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John Keller #3
Hit Parade
Keller is friendly. Industrious. A bit lonely, sometimes. If it wasn't for the fact that he kills people for a living, he'd be just your average Joe. The inconvenient wife, the troublesome sports star, the greedy business partner, the vicious dog, he'll take care of them all, quietly and efficiently. If the price is right.
Like the rest of us, Keller's starting to worry about his retirement. After all, he's not getting any younger. (His victims, on the other hand, aren't getting any older.) So he contacts his "booking agent," Dot, up in White Plains, and tells her to keep the hits coming. He'll take any job, anywhere. His nest egg needs fattening up.
Of course, being less choosy means taking greater risks—and that could buy Keller some big trouble. Then again, in this game, there are plenty of opportunities for some inventive improvisation . . . and a determined self-motivator can make a killing.
Like the rest of us, Keller's starting to worry about his retirement. After all, he's not getting any younger. (His victims, on the other hand, aren't getting any older.) So he contacts his "booking agent," Dot, up in White Plains, and tells her to keep the hits coming. He'll take any job, anywhere. His nest egg needs fattening up.
Of course, being less choosy means taking greater risks—and that could buy Keller some big trouble. Then again, in this game, there are plenty of opportunities for some inventive improvisation . . . and a determined self-motivator can make a killing.
336 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 3, 2006
133 people are currently reading
752 people want to read
About the author
Lawrence Block
753books2,932followersLawrence Block has been writing crime, mystery, and suspense fiction for more than half a century. He has published in excess (oh, wretched excess!) of 100 books, and no end of short stories.
Born in Buffalo, N.Y., LB attended Antioch College, but left before completing his studies; school authorities advised him that they felt he’d be happier elsewhere, and he thought this was remarkably perceptive of them.
His earliest work, published pseudonymously in the late 1950s, was mostly in the field of midcentury erotica, an apprenticeship he shared with Donald E. Westlake and Robert Silverberg. The first time Lawrence Block’s name appeared in print was when his short story “You Can’t Lose� was published in the February 1958 issue of Manhunt. The first book published under his own name was Mona (1961); it was reissued several times over the years, once as Sweet Slow Death. In 2005 it became the first offering from Hard Case Crime, and bore for the first time LB’s original title, Grifter’s Game.
LB is best known for his series characters, including cop-turned-private investigator Matthew Scudder, gentleman burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, globe-trotting insomniac Evan Tanner, and introspective assassin Keller.
Because one name is never enough, LB has also published under pseudonyms including Jill Emerson, John Warren Wells, Lesley Evans, and Anne Campbell Clarke.
LB’s magazine appearances include American Heritage, Redbook, Playboy, Linn’s Stamp News, Cosmopolitan, GQ, and The New York Times. His monthly instructional column ran in Writer’s Digest for 14 years, and led to a string of books for writers, including the classics Telling Lies for Fun & Profit and The Liar’s Bible. He has also written episodic television (Tilt!) and the Wong Kar-wai film, My Blueberry Nights.
Several of LB’s books have been filmed. The latest, A Walk Among the Tombstones, stars Liam Neeson as Matthew Scudder and is scheduled for release in September, 2014.
LB is a Grand Master of Mystery Writers of America, and a past president of MWA and the Private Eye Writers of America. He has won the Edgar and Shamus awards four times each, and the Japanese Maltese Falcon award twice, as well as the Nero Wolfe and Philip Marlowe awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, and the Diamond Dagger for Life Achievement from the Crime Writers Association (UK). He’s also been honored with the Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award from Mystery Ink magazine and the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement in the short story. In France, he has been proclaimed a Grand Maitre du Roman Noir and has twice been awarded the Societe 813 trophy. He has been a guest of honor at Bouchercon and at book fairs and mystery festivals in France, Germany, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Spain and Taiwan. As if that were not enough, he was also presented with the key to the city of Muncie, Indiana. (But as soon as he left, they changed the locks.)
LB and his wife Lynne are enthusiastic New Yorkers and relentless world travelers; the two are members of the Travelers Century Club, and have visited around 160 countries.
He is a modest and humble fellow, although you would never guess as much from this biographical note.
Born in Buffalo, N.Y., LB attended Antioch College, but left before completing his studies; school authorities advised him that they felt he’d be happier elsewhere, and he thought this was remarkably perceptive of them.
His earliest work, published pseudonymously in the late 1950s, was mostly in the field of midcentury erotica, an apprenticeship he shared with Donald E. Westlake and Robert Silverberg. The first time Lawrence Block’s name appeared in print was when his short story “You Can’t Lose� was published in the February 1958 issue of Manhunt. The first book published under his own name was Mona (1961); it was reissued several times over the years, once as Sweet Slow Death. In 2005 it became the first offering from Hard Case Crime, and bore for the first time LB’s original title, Grifter’s Game.
LB is best known for his series characters, including cop-turned-private investigator Matthew Scudder, gentleman burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, globe-trotting insomniac Evan Tanner, and introspective assassin Keller.
Because one name is never enough, LB has also published under pseudonyms including Jill Emerson, John Warren Wells, Lesley Evans, and Anne Campbell Clarke.
LB’s magazine appearances include American Heritage, Redbook, Playboy, Linn’s Stamp News, Cosmopolitan, GQ, and The New York Times. His monthly instructional column ran in Writer’s Digest for 14 years, and led to a string of books for writers, including the classics Telling Lies for Fun & Profit and The Liar’s Bible. He has also written episodic television (Tilt!) and the Wong Kar-wai film, My Blueberry Nights.
Several of LB’s books have been filmed. The latest, A Walk Among the Tombstones, stars Liam Neeson as Matthew Scudder and is scheduled for release in September, 2014.
LB is a Grand Master of Mystery Writers of America, and a past president of MWA and the Private Eye Writers of America. He has won the Edgar and Shamus awards four times each, and the Japanese Maltese Falcon award twice, as well as the Nero Wolfe and Philip Marlowe awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, and the Diamond Dagger for Life Achievement from the Crime Writers Association (UK). He’s also been honored with the Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award from Mystery Ink magazine and the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement in the short story. In France, he has been proclaimed a Grand Maitre du Roman Noir and has twice been awarded the Societe 813 trophy. He has been a guest of honor at Bouchercon and at book fairs and mystery festivals in France, Germany, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Spain and Taiwan. As if that were not enough, he was also presented with the key to the city of Muncie, Indiana. (But as soon as he left, they changed the locks.)
LB and his wife Lynne are enthusiastic New Yorkers and relentless world travelers; the two are members of the Travelers Century Club, and have visited around 160 countries.
