An explosive thriller from the acclaimed co-creator of "Chicago Fire" featuring his dynamic and compelling anti-hero, Columbus.

The way I die is two taps to the head, stuffed in the trunk of a rental sedan, my body set on fire. The way I die is both arms broken, both legs broken, tossed off a cigarette boat in the middle of Lake Michigan, bricks in my pockets to weigh down the corpse. The way I die is acid in a bathtub, pushed out of an airplane, strung up and gutted in an old textile warehouse in Boston. My name is Copeland. My name is Columbus. The way I die is a shotgun in my mouth, my finger on the trigger.

It is the middle of February on Mackinac Island, a tiny community off the northern Michigan coast. But Columbus isn't here to enjoy the picturesque surroundings. Reeling after the death of his wife and relinquishing his son, he lives in isolation - in self-imposed punishment and exile. Forgotten and alone. Nameless to his neighbors. But even if he runs and hides, Columbus is never alone for long.

Ten years after Columbus — one of the most original anti-heroes in contemporary fiction — first exploded onto the scene in The Silver Bear, Derek Haas delivers another riveting thriller that packs heart-pounding action and shocking twists until the very last page.

 

Derek Haas is the author of the novels The Silver Bear, Columbus, and Dark Men, which comprise The Assassin Trilogy, as well as the novel A Different Lie, also featuring Columbus. Derek co-created "Chicago Fire" and executive produces "Chicago P.D." for NBC. He also co-wrote the screenplays for "3:10 to Yuma, “Wanted," and "The Double." Derek is the creator of PopcornFiction.com and lives in Los Angeles with his family.

 

“Haas doesn’t know how to write a boring page.” - David Benioff, New York Times bestselling author of City of Thieves, co-creator of “Game of Thrones" on HBO

“Haas’s spare, lean prose wastes no words. Haas develops a powerful and compelling voice and spends his scant 200 pages building suspense, creating atmosphere, and telling a compelling yarn. An unflinching little gem of a series: violent, dark, and unrelentingly entertaining.”
-Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“A devastatingly cool series.” - The New York Times Book Review

“Haas’s absorbing fourth thriller featuring the contract killer known as Columbus tests the proposition expressed in the book that 'lies are popular and truth is the uninvited guest who spoils the party.' The well-constructed conclusion packs a powerful punch.” - Publishers Weekly

“A page turner. A spare thriller fueled by a sinewy plot. Propulsive plotting and compellingly written.” - Boston Globe