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Charles Bishop #1
Kiss My Assassin
You’ve never met a spy like this before!
When the Turkish ambassador crashes his car in central London, the incident launches an unforeseeable series of catastrophic events—and a naked body.
MI6 spy Charles Bishop flies headfirst into intrigue, gun battles and assassinations. He’s on the hunt for a mysterious and powerful arms-dealing organisation named Kali—and they have him squarely in their sights.
Along the way he falls for a mysterious woman who may just be the death of him.
Fast-paced with whip-smart dialogue and twists at every turn, Kiss My Assassin is the very definition of unputdownable.
Note to the reader: Although the Bishop novels can be read in any order, the events described take place before those in the Eva Destruction novels.
When the Turkish ambassador crashes his car in central London, the incident launches an unforeseeable series of catastrophic events—and a naked body.
MI6 spy Charles Bishop flies headfirst into intrigue, gun battles and assassinations. He’s on the hunt for a mysterious and powerful arms-dealing organisation named Kali—and they have him squarely in their sights.
Along the way he falls for a mysterious woman who may just be the death of him.
Fast-paced with whip-smart dialogue and twists at every turn, Kiss My Assassin is the very definition of unputdownable.
Note to the reader: Although the Bishop novels can be read in any order, the events described take place before those in the Eva Destruction novels.
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 16, 2019
1051 people are currently reading
570 people want to read
About the author
Dave Sinclair
17 books55 followersDave Sinclair is a USA Today bestselling author, screenwriter and a really excellent parallel parker. Author of the Scream Queen Detective Agency, Mason Nash, Atticus Wolfe, Charles Bishop, Eva Destruction novels and snarky Post-It notes.
The three series have different main characters, but do manage to slip into each other’s series now and then.
Dave spends a lot of time in his imaginary world and ignoring the washing.
He lives in Melbourne, Australia with his wife and two crazy daughters.
He’s also an award winning filmmaker. A title that sounds much more impressive than it really is. He won a best comedy screenplay and cinematography award for one of the short films he wrote and directed, though at the time he didn’t really know what cinematography was. A completed screenplay is currently doing the rounds.
Dave’s overflowing bookshelves include many works by Douglas Adams, P.G. Wodehouse, Dashiel Hammet, Raymond Chandler, Janet Evanovich, Ian Flemming, Zadie Smith and John le Carré.
To find out more, you can stalk him at all these semi-reputable places:
https://facebook.com/DaveSinclairAuthor/
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/dave-...
https://www.instagram.com/davesinclai...
https://books2read.com/DaveSinclair/
The three series have different main characters, but do manage to slip into each other’s series now and then.
Dave spends a lot of time in his imaginary world and ignoring the washing.
He lives in Melbourne, Australia with his wife and two crazy daughters.
He’s also an award winning filmmaker. A title that sounds much more impressive than it really is. He won a best comedy screenplay and cinematography award for one of the short films he wrote and directed, though at the time he didn’t really know what cinematography was. A completed screenplay is currently doing the rounds.
Dave’s overflowing bookshelves include many works by Douglas Adams, P.G. Wodehouse, Dashiel Hammet, Raymond Chandler, Janet Evanovich, Ian Flemming, Zadie Smith and John le Carré.
To find out more, you can stalk him at all these semi-reputable places:
https://facebook.com/DaveSinclairAuthor/
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/dave-...
https://www.instagram.com/davesinclai...
https://books2read.com/DaveSinclair/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
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July 22, 2020🎁 FREE on Amazon today (7/22/2020)! 🎁
July 22, 2020
Charles Bishop is unlike any spy I have read about. With a loud mouth and always getting in trouble, it is great fun to read about him. Added on top the action is unrelenting from the first page to the end. The Russian spy with whom Charles has to work together was another excellent character and his relationship with Charles was awesome.
Enjoyed it.
Enjoyed it.
August 18, 2025
In the mid-20th century, Graham Greene and John le Carre wrote serious British spy fiction, and even Ian Fleming’s famous hero took himself seriously (in the books, not so much in the movies). But evidently by 2019, when this book was published, MI6 preferred its agents to be highly skilled in flippancy and to have amusing quips at the ready, especially when under fire.
