Nicholai Hel-genius, mystic, and the perfect formidable assassin returns in this blockbuster thriller from the #1 bestselling author of Shibumi. "Winslow imbues the James Bond-esque superspy atmosphere with a deep knowledge of Eastern cultures, including the ancient Japanese game of Go. There is plenty of fun to be had for readers." --Kirkus ReviewsPrepare to meet the world's most dangerous man ... It is the fall of 1951, and the Korean War is raging. Twenty-six-year-old Nicholai Hel has spent the last three years in solitary confinement at the hands of the Americans. Hel is a master of hoda korosu, or "naked kill," is fluent in seven languages, and has honed extraordinary "proximity sense"--an extra-awareness of the presence of danger. He has the skills to be the world's most fearsome assassin and now the CIA needs him. The Americans offer Hel freedom, money, and a neutral passport in exchange for one small service: to go to Beijing and kill the Soviet Union's commissioner to China. It's almost certainly a suicide mission, but Hel accepts. Now he must survive chaos, violence, suspicion, and betrayal while trying to achieve his ultimate goal of satori-the possibility of true understanding and harmony with the world.
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