Teambuilding 101
With the successful eradication of James Hong and Rahul Sinha done and dusted, Shesh is ready to focus on his newest targets. The latest assignment has come to him through rather curious means. Inspector Julia Binti Shafiq, still smarting from not being able to save Fatimavati from a humiliating and cruel death at the hands of her so-called employers, seeks Ish out with a proposition. Even though she suspects that he is responsible for some of the recent deaths, she provides Ish with the rundown of events in the hope that nature will take its course. Ish has other ideas. While he is keen to oblige, he also recognizes that his prior assignments were not without errors and missteps. To tighten things up, he will need to form a team. But how does one form a team to assist an assassin with the logistics of his trade?
Through a series of meetings, Ish learns enough about Julia to obtain leverage to protect his interests while assisting the detective with her request for justice. Meanwhile, Ish also begins ramping up conversations with a member of the SGPI who is a friend and valuable source of information. With the team taking shape, the plan is formed and executed, but when the operation takes a sideways turn, how will Ish and his newly minted colleagues respond?
Assassins Can’t Do It Alone is the third book in the “Corporate Assassin Series” by Shesh. The series follows sixty-year-old retired CEO Ishmael Dollah on his journey from retiree to assassin. The focus of this book is on Madam Soon and her son Boon Tay, who were accused of the horrible treatment and subsequent death of their domestic worker. With justice not being served, this rankles Julia, who seeks alternative methods of justice. Fatimavati’s experience also paints a stark contrast to the Dollahs’ own helper, Siti, who until this book was just a background character. Adding Siti to the Dollah household dynamic adds another layer that can often be missed. The helper’s job is to know their family’s needs and routines, which can cause subtle actions or pattern changes to be detected that would normally go unnoticed. Ish may not be aware of Siti’s discoveries, but he is aware of Shahed’s growing suspicions. How he manages this in the future is yet to be seen.
While this is the third in what is shaping up to be a larger series, Shesh includes a rather humorous and lengthy fourth-wall-breaking primer in the first few pages to quickly bring both new and returning readers up to speed. If this is your first experience with this cast of characters, buckle up. The premise is admittedly odd, but also strangely plausible, and watching Ish go about his planning and execution is satisfying and entertaining. Ish continues to be a morally grey but surprisingly relatable character, making it easy to root for him even when his chosen profession makes that a little questionable. Now that this is no longer a one-man operation, I am looking forward to the next assignment, the next scenario, and the ultimate foe that has been looming on the horizon but has not quite made their entrance. If smart humor, clever planning and characters who operate well outside the traditional lines of right and wrong are your thing, this series is definitely worth taking a closer look at.
Full disclosure: I was provided a copy of this title by the author or their authorized agent, however, have voluntarily provided a review. All opinions are my own.