He is a modest and humble fellow, although you would never guess as much from this biographical note.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 241 reviews
August 29, 2020
This is another very entertaining collection of stories featuring a hit man named John Keller. Like his creator, Keller is a New Yorker through and through, and his love of the city shows through here, particularly as Keller wrestles with the aftermath of the 911 attacks on the city. The attacks take an emotional toll on Keller, who responds by volunteering to feed meals to those responding to the crisis. The attacks also impact Keller professionally, though, because the new security measures that go into effect after the attacks will make it much harder for him to move around the country as he works professionally.
Keller's associate, Dot, lives in White Plains and every once in a while, Keller takes the train up to see her and Dot gives him a new assignment that she has accepted, usually through a series of intermediaries that act as shields to protect the two of them. In this book, Keller takes a variety of assignments involving a wide range of targets, including an aging baseball player, a couple of businessmen, a few adulterers, and even a dog that has been attacking and killing other peoples' pets.
Keller's been at this game for a while now, though, and both he and Dot are thinking about retirement. An avid stamp collector, Keller has been spending his money on stamps in recent years about as fast as it's been coming in, and he has no nest egg to speak of. Suddenly concerned about his future, he asks Dot to step up his "bookings" so that he can accumulate enough money to fund his retirement.
This flurry of activity will expose Keller to some risks that he would usually avoid, but he remains as nimble and as quick-thinking as usual and so generally manages to still get the jobs safely done. In a conventional world, we should be appalled at the idea of rooting for a man who is a cold-blooded murderer, but Keller is such an engaging character that you can't help but enjoy the time you spend in his company, watching him work and listening to him reflect on the world around him. These stories are treasures.
Keller's associate, Dot, lives in White Plains and every once in a while, Keller takes the train up to see her and Dot gives him a new assignment that she has accepted, usually through a series of intermediaries that act as shields to protect the two of them. In this book, Keller takes a variety of assignments involving a wide range of targets, including an aging baseball player, a couple of businessmen, a few adulterers, and even a dog that has been attacking and killing other peoples' pets.
Keller's been at this game for a while now, though, and both he and Dot are thinking about retirement. An avid stamp collector, Keller has been spending his money on stamps in recent years about as fast as it's been coming in, and he has no nest egg to speak of. Suddenly concerned about his future, he asks Dot to step up his "bookings" so that he can accumulate enough money to fund his retirement.
This flurry of activity will expose Keller to some risks that he would usually avoid, but he remains as nimble and as quick-thinking as usual and so generally manages to still get the jobs safely done. In a conventional world, we should be appalled at the idea of rooting for a man who is a cold-blooded murderer, but Keller is such an engaging character that you can't help but enjoy the time you spend in his company, watching him work and listening to him reflect on the world around him. These stories are treasures.
July 19, 2012
Keller continues his career as a hit man, killing such targets as an aging baseball player, multiple sides in a love triangle, and a fellow stamp collector, as well as dealing with his feelings about 9/11, adding to his stamp collection, and discussing various things with Dot, his broker.
As it always is with the Keller books, Hit Parade is more about Keller between jobs than about the actual killing and therein lies the charm. Keller deals with his feelings, wondering if he's a sociopath on one occasion and debating with himself about his targets. His relationship with Dot reminds me slightly of Jeeves and Wooster, which isn't all that surprising considering Block is a Wodehouse fan. Granted Bertie Wooster never murdered anyone for money but still...
Keller's a hit man with a sensitive side. If that's your bag, you could do worse than to pick up Hit Parade, or any of the Keller books, for that matter.
As it always is with the Keller books, Hit Parade is more about Keller between jobs than about the actual killing and therein lies the charm. Keller deals with his feelings, wondering if he's a sociopath on one occasion and debating with himself about his targets. His relationship with Dot reminds me slightly of Jeeves and Wooster, which isn't all that surprising considering Block is a Wodehouse fan. Granted Bertie Wooster never murdered anyone for money but still...
Keller's a hit man with a sensitive side. If that's your bag, you could do worse than to pick up Hit Parade, or any of the Keller books, for that matter.
November 13, 2024
Много харесвам историите за Келър - наемен убиец на средна възраст, който често трябва да решава сложни човешки ребуси в контекста на професията си. :)
Макар и да има повторения на детайли от предните разкази от серията, като цяло случките са оригинални и забавни за прочит.
Английският на Блок е много подходящ за начинаещи читатели, решили да изпробват познанията си по езика. Вероятно, тази и останалите две книги от поредицата няма да бъдат преведени на български, което е жалко според мен.
Най ми хареса "Келър - убиец на кучета", доста шантаво се завъртяха ситуациите в това нюйоркско негово приключение.
Макар и да има повторения на детайли от предните разкази от серията, като цяло случките са оригинални и забавни за прочит.
Английският на Блок е много подходящ за начинаещи читатели, решили да изпробват познанията си по езика. Вероятно, тази и останалите две книги от поредицата няма да бъдат преведени на български, което е жалко според мен.
Най ми хареса "Келър - убиец на кучета", доста шантаво се завъртяха ситуациите в това нюйоркско негово приключение.
November 13, 2024
Keller Eyes Retirement
A review of the HarperCollins eBook (March 17, 2009) of the original William Morrow & Co. hardcover (July 3, 2006).
[3.67 average rounded down to 3]
This 3rd collection featuring the neurotic hitman John Keller again uses the short stories as a novel structure. The titled stories each range over several chapters. There isn't much of an overall arc to it though and several of the stories are rather depressing, so it felt like more of an overall 3 rather than a 4 rating. It does provide a bit of a setup towards book #4 (2008) which is an actual novel and the best of the series.
The following provides individual story ratings and synopses. It mostly discusses setups without details, but I have spoiler blocked it just in case:
Trivia and Links
I read a considerable number of Lawrence Block books in my pre-GR and pre-reviewing days. Probably 40 or so out of the 100+ that are available. That included all of the Matt Scudder books, several of the Bernie Rhodenbarrs, several of the Evan Tanners, several of the Kellers, a dozen or so standalones and some of the memoirs. There were even a few of the earlier pulp novels which were originally published under pseudonyms. This re-read is part of an ongoing look back at some of those.
Lawrence Block (June 24, 1938 - ) considers himself retired these days, but still maintains an occasional newsletter with the latest issued in . He self-publishes some of his earlier works that have otherwise gone out of print, using his own LB Productions imprint.
A review of the HarperCollins eBook (March 17, 2009) of the original William Morrow & Co. hardcover (July 3, 2006).
[3.67 average rounded down to 3]
This 3rd collection featuring the neurotic hitman John Keller again uses the short stories as a novel structure. The titled stories each range over several chapters. There isn't much of an overall arc to it though and several of the stories are rather depressing, so it felt like more of an overall 3 rather than a 4 rating. It does provide a bit of a setup towards book #4 (2008) which is an actual novel and the best of the series.
