BOOK REVIEW

Hit and run by Lawrence Block

In ten words or less: Hit man Keller is set up to take a fall.

Keller is a hit man on the brink of retirement. One last job to do, and he’s set for an uneventful life of stamp collecting. But while he waits in Des Moines for the go-ahead to hit his target, the governor of Ohio, in town for a speech, is shot and killed. Unfortunate, but nothing to do with Keller. Or does it? Before long, Keller’s face is on television as the suspect. He’s been set up, and is stuck in Iowa with little money and on the run from the law. What now?

Lawrence Block is the author of more than fifty books. He’s won most of the awards that exist for mystery writing.

Why bother? Keller is one of my favorite of Block’s characters. He’s a thoughtful man, without a wide circle of friends. He’s skilled at his profession, but does not overly internalize the morality of it. I hate to think that this will be the last adventure of Keller.