Finished The Accident Man by Tom Cain. My significant other gave me this book because it’s about an assassin, and I’m writing an urban fantasy series about an assassin.

This thriller focuses on Samuel Carver, a British ex-soldier who specializes in making terrorists and other bad guys have unfortunate “accidents.” He’s on holiday when he’s called back to work by his employers to rig an accident in a Paris tunnel. The accident is a success, but what Carver doesn’t realize until later is that the real target wasn’t the terrorist he was told was in the car — it was Princess Diana. And now, the people who hired Carver to kill her also want him dead — no matter what.

Yep, this book is a what-if thriller that uses Diana’s accident as a jumping off point. What if someone wanted the princess dead? What if there was a conspiracy to murder her? What if there was a man who knew too much … I think you get the idea.

Cain takes great pains in the foreword to stress the book is a work of fiction and a product of his imagination, rather than it revealing any real conspiracy. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reading, but Diana’s death is handled respectfully, with Cain weaving in several scenes that show the world’s grief after learning of her death. As a character, Carver is truly sorry for what he’s done and determined to make people pay for the princess’s death.

That being said, the book hit all your standard thriller stereotypes. Carver is a good guy who’s haunted by what he does, but keeps doing jobs anyway. There are numerous gun fights, car chases, explosions, and bad guys who just won’t die. And, of course, Carver is aided by a beautiful, mysterious woman who may or may not be on his side. It all adds up to a pretty average read. Not good, not bad, just average.

If you’re looking for a new thriller writer to try, you might want to pick up The Accident Man. But I would suggest going back to folks like Ian Fleming and Robert Ludlum. They did what Cain does — but much better.

So, thumbs down.

Up next: Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews