A surprisingly good read. I've read a lot of Jack Reacher wannabe books lately (or at least started them) and, at first, I was afraid I'd started another. Lone wolf vet getting himself into trouble protecting people. Plus, you have to get by the rather implausible idea that this was a assassin who only killed assassins. But I found the plotting to be exciting and the characters to be three dimensional. Lots of bloodshed and mayhem, more than enough for me, but that's a matter of taste. After starting the book and putting it down for a few days I raced through the last two thirds non-stop. ( )

This is an enjoyable, time occupying novel. The main plot is Quarry-like in that the main character learns of the assassinations of less than worthy people and then extorts money from them to prevent the assassination (this is revealed early on, so I do not consider it a "spoiler").

Other plot lines in the novel have been told before by other writers with similar characters.

Still, the novel is enjoyable escapism. ( )

The Killing Kind by Chris Holm
★★★★1/2

From The Book:
Michael Hendricks kills people for money. That aside, he's not so bad a guy. Once a covert operative for a false-flag unit of the US military, Hendricks was presumed dead after a mission in Afghanistan went sideways. He left behind his old life--and beloved fiancee--and set out on a path of redemption...or perhaps one of willful self-destruction.

Now Hendricks makes his living as a hitman entrepreneur of sorts--he only hits other hitmen. For ten times the price on your head, he'll make sure whoever's coming to kill you winds up in the ground instead. Not a bad way for a guy with his skill-set to make a living--but a great way to make himself a target.

My Thoughts:
What surprised me the most about this book was the occasional humor. You wouldn't expect a hitman to be funny. As I read along I saw some similarities of other books I have read in this genre such as Roger Hobbs [Ghostman] or Steve Hamilton's [The Lock Artist]. In many ways Michael Hendricks brings visions of Jack Reacher...the book one, not Tom Cruise:). A hitman who only kills other hitmen makes for a fast paced, original storyline... terrific characters...and a premise that you can't forget. The ending leaves room for a sequel and I really hope that happens. ( )

Entertaining if somewhat over the top in plausibility and violence. Not for the faint of heart. ( )

Chris Holm's 'The Killing Kind' was a challenging read. The excitement level, if you suspend disbelief to the extent that you continue reading, is just high enough to compensate for the thoroughly mediocre writing and preposterous plot. It propelled me through the novel but made me promise myself to not pick up any more in what I'm sure will be a series.

Let's start with the plot: a hitman-with-a-conscience who, get this, only kills other hitmen (who presumably don't have consciences) is being set up for a hit on himself by another mysterious hitman (he has no conscience either, far as I can tell....). If that's not silly enough, the FBI is involved and is also on the scent. As you can imagine, it turns into quite a circus.....

The writing is of what I'd consider to be of the 'thriller-generic' variety- overly dramatic, grammatically OK, nothing whatsoever that would make you think you're reading something by LeCarre, or even Ridley Pearson for that matter. When you see the quality of sentences like "...it was hardly enough to dull the diamond edge of his focus" over and over again, you'll know what I mean.

So, enough action to keep reading but, in the end, spoiled by a goofy plot. ( )