Those qualities best describe writer Dave Sinclair’s creation, British spy Charles Bishop, in his frivolously titled adventure, “Kiss My Assassin.” Bishop is more James Bond than George Smiley: he lacks the latter’s genius for strategic thinking and complex plotting, but like Bond he looks great in clothes and has the fantastic good fortune to encounter only stunning women.
In this book, the Turkish ambassador to the UK is assassinated by a hooded henchman of a Moroccan arms dealer. Bishop is dispatched to Marrakesh with the vague objective to find the arms dealer, but first encounters a mysterious and (of course) stunning woman named Astrid, who just as mysteriously disappears the day after she engages in an orgy with Bishop and a Russian agent named Oleg.
Bishop and Oleg team up to look for Astrid and the arms dealer, but find themselves facing multiple obstacles, giving Bishop the opportunity to shoot, fight and mainly wisecrack his way through them. Along the way he finds Astrid, the hooded assassin, and for that matter the arms dealer, all at the same moment. After Bishop is captured, stabbed and tortured literally to within an inch of his life, he’s incredibly back in action the next day, hardly the worse for wear.
According to their words at the front of my Kindle edition, the author and the publisher would have us believe that this book “is the very definition of unputdownable.” I’m not sure which dictionary they’re using, but according to mine, the book was the very definition of ridiculous.
They would be doing their readers (though not themselves) a greater service if they had more accurately described their book as the very definition of “unpickupable.”
Those qualities best describe writer Dave Sinclair’s creation, British spy Charles Bishop, in his frivolously titled adventure, “Kiss My Assassin.” Bishop is more James Bond than George Smiley: he lacks the latter’s genius for strategic thinking and complex plotting, but like Bond he looks great in clothes and has the fantastic good fortune to encounter only stunning women.
In this book, the Turkish ambassador to the UK is assassinated by a hooded henchman of a Moroccan arms dealer. Bishop is dispatched to Marrakesh with the vague objective to find the arms dealer, but first encounters a mysterious and (of course) stunning woman named Astrid, who just as mysteriously disappears the day after she engages in an orgy with Bishop and a Russian agent named Oleg.
Bishop and Oleg team up to look for Astrid and the arms dealer, but find themselves facing multiple obstacles, giving Bishop the opportunity to shoot, fight and mainly wisecrack his way through them. Along the way he finds Astrid, the hooded assassin, and for that matter the arms dealer, all at the same moment. After Bishop is captured, stabbed and tortured literally to within an inch of his life, he’s incredibly back in action the next day, hardly the worse for wear.
According to their words at the front of my Kindle edition, the author and the publisher would have us believe that this book “is the very definition of unputdownable.” I’m not sure which dictionary they’re using, but according to mine, the book was the very definition of ridiculous.
They would be doing their readers (though not themselves) a greater service if they had more accurately described their book as the very definition of “unpickupable.”
October 10, 2020
A fun, fast paced espionage thriller
Charles Bishop: a bigmouth spy who is a unique blend of 007 and Austin Powers
- he takes on a powerful arms-dealing organisation,
- gets stabbed, shot and beaten up,
- gets taken prisoner,
- indulges in a lot of over-the-top violence
- makes friends and enjoys some great banter with Oleg, a Russian spy, and
- sleeps with the sexy femme fatale
Taking in London, Morocco and Haiti its enormous fun. Unrelenting, unsubtle action with a large amount humour. Great escapism, read it.
Charles Bishop: a bigmouth spy who is a unique blend of 007 and Austin Powers
- he takes on a powerful arms-dealing organisation,
- gets stabbed, shot and beaten up,
- gets taken prisoner,
- indulges in a lot of over-the-top violence
- makes friends and enjoys some great banter with Oleg, a Russian spy, and
- sleeps with the sexy femme fatale
Taking in London, Morocco and Haiti its enormous fun. Unrelenting, unsubtle action with a large amount humour. Great escapism, read it.
November 20, 2019
I've only ever met one spy (... that I know of), and he wasn't anything like Charles Bishop. Never took on a powerful arms-dealing organisation (as far as I know), never got stabbed, shot at, beaten up, taken prisoner, made friends with a Russian spy, or slept with the enemy either (as far as I know). Now I'm wondering all the things I should have asked, and never did. Reading, after all, is educational and if you take nothing away from the Charles Bishop series by Dave Sinclair, it could be a list of things to bring up in conversation the next time you meet a spy.
