Ask the Dice by Ed Lynskey

by Ed Lynskey

Over the past two decades, Tommy Mack Zane has faithfully worked as a contract killer for Watson Ogg, the Washington, D.C. crime boss. Now middle age creeping up finds Tommy Mack edgy, jaded, and weary of his grisly trade. As he contemplates retirement, he is framed for the murder of Mr. Ogg's niece. Desperate, Tommy Mack enlists the aid of his friends, the mercurial D. Noble and burly Esquire to do battle with Mr. Ogg and his mercenary "dark suits." A new, better life filled with his passions for poetry and jazz drives Tommy Mack to the slambang climax where a few dark secrets about his past are unearthed. Told in spare, lean prose, Ask the Dice is a brisk, literate, and idiosyncratic noir. Mr. Lynskey's crime novels have been praised by such luminaries as James Crumley, Ken Bruen, and Megan Abbott. Robert Wade (Wade Miller) wrote in the San Diego "A new wave of young writers is experimenting with the old-style thriller...among the most promising is Ed Lynskey."

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction

Mass Market Paperback

About the author

Ed Lynskey is a crime fiction author who writes the P.I. Frank Johnson Mystery Series and the Isabel and Alma Trumbo Cozy Mystery Series. His short fiction has appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine.

Reviews

[Lynx · Rating 4 out of 5]

Professional hit-man Tommy Mack Zane is going on 55 and looking forward to a nice retirement. Unfortunately for him, plans have changed upon finding out he's been framed for the murder of big boss Mr. Ogg's niece. Suspecting the man himself is behind the frame, Zane and his band of bizarre cohorts go about finding answers and payback, all while dodging bullets and the police.

Overall it's a fun, easy, fast paced read with interesting characters who exhibit shades of Westlake's Dortmunder Series (and that is a VERY good thing!)

[Dave · Rating 1 out of 5]

Totally unreadable.

[Michael J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good example of contemporary noir. This hits the genre targets.
The narrator is interesting, an adopted young black man groomed from an early age to become a hitman for a D.C. area crime boss. He's unique, and has a cynical world view (but a good heart) perhaps developed by early childhood trauma (discovered the bodies of his suicidal parents, on two separate occasions). He abhors cell phone technology (wears a digital pager only) which makes for some interesting locations as he searches for the few remaining pay phones. He's been doing his job since the age of 18, and at 54 he's thinking of retirement.
The story proceeds at a fast-pace, with plenty of action and doles out the necessary back-story in separate asides, as if the narrator is in a confessional mood and sharing some personal secrets with readers. Why the crime boss would want to eliminate his best hit-man doesn't make sense until near the end of the story, when the apparent reason is revealed.
Recommended for any crime fiction lovers who also have a tase for this kind of noir. Also dark and violent.

[Marley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a fan of adoptee noir, so it was a pleasant surprise to find Ask the Dice a member of that growing subgenre. No doubt some adoption deformers will get the vapors at the thought of a hit man who just happens to be adopted (hit man, might be too benevolent--from the way Tommy Mack Zane our protagonist and narrator tells it,the number of dead pile up in the hundreds), but as a Bastard I found it refreshing and so un-PC. Even better, he's a TRA hit man, black and adopted by a white Washington DC couple from an "orphan home" in Champagne's Folly, Texas, his landing point after his parents mysteriously committed suicide, giving him an extra layer or two of adoptee angst and screwed upedness. He clearly loves his adoptive parents Amanda and Phil Zane, but feels apart, different. Being 5 or 6 years old and finding his mother Nela hanging in the kitchen a week after his father, Bradford killed himself doesn't help much. Thankfully, Tommy Mack suffers no primal wound and doesn't blame his career choice on adoption.

But back to the book. Tommy Mack is a contract killer for the blind, dirty-minded, and mysterious Watson Og (love the name!) the crime boss of the WDC area who lives in a crappy bungalow in order to keep a low profile. Mr Og reminds me of William Burroughs in green aviator glasses. He has two hot-to-trot nieces, Gwen and Rita, in his charge (more or less) which is where the trouble starts.

See, Tommy Mack is...well...getting tired of his job. After all, he's been whacking skimmers, cheats, witnesses for the prosecution, snitches, thugs, and a boxcar of plain troublesome people for Mr. Og since he was 18, and now at the age of 54 he'd like take down his shingle. Mr. Og has other ideas, or shall we say, he's planning to take Tommy Mack's shingle down himself. It was a little unclear to me just why Mr Og has a hard-on for long time trusted employee Tommy Mack, other than he has one on for everybody, and the dice shook out Tommy Mack this time around. I mean, this is a guy who will knock off his own family if they "misbehave" or even if they don't. He seems to be in to object lessons. Besides,Tommy Mack has a tendency to act up sometimes even to the point of fudging a hit he deems unfair.