The following provides individual story ratings and synopses. It mostly discusses setups without details, but I have spoiler blocked it just in case:
Trivia and Links
I read a considerable number of Lawrence Block books in my pre-GR and pre-reviewing days. Probably 40 or so out of the 100+ that are available. That included all of the Matt Scudder books, several of the Bernie Rhodenbarrs, several of the Evan Tanners, several of the Kellers, a dozen or so standalones and some of the memoirs. There were even a few of the earlier pulp novels which were originally published under pseudonyms. This re-read is part of an ongoing look back at some of those.
Lawrence Block (June 24, 1938 - ) considers himself retired these days, but still maintains an occasional newsletter with the latest issued in . He self-publishes some of his earlier works that have otherwise gone out of print, using his own LB Productions imprint.
March 27, 2010
Lawrence Block has always embodied New York to me in a lot of ways. He’s a guy who writes about the city with casual flair and great affection. I saw Block at a book signing a few months after 9/11, and he politely asked the crowd that no one ask about his reaction to the World Trade Center attack because he had lost friends, and it was still too raw for him to talk about. He’d go on to write Small Town which had a cast of fictional New Yorkers dealing with the aftermath of the attacks in varying and bizarre ways.
But Block also had his regular series characters react to that day. Keller may be a hit man, but he’s also a New Yorker. Block wrote some moving scenes here with Keller being in Miami for a job during 9/11 and having an extremely unexpected and emotional response to the events in his home city. The ruthless hit man returns home and volunteers to spend his nights serving meals to rescue workers.
While the book is typical Keller in that he has to confront a variety of complications while he carries out his work, 9/11 changes his outlook. The new air security measures make it more risky for him to fly to his targets with fake ID, and Keller feels a sudden urge to retire. He and his booking agent Dot decide that they need to do a lot of hits quickly so that they can both build nest eggs before leaving the business. But that kind of volume means that the usually careful Keller is willing to take some jobs he’d normally turn down.
While 9/11 plays a part in the story, the book still isn’t overly grim, and it still has a lot of humor with Keller’s imagination and offbeat code of ethics coming into play as he tries to complete hits against a variety of odd targets. There’s even a bit of a sports theme this time as Keller tries to kill a famous baseball player, gets involved in horse racing and spends some time thinking about why he hates basketball.
But Block also had his regular series characters react to that day. Keller may be a hit man, but he’s also a New Yorker. Block wrote some moving scenes here with Keller being in Miami for a job during 9/11 and having an extremely unexpected and emotional response to the events in his home city. The ruthless hit man returns home and volunteers to spend his nights serving meals to rescue workers.
While the book is typical Keller in that he has to confront a variety of complications while he carries out his work, 9/11 changes his outlook. The new air security measures make it more risky for him to fly to his targets with fake ID, and Keller feels a sudden urge to retire. He and his booking agent Dot decide that they need to do a lot of hits quickly so that they can both build nest eggs before leaving the business. But that kind of volume means that the usually careful Keller is willing to take some jobs he’d normally turn down.
While 9/11 plays a part in the story, the book still isn’t overly grim, and it still has a lot of humor with Keller’s imagination and offbeat code of ethics coming into play as he tries to complete hits against a variety of odd targets. There’s even a bit of a sports theme this time as Keller tries to kill a famous baseball player, gets involved in horse racing and spends some time thinking about why he hates basketball.
December 16, 2009
Who would have thought that reading a chronicle of a hit man's life would be like taking a leisurely stroll on a summer's day? But that is what Block's Hit Parade feels like. As Keller, the hit man in question, bumps off one unfortunate human being after another, there is no sense of violence, or anger, or angst of any kind. He dispatches them from this world with quite cold blooded calculation, so it is rather surprising to learn how much time he spends actually thinking about what he does for a living. He wonders whether he is a sociopath and hopes he isn't; he plans endlessly for his retirement but keeps putting that off, ostensibly in order to keep adding to his stamp collection; but, really, the right conclusion a discerning reader should probably come to is that, at the end of the day, he loves what he does.
The stories of each killing are great. There are imaginative twists and turns in virtually every job that Keller undertakes and Keller comes up trumps in each and every one of them, usually by making much more money than expected. Then back he goes to his contract broker's house in White Plains, sits down with her on her wraparound porch and drinks iced tea while they chat away for all the world like two contented housewives filling in time until they have to make their husband's dinner. It's a great life if you can get it. Wish my life went so smoothly.
Block doesn't waste words on descriptions, either of his characters or the physical environment. By the end of the book, you will not know what Keller or his broker look like or how old they are; the other characters are given just a few strokes of the brush, and the weather is rarely mentioned. That's because Block's central point of writing is the dialogue and that is superb, both between characters and Keller's own internal musings. The lack of description makes for a spare, minimalist style that creates the relaxed feeling mentioned earlier. Definitely a book that, despite its subject, can be read last thing at night before nodding off into sweet slumber.
The stories of each killing are great. There are imaginative twists and turns in virtually every job that Keller undertakes and Keller comes up trumps in each and every one of them, usually by making much more money than expected. Then back he goes to his contract broker's house in White Plains, sits down with her on her wraparound porch and drinks iced tea while they chat away for all the world like two contented housewives filling in time until they have to make their husband's dinner. It's a great life if you can get it. Wish my life went so smoothly.
Block doesn't waste words on descriptions, either of his characters or the physical environment. By the end of the book, you will not know what Keller or his broker look like or how old they are; the other characters are given just a few strokes of the brush, and the weather is rarely mentioned. That's because Block's central point of writing is the dialogue and that is superb, both between characters and Keller's own internal musings. The lack of description makes for a spare, minimalist style that creates the relaxed feeling mentioned earlier. Definitely a book that, despite its subject, can be read last thing at night before nodding off into sweet slumber.
July 9, 2020
In the third installment of his John Keller series, author Lawrence Block brings his readers another collection of short stories showcasing the humble hit man for hire. This go-round we see Keller tasked with striking out a star baseball player, playing both sides of jilted lovers and even being forced to take out a fellow stamp collector.
While the above stories entertain well enough, my favorite moments deal with Keller’s feelings about the 9/11 attacks and the subsequent effect they have on his job. It was easy enough to buy a plane ticket under an assumed name in cash shortly before final boarding but now, with the overhaul in security, it makes everything that much more difficult and while there is certainly no shortage of work in the Big Apple, Keller often defers to the old saying “don’t shit where you eat� and tends to take the majority of his assignments out of state. I found this really interesting � even criminals had to adapt to the “new normal�.
