Hit and Run

Written by Lawrence Block

Narrated by Richard Poe

Keller's a hit man. For years now he's had places to go and people to kill.

But enough is enough. He's got money in the bank and just one last job standing between him and retirement. So he carries it out with his usual professionalism, and he heads home, and guess what?

One more job. Paid in advance, so what's he going to do? Give the money back?In Des Moines, Keller stalks his designated target and waits for the client to give him the go-ahead. And one fine morning he's picking out stamps for his collection (Sweden 1-5, the official reprints) at a shop in Urbandale when somebody guns down the charismatic governor of Ohio.

Back at his motel, Keller's watching TV when they show the killer's face. And there's something all too familiar about that face. . . .

Keller calls his associate Dot in White Plains, but there is no answer. He's stranded halfway across the country, every cop in America's just seen his picture, his ID and credit cards are no longer good, and he just spent almost all of his cash on the stamps.

Now what?

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Aug 12, 2008
• ISBN: 9780061746024

Lawrence Block

Lawrence Block is one of the most widely recognized names in the mystery genre. He has been named a Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America and is a four-time winner of the prestigious Edgar and Shamus Awards, as well as a recipient of prizes in France, Germany, and Japan. He received the Diamond Dagger from the British Crime Writers' Association—only the third American to be given this award. He is a prolific author, having written more than fifty books and numerous short stories, and is a devoted New Yorker and an enthusiastic global traveler.

Reviews for Hit and Run

[luciana43 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I almost always like Lawrence Block but this book has a MAJOR plot hole around page 75. Couldn't continue.

[paul_s-289480 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

You can tell from the moment the protagonist learns of the assassination what is going to happen. And then it predictably happens. OK, his shacking up with some random lady from New Orleans is unexpected but everything else falls in line.

[asxz-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Keller gets framed. Keller gets away. Keller gets even. This entire book was so unnecessary that it became super fun. I felt like Block is having a ball here.

[rbeffa_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the 4th book in the author's Keller series. Keller is a hit man for hire, but very different than what you might normally run across. The first three books were short stories loosely put together as novels and as a result there was a lot of repetition and things didn't always flow so well. Nevertheless I liked the preceding books. This book is the first that feels written as a novel. We get to dive deeper into character without it being repeated which is really nice. I thought we were going to have the first "great" Keller novel but one thing in the story pretty much killed that thought. Keller's partner 'Dot' does something really disturbing and disgusting. I won't say more except that the event almost spoiled the book for me. Still I liked it more than not and think this was the best Keller book yet. I was also pretty happy with how it ended. The series could have, maybe should have ended here with this 2008 book but one more came out, "Hit Me" in 2013 which I think I will read soon. Then I think we'll be done.

[adonisguilfoyle · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I don't know why Lawrence Block didn't just take the time to pad out some more of the many Keller short stories into full novels like this, they read much better. I love the stamp-collecting hitman and the way Block writes him in any form, but there's no real character development in the shorter instalments and a lot of repetition.Keller is framed for the murder of a politician and has to go on the run, cutting all ties - or having them cut for him - with his old life. Mourning the loss of his stamp collection and tormented by the fate of his only friend, Dot, the future looks increasingly bleak - until fate, in the form of a New Orleans teacher nursing her dying father, steps in. Keller adopts an alias and trades one practical profession for another, happy with his new life, but still has one or two loose ends to tie up first.This story could stand alone, in my opinion - Block refers back to a lot of the short stories anyway, so reading the first and fourth books would probably be enough to get the gist of the series. Entertaining, well-paced, funny and even sad in places, Keller scores a bulls-eye with this one.

[carrie.kilgore · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I must admit I love the Keller series. In this one, just as he's planning his retirement from being a hit man, Keller is set up and loses everything, including his best friend Dot, his big screen TV and NYC apartment, not to mention his treasured stamp collection. But getting kicked out of his old life opens a new one, where he finds new and surprising abilities and depths to his personality. There's a reason Lawrence Block is a best selling author… he's created an intriguingly complex character in Keller and his prose just swims you along. I confess, this isn't the first time I've read this book. Block's books are fun the second and third times around.

[ecw0647 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another very enjoyable read from Lawrence Block in the Keller hitman series. In this one we get a much closer examination of Keller's relationship with Dot. I know a lot of reviewers have complained that the middle section of the book drags. I beg to differ, Block very cleverly begins to lead us into believing that Keller is really a normal guy capable of ordinary relationships. He gets an ordinary job, has abandoned his stamp collecting. Then (no spoiler so I'll omit the details) Block drags us back into the old world. I don't think anyone can write mundane conversation with such realism and skill as Block.

[magentaflake · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great read about your everyday assassin who collects stamps

[jeanned_14 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Hit man J. P. Keller is framed for a political assassination. Even worse, he loses his best friend and his stamp collection. He takes to the road to avoid arrest and, in the process, finds true love and a latent talent.

[annelim_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Probably (?) the last book about Keller, the hired killer, who nevertheless is very sympathetic. There are several of books about Keller, all readable.