Needless to say, tongue in cheek, great fun, slightly crazy espionage thriller with a hefty sense of humour featuring a crash bang fight to the death, a fabulously bad baddie, and one of the oddest pairings of good spys against the evil you're going to come across. I do like Dave Sinclair's out and out fun thrillers. I particularly like the "guide to Espionage" series featuring Eva Destruction (okay so now you've got a good idea of the style of pun....) and this one is turning out to be just as much fun. There is a helpful note to readers that does point out that the events in the Charles Bishop novels occur before those in the Eva Destruction series (which came out before the Charles Bishop ones...). Charles Bishop and Eva Destruction come across as perfect examples of those nicely sarcastic, nicely unstoppable and every so nicely naughty types - although Eva's more of an accidental spy, whilst Bishop seems to be slightly more from the "career" side of the equation.
Either way, all these novels are good fun. Think James Bond, with shades of Austin Powers; or The Saint, with shades of Mr Bean. And maybe a bit of Inspector Clouseau's Cato. Or something. I don't know. They're fun. Read them.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
Needless to say, tongue in cheek, great fun, slightly crazy espionage thriller with a hefty sense of humour featuring a crash bang fight to the death, a fabulously bad baddie, and one of the oddest pairings of good spys against the evil you're going to come across. I do like Dave Sinclair's out and out fun thrillers. I particularly like the "guide to Espionage" series featuring Eva Destruction (okay so now you've got a good idea of the style of pun....) and this one is turning out to be just as much fun. There is a helpful note to readers that does point out that the events in the Charles Bishop novels occur before those in the Eva Destruction series (which came out before the Charles Bishop ones...). Charles Bishop and Eva Destruction come across as perfect examples of those nicely sarcastic, nicely unstoppable and every so nicely naughty types - although Eva's more of an accidental spy, whilst Bishop seems to be slightly more from the "career" side of the equation.
Either way, all these novels are good fun. Think James Bond, with shades of Austin Powers; or The Saint, with shades of Mr Bean. And maybe a bit of Inspector Clouseau's Cato. Or something. I don't know. They're fun. Read them.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
December 11, 2019
This is my first Dave Sinclair read, and I will definitely be on the look out for more (in fact, I have just downloaded the Eva Destruction series to my kindle).
This is a fun, fast paced spy story that had me laughing out loud at times.
Charles Bishop is like no other spy I have read about. He has a smart mouth that can't do anything but get him in trouble.
Along with friend/foe Oleg they are on a rollicking romp to stop the bad guys. I love their love/hate relationship and I hope we get more of it in future books.
One thing though, I did feel that the ending was a bit anti-climactic - after all the chasing around the world, it just felt a little too easy - but this could just be me.
This is a fun, fast paced spy story that had me laughing out loud at times.
Charles Bishop is like no other spy I have read about. He has a smart mouth that can't do anything but get him in trouble.
Along with friend/foe Oleg they are on a rollicking romp to stop the bad guys. I love their love/hate relationship and I hope we get more of it in future books.
One thing though, I did feel that the ending was a bit anti-climactic - after all the chasing around the world, it just felt a little too easy - but this could just be me.
July 25, 2020
A well written story with good characters that did drag on a bit too long. Willing to try another of his books!
August 18, 2020
A breezy James Bondish style thriller. Filled with all the requisite spy tropes. The plot holes are elephantine, the hero is invincible, the dialog is cheesy. The plot moves along fast enough to not question any implausibility in the story. But it's also a "buddy cop" theme with the introduction of the Russian spy.
I can't fault a light hearted spy thriller for a bit of popcorn read. But the introduction of the torture scene was way too grim to fit with the otherwise nonchalant mood of the story. Perhaps it's just my personal sensitivities, but if you want to write a humorous spy thriller with a hero who has a clever quip for every situation, there are certain serious themes you should avoid. Torture is a big one. The topic clashes with the mood and suddenly the hero's cleverness becomes a mocking of a very real and serious issue. My enjoyment of the hero suddenly turns to distaste.
