This was a great palette cleanser!

This was John Wick, without actually being John Wick, and instead of a dog, we get a cat? I was giggling from the beginning, and loved all the little story twists that we got throughout the entirety of the book. I stayed up til 4am to finish reading this beauty, and would love to see more from the author.

Who knew that even killers needed a twelve step program to maintain functionality?

Assassins Anonymous is witty and fast-paced. It's a fresh, self-aware take on the "one last job" trope. I loved Hart's writing style and look forward to reading more from this author. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a highly entertaining, fun summer read.

This book was fantastic! It's about Mark, a highly successful and sought after hitman who doesn't want to kill anymore and starts attending a twelve-step programs for "recovering" assassins and hitmen. But someone is trying to kill him and Mark has to figure out who and why. I was hooked from the first page. It fun and fast-paced and was a globe-trotting adventure as Mark gets closer to the answer while not killing again and breaking his "soberness." And the twist was so well done!

A GOAT assassin, Mark, is trying to give give up his profession by attending an AA type model meeting for killers. This a fun cinematic story with plenty of action. But the heart of the assassins is what makes this an emotional ride. And its anonymous so the suspense builds as Mark, the assassin leaves a trail of live bodies in his wake while trying to make it to his one year chip. Everyone is after him and you can't help but root for him. told in current day interspersed with flashbacks. The ending was a little weak but MIT enough to detract from the overall story.

Copy provided by the publisher and Netgalley

I really enjoyed this novel about an assassin in recovery with a repentant heart, a cat named P Kitty, and a dairy allergy. It’s been almost a year since the infamous assassin Pale Horse (aka Mark, a decidedly normally looking guy) has killed anyone. Can he keep his sobriety intact when his enemies come after him?
A lot of this book read like an action movie, which was a fun change from my usual book choices. I loved that the AA group here became found family. There is lightheartedness but also emotional depth, as the characters grapple with forgiving themselves and the ability to change-both the impossibility and the simplicity of it.

Very engaging and fast read. Clever premise and plenty of action kept me turning the pages. It reminded me of Killers of a Certain Age by Raybourn in a good way. My teen daughter wants to read it next:) Thank you NetGalley for the advance ecopy

Enter the mind of one of the greatest Assassins in the world, Mark. A former Navy SEAL, Mark was recruited into a deep state organization called the Agency to work as a hitman. It isn’t long before Mark (who is known in the assassin’s community as Pale Horse) gains a reputation as the best hired assassin in the world. Until one Christmas, Mark decides he will quit working as an assassin cold turkey.

If you’re thinking that shady organizations like the Agency don’t take kindly to one of their hitmen deciding to quit, you’d be right. I was surprised Mark made it nearly a year into sobriety (from killing) without more hiccups. Perhaps it is because of the anonymity of being an assassin (something that is probably even more anonymous than membership in Assassins Anonymous). The concept of a support group to coach people through ceasing to kill others is both comical and dark.

Even more interesting was the discussion over who should qualify for membership. Specifically, the group caters to people who killed for a living and want to get out of that line of work. But what about if someone who killed on their own wants to join? Should serial killers not be admitted because of the nature of their killing, and what really makes them different? Hart explores the nature of killing as an addiction, and the argument is made that anyone wanting to get “clean” from engaging in murder is inherently a good thing. But not everyone feels that way (this is honestly a minor piece of the plot, but one that fascinated me).

The story kicks off with Mark nearly a year into his sobriety from killing for hire, when a Russian man stabs him and flees the scene. Mark makes it to see a woman named Astrid, who is a doctor and surgeon who also works “for hire” for those who may not want to go through traditional medical services. Mark returns home but finds his apartment on fire. It’s clear someone is after him, and a message passed along from the Russian hitman makes it clear that Astrid is also in danger. Trained killers are not easy to deal with when one has committed to no longer killing!

It worked well to have Astrid on the run with Mark, because it gave him someone to talk to so we weren’t exclusively in his head. I enjoyed the flashbacks to Mark’s pre-sobriety and entry into AA to be some of the most compelling chapters from a character perspective. The central tension for me was less to do with Astrid, and more to do with Mark’s situation. Yes, Mark needs to find out who is trying to kill him. But the Russian’s point stands that Mark’s former boss (the Agency) will not let a trained assassin just part ways amicably. How is Mark going to get away from whoever is trying to kill him and go on to lead a life where he isn’t constantly looking over his shoulder?

Some good twists and the right amount of camp make this an engaging and darkly humorous read. I loved the premise and the inner workings of Assassins Anonymous. I could see a sequel to this book easily, but I also would love a prequel where we see much more of Mark before his sobriety!

Thank you to Penguin Random House and Putnam for my copy. Opinions are my own.

Assassins Anonymous was good. It was like reading John Wick, emotional support animal included. It was a fun read and the writing was witty. I really enjoyed the characters and I hope we get to meet them again soon.