[caro488 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

JP Keller, Des Moines, a hit paid in advance anonymously, and then an assassination, and his picture on the evening news. Dot in White Plains is not answering. And where is his stamp collection? Then he meets Julia in New Orleans.

[redhillsreader · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Keller is a hit-man who does contact work for an aging mob boss. Keller has a partner, Dot, who helps him keep his jobs running smoothly, is also his financial adviser helping him build up sufficient funds to allow early retirement. Keller takes one last job before retiring and living the good live enjoying his stamp collecting.But suddenly Keller is framed for killing the Governor of Ohio and he must go on the run to elude a nationwide manhunt.This the first book I read by Block so I didn't know what to expect. What I found was a simple, relaxed story that drew me in to care about (and like) both Keller and Dot and to hope that they escape the killers and police that are searching for them. It was a fun and curiously satisfying read.

[jwcooper3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

For Block fans, of which I am a card carrying member. The first half is a close to monologue as Block ever gets, but without giving away the plot, there is good reason for it. Sometimies I felt what was written was more Block's observations from his many travels around the world as opposed to Keller's thoughts but that's a small nit.Richard Poe does an admirable job in his reading, even if some of the character voices slip on occasion. I imagine it's a bit of a challenge to maintain the same character voice over the days it takes to read one of these.

[mikedraper · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

John Keller is a hit man on assignment. He's picked up at the airport by his contact, given the choice of two guns for the job, picked the weapon he wants and is dropped off at his hotel.The next day he reads that the governor of Ohio has been assassinated. The killer used a Glock automatic. The same weapon Keller had his hands on the prior day. Then he sees his photo on CNN and knows he's been part of an elaborate set-up.He drives back to New York and finds that his friend and business assoicate Dot has apparently been murdered. Someone has broken into his apartment and stolen his computer and stamp collection.Needing a place to hide, he thinks of New Orleans with the aftermath of Katrina, this would be a good place. Soon after arriving he hears a woman scream. Unstead of avoiding conflict and possible legal involvement, he goes to the sound of the scream and finds a woman about to be raped. He saves her and dispatches the rapist. He intended victim, Julia Roussard, is so greatful, she doesn't care when he tells her he's on the run from an attempted frame. She belives his story and lets him stay at her home where they become intimate. In a surprising plot twist, his friend Dot reemerges. She faked her murder by killing another woman, removing her own false teeth and replacing the woman's false teeth, then setting the home on fire so the body would be identified by dental records as Dot. This was a preposterous event that I have trouble with Block for its unbelievability.The narrative story is a fast paced read but little in real action and much of the suspense misses. There are lengthy portions of the novel where nothing happens.Keller has been a good character in the past stories but seems like a cow put to pasture in this one. Julia Roussard was an interesting character and would be fun to see her development in a future story.

[ashryan_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Hit and Run is, believe it or not, a Naturalist thriller. It's premised on the question: What would it be like if a hit man were to settle down, get a real job, work on his stamp collection, and try to leave the past behind?The problem is, who cares?As it turns out, in case you wanted to know (as if anyone would), he's a pretty good home remodeler, but he prefers laying bathroom tile to sanding wood floors. Also, he likes New Orleans Saints ball caps better than Homer Simpson ones. And he watches a lot of television. Which we're told all about. For no apparent reason.The book has absolutely zero action in it, except for one scene. There is another that might almost count, because he shoots a guy---but it's a convenience store clerk, and that's all there is to it, he just pulls out a gun and shoots the guy and that's it. He then proceeds to rob the man, in what turns out to be the only scene in the book in which the author exercises any selectivity in an attempt to convey some meaning---we're told that the convenience store guy has a stack of hardcover Ayn Rand novels and a blow up doll with an Ann Coulter mask on it in his bedroom. This is apparently the author's weak idea of portraying a right-wing loser---the only problem is, as anyone who has read Ayn Rand knows, she has about as much in common with Ann Coulter as she does with Michael Moore.And for a hit man, the main character is incredibly dimwitted. The second something goes wrong, he's completely paralyzed. He's not exactly a master of disguises (the aforementioned Homer Simpson ball cap is the best he can do), and he can't come up with a plan to save his life---literally. He pretty much just gets by on dumb luck (or rather by the author's whim, since this is fiction, but the author can't contrive any believable means for him to negotiate his situation). It's as though the author hasn't done any research at all, but just sits at his writing desk relying on pure imagination---and unfortunately, he is singularly unimaginative.All in all, this has got to be the dullest "thriller" ever written. At least, it was the dullest one I've ever had the misfortune to read, and I've read my share.

[crazybatcow · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I picked up Hitman awhile ago, on a whim and because it was on sale. I thoroughly enjoyed it. So I saw Hit and Run and picked it up on a whim. And it was as enjoyable, perhaps even more so, than the first in the series. It is a very interesting character study of a hitman; one who has been framed for a murder he did not commit. There is little gore and other than his career choice, Keller is an average man just trying to live his life. This novel has a lot more suspense than Hitman did, and it keeps you turning the pages because you care what happens to Keller and need to know how it gets resolved. However, I suspect the novel would be a little less suspenseful if you had not read any other in the Keller series because this novel does not explore the origins or relationships or lifestyle of Keller and Dot; it just covers this one "issue" of being framed.

