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Kill Boy
Not yet published
Expected 23 Feb 27
A stunning, queer take on the classic hitman narrative from debut author, Rhys Kimmitt.
Rafi Smith is a trans man living an isolated existence in Los Angeles. By day, he works as a content moderator, enduring a relentless stream of digital atrocities for a meager wage that barely covers the interest on his massive debt following back alley gender confirmation surgery. In order to keep the debt collectors at bay, Rafi moonlights as a contract killer, weaponizing his desensitization to violence for his own ends. All the while, Rafi has been driven into a numb insomnia having been plagued by vicious night terrors.
With the contracts drying up and debtors closing in, Rafi leaps at an opportunity from an anonymous client that will clear his debts and then some. Tasked with infiltrating a religious terrorist cell in the Mojave Desert and assassinating their leader, his client among their highest ranks, Rafi is rapidly pulled in by the cult’s enigmatic leader, Michael, who claims to hear the voice of God. When Rafi discovers the horrors hiding under Michael’s prophetic exterior, he is caught between his own moral compass, the goal of his mission, and the near-irresistible allure of the assumed divine.
Dark, propulsive, and deeply human, Kill Boy will challenge you to re-evaluate your genre expectations and take you on a journey of self- love, identity, and belief.
Rafi Smith is a trans man living an isolated existence in Los Angeles. By day, he works as a content moderator, enduring a relentless stream of digital atrocities for a meager wage that barely covers the interest on his massive debt following back alley gender confirmation surgery. In order to keep the debt collectors at bay, Rafi moonlights as a contract killer, weaponizing his desensitization to violence for his own ends. All the while, Rafi has been driven into a numb insomnia having been plagued by vicious night terrors.
With the contracts drying up and debtors closing in, Rafi leaps at an opportunity from an anonymous client that will clear his debts and then some. Tasked with infiltrating a religious terrorist cell in the Mojave Desert and assassinating their leader, his client among their highest ranks, Rafi is rapidly pulled in by the cult’s enigmatic leader, Michael, who claims to hear the voice of God. When Rafi discovers the horrors hiding under Michael’s prophetic exterior, he is caught between his own moral compass, the goal of his mission, and the near-irresistible allure of the assumed divine.
Dark, propulsive, and deeply human, Kill Boy will challenge you to re-evaluate your genre expectations and take you on a journey of self- love, identity, and belief.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication February 23, 2027
About the author
Rhys Kimmitt
1 book1 followerRhys Kimmitt is an author and producer from Melbourne, Australia based in Brooklyn, New York.
Through his writing, he examines the many nuances, beauties, and horrors of the queer experience. His debut novel KILL BOY is set to be published in 2027 as part of a two-book deal with Diversion Books.
As a producer, he has overseen the development, production, post-production, and release of more than 60 hours of prestige transatlantic television.
Through his writing, he examines the many nuances, beauties, and horrors of the queer experience. His debut novel KILL BOY is set to be published in 2027 as part of a two-book deal with Diversion Books.
As a producer, he has overseen the development, production, post-production, and release of more than 60 hours of prestige transatlantic television.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
Propulsively violent and equally unforgettable, KILL BOY is one of the darkest books I've ever read -- and necessarily so. Like moonlight, Rhys Kimmitt also threads a silvery hope through all this brutality and establishes himself as a masterful storyteller with one hell of a range.
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October 28, 2026really good
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book.
Amazing, dark story and incredibly well-written. I couldn't put it down! Rafi was very well-written and I enjoyed how it shows anyone can be pulled into, or back into, a cult, whether they are fully aware or not. Would totally read again!
Amazing, dark story and incredibly well-written. I couldn't put it down! Rafi was very well-written and I enjoyed how it shows anyone can be pulled into, or back into, a cult, whether they are fully aware or not. Would totally read again!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews