Lone Wolf vs. Team Play: Austin King’s 'The Assassin’s Contract' Delivers a High-Octane Spy Thriller with a Unique Edge

 

Jason Drake, Austin King's lone wolf CIA operative, breaking all the rules. While real-life CIA officers work in tightly coordinated teams, Drake faces danger alone, relying on instinct and grit to outmaneuver enemies in a world of shadows. A thriller where one man’s defiance is his greatest weapon.

     If there’s one spy thriller that packs a punch in 2023, it’s Austin King's The Assassin’s Contract: CIA Assassin. King’s Jason Drake delivers an intense, heart-thumping ride as a CIA operative who leaps from gritty cityscapes to the stark expanses of the Sudanese desert. King channels the raw action and relentless drive of legends like Jason Bourne and Mitch Rapp, making Drake a force to be reckoned with. Readers will be absorbed by Drake’s calculated demeanor and resourceful edge, tackling enemies while staying two steps ahead of the game—or so he hopes.

     Now, this sixth entry in King’s high-octane series doesn’t skimp on intensity. Drake learns the hard way about the dangers of underestimating your foes when Chaos Magnum’s leader, Vladimir Alexandrov, puts Drake in his crosshairs after a failed takedown. What follows is a breathless pursuit that doesn’t let up, from the shadowy streets of Amsterdam to desert operations as Drake dodges his enemies and pursues his mission in true lone-wolf fashion.

     And that’s exactly where King diverges a bit from reality, as Drake’s approach contrasts with how CIA operatives work in the real world. CIA operatives tend to rely on team strategy and interagency collaboration, especially on high-stakes operations. Austin King’s book may lean into Hollywood-style heroics, but it’s precisely that edge that makes it such an addictive read.

     For spy thriller fans craving a dash of realism mixed with a healthy dose of intrigue, it’s worth comparing The Assassin’s Contract to another thrill-packed read: my own Mission of Vengeance. In this novel, CIA spymaster Corey Pearson faces a Russian Spetsnaz assassination squad in the Caribbean, a ruthless unit from Russia’s GRU spy agency. This Spetsnaz team has murdered an innocent American family, all because they accidentally purchased a tie clasp with a hidden thumb drive carrying Russian secrets.

     Pearson doesn’t face this threat solo. Instead, he works shoulder-to-shoulder with his elite CIA team, each member covering one another’s back. They face dangers together as they unravel the Russian scheme, blending tactics, communication, and trust. Pearson’s story, then, is more grounded in the real-world CIA dynamic of team missions and collaboration.

     Austin King has an enviable talent for pacing and atmosphere. His writing is hard-hitting and cinematic, exactly what you’d expect from a thriller crafted by someone who’s devoured Tom Clancy, Brad Thor, and Vince Flynn. While Drake may be a solo act, his character is undeniably gripping, and the world King builds is a master class in espionage action. Yes, there’s an element of fantasy in how Drake goes it alone, an indestructible one-man army against the villains of the world.

     But King’s choice to have Drake operate solo amps up the suspense and plays well for those moments when he’s isolated, relying on his instincts to survive. Real-life CIA ops, though, usually demand a mix of roles: analysts, field operatives, agency collaboration—all operating as a finely-tuned machine.

     King excels at drawing readers into a world of espionage, balancing intense, action-packed scenes with just the right amount of detail to keep readers hooked without overwhelming them. His approach brings to mind real-life operations like the CIA’s 2008 assassination of Imad Mughniyeh, a high-ranking Hezbollah commander with a long history of deadly attacks against Americans.

     The Mughniyeh operation, conducted in Damascus, Syria, was a carefully coordinated mission that took months of planning and close collaboration with Israeli intelligence agency Mossad. Using a car bomb precisely timed to his movements, the CIA and Mossad took out one of the world’s most wanted terrorists without harming any bystanders. This high-stakes operation required the exacting precision of teamwork and planning, a stark contrast to the lone-wolf style often seen in fiction.

     In King’s world, however, the action flows seamlessly. His protagonist, Jason Drake, pushes forward with a relentless, take-no-prisoners mentality that’s exhilarating to read, even if it sometimes stretches the boundaries of real-world CIA operations. This mix of realistic intrigue with high-octane thrills makes King’s book an exciting addition to the spy thriller genre.

     In a world where the CIA is still a powerful force against shadowy adversaries, The Assassin’s Contract is an undeniably thrilling addition to any spy thriller fan’s collection. Sure, Drake might be the lone wolf King has built him to be, but for those who can embrace the fantasy, it’s a captivating ride from start to finish. And for those craving more of a team-oriented spy game with a grounded edge, you might find Mission of Vengeance offers that real-life teamwork dimension that amplifies the stakes.

Bottom line? Whether you’re craving Drake’s high-octane, one-man-against-the-world approach or Pearson’s intricate team-driven counter-intelligence moves, you’ve got two books that capture the thrill of CIA espionage in their own unique ways.

 

Robert Morton is a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) and the author of the "Corey Pearson- CIA Spymaster" spy thriller series.