The Silver Bear

Silver Bear #1

by Derek Haas

The intense psychological portrait of a hitman—the anti-Jason Bourne—as he stalks his prey from Boston to LA. He wants you to know him, maybe even admire him, but only for his excellence in his craft. Perhaps he was even born for it.

"A natural killer," his mentor—a middleman named Vespucci—said he was. He proved it with his first professional hit: a Fifth Circuit Court judge in Boston, executed with a sheet of Saran Wrap in the stairwell of her own courthouse. He's proved his merit often, usually with a Glock semiautomatic, but he's improvised too, with his bare hands, the heel of a shoe, knives, even a sewing machine. He is the consummate assassin, at the top of his form, immune to the psychological strains of his chosen profession. He is what the Russians call a Silver Bear. He calls himself Columbus. It's the name Vespucci gave him, ten years ago, when he discovered a dark, new world of fences, clients, marks, jobs, jack. Not that his real name meant much to him anyway. He never knew his father or his mother, a prostitute who became dangerously involved back in the seventies with an earnest young congressman named Abe Mann, then a rising star in the Democratic Party. The magnetic Abe Mann has since become the Speaker of the House. He is currently running for the Democratic nomination in an exhausting presidential campaign, weaving his way across the country. Columbus is not far behind. But as he pieces together his past and prepares the seamless assassination of his mark, the criminal underworld he has always ruled begins unraveling violently around him.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Crime, Action

219 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Derek Haas is the author of five books about an assassin and one about a spy. He co-created the show CHICAGO FIRE, and executive produces PD and MED. He also co-wrote the screenplays for 3:10 TO YUMA, WANTED, and 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS. Derek lives in Los Angeles.

Reviews

[Thomas Higgins · Rating 2 out of 5]

First the good: this is a well-written, quick moving thriller. I enjoyed the writing style and character development. The book is a fast read. Took me all of a few bus rides to work to finish it. The story and back story of Columbus, the assassin, flowed well.

Frankly though, since the rise and fall of Tony Soprano, there have been too many "sociopaths as 'good guys'" stories and I'm tired of it. I can get behind the "good guy" who has to do bad things to achieve a noble end, or even the "good guy" who does bad things to achieve a questionable end, with such sufficiently moral fiber to as to struggle with his actions. But I can't get behind a "good guy" who kills because it's a job. I get that everyone, even assassins, have a back story, but if there's no moral center to a man, I can't care about him. And that was the problem with the book. Well written, well crafted, but with a protagonist (antagonist?) about whom I care not one bit.

[Larry · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a sub-strata of books about professional hit men. Lawrence Block, Kevin Wignall, and Tom Hinshelwood (now Tom Wood at the request of his publisher) each have created interesting books about hit men. Wood's may be the best, but all are interesting. Derek Haas clearly writes as well as any of the others, maybe even better, but he has produced a protagonist who inspires shudders rather than respect. How can a reader respect a hit man? In addition to a suspenseful setting (not just a shooting gallery) and a bit of profesional conduct (it is a job, after all), it helps if the hit man isn't psychologically disturbed. Oh, come on, you say. All hit men are disturbed. Not like Derek Haas's Columbus. Given his childhood, it's hard to see how he could have turned out all right, but it's hard to be interested in somebody as far out on the sociopathic spectrum as Columbus.

Then there's the matter of professional skill set. Block, Wood, and Wignall have created books in which there man is on the run from another lethal force. each man-on-the-run book showcases the hit man's survival skills (like Thomas Perry's Jane Whitehurst books or a couple of Buchan's or Household's do). Quick thinking becomes as essential as quick shooting. Columbus's first professional act is to shoot a cigarette out of a gangster's mouth. Shades of Annie Oakley. That kind of skill with a handgun stretches my willingness to suspend belief or believe in the protagonist's skill set to the extreme.

The writing turns a 2-star book into 3 stars. I'll read the next one in the series (so far of 3 books), but I'll really lok forward to Tom Wood' next "Victor" book next month.

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

Columbus has a natural talent as a killer. It is instinct for Columbus, a way of life. Even with his first hit he proved himself more than capable of getting the job done. When a gun doesn't do the job, he can use whatever prop comes his way. If there isn't anything readily available, he will happily kill with his bare hands.

His latest assignment isn't quite going the way he has planned. When Columbus finds himself drowning in a pool of secrets, he begins to question the path he has chosen in life.

Brilliantly written. Thriller fans everywhere will sing praise for this book. Even though Columbus was a killer, he's a really likable character.

[Michael L Wilkerson (Papa Gray Wolf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the Silver Bear series some time ago, finishing the series either last year or maybe the year before. I see that I haven't rated them and without going into details, this is a good, good book.

[D. H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the surface it’s about...
a hit man hired on a job that changes his life.

But it’s actually about...
confronting your past.

It was awesome that...
the pacing makes it so easy to read.

What this taught me about how to be good is...
we have to fight to survive, stay focused on our goals, and do the hard things that need to be done.

What this taught me about how to die is...
it comes as a result of past demons, bad choices, and close connections to others.

Best read…
by people who like amoral characters.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable story which focused more on the protagonists’ background. I give this 3.5, looking forward to the sequel. Reminded me of Quarry (hit man created by Max Allan Collins) in parts.

[Patty_pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Come si vede che l'autore è uno sceneggiatore di film d'azione. Immagini vivide, molto movimento, passaggi temporali che indicano riflessioni sul passato. Al solito, un film su carta. Comunque è un libro sufficiente, che racconta la storia di un killer, da quando nasce a quando gli viene affidato un compito piuttosto difficile: uccidere un politico che lui sa essere suo padre. Questo lo sbilancia e gli a commettere diversi errori che in passato non avrebbe commesso. Inoltre gli tornano alla mente diversi episodi del passato che lo hanno portato fino a quel punto. Gli omicidi che lo hanno “formato”, le amicizie rimaste, l'amore scacciato perché non può avere punti deboli. Insomma tutti i cliché del duro e cattivo. Ma scorre e mi ha fatto passare qualche ora pensando a quanto le persone sono cattive...

[Lawrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story delivers on the opening line of its book jacket: "Delve into the mind of an assassin - in this chilling psychological portrait of a hit man, as h stalks his prey from Boston to Los Angeles."
On his cross country journey for his next job, professional killer Columbus finds his normal ability to stay wholly in the present is challenged by the identity of his latest target. The flashbacks help determine how he got to the point where he is one of the tops in his profession. While it was hard to empathize with the character, who is also the narrator, I did find the author made the story an easy read, and the twist toward the end probably raised my rating a bit.
It did read like an intended movie, and the author wrote screenplays before writing this novel.

[Terry Steinborn · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining and engrossing thriller. The Silver Bear is a term for a particularly adept assassin, one who can carry out essentially any assignment, no matter what impediments or complications arise. Columbus is a Silver Bear, and he is given the assignment of assassinating a Congressman and probable Presidential Candidate. The process he goes through to accomplish this are amazingly thorough and detailed. The book, although fairly short, is muddied by all of the flashbacks to past exploits, all included to give a backstory for this series. The suspense continues to build throughout the book, which makes it a bit nerve-wracking to read. Instead of the more common 'police procedural' mystery, this should be classified as an 'assassin procedural'.

[Tyler Rivers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the story, it was an easy read, with decently short chapters. I like this simple style of writing. The entirety of the plot, however, can be/was known by me from early on. It wasn't an exactly new or wild story- just a solid, good one about an assassin and his inner-mind/inner-workings. The only complaint I really have is that the author, for whatever reason, felt it necessary to add strange characterizing details. Calling certain people "black men," detailing weird assaults/SA, detailing people as fat who don't fit their suit jackets well- it was all really weird. The main character is Black, so it felt odd to describe certain things, especially from a white author. Maybe it is just a product of 2008, I don't know. Otherwise a good read.

[A.L. Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an tight, thrilling example of a good, violent adventure. It didn't compromise, but stayed true to the character and tone throughout. Enjoyable lacking in distractions and content that does not move the story and the character forward. Just the sort of thing that I like to read, but isn't always that easy to find.
Hats off to my friend Doc for the recommendation! Keep 'em coming Derek.

[Scott Delaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Believable and credible characters throughout. Very well written. Packs a ton into a relatively short space. Great development of characters throughout this series. My friend, Derek Haas, is truly a writer's writer! The nuance in his writing is impeccable. You will find yourself pulling for some really sadistic, yet wildly compelling, main characters! Bravo, Mr. Haas!

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick, compelling read.

[Laura Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read!

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read, captivating enough I guess. The story jumps back and forth quite a lot, idk how I feel about that.

[Kristin Hermanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

[Alessandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm reviewing something different today. I saw a promotional tweet for the ebook version of The Assassin Trilogy by Derek Haas as a good book for Father's Day. I read the description and was intrigued, so I thought I'd try the first book and see if I liked it. It's not a very long book - slightly more than 200 pages - so it was a good choice for a read-a-thon, plus I've been meaning to get some thrillers to balance out the YA romance (it gets predictable after a while).

Columbus is a professional killer. Some call him the Silver Bear, because (it's explained way into the book, but it's not really a spoiler) he never misses a hit and always eliminates his targets. He works alone, aided only by his middleman Pooley, who was formerly his foster brother.