[snarkhunt · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Block's Keller is a guy of habits and detachments. These stories work because they are about disrupting his detachment and involving him in life change.Everything changes in Keller's life, as he has to go on the run quickly, leaving behind his savings, his stamps, and his associate Dot. Much of the story is about the sticky situation he's landed in and his survival strategies. Feels like the end of the Keller series, but it's a great sendoff.

[ttaisi5editor · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Classic Block, taking theoretically heartless characters and making them human as only literature can. "Retiring" a character (and who knows if Keller will stay retired) takes some skill to make it something other than a cop-out, and Block does that very well here.

[theoclarke · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Keller, the stamp collecting, real estate viewing, assassin undertakes his last job then comes out of retirement to take revenge upon the people who frame him. A typically sparse, hard-edged novel by Block coloured with his characteristic wit.

[breic2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book takes off quickly. It also ends a little too quickly, perhaps, but along the way it brings a fresh look at Keller, my favorite of Block's characters.

[karenrice · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I almost always like Lawrence Block but this book has a MAJOR plot hole around page 75. Couldn't continue.

[polutropos_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

First-rate. Lawrence Block shows he is still a master. Terrific plotting, appealing characters, page-turner from beginning to end.

[tadad_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this latest...and, seemingly, last...installment in the John Keller stories. Keller has been framed for a murder he didn't commit and we get to see him trying to make good on his intent to retire and collect stamps. As always with this series, we have a fairly ordinary man rather than some super hitman trying to make his way. A bit of action, a bit of romance, nothing super exciting but, somehow, it all comes together as a finale to the series.

[rachelfromsarasota · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have always enjoyed Lawrence Block's "hit man" series -- the stories of a down-to-earth killer who is an avid stamp collector. Keller seems to be a pretty nice guy, considering he kills people for a living; and there's a refreshing absence of high tech toys and James Bond-like adventures in the books. As Keller himself puts it, the people he kills usually know why they've been targeted -- they're not innocent lambs being herded to the slaughterhouse.In a sense, it's this very lack of high strung dramatics that makes the Keller books such a refreshing read. So it was with some surprise that I realized this latest book was a sharp departure from the norm. Keller agrees to take on one last job before he permanently retires from the field. Of course, it's one job too many -- as he discovers he's been set up to take the fall for a very public political assassination. Stranded in Iowa, Keller finds himself cut off from his closest associate with every law enforcement agency in the country after him. And that's not the worst of his troubles -- the men who arranged the assassination are also on his trail, hoping to shut his mouth and quench his curiosity permanently.As always, it's Block's masterly limning of his characters that makes reading his books a pleasure. Keller is no superhuman MacGyver, using bubble gum and a sock to wriggle out of impossible situations. Au contraire. . .it's Keller's very human reactions to the tight spots he finds himself in that connects him to the reader. His dogged determination to survive, and to figure out how he can recreate a new life from the ashes of his old one is captivating. A most enjoyable read. Highly recommended.

[cats57_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Review Hit and Run - by Lawrence BlockOn the personal side - after reading Hit and Run; and this being my first ever encounter with this particular author, I just want to tell you that I will be buying, begging, borrowing or stealing as many of this authors books as I can get my grubby little paws on. Especially the ones that feature Hit and runs protagonist - Keller. There are 4 novels altogether in this series and I sincerely hope that Hit and Run won't be the last. The books include Hit Man (the 1st), Hit List (2cd), Hit Parade (3rd) and lastly the one I'm currently reviewing, Hit and Run.. The protagonist is a stamp collecting hit man named Keller and as this novel opens, we see him hard at work trying to decide if he wants to add a series of Swedish stamp reprints to his collection. At the conclusion of his transaction we learn that the Governor of Ohio has just been assassinated while in Iowa. What a coincidence, the hit that Keller was contracted to do was in, you guessed it - Iowa! Has Keller been lured to do a particular hit for a nefarious reason beyond the usual? The plot starts to thicken quite quickly and moves along at a pleasant pace, while Keller learns more about the double deal dealt to him with the help of his long time friend and assistant Dot. Keller soon figures out that he must run for his life, if not, for his precious stamp collection. His journey across America; to what he thinks of as salvation in the form of his NY city apartment, is amusing and introspective as well as slightly harrowing at times. The last half of the book is surprisingly and also thoroughly enjoyable, when he takes refuge in New Orleans and finds himself a new "Friend" and a new and gentler life style.This was a wonderful read, and Lawrence Block does a wonderful job of teaching us that all is not what it always seems like on the outside. I would have not thought that I could enjoy a book about a hit man, but Mr Block has proved that he can breech my biases. Thank you Lawrence Block.