The most recommended assassin books

This book captured me from the first moment with Amaranthe determined to be the best enforcer despite being looked down upon because she was a woman doing a man’s job and not doing what her family expected of her.

When she finds herself the target of an assassin which she must target, she gathers a collection of misfits who (spoiler sort of) become the family she needs to succeed and survive along with bumble, trip, fail, and regroup with.

I loved cheering her on and wincing at her (sometimes hilarious) struggles.

Yasmin Angoe’s debut novel features a Ghanaian female assassin heroine whose horrifying past as a survivor of sex trafficking, sexual abuse, and heartbreaking loss clashes with her assassination assignment in Miami for a secret African tribal council. The action is fast-paced with fight sequences that ring true. The alternating chapters between past and present kept me engrossed with both stories as they collided in a satisfying and unexpected finale. Deeply emotional, engrossing, and unique.

I really loved the female main character. She was so witty and strong. I recommend this book to be paired with my own because the FMCs are similar, but the story is complex. The emotional energy of the book was also complex, and nothing is black and white, which always makes for a more fun read.

I loved this book for its combination of fantasy and sci-fi, the gritty and grim world Lawrence has created, and the high-energy and higher-stakes action sequences that fill the book.

I loved that it was unexpected. Lawrence's post-apocalyptic world concept was unique and fresh, compellingly combining the technology of a dying world with supernatural themes. I certainly did not expect the convent setting and nun-in-training protagonist in a sci-fi storyline, and yet that’s what I got in his main character, Nona Grey.

I love the tension and suspense created in the frequent action sequences Nona finds herself in, which left me wanting more and more. This leads to the last thing I really loved about this book: that it continued across two more books: Grey Sister and Holy Sister.

Robin Hobb is one of my all-time favourite authors, and this year I’ve been re-reading her original series, Assassin’s Apprentice. I haven’t read the books in over fifteen years, and going back to the first book again was like coming home.

It reminded me of all the delight I felt reading it the first time; the awesome fantasy world, the fascinating and complex political landscape, and the masterful character work. Fitz (the protagonist) was as (adorably) frustrating as I remembered, but Burrich! And Chade! And Kettricken!

These characters grow on you slowly and steadily with every page you read until you feel like they’re your own family. Reading Fitz growing up amongst the court of Buckkeep was as wonderful on second reading as it was all those years ago, and I’m so glad I went back to re-read this series. Robin Hobb writes epic fantasy—my favourite genre—at its finest.

In The Gray Man, a highly skilled, former CIA operative tries to rescue a colleague and his family while various teams of elite assassins try to stop him however they can.

The Gray Man – AKA Court Gentry or Sierra Six – doesn’t follow anybody’s orders, even those of the most powerful institutions on the planet. Though rebellious, he has morals and only applies his skillset for good.

My favorite part of this book were the action scenes. I liked how big they were, but also the variety of arenas, weapons, and opponents. Also, the Gray Man takes a serious beating through the chapters. Because he’s hurt, but still kicking, the fights progressively get more challenging for him, and more dramatic.

This is a real page-turner of a thriller. Think Mission Impossible meets The Equalizer, with the principal character using his deadly training to help people in trouble.

Well told and fast paced, this is the first in a series of excellent thrillers. Suspend your disbelief and hold on for a gripping ride.

I was asked to read this book's last couple of chapters—the story of an ex-hitman working as a doctor in the witness protection scheme—as I had unwittingly written a scene similar to Josh's in the second Ben Koenig book, Nobody's Hero.

I ended up devouring the whole book in a single sitting. It had everything. It was violent, incredibly funny, and packed with the kind of medical insider knowledge that could only ever have been written by a surgeon.

It's pretty gross in places, and the scene we'd both inadvertently written was shocking (I changed mine), but it enhances the reading experience rather than detracts from it. Beat the Reaper won't be for everyone, but I absolutely loved it.

Retired hitman Frankie Machianno thinks he’s left the past behind and can focus on the things that matter—wife, mistress, daughter, surfing, perfect kitchen, roasting coffee, cooking.

But someone is coming for him and wants him dead. The problem is: Frankie doesn’t know who. As he tries to figure it out, we learn about Frank, his family, his lover, and his past, from San Diego beach bum to mafia “button man.”

He’s my favorite kind of gangster—the good guy bad guy—and I couldn’t help but like Frank and fear for his life, as the novel hurtles toward its bittersweet conclusion.



Robert Dugoni has created the nearly perfect American spy in Charles Jenkins, an unassuming father, husband, and gentleman farmer who wants nothing more than to be left alone after a brilliant career ends in shambles.

But above all else Jenkins is a patriot who reenters Russia, his old stomping grounds, to rescue his most-prized confidential informant and spirit her out of the country before she's captured and murdered by Putin’s thugs. Dugoni and his characters breathe new life into the spy genre.