Sean Tennant and Molly Winter are living quietly and cautiously in Houston when a troubled, obsessive stranger shatters the safety they have carefully constructed for themselves. Sean is at a shopping mall when Henry Alan Keen, scorned by a woman he’s been dating, pulls out a gun at the store where she works and begins shooting everyone in sight. A former soldier, Sean rushes toward Keen and ends … ends the slaughter with two well-placed shots—becoming a hero with his face plastered across the news. But Sean’s newfound notoriety exposes him to the wrath of two men he thought he had left safely in his past. One of them blames Sean for his brother’s death. The other wants to recover a treasure that Sean and Molly stole from him. Both men are deadly and relentless enemies, and Sean and Molly will need to draw on all their strength and devotion to each other if they hope to elude them. Thus begins a cross-country chase that leads from Texas to Montana, from Tennessee to New York to Michigan, as the hunters and their prey grow ever closer and, in a heart-stopping moment, converge. A wickedly clever and exhilarating thriller, The Good Killer offers a sophisticated, breathtaking look at the extremes people will reach for love, greed, and survival.
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“The Good Killer” opens with a chilling narrative. Grammar and sentence construction with a present tense narrative, brief details, and clipped conversations create a mysterious, tense, and chaotic atmosphere. Characters meet at the mall, the encounters appear unorganized and frantic, and then, the shooting. There is a killer on the run, a good guy with a gun.
An unusual narrative takes shape. There is danger on every front from the hunter, the hunted, and the pursuer of both. Jumbles of people from low-level hoodlums to law enforcement personnel are all after the same individuals: Molly and Sean. There are however, many people do not want them caught.
Dolan creates complex and genuine characters with abundant backstories, and none are exactly who they appear to be at first glance. Each narrative is labeled with name of principal character to help readers identify the point of view of the episode. Molly is flying to Montana for a retreat on a ranch with yoga, meditation, and riding horses, and Sean is driving her to the airport. Then there is Cole; Sean talks to Cole, takes his advice, looks to him for direction, but Cole died years ago. Cole is the past that haunts Sean’s present.
There are also the cylinder seals, pieces of ancient stone, artifacts that if Sean had a clear legal title, might sell at auction for millions of dollars. They are just stone, but they are worth so much, so full of history, have so much impact. Sean wonders what might have happened if not for those stones.
“The Good Killer” proceeds in a careful, systematic way with a slow accumulation of facts, and then unexpectedly takes readers somewhere else. I received a review copy of “The Good Killer” from Harry Dolan and Ingram Publishing Services. The characters are flawed but compelling and likeable. It is a strange case with twists and surprises at every turn. It has trauma, drama, and death but a satisfying end.
I have always been a fan of Harry Dolan’s books and now this one is my new favorite of his. It is suspenseful and moves along at just the right pace with interesting characters.
The Good Killer by Harry Dolan
Character driven story with each new segment introduced by the name of someone new or a returning player. I found this book a bit like watching a movie and could see it adapted for and easily produced for the big screen.
My thoughts:
* Complex plot
* Well written
* Action-packed
* What is right and what is wrong – truly
* Shades of gray
* Choices are not always clear-cut
* Love trumps all – usually
* Twisted people do twisted things
* Redemption may be possible
* Revenge doesn’t pay
* Great book
What I liked:
* That it made me think
* It is pertinent and timely
* The good guys are flawed
* The bad guys are not all bad
* I liked getting into the minds of the characters
* Cole’s part in the story
* I could visualize what was happening
* The story was credible and realistic
* All of it really except…
What I didn’t like:
* That people are willing to do anything to get what they want
* The reminder that bad things happen to good people
* Wondering what will happen to Rose – will her story be told by this author?
Did I like this book? I did
Would I read more books by this author? Definitely
Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic-Mysterious Press – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
Harry Dolan’s fifth novel, A Good Killer, is a thrill ride par excellence. It opens with a shooter in a Houston mall who is taken down by Iraq veteran Sean Tennant. Sean has a girlfriend, Molly, and they have a little secret that is revealed when Sean’s face appears on national television. Turns out, lots of people are looking for Sean and Molly, and are willing to pursue them in a mad chase across several states. The fun of the book is how quickly it moves. Told from the points of view of the book’s myriad quirky characters, a picture emerges of a man who may or may not be a good killer. You decided. You won’t be able to put this one down. Thanks to the author/publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Who would guess that a trip to the mall to purchase new hiking boots could so dramatically affect your life and safety? While Molly is away at a yoga retreat, Sean Tennant visits the mall and interrupts a deranged man is shooting innocent people. Sean is former military and takes out the shooter and at the same time realizes that his privacy is gone. He has kept a low profile knowing that there are two men from his past who if they find him will eliminate him. One just wants him dead and the other is seeking what Sean has kept hidden and then dead. Now on the run to escape the notoriety from the shooting he is also being tracked by the police. Non-stop action as Sean tries to outwit his enemies and stay alive. When they involve Molly, all bets are off. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)
High stakes chase cross country
Sean and Molly have been living a life under the radar for the last six years, keeping a low profile.
This comes to an end when Sean kills a shooter at a local mall in Houston, a shooter driven by unrequited love.
Now Sean’s picture is being shown on all the news shows and he and Molly are again being hunted for events that happened to Sean six years ago.
This was a great story, one I enjoyed thoroughly. I enjoyed the storyline and the way it wrapped around all the many characters. I enjoyed the characters, good and bad, and the way the author showed both the good and bad sides in many of the characters.
If you like fast-paced thrillers, this story is one you shouldn’t pass up.
I received this book from Mysterious Press through Edelweiss and Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.