New York, NY: Pocket Books, 2006. First printing [stated]. Mass-market paperback. Good. Cover has some wear and soiling. Some minor edge curling. Small edge tears.. Glued binding. [12], 458, [26] p. Maps. Robert Ferrigno (born 1947) is an American author of crime novels and of speculative fiction. Eight books published between 1990 and 2004 were additions to the detective and thriller genres, while the post 9/11 'Assassin trilogy' is set in an imagined United States dominated by Islam. From the author's website: "I spent the next five years gambling full-time and living in a high-crime area populated by starving artists, alcoholics and petty criminals. After a time, I got restless and used some of my winnings to start a punk rock magazine called "The Rocket." The success of "The Rocket" got me a job as a feature writer for a daily newspaper in Southern California, where I took the adventure-and-new-money beat. Over the next seven years I flew with the Blue Angels, drove Ferraris and went for desert survival training with gun nuts."

Synopsis

Prayers for the Assassin is a political thriller, and a work of speculative fiction, written by American crime writer Robert Ferrigno. The story is set in 2040, after economic strife and a pair of nuclear attacks have led to civil war, causing the United States to split into two hostile and competing nations: one a moderate Islamic republic with its capital in Seattle, the other a breakaway Christian Bible Belt built on the ashes of the former Confederacy and with its capital in Atlanta.

Reviews

On May 28 2007, DanRoncoauthorofPeaceMaker said:

Here�s the essential problem --- the foundation of the story isn�t believable. Ferrigno bases his plot on the idea that the world believes that a nuclear attack on New York City, Washington, DC and Mecca in 2015 is the work of Israeli agents. As a result, most of the USA converts to Islam, with a group of the southern states breaking away to form a Christian nation.

It doesn�t ring true. A novelist, particularly someone writing speculative fiction, asks his readers to suspend disbelief, but he has to present a realistic premise. Why would anyone believe that Israel, which depends on America for its survival, would attack US cities and then throw in Mecca for good measure? And even if you believed Israelis were responsible for the attack, why would you lose your faith and convert to Islam?

Nevertheless, I ignored this ridiculous concept and kept reading. The action is set in 2040. Sarah Dougan, a respected historian, isn�t convinced it was an Israeli attack, so she begins to dig into the story. When the Old One, a mysterious Muslin leader, learns of Sarah�s investigation, he hires Darwin, a deadly assassin, to take care of Sarah. With the assistance of Rakkim Epps, her secret lover, Sarah races to uncover the true terrorist while Darwin murders just about everyone she contacts.

Once I pushed aside the premise, I found a gripping thriller that kept my interest. Ferrigno should be commended for a balanced portrayal of Islam; even depicting Sarah and Rakkim as moderate Muslims.

Overall, Prayers for the Assassin is a pretty good near-future thriller.

Dan Ronco, author of PeaceMaker

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Details

Bookseller: Ground Zero Books (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #: 71628
Title: Prayers for the Assassin
Author: Ferrigno, Robert
Format/Binding: Mass-market paperback
Book Condition: Used - Good. Cover has some wear and soiling. Some minor edge curling. Small edge tears.
Quantity Available: 1
Edition: First printing [stated]
Binding: Paperback
ISBN 10: 141650768X
ISBN 13: 9781416507680
Publisher: Pocket Books
Place of Publication: New York, NY
Date Published: 2006
Keywords: Terrorism, Civil War, Sectarian Violence, Islamic Fundamentalism, Assassin, Seattle, Futurism, Jihad, Rakkim Epps, Conspiracy

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