The book gets off to a slightly bizarre start. Milton is on assignment for MI5 or some such private governmental agency running amok, to assassinate some North Korean generals responsible for some cyber-terrorism (as if the generals knew how to program.) Fast forward to an assignment in France where is kills a couple from Iran looking for Zirconium or some such shit they need for their nuclear weapons program. One problem, he kills a cop who happens on the scene but doesn’t kill a little boy in the back seat of the couple’s car. Big mistake because it gets him in bad with his bosses.
Fast forward to the Milton and the boss where Milton, who has been suffering from nightmares (and is a closet alcoholic attending AA meetings - in passages reminiscent of Lawrence Block’s obsession with Alcoholics Anonymous) has decided he wants out. Of course there is no such thing, but Milton, after saving a woman from her suicide in front of a train (interesting question: do we have that right?) decides to help her son who has fallen in with bad characters. (Interesting anomaly: the gang leader urges Elijah, her son, so go back to school -- the gangster is studying accounting -- because there’s no future in robbing people.)
Well, it all goes to hell as three worlds collide: Dawson’s MI5 handlers want him dead as he seems to have left the business on his own; the gangs that control the area where Milton decides to live for a while; and those trying to escape both
Somewhat predictable and disjointed, but I may read another. Next in the series is Saint Death.
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