Dressed for a Kill

by Brian Bianco

To Chicago Trib reporter Miles Fischer, it was just another rape and murder trial, until the two convicted felons are found dead from a crossbow, in the muddy parking lot of a rundown bar just days after their surprising acquittal. His curiosity turns to suspicion after searching the archives where he discovers two more cases similar to the one in Tweeksbury. Is it a coincidence? Miles doesn’t think so. In fact, he believes he knows who the killer is after a chance encounter. Miles draws the ire of the FBI and becomes tight-lipped when confronted to disclose what he knows. He wants the story and the glory that goes with it, and believes he is the only one who can identify the killer. He sets his sights on Seattle and creates a game of cat-and-mouse with the FBI and an ex-cop turned private investigator. What Miles and the private investigator don’t realize is just how deadly this game is about to become.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Crime

431 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 16, 2009

About the author

Before I tell you a little something about me, I want to tell you about my book, Dressed for a Kill, first.

I worked hard on writing this book, creating characters that are as real as you and I, that you can easily relate to and like as I take you on a journey into their lives and why the things that happened, happened, Some of the traits portrayed by the characters are some of those that we find in everyday life, which may not be the most desirable but that is what life is, not always agreeable and not easily understood if we don't or can't understand the reasoning behind their motives. This is what one reviewer wrote: ". . . with a main character you love to hate". Although the reviewer saw the flaws in this person, the reader could still relate to him. Another wrote: "I felt I knew each character's personality . . " This is music to my ears because a reader felt and experienced what I was trying to create. And she wasn't the only one. More than a couple of others stated how the characters drew them in, that the story is both realistic and entertaining. One reader wrote that the story is unique and although every story has already been written by those before us, I tend to agree with the reader that the storyline is indeed, unique because of the different elements that make up the story. Reviewers mention the twists and turns in the book, how it kept them guessing until the very end. As one person put it, "The ending is superb and will not happen until the very last pages. (That, to me, really sells it.)" Another wrote, "I started it on a boring train ride and almost missed my stop." She finished off her review with this, "What can you say after outstanding?" The book will or at least it should leave you thinking when you have finished reading as to just how close the antagonist came to pulling off the perfect crime. As one reviewer put it, "This is the first book I have read by this author and found it an excellent book. Lots to make you think about and good twists. Great read and certainly recommended."

So there it is from some who have read the novel, Dressed for a Kill. But I don't want you to take my word or the word of those who have already read the book. Instead, find out for yourself. Get yourself a copy. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

Now, a little something about me.

I am born, raised and living in the beautiful city of Vancouver, home of the 1986 World's Fair (Expo '86) and the 2010 Winter Olympics. I attended university at Simon Fraser but never completed my studies, the problem being I never knew ​what I wanted to do or be until finally one day, while watching an Oprah Winfrey Show, I came away inspired. Corny, I know but that is what actually happened. Its also ironic, since her show was about inspiration. The next day I was at my computer, typing the first words to my novel, Dressed for a Kill. It took me a year to write but not because I was suffering from writers block. Quite the contrary. What I wanted was to do it right the first time. First impressions are important because you will never get another chance to impress your audience, which is you, the reader.​​​​

I love writing, creating something from nothing, being able to make a whole new world come alive. Writing is a passion, being creative an art and I think, that maybe, I have finally found what I was meant to do.

I hope you enjoy the book, leave a review if you 'liked' it and look forward to reading my next novel, Painted Ladies.

Ciao,
B

Visit him at his website: www.brianbianco.ca or follow him on Facebook: (BrianBianco.author)

Reviews

[Barbara Watkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dressed For a Kill:
Author: Brian Bianco
Publisher: BookSurge Publishing
ISBN# 978-1439258880

“A Thriller From Start To Finish”


“Dressed for a Kill” by Brian Bianco, is a gripping suspense thriller. I picked it up, turned the page, and did not stop reading until the last word was read. The author stimulates your imagination with twists and turns – keeps you captivated throughout your read. What makes a great suspense thriller? In my opinion, a great suspense thriller has to have precarious situations, unique characters, and a strong plot – hence, once again I introduce you to “Dressed for a Kill.”

