Avenue for an Assassin is a political thriller set in the tense years after World War II. It follows Jonas Shaw, an ex-detective and former protector of Winston Churchill, as he is pulled into a shadowy plot that begins with a mysterious shooting on a rural French road. From that moment, the story widens into a web of money couriers, Soviet operatives, Resistance veterans, and a looming operation that threatens to destabilize nations. The book blends espionage, murder, and international maneuvering, and it moves with all the confidence of a classic suspense novel.

Author Steve Haberman writes with a steady hand. His pacing is unhurried in a way that works well because the world he builds is thick with history and personal ghosts. Jonas, especially, carries that weight. I found myself liking him for his rough honesty and the way he constantly wrestles with past mistakes. Sometimes the plot dips into long explanations, but I didn’t mind because it is intriguing and immersive from the first few chapters.

What struck me most was the author’s choice to weave major historical power players into a thriller that still feels intimate. The Soviet angle, the old Resistance networks, the sense that Europe is still picking up its broken pieces, these textures give the book more depth than I first expected. Natasha, the operative driven by the shadow of her father, is unsettling and fascinating all at once. Haberman doesn’t romanticize espionage; he shows it as shabby apartments, bad meals, coded newspaper ads, and people who are just trying to survive the next move on a dangerous chessboard. Sometimes the scenes feel almost cinematic; other times they feel like the quiet hum of a city at midnight, when the wrong knock on the door can derail everything.

By the end, I felt Avenue for an Assassin more than delivered everything a good thriller should: tension, atmosphere, flawed people trying their best, and a mystery that slowly sharpens into something frighteningly believable. If you enjoy historical thrillers, Cold War setups, or stories where everyday streets hide dangerous secrets, this one will be right up your alley. It’s a great pick for readers who like their suspense grounded and their characters complicated, and who don’t mind taking the long way around as the story unfolds.

Pages: 221 | ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0GF9C3454