I won't spoil the fun--too much. After Mr. Ogg frames Tommy Mack for the murder of his niece Gwen, the cast of characters grows. Old friends D Noble from the 'hood who's been playing dead from AIDS for the last few years and Esquire, a gay hulk of a car upholsterer who favors hammers and knuckle dusters if he must; and new friends Danny, a female Northern Virginia gun dealer and Big Jamal, a midget with a Glock, join Tommy Mack's crew to eliminate Mr. Og permanently from the WDC scenery. To pepper the pot, as the gig begins to go down, Tommy Mack starts to draw the dots together and comes to some startling personal revelations about his own life. The denouement--well think of Red Harvest.

Tommy Mack is a traditionalist. He abhors cell phones and has a rolodex in his head of phone booths in DC Metro. In his off-hours, he listens to old school jazz, (especially Bird) watches vintage black-produced film noir, and writes poetry. As someone who misspent much of her youthful should-be-sleeping time listening to XERB and XERF border blasting all the way from the Mexic6 toCanton, Ohio, I especially like his (and Lynsky'A poem X Radio Station: Texas 1940s.

Some of the writing in Ask the Dice is a little clunky; some of the plot and narrative improbable, but you can say the same about Chandler, Hammett, and Cain (anybody ever actually read Double Indemnity?) all of whom Lynsky seems to draw on. I was hoping that Mr Og was shagging his nieces, but alas! That is, as far as we know. Tommy Mack should have been younger by 10 years or so which would tighten up the timeline a little. Mr. Og is supposedly only a "person of interest" to the WDC police (and I assume the FBI) when he's a crime boss in the nation's capital connected to "the Baltimore family." In real life, WDC,has plenty of criminals, but no traditional crime family unless you count Congress. The idea that he can maintain a low profile just doesn't make sense.

Tommy Mack's adoption story is left open ended, even if it appears to be closed in the book. There's a lot more going on there that we don't know, but our protagonist has other things on his mind--sorta.--and says he doesn't care. He will. He's adopted, and I've never known an adoptee to let their story hang, for very long, eve if it's bad.

Tommy Mack's return to Champagne's Folly, during a road trip, courtesy of Mr Og, was handled with sensitivity and I'd like to see more of that part of the story. A search for the truth that goes deeper than what's he's already done. I hope Lynsky and Tommy Mack revisit and dissect the story a la James Ellroy's My Dark Places.

A sequel? Here's an idea: Tommy Mack Zane, after returning to Champagne's Folly to investigate his parents deaths and uncover his adaption secrets, takes on the Texas adoption industry and the legislature and gets our records opened. How Tommy Mack accomplishes this miracle we'll leave up to Ed Lynsky and Tommy Mack.

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ask The Dice tells the story of an over the hill hitman, Tommy Mack Zane, who is thinking of getting out of the game. This process is hurried along when he is framed for the murder of his boss' niece. Dodging, ducking and weaving as he tries to figure out who, what and where, Tommy tries to stay alive long enough to retire in one piece. A reasonably entertaining mystery, with a full rounded main character, Ask The Dice gets the job done.

Tommy Mack Zane is a jazz loving 50+ year old black hitman who is beginning to think too much about his job and his victims. Wondering just when he will know it is time to hang up his gun (which he is, oddly enough, allergic to, as he breaks out in a rash whenever he wield it), his thought process is accelerated when he uncovers Mr. Ogg's niece dead in her apartment. Mr. Ogg, his crime lord boss, is a blind kingpin who can seemingly read minds and is always one step ahead of the competition. This time, Tommy Mack figures Mr. Ogg could sense his growing weariness and decided to put him into a permanent retirement.

Well, Tommy Mack won't go down without a fight, so he recruits some friends to help him figure out who killed the niece while staying one step ahead of the Mr. Ogg's new hired hitmen, with a bounty on Tommy Mack's head. The police also suddenly get interested in the case, which really complicates matters.

Zane is a real Luddite, hating cell phones and most other modern technology. He still calls from phone booths even. Listening to jazz, writing poetry and smoking cigarettes, he barely stays ahead of the other hitmen. His help includes a gay auto reupholsterer, an old childhood chum who shows up and Danny, a fellow hitman who believes his story.