I almost DNF when he rises from near death to rush off to the airport chasing the bad guy.
I admit I did laugh at how the author had the Russian misspeak English idioms in a manner that turned them in to sexual innuendos. "We'll go down on him like a ton of bricks." "Don't put butter up me." etc.
One saving grace is that the novel is not long so you won't waste many hours dispatching it or feel like you wasted a lot of time when you realize how insipid it is.
I can't fault a light hearted spy thriller for a bit of popcorn read. But the introduction of the torture scene was way too grim to fit with the otherwise nonchalant mood of the story. Perhaps it's just my personal sensitivities, but if you want to write a humorous spy thriller with a hero who has a clever quip for every situation, there are certain serious themes you should avoid. Torture is a big one. The topic clashes with the mood and suddenly the hero's cleverness becomes a mocking of a very real and serious issue. My enjoyment of the hero suddenly turns to distaste.
I almost DNF when he rises from near death to rush off to the airport chasing the bad guy.
I admit I did laugh at how the author had the Russian misspeak English idioms in a manner that turned them in to sexual innuendos. "We'll go down on him like a ton of bricks." "Don't put butter up me." etc.
One saving grace is that the novel is not long so you won't waste many hours dispatching it or feel like you wasted a lot of time when you realize how insipid it is.
August 1, 2020
Some of the jokes were good, but I think the author sometimes tries too hard to be funny. Characters were a little unbelievable, won't be reading the rest.
April 19, 2022
Bueno... cortito, rápido de leer, el protagonista me ha caído bien, pero tampoco me ha llamado mucho más.
July 30, 2023
I liked Dave Sinclair's first Atticus Wolfe so I decided to read the second one but I dnf'd it because it just wasn't good. This was a time travel and Cold War spy series but it didn't utilize much of Wolfe's future knowledge and was basically just a Cold War spy series and even then it veered off into platitudes and attitudes instead of focusing on what it was supposed to be.
I still liked his writing style which was easy to read and follow so I decided to try this series. Unfortunately there was a lot of forced banter, forced humor and lacked realism. I got to the part where the protagonist was tortured badly and the next day he was able to act as normal, this strained credulity too much for me. It wasn't just that, it was the all powerful enemy that didn't make sense, people that didn't act realistically, etc. As I've said of other books, this was like a cartoon or comic in written form. Having read much better spy books, I just couldn't continue and dnf'd it. I will not be reading any more of this author's books.
I still liked his writing style which was easy to read and follow so I decided to try this series. Unfortunately there was a lot of forced banter, forced humor and lacked realism. I got to the part where the protagonist was tortured badly and the next day he was able to act as normal, this strained credulity too much for me. It wasn't just that, it was the all powerful enemy that didn't make sense, people that didn't act realistically, etc. As I've said of other books, this was like a cartoon or comic in written form. Having read much better spy books, I just couldn't continue and dnf'd it. I will not be reading any more of this author's books.
June 24, 2019
is a great start to what is obviously going to be a great series. I love the by play between the main characters and there constant misunderstanding of phrases and words. MI6 Spy Charles Bishop is saving the world from a new arms dealer that nobody knows about and is to busy to bleed, to bad the bad guys don't know that. On his own he must decide who to trust and who to let help him track down the elusive Kali but this mission is already personal for him having survived one pot shot from the deadly and ruthless arms dealer, so Bishop will travel and stop at nothing to get his man,even going so far as to travel through hell. With knives, guns and explosives this book was action packed and a must read for any spy fan.
November 14, 2024
as tongue in cheek as the title promises...
if I were witty, I'd try to prove it for the sake of a review in kind, but plain old me will have to file said report instead. actually, the Russian in the tale is the funny one. his whole existence as the protagonist's sidekick seemed somewhat bizarre from the git go,but he was enjoyable. Charles bishop? well, he tried. the author writes like stream of consciousness took over and held firm until the epilogue. so that was refreshing... but, the good spy should have been named Timex, cause he survives and prevails a cat's nine lives -and that's before the story even really begins. too many convenient hail Mary's and miraculous rescues keep the story alive as well as him for it to be believable.
if I were witty, I'd try to prove it for the sake of a review in kind, but plain old me will have to file said report instead. actually, the Russian in the tale is the funny one. his whole existence as the protagonist's sidekick seemed somewhat bizarre from the git go,but he was enjoyable. Charles bishop? well, he tried. the author writes like stream of consciousness took over and held firm until the epilogue. so that was refreshing... but, the good spy should have been named Timex, cause he survives and prevails a cat's nine lives -and that's before the story even really begins. too many convenient hail Mary's and miraculous rescues keep the story alive as well as him for it to be believable.
