The Silver Bear

Brilliant, intense portrait of a professional hit man... Hired to murder an improbable victim, his intrinsic alienation sees him seemingly proceeding towards his own death, the assignment hastening the inevitable. The balance and rhythm of Haas's first novel are exemplary as Columbus struggles to stay ahead... cinematic-style story construction, cliffhangers and urgent narrative pace. This is the kind of novel that leaves you uncomfortably uncertain of what you feel and whether it is proper to identify with Haas's protagonist.