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A Death
[SHORT STORY] Hammond and Baker are two government agents sent to south-west England to silence a former spy. The victim is an elderly lady and Hammond, on his first assignment, has been unable to go through with the job. The opening of the story finds him sitting in the car, waiting for Baker who's had no such qualms. It seems Hammond's career is over, end of story, but stopping for lunch, the two men are witness to a tragedy of a different order, and to an act of heroism that will haunt both of them. This story first appeared in "Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine" in December 2008. It was subsequently translated into Finnish for the magazine, Isku, and was the inspiration for a short film by award-winning director, Garrick Hamm.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 9, 2012
About the author
Kevin Wignall
44 books562 followersArmy Child till age nine.
Settled back in a small town in the west of England.
Lancaster University - degree in Politics &
International Relations.
Writer.
Also writes as K.J. Wignall
Email: kevin@kevinwignall.com
Settled back in a small town in the west of England.
Lancaster University - degree in Politics &
International Relations.
Writer.
Also writes as K.J. Wignall
Email: kevin@kevinwignall.com
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 10, 2024
A Death and a Life?
Another short story by Kevin Wignall. This one is a bit different from the others.
Hammond and Baker are both agents for their government and they are assigned to kill a former agent. Someone who is old and retired from the job.
Baker is gung-ho about the assignment and he’s ready to roll. But Hammond is a different breed of a person. He doesn’t like killing an elderly woman.
Plus, she once worked for the agency and now she has become a liability. So they say. Now she must be killed.
Is Baker a different breed of person than Hammond? Is he going to kill her?
Five stars. ✨✨✨✨✨
Another short story by Kevin Wignall. This one is a bit different from the others.
Hammond and Baker are both agents for their government and they are assigned to kill a former agent. Someone who is old and retired from the job.
Baker is gung-ho about the assignment and he’s ready to roll. But Hammond is a different breed of a person. He doesn’t like killing an elderly woman.
Plus, she once worked for the agency and now she has become a liability. So they say. Now she must be killed.
Is Baker a different breed of person than Hammond? Is he going to kill her?
Five stars. ✨✨✨✨✨
May 21, 2017
Another crisp and entertaining novel by Kevin Wignall. A short story originally commissioned to appear in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine in 2008.
Always able to make the spy/hitman novel have an unexpected twist, the author has the ability to think about what happens when the contract or operation does not go quite as smoothly as planned. In this account two enforcers are sent to terminate a pensioner with over 50 years’ service in the trade who has become a liability. One remains in the car unable to reconcile his conscious in the sure knowledge that by not following his orders his own career will be over. The other he knows will not cover for him, although he is more than capable of carrying out the hit alone.
As they drive away from the scene their roles are firmly established and there is great tension in the car.
A detour for lunch can only delay the consequences of the split between the two but the author has one final twist to share with his devoted readers who like me will applaud his imagination and craft of telling a good story.
Always able to make the spy/hitman novel have an unexpected twist, the author has the ability to think about what happens when the contract or operation does not go quite as smoothly as planned. In this account two enforcers are sent to terminate a pensioner with over 50 years’ service in the trade who has become a liability. One remains in the car unable to reconcile his conscious in the sure knowledge that by not following his orders his own career will be over. The other he knows will not cover for him, although he is more than capable of carrying out the hit alone.
As they drive away from the scene their roles are firmly established and there is great tension in the car.
A detour for lunch can only delay the consequences of the split between the two but the author has one final twist to share with his devoted readers who like me will applaud his imagination and craft of telling a good story.
June 12, 2025
Good Short Story
Always nice to read how a character in a tale can become transformed after witnessing something out of the ordinary, and that works in this poignant story. I hadn't been aware that Kevin Wignall wrote short stories and am glad I grabbed this one. He's become my favorite author.
Always nice to read how a character in a tale can become transformed after witnessing something out of the ordinary, and that works in this poignant story. I hadn't been aware that Kevin Wignall wrote short stories and am glad I grabbed this one. He's become my favorite author.
April 24, 2016
I liked it. It's short, but well written.
September 8, 2016
Surprise
Not what I expected, it was good, tho. KW has a way of getting me connected with his characters even in short stories.
Not what I expected, it was good, tho. KW has a way of getting me connected with his characters even in short stories.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews