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Kill It With Fire
They say revenge is a dish best served cold but some like it hot.
Double-crossed and with her reputation as a master criminal compromised,
Violet Winters means to fight fire with fire.
She doesn't play by other people’s rules, or any rules so hell's fury is about to rain down.
Furious, fearless and fighting mad she is ready to risk her life to save her name.
"Fast-paced, funny, and fiercely entertaining."
Fergus McNeill
Double-crossed and with her reputation as a master criminal compromised,
Violet Winters means to fight fire with fire.
She doesn't play by other people’s rules, or any rules so hell's fury is about to rain down.
Furious, fearless and fighting mad she is ready to risk her life to save her name.
"Fast-paced, funny, and fiercely entertaining."
Fergus McNeill
- GenresCrime
152 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 14, 2018
4 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 16, 2018
Today is a special day. This Friday, my most anticipated release meets the world, and I couldn’t be happier.
HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY TO KILL IT WITH FIRE and its author, Adam Maxwell!
Okay, so what is Kill it with Fire like?
Take one of the best and most original plots and teams you’ve met during your reading life and trap them in a novella! That’s it!
Okay, no. It’s more than this. Let’s go back to the start. Check here to read my review of the first book in the Kilchester series, The Dali Deception.
Stealing things have never been hotter, or more enjoyable. No, I haven’t turned into a criminal. Or maybe I did. In any case, Adam Maxwell made me want to be part of the team he created.
Kill it with Fire takes you after the event of the first book, but you can grab it without having read The Dali Deception to get a taste of the colorful and hilarious writing style the author uses to make you turn your back to the common law and embrace a different one. The rules and guidelines of true criminals. Isn’t it exciting?
I could quote the entire book, but then I wouldn’t be doing you a favor, so here’s one of my favorites:
The north of England needed air conditioning like an alcoholic penguin needed ice for his gin and tonic.
Yes, I am guilty of having spent a few minutes imagining the penguin…
Anyway! Adam Maxwell’s novels (or in this case, novella!) are not about big fat guys and gun, but extremely talented, really hot, and straight good people who happen to live a more dangerous life than most of us. With Violet Winters at their head, they play by their rules and simply want to make a living…
So, what happens when someone tries to outsmart Kilchester’s resourceful criminals? They seek revenge. And not any kind of revenge. The one that settles a reputation for good and sends the right message so that no one else gets the same kind of ideas…
I was very curious about how a novella would fit after The Dali Deception and the masterful plot the main character comes up with. Heists require skills and patience, the right people, and did I say patience? (don’t misunderstand me, the first book is packed with action!)
When I read the word revenge and Violet in the same sentence for Kill it with Fire, I knew that:
I was in for a movie-award scheme
I would enjoy every second of it
Was I right? Absolutely!
Now, I was intrigued by the title. Fire is dangerous, but so is messing with Violet! I really need her to be my BFF. I could bring S’mores… You see, it’s always good to have someone such a her on your side. On top of being strong, extremely clever, and having a step ahead at all times, she’s loyal and she managed to bring together the right people to surround herself with. In Kill it with Fire, you also get to see more of what Katie is made of, and wow, just wow. I remember that I was a bit confused by her character when I started reading the series as I was unable to picture her and it left a hole in the experience. But now, I can fully see her, understand her, and I am in love with the two women’s friendship.
The perfect balance and team work don’t stop there. Everyone in Violet’s criminal family has a role to play and they do it so well you’d think they are unstoppable… It felt SO GOOD to see them again, despite the smoke! (read the book to know where it comes from!!!!) that I just ate all the pages in so little time I had to reread the novella as soon as I finished it the first time. And I am not one to reread... I make an exception for my people! My time with those characters is precious, and I will drive to Kilchester again soon. This is how good both characterization and authenticity are when it comes to people in Adam Maxwell’s work. You won’t meet their kind everywhere, but they feel real, they are human, and they fight for their values. What’s not to love???
Revenge… keep telling me it’s better served cold. I can now laugh at your face and say BRING IT ON HOT AND SMOKING! How far would you go to set the record straight? Do you have the balls to do what needs to be done? Violet does. Again, that’s why I love her.
There is a magic combination of humor, expertise, and action in Kill it with Fire. You recognize flaws and qualities in each characters, your eyes sting when things go wrong, you get to know both the inhabitants and the city better. This novella is a bomb filled with sparks of information, surprises, a-100-miles-an-hour pace and enough adrenaline to keep you awake … in only 124 pages.
ps: Look at this cover! BRILLIANT!
Adam Maxwell makes me want to cross the line. Do you have what it takes to join me on the dark side? Grab your copy now!!!
November 16, 2018
I’m back in Kilchester, Britain’s forgotten capital. Kilchester attracts more criminal masterminds than any other city in the UK! But it makes for an entertaining read especially when Violet and co are up to no good!
Set over the course of an evening, Violet and her crew execute a perfectly planned course of revenge. I hardly had time to breathe as this short sharp trip to Kilchester kicks off at a great pace and keeps going to the end. My attention was kidnapped as my eyes devoured the events of that fateful night.
I’d forgotten how much I love Violet! She’s a woman not to be messed with and she definitely holds her own in the criminal underworld. She manages her crew of reprobates to maximise their abilities but she doesn’t always get it right as you’ll find out… #nospoilers
There is no real need to have read The Dali Deception other than it is a brilliant heist caper and you’re missing out by not. Kill It With Fire is not quite the caper that The Dali Deception is but it’s a different book. Brilliant follow up Mr Maxwell!! Can’t wait for book 3! Return ticket to Kilchester please!
Set over the course of an evening, Violet and her crew execute a perfectly planned course of revenge. I hardly had time to breathe as this short sharp trip to Kilchester kicks off at a great pace and keeps going to the end. My attention was kidnapped as my eyes devoured the events of that fateful night.
I’d forgotten how much I love Violet! She’s a woman not to be messed with and she definitely holds her own in the criminal underworld. She manages her crew of reprobates to maximise their abilities but she doesn’t always get it right as you’ll find out… #nospoilers
There is no real need to have read The Dali Deception other than it is a brilliant heist caper and you’re missing out by not. Kill It With Fire is not quite the caper that The Dali Deception is but it’s a different book. Brilliant follow up Mr Maxwell!! Can’t wait for book 3! Return ticket to Kilchester please!
August 29, 2020
Rocks to the Max!
Just like the first book, I finished it in one sitting. It rocks! Mr Maxwell, you need to write more. You need to write more NOW. What are you waiting for? Get started! Now! You have turned me into a Violet Winter junkie and I am going to need a fix very, very soon. So get moving! I'm going to be jonesing for another book in very short order and it is all your fault, so give a poor literature junkie a break and write fast because your stuff is great!
Just like the first book, I finished it in one sitting. It rocks! Mr Maxwell, you need to write more. You need to write more NOW. What are you waiting for? Get started! Now! You have turned me into a Violet Winter junkie and I am going to need a fix very, very soon. So get moving! I'm going to be jonesing for another book in very short order and it is all your fault, so give a poor literature junkie a break and write fast because your stuff is great!
July 21, 2019
Kill it with Fire is a fast paced, full of expertise, funny, action packed kind of Novella.
You could quite happily sit and read it in one sitting then want to go back and reread it again to make sure you hadn’t missed anything the first time round.
My first Adam Maxwell book and won’t be my last, having not read The Dali Deception I was a bit lost to begin with about who was on Violets team but I caught up easily. You could read this as a stand alone or with the series, I believe Adam is working on book three just now. I really need to read The Dali Deception now just to get another Violet Winters fixed : Winters is coming.
Highly recommend Kill it with Fire
You could quite happily sit and read it in one sitting then want to go back and reread it again to make sure you hadn’t missed anything the first time round.
My first Adam Maxwell book and won’t be my last, having not read The Dali Deception I was a bit lost to begin with about who was on Violets team but I caught up easily. You could read this as a stand alone or with the series, I believe Adam is working on book three just now. I really need to read The Dali Deception now just to get another Violet Winters fixed : Winters is coming.
Highly recommend Kill it with Fire
September 12, 2021
Loved my return to Kilchester, and I’m sure it won’t be too long before I’m back again to catch up with Violet and her crew..
We meet Violet as she is just about to set fire to the Tulip Street Gin Palace, and what follows is typical Violet on a revenge mission.
Great characters, fab story and a tale that will probably put you off sausages for awhile 🤮
We meet Violet as she is just about to set fire to the Tulip Street Gin Palace, and what follows is typical Violet on a revenge mission.
Great characters, fab story and a tale that will probably put you off sausages for awhile 🤮
December 27, 2018
Time for a quickie? Of course you do – especially when I want to tell you about the fabulous Kill it With Fire.
Earlier this year I raved wildly about a brilliant heist story I had enjoyed. It was called The Dali Deception and was written by Adam Maxwell. If you click the link on the book title you can see my 5* review. I took to Twitter and proclaimed my love for the brilliant story telling and urged Mr Maxwell not to keep us waiting too long for another adventure for Violet Winter and her motley crew. Happy Days, he answered our pleas and Kill it With Fire is here.
