Birth of an
Assassin
Assassin
by Rik Stone
Genre: Thriller
Set against the
backdrop of Soviet, post-war Russia, Birth of an Assassin follows the
transformation of Jez Kornfeld from wide-eyed recruit to avenging outlaw.
Amidst a murky underworld of flesh-trafficking, prostitution and
institutionalized corruption, the elite Jewish soldier is thrown into a world
where nothing is what it seems, nobody can be trusted, and everything can be
violently torn from him.
backdrop of Soviet, post-war Russia, Birth of an Assassin follows the
transformation of Jez Kornfeld from wide-eyed recruit to avenging outlaw.
Amidst a murky underworld of flesh-trafficking, prostitution and
institutionalized corruption, the elite Jewish soldier is thrown into a world
where nothing is what it seems, nobody can be trusted, and everything can be
violently torn from him.
Given the order to
disperse and arrest a crowd of Jewish demonstrators in Red Square, Jez breaks
up the rally but discovers his sisters in their ranks. Rushed for a solution,
he sneaks the girls from under the noses of secret police and hides them in
downtown Moscow. But he knows they will no longer be safe in Russia. He has to
find them a safe route out.
disperse and arrest a crowd of Jewish demonstrators in Red Square, Jez breaks
up the rally but discovers his sisters in their ranks. Rushed for a solution,
he sneaks the girls from under the noses of secret police and hides them in
downtown Moscow. But he knows they will no longer be safe in Russia. He has to
find them a safe route out.
The journey begins,
but he is unaware that his every move is being observed and that he has set in
motion a chain of events that will plunge his life into a headlong battle to
stay alive.
but he is unaware that his every move is being observed and that he has set in
motion a chain of events that will plunge his life into a headlong battle to
stay alive.
MY REVIEW
Birth of an Assassin tells the story of Jez Kornfield a
fifteen year old Jewish boy who had aspirations of becoming a soldier in the Red
Army. He had left home against his parents’
wishes with the intention of making his dream a reality.
fifteen year old Jewish boy who had aspirations of becoming a soldier in the Red
Army. He had left home against his parents’
wishes with the intention of making his dream a reality.
Jez is small in
stature as such he was not taken seriously when he made it know that this was
his intent. On his journey he met
General Michael Petrovich who recruited for his own purposes. Jez quickly moved
through the ranks after demonstrating to be a capable and intelligent soldier. Everything was going well for him, however,
this was all about to change when he was placed in a position where he was
forced to prove his loyalty. He proved
that loyalty to his family was more important than that to the army.
stature as such he was not taken seriously when he made it know that this was
his intent. On his journey he met
General Michael Petrovich who recruited for his own purposes. Jez quickly moved
through the ranks after demonstrating to be a capable and intelligent soldier. Everything was going well for him, however,
this was all about to change when he was placed in a position where he was
forced to prove his loyalty. He proved
that loyalty to his family was more important than that to the army.
Unbeknown to him his actions contributed to
him being looked over for for further promotion by his benefactor General Petrovich. In the process,
he earned himself enemies who sought to discredit him by framing him for
murder and linking him to human
trafficking. This led to him being
hunted by the KGB.
This is a historical suspenseful thriller that takes readers
into the world of human trafficking and one that is rife with corruption, within
the higher echelons the army. It is an
intense and fascinating read that pulled me in from the very first page. Birth of an Assassin is filled with many twists
and turns and there were some unexpected events.
into the world of human trafficking and one that is rife with corruption, within
the higher echelons the army. It is an
intense and fascinating read that pulled me in from the very first page. Birth of an Assassin is filled with many twists
and turns and there were some unexpected events.
The characters were clever and brilliant which made the
story that more enjoyable. I totally
enjoyed every moment spent reading this book and I can’t wait to see what next
Rik Stone has in store for his fans.
story that more enjoyable. I totally
enjoyed every moment spent reading this book and I can’t wait to see what next
Rik Stone has in store for his fans.
If you enjoy stories that portrays a world filled with love,
jealousy, racism, betrayal and revenge then this book is for you.
jealousy, racism, betrayal and revenge then this book is for you.
Author Bio:
Do children born into poverty become
impoverished adults? It happens; pitfalls and roadblocks to advancement are
everywhere. Rik Stone grew up poor amidst the slum-lands of fifties North East
England, and left school at 15 without any academic qualifications.
impoverished adults? It happens; pitfalls and roadblocks to advancement are
everywhere. Rik Stone grew up poor amidst the slum-lands of fifties North East
England, and left school at 15 without any academic qualifications.
He worked in the shipyards on a local river and
later went into the merchant navy. Further down the line, he worked quarries in
Essex in South East England.
later went into the merchant navy. Further down the line, he worked quarries in
Essex in South East England.
But life was without horizons until, contrary to
what his teachers had told him, he found he was capable of studying and
completed a BSc degree in mathematics and computing.
what his teachers had told him, he found he was capable of studying and
completed a BSc degree in mathematics and computing.
Nadene's addiction to reading began at an early age, when a family friend gifted her a copy of Wuthering Heights. From that moment she was never without a book.She will read anything as long the material is compelling enough to hold her attention. She gained many experiences through the pages of the books she had the opportunity to read.She created this blog to share her love of books with like minded individuals hopes that in sharing reviews of the books read visitors to the blog will discover their next addictive read. When not reading, Nadene enjoys cooking, listening to music and watching television.
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Nadene, thank you so much for your wonderful review. It is much appreciated. As a matter of interest, the sequel to this book, The Turkish Connection, is finished and will be available in the next few months.
You are welcome. I am looking forward to the sequel. 🙂