The Kill Clause

By: Gregg Hurwitz

Narrated by: Peter Friedman

Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

Tim Rackley, a deputy U.S. marshal, watches helplessly as his daughter's killer walks free on a legal technicality. He is suddenly forced to explore his own deadly options, a quest that leads him into the welcoming fold of "The Commission".

A vigilante group made up of people like himself, relentless streetwise operators who have each lost a loved one to violent crime, the Commission confronts the failings of a system that sets predators loose to hunt again, cleaning up society's "mistakes" covertly, efficiently, and permanently. But Rackley soon discovers that playing God is a fearsome task. When his new secret life starts coming unwound at an alarming speed, he is suddenly caught in the most terrifying struggle he has ever faced, a desperate battle to save everything left that's worth fighting for.

©2003 Gregg Hurwitz (P)2004 HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Hurwitz's deft descriptions of Tim's methods of disappearing, breaking-and-entering, and stealing identities are convincing, and his fast-paced plotting will keep readers riveted." (Publishers Weekly)

Did not realize it was abridged

Story is great, but I was disappointed to realize is bought an abridgement. Feels like important parts are missing.

I’ll never get another abridged book

Had tons of potential, but the abridged version just sucked. Don’t know what else to say.

loss of a child/vigilante justice

The brutal murder of their 7 year old daughter leads to the father's resignation of his career as a Deputy Marshall. The father then joins a group who claims to play "judge, jury, and executioner" when the justice system fails to do so. Only, he finds out more

It's good, but not his best (the others will blow you away). His novels get better as he writes. I like the Evan Smoak serious 5x more- those are take your breathe away good.

The narrator has FANTASTIC voices= it's shocking how different some of the voices/accents/annunciations are. very good narrator.

If you like 007/CIA type of action... you'll like this.

Excellent

In my opinion there is not better thriller writer than Gregg Hurwitz! He keeps you on the edge of your seat and you don't see the twists and turns coming! As always, another excellent book!

A little over the top for me

This book in my opinion could have ended up in Science Fiction. Main plot over the top for me.

The Star Chamber but not as Good. Skip it.

What would have made The Kill Clause better?

Pretty weak effort by the author. More realistic members of the commission would have made the story more believable.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Probably a Great Classic so I can reset my brain.

Would you be willing to try another one of Peter Friedman’s performances?

I would not avoid him but I wouldn't go out of my way to listen.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Kill Clause?

I would have completely redone the ending.

Any additional comments?

I have read a number of Hurwitz books now. Most are not based on an original premise. You can find better adaptations on Netflix.That isn't necessarily bad if the book is entertaining. This book is a poor man's Star Chamber. His book The Orphan is an entertaining Equalizer. The Program is similar to Holy Smoke and Split Image. The Survivor is a good book that is original, at least to me.

Super Disappointed

Would you try another book from Gregg Hurwitz and/or Peter Friedman?

Yes, Tell No Lies was an amazing book, so I expected this would become one of my favorite authors, but after this, I am not sure I will even try him again.

What could Gregg Hurwitz have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Not made everything so cliche. Could have developed the story more, and less action. Seemed to jump from action scene to action scene without much explanation.

Sorry...

The good ratings swayed me into buying this book. Deja vu "The Chamber" with a twist. I found this book difficult to get through. I normally finish the books that I download in just a few days. This relatively short book took me over a week to finish. Since I have enjoyed this author in the past I will try him again. I just couldn't connect with this one.

Fast nice interesting like reality

Love 😍 it fast book with a good nereritore highly recommended for all action lovers

Interesting Summer Read

I call this a summer read because the plot and characters are only mildly interesting. It reads like a script for an action movie--entertaining but not a book that you will remember vividly a month after reading it.

On the other hand, it might spark some debates over dinner about the potential flaws in our justice system. Many books look at how innocent people are wrongly convicted and this book looks at the opposite perspective with interesting consequences.

Expected more

The Nowhere Man and Orphan X by the same author are both superb. This one is okay but not in the same league.