There's some mystery to his past as well, which makes him wonder about a lot of his life. It all explodes, as these things are wont to do, in a paroxysm of violence, and he also tracks down Mr. Ogg to squeeze a confession out of him. But will he like the answers?

A perfectly perfunctory mystery novel. Tommy Mack Zane is an interesting character, full rounded if not fully believable. The mystery and even his back story run afoul of the KISS principle - Keep It Simple Stupid. The reasons for the murder and even why Tommy Mack Zane is who he is are just far too convoluted to be realistic. The prose was serviceable, if a bit clunky at times.

So all in all, I enjoyed it well enough to finish it, which is saying something these days. It took me a while, as I would put it down, move on but I always came back to it and I am glad I finished it. I would give it 3.5 stars if there were such a thing, but as it is, it will have to make do with 3 stars.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a long time since I have read a noir story. Back then it was Andrew Vachss. Now it's Ed Lynskey. I can't speak for Ed's other novels, as this stand alone story is the very first I have read by him. However, if this shows how great his other novels are, then sign me up!

Tommy Mack Zane is a hit man, a hired assassin, working for the company man - blind Mr. Ogg. Mr. Ogg sounds like a cretin. He appears to have no scruples or morals, and makes the decisions to have people offed without so much of a second thought. Good thing Tommy's there to remind him of the consequences and how the big cheeses in Baltimore look at things. Those nieces of his also sound like a handful. Until one of them is murdered - in the exact style that Tommy uses in his everyday life. Guess who's getting the blame for this one? Can you say blackballed??

Back to Tommy - he's a black orphan, now at the ripe old age of 54, who was raised by white parents. He's always been suspicious of the suicides of his parents, days apart, in Texas leaving him an orphan. He was taken under Mr. Ogg's wing when he was a teenager and has been his main hit man ever since. But now that he's older, Tommy is finding more reasons and rationales as to why it's time to retire. however, now that he's the main suspect of the niece's death (and this is from his boss's and the police's point of view) he is finding it more difficult just to walk away. He's determined, with a little help from some very odd friends, to prove he didn't commit this act before someone has him rubbed out as well.

I truly did enjoy this tale as it had some violence, a lot of action and every so often even a tiny inkling of tenderness. I think the hardest part to grasp, for me, was when Tommy would tell tales from his younger years. Sometimes I didn't realize I was reading about the past, and had to re-read to make my brain click in. The only other part I found somewhat annoying was the editing. At times, whole words were missing or added, the spelling was off and/or the grammar (past and present tense) was incorrect. Ive been told by a few people that this happens often in ebooks, so I have been trying to ignore that. Either way, Ed Lynskey's Ask the Dice is an awesome noir read and would be enjoyed by anyone interested in that genre or interested in foraying into the genre.

[Rob Preece · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tommy Mack doesn't think of himself as getting old. In his mid-fifties, he's still the top hit-man in the Washington D.C. area. So, it's no surprise when mob-leader Watson Ogg asks him to sort out the problems his niece has been having--someone, apparently, has been blackmailing her. Mack gets on the job, drives out to talk to the niece, and finds her dead. Not just murdered, but murdered with a double-tap from a .22--Mack's signature technique. All of which means that Mack has been framed... and he suspects his long-time boss, Ogg, is behind the frame.

Although Ogg lives in a middle-class subdivision, he's constantly surrounded by gunmen. And now, more mob gunmen are flowing into the Virginia suburbs looking for the bounty on Mack's head. Mack figures there's only one way to end it... and that's to kill Ogg. Unfortunately, Ogg never leaves his fortress-like home and Mack's assassination technique is close-up, not long-distance sniping. Then there's the little problem of being in his mid-fifties and never forming many close relationships (he is a hit-man after all... he can't exactly kick back and talk about work).

Author Ed Lynskey delivers a protagonist who is sympthetic despite his chosen career. Mack, an African-American in a mostly-white mob world, is a powerful presence on the page. Lynskey's dry writing style gives the readers the facts, while letting them make their own evaluation of the situation and of Mack's options. It's interesting to compare Lynskey's take on the hit-man with Laurence Block's. Both are talented writers but Lynskey's world is darker and the choices he offers are harder.

I've been a fan of Lynskey for years. ASK THE DICE is a bit of a different direction for him but his hardboiled view of the world comes through clearly. I sat down with this one and didn't get up until I'd finished it.

