Nobody Knew They Were There — Ed McBain

An assassin descends on a college town to commit a political murder in this dystopian thriller by Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Ed McBain.
 
As soon as he arrives, Sam Eisler can see the train station is too busy. His clients would like the job done there, but if he kills a man in that kind of crowd, he'll never get away -- and Sam is here to commit homicide, not suicide. The target is a famous man, and his bodyguards will shoot an assailant on sight. Better to catch them unaware. Just outside of town, Sam spots a bridge and comes up with a new scheme: He'll blow it up, destroying his mark in an instant, and all his problems will be solved. But nothing is ever as easy as it seems.
 
The professors and students of a local college have hired Sam to carry out this hit, a political killing that will change the course of the country. His contact is Sara, a beautiful young scholar whose boundless idealism entrances him. As Sam plans the murder, they begin an affair, and he finds himself falling in love. He came here looking for a reason to kill -- in Sara, he may discover a reason to live.
 
This remarkable thriller from the author of the 87th Precinct series is set in a world where all political resistance has been stamped out. For Sam and Sara, the revolution will start when the bridge explodes.