Hit List

by Lawrence Block

Book Overview

Keller is a regular guy. He goes to the movies, works on his stamp collection. Call him for jury duty and he serves without complaint. Then every so often he gets a phone call from White Plains that... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061030996
• ISBN13: 9780061030994
• Release Date: February 2002
• Publisher: HarperTorch
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

put it on your hit list ...

lawrence block is one of my favorite writers; the way he blends together worlds and personalities and can create very memorable characters (such as Rodenbarr, Scudder, or Tanner - and now Keller). the dot/keller relationship is intriguing to say the least and ppl criticize it for being long and drawn out, but so does the rodenbarr/carolyn relationship - it seems this is the only kind block knows and he's good at it, so why change all of a sudden? this book has a very familiar feel to it - not in terms of storyline, but in terms of atmosphere. i would say that its atmosphere best resembles the rodenbarr mysteries.simply said if you like lawrence block's rodenbarr mysteries, then you'll like his keller series.

HIT LIST

Always wanted to be a contract killer? I thought not. Neither would I, but Lawrence Block's Keller, the protagonist of HIT MAN, has made another killing (or two) with the follow-up HIT LIST. Maybe I'm perverted, but this is the funniest book I've read since -- well, HIT MAN. Black humor abounds, along with superb irony and an askew perspective on the universe that is irresistible. The matter-of-fact Keller saves his passion for his stamp collecting and survives another midlife crisis as well as the murderous attempts of another hit man looking to improve the supply/demand picture. Surprisingly, no gore here, and if you can handle an amoral world, this is the book to read.

A good, fast read.

I'm no professional like Patrick Picciarelli, just a somebody who enjoys a good read, and this is yet another of along list from Mr. Block. I highly recommend it.

A hit man is the hero

John Keller's business requires frequent flyer miles and constant communication with his "agent" Dot. John relaxes by collecting stamps and dreams of one day settling in the towns and cities he frequently visits. If he ever honestly wrote his occupation on a 1040, John would describe his work as a HIT MAN.John knows that many of his victims are innocent good people, but employment in the new economy has been booming lately as his skills are in greater demand than ever. However, John has a new problem as someone else is beating him to the hit, hurting his lucrative business that depends on reputation and completing the job, customized to meet the objective of the customer. As an unknown assailant hones in on his consulting services, John concludes that he personally has made the HIT LIST of a rival who plans to shut down John permanently.HIT LIST contains all the humor and action that readers expect from a Lawrence Block novel. The story line is two parts amusement, two parts gloom and doom, and six parts irony. In spite of his profession and his tendency to languish in self-doubt, John retains a likable charm even if readers wonder why he continues to off decent folks. It is the killing of the innocent that leaves HIT LIST not for everyone, but those readers who relish a dark satirical look at life.Harriet Klausner

A hit man you hate to love

Keller is a hit man who works to finance his habit ofcollecting stamps. If this isn't a sign of the originality ofBlocks's killer for hire, the contrast between the gentleness of theman and the violence of his job is. While content with his job andand enjoying his verbal fencing with his middlewoman, Dot, a series ofnear misses on his own life cause him to suspect that HE has beenplaced on someone's hit list. Then, just when he thinks that he hasfigured out what's going on, all of his targets start dying before hecan get to them. While it's nice to be earning money without actuallykilling anyone, he soon becomes anxious about who's doing his job andhe and Dot plan how to hit the hitter.Keller is one of the moreneurotic hit men who has no problem killing so long as it's part ofthe job and not for any personal. The pace moves along nicely, andhis moral debates with the matronly Dot over the ethics of his job arehilarious. Keller is a killer, but he still dutifully reports forjury duty between jobs and has a unique concept of innocentbystanders. A great follow-up to HIT MAN.