THE KILLING KIND
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| US hardcover edition pictured (Mulholland Books, September 2015) |
A Michael Hendricks Novel
"This novel is so fast-moving, so expertly arranged, every piece fitting together with a well-oiled snap, that it feels weaponized. Read it. Or else."
-New York Times Book Review (An Editors' Choice)
Strand Magazine's Top Book of 2015
A Boston Globe Best Book of 2015
Nominated for a Barry, a Lefty, and a Macavity Award
Winner of the 2016 Anthony Award for Best Novel
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 U.S. military, Hendricks was presumed dead when a mission in Afghanistan went sideways. He's since left behind his old life—and beloved fiancée—and set out on a path of redemption... or maybe one of willful self-destruction.
Now Hendricks makes his living as a hitman with a catch: 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. It's not a bad way for a guy with his skill-set to make a living—but it's an even better way to make himself a target.
Named a Buzz Book 2015 by Publishers Marketplace! Click through to read an excerpt.
(UK): The Book Depository / Waterstones
Praise for THE KILLING KIND
"Lean, brutal and riveting, Chris Holm’s THE KILLING KIND is the kind of novel you can’t put down but also want to savor. With sharply etched characters, knifelike twists and hardboiled energy to burn, it’s an utter winner, beginning to end."
-Megan Abbott, Edgar Award-winning author of THE FEVER
"The violence in THE KILLING KIND is visceral, the writing is tight and tense, and the characterizations are more in-depth than usual for this genre. This is a fun spin on crime fiction by having a hero who may also be the villain. The unpredictability of the story will also have readers wondering what's going to happen next, if this is indeed the first in a series."
-The Associated Press
"With THE KILLING KIND, Chris Holm has created a story of rare, compelling brilliance... You won't merely read this book, you will inhale it."
-David Baldacci, New York Times bestselling author of MEMORY MAN
"Holm’s premise is irresistible... As a hitman who only kills other hitmen, Hendricks is a brilliant study in gray morality... the story morphs into a tension-filled game of professional killers hunting each other through a series of crackling, imaginative twists."
-Barnes and Noble (named a Top Thriller for September)
"THE KILLING KIND is a fast-paced, adrenaline-fueled novel marking a turning point in the career of Chris Holm. Where he was once a cult author with a loyal fan base, this new novel will no doubt make him a recognizable and leading name in the thriller genre moving forward."
-BOLO Books
"Holm’s action scenes are breathtaking whirlwinds, and even when readers know what’s next, he builds an improbable level of suspense... it's clear he's a writer with a strong future."
-Booklist
"...an ultra-strategic cat-and-mouse game of mind-blowing proportions... Holm, an award-winning short-story writer and author of the fantasy-pulp fiction trilogy 'The Collector,' is terrific at rendering characters with empathy and humor... As the second half careers along with roller coaster speed and twists, meting out some seriously emotionally wrenching moments and showing that Hendricks is more than a match for MacGyver, you’ll want to go along for the ride—but keep that seat belt fastened."
-The Boston Globe
"I love Chris Holm. He can evoke a landslide of character in a single detail. THE KILLING KIND crackles with muscle and moxie and wit. I will read it again and again."
-Chelsea Cain, New York Times bestselling author of ONE KICK
"THE KILLING KIND is well-described and vivid… a fast, hard-edged thriller that doesn’t pull its punches… a white-knuckled ride to an explosive finish."
-Crime Review
"The reader can’t help but be fully invested in what befalls the players in this thriller. Holm has put fully formed people on the page… and then proceeds to do horrible things to them. Because that is what exceptional authors do."
-Crimespree Magazine
"Chris Holm’s latest is exceptional in every way, with breakneck pacing, sensational storytelling, and razor-sharp prose. At its hardboiled core is an unforgettable antihero who inhabits a violent purgatory of his own making, but discovers there’s a piece of his soul he hasn’t lost yet. Dark, riveting, and instantly addictive, THE KILLING KIND is this year’s must-read thriller."
-Hilary Davidson, Anthony Award-winning author of BLOOD ALWAYS TELLS
"THE KILLING KIND moves like a tank with a Ferrari engine... [it] had been one of my most anticipated reads of 2015 and I’m happy to say that my expectations were met, and then some."
-Every Read Thing
"Chris Holm loads an ingenious premise—an assassin who kills only other assassins—into a high-powered story that goes off like a rocket. His protagonist, Mike Hendricks, is an all-American anti-hero with his own code of justice, living on stolen time. THE KILLING KIND is sleek and smart, and will stay with you long after you've finished reading."
-Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author of THE FIXER
“THE KILLING KIND is an intelligent and droll shot of adrenaline that aims high and more than makes the mark."
-Hartford Books Examiner
"Holm takes a one note premise and pulls the reader in with beautiful narrative and excellent pacing... If a movie deal hasn't been made, I'm sure there's one in the works."
-Huffington Post
"What makes this book stand out to me? Though my expectations were met, nay exceeded, I still felt a loss when I turned the final pages. The ending was so tremendous and so unexpected that I’m aching for more."
-Jenn's Bookshelves
"...a fast-paced thriller with high-octane action, gripping suspense, clever plot twists and a high body count. [Holm] has created an original plot with characters so vividly complex, even the good guys are fatally flawed, willing to bend the rules for their own ends."
-Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel
"Chris Holm's a thriller writer to look out for and THE KILLING KIND is a ripping, twisting yarn you can read in one sitting."
-Simon Kernick, Sunday Times bestselling author of THE FINAL MINUTE
"Who will best whom is by no means obvious in this fast-moving, witty tale of good guy versus bad guy versus worse guy."
-Kirkus (starred review)
"A high-octane, cat-and-mouse thrill ride, written with style and a flair for the spectacular. Chris Holm is a master storyteller, and THE KILLING KIND is his best work to date. Don’t miss it."
-Owen Laukkanen, Anthony, Barry, and Thriller Award-nominated author of THE STOLEN ONES
"...an unusual but likable antihero... the wild and furious action, the unusual plot featuring assassin versus assassin, and the memorable characters all keep the reader racing through this skillfully told tale of vengeance."
-Library Journal
"Holm is an expert craftsman. THE KILLING KIND is a special blend of knock ’em, sock ’em and intelligence."
-The Life Sentence
-Los Angeles Review of Books
"THE KILLING KIND may remind some readers of the cat-and-mouse thrillers of Thomas Perry... that's high praise, because when Perry is working at the top of his abilities, he has few equals in the genre. THE KILLING KIND is the kind of well-wrought entertainment that builds an enthusiastic fan base."
-Maine Sunday Telegram
"About as close as you can get to a perfect thriller experience... More than worthy of all the nominations it has garnered, THE KILLING KIND is written with the leanness of a crime writer but the soul of a romantic."
-Malcolm Avenue Review
"Chris Holm's whip-smart tale of a different kind of professional killer moves as fast as the bullets fired by his hero, Special Forces vet Michael Hendricks, and with wit as dry as the Afghani desert where Hendricks allegedly died."
-Mystery Scene Magazine
"The action makes you feel like you are in the middle of a John Woo film and the characters bring more surprises and emotion to the table than you may be prepared for."
-MysteryPeople
"With a great writer, a great premise, and a great protagonist, how can you lose? With his unique take on the hitman thriller, Chris Holm claims his place amongst the best suspense novelists working today. It takes real talent to make a hero of a cold-blooded killer, and Chris Holm pulls it off with style."
-Stuart Neville, Los Angeles Times Book Prize-winning author of THOSE WE LEFT BEHIND
"Chris Holm's THE KILLING KIND is my favorite thriller of the fall lineup. Here's a solid gold premise: an assassin who only kills other assassins... The cat-and-mouse game that follows is pure joy...This novel is so fast-moving, so expertly arranged, every piece fitting together with a well-oiled snap, that it feels weaponized. Read it. Or else."
-New York Times Book Review (An Editors' Choice)
"What makes the book sing is not some shotgun marriage of genres—this is a thriller, plain and simple—but its lean action, breakneck execution, and a nervy concept that's almost too perfect: Protagonist Michael Hendricks is a hit man who only hits other hit men... THE KILLING KIND is a brutal book about brutal people in a brutal world... For all its violence and darkness, though, the book has plenty of sly humor, sharp dialogue, and even the occasional yanked heartstring... relentless and breathtaking."
-NPR
"Holm carries off a preposterous plot with brazen aplomb, creating a diverting, action-packed story interspersed with excellent character vignettes."
