twists I guess that we're shocked when they were revealed nail-biting right up to the end. The Asset is a heck of a stand-alone thriller. If the publisher decides for more adventures of Kennedy, I'm in. I think I like Kuhn's series better than this kind of thing, but man, this one hit the sweet spot. I hope it brings him a lot of success.
I received this book from a drawing on the author's website. Mega-Thanks to Shane Kuhn and Simon & Schuster for the good read. As it was an ARC, there's a chance that the quotations above might not be in the published version, I'll try to confirm as soon as I can in a couple of weeks.
---
Like most of his business trips, the only sights he'd be taking in were those of Duty Free, Wok n' Roll, Dunkin' Donuts, and all the other apostrophic, postapocalyptic airport landmarks he vagabonded past countless times a year.
People often made envious remarks about his business travel, not realizing that the homogeneous scenery endemic to virtually every airport in the United States made on susceptible to what Kennedy half-jokingly called "Terminal Illness"--a chronic frequent traveler disease brought on by extreme isolation, fatigue-induced delirium, fast-food malnutrition, excessive consumption of bottom-shelf booze, and diminished social equilibrium. He likened it to extended space travel, but with inferior cuisine.
Unlike, say, Ryan Bingham, Kenney has a noble reason for spending so much time in airports. He flies all over the world -- particularly the U.S. -- training airport security officers (namely, the TSA). Sure, the TSA has their own training program, but airports will bring him in as a consultant to help beef things up. Thanks to a tragic loss years ago, Kennedy is one of the most invested security experts in the world -- he's more committed to airplane safety than most governments. To say he's driven is quite the understatement.
At the moment, there's a security bulletin going around with a warning of an immanent terrorist threat. A few people in the CIA, FBI, NSA, TSA are taking it seriously, but most figure it's just another in a long line of boys who cried, "wolf." Kennedy, of course, takes it more seriously than anyone, and is pretty frustrated that he's so alone in this.
So when he's approached by representatives of the intelligence community and given the opportunity to do something to stop this threat -- not just consult, but act -- he jumps in with both feet. And immediately finds himself in way above his head.
Kennedy and the team he joins are racing against the clock -- not sure when someone might strike, and really only pretty sure that they will. But if the threats reported are anything close to reality, if this attack goes off, it'll be worse than anything in history.
Kuhn's an experienced thriller writer and he knows how to keep things tense and the plot moving. From the outset we know that the attack will take place 64 days from the time we first meet Kennedy. Each time you get to a new chapter and read, "Day X," you feel the tension ratcheting up (like Lee Child's 61 Hours in reverse). Kuhn keeps you turning pages as quickly as you can while ignoring the clock and the alarm that's sure to go off in a couple of hours.
Because of the kind of book it is you that know that certain characters are going to turn out to be something they don't seem to be, or that events aren't going to be what they seem to be. But Kuhn pulls most of them off so that it's unexpected -- for example, a plot development that I spent 100 pages for took my by surprise when it actually happened. There is some violence here, but for the genre, it's pretty tame -- it's not sanitized, it's not toned-down -- it's just utilized when needed, nothing to excess.
Most of the characters were pretty much what you expect in a book like this -- but that's fine, those are why we read books like this. I don't need every character to break the mold, I like certain types to be good examples of those types, and Kuhn has many of those running throughout these pages. If Nuri isn't one of the best/most entertaining examples of she-nerd that you've come across lately, I'll eat my hat. There are a couple of characters that aren't from the typical thriller cast lists (see the musician, Love) are even better.
I don't want to compare this too often to Kuhn's John Lago books, but I have to a little. Those books are marked for their voice, their satire, their off-kilter protagonists. This protagonist is exactly what you expect he is, and is pretty typical for the genre, and the voice is pretty straight. But every now and then you get a little of Kuhn's voice (always appropriate to character and the work, don't get me wrong). Like when Kennedy and his team are trying to guess when and where the terrorists will attack, and we get the line, "Terrorists are basically psychotic public relations whores." Followed by "The choice of 9/11 was basically branding, a tongue-in-cheek play on our emergency number, which makes the date more memorable." A little snarky and astute, the kind of talk you get around a conference table while brainstorming. The analysis of holidays during this exchange made me laugh.
