Review of Assassin in a Blue Suit
Posted: 04 Jun 2025, 00:46
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Assassin in a Blue Suit" by Nick Spill.]
Assassin in a Blue Suit by Nick Spill is a compelling story of an American assassin nicknamed Count. At the age of twelve, Clive drowned his abusive father and spent five years in foster homes. At seventeen, he escaped from America, assuming a friend's identity to join the Foreign Legion in the French Army. Years later he emerged as a ruthless assassin and spy with many identities. A female Russian spy, known as George, crossed his path when he was on a mission to acquire a rare book of art for a client. She was after him to eliminate him. Both were highly efficient, trained assassins true to their profession. There was no other choice than to either kill or be killed.
The author has taken a plot not based either on terrorism, a national threat to a country or a threat to humanity. Rather, the story is about assassins, the professional killers, hired for various reasons—personal enmity, political rivalry, retrieving information, or simply greed to acquire a valuable piece of art. It is quite interesting to read how the assassins work silently and efficiently without arousing suspicion. The deaths are staged to appear like accidents or natural deaths. The story details the international network of spies and assassins, the backup teams, the handlers of a spy, and the anonymous transfers of money in secret accounts. I especially liked reading about surveillance work and sophisticated electronic equipment. The network of espionage and hired killers is spread across international borders, and the reader is taken to scenes in Italy, America, France, and England. The author’s notes about acronyms used in the book for various organizations and a list of different names used by Clive are quite helpful.
George and Clive are the two main characters who are both equally efficient, good swimmers, ruthless, experienced, and well-trained assassins. George is more brutal; she enjoys killing and does not care for collateral damage—the deaths of innocent bystanders or the family of a victim do not affect her. Clive is efficient and ruthless, respects women, likes to kill efficiently and painlessly, and loves to wear tailored suits in various shades of blue. The other character that stands out is Justin, a friend of Clive, who has a key role in the story. The author has also portrayed the dangerous life of a bodyguard on duty.
The narration flows smoothly, alternating between the present-day scenario and the past life of Clive, giving insight into the making of an assassin and how circumstances affect a child's personality development. There are a few scenes of violence befitting the plot and a good deal of action. There is nothing to dislike about the plot or its execution. However, the editing is quite poor, and I noticed many errors and typos. I also felt that in some places the technical details of equipment and surveillance are too long and elaborate, slowing down the pace. Considering these, my overall rating of the book is 4 out of 5 stars.
I found the book entertaining, suspenseful, and quite informative. People who like to read books about espionage and personal stories of assassins will find the book gratifying. I would like to pick up another book from the author.
******
Assassin in a Blue Suit
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Assassin in a Blue Suit by Nick Spill is a compelling story of an American assassin nicknamed Count. At the age of twelve, Clive drowned his abusive father and spent five years in foster homes. At seventeen, he escaped from America, assuming a friend's identity to join the Foreign Legion in the French Army. Years later he emerged as a ruthless assassin and spy with many identities. A female Russian spy, known as George, crossed his path when he was on a mission to acquire a rare book of art for a client. She was after him to eliminate him. Both were highly efficient, trained assassins true to their profession. There was no other choice than to either kill or be killed.
The author has taken a plot not based either on terrorism, a national threat to a country or a threat to humanity. Rather, the story is about assassins, the professional killers, hired for various reasons—personal enmity, political rivalry, retrieving information, or simply greed to acquire a valuable piece of art. It is quite interesting to read how the assassins work silently and efficiently without arousing suspicion. The deaths are staged to appear like accidents or natural deaths. The story details the international network of spies and assassins, the backup teams, the handlers of a spy, and the anonymous transfers of money in secret accounts. I especially liked reading about surveillance work and sophisticated electronic equipment. The network of espionage and hired killers is spread across international borders, and the reader is taken to scenes in Italy, America, France, and England. The author’s notes about acronyms used in the book for various organizations and a list of different names used by Clive are quite helpful.
George and Clive are the two main characters who are both equally efficient, good swimmers, ruthless, experienced, and well-trained assassins. George is more brutal; she enjoys killing and does not care for collateral damage—the deaths of innocent bystanders or the family of a victim do not affect her. Clive is efficient and ruthless, respects women, likes to kill efficiently and painlessly, and loves to wear tailored suits in various shades of blue. The other character that stands out is Justin, a friend of Clive, who has a key role in the story. The author has also portrayed the dangerous life of a bodyguard on duty.
The narration flows smoothly, alternating between the present-day scenario and the past life of Clive, giving insight into the making of an assassin and how circumstances affect a child's personality development. There are a few scenes of violence befitting the plot and a good deal of action. There is nothing to dislike about the plot or its execution. However, the editing is quite poor, and I noticed many errors and typos. I also felt that in some places the technical details of equipment and surveillance are too long and elaborate, slowing down the pace. Considering these, my overall rating of the book is 4 out of 5 stars.
I found the book entertaining, suspenseful, and quite informative. People who like to read books about espionage and personal stories of assassins will find the book gratifying. I would like to pick up another book from the author.
******
Assassin in a Blue Suit
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon