Hit Man

ISBN: 0-380-72541-X Order from: Amazon.com

An interesting, at times quite funny, but on the whole rather unemotional narrative of a hit man, rather episodic due to the make-up nature of the novel.

Reviewed by David on June 06, 1999

Genre: Mystery (Assassin)

Synopsis: Keller is a hit man. He is no raging monster, no psychopath. He does not particularly like his job. But he needs the money, and it is job he does well.

He rarely has pangs of conscience, but he tries to cause as little pain as possible, and to know very little about his victims. In fact, like many others with a steady job, his dream is to save enough for a modest retirement. And he is coming close to this desired time.

However, there are complications. Coy clients who try to get out of paying Keller. Cold-blooded psychologists who try to psychoanalyze him. Spacy girlfriends. Even bosses who make mistakes and take on wrong assignments. Keller is a mild man, who would prefer to avoid unpleasant situations, but there is a certain professional pride involved.

With black humor, common sense and a truly strange sense of justice, Keller does his best to earn a living in a confusing world.

Full Review: This is a droll book, with subtle humor one expects from the creator of Bernie Rhodenbarr. In this case the criminal persuit is murder for hire, and the humor, of necessity, blacker. The main character is fairly interesting, with his very reasonableness, common sense and a subtle but annoying bouts of ethics underscoring the chilling nature of his job.

It is similar to, but not quite as good as another assassin novel: Thomas Perry's The Butcher's Boy. The major problem is the lack of emotional intensity: the conflicts, desires and fears are so mild as to become repetetive by the end of the book. This is exacerbated by the book's nature as a collection of short stories, previously published in Playboy.

Hit Man is a pleasant, at times intensely funny, book, which nonetheless lacks the impact or cohesiveness of a truly entertaining novel.

Includes: Answers to Soldier; Keller's Therapy; Dogs Walked, Plants Watered; Keller's Karma; Keller in Shining Armor; Keller on the Spot; Keller's Last Refuge

Overall: 5.5; Plot: 5.5; Characters: 6; Style: 5.5; World-building: 5; Originality: 6.5;

ISBN: 0-380-72541-X Order from: Amazon.com