Basically, he knocked it out of the park. Even some of the twists I guess that we're shocked when they were revealed nail-biting right up to the end. The Asset is a heck of a stand-alone thriller. If the publisher decides for more adventures of Kennedy, I'm in. I think I like Kuhn's series better than this kind of thing, but man, this one hit the sweet spot. I hope it brings him a lot of success.
I received this book from a drawing on the author's website. Mega-Thanks to Shane Kuhn and Simon & Schuster for the good read. As it was an ARC, there's a chance that the quotations above might not be in the published version, I'll try to confirm as soon as I can in a couple of weeks.
June 29, 2017
The Asset is a novel centred around large scale terrorism. There are whispers of an attack and after 9/11, the US are highly focused on quick and effective counter-terrorism tactics. Shane Kaun has given us a realistic vision of today’s airline security from technology to human behaviour. The Asset is thrilling, action-packed and filled to the brim with risk and espionage. Kaun also uses thoughtful and meaningful plot points to craft a story about a man who wants to protect his country and the memory of his sister.
Kennedy is an Aviation Security Specialist who is focused on analysis, behaviour and surveillance. After losing his sister in the 9/11 terror attacks, he dedicated his life to making sure that nothing like that would ever happen again. During a routine excursion training up airline staff and checking up on security due to vague threats of a huge attack, Kennedy is kidnapped. After managing to escape the armed men, Kennedy finds out that this hostage situation is the CIA’s invitation into a secret group called the Red Carpet. The terror threats are very real and the group need Kennedy’s knowledge and training to figure out where the strike may be happening.
The plot covers a lot of ground. The novel is split into three distinct acts and each one is better than the last. I found the first act to be somewhat flat and difficult to digest. After the explosive and addictive Kill Your Boss, it was strange to be reading Kaun more thought-provoking writing. The first act gives us insight into Kennedy, his family and why he does what he does. It focuses on airport security, bureaucracy, technology and analysis. I found that, though it was a chilling look behind the curtain of security, it was rather tame and not very exciting. That all changes in the second/third acts though. Once Kennedy meets the Red Carpet, a CIA unit focused on terrorism, and his fears are confirmed, the heat gets turned up.
The larger portion of the book is all threats and thrills. I was amazed but the boldness of the plot and it really worked for me. I enjoyed the characters the most. Kaun takes care to make each of his characters unique. Every key character brings something to the overall feel of the novel; but the star is definitely Kennedy. Kennedy is a brilliantly nuanced main character. He has so many sides to him, from gentle brother, heroic protector and intelligent adviser to arse kicker, skilled tactician and (sometimes) a bit of a loner… The secondary characters like Love, Nuri, Juarez and Best all captured my attention in a good way. Even the (almost) faceless villain is smart, crafty and violent on an epic scale.
As with all books there are thrilling parts, nice parts and (at times) boring parts. Luckily Shane Kaun pulled it off with his descriptive, imaginative and harsh writing style. There so many themes scattered through this novel that there is something for everyone. Themes like action, risk, terrorism and espionage. Other themes like love, guilt, recompense and anxiety too. SK has mixed it all together to create a well rounded thriller that actually had me on the edge of my seat. I have given The Asset 4/5 stars because, though starting on shaky ground, I was compelled to read it through to its explosive conclusion. I am 2/2 with SK novels, I hope the 3rd one I read is just as good.
Kennedy is an Aviation Security Specialist who is focused on analysis, behaviour and surveillance. After losing his sister in the 9/11 terror attacks, he dedicated his life to making sure that nothing like that would ever happen again. During a routine excursion training up airline staff and checking up on security due to vague threats of a huge attack, Kennedy is kidnapped. After managing to escape the armed men, Kennedy finds out that this hostage situation is the CIA’s invitation into a secret group called the Red Carpet. The terror threats are very real and the group need Kennedy’s knowledge and training to figure out where the strike may be happening.
