Assassin

Samuel Carver #3

by Tom Cain

Sam Carver has a rival, a copycat assassin using his modus operandi to organize fatal “accidents.” Hounded by suspicion, forced to clear his name to protect his reputation as the best in the business, Carver must go head to head with the challenger in a deadly game of cat and mouse.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Adventure, Crime, Suspense, Ebooks

384 pages, Paperback

First published July 2, 2009

About the author

Tom Cain is the pseudonym of David Thomas, an award-winning journalist with twenty-five years experience working at Fleet Street newspapers, as well as for major magazines in Britain and the US.

Librarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Raven and Beez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read on the blog!!

First off you need to know that Tom Cain is just a Pseudonym for David Thomas. And this book is the third in it's series (Samuel Carver Series) although I did not know that when I started reading it. (If I knew it I would have gone haywire to get my hands on the first and second book and only then continue)

I think it's because the author has included all the important facts that you need to know from the past books. And so you don't have to read from the beginning, you can just start up from any of the six books.

It's a great book to be read if you-like me-prefer to indulge in some thrill now and then. It has a lot of great action in it, a chase, moving in and out of danger and also an awesome story line, Duh?!

There is not much to say about this book. However, there is one thing that I want to mention. It's that when the "copycat killer" has got his chance to kill Carver, he doesn't! I know! what the heck? I do understand that it's because the killer wants Carver to suffer before dying but why not just get it over with? But it's a stupid question of course. Because if Carver dies then this super awesome series would be over and I so would not want that.

Huh, So I guess it's true that the word 'so' is the hottest word after all (OMG I just began this sentence with 'so')

Anyways, I rate it a 3.8 and just so you know the six books in this series are- The Accident man, No survivors, Assassin, Dictator, Carver and Revenger (which was released last year)

Lots of love and pasta,
Raven

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 3 in the Sam Carver series, and maybe the author has struggled a bit with this book. Or it could be that Carver has moved away from his knack for arranging 'accidents', and has ventured into the lucrative private security field. Some parts of the story feel as though I have read, or seen, them before in other works.
In this book it appears that someone is trying to set Carver up. Various assassinations take place around the world, and they seem to bear an uncanny resemblance to Carver's handiwork. Is someone trying to muscle in where he left off, or are they actually setting him up to be a scapegoat?
There are the usual twists and turns in the plot which will keep the reader guessing. Also various double crosses and betrayals keep Carver trying to save himself, whilst at the same time discover who is behind everything.
It was still an enjoyable read, but perhaps not quite up to the standard of the two preceding books.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

The storyline of book 3 of the Carver series is a severe disappointment.

Book 1 and book 2 of the series relied heavily on the conflict between the hero's business and the love to a women, Alix, for whom he went through hell and back (while she did the same for him). Actually the love to Alix drove the booth books to the peaks of the narratives.

Therefore I was really looking forward to book 3 for to see how Tom Cain did develop the relationship after the epic struggles both fought to save each other's lives.

But no. Cain just cut the string in one sentence.
"A fair amount of time had passed, long enough for Carver and Alix to get back together, try to make it work and fail. “

A real disappointment.
Even worse. Just very conveniently Cain picked up a small side story from book 2, a one-night stand with a women in Europe.

This is sloppy writing. Cain could have done better.

Actually there is another author who did so: Andy McNab with his Nick Stone series. Stone is a Brit operative as well, doing the dirty work for the Brit services and he has trouble as well keeping is business and private life apart. McNab is doing so much better in developing his characters in his series, which are changing over time and he extremely good in providing the psychological background and the actions of the people close to him and the subsequent result.

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Carver's third outing and his powers of recovery are still immense! Lots of stereotypes - stuffy white collar Englishmen arrogant Americans baddie with a grudge and a hero trying to turn a new leaf but not being allowed to do so by his past... Why Damon Tysack (baddie) doesn't just kill Carver when he has the (multiple) chance(s) to do so I am not sure. I know he wants to get one up on Carver and prove he's not the failure that his previous boss (Carver) thought he was when they were SBS colleagues but surely he would have just shot him? If not the first time he captured him but the second?Having said that it is still a good page turner and an enjoyable read. I preferred the first two though.

[Mim-Is-Reading · Rating 1 out of 5]

The cover of this book had a rather ironic statement: "Imitation is the deadliest form of flattery". After struggling through the first quarter, I can't help but feel this was a counterfeit that proved that very point.

I’m not sure what went wrong with this series, but Assassin felt like a cheap knock-off. It gave me the same unsettling vibe I got when a new author took over Ludlum’s Jason Bourne series. The depth and substance were missing, and Tom Cain's distinctive voice had been replaced by something far more generic.

It’s as if the story jumped in halfway, leaving us scratching our heads about what we missed after Book 2. Suddenly, Carver was no longer an assassin? Thor was getting married? And Alix was...where?