Block has done such a masterful job of constructing John Keller that it’s entirely believable that someone can do this kind of work and not be a complete lunatic. It’s almost like a switch that Keller is able to turn on and off and as a result, is able to successfully keep his personal and professional life separate (most of the time). That might be easy for you and me, but when it involves beating people to death with a candlestick that may be difficult for the average Joe. but I guess it isn’t always easy to turn your mind off when being paid to knock someone off. There are the odd jobs where Keller believes he needs to know why the person he’s been assigned to kill is destined to die, and usually those are moments brought about by a particular gut feeling. So I like seeing Keller performing and sparring mental gymnastics with Dot over the sudden unexpected arrival of Keller’s conscience.
Another solid entry in the Keller saga. On to book four!
While the above stories entertain well enough, my favorite moments deal with Keller’s feelings about the 9/11 attacks and the subsequent effect they have on his job. It was easy enough to buy a plane ticket under an assumed name in cash shortly before final boarding but now, with the overhaul in security, it makes everything that much more difficult and while there is certainly no shortage of work in the Big Apple, Keller often defers to the old saying “don’t shit where you eat� and tends to take the majority of his assignments out of state. I found this really interesting � even criminals had to adapt to the “new normal�.
Block has done such a masterful job of constructing John Keller that it’s entirely believable that someone can do this kind of work and not be a complete lunatic. It’s almost like a switch that Keller is able to turn on and off and as a result, is able to successfully keep his personal and professional life separate (most of the time). That might be easy for you and me, but when it involves beating people to death with a candlestick that may be difficult for the average Joe. but I guess it isn’t always easy to turn your mind off when being paid to knock someone off. There are the odd jobs where Keller believes he needs to know why the person he’s been assigned to kill is destined to die, and usually those are moments brought about by a particular gut feeling. So I like seeing Keller performing and sparring mental gymnastics with Dot over the sudden unexpected arrival of Keller’s conscience.
Another solid entry in the Keller saga. On to book four!
June 4, 2017
Is it bad to enjoy reading about a paid assassin as he goes about his business? Well, yes, if it wasn't written as well as this book has been by Lawrence Block. Keller is a friendly seemingly normal person who gets into the craziest situations when trying to do his job. He is no sociopath nor is he mad. Every story makes a sort of sick, but thoroughly enjoyable read and all along you are in total sync with him. He has a code and he pretty much sticks to it.
If there is any downside to this story its the last chapter. Simple, straight forward and not funny. But then, not every hit Keller takes goes awry.
If there is any downside to this story its the last chapter. Simple, straight forward and not funny. But then, not every hit Keller takes goes awry.
May 26, 2017
It is kind of disturbing to enjoy reading books about a "good guy" hit man. That being said, I really like Keller even if he is a hit man that doesn't think twice about snuffing out unknown people for cash. I liked how he let the aging baseball player get to 3000 hits and 400 home runs before talking him out. I'm gonna say 3 1/2 stars
October 17, 2017
I started the John Keller series with installment #4, which was excellent! It's been downhill since then finishing off the 5 book series. This was #3 in the series, and totally a waste of my time -- it was all over the place and very disjointed. Had I not read Hit and Run (#4) first, I might not have made it that far -- 1 through 3 and 5 were definitely less than stellar. This story was narrated by the author, Lawrence Block, and definitely took away from the story as all character voices sounded the same to me. Pass on this one -- 1 of 10.
June 1, 2017
My other readings of Keller "executing" his job were layered in complex contrasts that were very satisfying. This collection of stories leans heavily toward stark and even flat between comic dialogue with Dot (the lady who gives him his assignments) and some amusing characters collected along the way at ballparks and race tracks. There are a couple stories that deserve four and a half stars, and we get to see Keller volunteering after 9/11 to provide food. An uneven collection that would not have encouraged me to read more Keller books had I read this one first. Per interviews on goodreads I have missed out on not having read the first one of the series, so I will try to get a copy of that.
Right now, I'd say I far prefer the retired Keller who has the added dimensions of a wife and child.
I did get to laugh reading the baseball and race track chatter, so this was more like 3.5 stars for me.
Right now, I'd say I far prefer the retired Keller who has the added dimensions of a wife and child.
I did get to laugh reading the baseball and race track chatter, so this was more like 3.5 stars for me.
September 23, 2014
The third novel about Keller and his contact Dot, and how they continue to make a living on the death of others. A great novel by Lawrence Block on his not so moral occupation of contract killer Keller. The stories as always are not about the killing but the observations that surround these acts. The deads are never gruesome but always feel like an afterthought to a story. Lawrence Block keeps his killer fresh and interesting. The book while being one big story are divided in shortish stories that create the big story.
Keller's designated Killer
In which Keller visits some baseball games before he starts his endgame. A tale of baseball for which I have little love or interest in. But the tale is not so much in the game but in the numbers. Decent enough tale.
Keller by a nose
This time the activity is a horse racing and a Keller might have a job or might not. A lovely little tale of roguishness that suits the book well.
Keller's adjustment
What does a contract killer do after 9/11 when the government upped the security and made flying less anonymous. He drives by car and ponders on the subject of retirement and what to do with all that time. A target is paid for and Keller spends his time in luxury golf-resort. A great story of meandering on the possibilities of life by Keller. A decent enough story about growing old and change.
Proactive Keller
Strangers on a plane by Block, the end does come as a surprise. Well done.
Keller the dogkiller
There is this dog who is lovely to humans and lethal to any animal, and some folks have put up some money to fix the problem. If the story was only so simple, every time the human nature gets involved the trouble gets bigger. As Keller finds out. Nice story.
Keller's double dribble
Send out to kill a man, gets to watch a basketball game and finds out what the whole game is about.
Quotidian Keller
quo·tid·i·an adjective \kwō-ˈti-dē-ən\
: ordinary or very common
: done each day
Is all about stamp collecting and a contract to be fulfilled.
Keller's legacy
Not sure what the legacy is but it is certainly a quickie.
Keller and the rabbits
The Rabbits being an the subject of an audiobook left in a rental car helps Keller pass the time while on the job.
Sports, stocks and all about a killing in them and some in another sense. Another enjoyable stay in the company of Dot and Keller, never thought that a killer and his agent could be such mundane company to keep. Block did deliver another enjoyable book that is morally far better than one would expect considering its subject.
well worth your time. but start at the beginning!
Keller's designated Killer
In which Keller visits some baseball games before he starts his endgame. A tale of baseball for which I have little love or interest in. But the tale is not so much in the game but in the numbers. Decent enough tale.
Keller by a nose
This time the activity is a horse racing and a Keller might have a job or might not. A lovely little tale of roguishness that suits the book well.
Keller's adjustment
What does a contract killer do after 9/11 when the government upped the security and made flying less anonymous. He drives by car and ponders on the subject of retirement and what to do with all that time. A target is paid for and Keller spends his time in luxury golf-resort. A great story of meandering on the possibilities of life by Keller. A decent enough story about growing old and change.
Proactive Keller
Strangers on a plane by Block, the end does come as a surprise. Well done.
Keller the dogkiller
There is this dog who is lovely to humans and lethal to any animal, and some folks have put up some money to fix the problem. If the story was only so simple, every time the human nature gets involved the trouble gets bigger. As Keller finds out. Nice story.
Keller's double dribble
Send out to kill a man, gets to watch a basketball game and finds out what the whole game is about.
Quotidian Keller
quo·tid·i·an adjective \kwō-ˈti-dē-ən\
: ordinary or very common
: done each day
Is all about stamp collecting and a contract to be fulfilled.
Keller's legacy
Not sure what the legacy is but it is certainly a quickie.
Keller and the rabbits
The Rabbits being an the subject of an audiobook left in a rental car helps Keller pass the time while on the job.
Sports, stocks and all about a killing in them and some in another sense. Another enjoyable stay in the company of Dot and Keller, never thought that a killer and his agent could be such mundane company to keep. Block did deliver another enjoyable book that is morally far better than one would expect considering its subject.
well worth your time. but start at the beginning!
November 5, 2020
This series is getting extremely repetitive. Hopefully the next book will be better.
July 23, 2022
I like to read Lawrence Block, but I wasn't too sure about this one. Its a story about Keller- a paid hitman- and his life and killings and how he handles it all. It took me a long time to read it and I struggled to keep going. Why? The writing was good, the characters- Keller and Dot- were interesting and well developed. It was the subject matter- a story about the life of a contract killer- that creeped me out. Call it a morality check on my own mind. That's why it only got 3 stars... I worried that I might actually like something so morally off-base for me.
He sort of put lipstick on a pig... a moral dilemma got set up in my mind. If I like this am I just as bad and accepting as a contract murderer? Am I selling out my moral compass because it's well written?
When I got done reading it I wondered, who writes stuff like this- and worse who reads it? Is the author a sociopath and are the readers, too? It takes a twisted mind to write or for that matter read this.... and I wonder what that makes me.
He sort of put lipstick on a pig... a moral dilemma got set up in my mind. If I like this am I just as bad and accepting as a contract murderer? Am I selling out my moral compass because it's well written?
When I got done reading it I wondered, who writes stuff like this- and worse who reads it? Is the author a sociopath and are the readers, too? It takes a twisted mind to write or for that matter read this.... and I wonder what that makes me.
December 5, 2018
An interesting installment in the Keller Hitman series, this is more of a collection of stories and Jobs for Keller which provide a nice insight into the mind of this unique antihero ! The story highlight here in my opinion is the one about the dog - pure comedy ! The interaction between Keller and Dot continues to make me laugh and I'm looking forward to reading the remaining couple of books in the series. Recommend.
October 19, 2008
Keller is a hit man. These are his stories. I suppose it is disturbing how normal Block makes this morally reprehensible character. Then again it is interesting to see how he lives, how he plies his craft, what he thinks about, what are the other flaws in his character. This is not the first Keller book Block has written. I am interested in reading what came before. Block has a very readable style. The tales cruise along. The first hit is of a Dave Kingman-type player, a selfish lout. Keller takes in a few games, and lets the guy cross 400 homer and 3,000 hit career marks before applying the final tag. Another is of a Cubano in Florida, but keeps one eye on the events of 9/11. He stays in Arizona for a brief spell, taking out a corporate type. One business partner wants to whack the other in a chance encounter on a plane. Two women want to whack a vicious dog, in a story that takes an amusing, if dark turn.
But I am feeling unfilled in reading it. There is also some thinness that I find less than satisfying. I am troubled as well that Block has created a character for whom killing is normal. He’s just a regular guy, isn’t he? Is he meant to be a stand-in for the amoral among us, the banality of evil?
But I am feeling unfilled in reading it. There is also some thinness that I find less than satisfying. I am troubled as well that Block has created a character for whom killing is normal. He’s just a regular guy, isn’t he? Is he meant to be a stand-in for the amoral among us, the banality of evil?
July 23, 2009
This is the third in his series about Keller the hit man. The first book is brilliant, this current one is like the second in many ways -- it's fine and entertaining for people who want more stories about Keller, his partner Dot who does the contracting, and Keller's stamp collection. Moreso than the previous two books, the tone of this one is a little more in your face with the intrinsic conflict between Keller as a sympathetic character and Keller as a cold-blooded killer, and as a result, some of the stories are decidedly more stark. It read to me as if the author was worried that this point was too easily glossed over in Hit Man (the first book). Unfortunately, I thought the brilliance of the first book was that it was so clever and subtle, thus Hit Parade feels too heavy-handed to me. It's one of those books that makes me want to notify the author that OKAY, I GET IT (AGAIN), THANKS. That said, it was still an engaging read.
Grade: B
Recommended: If you haven't read Hit Man, then it is a moral imperative that you do so. If you have already read Hit List and enjoyed it well enough, then you will probably enjoy Hit Parade.
2008/1
Grade: B
Recommended: If you haven't read Hit Man, then it is a moral imperative that you do so. If you have already read Hit List and enjoyed it well enough, then you will probably enjoy Hit Parade.
2008/1
January 30, 2009
Block's affable, nice-guy, stamp-collecting contract killer is back in another collection of stories. I find the character charming, and while the whole concept of the series totters somewhere between absurd and morally repellent, somehow Block pulls it off. HIT PARADE is the third book in the series, and like the first book it's a collection of somewhat interwoven stories. As the second book in the series, HIT LIST, proved, Keller works much better in short story than novel form. HIT PARADE isn't quite as good as the first , HIT MAN, but I'd recommend both story collections for their engaging style, fast pace, and a droll cleverness. The story "Keller in Therapy," found in HIT MAN, is some sort of work of genius.
![Profile Image for Terence M - [Quot libros, quam breve tempus!].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1712357414i%2F6658001._UY200_CR4%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
June 8, 2017
Audio Book - 1.0 star out of 5.0 - DNF
I seem to have read a number of "good guy hitman" type novels lately and I simply could not get into this book. Maybe I am the problem, not the book - I don't know so I'll put it on the "try again" shelf and perhaps give it another shot down the track. (I know almost certainly that it will stay there because I have so many books on my "to read" shelves before I fall off the twig and my "try again" shelf is already over-loaded, but it makes me feel better ;-) ).
I seem to have read a number of "good guy hitman" type novels lately and I simply could not get into this book. Maybe I am the problem, not the book - I don't know so I'll put it on the "try again" shelf and perhaps give it another shot down the track. (I know almost certainly that it will stay there because I have so many books on my "to read" shelves before I fall off the twig and my "try again" shelf is already over-loaded, but it makes me feel better ;-) ).
December 27, 2013
Block is one of the few writers who can take an improbable hero and make him loveable as he does with Keller, an assassin for hire. Funny and yet sad.