The plot covers a lot of ground. The novel is split into three distinct acts and each one is better than the last. I found the first act to be somewhat flat and difficult to digest. After the explosive and addictive Kill Your Boss, it was strange to be reading Kaun more thought-provoking writing. The first act gives us insight into Kennedy, his family and why he does what he does. It focuses on airport security, bureaucracy, technology and analysis. I found that, though it was a chilling look behind the curtain of security, it was rather tame and not very exciting. That all changes in the second/third acts though. Once Kennedy meets the Red Carpet, a CIA unit focused on terrorism, and his fears are confirmed, the heat gets turned up.
The larger portion of the book is all threats and thrills. I was amazed but the boldness of the plot and it really worked for me. I enjoyed the characters the most. Kaun takes care to make each of his characters unique. Every key character brings something to the overall feel of the novel; but the star is definitely Kennedy. Kennedy is a brilliantly nuanced main character. He has so many sides to him, from gentle brother, heroic protector and intelligent adviser to arse kicker, skilled tactician and (sometimes) a bit of a loner… The secondary characters like Love, Nuri, Juarez and Best all captured my attention in a good way. Even the (almost) faceless villain is smart, crafty and violent on an epic scale.
As with all books there are thrilling parts, nice parts and (at times) boring parts. Luckily Shane Kaun pulled it off with his descriptive, imaginative and harsh writing style. There so many themes scattered through this novel that there is something for everyone. Themes like action, risk, terrorism and espionage. Other themes like love, guilt, recompense and anxiety too. SK has mixed it all together to create a well rounded thriller that actually had me on the edge of my seat. I have given The Asset 4/5 stars because, though starting on shaky ground, I was compelled to read it through to its explosive conclusion. I am 2/2 with SK novels, I hope the 3rd one I read is just as good.
June 8, 2016
Wonderful espionage thriller. Page turner. Highly recommend for vacation reading, commuter reading, and travel reading. However, I read it during none of these times. Just couldn't put it down!
June 15, 2016
I loved Shane Kuhn's refreshingly cool take on the hitman thriller, The Intern's Handbook (as well as its novella prequel, Casual Friday), starring the super cool, but not completely perfect John Lago. Even the cover art for that book was pretty amazing! Kuhn has put John Lago on (I hope only a temporary) hold for a while after publishing the Lago sequel, Hostile Takeover, in the summer of 2015.
The protagonist of "The Asset" is TSA private consultant Kennedy (I don't recall seeing his first name as only his last name seems to be used throughout the book), and he is insecure, dealing with sorrow, romantically challenged and not really your typical gunslinging terrorist fighter (unlike Brad Thor's Scot Harvath and late Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp), but he has a bright mind, a big heart and an iron will. That makes him a pretty interesting character, and Kuhn sets a breathtaking pace in the story from the very beginning to the last page with numerous twists and turns that will even take Harlan Coben by surprise. Like Coben, Kuhn uses humor to keep the reader hooked, and it works most of the time. Although many things goes wrong for Kennedy, Kuhn takes some shortcuts in the plot, making other things go much too easy. That is a shame, and if Kuhn spent another 100 pages on developing the story, the book would still be less than 400 pages long, but probably even more exciting and realistic.
I still like Shane Kuhn's style of writing a lot, and fans of e.g. Jeff Abbott, Harlan Coben, and Vince Flynn should check his books out. I hope that Kuhn will develop a series with this Kennedy character, but then spend some extra time (and pages) on making the plot even more realistic.
[An advance reading copy of this book was generously provided by the publisher via Netgalley.com]
The protagonist of "The Asset" is TSA private consultant Kennedy (I don't recall seeing his first name as only his last name seems to be used throughout the book), and he is insecure, dealing with sorrow, romantically challenged and not really your typical gunslinging terrorist fighter (unlike Brad Thor's Scot Harvath and late Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp), but he has a bright mind, a big heart and an iron will. That makes him a pretty interesting character, and Kuhn sets a breathtaking pace in the story from the very beginning to the last page with numerous twists and turns that will even take Harlan Coben by surprise. Like Coben, Kuhn uses humor to keep the reader hooked, and it works most of the time. Although many things goes wrong for Kennedy, Kuhn takes some shortcuts in the plot, making other things go much too easy. That is a shame, and if Kuhn spent another 100 pages on developing the story, the book would still be less than 400 pages long, but probably even more exciting and realistic.
