Killing the Dead

Assassin Without a Name #1B

by Scott Marlowe

Some say the dead should stay dead. Not everyone agrees.

The priests purged one of their own with holy fire. Now they need the Assassin Without a Name to finish the job.

In this short tale, an assassin is hired to kill the already dead.

23 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 10, 2013

About the author

Scott Marlowe lives in Bentonville, Arkansas, the Mountain Biking Capital of the World, where he drinks extraordinary amounts of coffee, rides his mountain or gravel bike whenever the opportunity arises, and writes stories that often end in wondrous, explosive mayhem.

You can find more information about Scott at scottmarlowe.com.

Reviews

[Chris Haught · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet. That's more like it. This was more of a short story than the first, which was a quick introduction.

I can see where these will be an entertaining batch of stories once there are more out there. Encouraging.

[Lucinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second tale concerning the "The Assassin without a Name" and it is a good one: Well-paced and well-plotted.

I can not help but compare the character to his beloved Syrah wine...lol. Both are, as expected, a spicy blend of complex flavors: smart, witty, with a pleasingly satisfying finish.

The story works well in introducing the reader to the character but falls short in one area: introducing the reader to the world. I had a hard time placing this time frame. There are no electricity, cars, or firearms but he had a compressed gas lighter. The clothing described would suggest a fairly medieval setting but the two grape varietals mentioned (Merlot and Syrah) are both 19th century grapes. Is this a quibble? Yes, yes it is...but it is the reason this isn't a 5 star read.

That being said, if you like stories of quick-thinking rogues who are more than common criminals, give this one a try. I think of it as a young vintage that is completely approachable and will only improve with time :D.

[Liza · Rating 2 out of 5]

A complete stand alone book.

This short story works very well as a stand alone read. I think had I read the first book it might have made more sense but overall not bad. The pace was steady, it was easy to follow and a complete story from beginning to end. A little more detail would have helped however if the author intended it to adhere to a word limit it was a great attempt.