"Columbus" is the name he was given by his mentor Vespucci, who recruited him fresh out of juvie. Columbus is the orphan son of a prostitute who became dangerously involved with a successful young congressman named Abe Mann. Now Mann is travelling around the country in his presidential campaign, and has just become Columbus's new target. But while Columbus is following his target around and piecing his own past together, the criminal life around him starts to unravel dangerously.

This book is quite different from what I usually read, but it was a nice surprise all the same. In spite of Columbus being a ruthless, trained assassin, I found him almost a likeable character. I enjoyed learning about his past, especially his lost love story. I wonder if Jake is going to be present in the next books.

At slightly more than 200 pages, this is a short book which manages to pack quite a punch. It's the first novel in a trilogy, but it can stand quite well on its own. Of course, there's nothing unnecessary in it, and the story begins straightaway. This makes me wonder about all the series I usually read, in which after the first book finishes you're left terribly hanging and/or you feel like the story has only just begun. Of course, in many fantasy or science fiction book, word building takes up a lot of space. Still, I can't help but feel that the skilled writer can pack their story effectively in a reasonable amount of pages without having to resort to multiple books just in order to finish a single storyline. I suspect many series in today's YA fiction are built to be series for marketing reasons, not because the story really needs it to be told to the end.

I enjoyed this book very much - although many people are killed, there are not so many very gory details. I will definitely keep reading this series. I'd recommend it if you are new to the thriller genre and would liek to try it, and of course if you like thrillers and mysteries.

Cover attraction: the one above is the hardcover. I find it effective because it makes it very clear what genre it is, while maintaining an element of mystery and tension. Nice job.

[Elizabeth Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Columbus was trained as an assassin after being orphaned, placed in terrible foster homes, and serving a term in juvenile detention. Recruited as a teenager, he is expert in many methods of killing and is at the top of his profession--a Silver Bear. He now faces a more challenging assignment, to kill a U.S. Senator on the campaign trail for the Democratic Presidential nomination. Unusual complications arise, and Columbus discovers surprising things about himself and those around him as he follows the senator's trail. This is the 1st in a series of 3 books. It is a page-turner and a quick read.

[CC · Rating 4 out of 5]

A super taut thriller by writer Derek Haas about a professional assassin named Columbus. When Columbus gets his packet of information on his latest hit, he discovers it is his own father, whom he never knew, politician Abe Mann. Much like Lee Child's Jack Reacher, Columbus has no attachments and works violently and with no remorse -- unlike Lee Child's Jack Reacher, this book was interesting.

The book flips back and forth from the present-day mission of killing his father to his past of how he became an assassin. Aside from the first twenty pages or so which had a shocking amount of "telling" and no "showing," the scenes are all tight and gripping and tense. I loved all the scenes with Jake, loved her from the get-go, Pooley too.

My issues -- yes, I've got some -- the book gave me whiplash as it juxtaposed these two plots (present and past). You settle into one and boom, you're jerked right back out into the other. Likewise, the transitions were too brief -- and the settings as well. Without a firm sense of place -- Boston in the winter, and then suddenly Italy in the spring -- you're at a loss, trying to keep up. In addition, the book is just too damn short for this much to be packed in. At 215 pages another 200 pages could've been added, easily, and it would've made for a better read. You get a five page spread on a super important chatacter and then he's dead -- in the present. Then alive again, in the past.

On a side note, Haas is gifted in the naming department -- Pooley, Vespucci, Abe Mann. Memorable and able to be discerned easily from one another without sounding cliche, a plus for a book with so many characters to keep track of.

[Zade · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Silver Bear is a reasonably entertaining assassin thriller. The narrator lacks the charm of John Rain or the Grey Man, but the story is interesting enough and moves along quickly. One aspect I found particularly positive is that Haas makes very clear the connection between child abuse and adult criminality. Although we all know that society makes its own monsters, it's always good to have that message reiterated in a context in which it may reach new ears. Haas also shows the flip side of that coin when he undermines the narrator's assumption that he comes by his deadly proclivities genetically. However much he would like to think he was "born bad," the facts do not bear out his belief.

The negatives? The character himself is a fairly stunted individual and it shows, as it must, in his narrative. While the limitations of his story fit his character, they also make for fairly superficial reading. Also, there are some inconsistencies in the character that seem like more than personal foibles, more like flaws in character construction. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the novel enough that I will pick up the next one in the series at some point, even if I'm not running out to get it right away.

