About Martyn V. Halm and the Amsterdam Assassin Series
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The suspense fiction Amsterdam Assassin Series revolves around freelance assassin and corporate troubleshooter Katla Sieltjes. Under the name Loki Enterprises, Katla specialises in disguising homicide and providing permanent solutions for both individuals and corporations. With authentic details and brisk action against the backdrop of the notorious Dutch capital, featuring a devious heroine and a supporting cast of singular characters, the Amsterdam Assassin Series gives a rare glimpse into local Dutch culture, international terrorism, computer hacking, forensic sciences, martial arts, foreign intelligence services, the psychology of social engineering, and the brutal efficacy of disciplined violence.
(If you’d like to receive a signed card, click on the card for more information.)
The Novels
The first novel in the Amsterdam Assassin Series, Reprobate, marks the first time Katla breaks one of her own rules, and how this affects both her personal and business life. The second novel, Peccadillo, shows what happens when you attempt a hostile takeover of an assassin’s legitimate business cover. The third novel, Rogue, has Katla taking a contract she shouldn’t have taken, which brings her to the attention of international intelligence communities. The fourth novel, Ghosting, has Katla taking a sabbatical that isn’t as restful as it should be. While the novels are stand-alone and can be read out of order, reading them in chronological order might be more enjoyable.
A standalone noir, In Pocket, involves several characters from the Amsterdam Assassin Series.
Clicking on the covers will take you to the book’s dedicated page, where you can get more information and download the first ten chapters in ePub or Mobi (will open in new tab):
The KillFiles
Between the publications of the novels, the Amsterdam Assassin Series will also feature stand-alone short stories, the Katla KillFiles. The Katla KillFiles chronologically precede the novels in the Amsterdam Assassin Series. Each KillFile features Katla executing one of her contracts before the events in Reprobate, and, while not mandatory reading, each KillFile provides insight both in Katla’s work methods and skill, and additional background information in her character and personal history. The KillFiles can be read out of order, as the contracts are random samples from her past.
[Covers by Farah Evers Design.]
BUY THE AMSTERDAM ASSASSIN SERIES:
Available at Scribd!
For Nook e-readers, go to Barnes & Noble (US) or Nook (UK).
For iBooks to read on your iPad or iPhone, go to iBookstore.
For Kobo and all other e-readers, go to Kobobooks.com.
For Kindle e-books, go to Amazon.com (US), Amazon.co.uk (UK), Amazon.ca (Canada), Amazon.com.au (Australia), Amazon.de (Germany), Amazon.fr (France), Amazon.it (Italy), Amazon.es (Spain), Amazon.co.jp (Japan), Amazon.in (India), Amazon.com.br (Brazil), Amazon.com.mx (Mexico), or your local Amazon…
Follow Martyn on Twitter: @Tao_Of_Violence or contact Martyn by email: katlasieltjes@yahoo.com
About the author: Martyn V. Halm lives in Amsterdam with his two children, two cats, two rats, and countless imaginary characters vying for attention. Writing realistic crime fiction is hard work, especially when you’re a stickler for verisimilitude. When your protagonist is a seasoned killer, research can take you right up to Nietzsche’s abyss. Luckily, things get easier after the first few killings… Apart from being an accomplished prevaricator, Martyn already possessed an eclectic variety of skills that qualified him to write the Amsterdam Assassin Series. Skills he shares with his deadly fictional characters…
Martyn likes stories by Philip K. Dick, Iain (M.) Banks, Vachss, Wiltse, Jim Thompson, Pirsig, Chuck Palahniuk, and Philip Jose Farmer, graphic novels and comics by Andre Franquin, Henk Kuypers, Milo Manara and Jean ‘Moebius’ Giraud. He listens to Freddie Hubbard, John Mayer, Wynton Kelly, James Morrison, Stanley Clarke, Portishead, Tom Waits, Hank Mobley, Radiohead, The Doors, Tony Overwater, Chris Hinze, Talk Talk, Mozart, Miles Davis, Tori Amos, King Crimson, Lou Donaldson, Pink Floyd, Art Farmer, Yes, Lee Morgan, Rammstein, Freddie Redd, Muse, Ludwig Van…
(If you’d like to receive a signed card, click on the card for more information.)
Amsterdam Assassin Series 
Martyn, for people like me, without a credit card, another option to buy your books would be nice!
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People who cannot go through the regular retailers can order an epub or mobi book straight from me. Just sent an email to katlasieltjes@yahoo.com and specify which book and which format.
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Too bad they aren’t available as physical books. They look interesting.
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Thank you. I’m working on print-on-demand versions of Reprobate, Peccadillo, and Rogue, to come out when Ghosting is finished, so I can also perhaps over a package deal. Stay tuned!
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I will! As a Dutch aspiring Fantasy author, books that are set in Amsterdam interest me.
