“You’re not telling me something, Anna. I want to know what it is. And I want to know right now...” — David Slaton in “Assassin’s Revenge”
I was honored to have the opportunity to read an early copy of author Ward Larsen’s latest David Slaton thriller “Assassin’s Revenge” — as part of the “Ward’s Dozen” (#Wards12) promo on Twitter.
I love being introduced to writers I haven’t read before.
“Assassin’s Revenge” is the sixth novel in Larsen’s thriller series featuring former Mossad kidon (assassin) David Slaton.
Slaton has been compared to Jason Bourne. The character definitely embues a Ludlum-esque sensibility from espionage thrillers of yore. I’d also compare him to contemporaries like Daniel Silva’s Gabriel Allon.
At the beginning of “Assassin’s Revenge,” Slaton, his physician wife Christine, and two-and-a-half year old son Davy are in the midst of an “irregular lifestyle,” sailing the globe on their sailboat Sirius.
When Slaton returns to a boat dock in Gibraltar — where his boat is moored — he finds his wife and son missing. Moreover, the vessel has disappeared.
Slaton finds the boat floating nearby, and soon receives a text message with bullet instructions telling the former kidon to travel to Vienna, Austria, and “do what you do best” (in order to secure the safe return of his family). His target is an Israeli named Paul Mordechai — a man who used to be with Mossad and has a story that is deeper than it seems on the surface.
Slaton’s mission — and hunt for his family — sets into motion an exciting espionage thriller that jets our protagonist across the globe.
Our hero must use his cunning intellect and bravado to find his family and stop a sinister plot against the United States.
Ward weaves together multiple threads involving a physicist with the International Atomic Energy Agency named El-Masri, nefarious players in North Korea, and an ISIS terror group led by a former Iraqi naval officer named Boutros.
The author sprinkles in interesting anecdotes and factoids throughout his tight narrative. For example, in all my years of reading European-based spy thrillers, I never knew the “emergency phone number” in the EU was 112.
I also enjoyed the descriptions of aircraft in the novel. Ward is a former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, and he includes some unique planes in “Assassin’s Revenge.”
When I was a kid, I spent a lot of my leisure time building model airplane kits (the Hawker Harrier, F-16 Fighting Falcon, and F4U Corsair were my favorites). My parents took me to the Strategic Air Command Museum at an early age, and I was hooked.
As Ward described a Y-5A in the novel — a variant of the Russian An-2 Colt — I had to pull out my old copy of “Jane’s World Aircraft Recognition Handbook” I’ve had since I was a kid. Sure enough, the old bird was in the well-worn pages:
There is also a “Top Gun” easter egg on page 356 I think readers will enjoy.
At one point in the novel, Slaton finds himself in a church in Germany. While there, he notices stonework that has fallen into disrepair (Slaton has worked on masonry projects over the years). The reader gains insight into the character’s feelings on God as he deals with uncertainty regarding his missing wife and son.
“[Slaton] didn’t bother consigning to the usual and rarely kept bargain: Make this happen and I’ll commit to a life of goodness and devotion,” writes Ward. “No, he decided. God had heard that one before. He simply asked for help. It was the best he could do in that moment.”
The sequence reminded me of a church-based scene in Mark Greaney’s thriller “Ballistic” (read my review) where his hero (Court Gentry) faces a similar moment of introspection regarding faith in the face of adversity.
Moments like that help ground genre characters who can (at times) seem “superheroic” in their daring feats.
I wish I had discovered the novels of Ward Larsen before receiving my advance copy of “Assassin’s Revenge.” The author’s prose is razor sharp, action sequences are exciting, and attention to detail very much appreciated.
Ward also included some unexpected plot twists that left me truly surprised.
I will definitely be diving into the rest of the David Slaton novels.
“Assassin’s Revenge” is one of the top thrillers I’ve read this year.
Highly recommended.
To learn more about Ward Larsen, visit his website at www.wardlarsen.com.
Order your copy of "Assassin's Revenge" by Ward Larsen here.
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