June 29, 2016
Lawrence Block and his Keller stories never fail to entertain.
Read
December 30, 2018I picked this up at the used-book exchange as I had pleasant memories of other books by Lawrence Block--he's a good writer with a wild imagination and a sense of humor. While this set of adventures of a professional assassin did not prove to be a book I raced through (it begins with Keller stuck in various sports-related situations and for awhile I was afraid that each chapter would involve yet another sport with fans who just had to engage Keller in conversation about something that he was not that interested in), the concept is good and Block carries it off. Namely, the assassin is not a bad guy in other aspects of his life, and he ruminates about retiring with his stamp collection. Dot, the woman who hands out his assignments, also comes across as a normal person who happens to be in an abnormal job. Their conversations are perhaps the best part of the book. Block gives us a sense of their humanity--Keller volunteers to feed rescue workers after 9/11, hopes he's not a sociopath, likes dogs--and there's a gentle sense of humor and irony throughout. The reader hopes Keller will indeed retire and put his best side to the fore. At the same time, the reader can't help being aware that Keller's ability to (mostly) compartmentalize his life must have quite a bit in common with all of those Nazis who were cultured, loved their children and pets, and yet had no major problem with being (for example) concentration camp commandants.
January 4, 2020
This is another book containing several episodes of Keller going out to assassinate someone. They are all different so it is interesting. Keller collects stamps and so he often combines his assassination trips with buying stamps. One story I especially like was when he was given an assignment to kill a person that was going to be at an auction in San Francisco that Keller was already planning on going to. He had already bought tickets rented a car and a hotel room in his own name. Usually he uses a fake name with id and credit cards to go along with it. This became a problem when the intended victim becomes friendly with him and they even eat their meals together. This means if Keller kills him, the police would naturally want to question Keller. I liked the solution.
September 4, 2022
Forgot to add a comment for this one. Where the first two volumes of this series were episodic, which makes sense given the "work" that the protagonist does, this book is clearly a set of short stories that are barely related to each other. As such I found it rather disappointing for its lack of substance. And unfortunately these are not the best short stories either.
January 26, 2025
Hit Parade by Lawrence Block, 2006 (Book #3 of the Keller series) is a killer read. And Block puts his stamp on the hit man business -cancelled.
KELLER’S DESIGNATED HITTER. Leading off- The Grand Olde Game. “It’s a game of percentages,� Keller said. “A game of inches, a game of percentages, a game of woulda-coulda-shoulda,� the man said, and Keller was suddenly more than ordinarily grateful that he was an American. - “He’s a designated hitter� “Whatever that means.� “It means he’s in the lineup on offense only,� Keller told her. “He bats for the pitcher.� “Why can’t the pitcher bat for himself?� Keller, who didn’t want to get into it. He had once tried to explain the infield fly rule to a stewardess, and he was never going to make that sort of mistake again. He wasn’t a sexist about it, he knew plenty of women who understood this stuff, but the ones who didn’t were going to have to learn it from somebody else. “I hate like hell to let go of it. But you saw this guy play. That’s not gonna make it tough for you to take him out?� Keller thought about it, shook his head. “I don’t see why it should,� he said. “It’s what I do.� � You’re a designated hitter yourself, aren’t you, Keller?”—“So I’ve got nothing to worry about?� “Not a thing,� he said. “The guy’s a dead man hitting.� —“I wanted him to get in the record books, four hundred homers and three thousand hits, and I wanted to be able to say I’d been there to see him do it.� “And to put him away.� “Dot, I spent a month watching baseball. There are worse ways to spend your time.� “I’m sure there are, Keller,� she said. “And sooner or later I’m sure you’ll find them.�
KELLER BY A NOSE. “So who do you like in the third?� Who did he like in the third? He hadn’t been paying any attention and was stuck for a response. “So I got to say I agree with you.� Keller hadn’t said a word. What was there to agree with? “You’re like me,� “Not like one of these degenerates, has to bet every race, can’t go five minutes without some action. Me, sometimes I just like to breathe some fresh air and watch the ponies.� � For most gamblers, though, it was a hobby, a harmless pastime. And just because Keller couldn’t figure out what they got out of it, that didn’t mean there was nothing there. No matter how long he lived or how much money he got, he would always have more stamps to look for. You tried to fill in the spaces, of course—that was the point—but it was the trying that brought you pleasure, not the accomplishment. � Why would he want to retire? If he retired, he’d have to stop buying stamps. � Until the Bulger & Calthorpe auction catalog came along and complicated everything. Bulger & Calthorpe were stamp auctioneers based in Omaha. They advertised regularly in Linn’s -Three or four times a year they would rent a hotel suite in downtown Omaha and hold an auction, and for a few years now Keller had been receiving their well-illustrated catalogs. Their catalog featured an extensive collection from France and the French colonies, Martinique #2. And, right next to it, Martinique #17. —check the balance in his bank account, frowned, pulled out the album that ran from Leeward Islands to Netherlands, opened it to Martinique, and looked first at the couple hundred stamps he had and then at the two empty spaces, spaces designed to hold—what else?—Martinique #2 and Martinique #17. —“And if a job came in I’d have called, the way I always do. But instead you called me.� “Then why would you…Keller, it’s stamps, isn’t it?� Keller didn’t know much about Martinique beyond the fact that it was a French possession in the West Indies, and he knew the postal authorities had stopped issuing special stamps for the place a while ago. By designating Martinique a part of France, the same as Normandy or Provence, they obscured the fact that the island was full of black people who worked in the fields, fields that were owned by white people who lived in Paris. —It was a funny thing about stamps; you didn’t need to be interested in a country to be interested in the country’s stamps. -he had accumulated quite a few of them, and that made him seek out more, and now, remarkably, he had all but two. According to the catalog, #17 was worth $7,500 mint, $7,000 used. #2 was listed at $11,000, mint or used. The listings were in italics, which was Scott’s way of indicating that the value was difficult to determine precisely. -auctioneers estimated that #2 would bring $15,000, and pegged the other at $10,000. -What he needed, Keller decided, was fifty thousand dollars. Was he out of his mind? How could a little piece of perforated paper less than an inch square be worth $25,000? How could two of them be worth a man’s life? He thought about it and decided it was just a question of degree.� —� It looked beautiful to him, although he couldn’t say why; aesthetically, it wasn’t discernibly different from other Martinique overprints worth less than twenty dollars. Carefully, he cut a mount to size, slipped the stamp into it, and secured it in his album. —now it was over, and he’d done what he had to, so did it matter what it was he’d done? Hell, no. He had the stamps.�
