Three Lives by Joe Washington

Three Lives is a very well written, exciting adventure novel. This is the first in a series.  the action is carried throughout the story from the beginning when Nicholas Gambit finds himself in trouble with local gang members to his new career as an assassin in training.  He finds that his trust is violated by those he felt closest to and his life is endangered by those who had promised him success. 

Nicholas seems both worldly and naive at the same time.  He continues to act as though people are basically trustworthy even after repeated jolts to his life from those who let him down, or betray him.