Review: The Accident Man by Tom Cain

Looking for a unique thriller? The Accident Man by Tom Cain may be just what you need!

The summary: For a certain sum of money, Samuel Carver will arrange a death. A ruptured gas line, an automobile crash, a fall from a window; anything can look like an accident. But when Carver is to carry out a job in a tunnel in Paris, and when the job goes wrong for him, and when he is pursued by the very forces that hired him, Carver must execute his most daring feat yet. A thriller of the grandest and most exhilarating sort, The Accident Man races above and below the streets of Paris, across Europe, and through storms at sea. It is also a startling introduction to a hero engaged in acts of moral violence. With the dissolution of world powers, with everything and anything for sale, how does one justify death? Samuel Carver—a clouded man of determined action—will come to understand the prices to be paid.

I don't think I've ever read a thriller quite like this book. It's a work of fiction, a 'what if' surrounding the death of Princess Diana. What if one of the conspiracy theories actually happened - what would it look like? Who would be involved? The best part is it doesn't really focus on the princess but rather on the Accident Man: Carver. On his skills and his vulnerabilities. On the people he works for - the ones he knows about and the ones he doesn't, and how he finds out who they are.

The book is thoughtful - we know Carver's worries and desires about doing his job. And we get to see how he deals internally about the consequences of his actions and being double-crossed. I completely bonded with Carver.

However, this book is not for the faint of heart. It does contain quite a bit of killing and various other items that one would see in an action movie. However, the details are not lengthy and don't overwhelm the story - which is Carver trying to come to terms with what he did and figuring out how to fix what he can.

I highly recommend this book to other thriller readers out there. If you like a good spy novel or a unique conspiracy theory, The Accident Man will be a book you won't want to put down.

Rating: 5/5 stars