KELLER’S ADJUSTMENT. “He hadn’t flown at all since the new security procedures had gone into effect, and he didn’t know that he’d ever get on a plane again. � “I can remember,� he said, “when all you did was step up to the counter and tell them where you wanted to go. You had to give them a name, but you could make it up on the spot, and the only way they asked for identification was if you tried to pay them by check.�
PROACTIVE KELLER
KELLER’S DOUBLE DRIBBLE “It’s pretty interesting,� he told Dot. “There’s this company called Central Indiana Finance. � The stock’s traded on the NASDAQ. The symbol is CIFI, but when people talk about it they refer to it as Indy Fi.� “If that’s interesting,� she said, “I’d hate to hear your idea of a real yawner.� -“And a couple of hedge funds have shorted the stock heavily, along with a lot of private traders.� “Let me know when we get to the interesting part, will you, Keller?� -“You walk around in a shopping mall, you don’t expect to find out this stuff.� “Here I am, finding it out without even leaving the house.� “It’s the people who shorted the stock who are behind the suit, the hedge fund guys, and their whole reason for bringing it seems to be to destroy confidence in the company, and further depress the price of the stock.� “Somebody doesn’t want the guy to testify about something, and as soon as you nail that down, you can come on home and play with your stamps. You bought some today, didn’t you tell me that earlier? So come on home and you can paste them in your book. And we’ll get paid, and you can buy some more.� —� Why wasn’t he getting down to business and fulfilling his contract? Why was he watching Meredith Grondahl instead of punching the man’s ticket? � no less compelling for it: Why did somebody want Meredith Grondahl dead?� � Your typical lonely guy. The phrase resonated oddly for Keller, because he couldn’t help identifying with it. He was, face it, a lonely guy himself, although he didn’t suppose you could call him typical. It made him sympathize with Meredith Grondahl, and thus disinclined to kill him; other hand, wouldn’t he be doing the poor bastard a favor?� —“Maybe waiting for Grondahl was a bad idea altogether. Maybe he should just get the hell out and go back to his motel. He was on his way to the door when he heard a key in the lock. Funny how decisions had a way of making themselves.� Taking stock. � price of Indy Fi’s stock could go back where it belonged. And the price of his hedge fund…� “Sank?� “Like a stone,� she said. “And we sold it short, and covered our shorts very cheaply, and made a killing. It’s nice to make a killing without having to drive anywhere.�
QUOTIDIAN KELLER. � Thurn and Taxis, that was one of the first postal systems.� “There’s nothing certain except Thurn and Taxis. Isn’t that what they say?� � “What you need to do,� she said, “is meditate.� “Meditate?� “Get into a place of quiet stillness and peace,� she said, “and try to get in touch with your inner sociopath.� � He took another tour around the exhibit room, admiring what he saw, weighing the relative merits of the different displays. Very nice, he decided, but it was like the way he’d come to feel about dogs and girlfriends. He liked to look at them, but he wouldn’t want to own one. —“I was thinking natural causes,� he told Dot the following day. “And why not? One of your subspecialties, Keller. You’re about as natural a cause of death as I’ve ever known.� —“No, he was alive when he went out the window.� “But not for long. Six stories?� “Six stories.� “It was pretty much open and shut, Dot.� “The window was open,� she said, “and the door was shut.�
KELLER’S LEGACY. “If you think of stamps as an investment,� he said, “you’re better off putting the money in the market, or even in the savings bank. But if you think of it as a hobby, a leisure-time pursuit, well, you get a certain amount back, and that’s not true of fly-fishing.�
KELLER AND THE RABBITS.
Block was contracted to write this� a professional hit. Please note: � This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.�
KELLER’S DESIGNATED HITTER. Leading off- The Grand Olde Game. “It’s a game of percentages,� Keller said. “A game of inches, a game of percentages, a game of woulda-coulda-shoulda,� the man said, and Keller was suddenly more than ordinarily grateful that he was an American. - “He’s a designated hitter� “Whatever that means.� “It means he’s in the lineup on offense only,� Keller told her. “He bats for the pitcher.� “Why can’t the pitcher bat for himself?� Keller, who didn’t want to get into it. He had once tried to explain the infield fly rule to a stewardess, and he was never going to make that sort of mistake again. He wasn’t a sexist about it, he knew plenty of women who understood this stuff, but the ones who didn’t were going to have to learn it from somebody else. “I hate like hell to let go of it. But you saw this guy play. That’s not gonna make it tough for you to take him out?� Keller thought about it, shook his head. “I don’t see why it should,� he said. “It’s what I do.� � You’re a designated hitter yourself, aren’t you, Keller?”—“So I’ve got nothing to worry about?� “Not a thing,� he said. “The guy’s a dead man hitting.� —“I wanted him to get in the record books, four hundred homers and three thousand hits, and I wanted to be able to say I’d been there to see him do it.� “And to put him away.� “Dot, I spent a month watching baseball. There are worse ways to spend your time.� “I’m sure there are, Keller,� she said. “And sooner or later I’m sure you’ll find them.�
KELLER BY A NOSE. “So who do you like in the third?� Who did he like in the third? He hadn’t been paying any attention and was stuck for a response. “So I got to say I agree with you.� Keller hadn’t said a word. What was there to agree with? “You’re like me,� “Not like one of these degenerates, has to bet every race, can’t go five minutes without some action. Me, sometimes I just like to breathe some fresh air and watch the ponies.� � For most gamblers, though, it was a hobby, a harmless pastime. And just because Keller couldn’t figure out what they got out of it, that didn’t mean there was nothing there. No matter how long he lived or how much money he got, he would always have more stamps to look for. You tried to fill in the spaces, of course—that was the point—but it was the trying that brought you pleasure, not the accomplishment. � Why would he want to retire? If he retired, he’d have to stop buying stamps. � Until the Bulger & Calthorpe auction catalog came along and complicated everything. Bulger & Calthorpe were stamp auctioneers based in Omaha. They advertised regularly in Linn’s -Three or four times a year they would rent a hotel suite in downtown Omaha and hold an auction, and for a few years now Keller had been receiving their well-illustrated catalogs. Their catalog featured an extensive collection from France and the French colonies, Martinique #2. And, right next to it, Martinique #17. —check the balance in his bank account, frowned, pulled out the album that ran from Leeward Islands to Netherlands, opened it to Martinique, and looked first at the couple hundred stamps he had and then at the two empty spaces, spaces designed to hold—what else?—Martinique #2 and Martinique #17. —“And if a job came in I’d have called, the way I always do. But instead you called me.� “Then why would you…Keller, it’s stamps, isn’t it?� Keller didn’t know much about Martinique beyond the fact that it was a French possession in the West Indies, and he knew the postal authorities had stopped issuing special stamps for the place a while ago. By designating Martinique a part of France, the same as Normandy or Provence, they obscured the fact that the island was full of black people who worked in the fields, fields that were owned by white people who lived in Paris. —It was a funny thing about stamps; you didn’t need to be interested in a country to be interested in the country’s stamps. -he had accumulated quite a few of them, and that made him seek out more, and now, remarkably, he had all but two. According to the catalog, #17 was worth $7,500 mint, $7,000 used. #2 was listed at $11,000, mint or used. The listings were in italics, which was Scott’s way of indicating that the value was difficult to determine precisely. -auctioneers estimated that #2 would bring $15,000, and pegged the other at $10,000. -What he needed, Keller decided, was fifty thousand dollars. Was he out of his mind? How could a little piece of perforated paper less than an inch square be worth $25,000? How could two of them be worth a man’s life? He thought about it and decided it was just a question of degree.� —� It looked beautiful to him, although he couldn’t say why; aesthetically, it wasn’t discernibly different from other Martinique overprints worth less than twenty dollars. Carefully, he cut a mount to size, slipped the stamp into it, and secured it in his album. —now it was over, and he’d done what he had to, so did it matter what it was he’d done? Hell, no. He had the stamps.�
