©2025 Fable Group Inc.
3.5 

The Ethical Assassin

By David Liss
The Ethical Assassin by David Liss digital book - Fable

Publisher Description

Edgar award-winning author of the popular historical novels A Conspiracy of Paper and A Spectacle of Corruption, David Liss showcases his amazing versatility with this brilliant new tale of contemporary suspense: a literary thriller set in Florida, where killing is a matter of conscience.

No one is more surprised than Lem Altick when it turns out he’s actually good at peddling encyclopedias door to door. He hates the predatory world of sales, but he needs the money to pay for college. Then things go horribly wrong. In a sweltering trailer in rural Florida, a couple whom Lem has spent hours pitching is shot dead before his eyes, and the unassuming young man is suddenly pulled into the dark world of conspiracy and murder. Not just murder: assassination– or so claims the killer, the mysterious and strangely charismatic Melford Kean, who has struck without remorse and with remarkable good cheer. But the self-styled ethical assassin hadn’t planned on a witness, and so he makes Lem a deal: Stay quiet and there will be no problems. Go to the police and take the fall.

Before Lem can decide, he is drawn against his will into the realm of the assassin, a post-Marxist intellectual with whom he forms an unlikely (and perhaps unwise) friendship. The ethical assassin could be a charming sociopath, eco-activist, or vigilante for social justice. To unravel the mystery and save himself, Lem must descend deep into a bizarre world he never knew existed, where a group of desperate–and genuinely deranged–schemers have hatched a plan that will very likely keep Lem from leaving town alive.

David Liss skillfully interweaves a gallery of eccentric characters with a multilayered plot characterized by its unpredictable twists and turns. The Ethical Assassin is a brilliant, darkly comic novel that will leave readers in suspense until the very last page.

Download the free Fable app

app book lists

Stay organized

Keep track of what you’re reading, what you’ve finished, and what’s next.
app book recommendations

Build a better TBR

Swipe, skip, and save with our smart list-building tool
app book reviews

Rate and review

Share your take with other readers with half stars, emojis, and tags
app comments

Curate your feed

Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communities
app book lists

Stay organized

Keep track of what you’re reading, what you’ve finished, and what’s next.
app book recommendations

Build a better TBR

Swipe, skip, and save with our smart list-building tool
app book reviews

Rate and review

Share your take with other readers with half stars, emojis, and tags
app comments

Curate your feed

Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communities

20 Reviews

3.5
“Note: I've read this twice, across ten years, and enjoyed it a LOT more the first time. My review from my first go-round is below. Lem’s just a kid selling encyclopedias so he can go to college, that’s all. He never meant to get involved in a criminal conspiracy, but circumstances spiraled out of his control. He went into a trailer to sell books to two suspicious rednecks, and then — bang, bang — he’s witness to a double homicide and utterly confused when the assassin apologizes to him. The killer — Melford Kean — is an altogether pleasant fellow, once you get past the assassination bit, but he’s got a job to do, evil to fight, and now Lem has become his unwitting ally. Lem would like nothing more than to close his eyes and walk away, but circumstances continue to force him to rely upon this bizaarely compelling stranger. Thus, for a ltitle while at least, both Lem and Melford are destined to walk the same path. So begins one of the most fascinating novels I’ve ever read. The criminal conspiracy itself is rather tame — involving encyclopedias, drug labs, and hog farms — but Melford makes for an irresistible story. Who is this affable stranger who shoots people and then treats people enveloped his actions with such kind regard? Why did he shoot two seemingly harmless rednecks? As the story progresses, Melford emerges as a highly principled and motivated man who is interested in swaying Lem to his point of view — engaging with him in conversations about ideology, the influence of culture, and the basis of ethics. As Melford and Lem’s mutual problem reaches crisis levels, the method behind Melford’s madness becomes increasingly clear to both Lem and — I assume the author hopes as much — the reader. While I don’t know enough about the author’s beliefs to speculate on his intent with The Ethical Assassin, it reads in parts like an author tract. I delighted in the way Melford constantly teases Lem, engaging with him and drawing out a discussion. While I don’t agree with Melford ultimately, the unfolding of his arguments complemented the story’s pace smartly. With intriguing characters, philosophical ideas to grapple with, and the kind of quirky humor I like in a novel, I’d say The Ethical Assassin is a solid hit. While I chose to avoid mentioning Melford’s cause in the review (possibly a spoiler), it’s strongly hinted at early on.”

Start a Book Club

Start a public or private book club with this book on the Fable app today!
Error Icon
Save to a list
0
/
30
0
/
100
Private List
Private lists are not visible to other Fable users on your public profile.
Notification Icon
Fable uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB