In the Book Notes series, authors create and discuss a music playlist that relates in some way to their recently published book.
Previous contributors include Jesmyn Ward , Lauren Groff , Bret Easton Ellis , Celeste Ng , T.C. Boyle , Dana Spiotta , Amy Bloom, Aimee Bender , Roxane Gay, and many others.
Rob Hart’s Assassins Anonymous is a smart and funny literary thriller.
Publishers Weekly wrote of the book:
“Assassins Anonymous is hilarious and irreverent without ever falling into the trap of being ridiculous. With his dry sense of humor and self-deprecating nature, Mark is a fantastic narrator. Add to that some global intrigue and a dash of romance, and this novel is an immensely satisfying read.””
In his own words, here is Rob Hart’s Book Notes music playlist for his novel Assassins Anonymous :
Assassins Anonymous is about Mark, once the world’s deadliest assassin who worked for a clandestine agency under the name The Pale Horse. After a tragic event, he decided he didn’t want to kill people anymore, and he joined a 12-step recovery program for killers. But change is hard—especially when a mysterious figure shows up after a meeting and tries to kill him. I wanted this to be fast, fun, and thoughtful… but also really push the pedal to the floor in terms of action. So a lot of the songs I chose were high-energy, to drive those sequences…
Wouldn’t It Be Nice – The Beach Boys
…but I had to open with something bouncy and fun and hopeful, to juxtapose the mayhem that was coming.
bad guy – Billie Eilish
Not ashamed to say that I was turned onto this song by the animated film The Bad Guys , about a bunch of animal bank robbers trying to go straight, after seeing it with my daughter. It felt very on-brand.
Shelter from the Storm – Bob Dylan
Even though I was going for slam-bang action, I still wanted to be mindful of Mark and his journey and his newfound sense of safety at the weekly Assassins Anonymous meetings, where he and the other members seek shelter from the storm of their pasts.
The Hitter – Bruce Springsteen
Mark is a hitman—a “hitter”—and even though this song is about a bareknuckle boxer looking back on his life of violence, it still works.
Take ‘Em All – Cock Sparrer
Here’s where we get to the fun stuff. Cock Sparrer is a criminally-underrated British punk band from the ’70s, and this is my favorite of their songs. This is the best soundtrack for getting in a bar fight (not that I’d know anything about that).
Raw Power – Iggy Pop
And then there’s Iggy—more well known, and another good “let’s go get in trouble” song.
Whiskey in the Jar – Metallica
Metallica’s covers from Garage, Inc. may have been a little hit-or-miss, but their version of this traditional Irish folk song, about a man who robs someone and then is betrayed by the woman he loves, is an all-timer.
Where Eagles Dare – The Misfits
Another good action song, but that refrain of “I ain’t no goddamn son of a bitch” spoke to Mark’s frustration with the way people seemed to forget how dangerous he is.
Show Me What You’ve Got – Powerman 5000
Another solid fight song. Fun fact: Front man Spider One is the younger brother of Rob Zombie. I love that Zombie went with horror themes for his music, while Spider went with sci-fi. I wonder what growing up in that house must have been like.
Forty Six & 2 – Tool
It’s Tool. Tool is awesome. But also I just love the slow buildup of this song.
Midnight – William Elliot Whitmore
This is definitely on the more contemplative end of where Mark is on his journey: “The only thing left is to try to live/with the sins on my back no one could forgive.”
Gunslinger’s Glory – The Death South
“I want to be the very best/best there ever is/the quickest draw/the toughest motherfucker in these lands.” That right there is a lyric, and it spoke to Mark’s obsession with being the best.
One Shot One Kill – Jon Connor
An aggressive song in which Connor raps “you better bring troops,” which just sounds like a badass threat make to someone. Because that’s the thing about Mark—even when he’s not operating at his fullest capacity, he is still mighty dangerous.
I’m Ready – Muddy Waters
“I’m drinkin’ TNT, I’m smokin’ dynamite/I hope some screwball start a fight.” I mean, that one just makes sense, right?
Every Day is Exactly the Same – Nine Inch Nails
This is a song I used to listen to a lot when I was working a grown-up job where I had to wear a suit—it was about the anger of the monotony, for me. And I could see Mark, formerly the world’s best assassin, growing frustrated with a normal life, knowing what he was capable of doing.
Be Aggressive – Faith No More
I love the manic energy of Faith No More, and I’m pretty sure I was going through a phase of listening to them more when I made this playlist, but also, they’re just a great addition.
X Gon’ Give It To Ya – DMX
My favorite action scene in the book is set to this, and I will lobby Amblin (probably unsuccessfully!) to consider it for the soundtrack if they end up making the movie.
The Man Comes Around – Johnny Cash
Every book playlist I make is going to have Johnny Cash on it. That’s a self-imposed rule that is very important to me, because Johnny Cash is one of the greatest musicians to ever live. This was just the obvious choice, because this is where I got the name for Mark’s professional name—the Pale Horse.
also at Largehearted Boy:
Rob Hart’s playlist for his novel The Paradox Hotel
Rob Hart’s playlist for his novel The Warehouse
For book & music links, themed playlists, a wrap-up of Largehearted Boy feature posts, and more, check out Largehearted Boy’s weekly newsletter.
Rob Hart is the author of THE WAREHOUSE, which sold in more than 20 languages and was optioned for film by Ron Howard. He also wrote the short story collection TAKE-OUT, the Ash McKenna crime series, and he co-authored SCOTT FREE with James Patterson. His second novel is PARADOX HOTEL. He lives in New York City. Find him online at @robwhart and www.robwhart.com .
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