Prayers for the Assassin

A Novel

By: Robert Ferrigno

Narrated by: Armand Schultz

In this “provocative and compelling” (The Seattle Times) thriller set in the future, Islamic and Christian forces battle for the fate of the United States as a young historian discovers the shocking truth about the devastating nuclear attacks that plunged the world into chaos.

2040: New York and Washington, DC are nuclear wastelands. Chicago is the site of a civil war battle. Countless other cities are simply abandoned.

After simultaneous nuke attacks had destroyed several major cities, Israel had been blamed, resulting in a devastating second civil war in the United States. An uneasy truce leaves the nation divided between an Islamic republic with its capital in Seattle and the Christian Bible Belt in the old South. Everything is controlled by the state, paranoia rules, and rebels plot to regain free will.

One of the most courageous is the young historian Sarah Dougan, who uncovers evidence that the nuclear attacks might not have been planned by Israel. If this information is true, it will destabilize the nation. But when Sarah suddenly goes missing, the security chief of the Islamic republic calls upon Rakkim Epps, her lover and a former elite warrior, to find her—no matter the risk.

But as Rakkim searches for Sarah, he is tracked by Darwin, a brilliant psychopathic killer trained in the same secretive unit as Rakkim. To survive, Rakkim must become Darwin’s assassin in a bloody, nerve-racking chase that takes them through the looking-glass world of the Islamic States of America, and culminates dramatically as Rakkim and Sarah battle to expose the truth to the entire world.

“Sharp and wildly entertaining cover to cover” (Chicago Sun-Times), Prayers for the Assassin is an unputdownable political thriller that will keep you guessing until the very last page.©2006 Robert Ferrigno; (P)2006 Simon & Schuster Inc. All rights reserved. Audioworks is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Prayers for the Assassin is one of those rare books that both educates and entertains. It will make you stop and question everything you take for granted. I literally couldn't put it down."

-- Vince Flynn, New York Times bestselling author of Consent to Kill

"Prayers for the Assassin is Robert Ferrigno's biggest and boldest novel so far, a white-knuckle thriller that I couldn't put down. Here is Ferrigno -- gambler, prophet, illusionist, and one of our bravest storytellers -- at his spectacular best."

-- T. Jefferson Parker, author of The Fallen

"Ferrigno immerses you in a dark alter-world of paranoia and intrigue in the grand tradition of Fatherland and The Handmaid's Tale. Prayers for the Assassin is close-the-last-page-and-look-at-the-world-differently good."

-- Chuck Hogan, author of Prince of Thieves

waste

really terrible oration. the original premise was great but awful execution. seemed like the narrator had something to do and rushed through it

I read the series

I had read the series several years ago and was excited for the audio book but the performance was poor. The story jumps timelines and stories but the reader doesn't pause, change tone, or attempt voices for the different characters. During moments of intensity the reader just keeps going at the same pace and tone. This really flattens and white washes the story.

The Plot Line

The story itself is very scary to think about, but it certainly is something new. I thought the author did a decent job of keeping the reader engaged but I thought at some points the story seemed to move quite quickly. Plan to continue the series.

Odd flow

Interesting concept, but not enthralling execution. The book seems sort of helter skelter or even disassociated.

Abridged 🥺

i love this series and i wished it wasn't abridged. otherwise, it was great!