For 3000 years, love has been an art in the Orient. And so has Death  Here is the origin of Nicholas Linnear, half English, Half Oriental, who is about to enter a terrifying world of merciless assassins bound by the blackest codes of honour and skilled in the deadliest martial arts. Caught between East and West, a past he can’t escape and a destiny he can’t avoid, he is trapped in a web of old lust and present passions that will converge on a terrifying moment of revelation and revenge… Early this year I made the decision that I would try to re-visit some older books that I’ve enjoyed in the past. I was keen to see how well a novel stands the test of time. I think probably the toughest genre to avoid aging badly is thrillers. That’s why for this review I decided to re-read a novel that I remember being a favourite, The Ninja by Eric Lustbader. Nicholas Linnear is a complex character, the product of two completely different cultures but not really belonging to either.  There is a quiet stillness and an introspective quality to him that I like. Every action or comment that he makes seems measured…