Set in North Korea, this novella was an enjoyable story introducing John Milton, an assassin employed by the British government.

Although only 118 pages long, "1000 Yards" was action-packed and full of suspense. I will definitely be looking for other books in the series. ( )

Excellent read. Detailed, thrilling and suspenseful. Already signed up for #1 in the series. Recommend. ( )

John Milton was a specialized hired killer. His employer was the government.
A wartime veteran, he still suffered episodes related to his military and following services. 1000 YARDS is an introduction to him and his work.
Sent to North Korea on special assignment, he knew the government would be watching everything he did or said. “He was practically alone against the most ruthless and thorough security service the world had seen since the salad days of the Komitet Gosurdarstvennoy Bezopasnosti.”
While he was traveling under an alias, he also knew that the odds were that they would be able to identify him. His hope was that he could finish his job before that happened and escape before they caught him.
1000 YARDS is an almost skeletal telling of this assignment. It provides minimal description of him, his surroundings, and many of the other characters. The emphasis is on what he does to try to complete it and what the North Korean government does to try to stop him.
The same basic plot is used in other John Milton books though they are much more fleshed out.
It moves swiftly and is well-written but not as interesting as the full length novels in which he appears. It is a good introduction to the series, but if you’ve already started the series, it doesn’t add much. ( )

Mark Dawson is a newer populist author. Because I write action thrillers myself, I like to see what others in the field are doing. This short story gives just a taste of what John Milton is like. What was also interesting was his depiction of North Korea which made me want to find out more about this country. ( )

I enjoyed the book, not because I'm a fan of assassins, but because it was well written. Working on my latest novel, "St. Peter's Bones,'" I wrote in short chapters and wondered if I had made a mistake. "1000 Yards," is written with short chapters, and I found I enjoyed the length. ( )