[Oldtribe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tommy Mack Zane is a hitman who is getting completely out of touch of the world. He's not able to work any more, nor can he keep up on the new technological progress. In short, he's a man who has no reason to exist. Throughout the novel he keeps on reminiscing the highlights and lowlights of his career, while trying to end his current life and start a new one. In this way, the novel has the same feel as the 1960s French art-house film noirs, where the action is less frequent and the characters spend more time just figuring out their lives.

The plot is an old one, a standard in the noir genre. Ed Lynskey writes with a distinctive voice, in a style of his own. It took me a little while to get used to the frequent flashbacks and to the rather flowery prose that did not always seem to fit to the somber action. Towards the end, I was converted, eagerly waiting for the peeks to Zane's former life. I did not care for the action scenes. Ed Lynskey is not an action writer, his strengths lie more in the character introspection sequences. I also liked the poems even if they were completely out of place.

One major gripe I have is that the world in Ask the Dice is nowhere a believable one. The characters get away with infinite stupidity, with the only explanation being that they are so professional they know better than the reader. At times I did not know if I should be insulted or nor. In the end, I chose to accept this make-believe world on its own terms and just enjoy the ride. I would have preferred to have believable characters whom I can better identify with.

Final verdict: Three stars, for "I'm not sorry I read this book".

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The noir atmosphere, dialogue, tone and feel of Ask the Dice are right on target. Ed Lynskey has obviously read lots of hardboiled fiction and can navigate his way through those dark alleys and shadowy streets with the best of them. Tommy Mack Zane is a character we’re instantly interested in: he’s 54, old-school, writes poetry, loves jazz and despises cell phones. Sure, he’s a throwback, but Lynskey makes him a likable throwback, a man with plenty of smarts trying to do his job and do it well. That’s a little challenging when his boss tries to frame Tommy Mack for the murder of his niece.

Tommy Mack is old-school, but he’s not simple. He thinks a lot and as a thinker, his mind is constantly working, sometimes jumping from past to present at a dizzying pace, which can be somewhat confusing for the reader. Abrupt change-of-direction is one of the hallmarks of noir/hardboiled fiction, but I found those changes in Ask the Dice hard to keep up with at times. Some of these scenes felt too rushed. I wanted more description of scene, especially in the logistics of some of the action sequences.

Other scenes are meant to convey backstory in a way that doesn’t slow the story down (such as some of Tommy Mack’s phone conversations), which I appreciate, but I also felt that some of the backstory (such as instances of Tommy Mack’s past) weren’t really necessary in this volume. Much can be revealed throughout the course of a series (which hopefully this will become), so less can sometimes be more.

Even so, there’s lots to like here and fans of hardboiled/noir fiction will find plenty of good stuff in Ask the Dice.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tommy Mack Zane is a 50 something black man with some problems. Not only is he thinking more about his poetry than his paying job, but a wild hair has gotten him back to smoking. The phone company keeps removing pay phones from the city, and he refuses to use a cell phone. He has become allergic to guns, literally, as his skins breaks out when he touches one, which puts a bit of a crimp in his profession as the hired assassin for the criminal Mr. Ogg. And, oh yeah, now Mr. Ogg thinks Tommy Mack has murdered his niece, which makes the prospects for Tommy's continued existence rather bleak.

This book is a fun romp. The writing captures the almost satirical worldview of Tommy, though its use of colloquial language can occasionally become a bit distracting to the immediate understanding of the plot:

“Guns made jarring noises, leaving my ears to whistle for the next week. Shoulder and ankle holsters were comical. I shied away from the Mexican carry---lodging a gun in my waistband---from the fear of flying through life with no joystick even if my sex life was a farce.”

“My hopped up nerves got me to Gwen’s slate porch where I saw no tulips decorated her yard. Her bacchanal nights rioting on until dawn left her few hours for yard work.”

But, Ed Lynskey has captured a unique voice in Tommy Mack. Lets hope for another book about Tommy Mack soon.

Ask the dice, baby, cause life is just a craps shoot.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book because Tommy Mack was such a unique character. His profession was that of a hit man and his take on the world. He had heart and he also was very loyal until you crossed him. then it was just business.

I think the Kindle format sometimes doesn't allow us to see the difference in time and that is the only thing I didn't like about this book. Because it was in present time and then would go back to prior times. This was not easily discerned until you were a couple of sentences in the paragraph. Had there been more spacing then it might have been easier for me to see the time switches. I am a chronological reader also, so this might have something to do with that as well. However, this still does not detract from the book that much.

It is a very fast and easy read. I didn't have any trouble turning the next page in this book. I even liked the ending. It seemed appropriate for the things that had went on during the course of the book. Sometimes they don't end as we like to see them but this one did and I enjoyed it.

