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To Kill a Stranger
Harry is a former professional soldier down on his luck, a tramp on London’s streets and, like so many other ex-servicemen living rough, preoccupied with finding something to eat and somewhere to sleep. When an old comrade offers him a second chance and a great deal of money to do what he’s best at – killing strangers – it seems a no-brainer.
Only it isn’t for Queen and Country, but a covert organization that’s been privatized along with so much else of Britain’s once proud public services. At first all goes well, but Harry realizes too late that shooting defenceless, unarmed civilians in London’s well-heeled West End is a far cry from combat in Britain’s ‘small wars’ - the Falklands, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Harry discovers he has a conscience. To refuse a contract is to become a target. He must deceive his new employers if he’s to continue to enjoy the lavish lifestyle of a professional hitman. It’s only a matter of time before Harry is found out and transformed from predator into prey, culminating in an explosive showdown in the Scottish Highlands.
Only it isn’t for Queen and Country, but a covert organization that’s been privatized along with so much else of Britain’s once proud public services. At first all goes well, but Harry realizes too late that shooting defenceless, unarmed civilians in London’s well-heeled West End is a far cry from combat in Britain’s ‘small wars’ - the Falklands, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Harry discovers he has a conscience. To refuse a contract is to become a target. He must deceive his new employers if he’s to continue to enjoy the lavish lifestyle of a professional hitman. It’s only a matter of time before Harry is found out and transformed from predator into prey, culminating in an explosive showdown in the Scottish Highlands.
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 19, 2012
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June 10, 2013
To Kill a Stranger is Jack Devon’s debut. However, judging by the ending, this is intended to be the first in a series about Harry Sterling, former soldier and killer with a conscience.
Whilst at rock bottom and sleeping rough, a former comrade in arms offers Harry the chance to rebuild his life. Taken into the shadowy world of contract killing, Harry is given a number of targets to remove with no questions asked and massive rewards for jobs well done.
Harry is more than ready for the challenge, until he has to pull the trigger in cold blood and finds he can’t do it. This leads him into a world of deception that turns hunter into hunted.
The author’s bio states he is a former British intelligence agent and Reuters correspondent who has lived and worked in 40 countries and covered a dozen wars. This insider knowledge is evident in the settings and the ease with which he brings war scenes and casual violence to the page.
In places the plot stretches credulity, but in any book of this type it is necessary for readers to suspend disbelief. The storyline fairly raced along and kept me turning the pages. I hope there is a sequel as I’d like to see how Harry develops.
Whilst at rock bottom and sleeping rough, a former comrade in arms offers Harry the chance to rebuild his life. Taken into the shadowy world of contract killing, Harry is given a number of targets to remove with no questions asked and massive rewards for jobs well done.
Harry is more than ready for the challenge, until he has to pull the trigger in cold blood and finds he can’t do it. This leads him into a world of deception that turns hunter into hunted.
The author’s bio states he is a former British intelligence agent and Reuters correspondent who has lived and worked in 40 countries and covered a dozen wars. This insider knowledge is evident in the settings and the ease with which he brings war scenes and casual violence to the page.
In places the plot stretches credulity, but in any book of this type it is necessary for readers to suspend disbelief. The storyline fairly raced along and kept me turning the pages. I hope there is a sequel as I’d like to see how Harry develops.
Displaying 1 of 1 review