- Author: Rob Hart
- Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons (Penguin Random House)
- Genre: Thriller
- Formats: $28 hardcover | $12.99 ebook | $19 paperback | $22.50 audiobook
- Released: June 11, 2024
- Bookshop | Amazon
Rob Hart is the former publisher for MysteriousPress.com and was the class director at LitReactor. He has also worked as a political reporter and the communications director for a politician, and he was a commissioner for the city of New York. He has received an honorable mention in Best American Mystery Stories 2015, 2017, and 2022.
In Assassins Anonymous, Mark was the most dangerous killer-for-hire in the world. But after learning the hard way that his life’s work has made him more monster than man, he leaves all of that behind and joins a 12-step group for reformed killers. When Mark is viciously attacked by an unknown assailant, he is forced on the run. From New York to Singapore to London, he chases after clues while dodging attacks and trying to solve the puzzle of who’s after him—all without killing anyone. Or getting killed himself. For an assassin, Mark learns, nonviolence is a real hassle.
When asked what contributed to the book landing on the USA Today bestseller list, Hart said: “It got highlighted at Amazon, since it was an editor’s pick. It was highlighted by Barnes & Noble’s book blog. Getting a film option from Spielberg and Amblin was splashy. But it was also my ninth book, and I think I’ve finally built a semblance of an audience. I was also aided by a solid pitch (what if John Wick joined a recovery program for killers?) and a beautiful cover. … I just landed on the list again, for the paperback release, because Barnes & Noble made it the mystery and thriller pick for June, which means it’s being highlighted and hand-sold in every single store.”
Hart noted that the Barnes & Noble promotion was so significant, the novel ranked much higher in June 2025 than it did upon release a year earlier. “Which shows you how much a promotion like this can really move the needle,” he said.
However, Hart also believes something beyond promotion is necessary for a bestseller. “The Warehouse was expected to be a bestseller, and it was not. I got way more press for that one than I did Assassins. I was on TV, the cover reveal was in Entertainment Weekly. The way it’s been explained to me is: Everything with the marketing and publicity went right, and it didn’t make that final leap to where it connected with readers,” he said.
Hart decided to focus on what was within his power: social media, Substack, events, and networking with other authors. “The keys to success are mostly intangible,” Hart said. “The common denominator among successful authors has nothing to do with whether you had an MFA or who you know. It’s who was stubborn, who didn’t quit, who kept picking themselves up after getting knocked down, and got back to work.”
E. J. Wenstrom believes in complicated heroes, horrifying monsters, purple hair dye and standing to the right on escalators so the left side can walk. She writes dark speculative fiction for adults and teens, including her new release, a young adult dystopian novel titled Departures (August 10, 2021). When she isn’t writing fiction, E. J. Wenstrom is a regular contributor to DIY MFA and BookRiot, and co-hosts the Fantasy+Girl Podcast. Learn more at her website.