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In Pocket is now in pre-order, during which you can buy it at the discounted price of 99c. This discount stays until August 4, 2015, after which it will revert to the list price of 3.99.
So grab your copy now and have it delivered to your Kindle on August 1st!
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When is GHOSTING being released? When will IN POCKET be available to those of us with a B&N NOOK (vs. Amazon KINDLE)? I am totally hooked on Katla!
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Hello Jude,
I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the Amsterdam Assassin Series.
The draft of GHOSTING is finished, but I’m editing the manuscript before it goes to my editors and beta-readers. I expect GHOSTING to come out before Christmas, but I can put you on the ARC list. That would mean you’d receive an advance review copy about a month before GHOSTING is officially released, so you can post a review when it comes out.
As for IN POCKET, I’m under contractual obligation not to publish this e-book on other retailer sites for the next few months, but check your email – I sent you a free ePub ARC that you can read on your NOOK. If you can, please leave a review on GoodReads/Booklikes/social media, so others will know what you (dis)liked about the book.
Have a nice weekend!
-Martyn.
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I’d be honored to be placed on the ARC list to receive a pre-release copy of GHOSTING for review purposes. I’ve now read all the available Amsterdam Assassin series, as well as all the KillFiles. You have created quite a
memorable and unique character in Katla, but you certainly did not stop there. Her circle of clients, allies, friends,enemies, and even pets are just as wonderfully written. Any review I write will not reveal every plot twist and turn, let the reader joyfully discover Katla and her world as I did. I will say that your attention to detail in everything (let’s leave it at that) is engrossing and a compliment
p
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…and a compliment to your research staff. And if your research staff consists only of MVH, I’d watch my back if I was your spouse, child or pet. You know entirely too much! Looking forward to our next meeting between the pages.
–Jude
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There is no research staff, although I have a host of betas who will correct me if I get something wrong…
Funny you should say the spouse beware thing – my wife doesn’t read my work (suspense fiction is not her thing), but one of my American betas who read an early draft of the Heyboer killing (at the beginning of Peccadillo) told me she was glad I lived on the other side of the big pond, because she found the level of detail disturbing, so maybe it’s a good thing my wife doesn’t know too much the disciplined violence and disturbingly detached murder that permeates the Amsterdam Assassin Series.
She does know about my checkered past though, so I doubt if the content of my books would surprise her.
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Hey, Martyn
Fan from Australia here.
I enjoyed reading your books (‘enjoy’ meaning I ended up binge reading them), and had fun following the adventures of Katla and Co. While learning about the Netherlands.
I was wondering if you took any inspiration from the book of ‘Vengeance’ by George Jonas recounting the events of the Israeli Mossad operation ‘Wrath of God,’ In the book the Mossad agents encounter a hit-woman, who happened to be Dutch!
Looking forward to reading more.
Cheers, Lachlan
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I never read that book, but just a few months ago I saw part of a scene in, I believe, ‘Munich’ where someone linked to the scene because this Dutch hit woman is killed by bicycle pump guns. Still haven’t read that book, though. Perhaps because I read more fiction than non-fiction.
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The movie ‘Munich’ (directed by Steven Spielberg) is about the same Mossad operation and used the book ‘Vengeance’ as it’s main source, as the book recounted the methods used by the agents in great detail.
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Is the book worth my time, in your opinion?
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If it is no trouble purchasing it, yes. Currently the book isn’t available as an ebook and has to be shipped from the US, unless you find a local retailer.
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Martin, loving the katla books. Are there more planned?
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Hello Thomas, I’m currently working on a fifth novel in the series, working title Drone.
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when will Drone be out?
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Hello Christi,
I hope you enjoyed the series so far.
There is no publication date as the drafting stage is not completed yet. Other projects and health issues have intervened. I hope the drafting will be concluded after the summer.
Martyn.
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Good morning Martyn.
I hope the health issues have been solved to your satisfaction!
I just read all the books of the series (not the kill files, because I am more interested in Bram than in Katla, though I enjoy her very much) in one go. Thank you so much for a very good time!
I know it puts stress on an author to ask, but … is there a publication date planned meanwhile? And… for Katla, there are the kill files. Are there other publications to read about Bram?
Greetings from 520 km straight east. 😉
Julia
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Hello Julia,
So glad to hear you enjoyed the series.
My health conditions prove to be chronic, so while I’ve worked on shorter projects, longer projects like my books have suffered a long hiatus.
I’ve been ruminating about short stories about Bram – called Bram Outtakes – which would delve deeper in into his backstory, but Bram’s backstory is pretty well embedded in the Amsterdam Assassin Series already, although some readers might wonder about how Bram came to live in the basement of a Japanese club or where he met Zeph or how his relationship with Anouk went. Anyway, I’ll be doing my best, though improving my health has my foremost priority.
So where are you located? Maagdenburg area of Germany?
Martyn.
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Beste Martyn.
Gefeliciteerd met de uitgegeven boeken.
Groet Robert Kraan
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