The Killing Kind

Written by Chris Holm

Narrated by Will Collyer

A hitman who only kills other hitmen winds up a target himself.
- Winner of the Anthony Award for Best Novel - Nominated for the Lefty Award for Best World Mystery Novel - Nominated for the Best Thriller Barry Award - Nominated for the Macavity Award for Best First Mystery
Michael Hendricks kills people for money. That aside, he's not so bad a guy.
Once a covert operative for a false-flag unit of the US military, Hendricks was presumed dead after a mission in Afghanistan went sideways. He left behind his old life--and beloved fiancée--and set out on a path of redemption...or perhaps one of willful self-destruction.
Now Hendricks makes his living as a hitman entrepreneur of sorts--he only hits other hitmen. For ten times the price on your head, he'll make sure whoever's coming to kill you winds up in the ground instead. Not a bad way for a guy with his skill-set to make a living--but a great way to make himself a target.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hachette Audio
• Release date: Sep 15, 2015
• ISBN: 9781478903239

Reviews for The Killing Kind

[jjbooklvr · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved the author's Collector series so this was a must try for me. It did take me awhile to get to it, but I am glad I finally did. A great read for thriller fans who don't mind a little moral ambiguity in their lead characters. I can't wait for the sequel Red Right Hand which comes out in September!

[gmmartz · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Chris Holm's 'The Killing Kind' was a challenging read. The excitement level, if you suspend disbelief to the extent that you continue reading, is just high enough to compensate for the thoroughly mediocre writing and preposterous plot. It propelled me through the novel but made me promise myself to not pick up any more in what I'm sure will be a series.Let's start with the plot: a hitman-with-a-conscience who, get this, only kills other hitmen (who presumably don't have consciences) is being set up for a hit on himself by another mysterious hitman (he has no conscience either, far as I can tell....). If that's not silly enough, the FBI is involved and is also on the scent. As you can imagine, it turns into quite a circus.....The writing is of what I'd consider to be of the 'thriller-generic' variety- overly dramatic, grammatically OK, nothing whatsoever that would make you think you're reading something by LeCarre, or even Ridley Pearson for that matter. When you see the quality of sentences like "...it was hardly enough to dull the diamond edge of his focus" over and over again, you'll know what I mean.So, enough action to keep reading but, in the end, spoiled by a goofy plot.

[joshuaatkins · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Killing Kind is one hell of a ride. Michael Hendricks is a hitman, but he's a different animal from what you'd expect. He only kills a particular kind of person... other hitmen. After the first part of his life as a black ops soldier in Afghanistan ends, he builds a new life for himself after a fashion. But when the hitman hitter becomes a target himself, will it all come crashing down around him?Michael Hendricks is a ghost to some, a savior to others, and a dead man to everyone else.

[cherylk_44 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I actually read this book and not the audio version. However I bet listening to this book would be just as great. The premise of this book is what intrigued me to want to check it out further. So glad that I did. I literally had a hard time putting this book down. The only reason that I did is because my breaks and lunch times were over at work. So this is a warning to you. Warning: Read this book at home, so you are not distracted by work.Michael Hendricks is one hitman that you do not ever want to cross or become a name on his list. However if you did, you probably would never know it before it is too late. Yet, Michael is not your typical hitman. He can be reasonable. Is there really such a thing as a reasonable hitman? Well either way the story got even amped up more when the other hitman was after Michael. These two chasing after each other was like watching two predators with you in the middle waiting to see who would come out on top. The ending was great as well. The only thing killing me is that I finished this book.

[bogopea · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Too many assassins . . . got confusing. Pretty good story. Liked how it ended.

[mikebruscellsr · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Holm has offered a unique perspective for this thriller and I find the book was very well written - up until it reached the 'resolution' which to me, was entirely implausible! The dialogue is natural, the characters real, the events believable - to a point. Holm builds up Michael Hendricks as a super hitman, highly skilled, lethal, unstoppable, however, the manner in which Holm chooses to have the protagonist neutralize his nemesis is a major disappointment, not rational, not believable - a real let down! I'll probably give Holm another chance in the future as he can surely spin an enjoyable tale; this one could have ended with a scenario a bit more realistic!

[jfe16 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

When a roadside bomb near Kandahar annihilated his unit, Michael Hendricks, one-time black ops Special Forces, lost his life in Afghanistan.Or did he?The Council, a group whose membership represents all the major crime families operating in the United States, has a problem: someone is taking out their hitmen. Unwilling to stand by as their top enforcers are picked off, the Council sets in motion a plan to have the assassin eliminated. Now they’re counting on a brutally evil man who takes a great deal of pleasure in killing, but he has no clue as to the target’s identity. Nevertheless, he’s confident he can eliminate the assassin; in fact, he’s looking forward to the challenge. But FBI Special Agent Charlotte Thompson has already identified the elusive quarry . . . he’s a ghost.There are more than enough plot twists in this riveting page-turner to keep readers on the edge of their seats, but they’ll find themselves rooting for the unlikely hero as this cat-and-mouse thriller races to its unexpected ending. Highly recommended.

[carol420 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Killing Kind by Chris Holm★★★★1/2From The Book:Michael Hendricks kills people for money. That aside, he's not so bad a guy. Once a covert operative for a false-flag unit of the US military, Hendricks was presumed dead after a mission in Afghanistan went sideways. He left behind his old life--and beloved fiancee--and set out on a path of redemption...or perhaps one of willful self-destruction.Now Hendricks makes his living as a hitman entrepreneur of sorts--he only hits other hitmen. For ten times the price on your head, he'll make sure whoever's coming to kill you winds up in the ground instead. Not a bad way for a guy with his skill-set to make a living--but a great way to make himself a target.My Thoughts:What surprised me the most about this book was the occasional humor. You wouldn't expect a hitman to be funny. As I read along I saw some similarities of other books I have read in this genre such as Roger Hobbs [Ghostman] or Steve Hamilton's [The Lock Artist]. In many ways Michael Hendricks brings visions of Jack Reacher...the book one, not Tom Cruise:). A hitman who only kills other hitmen makes for a fast paced, original storyline... terrific characters...and a premise that you can't forget. The ending leaves room for a sequel and I really hope that happens.

[wdwilson3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A surprisingly good read. I've read a lot of Jack Reacher wannabe books lately (or at least started them) and, at first, I was afraid I'd started another. Lone wolf vet getting himself into trouble protecting people. Plus, you have to get by the rather implausible idea that this was a assassin who only killed assassins. But I found the plotting to be exciting and the characters to be three dimensional. Lots of bloodshed and mayhem, more than enough for me, but that's a matter of taste. After starting the book and putting it down for a few days I raced through the last two thirds non-stop.