- Paperback: 384 pages
- Publisher: Orion; New Ed edition (6 May 1999)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0752825925
- ISBN-13: 978-0752825922
- Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 2.2 x 17.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 547,534 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Hit Man: Keller Series, Book 1 (John Keller Mysteries)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
A man known only as Keller is thinking about Samuel Johnson's famous quote that "'patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel'... If you looked at it objectively, he had to admit, then he was probably a scoundrel himself. He didn't feel much like a scoundrel. He felt like your basic New York single guy, living alone, eating out or bringing home takeout, schlepping his wash to the Laundromat, doing the Times crossword with his morning coffee.... There were eight million stories in the naked city, most of them not very interesting, and his was one of them. Except that every once in a while he got a phone call from a man in White Plains. And packed a bag and caught a plane and killed somebody. Hard to argue the point. Man behaves like that, he's a scoundrel. Case closed." But Lawrence Block is such a delightfully subtle writer, one of the true masters of the mystery genre, that the case is far from closed. In this beautifully linked collection of short stories, we gradually put together such a complete picture of Keller that we don't so much forgive him his occupation as consider it just one more part of his humanity. After watching Keller take on cases that baffle and anger him into actions that fellow members of his hit-man union might well call unprofessional, we're eager to join him as he goes through a spectacularly unsuccessful analysis and gets fooled by a devious intelligence agent. We miss the dog he acquires and loses, along with its attractive walker. Like Richard Stark's Parker, Keller makes us think the unthinkable about criminals: that they might be the guys next door--or even us, under different pressures. For a small selection of the many Blocks in paperback, try Coward's Kiss, A Long Line of Dead Men, The Sins of the Fathers, Such Men Are Dangerous and especially When the Sacred Ginmill Closes.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Description
Keller is an assassin - he is paid by the job and works for a mysterious man who nominates hits and passes on commissions from elsewhere. Keller goes in, does the job, gets out: usually at a few hours' notice . . . Often Keller's work takes him out of New York to other cities, to pretty provincial towns that almost tempt him into moving to the woods and the lakeshores. Almost but not quite. But then one job goes wrong in a way Keller has never imagined and it leaves him with a big problem. Finding himself with an orphan on his hands, Keller's job begins to interfere with his carefully guarded life. And once you let someone in to your life, they tend to want to know what you do when you're away. And killing for a living, lucrative though it is, just doesn't find favour with some folks.
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First Sentence
Keller flew United to Portland. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Keller flew United to Portland. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Hit Man is a collection of short stories featuring the professional hitman Keller. Like most of Lawrence Block's other books Keller is based in New York, but due to the nature of his work he finds himself going off to different locations with each story which reminded me a little of Block's Evan Tanner series where he always starts off in New York before going somewhere exotic.
Kellers trips are not usually that exotic and stay within the United States. Each of the stories within the novel are good in their own right and there is no real stand out one as the best. But perhaps because of the fact that each one was a stand alone story that has been collected within this book, there always seems to be a lack of connection with each one and I think this prevents a connection being made to Keller by the reader as would happen with Matt Scudder, Bernie Rhodenbarr or Evan Tanner in Block's other novels.
Overall, it's a good collection of short stories that don't necesate reading all at once, although it is best to read them in sequence. I look forward to Block's next book Hit List also featuring Keller, but hope that it is an actual novel though featuring Keller, rather than another collection of short stories, as Keller shows a great deal of potential and could become as immortal as Block's other creations.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
As its name infers the is the story of a killer. Keller is a hitman in private enterprise. He asks no questions accepting the commissions as they come. He is not an assassin for the state nor does he work for the 'mob'. His agent is a man we never meet or whose name we never learn. At the beginning of the book Keller is a man with few scruples he will kill anyone for whoever pays him. But life changes and after an interlude with an analyst, a brief affair and the ownership of a dog Keller begins to develop a slight conscience. Only slight of course he continues to do the work he is best fitted for but seems to discover more about the marks and the clients. This is a surprisingly easy book to read and most enjoyable.
Format:Kindle Edition
Lawrence Block is one of the all-time greats of American crime fiction. This book brings together several of his short stories featuring one of his most intriguing characters - John Keller - the hit man of the title.
What makes Block's writing remarkable here is that the central character is both amoral and ruthless, yet the author manages to make him likeable and compelling. By the end of the first story you will be rooting for Keller and eager to discover how he will overcome the various obstacles the author places in his way and achieve his goals.
Despite being originally published as stand-alone stories, this collection comes together seamlessly and there is definite story and character progression.
I would urge anyone to pick up `Hit Man'. It is quite simply an excellent and entertaining read from start to finish.
What makes Block's writing remarkable here is that the central character is both amoral and ruthless, yet the author manages to make him likeable and compelling. By the end of the first story you will be rooting for Keller and eager to discover how he will overcome the various obstacles the author places in his way and achieve his goals.
Despite being originally published as stand-alone stories, this collection comes together seamlessly and there is definite story and character progression.
I would urge anyone to pick up `Hit Man'. It is quite simply an excellent and entertaining read from start to finish.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
KILLER DILLER
Another great character from Lawrence Block - Keller is a self employed hitman with a conscience of sorts and a pragmatic approach to his work - the dialogue is a joy, with its... Read more
Published on 9 Feb 2010 by P. Fraser
It's a Hit!
The day to day life of a hit man is probably not as interesting as you would think. There must be a lot of time between jobs and when you are working, patience is of the essence. Read more
Published on 18 Aug 2009 by Sam
scudder as psycho
The amazing Block moves all over the USA and Paul Auster takes over aswell -and Patrica Highsmith gets a look in.
Published on 11 Jun 2009 by roly moly
An Edgy, Imaginative Look at a Man with a Frozen Soul
What's it like to be a hit man (assassin for hire)? Lawrence Block takes on that challenging assignment in these connected short stories about John Keller ("call me Keller") who is... Read more
Published on 3 Oct 2007 by Donald Mitchell
An Edgy, Imaginative Look at a Man with a Frozen Soul
What's it like to be a hit man (assassin for hire)? Lawrence Block takes on that challenging assignment in these connected short stories about John Keller ("call me Keller") who is... Read more
Published on 28 Sep 2006 by Donald Mitchell
Murder with a difference
As its name infers this is the story of a killer. Keller is a hitman in private enterprise. He asks no questions accepting the commissions as they come. Read more
Published on 28 Sep 2001
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