A Different Lie

Haas’s absorbing fourth thriller featuring the contract killer known as Columbus (after 2011’s Dark Men) tests the proposition expressed in the book that “lies are popular and truth is the uninvited guest who spoils the party.” Columbus is enjoying the domestic life he has built in Manhattan with his wife, Risina, who researches the lives of his intended marks, and their three-year-old son, Pooley, when he receives an assignment to kill another assassin, 18- or 19-year old Castillo. Known for the ability to slip into any location unseen, Castillo is already responsible for killing numerous people, including a federally protected witness, a state senator, an ambassador, and a businessman in Florence. After Risina compiles Castillo’s dossier, Columbus plans his strategy, traveling initially to Spain. Suspense builds around whether Columbus can complete the assignment, return unharmed, and resume an everyday life with Risina and Pooley, or whether that plan is a pipe dream. The well-constructed conclusion packs a powerful punch. Agent: Mel Berger, William Morris Endeavor. (Nov.)