February 4, 2021
I can see the movie in my head
Finally, I have read a spy book! Having studiously avoided this type of story for decades, I can honestly say this one , for me, was a fantastic romp through serious subject matter. Bishop is a great character. The interplay between Bishop and Oleg was like watching the best 90s movies in my head. How things ended was perfect, including the villain being almost an afterthought once they are caught--they deserve it. I'll be interested to learn more about what drives Bishop and made him what he is, so I'm hoping for more on that area in future installments. I'd much rather know that then the intimate details of the tech spies are using now.
Finally, I have read a spy book! Having studiously avoided this type of story for decades, I can honestly say this one , for me, was a fantastic romp through serious subject matter. Bishop is a great character. The interplay between Bishop and Oleg was like watching the best 90s movies in my head. How things ended was perfect, including the villain being almost an afterthought once they are caught--they deserve it. I'll be interested to learn more about what drives Bishop and made him what he is, so I'm hoping for more on that area in future installments. I'd much rather know that then the intimate details of the tech spies are using now.
June 28, 2019
Having read the Eva Destruction books I couldn't help but wonder about the character Charles Bishop. When I heard that Dave Sinclair had also been thinking about him I admit to being a tad excited.
The story begins with a speeding car, a crash and a suspicous dead body. And doesn't slow down. Charles Bishop enters the story after all that and therefore has some catching up to do. He does so with witty dialogue and understatement as only the British can. Add in a Russian spy and you'll laugh out loud.
The story begins with a speeding car, a crash and a suspicous dead body. And doesn't slow down. Charles Bishop enters the story after all that and therefore has some catching up to do. He does so with witty dialogue and understatement as only the British can. Add in a Russian spy and you'll laugh out loud.
December 3, 2020
Reading this was a little like picking up an old Ian Fleming novel with some updated cultural references. I laughed with this book a little, but I laughed at it a lot. If you’re a VS or an SJW you’ll want to stay well away. The supposedly snappy dialogue, the expensive clothes, the manly drinks, and the hero with the big gun that the ladies can’t refuse, it all reads like a bad case of James Bond. I’m not saying it was a bad story or badly written just that it was old, tired, and clichéd. I’d have to say Kiss Off.
April 18, 2021
I enjoyed Kiss my Assassin. Both Charles Bishop and the Russian spy were funny and the back and forth between the two was very amusing. The action was fast paced and the story moved along well. I kept thinking Astrid may have been some kind of undercover agent until so many people were killed and she started being such a bitch. I will definitely be reading the series and I'm sure enjoying it as well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2022
No Self-Control!
Why are some men so stupid! When it comes to women with pretty faces, men lose all sense of themselves. Even Charles Bishop! Even on a mission, even after being carved and stabbed, being shot by this woman, he still has feelings for this woman. I'm a woman-thank God! And I feel sorry for men. They seem to have no self-control. But if I was a man, I might be the same way.
Why are some men so stupid! When it comes to women with pretty faces, men lose all sense of themselves. Even Charles Bishop! Even on a mission, even after being carved and stabbed, being shot by this woman, he still has feelings for this woman. I'm a woman-thank God! And I feel sorry for men. They seem to have no self-control. But if I was a man, I might be the same way.
June 25, 2019
Bishop and Oleg, an English and Russian spies team up to try to take down Kali. They meet up with Astrid, who turns out to be the head of Kali. There is a lot of action in this novel. There is comical banter between the characters in the book which makes it more entertaining. The conclusion will surprise you. This is a page turner thriller.
August 10, 2021
A spy with a sense of humour.
Something different from the usual spy novels. Charles Bishop on the trail of a rather good sniper/assassin whilst looking for a very dangerous arms dealing group.