Chicago Tribune reporter, Miles Fischer, wants the story and all the glory that goes along with it. This thrilling tale of suspense starts out with Mr. Fischer covering a trial involving rape and murder. Soon after the defendants are acquitted of all charges, they are found murdered – both killed by arrows of a crossbow. With an abiding passion for finding the truth, Miles does his research and discovers two more cases that oddly resemble the most recent crime. Employing whatever means it takes to get the story; he often uses such tactics as intimidation – making several enemies along the way. He turns up the heat when the FBI and a former police officer, turned private investigator, join the hunt. As the plot thickens, so to speak, Miles Fischer finds himself in danger of being the next target.

The main character, Miles Fischer, often walks a fine line when trying not to break ethical rules. His personal life is a catastrophe. His impetuous behavior and reputation as a womanizer ultimately destroys his marriage. However, when his investigative instincts kick in, his brutal determination and disregard for his own safety is without flaws. I found the author, Brian Bianco’s, writing similar to that of Kurt Luedtke and David Rayfiel, author of Absence of malice – not as much as in the story subject, but as in the way Bianco displays the art of utilizing psychological twists with exuberant anticipation. I would also like to mention the exquisite book cover for this literature; it is truly a piece of art! I give Dressed for a Kill by Brian Bianco 5 stars – 6 stars if I could!

Brian Bianco lives in New Westminster, British Columbia and Dressed for a Kill is his first novel. He is currently working on two novels, one of which is a murder/mystery, and the other he says ‘is something quite different.’ You can listen as Brian talks about his book on the Mike Nabuurs show, out of Hamilton on Talk 820.

By Barbara Watkins, reviewer for Bookpleasures.

[Lisa Wavrock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dressed for a Kill - One of the best books I’ve ever read!
The characters are well developed in this suspense thriller of rape, murder, court trials, and mystery. This may be Brian Bianco’s first novel, but he has successfully woven a thriller that grabs the reader and does not let go until the end. The plot kept me guessing right up to the last page. Dressed for a Kill is a full-throttle page-turner! There were so many twists, turns and unexpected developments throughout the entire book that I couldn’t put it down. It’s a very entertaining and a must read book!

[Peter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dressed for a Kill, Brian Bianco's first novel, is a suspense / thriller with all the elements: a light read but complex storyline, fast pace, plot twists, and a slick cover. Yet while interesting and enjoyable in places, this is not as rewarding a read as it could be.

The surprise acquittal of two accused lowlifes for a grisly rape and murder outrages a small Idaho town. But investigative reporter Miles Fischer, who's spent three weeks in the boonies covering the trial, is already back in Chicago when someone executes the acquitted men, with a crossbow, no less. This arouses Fischer's curiosity. A little digging, with the help of his attractive assistant, reveals two similar cases of acquitted rapist / murderers killed by crossbows within the past eight years. The Idaho incident appears to be no simple, one-off case of vigilantism. Fischer digs some more and discovers enough truths to write an article linking the three cases.

His article draws the unfriendly attention of two FBI agents who want him to back off but also share his information. He also receives a crossbow arrow in the mail, from the killer no doubt, intended to scare him from further investigation. These have the opposite effect. While the Tribune is reluctant at first to support continuing the story, out safety concerns, they give way. His pregnant wife, the FBI agents who agitate his First Amendment principles, the angry father of one of the crossbow victims in Idaho and his hired private detective, present more challenging obstacles. Doggedly, often clumsily and tactlessly, Fischer forges ahead, soliciting the aid of his superiors, colleagues, old friends, incidental strangers, and in the end even the FBI.

The climactic action takes place in Seattle where Fischer establishes himself at a hotel. Information comes in from various sources and Fischer ventures out to track down the rest. To do so independently, he must elude the ever-present FBI agents, who are no match for his bag of evasion tricks, and circumvent a private investigator who is cleverer than the Feds. In Seattle some things become clearer, others murkier, but eventually come together at the end.

The trade-off for such an involved plot, of course, is flat, stereotyped, sometimes cartoonish characters--lewd and remorseless rapists, cigar-chewing and First Amendment spouting journalists, overbearing FBI agents--and a heavy reliance on coincidence or chance. Even the protagonist seems more an agent of the plot for much of the story than a character in himself.