KELLER’S ADJUSTMENT. “He hadn’t flown at all since the new security procedures had gone into effect, and he didn’t know that he’d ever get on a plane again. � “I can remember,� he said, “when all you did was step up to the counter and tell them where you wanted to go. You had to give them a name, but you could make it up on the spot, and the only way they asked for identification was if you tried to pay them by check.�
PROACTIVE KELLER
KELLER’S DOUBLE DRIBBLE “It’s pretty interesting,� he told Dot. “There’s this company called Central Indiana Finance. � The stock’s traded on the NASDAQ. The symbol is CIFI, but when people talk about it they refer to it as Indy Fi.� “If that’s interesting,� she said, “I’d hate to hear your idea of a real yawner.� -“And a couple of hedge funds have shorted the stock heavily, along with a lot of private traders.� “Let me know when we get to the interesting part, will you, Keller?� -“You walk around in a shopping mall, you don’t expect to find out this stuff.� “Here I am, finding it out without even leaving the house.� “It’s the people who shorted the stock who are behind the suit, the hedge fund guys, and their whole reason for bringing it seems to be to destroy confidence in the company, and further depress the price of the stock.� “Somebody doesn’t want the guy to testify about something, and as soon as you nail that down, you can come on home and play with your stamps. You bought some today, didn’t you tell me that earlier? So come on home and you can paste them in your book. And we’ll get paid, and you can buy some more.� —� Why wasn’t he getting down to business and fulfilling his contract? Why was he watching Meredith Grondahl instead of punching the man’s ticket? � no less compelling for it: Why did somebody want Meredith Grondahl dead?� � Your typical lonely guy. The phrase resonated oddly for Keller, because he couldn’t help identifying with it. He was, face it, a lonely guy himself, although he didn’t suppose you could call him typical. It made him sympathize with Meredith Grondahl, and thus disinclined to kill him; other hand, wouldn’t he be doing the poor bastard a favor?� —“Maybe waiting for Grondahl was a bad idea altogether. Maybe he should just get the hell out and go back to his motel. He was on his way to the door when he heard a key in the lock. Funny how decisions had a way of making themselves.� Taking stock. � price of Indy Fi’s stock could go back where it belonged. And the price of his hedge fund…� “Sank?� “Like a stone,� she said. “And we sold it short, and covered our shorts very cheaply, and made a killing. It’s nice to make a killing without having to drive anywhere.�
QUOTIDIAN KELLER. � Thurn and Taxis, that was one of the first postal systems.� “There’s nothing certain except Thurn and Taxis. Isn’t that what they say?� � “What you need to do,� she said, “is meditate.� “Meditate?� “Get into a place of quiet stillness and peace,� she said, “and try to get in touch with your inner sociopath.� � He took another tour around the exhibit room, admiring what he saw, weighing the relative merits of the different displays. Very nice, he decided, but it was like the way he’d come to feel about dogs and girlfriends. He liked to look at them, but he wouldn’t want to own one. —“I was thinking natural causes,� he told Dot the following day. “And why not? One of your subspecialties, Keller. You’re about as natural a cause of death as I’ve ever known.� —“No, he was alive when he went out the window.� “But not for long. Six stories?� “Six stories.� “It was pretty much open and shut, Dot.� “The window was open,� she said, “and the door was shut.�
KELLER’S LEGACY. “If you think of stamps as an investment,� he said, “you’re better off putting the money in the market, or even in the savings bank. But if you think of it as a hobby, a leisure-time pursuit, well, you get a certain amount back, and that’s not true of fly-fishing.�
KELLER AND THE RABBITS.
Block was contracted to write this� a professional hit. Please note: � This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.�
December 26, 2018
Bubble gum for the eyes!
June 4, 2012
John Keller is the hit man's hit man. He has a code of honor that would seem twisted to us. He looks at it as his job, a problem to be solved and doesn't take it personally. He is quiet and efficient. His thoughts of retirement are daunted by the money he spends on his passion for collecting stamps. Dot, his contact who sets up the jobs for him, knows of his doubts and loneliness.
Murder mysteries are one of my favorite genres and I love the character of John Keller. Makes the thought of a hit man likeable, if such a thing is possible. I keep hoping he will find some peace and happiness.
Murder mysteries are one of my favorite genres and I love the character of John Keller. Makes the thought of a hit man likeable, if such a thing is possible. I keep hoping he will find some peace and happiness.
January 29, 2019
I'm starting to get in to these Keller stories now, starting to get the hang of him, enjoying the interconnected storyness of it all, and his witty banter with Dot goes a long way to making him approachable as a protagonist, and even more fun than the interaction between Bernie and Carolyn. I get the feeling that there's a certain amount of Lawrence Block showing off with these books, happy to play with genre and the readers expectations, gleefully finding interesting and entertaining ways to include all of his research on a particular subject within any given hit as well as unexpected back story for Keller. What it amounts to is that I enjoyed this one quite a bit more than the previous two.
September 9, 2015
I love this series. This book is similar to the previous two, comprised of several individual episodes covering Keller's assigned contract kills. Somehow Block finds a way to put a little different spin on each kill, finding inventive ways to approach the basic premise of Keller's assigned contract hits. Of course Keller does his share of soul searching and stamp collecting along the way. The overall idea here is that Keller decides that he needs to start thinking about retirement and providing for his golden years, so his plan is to start ramping things up. Hence the 'hit parade.' Recommended, but start with Book 1, Hit Man.
November 2, 2010
I'm starting to feel more a part of Keller's "life." At one time, I, too, collected stamps, and it was fun to read that one of Keller's victims had a beginning collection similar to mine.
I am still impressed with the character Dot. She tends to Keller's interests and is a devoted but lethel friend. This was a good read.
I am still impressed with the character Dot. She tends to Keller's interests and is a devoted but lethel friend. This was a good read.
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