by Robert Baer
First published 2014
Robert Baer draws his weapon in a cramped Baghdad safe house, knowing that somewhere in the shadows lurks the most skilled political killer of his generation. As one of the CIA's most experienced operatives, Baer has spent decades chasing ghosts across continents from Iraq to India. His superior once defined assassination as a bullet bearing a specific name, and Baer has seen both sides of that equation. Some killings serve no purpose beyond satisfying a madman's bloodlust. Others represent the most rational solution to global crises, where a single death prevents countless others. Now Baer must navigate the murky world of sanctioned murder while pursuing his ultimate quarry. His hunt reveals the hidden mechanics of political assassination throughout history, where quiet killers shape world events from the margins. The chase becomes personal as Baer confronts the thin line between justice and murder, discovering that in the intelligence world, moral certainty dissolves like smoke.
Genres: historical-fiction, military-fiction, suspense, action, espionage, political-thriller
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, moral-ambiguity, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Baghdad, India, Iraq
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
337 pages · Kindle Edition · Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Content warnings: violence