I still like Shane Kuhn's style of writing a lot, and fans of e.g. Jeff Abbott, Harlan Coben, and Vince Flynn should check his books out. I hope that Kuhn will develop a series with this Kennedy character, but then spend some extra time (and pages) on making the plot even more realistic.
[An advance reading copy of this book was generously provided by the publisher via Netgalley.com]
December 31, 2016
Impossible action, poorly written
Gah. TV show action sequences, written with the tension of a wet noodle. Idiotic, improbable, situations, unexplained plot holes, and our heroes surviving a nuclear explosion by diving in the water are a few of the problems in this novel. How much did the agent have to pay the acquisitions editor to get this one through the door?
Gah. TV show action sequences, written with the tension of a wet noodle. Idiotic, improbable, situations, unexplained plot holes, and our heroes surviving a nuclear explosion by diving in the water are a few of the problems in this novel. How much did the agent have to pay the acquisitions editor to get this one through the door?
April 17, 2016
Copy courtesy of NetGalley
Fast-paced, action-packed thriller, with many twists in the plot -- Awesome read!
Fast-paced, action-packed thriller, with many twists in the plot -- Awesome read!
July 5, 2016
THE ASSET by Shane Kuhn is action-packed, high stakes thriller that keeps the reader on their toes until the very end. It's the story of Kennedy, private airport security contractor, who is recruited by a CIA ghost operation to help solve the latest airport threat to the United States. Kennedy, whose desire to protect the world from terrorism stems from his sister's death and a strong urge to help his fellow man, dives into the opportunity to save the country but everything might not be exactly what it seems.
Kuhn brings a certain wit and sarcasm to Kennedy and the other major characters in the book that was really pleasing to read. The flow of the story keeps the reader on there toes without the reader getting lost and confused as to what is going on and what is about to happen. As the story progresses, so do the twists and turns and while some of them really surprised me and turned most of what the reader knows on its head, I felt a couple of times that dilemmas were solved and/or changed very awkwardly and unbelievably and the momentum of the story suffered. I did find that I was pulling for Kennedy and the people around him to safe the day and Kuhn does a good job of making those characters people you want to succeed. In the end I like where to story went and how the characters turned out.
I would definitely read another book buy Shane Kuhn, and I recommend THE ASSET to others as a good action/international intrigue book that keeps you guessing the whole way through.
I would like to thank Simon & Schuster, Shane Kuhn, and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Kuhn brings a certain wit and sarcasm to Kennedy and the other major characters in the book that was really pleasing to read. The flow of the story keeps the reader on there toes without the reader getting lost and confused as to what is going on and what is about to happen. As the story progresses, so do the twists and turns and while some of them really surprised me and turned most of what the reader knows on its head, I felt a couple of times that dilemmas were solved and/or changed very awkwardly and unbelievably and the momentum of the story suffered. I did find that I was pulling for Kennedy and the people around him to safe the day and Kuhn does a good job of making those characters people you want to succeed. In the end I like where to story went and how the characters turned out.
I would definitely read another book buy Shane Kuhn, and I recommend THE ASSET to others as a good action/international intrigue book that keeps you guessing the whole way through.
I would like to thank Simon & Schuster, Shane Kuhn, and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
May 19, 2016
* I received a free copy from NetGalley for my honest review*
I was already aware that Shane Kuhn could write a good book, I read the first of the John Lago series (The Interns Handbook/How To Kill Your Boss) and liked it.
I read the blurb for The Asset and to be totally truthful I was a bit worried that these characters wouldn't be able to compare to the ones from the John Lago series.
But happily I was proven wrong, the cast here is as varied and diverse as you could get, there's enough twists and turns to give you whiplash and this book just may have thee best wisecracking female computer hacker in fiction, I wish she was real, I'd totally date her.
The Asset was a good thriller with some farcical fun thrown in, It would be great if there was another book with this ragtag bunch of weirdly, wonderful yet ridiculously rubbish amateur spies. Totally recommend you give it a try.
I was already aware that Shane Kuhn could write a good book, I read the first of the John Lago series (The Interns Handbook/How To Kill Your Boss) and liked it.
I read the blurb for The Asset and to be totally truthful I was a bit worried that these characters wouldn't be able to compare to the ones from the John Lago series.
But happily I was proven wrong, the cast here is as varied and diverse as you could get, there's enough twists and turns to give you whiplash and this book just may have thee best wisecracking female computer hacker in fiction, I wish she was real, I'd totally date her.
The Asset was a good thriller with some farcical fun thrown in, It would be great if there was another book with this ragtag bunch of weirdly, wonderful yet ridiculously rubbish amateur spies. Totally recommend you give it a try.
July 25, 2016
This is not a book you want to read while traveling on a plane. However, it is most definitely a book to read in a hammock or at the beach. Shane Kuhn has done his research on air travel safety and it shows. As a result, there's a certain brutal honesty here about the perils of flying. Kuhn is not trying to scare anyone, but if you seen any of the stories about misguided TSA agents, you know he's telling the truth. There's plenty of action as Kennedy, a contractor for airport security, is recruited by the CIA to foil a plot against the nation's airports that threatens to make 9/11 pall by comparison.
August 24, 2016
The Asset is a well-crafted, enjoyable thriller, better than expected. I would not recommend reading while traveling, as the plot focuses on domestic terrorism at airports. It all feels very timely for today's security concerns. Some suspension of disbelief is certainly required, but the fast pace and clever plotting made this an exciting tale. The lead character was savvy and likeable. Very different from Kuhn's previous Intern's Handbook series, for the better. I hope he will write more books like this one.
August 25, 2016
If you can suspend belief that a consultant for TSA and HLS joined up with a childhood friend on her way to becoming a popular singer can prevent a major international terrorist plot against the United States, then this is the book for you. There is a lot of action, a body count too high to list and a little romance thrown in to make even skeptics like me want to find out what happens next. I enjoyed his previous book “The Intern’s Handbook” so I am sure I will read more of his books in the future.
August 11, 2016
I really enjoyed the Interns Handbook but this book just went too far for me. It's well written and some might find it to be a good thriller but it was just implausible for me. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. I'd like to see Kuhn calm down and write something realistic because I think he's got a good sense of plot and timing.
September 22, 2018
finished this one the 22nd of september 2018 good read four stars really liked it. reminds me of saturday morning cartoons...the good guys are unbelievably lucky, when all seems lost, they pull it off. why not? works for me. reads fast, too. woke up this morning wanting to get back to it. shazaaaaam!
September 30, 2016
I'm becoming a big fan of Shane Kuhn's. This is my second book and I enjoyed it more than his first, Intern's Handbook. Loved the plot twist and in my head, the character Love was like a cool Lisa Bonet. Looking forward to reading his other books too.
July 20, 2016
I received this book free from a Goodreads Giveaway.
Great suspense Novel, however I don't think it warranted all the language.
Great suspense Novel, however I don't think it warranted all the language.
May 5, 2017
All reviews can be found on my blog at https://thewritinggarnet.wordpress.com
I admit, I am one those readers who decides to judge a book by its cover instead of reading the blurb. Before you start thinking that I am a rather judgemental reader let me explain. I’m not (much), I just refuse to read a blurb and get told way too much before I have even read the novel! When I opened the package containing ‘The Asset’, straight away the cover had a lot riding on it, especially seeing as I had never heard of the author until that very moment! Luckily for me, the cover told me everything I needed to know; ‘One disaster took his sister and turned an ordinary man into a hero’.
Brand new author, intriguing cover, text with a hidden agenda that proposed the question; ‘why?’, in conclusion I couldn’t wait to begin reading.
The prologue is four pages long. Four pages was all it took to have me hooked line and sinker. FOUR PAGES! Kennedy harbours a lot of guilt after his final conversation with his sister, Belle, before she died. He will be living with that guilt and sadness for the rest of life, so what does Kennedy do? He puts himself in the firing line, literally.
‘The Asset’ was a book like no other I have read before. Not only does the storyline contain a truck load of crime, gorey details and kick ass characters, it also has a slight (understatement) spy influence throughout. Because the main character is seen as an ‘ordinary man’ (just a very, very, very clever one), he quite often got himself into a little bit of trouble from people ‘in the know’. As far as Kennedy was concerned, they weren’t ‘in the know’! Arrogant? Hilarious? Both in my opinion! At first I did think that Kennedy was so far up his own backside that he wouldn’t know the difference between night and day, but as the storyline spread its wings a bit more, he managed to change my opinion quite drastically.
