What a strange story. A man, who doesn't really feel alive, doesn't feel much of anything, working as an enforcer and winds up heading back on a path to becoming a human again. By strange, I mean original and compelling. I've read most of John Twelve Hawks' other books and knew his style, but this really surprised me. Surprised and delighted. ( )

I liked it overall, but some of the reactions/interactions to the protagonists personality seemed a bit too convenient. You get that feeling of that's not how that would have happened in real life, so I'm going to put that as my minus one star ( )

John Twelve Hawks is the pseudonym for an author whose identity is still the subject of baseless online speculation. Maybe somebody at Doubleday knows where they are sending the checks, but maybe not. Spark, the fourth book attributed to Twelve Hawks, is set in a near future Manhattan surveillance state. John Davis is a man who developed Cotard’s syndrome following a motorcycle accident. He believes he is dead, a “spark” in a bodily “shell” with no connection to other “human units.” Many of his symptoms resemble those of high-functioning autism. He has been hired as an assassin by a large corporation because he follows directions precisely and feels no emotional connection to his victims. It is fun to watch him outmaneuver all the cameras and scanners. We root for him as he begins to rebuild a bit of his humanity, though it interferes with his efficiency as a killer. In the audiobook edition, Scott Brick does an excellent job of creating an affectless voice for the first-person narrator. Is there a genre label for psycho killers you can root for? 4 stars. ( )

Very good noirish sci-fi thriller. Almost a 4. Enjoyed the unique character and the succinct writing style. ( )

I won this book as a Goodreads giveaway, but that had no effect on my review.

Jacob Underwood works for the Special Services Section of a large NY investment bank. His job is to take care of problems unconventionally: he is a contract killer. Jacob was recruited by Ms. Holquist, following a near fatal motorcycle accident, in which he was transformed into an unfeeling, unemotional shell that thinks he’s dead (called Cotard's syndrome.) He lives in a society where "Big Brother" watches everyone to detect abnormal behavioral patterns. After a mundane job or two, he is asked to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a banking analyst, who was given some secret information by a guy from India she met at a conference and told to release it if she does not hear from him. As Jacob investigates, he begins to question his instructions, and draws the attention of a rival when he does not follow orders, starting with his refusal to kill an innocent child. I liked Hawk's creativity and the development of Jacob's character. Not quite 4 stars, but I rounded up.
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