I mentioned this was a quickie – Kill it With Fire is a novella which comes in at around 130 pages. A nice bite size read with loads of fun, action, scrapes and twists crammed into an entertaining evening’s reading.
It’s tricky to do a review of Kill it With Fire (as it was with The Dali Deception) as the enjoyment of the stories comes from not knowing what Violet and her gang have planned. They have a target or, in KIWF’s case, a mission to accomplish. It is hard to see how the different members of Violet’s team all can contribute to the chaos she has planned but with flawless planning and terrible execution this story takes us on a trip into destruction.
How vague was that? Sorry, but I don’t want to spoil too much as I really want you to read the book. All the fun comes from not knowing what is about to happen next or how a seemingly impossible feat can be conned to work to Violet’s advantage.
Adam Maxwell will give you just a glimpse as to what Violet has planned but the best laid plans seem to come unstuck. Can Violet think on her feet fast enough to save her life? Lets hope so as I want more books in this series!
The Dali Deception and Kill it With Fire are “Kilchester” books – they rank highly among the best stories I have read this year. Clever, funny, exciting and brilliantly readable. A crime novel where the bad guys are our good guys and there are badder bad guys to boo. Perfect.
Earlier this year I raved wildly about a brilliant heist story I had enjoyed. It was called The Dali Deception and was written by Adam Maxwell. If you click the link on the book title you can see my 5* review. I took to Twitter and proclaimed my love for the brilliant story telling and urged Mr Maxwell not to keep us waiting too long for another adventure for Violet Winter and her motley crew. Happy Days, he answered our pleas and Kill it With Fire is here.
I mentioned this was a quickie – Kill it With Fire is a novella which comes in at around 130 pages. A nice bite size read with loads of fun, action, scrapes and twists crammed into an entertaining evening’s reading.
It’s tricky to do a review of Kill it With Fire (as it was with The Dali Deception) as the enjoyment of the stories comes from not knowing what Violet and her gang have planned. They have a target or, in KIWF’s case, a mission to accomplish. It is hard to see how the different members of Violet’s team all can contribute to the chaos she has planned but with flawless planning and terrible execution this story takes us on a trip into destruction.
How vague was that? Sorry, but I don’t want to spoil too much as I really want you to read the book. All the fun comes from not knowing what is about to happen next or how a seemingly impossible feat can be conned to work to Violet’s advantage.
Adam Maxwell will give you just a glimpse as to what Violet has planned but the best laid plans seem to come unstuck. Can Violet think on her feet fast enough to save her life? Lets hope so as I want more books in this series!
The Dali Deception and Kill it With Fire are “Kilchester” books – they rank highly among the best stories I have read this year. Clever, funny, exciting and brilliantly readable. A crime novel where the bad guys are our good guys and there are badder bad guys to boo. Perfect.
November 17, 2018
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is a fast-paced, rip-roaring novella about two kickass female criminals getting their revenge on the local crime lord. Violet is the mastermind and Katie the muscle: the comedic partnership between them adds a touch of fun to their adventures.
Maxwell's dark humour puts a new spin on the classic action story, starting from the very premise of Ocean's 8 in Northern England, through to well-meaning good cop Roach and the sadistic yet pathetic villain Elias Croft.
While the novella is in a series, it can be read as a standalone (which I did). I did feel like I was missing some character backstory towards the end, when Violet and Katie meet up with the rest of their crew. And the nature of a novella meant the plot wasn't quite meaty enough for me to sink my teeth into. However this only made me more curious to learn more about them!
This is a fast-paced, rip-roaring novella about two kickass female criminals getting their revenge on the local crime lord. Violet is the mastermind and Katie the muscle: the comedic partnership between them adds a touch of fun to their adventures.
Maxwell's dark humour puts a new spin on the classic action story, starting from the very premise of Ocean's 8 in Northern England, through to well-meaning good cop Roach and the sadistic yet pathetic villain Elias Croft.
While the novella is in a series, it can be read as a standalone (which I did). I did feel like I was missing some character backstory towards the end, when Violet and Katie meet up with the rest of their crew. And the nature of a novella meant the plot wasn't quite meaty enough for me to sink my teeth into. However this only made me more curious to learn more about them!
September 20, 2020
If you’ve got a spare couple of hours, why not be transported into this world of anti- heroines that are like Charlie’s Angels on magic toadstools? Although short, the book has more imagery and classy scenes than a 80,000 worder. Fabulous use of McGuffins in counterfeit money and an urn, the book is built on great characters and extreme violence, which is delivered with a rare comical edge. As always, Maxwell’s silver hammer use of simile and metaphors are either side splitting or thought provoking. Another major success- please read this book; you won’t be disappointed.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews