The Killing Kind

Winner of the Anthony Award for Best Novel

By: Chris Holm

Narrated by: John Chancer

Michael Hendricks is not a good man.
He doesn't deserve a good life.
But he is very good at his job.

He's the killing kind.

He knows he's a bad person, but he still has a code: he doesn't work for anyone but himself, and he never kills civilians. He only hits hitters.

It's not a bad way to make a living, but it's a great way to make enemies.

And now the FBI and the mafia have Hendricks in their sights, he's about to learn just how good he really is...

(P)2017 Hodder & Stoughton©2015 Chris Holm

Critic reviews

A story of rare, compelling brilliance, with a concept so high you'll need oxygen to finish it...This is a one-sitting, extravagant, mind-blowing reading pleasure with a stable of characters who come across as all flesh, bone and folly. You will never look at men hired to kill other humans the same way. You won't merely read this book, you will inhale it. (David Baldacci)

A ripping, twisting yarn you can read in one sitting (Simon Kernick, author of The Final Minute)

Lean, brutal and riveting, THE KILLING KIND is the kind of novel you can't put down but also want to savour. With sharply etched characters, knifelike twists and hardboiled energy to burn, it's an utter winner, beginning to end. (Megan Abbott, bestselling author of THE END OF EVERYTHING)

Roaring tough-guy fun

Pure joy...so fast-moving, so expertly arranged, every piece fitting together with a well-oiled snap, that it feels weaponized. Read it. Or else. (Benjamin Percy)

A fast-moving thriller with a clever premise...Who will best whom is by no means obvious in this fast-moving, witty tale of good guy versus bad guy versus worse guy.

Holm is terrific at rendering characters with empathy and humour...you'll want to go along for the ride - but keep that seat belt fastened

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, author of Heartsick)

With a great writer, a great premise, and a great protagonist, how can you lose? With his unique take on the hit man thriller, Chris Holm claims his place amongst the best suspense novelists working today. (Stuart Neville, author of THE TWELVE and RATLINES)

Chris Holm loads an ingenious premise - an assassin who kills only other assassins - into a high-powered story that goes off like a rocket...sleek and smart, and will stay with you long after you've finished reading. (Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author)

A high-octane, cat-and-mouse thrill ride, written with style and a flair for the spectacular. Chris Holm is a master storyteller (Owen Laukkanen, author of the bestselling THE PROFESSIONALS)

An adrenaline-packed read from start to finish... a must for thriller fans

Pure thriller with a smart, vicious twist . . . What makes this book sing [is] its lean action, breakneck execution, and a nervy concept that's almost too perfect. . . . The book has plenty of sly humor, sharp dialogue, and even the occasional yanked heartstring. And there's a rhythm to it, relentless and breathtaking. (Jason Heller)