But he is a character. A bit of a jerk, but an infectiously tolerable one, due to his childish, almost Forrest Gump-like simplicity. Other than his communication with strong women, things come relatively easily to Miles as he pilots us through the plot. He faces resistance but people eventually cooperate, and Miles never faces any setback or resistance that lasts longer than one or two chapters. If the receptionist at the exclusive club refuses to tell him about a member, well then the quirky daughter of the owner shows up to supply all the information he wants. Why? Because of his good looks? His charm? To get herself in the newspaper? I don't know and I have to admit this lack of motivation for helping this out-of-town reporter--common with many of the characters--bothered me. Everything and everyone seems geared toward helping Miles in his quest for the truth.

Everyone except his pregnant wife, Erin, who is in the hospital after a bathtub accident. In a scene of escalating tension, the crux of their marital issues comes to the surface in a loud argument out of which Miles gains his freedom to pursue the story but at an emotional price:

"Miles stood quietly in the hallway, just outside Erin's door, the elevator only seconds away. He was breathing heavily. He could see the nurse, the few visitors who were there, and some of the patients leaning out of doorways and into the hall, staring at him from both ends. They were glaring in his direction, concerned with the intrusive commotion that had abruptly ended from behind the door. He felt deeply embarrassed and ashamed, having shared the most intimate details of his marriage with complete strangers. Go back and apologize, his conscience was telling him. Seconds passed as he paced back and forth, thinking feverishly as to what to do. Do I apologize or should I just leave? He paused and looked at the closed door, where, unbeknownst to him, Erin was experiencing the first signs of labor pain. The hell with it! He decided to leave and headed for the elevators and his black Jimmy waiting in the parking lot. He would not apologize. He had finally said what needed to be said."

It's a convenient method of getting Erin out of the way to set up the rest of the story but since the drama comes first, the execution is satisfying. More of this would have enhanced the story.

Aside from his marriage, though, never once did I sense any menace surrounding the protagonist who seems too protected. No feeling that something truly dangerous is at stake. No thriller aspect. Whenever Fischer faces any resistance at all, the reader encounters an unexpected solution. A Mercedes Browne, for example, who pops up to provide a key piece of unsolicited information key to the plot. Such devices, while expected in genre novels, strain my willingness to suspend disbelief.

The novel does suffer from a lack of diligent editing; the prose, while generally fluid and readable, still seems bloated. The dialogue clips along but much of could be shortened. Many turn into extended arguments that lead to no resolution (i.e. the exchanges between Miles and the FBI) or an unrealistically thorough interview extended to ensure everything comes out and nothing's held back (i.e. the exchange between Miles and Ned in chapter 34 and between Miles and Brooke in chapter 36).

In fact, the entire novel could benefit from a round or two of ruthless cutting of excess narration. The prime targets would be all instances of authorial intrusion, exchanges in which characters explain almost verbatim things the reader had read earlier, and unnecessary naming and descriptions of minor characters that appear only once.

One notable exception is the exposition early in the story that summarizes the archival information about the previous crossbow crimes reads nicely. It's much tighter than most of the novel and a pleasant read, supplying essential information while moving the story along.

I found the first two-thirds of the novel markedly better edited than the last third. The final scenes rush by with plenty of telling but little showing. There is also an increase in niggling proofing errors such as wrongly placed apostrophes and missing hyphens; the pace of the story does ensure they do not impede the reading. I sense a rush to get to the end of the writing and to publish, a temptation first-time novelists need to learn to resist.

Overall, the story is entertaining, even if the motivation of the characters isn't always plausible. The author shows a knack for disseminating the plot in easily digestible chunks that keep one reading. Fans of the genre can probably overlook the issues noted above but I hope that, in his next effort, Mr. Bianco does not. Dressed for a Kill contains enough promise to indicate that's possible.

[Marlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book and the characters portrayed between the pages. The characters are well developed and stand out in my opinion, from Miles, the main character down to those who played minor roles. Though there are many quality characters in this book, I personally liked the character Shawn O'Shea, the owner of the bar that Bruno Carboni frequents. Bruno himself is a very interesting character. An ex-cop turned private investigator who is angry at the world if not those in his personal life. I also liked the character, Brooke Whitney, a college student studying law. The author's use of dialogue was snappy and certainly drove the relationship between her and Miles.

