"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Introduction to the New Edition
As I mentioned in the new introduction to Redemption Games, every time I write a new book in a series, I begin by asking what happened to the characters in the previous book, and building on that. In Extremis, Rain and Delilah had been pitted against each other yet again, this time not by professional affiliations but by personal circumstances. Once again, their relationship proved more durable than the forces arrayed against them -- so much so, in fact, that when the book ended I imagined them living harmoniously together in Paris (or at least with whatever level of harmony is achievable when one partner in a romance is a contract killer and the other a Mossad operative).
So at the outset of The Killer Ascendant, I imagined Rain not just trying to get out of the life, but actually making progress, both body and mind. And then I imagined what would happen if something not just dragged him back in, but outright blasted him all the way back into the heart of darkness he'd been gradually leaving behind. Something like... Dox, getting kidnapped. With his life forfeit unless Rain carried our three "natural causes" hits as the kidnappers demanded. What would Rain do to save his friend? How far would he go? What would happen to him if he unleashed the killer inside himself, the very killer he'd been trying so hard to suppress?
Some of this thinking was spurred by an interesting conversation I had with my friend Marc MacYoung of No Nonsense Self Defense (nnsd.com -- bring a cup of coffee, you'll be there for a while). Marc had told me about his own efforts to get out of the life -- what was holding him back, what kept him going, what went wrong and what right -- and though I won't spoil anything here, I will say that Rain's insights in the last few pages of the book owe much to the truth of what Marc told me about what it means to take on the deadliest, most ruthless, most resourceful aspect of your own personality. The civilian you want to be, going up against the killer you are? A horrifying mismatch. But Marc found a way, and maybe Rain can, too (at least until the next book in the series, The Detachment). But how? Read on...
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
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Book Description Condition: Good. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Seller Inventory # 891303-6
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 1.48. Seller Inventory # G0786299150I3N10
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 1.48. Seller Inventory # G0786299150I3N10
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Fair. No Jacket. Former library book; Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 1.48. Seller Inventory # G0786299150I5N10
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Fair. No Jacket. Former library book; Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 1.48. Seller Inventory # G0786299150I5N10
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Blackmailed by a rogue CIA operative to carry out three assassinations or see his best friend murdered, reluctant killer-for-hire John Rain struggles with moral dilemmas as well as his growing certainty that the operative is hiding a more sinister agenda. Due to age and/or environmental conditions, the pages of this book have darkened. Former library book. Dampness has seeped into more than just the cover. Moderate edgewear on the boards. Binding is moderately loose. Some pages are falling out. Moderate shelf wear. Noticable fading due to exposure to sunlight. Please note the image in this listing is a stock photo and may not match the covers of the actual item. Ex-Library. Seller Inventory # 123624938
Book Description Condition: Good. SHIPS FROM USA. Used books have different signs of use and do not include supplemental materials such as CDs, Dvds, Access Codes, charts or any other extra material. All used books might have various degrees of writing, highliting and wear and tear and possibly be an ex-library with the usual stickers and stamps. Dust Jackets are not guaranteed and when still present, they will have various degrees of tear and damage. All images are Stock Photos, not of the actual item. book. Seller Inventory # 12-0786299150-G