-Publishers Weekly
"Each domino falls exactly when it’s supposed to and the thrill of the book is watching one topple onto the next... this Holm guy has something special."
-Marcus Sakey, bestselling author of The Brilliance Saga
"Hendricks is very good at his job... Holm (The Collector Trilogy) is good at his job, too. His prose is lean, his pacing brisk, the suspense high and his plot unpredictable... There's plenty of violence and dark humor, but heart as well, with Hendricks holding a candle for a love he can't forget. He's not just the killing kind; he's also the romantic kind."
-Shelf Awareness
"An adrenaline-packed read from start to finish, this first installment in what we hope is a new series is a must for thriller fans."
-The Strand Magazine
"When one devilishly efficient hitman is matched against another hitman of equally inhuman skills, what happens? The answer to the question is what the American writer Chris Holm’s freewheeling new thriller is all about. Bloodshed ensues of course, but Holm supplies the reader with a rooting interest in all the death and dying… The showdown between the two guys is long, inventive and specific in its ferocity."
-Toronto Star
"THE KILLING KIND is like reading the best of Thomas Perry, with a style all its own."
-Sarah Weinman
"Previously known to readers for his outstanding, intricately plotted and laced with dark humor urban fantasy meets noir Collector trilogy, Holm has both shifted gears somewhat and at the same time upped his game with THE KILLING KIND."
-Elizabeth A. White
-Stuart Neville, Los Angeles Times Book Prize-winning author of THOSE WE LEFT BEHIND
"Chris Holm's THE KILLING KIND is my favorite thriller of the fall lineup. Here's a solid gold premise: an assassin who only kills other assassins... The cat-and-mouse game that follows is pure joy...This novel is so fast-moving, so expertly arranged, every piece fitting together with a well-oiled snap, that it feels weaponized. Read it. Or else."
-New York Times Book Review (An Editors' Choice)
"What makes the book sing is not some shotgun marriage of genres—this is a thriller, plain and simple—but its lean action, breakneck execution, and a nervy concept that's almost too perfect: Protagonist Michael Hendricks is a hit man who only hits other hit men... THE KILLING KIND is a brutal book about brutal people in a brutal world... For all its violence and darkness, though, the book has plenty of sly humor, sharp dialogue, and even the occasional yanked heartstring... relentless and breathtaking."
-NPR
"Holm carries off a preposterous plot with brazen aplomb, creating a diverting, action-packed story interspersed with excellent character vignettes."
-Publishers Weekly
"Each domino falls exactly when it’s supposed to and the thrill of the book is watching one topple onto the next... this Holm guy has something special."
-Raging Biblioholism
"An ingenious cat-and-mouse game... Please, somebody, make this into a movie."
-Read Me Deadly
"THE KILLING KIND is mercilessly tense, wonderfully evocative, and so cinematic it should come with popcorn. Chris Holm writes with swagger and wit and crackling intensity—I love his stuff.""An ingenious cat-and-mouse game... Please, somebody, make this into a movie."
-Read Me Deadly
-Marcus Sakey, bestselling author of The Brilliance Saga
"Hendricks is very good at his job... Holm (The Collector Trilogy) is good at his job, too. His prose is lean, his pacing brisk, the suspense high and his plot unpredictable... There's plenty of violence and dark humor, but heart as well, with Hendricks holding a candle for a love he can't forget. He's not just the killing kind; he's also the romantic kind."
-Shelf Awareness
"An adrenaline-packed read from start to finish, this first installment in what we hope is a new series is a must for thriller fans."
-The Strand Magazine
"When one devilishly efficient hitman is matched against another hitman of equally inhuman skills, what happens? The answer to the question is what the American writer Chris Holm’s freewheeling new thriller is all about. Bloodshed ensues of course, but Holm supplies the reader with a rooting interest in all the death and dying… The showdown between the two guys is long, inventive and specific in its ferocity."
-Toronto Star
"THE KILLING KIND is like reading the best of Thomas Perry, with a style all its own."
-Sarah Weinman
"Previously known to readers for his outstanding, intricately plotted and laced with dark humor urban fantasy meets noir Collector trilogy, Holm has both shifted gears somewhat and at the same time upped his game with THE KILLING KIND."
-Elizabeth A. White