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A review of Hit Man

by Lawrence Block

Keller is a pretty ordinary man, getting by in life, except that he makes his living killing people.

Reviewed by: Michael J. Griffin
About Michael J. Griffin

Hit Man I'm always wary of books that have "You've never met a character like (blank)" as a blurb on the front cover, but I made an exception for this book. Part of it was because I'd read a couple of Block novels before, both of them Matthew Scudder books, and I was interested in reading a different type of book.

It was definitely a different type of book. I'd read books before where the protagonist was an assassin, notably Frederick Forsyth's "Day of the Jackal", but this was... more mundane. Keller is a normal guy, likes to do the crossword puzzle, watch television and lead a pretty normal lifestyle. Until his phone rings, and a woman known as Dot sends him off to various locations to kill certain people. The speed and method depend on how fast the client want the job done.

Keller isn't a sadist, he doesn't get any particular enjoyment out of ending these people's lives, but he doesn't have many other skills that can earn him such a lucrative living.

I found out that being a hit man isn't just going into town, spotting your target and then disposing of him or her right there. Keller has to go through a lot of logistics, although even he admits that this job "isn't rocket science." He also faces several conundrums. What if the client is the person that turns out to be his target? What if his boss (Dot is the go-between) is growing increasingly senile and accidentally accepts contracts from two different targets, on each other? Who does he terminate first?

Keller also has to face the fact that his personal life isn't terribly interesting. He goes to see a therapist to sort out his issues, but that doesn't end well. He gets a dog, and also meets a woman and starts dating her. He starts collecting stamps. Will he find a middle ground?

"Hit Man" shows an insight into a mind that isn't psychopathic, but rather very practical. I just wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of that mind.

Click here to buy this book, or read more about it at Amazon.com: Hit Man

Copyright © by Michael J. Griffin, 2002

Reviewed by Michael J. Griffin:
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