The book opens with an unconventional AA meeting—a twelve-step program for reformed killers. At the end of the meeting, Mark is attacked, setting off a dangerous quest as he tries to uncover who is after him while maintaining his "sobriety." After all, he's close to earning his one-year chip.

The beginning of the book is fun and light-hearted, featuring moments like an attacker's slip on a chocolate-covered donut. However, it soon shifts to a more serious and complex tone. I wished it had retained its initial light-heartedness, as the story became repetitive and slow. Additionally, I found the twists hard to follow.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Mark (aka Pale Horse) is an assassin trying to go straight. He finds a recovery group, Assassins Anonymous, to help him not give into his urges to kill people. When a Russia henchman tracks him down, he must go on the run. When his identity is made public and with pressure to kill to defend himself, Mark is not sure he can stay on the straight and narrow.

This book was a fun mix of action and humor. If you liked Killers of a Certain Age or Hench, this book is for you. It was a quick read and had some moments of great writing, but the premise is more memorable than the actual book. I enjoyed this and would be a good suggestion for those that want a little different action book.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

I have been a big fan of the author's work.

This is an interesting take on the good old "assassin being the target" story that many have done in the past. The pacing is quick though there are some glaring plot holes but still a good thriller overall.

A book deserving of its bestseller status. I've been a loyal reader of Rob Hart since the early days. Rob has a unique voice in modern literature. It feels tough and badass while still challenging what's happening in the world. Assassins Anonymous is truly an achievement.

What an interesting take on an assassin's way of life.

The author examines the life of an assassin by depicting him in the presence and the past.

Mark is no longer killing. He is in a support group of people who were killers in their past. They use the Alcoholics Anonymous credo. He is almost to his 1 year chip when he is brutally attacked.

He manages to hurt the attacker and not kill. But he soon realizes someone is out to get him and his friends. He begins a international and national search for answers all the while fighting his urges to kill.

Fascinating concept and the plot is tight and well done. Not once did I have an inkling of what was going to happen next.

This is definitely a unique take on a thriller. A book about an assassin who no longer wants to be in the assassination game. Mark joins a 12 step program but only makes it to one meeting before his idea of retirement is shattered. This was an expertly written novel with a lot of action trying to find who wanted him dead. Looking forward to the next unique thriller by Rob Hart. Well done!

Mark, aka the Pale Horse, is trying to leave behind his life as one of the world's most notorious assassins. But it's not as easy as he thought. He has to travel the globe to escape from being killed and find out just who is after him. This action-packed book has a wonderfully complex protagonist. Mark consistently wows the reader with his technical expertise, and his sense of humor leads to some laugh-out-loud moments. But he very much struggles with the psychological toll his past takes on him, where as an assassin he killed for the (theoretically) greater good of preventing hypothetical deaths while seeing an actual dead body in front of him. And his efforts to reform by joining an AA-like group for assassins and adopting a cat are endearing.

The nitty-gritty: Rob Hart delivers a thrilling assassin story with heart, humor and unforgettable characters.

Who knew that a story about a deadly assassin who is trying to quit killing people would turn out to be one of my favorite books of the year? Assassins Anonymous surprised me in every possible way, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. This book has the whole package: perfect pacing, warmth and heart, hysterically funny dialog, nail-biting action, lovable characters and even some nice messages about recovery and staying true to yourself. I’ve read two of Rob Hart’s previous books and I can say without a doubt this is his best yet.

Mark used to be a notorious assassin known as the Pale Rider, but for the past year he’s been going to weekly AA meetings—Assassins Anonymous—after a terrible event forced him to reevaluate his job as an assassin. With the help of his sponsor Kenji, a retired assassin himself, Mark is days away from earning his one year chip. But one evening after a meeting, he’s viciously attacked by a Russian thug, who ends up stabbing him, grabbing his private journal (with all kinds of notes about his jobs) and running away.

Who is the Russian and why has Mark been targeted? With the help of a woman named Astrid, one of his contacts from the old days, Mark knows his only option is to figure out how to get the Russian off his back and find out who sent him—without killing anyone.

I have to admit, the premise of Assassins Anonymous sounded a little goofy to me at first. I mean, assassins going to AA meetings? But trust me, there’s nothing goofy about it. The story is told in first person from Mark’s point of view, and right away you get a feel for who he is. At first he seems like just a regular nice guy: he’s got a cat named P. Kitty that he loves unconditionally, he takes out his elderly neighbor’s trash, and he faithfully attends his AA meetings. But underneath, Mark is still the Pale Rider, although he’s doing his best to escape that persona. Hart fills in the blanks of Mark’s assassin years through flashbacks that hit key moments of his life, and not surprisingly, these flashbacks were some of the most emotional scenes in the book.

