E.V. Seymour’s second installment in the Joshua Thane Thriller series finds Hex at a crossroads. With a high octane plot, a lone wolf former assassin as a protagonist, and an undercurrent of vengeance, Final Target is a thrill ride.

Hex is struggling to put his past behind him and lead a normal life when McCallen, the gorgeous spook and force of nature he crossed paths with in the previous book, shows up asking for his help. The ex-hitman finds that he cannot resist. Her life is in the crosshairs; someone is killing in a similar manner to the methods he once used; and Hex finds the past coming back to haunt him as he is taunted by an old nemesis he thought dead at his own hands.

This is a more introspective tale than the previous in the series. In Final Target, Hex is a more conflicted character wrestling with the emotional turmoil of regret and guilt. He is an antihero who regrets not being a hero, though his actions consistently fall under the label of the latter. He is a decent man at heart, grappling to be a better man and to lead a life out of the shadows. He cannot resist aiding the one woman who fascinates him, even as he finds himself drawn deeper into an entangled snare of lies, double dealings, and revenge.

Seymour’s writing style is intelligent, understated, and hard-hitting in its subtleness. Dark and gritty, this is a fast-paced read with an engaging plot and a protagonist who is far more likable and heroic than he realises. Filled with deadly women, international intrigue, and numerous quests for revenge, Final Target does not let up from the first page to the last.

Highly recommended for fans of thrillers with a remorseful antihero as the protagonist and of mysteries with a vengeful edge.