Chameleon - Mark Burnell

Here is the plot. Woman quits her job and runs away from herself and everyone who knew her. She is found by her former employer who convinces her to take one more assignment. Of course her line of work is not nursing or teaching but killing.

OK. So this is a pretty popular plot line told by numerous different authors and retold in any number of movies. The real question is, can Mark retell this story in a unique and compelling way? The short answer is no.

The cold war produced a thriving market for the spy and assasin thriller genre. In the post cold war writings in this vein are struggling. The KGB are all now powerful criminals and businessmen. MI-6 is still doing their thing but, it just doesn't have the glamour it used to. The CIA? Chasing drug lords and terrorists now that the Soviet Union has crumbled. Never-the-less, Burnell tries to keep suspense alive with an smart, attractive and recently scrupled heroine.

Stephanie is trying to live a simple life on a farm in France. She has been on the run for several years now. Initially she went indipendant. Taking the same jobs that used be assignments. Eventually the killing became to much for her and she stopped. Found a boyfriend and lived a simple life.

Until her former employer paid her a visit. And thus we begin the predictable adventure. Reacquainting with former co-workers. A few months spent training. Getting back into shape and enjoying some sexual tension with the trainer. Agreeing to complete one last assignment in order to be free forever.

If this is your niche, you may want to pick this book up. If you are just passing through, there are better told stories invest your time in. I recomend The Teeth of the Tiger by Tom Clancy for good post cold war spy reading.