Hit and Run
Hit and Run by Lawrence Block
I get heartbroken each time I read the newest books by Lawrence Block. The last Matthew Scudder book read like he was retiring and riding off into the sunset. Now, Keller is rethinking his career choice.
Keller is the hitman with a heart, of sorts. He's smart and he's very good at what he does. He's had some close calls and he figures it's about time to get out of the game. He takes one more assignment and then he plans to move on and never look back. Of course, they say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Although, I would imagine that killing for hire puts you on that road already. Despite his profession, which I find truly abhorrent, I like Keller. I like his relationship with Dot and I like the way his mind works.
Dot took money from an anonymous source for a hit in the future. When the call comes in, he feels like he has to go and he winds up in a real mess. Even though he's done things his way to keep himself clear and has received notification that he's not to kill his target yet, he finds himself the subject of a manhunt, for a man that he not only didn't kill, but wasn't even the target he was told of. It's worse than Keller could have expected, the dead man is a prominent politician. When Keller tries to find Dot, he discovers that her house has burned to the ground and she is believed to be dead.
Keller heads south trying to avoid detection. He winds up making a whole life for himself in New Orleans, helping with the rebuilding and falling in love with a really good woman. All that's left is for him to clear his name and get the guy who set him up.
I was happy for Keller and the way things worked out, but I will miss him and his exploits. Little by little, Block is retiring his characters and I hate seeing them go. Although, it's been so long since he brought out a new burglar book, that I almost hope that he is planning a retirement for Bernie Rhodenbarr so that I can enjoy another of his adventures before I have to rely on reading all the old favorites.
