Espionage books fall into one of two categories: they are either entirely too predictable and cliché or they have a lot of plot twists. The Mark of the Assassin falls into the latter category.
While not my usual type of book (I get bored with the predictability of most Cold War or Espionage books), I couldn't put this one down. It is fantastically done and highly believable. Overlaying some of the story with things I remember my father sharing about missions he couldn't talk about or times he couldn't tell us where he was going made it all the more believable. (It was only after he passed away and I was reading his service files, commendations, and medals that I was able to piece together his career).
The primary story involves Michael Osbourne, a CIA intelligence analyst who was pulled from field duty when his lover decades earlier was shot before his very eyes in London. It includes his wife, connections to the President, a corporate scandal, and legitimate spikes in terrorism fears. All of this is, by my calculations, taking place in the mid-1990s - not long after the collapse of the Soviet Union, KGB, and Red Army.
It took me until about the 60% mark before I figured out the connections between Michael and some of the other characters, and then in the last 40 pages of the book there was yet another plot twist. I won't spoil any more details for you - just know that in a book based on espionage and heightened global tensions, everyone is more than you think.
I also enjoyed Silva's writing style. Brief yet highly detailed - which is another hallmark of books I tend to enjoy. I'm incredibly thankful for the recommendations of Silva as an author, and intend to read more of his works.
5 stars all the way.
Happy Reading!
--Jennifer
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