A bit of breaking and entering and Charles picks up a Russian counterpart on the way. A good love hate relationship there!! Improbable situations make this a good fun read though.
Something different from the usual spy novels. Charles Bishop on the trail of a rather good sniper/assassin whilst looking for a very dangerous arms dealing group.
A bit of breaking and entering and Charles picks up a Russian counterpart on the way. A good love hate relationship there!! Improbable situations make this a good fun read though.
September 7, 2021
A global romp
What a delightful read! MI6 agent Bishop gets banged up, shot at, stabbed, and otherwise injured as he pursues the Kali cartel head from London to Morocco and finally Haiti. Sinclair has written a joyfully humorous story a la Fleming's Bond, with guns ablazing, fancy footwork and a tumbler of Scotch. Great sidekick (quite unexpected) and a superb villian.
What a delightful read! MI6 agent Bishop gets banged up, shot at, stabbed, and otherwise injured as he pursues the Kali cartel head from London to Morocco and finally Haiti. Sinclair has written a joyfully humorous story a la Fleming's Bond, with guns ablazing, fancy footwork and a tumbler of Scotch. Great sidekick (quite unexpected) and a superb villian.
May 12, 2023
a fun read
A far fetched story, but then aren’t all the James Bond novels that way? Good humor that was pretty much misplaced. I had expected a more serious novel. I hovered between a 3 and a 4 rating, but decided that the story just wasn’t up to that level. But a fun read nonetheless.
A far fetched story, but then aren’t all the James Bond novels that way? Good humor that was pretty much misplaced. I had expected a more serious novel. I hovered between a 3 and a 4 rating, but decided that the story just wasn’t up to that level. But a fun read nonetheless.
January 29, 2024
This was so entertaining. Bishop was funny and sarcastic. His interaction with his Russian ‘friend’ was hilarious as well as heart stopping. And the funny errors made by his Russian friend when trying to use English idioms was quite amusing. And I haven’t even mentioned the action! It was a very engaging read and I am anticipating the next in the series.
May 29, 2024
I enjoyed it. I liked the humour of the main character and the fact that when he gets hurt, it actually sounds like it hurts and the damage lingers. A few authors get too excited and you end up with a main character that has eight gunshot wounds, has been stabbed twice, is missing a hand and is somehow still sprinting after the bad guy without breaking a sweat.
June 15, 2025
I have read a lot of spy books where Russians have been involved lately. This was the best of them all. Charles Bishop is as witty as they come, and at times has the humor of a middle school boy. Apparently that hits home with me, because I actually audibly laughed multiple times reading this book.
June 24, 2019
First time reading this author, but I'll definitely follow him and read more. Great interplay between the characters. The storyline keeps you guessing and laughing all the way through the book. I could not put the book down once I started reading. Can't wait for the next book in this series!
June 24, 2019
A crazy romp with non-stop action and intrigue. Non-stop doble entendres. Interesting characters and a storyline that could be from the headlines. I only put it down when my eyes glazed over from my pain meds.
Where is the next one?
Where is the next one?
October 27, 2019
Most enjoyable read
Main characters share my warped sense of humour. The story line is convoluted enough to maintain one's interest , and I will definitely look out for more stories by this author.
Main characters share my warped sense of humour. The story line is convoluted enough to maintain one's interest , and I will definitely look out for more stories by this author.
July 24, 2020
Excellent Thriller
Really enjoyed this thriller that starred Charles Bishop. The action was intense and non-stop, leaving the reader quickly turning the pages to see what twist and turn was next. Looking forward to the next book.
Really enjoyed this thriller that starred Charles Bishop. The action was intense and non-stop, leaving the reader quickly turning the pages to see what twist and turn was next. Looking forward to the next book.
July 25, 2020
Spy Oh My!
You better fire up your espresso machine before you pick up this book, because you will be hooked on page one. Action, blazing guns, explosions, more spies, bad guys, and a Bad Girl to die for...or not. BRILLIANT!
You better fire up your espresso machine before you pick up this book, because you will be hooked on page one. Action, blazing guns, explosions, more spies, bad guys, and a Bad Girl to die for...or not. BRILLIANT!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews