Rik Stone is able to captivate his audience with the first novel in his new series, “Birth of an Assassin.” This frightening story of a man named Jez Kornfeld is an intriguing insight into the prostitution and human trafficking that happens in corrupt Russia.

The story starts off with Kornfeld’s passion for joining the army due to a previous encounter with a soldier who almost killed his family when he was younger. Eager to enlist, Kornfeld bumps into two soldiers on the street who fool him into going to KGB headquarters. Upon meeting Colonel Michel Petrichova at the headquarters, Kornfeld is given the opportunity to train.

The plot starts to pick up as Kornfeld completes his training with high marks as well as meeting a friendly woman who also joined the army, Anna Puchinsky. As Stone moves along the characters in the story, you find yourself involved in their individual stories. Thinking the army is the perfect fit for Kornfeld, he soon comes across a misfortune when he is ordered to stop a rally of Jewish women in Red Square.

When he reaches the site he finds his own three sisters amongst the women and sneaks them away for “interrogation.” Fearing the worst, Kornfeld comes up with a plan to smuggle his sisters to the promised land, all the while putting his colonel status on the line. Continuing the story, you just can’t put the book down due to the way Stone foreshadows what happens to Kornfeld as he is conducting his own personal business.

Helping his family is a betrayal to Colonel Petrichova, and when he finds out what Kornfeld has done through the help of Kornfeld’s former comrade Puchinsky, you won’t believe what continues to happen to him. How could Puchinsky spy and report on Kornfeld’s actions when she knew that the army was everything to Kornfeld? In the army, trust is the only thing valuable and as soon as Colonel Petrichova hears of it, he soon forgets all about Kornfeld’s future in the army and focuses on Puchinsky.

If this still hasn’t made you want to read Stone’s novel, then maybe his introduction of the characters Lieutenant Otto Mitrokhin and his right-hand man Adrik Mayakovski will. It is clear that Mitrokhin dislikes Jews and knowing that Kornfeld is Jewish makes Mitrokhi disgusted with the fact that he is working in his unit.  Now these two have squirmed up to their ranks and are the least loyal characters you will read in “Birth of an Assassin.” As you find out that Colonel Petrichova has a suspicion of both Mitrokhin and Mayakovski trafficking in Russia with the Mafia using their army status, Kornfeld’s own career is put into jeopardy when Mitrokhin decides to pin it all on him. Stone’s novel of betrayal, physical and emotional torture, and lies will surely keep you wanting more. Read “Birth of an Assassin” to find out what happens to Kornfeld and his sisters.