Columbus

Odds are, once you start this book, you won't put it down until you finish it. Quick-paced, the book somehow manages to also be introspective, asking us to buy into and believe in a guy whom our better judgment tells us we should, probably, run from (though he'd still catch us). A love story emerges here, and the book begins to examine the whole notion of what it means to have a name, and, by extension, an identity. Highly recommend grabbing it. You'll tear through it.

Columbus starts right where The Silver Bear left off, with fast pace action. Perhaps because the writer, Derek Haas, is a screenwriter, these two books read like movies in the sense that you can't wait to see what happens next. I read both of The Silver Bear books in one sitting over the course of about 4 hours a piece. Haas has his lead character tell you not to like him but you can't help but love these books. If you haven't read The Silver Bear, start with that one and then move onto Columbus.

I'm a slow reader without much reading time on his hands, but I burned through Columbus in about 3 days. I'd read -- and loved -- Haas' previous book, The Silver Bear, but Columbus is even stronger. There's less jumping around in the plot. It's a much more linear story, and man, it just gets up and goes. Columbus is the code name for an elite assassin for hire. Aside from his real name, we know everything about him -- his fears, his yearnings. Yet even though we're inside his head the whole time, he never ceases to surprise us. The premise is simple. Columbus finds himself on the receiving end of a murder contract. Someone has "put paper" on him and now at least two of the world's best hired guns are on his trail. What follows is a breakneck series of globetrotting action and suspense sequences, all tied together with a simple love story. Haas has created a somewhat exaggerated underworld filled with many more professional murders and murderers than could ever exist unnoticed in the real world. But he weaves the tale with such specificity and attention to detail that you can't help but wonder if that guy sitting across from you in the coffee shop is in reality an assassin. What's amazing to me is that Haas is only two books into this series, but he has wasted no time in pushing the Columbus story to extremes. He's not dragging this series out, and it makes me wonder where he could possibly take it next. Luckily, that's not my job. It's Haas'. You don't have to have read The Silver Bear to enjoy Columbus, but if you read Columbus first, I bet you'll go back and read The Silver Bear anyway.

I got this for my dad, because he loves spy thrillers and opened it up instead of working yesterday. I didn't put it down until it was done and now I have to buy my dad a new one because I cooked dinner while reading! Haas has an amazing ability to make the pages rich without making them water-logged. Most thrillers are 70% set up and maybe 30% payoff but this is just payoff after payoff, with amazing moments, and riveting descriptions. It isn't surprising that Mr. Haas runs the popular Popcorn Fiction site, because he's clearly a lover, and master, of the written word. This is a great book for anyone, not just Dads Who Love Spies. I was especially surprised by how ruthless he is (the writer and the killer) in who he is willing to destroy to serve story. Completely original. Worth the lost hours!

I purchased this book early at a book signing in New York, and devoured it immediately. I'm a huge fan of thrillers, and am always looking for new authors and characters. To me, the problem with a lot of writing these days is that it's formulaic - an author hits on a pattern of twists and reveals that sells, and then just keeps populating book after book with new villains to carry out the same roles. It wasn't that way at all with this novel. I don't want to give anything away, but Columbus is a complex protagonist, as are his allies and enemies. They act like real people, not ciphers in service of a plot. They're not always a or b - sometimes they get angry or scared and surprise us in a believable way. Again, trying to be spoiler free here, but another enjoyable part of the book is that the author (Derek Haas) isn't afraid to kill the original characters he creates. You can feel it with some authors - they come up with a sidekick that fits in well with their main character, and then you never have to worry about the sidekick's life. They'll be back in the next book. And the book after that. Haas isn't precious with his creations - you're in the sure hands of an author who can kill off Watson if it's going to make for a great read, and then come up with an even better partner for Holmes in the next book. Or the next chapter. My one regret is that I'm discovering this series early. I really wish I'd stumbled on it years from now, and could plow through a dozen of these. Get this, get the first one (you don't need to read it to understand this, but why wouldn't you?) and enjoy!