You know when something happens and reality says that you shouldn’t laugh because it’s not funny, yet you end up finding yourself laughing anyway? This book made me do that! There was a situation, which had it happened in real life I probably wouldn’t have laughed, yet Kennedy’s reaction to it had me in hysterics! Yes, I’m being vague, but go and buy the book!
‘The Asset’ kept me on my toes the whole way through. Usually I try to solve storylines with complex plots, channelling my inner detective and failing miserably, but this time I was so engrossed in everything that was happening that I merely sat back and let the guys ‘in the know’ solve it! Plus, to be honest, I know I would have made a rubbish detective in this storyline as I was getting too distracted by the bonkers, other characters in the storyline. The jokers with hilarious one liners and questionable personalities (yet utterly fantastic to have in a storyline). I’m sure you know the sort.
Even though Shane Kuhn’s novel was out of my comfort zone to a point, I am so glad that I was given the chance to lose myself in such a dark, twisted and thrilling plot. Yes there were copious amounts of shocking moments with gorey details, but I really don’t think that the storyline would have been as good had they not have been included. It needed those short, sharp, shocking situations and dark conclusions as they gave the storyline enough depth to make it stand out from the rest.
Captivating, thrilling, twisted, yet unbelievably fantastic; ‘The Asset’ is THE type of book that needs to be devoured in one sitting. Full of complex characters and complex circumstances, Shane Kuhn’s novel will have you surrendering yourself to his dark and suspenseful way of thinking.
Absolutely fantastic.
Thank you Little Brown Books UK.
I admit, I am one those readers who decides to judge a book by its cover instead of reading the blurb. Before you start thinking that I am a rather judgemental reader let me explain. I’m not (much), I just refuse to read a blurb and get told way too much before I have even read the novel! When I opened the package containing ‘The Asset’, straight away the cover had a lot riding on it, especially seeing as I had never heard of the author until that very moment! Luckily for me, the cover told me everything I needed to know; ‘One disaster took his sister and turned an ordinary man into a hero’.
Brand new author, intriguing cover, text with a hidden agenda that proposed the question; ‘why?’, in conclusion I couldn’t wait to begin reading.
The prologue is four pages long. Four pages was all it took to have me hooked line and sinker. FOUR PAGES! Kennedy harbours a lot of guilt after his final conversation with his sister, Belle, before she died. He will be living with that guilt and sadness for the rest of life, so what does Kennedy do? He puts himself in the firing line, literally.
‘The Asset’ was a book like no other I have read before. Not only does the storyline contain a truck load of crime, gorey details and kick ass characters, it also has a slight (understatement) spy influence throughout. Because the main character is seen as an ‘ordinary man’ (just a very, very, very clever one), he quite often got himself into a little bit of trouble from people ‘in the know’. As far as Kennedy was concerned, they weren’t ‘in the know’! Arrogant? Hilarious? Both in my opinion! At first I did think that Kennedy was so far up his own backside that he wouldn’t know the difference between night and day, but as the storyline spread its wings a bit more, he managed to change my opinion quite drastically.
You know when something happens and reality says that you shouldn’t laugh because it’s not funny, yet you end up finding yourself laughing anyway? This book made me do that! There was a situation, which had it happened in real life I probably wouldn’t have laughed, yet Kennedy’s reaction to it had me in hysterics! Yes, I’m being vague, but go and buy the book!
‘The Asset’ kept me on my toes the whole way through. Usually I try to solve storylines with complex plots, channelling my inner detective and failing miserably, but this time I was so engrossed in everything that was happening that I merely sat back and let the guys ‘in the know’ solve it! Plus, to be honest, I know I would have made a rubbish detective in this storyline as I was getting too distracted by the bonkers, other characters in the storyline. The jokers with hilarious one liners and questionable personalities (yet utterly fantastic to have in a storyline). I’m sure you know the sort.
Even though Shane Kuhn’s novel was out of my comfort zone to a point, I am so glad that I was given the chance to lose myself in such a dark, twisted and thrilling plot. Yes there were copious amounts of shocking moments with gorey details, but I really don’t think that the storyline would have been as good had they not have been included. It needed those short, sharp, shocking situations and dark conclusions as they gave the storyline enough depth to make it stand out from the rest.
Captivating, thrilling, twisted, yet unbelievably fantastic; ‘The Asset’ is THE type of book that needs to be devoured in one sitting. Full of complex characters and complex circumstances, Shane Kuhn’s novel will have you surrendering yourself to his dark and suspenseful way of thinking.
Absolutely fantastic.
Thank you Little Brown Books UK.
October 20, 2016
I won an ARC copy of this book off Goodreads.
I have read and loved Shane Kuhn's first 2 books, so I was beyond excited when I saw he had written a third book. And when I won it off Goodreads, I felt like I had won the lottery. At first I was disappointed because I was not liking the book to be honest. "The Asset" is much more serious and realistic than Kuhn's first 2 books. I had to keep telling myself that this book is different from the others, and is a standalone book, not part of the John Lago series. But I was forcing myself to pick it up and read. The beginning of the book has a lot of info dumping, and some of it I didn't care about. I kept reading because it's Shane Kuhn, and it was still just interesting enough to keep my attention. I started to fall in love with the book, and actually want to read it when I was halfway in. The book has a lot of action, like his other 2 books, and there's some great lines of dialogue. I liked Kennedy, the main character, but I especially liked Love, and Nuri. They are 2 kick ass women who I wish I could be like. I didn't like "The Asset" as much I did his other 2 books, but I still enjoyed it, and I'm glad I read it. I will definitely read anything Shane Kuhn writes.
I have read and loved Shane Kuhn's first 2 books, so I was beyond excited when I saw he had written a third book. And when I won it off Goodreads, I felt like I had won the lottery. At first I was disappointed because I was not liking the book to be honest. "The Asset" is much more serious and realistic than Kuhn's first 2 books. I had to keep telling myself that this book is different from the others, and is a standalone book, not part of the John Lago series. But I was forcing myself to pick it up and read. The beginning of the book has a lot of info dumping, and some of it I didn't care about. I kept reading because it's Shane Kuhn, and it was still just interesting enough to keep my attention. I started to fall in love with the book, and actually want to read it when I was halfway in. The book has a lot of action, like his other 2 books, and there's some great lines of dialogue. I liked Kennedy, the main character, but I especially liked Love, and Nuri. They are 2 kick ass women who I wish I could be like. I didn't like "The Asset" as much I did his other 2 books, but I still enjoyed it, and I'm glad I read it. I will definitely read anything Shane Kuhn writes.
August 19, 2017
The Asset by Shane Kuhn is a fun read for readers who do not demand action and reaction fully grounded in realism and credulity. It is filled with plot twists and turns that keep the reader guessing which provides entertainment. The basic plot is very interesting and timely based upon international terrorism and airport security issues, procedures and fears. While the basic plot is believable and well-paced by the author, the actions and abilities of the protagonist Kennedy stretch the limits of plausibility. Not much time is spent on character development. Doing so would have enhanced the overall quality of the book. The dialogue is relatively sparse but often witty with an enjoyable dark humor. If you enjoy a thriller that is based upon a timely and scary topic that is filled with intrigue, plot twists and an ever-changing roster of “good guys and bad guys”, then you will enjoy The Asset. If you demand plausibility, then not so much.
December 11, 2017
Remember, one man's off the cuff summary may be a "sensitive" reader's spoiler.
This is fluff, but very fun fluff. Kuhn uses the same saucy sense of humor here as he did in "The Intern's Handbook." (But I liked "Intern's Handbook" better than I did this.)
Kennedy is the main character in this breezy thriller, which is set mostly in the USA. He's a security expert for TSA, but is recruited to a strike force involving the CIA whose mission is to stop a world-class terrorist from decimating the States.
There's high irony in the fact that baddest guy turns out to be Kennedy's favorite self-help celebrity.
Kennedy is such a hard case that it takes a while into the book to learn his first name. Yet, he too gets a love interest, in the spirit of the happy-ending thriller genre.
This is fluff, but very fun fluff. Kuhn uses the same saucy sense of humor here as he did in "The Intern's Handbook." (But I liked "Intern's Handbook" better than I did this.)
Kennedy is the main character in this breezy thriller, which is set mostly in the USA. He's a security expert for TSA, but is recruited to a strike force involving the CIA whose mission is to stop a world-class terrorist from decimating the States.
There's high irony in the fact that baddest guy turns out to be Kennedy's favorite self-help celebrity.
Kennedy is such a hard case that it takes a while into the book to learn his first name. Yet, he too gets a love interest, in the spirit of the happy-ending thriller genre.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2023
I go through two dozen books before I find one that fits my qualifiers. First is the narrator - Pete Simonnelli reads at a steady pace, he enunciations so well, he keeps the volume steady and he has a pleasant voice. This read was chosen based on his narration. It was an adult leading character, interesting job, a human one might enjoy spending time talking with. Then after the halfway point I became dulled by the fantastico of the plot; when the female character entered the story in a big way, I felt it fall apart. An adult, interesting read became 'hollywood'. Sure, I'll try Kuhn's first book. I've gone to reading mostly non-fiction due to the often unrealistic nature of the tone. And yes, I'm very hard to please in the fiction reads.
May 31, 2021
An airport security consultant grieving the death of his little sister on 9/11/01 and an independent singer/songwriter who had been her best friend find themselves trying to stop an impending terror attack funded by an anti-American billionaire.
What that plot summary doesn't tell you is that Shane Kuhn writes more believable dialog than most other thriller writers, and that this story has several inventive twists in it. Even the asides -- such as the protagonist's flirting with a barista at an airport Starbucks -- are entertaining.
What that plot summary doesn't tell you is that Shane Kuhn writes more believable dialog than most other thriller writers, and that this story has several inventive twists in it. Even the asides -- such as the protagonist's flirting with a barista at an airport Starbucks -- are entertaining.
December 6, 2016
This book has its moments as a thriller just not enough to kick it over the point of really good thriller. True, a surprise ending but not enough character development and too much jumping from scene to scene, all in sequence, but no realistic transitions. Its almost like the story needs commercial breaks to make it flow better. Maybe OK for a TV movie that is built to occupy the time between commercials, someone's got to pay the bills, but not a book.
January 30, 2017
It was a fun read! Well, Kennedy wasn't as much fun as John was. Kennedy felt like a more cautious guy, and I can relate to that. I love how it all is so real and exciting, but scary too. I mean if the story plot were to be something that were to really happen, oh my, what a mess. I kinda did see the twist coming but was still surprised by it too. I did have fun reading this.
September 28, 2017
This stand-alone novel is filled with action. Kennedy is haunted by his sister's death on 9/11. He is kidnapped and recruited into a CIA operation, Red Carpet. There is a race to stop a terrorist threat to the United States. This espionage thriller is a page turner. I received a copy of this book compliments of Goodreads Giveaways for a review.
March 31, 2020
Total crap. Only my aversion to not finishing books once I start for me through this. So stupid and unbelievable that it removes all suspense that is supposed to be in the book. The opposite of a page turner, you can put this book down at anytime because you don’t care what will happen next as it is so ridiculous. Don’t bother reading
July 26, 2025
This was a weird one. It was enjoyable, above average, until maybe 80% of the way through... and then it was like somebody else took over the writing? or the author suddenly panicked about a deadline? It became sketchy, not developed, silly and completely unbelievable (it was a light, caper-type thriller anyway, but even for that, it became unbelievable). What happened there?
September 15, 2025
(3). This is not quite the unbelievable ride of his earlier book, The Intern's Handbook, but it sure is lots of fun. Kennedy is one hell of a protagonist and this plot moves at light speed. The story is on the edge of realistic and the action, violence and pace of play is awesome. A little too much sap kept it from four stars but this little book is great entertainment. Good stuff.
December 10, 2016
The Asset was a fun easy read. I enjoyed a different spin on the usual "foil the terrorist" plot device. The characters drew me in, and the story line was unique enough to keep me guessing. Three stars instead of four because the voice was uneven, but I look forward to Shane Kuhn's next book.
July 31, 2017
Despite being rather depressingly predictable in terms of relationships, I enjoyed reading this. The action was interesting and the plot, although somewhat different to other works by the author, held me enough to finish.
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