I am giving this one 4.5 stars. I am glad I was given the opportunity to read this book and hope that Mr. Lynskey writes more because I am sure he will only get better with time. I wish Mr. Lynskey continued success in his writing.

BUY NOW: AMAZON $3.99

[Joe Slavinsky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ed is a Shelfari "friend", and this is the third book of his that I have read. The others were, "The Blue Cheer", in his "Frank Johnson" series, and "Lake Charles". All three have a gritty, "noir" feel, with flawed protagonists, which Ed does very well. In this one, the main character is a 54 year old, black, hitman for the mob, suffering a mid-life crisis, and framed for the "hit" of his boss' niece. Tommy Mack Zane is a walking dichotomy. He's a contract killer, who loves bebop jazz, and writes free verse poetry(BTW, the actual poems in the book were written by Ed, as well.). I own all three books, the latter two in e-versions, as Ed is only now becoming more widely available. I've yet to find any of his stuff in the Dallas Public Library(I hope I'm not the only one making suggestions!). I've really increased the breadth of my reading lately, but I will definitely check out more of his oeuvre. If you're interested, he sent me an e-mail that he has a volume of short stories, "Smoking On Mount Rushmore", that's just been released. According to the blurb at the beginning of this book, his titles can be found, on line, at: store.crossroadpress.com

[Lisa Malmquist · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great new twist on a crime novel!
Fifty-four year old Tommy Mack, hitman, decides its time to retire.
He's worked for mob boss Watson Ogg all his life. Mr Ogg has framed him for his neice's murder. He would prefer Tommy being permanently retired.
Tommy is now between a rock and a hard place, the mob and the police are both after him for the supposed killing of Gwen Ogg.
The story moves back and forth between the current scenes and Tommy Mack's past. You get a glimpse into how Tommy comes to be on Mr Ogg's bad side and becomes disillusioned with his trade.
Meanwhile Tommy enlists some help to extricate himself from his predicament.
His friends D Noble, Esquire, Jamal, all add something extra to the story and give Tommy a much more human side.
I found myself rooting for him despite his trade.
I don't want to ruin the story for anyone so you'll just have to read it to find out what happens!
Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Lisa

[Drew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ask The Dice was a good read for fans of crime novels. I particularly enjoyed the format author Ed Lynskey employed. Once the initial dilemma was established, the chapters basically alternated between the task at hand and flashbacks over a life as a hit man. The story follows hit man Tommy Mack Zane as he is framed for a murder by the mob boss that he has worked for basically his whole life. There is just no loyalty in the murder business, I suppose. Tommy Mack goes on the run and begins to reflect on his life. Along the way, he learns a few things about his own history and childhood that shaped who he became. I won't say any more than that, but I enjoyed the book. The flashback chapters were particularly interesting. The book ended slightly awkwardly, but all in all it was a satisfying read, worthy of 4 stars. Check it out if you get the chance.

[Marti · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been a few years since I reviewed Ed Lynskey's earlier book, Lake Charles. This is a much different book than that one--crime noirish for sure! It is different to have a hit man as the main character, certainly a black man who grew up in a white foster home. We later find out how that happened. Tommy Mack Zane works for Mr. Watson Ogg, who knows, in the little blue book, just how many hits Tommy has done. Besides this line of work, Tommy writes free verse, and appreciates good jazz. Being a hit man poses a problem--how does one retire, and is it possible to do so? The phrase, Ask the Dice comes toward the end of this rather compelling story. It is different--more violence than sex, but quite entertaining.

[Evelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tommy Mack Zane is a black hit man, but also a complex individual facing a mid-life crisis. He's a retro guy who likes typewriters and real telephones. Raised by white adoptive parents in a suburb of Washington, D.C., he takes his assignments from the local crime boss Mr. Ogg. When Mr. Ogg's niece is in trouble, he sends Tommy to take out her blackmailer, but Tommy finds her already dead. Now Tommy is the lead suspect in her murder and he finds out Mr. Ogg has most likely set him up.
With no one to trust, Tommy Mack relies on some old friends to help him stay alive and pay back Mr. Ogg.

Reads like a '40s detective novel. I enjoyed Tommy Mack's character (hitman and poet, too!) I look forward to more books by this author.

[Pearce Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ask the Dice is a well crafted mystery, fast and sweet, with the kinds of twists and turns that keep your attention. The protagonist, Tommy Mack Zane, is tired of his life of destruction -- Tommy yearns for a life of art and creativity, but his quest for peace is balked when he is framed for the murder of a powerful dangerous man's relative.

