Nicholai Hel-genius, mystic, and the perfect formidable assassin returns in this blockbuster thriller from the #1 bestselling author of Shibumi.

"Winslow imbues the James Bond-esque superspy atmosphere with a deep knowledge of Eastern cultures, including the ancient Japanese game of Go. There is plenty of fun to be had for readers." —Kirkus Reviews

Prepare to meet the world's most dangerous man ...

It is the fall of 1951, and the Korean War is raging. Twenty-six-year-old Nicholai Hel has spent the last three years in solitary confinement at the hands of the Americans. Hel is a master of hoda korosu, or "naked kill," is fluent in seven languages, and has honed extraordinary "proximity sense"—an extra-awareness of the presence of danger. He has the skills to be the world's most fearsome assassin and now the CIA needs him.

The Americans offer Hel freedom, money, and a neutral passport in exchange for one small service: to go to Beijing and kill the Soviet Union's commissioner to China. It's almost certainly a suicide mission, but Hel accepts. Now he must survive chaos, violence, suspicion, and betrayal while trying to achieve his ultimate goal of satori-the possibility of true understanding and harmony with the world.