Two Reviewers for:
Circles of Assassins
Circle of Assassins
Steven Rigolosi

Ransom Note Press

Reviewed by Sarra Borne

Circle of Assassins is the second in a clever series of books known as Tales from the Back Page.  Each book starts with an advertisement placed in a fictional newspaper published on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.  The first in the series, Who Gets the Apartment? (2006) has four young Manhattanites fighting over a luxury penthouse apartment that a con-man rents to each of them for $600 a month – all at the same time.   

In Volume 2 Circle of Assassins, the author posits that an ad placed in that same newspaper will encourage five average, yet disgruntled New Yorkers to take the law into their own hands.   The carefully written advertisement asks its reader to decide – for entertainment purposes only – which person they would most like to see dead and why.  Through later correspondence the mastermind behind the ad works out a simple  yet extremely effective solution.  Why not have each of the circle eliminate one of the other targets?  There is no connection between killer and target, so little chance of being caught and each of the circle would symbiotically benefit when their target was eliminated.  

Using a non-linear narrative, author Steven Rigolosi begins with the exploration of the lives and psyches of the five assassins.  Why are these people primed to kill complete strangers?  How can they be sure that the advertisement isn’t a hoax?  Will they really go through with the murders, or will they have second thoughts?  Who are their targets and what makes them so deserving of death?  

The author does a fantastic job of writing in multiple viewpoints. He elegantly captures each character by writing their corresponding vernacular, which allows him to give voices to characters as varied as a highly educated college professor and a semi-literate telephone company lineman.   

This book will probably be most successful with readers who enjoy dark, psychological thrillers.  Those who prefer a plot-driven story line or a stricter adherence to the standard mystery formula will be less pleased.   

Stephen Rigolosi is no stranger to the publishing world, he is the director of market research and development at a Manhattan based publisher of scientific texts.  Circle of Assassins is his second novel.  In the works are at least two more books in the Tales from the Back Page series.

Reviewed By Diane Kasperski

Circle of Assassins has a unique story line that kept me interested throughout. There are many people in the world that would like to have someone removed from their life but these people aren’t going to go out and kill them, right? Would they? -- Do you? Would you?
What if they read an ad in the paper:
 
REVENGE IS SWEET!
Every day we are brutalized by those who hurt us,
take advantage of us, steal what is ours, mistreat
` our loved ones, destroy our property, terrorize us
psychologically, criticize and condemn us, or trample
our self-respect. Enough is enough! It’s time to turn
The tables. Write to A care of Box 270 (For entertainment
purposes only)
 
‘A’ placed the ad for his own reasons. He wasn’t sure anyone would answer but many people did - only 5 people were serious enough to carry through. They were from all different walks of life and all had their own reason for wanting someone to be eliminated from the face of the earth. These became the Circle of Assassins because if those who wanted someone murdered then had to murder of the elected victims.
 
The only problem with the plot I had was initially when the cycle of the Assassins was described to the participants it was a bit confusing. They were going to be known as A- E but then colors became involved and I got lost for a bit. The color theme seemed to be dropped after a bit though and it became clear what the plan was and what was to be done.
 
The participants were all different and the letters they wrote to ‘A’ telling their stories were as if real people were writing them. There was the older lady who just wanted to keep her neighborhood safe. The obnoxious brother who wanted his sister fiancée’ murdered and then 3 others. Mr. Rigolosi does a very good job of making their lives and problems real.
 
I may not have liked some of the participants in the Circle and I may have thought some of them did not have good reasons to want their candidates gone but each of their stories were told from the perspective of the participants, including their feelings and reasons. The ending had a couple surprises that were totally unexpected and made the story all the better.

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