Guest Review: The Killer Collective

Summary: A fast-paced, page-turning novel of betrayal, vengeance, and depraved secrets in high places from the New York Times bestselling author of the John Rain and Livia Lone series.

When a joint FBI–Seattle Police investigation of an international child pornography ring gets too close to certain powerful people, sex-crimes detective Livia Lone becomes the target of a hit that barely goes awry—a hit that had been offered to John Rain, a retired specialist in “natural causes.”

Suspecting the FBI itself was behind the attack, Livia reaches out to former Marine sniper Dox. Together, they assemble an ad hoc group to identify and neutralize the threat. There’s Rain. Rain’s estranged lover, Mossad agent and honeytrap specialist Delilah. And black ops soldiers Ben Treven and Daniel Larison, along with their former commander, SpecOps legend Colonel Scot “Hort” Horton.

Moving from Japan to Seattle to DC to Paris, the group fights a series of interlocking conspiracies, each edging closer and closer to the highest levels of the US government.

With uncertain loyalties, conflicting agendas, and smoldering romantic entanglements, these operators will have a hard time forming a team. But in a match as uneven as this one, a collective of killers might be even better. -- Thomas & Mercer

Thankfully, Booking Pap Pap has had more time lately to write reviews than I do! His latest is by an author he's come to really enjoy -- Barry Eisler. Here are his thoughts about Mr. Eisler's latest THE KILLER COLLECTIVE:

THE KILLER COLLECTIVE by Barry Eisler takes on the uncomfortable subject of sexual abuse of children. The novel opens with Seattle cop Livia Lone, a survivor of child sexual abuse herself, serving as a member of a FBI-Seattle Police joint task force investigating international child pornography. Livia discovers a possible pornography link to several individuals in the Secret Service.

Livia is soon the target of an assassination attempt. After a plane goes down with two other members of the task force on board, Livia is fearful that the government may be behind the attacks and reaches out to old friend Dox, an ex-marine sniper who now resides in Bali. Being a little smitten with Livia, he quickly comes to her aid and together they assemble an eclectic group of individuals to identify and eliminate any threat to Livia. The group included John Rain, a retired assassin, his estranged lover and Mossad agent Delilah, black ops soldiers Ben Treven and Daniel Larson and Special Ops leader Scott Horton. This collection of killers is challenged to work as a team because of questionable loyalties and romantic involvements. But they must find a way if they are to take on government agencies, powerful politicians and private military contractors as they move from Seattle to Washington to Paris. D.C.

Author Barry Eisler has weaved together several differing story lines to bring THE KILLER COLLECTIVE to a thrilling conclusion. Even though his characters, particularly John Rain and Livia Lone, have been developed in other novels, the depth of the characters are a strength of the novel. The story line has its share of violence, sex and rough language but not uncomfortably so. THE KILLER COLLECTIVE is a fast paced international thriller with lots of intrigue that takes on a current but uncomfortable subject.

Thanks to Booking Pap Pap for his review and thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy of this novel.