Hit Parade

By: Lawrence Block

Narrated by: Lawrence Block

The New York Times bestselling author and master of the modern mystery returns with a fierce and poignant new novel featuring his acclaimed killer-for-hire, Keller. John Keller is everyone's favorite hit man. He's cool. Reliable. A real pro: the hit man's hit man. The inconvenient wife, the business partner, the retiree with a substantial legacy. He's taken care of them all, quietly and efficiently.

Keller's got a code of honor, though he'd never call it that. And he keeps the job strictly business. But while Keller might be a pragmatic and crack assassin, he's also prone to doubts and loneliness just like everybody else. And though he's got Dot, his wisecracking contact and sometimes confidante, these days, it doesn't seem to be enough.

Keller's been at this business a long while. Just maybe it's time to pack it in. Only problem is, retirement takes money. And to get money, he's got to go to work...

Hit Parade, the third novel featuring the fascinating Keller, displays the hallmarks that distinguish Lawrence Block's award-winning fiction: the intelligence, the clever plotting, the humor, the tricky twist and ironic turns, the darkness and emotional complexity -- and, above all else, the humanity.

Do not like L. Block narration

Def. not the best. Really dislike the author narrating, each character sounds the exact same and it takes a lot of effort to figure out what character is talking.

Story was okay. Not as entertaining and engaging as prior novels. Love Keller and the series as a whole, this book just falls short.

Exhibit 1 for why authors should not perform their own books.

Keller remains the hard to hate hitman, but Lawrence Block's performance is awful. The series third book is better than the second, but still slower paced than the first.

Improved as a Voice Performer

Back when I put in a review for "Burglar on the Prowl" I'd said I was going to avoid audiobooks Mr. Block had read himself due to the issues I had understanding him in that work.

Accidents happen, and I ended up with this one in my library and paid for before I realized who was reading it. The good news is, between 04 and 06, he improved in terms of cadence. It was easier to understand what was being said, and thus less of an issue to pick up the story without distracting from my driving.

Keller and Dot at their best

Excellent; Block is a terrific storyteller, and listening to him tell the story made Keller and Dot come alive. I laughed aloud several times during their conversations. The unexpected revelation of part of Keller's background provided poignant insight into the shaping of his life.

A writer is not always a reader

Lawrence Block is a monster talent as writer. That made my disappointment all the greater when I began to listen to him read. After 10 minutes, I gave up. Maybe it's because Robert Forster did such a great job narrating Hit Man. But I really think Mr. Block shows that story telling and narration are two different arts.

I rated the book four stars simply out of guilt for being critical of Mr. Block and because "all fields are required."