The Professional (original title: Le Professionnel; ] ) is a 1981 French action film directed by French director Georges Lautner, starring Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Desailly and Robert Hossein, based on the award-winning 1976 novel "Death of a Thin-Skinned Animal" by Patrick Alexander.
The book "Death of a Thin-Skinned Animal" must have action in it. 
Based on the facts the movie was an action movie, I felt the book would be action based as well. 