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Paul Walden #1
The Killer from Manilla
It's only book one and the bodies are already piling up.
Paul Walden is a recently discharged, combat veteran who agrees to leave the army quietly after a scam he was part of is exposed.
In return for keeping his mouth shut, he is promised handsome rewards and a cushy job.
Sadly this turns out to not be the case.
He is given a job working the night shift in a factory performing manual labor. During this time he is fed only scraps from the table where he formally sat.
His brother is in jail, his girlfriend is becoming increasingly distant and his former boss is not keeping his word. Paul's life parodies a country and western song.
Paul struggles to readjust to the civilian world and experiences one letdown after another.
With the bills piling up and fate playing her hand, Paul soon utilizes his skills as a trained killer. He begins to believe that becoming a hit man could be the answer to his problems.
It offers a new start and the opportunity for unparalleled wealth but will he live to regret his decisions? Even worse, will he end up dead in a gutter? Or will his best friend, a former soldier turned police officer catch him in the act?
The killer from Manilla is the first book in "The soldier turns hit man" series.
Graphic and somewhat gory in nature, this book contains violence. Not recommended for persons under 15 years of age.
Paul Walden is a recently discharged, combat veteran who agrees to leave the army quietly after a scam he was part of is exposed.
In return for keeping his mouth shut, he is promised handsome rewards and a cushy job.
Sadly this turns out to not be the case.
He is given a job working the night shift in a factory performing manual labor. During this time he is fed only scraps from the table where he formally sat.
His brother is in jail, his girlfriend is becoming increasingly distant and his former boss is not keeping his word. Paul's life parodies a country and western song.
Paul struggles to readjust to the civilian world and experiences one letdown after another.
With the bills piling up and fate playing her hand, Paul soon utilizes his skills as a trained killer. He begins to believe that becoming a hit man could be the answer to his problems.
It offers a new start and the opportunity for unparalleled wealth but will he live to regret his decisions? Even worse, will he end up dead in a gutter? Or will his best friend, a former soldier turned police officer catch him in the act?
The killer from Manilla is the first book in "The soldier turns hit man" series.
Graphic and somewhat gory in nature, this book contains violence. Not recommended for persons under 15 years of age.
312 pages, Paperback
First published April 28, 2013
1 person is currently reading
23 people want to read
About the author
L.R. Currell
15 books147 followersL.R. Currell is an Australian author who currently has around fifty works in progress. His writing spreads over a variety of genres including but not limited to crime fiction, historical fiction, dystopia, horror, paranormal, action, post apocalyptic, science fiction and fantasy. So far he has released six different pieces of work, a combined total of over 175 000 words in just over a year.
Currell served in the Australian Army for five years deploying twice during that time. He served in the Royal Australian Infantry Corps.
He enjoys street art, classic rock, good food, reading, film, krav maga and of course his main passion, writing. He is an avid traveler having spent time in more than 60 countries. He lived in Canada for three years where he worked as a bouncer. His favorite destination (so far) is the Galapagos Islands.
It is L.R's dream to one day see at least one of his books on the screen.
He currently lives in the Barossa Valley, South Australia where he is working on releasing more books.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 8, 2013
This is the first book in the Paul Walden 'soldier turned hit-man' series and the debut novel of author L.R. Currell.
I loved how easy it was to become invested in Paul's character. He's a soldier who took the fall for something not entirely his doing which ended his military career. In return, the soldier he helped was supposed to take care of him. Not so much.
Paul finds himself working at a bread factory and busting his rear for next to nothing, while his live-in girlfriend continues to spend money and act like they didn't have a care in the world.
In a twist of events, Paul is introduced to the world of a hit-man. Money, power and kicking ass. And seriously who could resist the promise of all that, especially when your back is against a wall? I know I couldn't.
The Killer from Manilla did start off on the slower side, but got better and better as it went along. Paul Walden it seems, is just getting started. A wonderful debut novel. I look forward to reading many more by Mr. Currell.
I loved how easy it was to become invested in Paul's character. He's a soldier who took the fall for something not entirely his doing which ended his military career. In return, the soldier he helped was supposed to take care of him. Not so much.
Paul finds himself working at a bread factory and busting his rear for next to nothing, while his live-in girlfriend continues to spend money and act like they didn't have a care in the world.
In a twist of events, Paul is introduced to the world of a hit-man. Money, power and kicking ass. And seriously who could resist the promise of all that, especially when your back is against a wall? I know I couldn't.
