Roses Are Dead

Peter Macklin #2

by Loren D. Estleman

In the stunning sequel to Kill Zone, there's a contract on Detroit hit man Peter Macklin. He has one hope--that he's better than the killers on his trail--and one prayer--that his son isn't one of them.

Genres: Fiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Loren D. Estleman is an American writer of detective and Western fiction. He writes with a manual typewriter.

Estleman is most famous for his novels about P.I. Amos Walker. Other series characters include Old West marshal Page Murdock and hitman Peter Macklin. He has also written a series of novels about the history of crime in Detroit (also the setting of his Walker books.) His non-series works include Bloody Season, a fictional recreation of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and several novels and stories featuring Sherlock Holmes.

Series:
* Amos Walker Mystery
* Valentino Mystery
* Detroit Crime Mystery
* Peter Macklin Mystery
* Page Murdock Mystery

Reviews

[Eric_W · Rating 4 out of 5]

I guess it's always fun to root for the bad guys. Here again Macklin is the antihero, a hitman now on the run because someone (he's not sure who) wants him dead. (The scene with the self-immolation of the guy with the flamethrower was a bit unclear, but...) His wife is divorcing him. His kid wants to kill people like his dad, and his job this time is to prevent a killing rather than cause one.

As with most Estleman novels, it's a good story and I like the Macklin character. The plot turns and twists and connections in this book however are hard to swallow, however. I had difficulty finding any good guys.

[Laurel Deloria · Rating 4 out of 5]

is is an interesrting book with new twists for a crime book
Great!
Hit man Peter Macklin battles divorce attorneys, mobsters, and hired assassins in this action-packed, hard-boiled thriller

For years, Donna ignored the guns in her husband’s safe, his long hours, and all the cash he couldn’t possibly have made as an “efficiency expert.” But finally she was forced to admit that Peter Macklin is a killer for hire. Donna wants a divorce, and she wants to take her husband for all he’s worth. But she won’t get a penny if he’s dead.

Macklin, who recently cut ties with the mob, is leaving his divorce attorney’s office when he’s attacked. Quick thinking saves his life, but the Detroit mob has turned on him, and they’ll keep sending assassins until Macklin is put in the ground. He’ll have to kill like never before—or this hit man won’t live to make his first alimony payment.

This riveting thriller from three-time Shamus Award–winning author Loren D. Estleman features one of the most redoubtable antiheroes in hard-boiled crime fiction.

Roses Are Dead is the 2nd book in the Peter Macklin Thrillers, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

M7ch more enjoyable than #1.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wasn't really anyone real likable except the killer, but was okay read.