Dressed for a Kill has all the elements of a good novel: a very interesting central plot, the numerous sub-plots that were vital to the main storyline and brought together at the end, interesting relationships between the characters, characters that come across as being real with real life struggles, dialogue that has purpose, and a surprise ending. This book really kept me interested from start to finish. It was extremely well paced and flowed nicely to a conclusion that even I didn't anticipate. Every chapter ended in such a way that you just had to keep reading. Personally, I always break a book down into three equal parts, the beginning, the middle and the end. The beginning chapters did exactly what they were supposed to do. They introduced the main characters, the premise of what the story was about and where it was headed and that's where it grabbed me. The middle of the book didn't drag like it can and sometimes does in a lot of books. Instead, the author progressed the plot, peeling back the layers of the main characters like the layers of an onion to expose more of who they were and what made them tick. He introduced some interesting minor characters that added value to the story, hence the bartender and the college student. In the last third of the book, the author brought it all together, intertwining the twists and turns that left me guessing as to what was what until the very end. What the author accomplished is there were no dead chapters, worthless dialogue or a narration that left me wanting to skip pages. Instead, everything contained within the book had a purpose.

If I had to pick one thing that stands out in this novel it's definitely the plot. The plot is extremely well developed and is definitely unique. That part was very evident and enjoyable because it seemed so real, which made it all the more interesting. That's where the author's style comes in. It was the way he told the story, the style in which he related events and wove them altogether that really had me. And the end, that was the surprise. I never would have guessed it. Maybe there's a sequel here for the future since the author left you guessing as to what the real truth really is. If you love a good murder mystery then I suggest you buy this book. From a purely personal point of view, it was worth it

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dressed for a Kill was just the type of book I normally go for and whilst I really enjoyed the story, the characters really drew you in throughout the story, I found the poor editing really affected my enjoyment of the book. The differing use of character names in the narrative had me puzzled on a number of occasions. If the author is planning to self-publish his next book, it would be worth employing an editor to avoid this in the future.

If it hadn't been for the editing, I would have rated the book much higher.

[Nancy Cholewczynski pitts]

I just finished reading Dressed for a Kill by Brian Bianco (my first one of his). This book starts off fast and keeps going throughout the entire book. I thought I had it figured out around the middle of the book then...BAM! he threw a curve I wasn't expecting!! I was kept guessing to the very end of the book. I highly recommend this book for those who like mystery novels. I can hardly wait for his next book to come out. A fan for sure!!!! I know it took me longer than usual to read but that is life in general.

[Adam Carabine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great debut novel! I had the pleasure of reading this book on a recent vacation. The only negative thing I can say about this book is that it distracted me from my vacation, as I couldn't put it down! The story is original and interesting, the characters behave and speak in a very realistic way, and the pacing will keep you on the edge of your seat the whole way! The lead-up to the ending will certainly keep you hooked, and keep you thinking long after you've finished reading. Great work from a first-time author - I am excited to see what else he may be working on!

[Dawn Baca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read, I stayed up late to finish it. There are many different twists through out the story. It was interesting and entertaining, the characters drew you in because they were realistic and believable. They were human. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for something different.

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed Dressed for a Kill as a fast paced mystery/thriller. The characters were like "regular joes" in their field of work, I felt like I really knew them. The plots twists and turns and keeps the reader guessing as to what will happen next or be discovered. I thought I had it figured out, but no! I found it to be a very good read. I really enjoyed it and am waiting for his next book.

[Arlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really, really liked this book. It was a great read with alot of twists and suprises. I hope to see more books from Brian Bianco.

[SimyCat · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was a good story line and if held my interest for the most part. I wouldn't call this a thriller but a good mystery.

[Asa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this once and forgot about...
gave it another whirl... I didn't find it very compelling.
I found the "plot twists" fairly predictable, and a bit cliche.
I would compare this to a tele-novela... I've seen enough of them
to figure out the plot very early, but sometimes the background noise is nice to have.
While I didn't like this book much, I'm willing to give the author another shot.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dressed for a Kill had me hooked from the beginning! Bianco does a fantastic job of developing interesting characters that you come to both love and hate. This novel was gripping and suspenseful from start to finish and continually kept me guessing. I can't wait to read Bianco's next one!!

[Sue]

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