The Killer from Manilla did start off on the slower side, but got better and better as it went along. Paul Walden it seems, is just getting started. A wonderful debut novel. I look forward to reading many more by Mr. Currell.
July 3, 2013
I received a kindle for my birthday and this was the first book I downloaded and read off Amazon. It was free at the time and I liked the sound of the story line so I thought that I would read it.
I was surprised that this was the author's debut. For a debut it struck me as well written, I think that the author writes with a maturity and skill that is beyond his years.
The journey that the main character Paul has started to undertake (it is the first book in a series) is one that could be easily predicted but as of this moment in time still has the future hanging in the air.
I like the idea of an ex soldier (been there, done that) trying to fit into society, it is a hard road to undertake and one that presents many challenges. It did not surprise me when I read the author's biography that he is also an ex soldier.
You can tell this by the real world experiences he lays out in this book.
There was one major twist in this book that I absolutely loved (the end) and there was also a lot of other surprises that kept you guessing. Currell definitely wrote a book for the thinking man, he writes in a way that has you considering all the different possibilities while at the same time enjoying yourself.
I will definitely be reading the other stories this young author has to offer.
I was surprised that this was the author's debut. For a debut it struck me as well written, I think that the author writes with a maturity and skill that is beyond his years.
The journey that the main character Paul has started to undertake (it is the first book in a series) is one that could be easily predicted but as of this moment in time still has the future hanging in the air.
I like the idea of an ex soldier (been there, done that) trying to fit into society, it is a hard road to undertake and one that presents many challenges. It did not surprise me when I read the author's biography that he is also an ex soldier.
You can tell this by the real world experiences he lays out in this book.
There was one major twist in this book that I absolutely loved (the end) and there was also a lot of other surprises that kept you guessing. Currell definitely wrote a book for the thinking man, he writes in a way that has you considering all the different possibilities while at the same time enjoying yourself.
I will definitely be reading the other stories this young author has to offer.
July 23, 2013
I received a free ebook copy of this book from the author
The book
Paul is an ex military man who took the fall for his Major. He's trying to get his life as a civilian together. He also receives money from the Major as compensation. He has a job at a bread factory which he hates.
After killing a convicted paedophile, things turn upside down for him.
What I Think
I was terribly disappointed. There were a lot of typos, too much repetition, the story wasn't easy to follow and sentence construction could have been a lot better.
Nothing happened for like the first half of the book. It was a bit too slow. I just kept on waiting for something to happen.
The book is short but it took me a very long tee to read it because I wasn't drawn into the book.
The book
Paul is an ex military man who took the fall for his Major. He's trying to get his life as a civilian together. He also receives money from the Major as compensation. He has a job at a bread factory which he hates.
After killing a convicted paedophile, things turn upside down for him.
What I Think
I was terribly disappointed. There were a lot of typos, too much repetition, the story wasn't easy to follow and sentence construction could have been a lot better.
Nothing happened for like the first half of the book. It was a bit too slow. I just kept on waiting for something to happen.
The book is short but it took me a very long tee to read it because I wasn't drawn into the book.
June 7, 2013
A thumpingly exciting rollercoaster of a read as ex-soldier Paul Walden, through a series of misadventures, is drawn into the world of the hit-man. Life is cheap, thrilling, unpredictable, and often short, and the story, with its succession of dramatic, bloody incidents, will keep you on the edge of your seat. Does Paul get away with his recourse to a life of cold-blooded murder or does he find he has propelled himself into a world of senseless violence where he is powerless to avoid the retribution he deserves? Check it out. Violence, blood and guts, and killings. Could you want for more? The Killer from Manilla is a real thriller!
June 13, 2013
Fantastic debut novel from a very promising Australian author. Paul Walden has some challenges thrown his way, work, his personal life and money to name a few. Things escalate and there are some simply outstanding twists and turns that you will not see coming. I'm really excited about the sequel to Killer which should see Paul thrown into a very different world compared to the one we see him in the first.
Keep writing L.R Currell, your style and methods of character development are exciting to read!
Keep writing L.R Currell, your style and methods of character development are exciting to read!
June 12, 2013
Terrible ...honestly save yourself the pennies that it cost to download , the worst writing i have ever come across . .........a plot so feeble as beggars belief Mr Currell must think his readers as just stupid !
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews