Boardroom Assassin
by R L Hare
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Pub Date 26 Jun 2025 | Archive Date 8 Aug 2025
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Description
Rick Frown is a charismatic CEO with an All-American past and a chilling appetite for control. What begins as a commentary on power, performance, and ego spirals into a tautly constructed cat-and-mouse narrative, told with precision and a clinical eye for detail.
Frown is a fascinating creation: a man whose discipline and strategic genius, honed on the football field and in boardrooms, find new life in the planning and execution of a perfect murder. His transition from executive to killer is handled with unnerving confidence. Rick orchestrates every detail, manipulates evidence, exploits people, and thrives on power. He doesn’t just want to win; he needs to dominate
The first half of the novel is nearly surgical in its detail, chronicling Rick’s obsessive planning with unsettling realism. The pacing is deliberate, mirroring Rick’s own cold, methodical nature. We watch as Rick struggles with his own inner demons, struggling with his internal need for something new and exciting against the risk of losing the perfect life. The reader is made complicit as Rick makes this transition, having walked each step of preparation from boardroom to assassin.
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The second half shifts perspectives, following a team of detectives led by Elena Kolonik as they piece together the trail Rick believes he’s erased. Elena is compelling in her own right: sharp, steady, and tireless. The procedural elements are thoroughly researched and grounded, lending the investigation a sobering weight. The detectives aren’t caricatures of brilliance; they make mistakes, chase bad leads, and grind through bureaucracy, all of which makes the eventual convergence more satisfying.
Advance Praise
"Boardroom Assassin takes an old concept - the perfect crime - and gives it an intriguing twist through the creation of a unique character in Rick Frown." - Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite
"Grounded and detailed storytelling. Not flashy or twist-heavy, but the slow, careful buildup matched the characters perfectly. By the end, I was truly invested in seeing whether Rick would slip up or if Elena would finally close in. A must-read for fans of psychological thrillers with a realistic edge." — JoelsBooks
"What a great book! RL Hare had me hooked from the first page. Rick Frown is in no way likable. He's a bully, self-opinionated, almost sadistic, but he hides this beneath charming and manipulative behavior. Who would ever think he could murder a random innocent person for no other reason than because he can. At some time, we may have thought of disposing of someone who has really upset us, but would we? No. This is the difference with Rick. His planning is meticulous, with attention to every single last detail, a complete playbook for a successful and undetected murder. With clues scattered across the globe, he leaves an impossible trail for the detectives. As they attempt to unpick the clues, their task takes them from one dead end to the next. Like every other character in Boardroom Assassin, Detective Elena Kolonik and her partner are realistic, and the reader can only applaud their painstaking work in following each clue deliberately left by Rick to mislead them. I eagerly await the second book in the series."
— Lucinda E. Clarke, Readers' Favorite
"Thoroughly grounded in reality, the story takes its time exploring Rick's psyche, his mental and physical preparations for murder, and the subsequent investigations. The characters think and act like real people... Elena is refreshing as a detective: plain and unassuming but competent, cracking cases through perseverance and attention to detail. Overall, I enjoyed Boardroom Assassin and recommend it to any crime novel fan, especially those who appreciate rigor and realism."
— Gabriel Santos, Readers' Favorite
"Chillingly precise and utterly compelling, Boardroom Assassin is a masterfully crafted thriller that turns corporate ambition into cold-blooded murder, pitting a brilliant CEO against a relentless detective in a cerebral cat-and-mouse game—perfect for fans of You and The Talented Mr. Ripley." - NewInBooks
Available Editions
| EDITION | Ebook |
| ISBN | 9798284694268 |
| PRICE | |
