Steve Hamilton is one of a handful of authors who can leave my pulse pounding when I'm done reading his books. I'll honestly never understand why he isn't more famous, because not only does he know how to write an action scene, he's a fantastic storyteller, one who creates thrillers with immense depth and characterization. Exit Strategy, the second book in his new series featuring Nick Mason, once again proves Hamilton is at the top of his form.
Nick Mason was in the middle of a long prison stint when he caught the eye of hardened criminal Darius Cole, who was imprisoned possibly for life but yet still ruled the entire system. Somehow Cole is able to pull enough strings to get Mason released years ahead of time, but of course, for a price: Cole essentially owns Mason—whatever he orders Mason to do, he must do, or he'll either find himself back in prison, or dead.
This time he has been given a seemingly impossible task: kill the three witnesses responsible for putting Cole in jail in the first place, to whom the government is turning once again for a retrial. Of course, these aren't ordinary witnesses—they're buried deep inside the federal witness protection program in sites unknown to almost everyone. But Cole has amazing information sources, so Mason is sent on a number of hunting expeditions taking him to both rural and urban locations. If Mason is successful, Cole might be set free; if any of the witnesses survive to testify, it could guarantee Cole's imprisonment for life—and destruction of everything Mason holds dear.
While Mason pursues his tasks knowing what is on the line, he is still trying to find a way out of Cole's clutches. He wants a life that is his, one that doesn't force him to jump every time his cell phone rings, one which doesn't allow him to come clean to those he cares about. But that kind of life is only possible if he can guarantee that Cole is destroyed, which, of course, can only bring about his own destruction.
The clock is ticking, and what Mason doesn't count on is that as he hunts the witnesses is he is being hunted at the very same time, by one of the three men he will need to kill. This ruthless assassin who once performed the very same lethal tasks for Cole that Mason does now isn't content to wait for Mason to try and kill him—he decides to take the fight to Mason as well.
If Cole is freed from prison, will Mason ever be free, or will he then become dispensable? Can Mason complete the mission he has been given without turning into the cold-hearted monster who controls him? Can he complete the mission before he becomes the target? Is there a price too high for his freedom?
Hamilton ratchets up the suspense little by little, and keeps the action flowing throughout. There are some fantastic action and chase scenes in this book, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. Mason is one of those characters like Jeff Lindsay's Dexter who is a true criminal, but you root for him anyway. You want him to win, even though he is doing some of the same things the book's villains are doing.
That you care about this flawed character is truly a testament to Hamilton's skill as a writer. While I hope he'll one day return to Paradise, Michigan, home of his series of books featuring private investigator Alex McKnight, it is always great to see what he can do with a new series or a standalone book.
Even if you didn't read The Second Life of Nick Mason, which is this book's predecessor, if you're a fan of crime novels and thrillers, you'll find this one gets your adrenaline pumping and doesn't let go. And can you ask for anything more?
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