Mark goes through quite a lot in this story, and it was nice to see his character grow and change along the way. Once you learn the devastating story of why he wants to quit killing people, you’ll probably tear up just like I did. He can turn on the Pale Rider when needed, but otherwise he’s completely human and relatable. I especially loved his cat P. Kitty (great name, right?), who winds up going to Singapore with Mark and Astrid to track down information about the Russian. (And yes, one of the flashbacks explains how he came to acquire P. Kitty) And while Mark finds himself all of a sudden back in the game, he’s determined to stick to the twelve steps of AA and must find other ways to outwit the bad guys besides killing them.

All of the other characters are fantastic as well. Kenji is the wise, older ex-assassin who is guiding Mark on his recovery journey, and he reminded me a lot of Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid. Astrid may or may not be a love interest for Mark, but she turns out to be much more than she appears on the surface, I loved her a lot. Ravi is the guy who recruits Mark in the first place and gives him the name Pale Rider. Even the other ex-assassins in the recovery group were a lot of fun. Hart has lots of surprise twists when it comes to the characters, so you can’t really take anyone at face value.

The action and pacing were spot on. It’s rare to find a story with such a perfect balance of action sequences and quieter moments of introspection, but Hart nailed it. You want a fast-paced story about assassins? This book does not disappoint. Mark gets himself into a boatload of trouble, and it just gets worse as the story progresses, not to mention that the flashbacks are just as action packed and tense. All this action is interspersed with heartfelt moments to remind you that these characters are indeed human, no matter how many ways they can kill someone. 

And I have to mention the humor, which made me laugh out loud at times. There are a few running jokes throughout the story, like when people keep comparing Mark to John Wick and Jason Statham. I love this type of tongue-in-cheek humor, and Hart’s dialog is so well done. There’s one particularly funny scene that takes place in Singapore when Mark decides to make amends (one of the twelve steps) to the son of someone he once killed, and OMG it was the best!

Hart has already optioned the movie rights to Assassins Anonymous (fingers crossed the movie actually gets made!), which doesn’t surprise me at all, because it has “blockbuster action movie with heart” written all over it. Seriously, read this book, you’ll thank me later.

Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.

A 12 step program for Assassins? Yes please. This was a highly engrossing read that I breezed through in a couple of hours. I hope there's a sequel!

The title of the book is pretty much what you’re getting with this book. Think Alcoholics Anonymous but for assassins trying to turn over a new leader and leave their life of blood shed in the past. But as you can imagine, when you have such a dark past, it has a tendency of biting you in the butt.
We meet Mark. Mark was the most dangerous killer-for-hire in the world. He’s been out of the game for 6 months.
When Mark is viciously attacked by an unknown assailant, he is forced on the run. From New York to Singapore to London, he chases after clues while dodging attacks and trying to solve the puzzle of who's after him. All without killing anyone. Or getting killed himself. For an assassin, Mark learns, nonviolence is a real hassle.
Overall I was really enjoying this book. It was fast paced, an easy read and had me interested from page one.
Unfortunately I ran out of time to read it at the 60% mark. So I wasn’t able to finish it.
But going based on what i read I’m sure I would have ended up enjoying it.
If you like movies like John Wick and Die Hard you’ll like this book.

Thanks to the folks at NetGalley for a copy of this book. My review is a honest reflection of my feelings towards this book.

A reformed assassin named Mark? Come on, that's brilliant. Mark is now the mark and rushing to figure out who put the target on his back before any more people can get hurt--especially him. I really hope Rob Hart turns this into a series because I definitely want more. The book is just fun while also incredibly poignant and sometimes profound. A great summer read.

Let's get the obvious out of the way, this book contains murder and violence and such. Because assassins. Even ones who are trying to change their murdery ways. First of all, the premise is kind of genius: a group of folks who are trying to reform themselves from their lives of murder, but the Assassin Life™ is not willing to let them go so easily. Mark is really trying. He goes to his meetings, he has a sponsor. He just wants to live a normal life.

But... someone attacks Mark, and attacks him bad. Which leads him back into the life he's been so desperate to leave. Thing is though, Mark has quite a few... shall we say, talents?

So sure enough, he's swept back into the life, because sometimes it's kill or be killed, right? And he is trying to do the right thing, but as he chases clues, literally around the world, he knows that it won't be so easy to hold his ground. The premise is just perfect, because even though you know Mark has done Some Stuff in his past, the fact that he is trying so earnestly to do better makes you like him, even if he is maybe one of the best killers on the planet. And there is a lot that Mark is going to have to unravel- his brain, in this case, is just as vital as his proverbial sword.

I could not put this book down, both because I was engrossed in the mystery, and because I was rooting so hard for Mark and everyone else who wanted to be reformed. There were so many great twists, but also, the characters were fabulous, which is something I did not expect from a book about literal mass murderers.

Bottom Line: Brilliant premise and equally great execution- pun absolutely intended.