The Killer

British scriptwriter Hinshelwood's superlative fiction debut takes familiar suspense elements—a hired killer, a CIA traitor, a gorgeous operative, Russian spies, and an espionage coup involving advanced weapon technology—and whips them into nonstop action that veers and twists from one ferocious gun battle, double cross, and betrayal to the next. In a Paris alley early one morning, hired assassin Victor performs a routine job, shooting 58-year-old Latvian national Andris Ozols, then relieving the body of a small flash drive. When Victor returns to his posh hotel on the Rue du Faubourg St. Honoré, he unexpectedly must fight a gang of other professional hit men. Further attempts on his life raise the question: who wants him dead and what's on the memory stick? The action shifts from Paris and various spots in Europe to CIA headquarters and the coast of Africa, the scene of a final cataclysmic clash. Thriller fans will be eager to see more from this bright new talent. (Apr.)