[Zare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Columbus (called for his proficiency Silver Bear) is a professional hitman. Unlike Rain (another famous book character) he is not semi-official assassin (he is not extensively used by this or that government agency). He is a cold blooded professional working for whoever can pay him, made ruthless by his very occupation were trust means betrayal and where affection means Achilles heel. He is not a positive guy he is very negative, sometimes even madly violent man. But he has an avenger-like attitude and mostly aims the criminals.[return][return]Very disturbing voyage into very disturbing world of underground where life is measured only in how much money will it cost to take it away. Another novel with the same main character is expected to be published sometime in 2009/2010. Looking forward to see how Columbus ends up.[return][return]Very interesting story, recommended.

[Doris · Rating 3 out of 5]

It flipped too much between the present and the past in an unsuccessful attempt to self-justify the murderous assassin. I kept waiting for it to get better, or perhaps I should say for the killer to get better, but it never did. It never really justified or explained how a lonely kid went from being a kid that just fell through the cracks to a sociopath killer. I think it was trying to blame that on heritage, because although his upbringing wasn't the best it wasn't the worst. His last couple of years in a foster home were the worst, but by that time he was past the "impressionable age".

It was an easy read, and the ending was a surprise, and a good one. It finished well, and wrapped up several loose ends, although it did emphasize the point that bad guys trust no one, not even themselves.

[Christopher Valin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was finally able to read this book while on vacation. I can't compare this to other books of the genre (like many of the reviews I've read) because I don't usually read these types of books--I read it because I'm a fan of Haas' writing for films such as 3:10 to Yuma and Wanted. All I know is this action/suspense thriller kept me turning the pages, with its present tense POV and straight-for-the-jugular action. It contains many of my favorite things from novels, movies, and TV shows: a dark story about a flawed anti-hero who somehow manages to keep us on his side (even when he's committing acts of atrocity), characters who are true-to-life gray rather than black-and-white, and conflict, conflict, and more conflict.

I can't wait to read the sequel.

[Jim A · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Derek Haas' prose in the telling of this story. Haas does a good job of keeping the story interesting, both in the here and now and with the main character's back story intermingled.

The main character, Columbus, is really not very likeable and has no real redeeming features or values. He's just a killer. In this story he has been hired to kill a politician who happens to be Columbus' father.

There are several authors who do stories on assassins/hit men and tell a better tale than Haas. Eisler's John Rain, Thomas Perry's Butcher's Boy, Daniel Silva's Gabriel Allon, to name just a few.

This was the first book of a trilogy featuring Columbus, the killer. It will be interesting to see if Haas can bring a little more empathy to the character.

[Pygmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, fast-paced character study of an assassin on the job. Has a hard-bitten style, is convincing, intelligent, and overall a worthwhile read. The true rating is really 3.5 stars...The only reason I didn't rate it higher is because I did not ache to continue reading it when I temporarily put it down, nor did it resonate with me so much that I continued to think about it after I finished the book. Perhaps it's because of the hardboiled style combined with the fact that the assassin remains an unrepentant killer that distanced me emotionally, but if you're looking for a good action thriller with character development, then this book is perfect.

[Elizabeth Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

I blew through this in a day.
Narrated in the first person, it was unusual in that it is told in the present tense.
Haas is accomplished at weaving the back-story seamlessly into the novel, building it up gradually until the reader has a sense of what makes his character tick.And I say 'his character' as if there is only one in the novel - there is only one that matters, and I can't believe that the author has written this character well enough for me to be rooting for an assassin!
The plot development at the end was unexpected and masterful.I was engrossed in it from beginning to end and am now starting the second in the trilogy, though this book stands perfectly well on its own.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for a different type of thriller, The Silver Bear is it. This is not only a thrilling story of a hitman, but a look at his childhood and what led him to his current life and work. I actually liked the character and I think this was possible because Haas told the story through the voice of Columbus. I was even sympathetic to his feelings. His personal life and his work cross paths, and Columbus follows his plan to discover why. This is a very fast read and I really enjoyed it...looking forward to the next book in the series.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

My rating is given within the genre, no for all my books. Make no mistake, this is not great literature, what book about a hitman would be?

But...

Great, fun vacation book. I have a minor quibble with the ending, but one does have to suspend belief in this type of book, so perhaps that is my problem, not that of the book.

Written in precise, economic prose. Bravo for an author who doesn't need 500+ pages to tell a story like this!

[Elli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Murder for hire sort of a biography. Started off rather like some of Andrew Vachss characters, fostered and badly abused. And the two bonded during this period starting a lifetime comrade and friendship. One also expected a family here as in an operative sense. But for me it fell short. Lots of cold and hard boiled, lots of action, but something was missing in the fullness of the characters and in the story twists and turns.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a great book. It's popcorn. It's like a less good Lee Child book. I do appreciate that the lead is a unrepentant psychopath, but he's also a complete fucker, which is not awesome. It's very lean and mean, but that's probably a good thing because the author isn't the best. Still, good summer reading.