The author of Assassin seems to have skimmed the plot points from the earlier books but completely missed the essence of Carver’s voice. They knew Carver was an assassin, but they didn’t understand the mentality, obsessions, or distinctive point of view that distinguished him in the initial books.

First off, SAMUEL CARVER IS NO LONGER CARVER! The competent, emotionally detached "Accident Man" had disappeared. Instead, we got an emotional, paranoid, and messy operative who stumbled into awkward bar fights. I just didn’t recognize the character on the page! The original Carver’s sharp, cynical internal dialogue had been replaced by a mess of self-doubt and regret.

Then there’s the absence of the author’s hardware obsession. In the first two books, details about the makes and models of firearms, cars, and watches were built into the narrative. In this book, that was missing. The shallow references to weaponry were evidence of this author's lack of interest in Carver’s world.

The book's biggest offense and disappointment was how it handled ALIX PETROVA. She was supposed to be the co-protagonist, a dark and double-edged counterpart to Carver, the emotional core of the series. These two were nuts together!

Their relationship was magnetic and layered with danger, stemming from shared trauma and a need for redemption. Seeing her dismissed in a single sentence just to bring in Maddy Cross (who was only a one-night stand, mind you!) felt like a total betrayal of the emotional depth that made the first two novels so interesting.

Assassin treated Alix like an afterthought, a pesky loose end to be tied up so that a new, bland, and unearned romance can take center stage. Maddy was a passing distraction for a heartbroken Carver in Book 2. That was her whole purpose in the story. But since the author needed a female lead…
Instead of dealing with Alix's complexity, they just elevated a minor character (and "minor" is being generous), and the relationship felt empty because it lacked any real foundation. The strong, dark chemistry between Carver and Alix was exchanged for a boring love affair.

Even the world itself felt diminished and cheapened. Supporting characters like Grantham were turned into one-dimensional supervisors.

This read like a hollow third installment. It may be an "action thriller", but it missed the mark as a Samuel Carver novel. If Tom Cain himself wrote this, he lost the plot and gave us a soulless caricature with little substance. If it wasn’t him, then the new author only skimmed the first two books and worked from a weak blueprint.

As someone who was invested in the world and characters from The Accident Man and No Survivors, this was a disappointment for me. Honestly, I couldn't even finish it.

Fans, beware!

[Blake Hiatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initially, I wanted to bin this one, due to the way the author casually dumped the former girlfriend with a rather glib explanation.

Then, as I read further, it became apparent the game the author was playing. We shall see if the author is as predictable with his story arc as I suspect. Which is good, because after the way this one started, I was, initially, through with the series.

Sam Carver gets it done in the end, with much intervening mayhem. One question I have: does Mr. Carver keep to his change in career?

[hugo van der wildt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Imitatie is de dodelijkste vorm van vleierij. Sorry, volgens mij heeft de schrijver hieraan gezondigd. Andere namen, andere afdelingen maar hetzelfde thema dat ik reeds verschillende malen zijn tegengekomen in boek, film of TV. Zijn twee eerste boeken waren een succes. 5 en 4 sterren in de thrillergids. Met dit boek gaat hij volledig in de mist.
Leest zeer, zeer vlot.
Spanning akkoord maar men weet hoe het zal aflopen.
Zeer snel vergeten.

[Victor Borgeest · Rating 3 out of 5]

good for a holiday read on the beach for a couple of days

[D F · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as awesome as the first two books in the Samuel Carver series.
Having said that, I'm still glad I bought the book, and I await arrival of book #4.

[Cockneylen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A while since I read the last Carver book, but this was just as enjoyable. Fast paced, plenty of action, and a decent story line.

[Jacki (Julia Flyte) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Former hitman Sam Carver has given up killing for a living and is working as a specialized security consultant, staging mock assassinations on high profile figures in order to highlight deficiencies in their security systems. However a former enemy, Damon Tysack, is using Carver's name to commit high profile assassinations, which bear strong resemblances to his former modus operandi. Gradually Carver realises that he is under Tysacks's surveillance, but even he has no idea of exactly what Tysack is planning and the role that he wants Carver to play in those plans.

This is the third book in a series which started with The Accident Man, but it isn't necessary to have read the other books. I also felt this was the best yet - and thankfully, Carver's tedious former love interest Alix barely appears.

After a shaky start, it's a fast moving story that's hard to put down. The action moves between Dubai, the US, Norway and the UK without letting up. Cain is adept at taking his inspiration from current events and the story feels very up-to-date. The best parts of the book are when Carver starts to realise what he's up against - he's a good action hero, courageous and highly skilled, but certainly no superman.

I did feel that initially the plot borrowed a little too heavily from Robert Ludlum's novels, (right down to a high altitude parachuting sequence that felt very similar to one in The Janson Directive). It also has many of the flaws that are so common in this genre: the villain over-complicates his plot, feels the need to boast about his plans to Carver and never eliminates his foe when he's able to. Nevertheless, it's every bit as gripping as a thriller should be.

[Alien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Der Serienheld und Ex-Attentäter mit edlen Motiven, Sam Carver, ist gutbezahlter Sicherheitsberater geworden. Nach einem erfolgreich durchgeführten Auftrag vergnügt er sich mit seiner neuen Freundin. Er kann nicht ahnen, dass ein alter Feind, von Rachegelüsten zerfressen, derweilen seinen Untergang plant. Doch der Bösewicht hat noch einen weitern Auftrag, der echt spektakulär ist.

Das Buch zerfällt für mich in 2 Teile. Der erste Teil enttäuschte mich erst mal. Die 2 Bände davor stachen aus dem Thriller-Einheitsbrei heraus. Sie waren eigen, originell und vermischten sehr geschickt reale Ereignisse der Zeitgeschichte und Fiktion. Und das 2. war eine direkte Fortsetzung. Beim dritten machte Cain überraschenderweise einen Schnitt. Die Beziehung zur Gangsterbraut Alix ist in die Brüche gegangen, das wird in ein paar Sätzen abgehandelt. Die Handlung war erst mal recht konventionell und wenig vielversprechend. Cain bedient sich aus dem Fundus des Genres.
Enttäuscht habe ich das Buch erste mal ein paar Wochen beiseite gelegt.
Doch dann wurde es deutlich besser und noch richtig spannend. Also letztendlich doch wieder recht überzeugend. Wie üblich muss der arme Sam Carver wieder sehr viel einstecken.

[Ian Mapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book three in the series. You know what you are going to get - superb high octane thriller that follows a time honoured format.... but does it exceptionally well.

Initial slight confusion as Carver has someone mimicking his activities in a view to framing him for a future crime. This mimic, Tysack, has history with Carver - which is slowly revealed in the course of the book. Can't remember whether this character was in any of the previous tales.

Like the best of the Lee Child books - the derring do is centred around a topical issue - in this instance, the modern slave trade - and you then structure a yarn that has guns, chases, a plot against the president, one framed man working alone - ultimately leading to the show down.

The pages just keep turning thick and fast and if you are after a no brainer to take on hols - you could do much worse.

[Saki Piranha-fish · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good read. It read just like a Hollywood blockbuster - except the hero was British so if Hollywood ever make a film of it it would have to have an American hero as the British are always villians in Hollywood movies. I suppose Bristol, England would have to be somewhere in America too. Nevertheless, you get my point that it was almost like reading about a film. Enjoyable without being too taxing!

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sam is in for his biggest test so far. The biggest What If? so far. From an old enemy dogging his steps, to possible new beginnings. Again the action is fast paced and global in its coverage of subject and travel. Highlighting an industry which is abhorrent and prevalent in modern society globally. A great read. And on to the next...

[Bruce Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't help liking Samuel Carver, our hero, and his ephemeral band of friends and lovers. This book's cartoonish villain is a little hard to take, as are the tortuous circumstances he creates for Carver, but the action is thrilling and the book was hard to put down. I will give number four a try now.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes I know it wasn't plausible but as a bit of light hearted fun it ticked all the boxes. You reckon it will all work out in the end (will it?) but in the meantime the action and suspense make for an entertaining read.

[Christopher Dodds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tom Cain is a great writer, and these series of Sam Carver have been really enjoyable and have always maintained great character development with well paced plots that make it an exciting read which makes you want to continue reading to find what will happen next.

[Any Length · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another gripping Sam Carver novel. Again, one is kept on the edge of one's seat and can't stop reading/listening. I was sad to say good bye to one of the characters, but am looking forward to read more of Tom Cain's work.

[Anandh Sundar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Besides covering a novel topic(human slavery via Eastern Europe/Dubai), the book also has a cat-mouse game. The opening is dynamite yet the pace slackens towards the end. Still, a good read

[Shane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this 1 another action packed thriller.

[Jorge A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book by Tom Cain! I found this hard to put down whenever I was able to pick it up for reading. Exciting from beginning to end.

[Akahayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

The review below is done by me! So please go check out our (Raven and Beez) blog!

[Bernie Gale · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great action thriller I found myself thinking about the story every time I put the book down
Definitely want to read books 1 and 2

[Guillermo Mata · Rating 4 out of 5]

Le falta un buen remate a la historia

[Jeanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good

[Jessica Brill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having not read the previous novels, I still found the story easy to follow. I didnt mind the plot at all, but I dont think I will read the other books.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good fast paced read.

[stan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent very audacious,authentic,full of tension and tradecraft

[John Whitaker · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a lot of tension, but in places the book lacks flow. Well written, with lots of detail