Publishers Weekly
11/23/2015
In bestseller Abbott’s fast-paced, high-octane fifth thriller featuring ex-CIA operative Sam Capra (after 2014’s The Inside Man), an unnamed prospective client offers master hit man Philip Judge $20 million to pull off “the most dangerous assassination in history”—the murder of Russian president Dmitri Morozov on American soil. The job seems like an inevitable suicide mission, until Judge gets an idea from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar that would enable him to kill Morozov and live to enjoy the payday. Meanwhile, Sam desperately searches for his younger brother, Danny, who was supposedly murdered in the Hindu Kush six years earlier by a group calling itself the Brothers of the Mountain. Sam, who finds evidence that Danny’s death was staged, turns for help to his former colleagues in the Round Table, “a secret alliance that... tried to be a force for good in the world.” Abbott offers plenty of twists, though genre readers will find little that’s new, and Sam isn’t the most memorable series lead. Author tour. Agent: Peter Ginsberg, Curtis Brown. (Jan.)
From the Publisher
"This is a thoroughly riveting addition to one of the most compelling espionage series in modern fiction."—Bookpage
"Will leave readers breathless...Buckle up and hang on to the end of this electric read!"—BookReporter
"Fast paced and just plausible enough to satisfy readers who demand realism in their adrenaline-fueled thrillers, the book should definitely appeal to action fans. Each novel in the series can be read as a stand-alone, which means newcomers can plunge right in. Go for it." —Booklist
"Abbott loads his story with entertaining plot twists...the bond and betrayal between the two brothers add emotional depth to the action." —Kirkus
"Fast-paced, high-octane...plenty of twists." —Publishers Weekly
"Compelling stories and characters that keep readers on the edge of their seats."—Crimespree Magazine
"One of the best ongoing series in the thriller genre. Readers will be hooked from the start...INSIDE MAN jumps into the action right away, and the last 100 pages are downright terrifying. Abbott has a gift for creating great character-driven thrillers, and readers will clamor for more, especially given the cliffhanger ending."—Associated Press on Inside Man
"Thriller Award-winner Abbott draws on Shakespeare's King Lear for his outstanding fourth Sam Capra novel...Abbott injects enough of Sam's back story to make his intricate plot believable, judiciously spices his tale with tasteful but usually interrupted romance, and convincingly makes Sam a genuine contemporary 'chevalier.'"—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) on Inside Man
"INSIDE MAN is a tightly controlled roller coaster of a narrative, goosing the reader forward with almost every paragraph."—Austin Chronicle on Inside Man
"Abbott's Sam Capra series represents some of the finest writing on the market, and the fact that it's squarely in the thriller genre-which means the story is fast and intense, and the stakes are stratospheric-makes Abbott one of the best writers out there, as his "who's who" string of awards (Edgar, Thriller, Anthony, Agatha, Macavity) can attest to...With dead friends, mysterious women, snappy dialogue and clever twists, this is stellar work from an accomplished, sophisticated writer at the top of his game."—J. T. Ellison, New York Times bestselling author of When Shadows Fall
"Lots of action and plot twists make this a literary roller coaster."—USA Today on Inside Man
"Exciting and imaginative, full of action and intrigue. Abbott's writing raises the pulse, taking readers on a wild adventure."—Free-Lance Star on Inside Man
Kirkus Reviews
2015-11-19
An epic struggle between two brothers throws Russian-American relations in jeopardy during this strong installment of Abbott's series (Inside Man, 2014, etc.) featuring ex-CIA sleuth Sam Capra. Just when Capra is sure he's about to retire, he gets word that his brother, Danny, thought to have been beheaded in a terrorist video, may still be alive. He doesn't yet know that Danny, now known as Philip Judge, has become a killer for hire who's just taken on his biggest assignment, executing the president of Russia for $20 million. Both brothers wind up infiltrating the circle of Russian billionaires who've landed in Miami. To stop Danny from carrying out the execution, Sam needs to find the identity of Firebird, the president's associate who commissioned the hit. Sam is helped considerably by his ability to attract women: he charms hard-partying Russian celebrity Katya Kirova and falls into a sexual affair with Irina Belinskaya, the widow of a high-ranking official, whose rumored vengeance on her husband's killers has earned her the title of Russia's most dangerous woman. Meanwhile, Sam's associate, Mila, has her own reasons to find Danny and keeps her information hidden from Sam—throwing him into further danger before the brothers reach their climactic confrontation. Abbott loads his story with entertaining plot twists, not all of which make perfect sense, but the bond and betrayal between the two brothers add emotional depth to the action.
