The Quiet Assassin

by Thomas Kirkwood

While outwardly appearing to be nothing more than a scientist, who is a loving wife and doting mother, East German Kate Frassek is actually an experienced resistance fighter and assassin, with an American lover who knows nothing of her dual life

Genres: Thriller, Historical Fiction

301 pages, Hardcover

First published May 8, 1985

About the author

Thomas Kirkwood is an American author best known for his international thrillers. He was born in Tallulah, Louisiana, a small town near the mouth of the Mississippi River. His works, fiction and academic, have been published by the London School of Economics, Contemporary Review, Macmillan, NAL/Signet, and DIF (an imprint of Penguin USA). His novels, which helped usher in the “audiobook revolution,” were chosen as lead entries for the New York Authors Guild’s back-in-print series and featured by Book-of-the-Month Club. Screenplays and movie options have been acquired by Hawn Film, Ltd., and Twentieth Century Fox. After years teaching and writing in the EU, Storm, his wife and two daughters now live in near Boulder, Colorado.

In Europe Thomas now publishes under the pen name 'Storm Fredrickson.' The East Wind, on February 24, 2024, received a special jury prize at the Rome International Literary Awards competition. The awards ceremony will be held on March 16, 2024, at the Ghione Theater in Rome.

Reviews

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was quite good. Its a love story based mainly within East Berlin before the wall came down. It really was a rough place to live and visit.

[Ellyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

My friend Stefanie's dad wrote this book! She sent me an autographed copy. It's a thriller that takes place in East Berlin during the Cold War. The heroine, Kate, leads a double life as a scientist/engineer and a resistance figher plotting to bring down the head of the government's secret police. Both her son and the American doctor she loves become entangled in her fight. I liked this book because not only was it a page turner, but it also taught me about a time and place that I knew little about. It's not the type of book I would typically choose for myself, but I thought it was interesting and well-written.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reminds me of the old TV show "Mission Impossible" because the resistance women and men in East Berlin dressed up to look like the secret police and impersonated them, made gadgets, commandeered a truck and repainted it, hid papers in clothes, etc. This was a real page-turner set in Berlin after the Wall was built.


Sex: a few non graphic scenes
Violence: East Berlin was a very brutal place and the secret police could torture and murder people
without cause. Resistance fighters also killed people. Non graphic.

[Karen Ross · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not that great - gave up after a few chapters. Didn't like it ....

[Nev Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good cold war thriller set in the old DDR

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced, great thriller - kept me gripped, particularly at the end. Great easy thriller read.