This is a perfect beach or vacation read, quick and zippy, with fun characters and snappy dialogue. Author Ed Lynskey is an alumnus of mine -- we were both fortunate enough to be published in Anthony Neil Smith's legendary Plots With Guns!. Ed's long devotion to craft shows in this novel, and it's good to see a fellow PWG author use the Kindle to reach new readers.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hitman, Tommy Mack Zane, has been set up. His boss’s favorite niece has been killed and Tommy Mack is the favorite, suspected by both his boss and the cops. The protagonist of this piece is unique. He has a poet’s heart, a love of jazz, and an allergy to guns. Literally, since he breaks out in a distressing skin rash every time he picks his up. “The job touched—and then poisoned—every single aspect of my life . . .” Assisted by a posse of odd-ball sidekicks, it’s a race to the finish. Who will get to Tommy Mack first, the hired killers who are gunning for him or the cops? If noir is your game, Ed Lynskey’s the name

[Paul Hollis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have always enjoyed crime novels where the main character is someone on the wrong side of the law. In this case, it's a hit-man. It's good to see that the crime novel is in the hands of up and coming writers like Lynskey. I really enjoyed this novel. The author has a good ear for dialogue. Like the masters, Elmore Leonard, Lawrence Block and the late Donald E. Westlake he also infuses his tale with some black comedy. This is the first by this author I have read and I will be looking out for more of his work.

[Denton · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I was reading the first chapter I thought the lead character Tommy Mack Zane was completely unlikeable and that I wouldn't enjoy the book. The book quickly got better and and I found myself hoping that everything would work out for Tommy Mack.
My favorite authors are Micheal Connelly, Walter Mosley and recently George Pelecanos, this book wasn't quite at their level, but was worthwhile and I would definitely read the author's other books. For me the dialogue didn't ring true and felt a little forced at times, which is why I didn't rate the book higher.

[My Book Addiction and More MBA · Rating 4 out of 5]

ASK THE DICE is a great crime novel that I would highly recommend. Lynskey uses both real and fictitious settings which makes the use of this a strong aspect of this book. Zane, the main character is very engaging, doesn’t use a cell phone but occasionally delves into email and internet. His desire is in poetry. I found this a very interesting and entertaining novel that I couldn’t put down. In my books, it is definitely a must read!

Rating: 4.5

Heat Rating: None

Reviewed by: KellyR for My Book Addiction and More

[Zack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the atmosphere and dialogue were as noir as noir can get, the feel of the novel was that of a modern thriller. Tommy Mack's speech, cadence and methods may be all Miles, but the rest of the characters were more of our times. A nice contrast between the classic noir and the modern thriller.

The end was not as expected. Tommy Mack's future not as bleak as envisioned until just a few short pages before the end.

I wish that more of my favorite crime novels ended as well as this one does.

[Benoit Lelièvre · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the plot is the weakest aspect of this novel, because it contains a lot of tired elements of crime fiction (it's not easy to make a relevant hitman novel nowadays), Ed Lynskey's refreshing approach and charming protagonist Tommy Mack Zane will make it worth your wild. He's like one of your dad's mild mannered friends, who discussed killing people like one would discuss floor polishing in a hardware store. Lynskey had his vernacular, his own voice. Very fun read.

[Bill S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written, entertaining book featuring a 54 year old black hit man trying to change his ways. The only minor drawbacks were, to me, the overdose of black slang and two female characters - Alex and Danny - who pop up pretty much out of nowhere to the detriment of the plot and the other characters.

Having said that I have picked up a copy of Ed's "Lake Charles" and am very much looking forward to sinking my teeth into that one as well.

[Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

A unique twist on the hit-man based crime novel. Lynskey delivers with the right amount of dark humor, brutal violence, character development and redemption to make a very enjoyable read. This is my second novel I’ve read by Mr. Lynskey, both were very well written but from very different “voices”. He definitely has the chops. Highly recommended.

[Peg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good solid story with interesting character twists. The usual suspects only Lynskey gives them a different twist. A very enjoyable story for a cold winter afternoon.

[Lyndac · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book even tho I felt a little queasy about liking a hit man. Very dark noir and very well written.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good one Ed.

[Quinn D · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are a fan of Noir, Hard-Boiled, or just like a nice gritty read then "Ask The Dice" is right up your alley. Lynskey keeps the pace nice and brisk while delivering a satisfying story.