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Kill Clock
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First published August 26, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
December 27, 2013
When some tosser almost runs over Pearce and his dog, Pearce lets his temper get the better of him and he soon finds himself looking for a way out of trouble. Only it's out of the frying pan and into the fire when his salvation turns out to be an ex-girlfriend who needs $20,000 by midnight...
This novella by Allan Guthrie runs at 88 miles per hour from beginning to end. Pearce finds himself deep in the soup with gangsters wanting their money and only his three-legged dog and two children on his side.
It's a pretty absurd crime tale. Where else would you read about a Scottish hoodlum reading a bedtime story to two children when he's got a loan shark to gun down in several preciously short hours?
The Kill Clock is a fun, fast read. Since it's currently free on the Kindle, you could do a lot worse.
This novella by Allan Guthrie runs at 88 miles per hour from beginning to end. Pearce finds himself deep in the soup with gangsters wanting their money and only his three-legged dog and two children on his side.
It's a pretty absurd crime tale. Where else would you read about a Scottish hoodlum reading a bedtime story to two children when he's got a loan shark to gun down in several preciously short hours?
The Kill Clock is a fun, fast read. Since it's currently free on the Kindle, you could do a lot worse.
September 20, 2023
Love this short format. Page turner.
June 24, 2014
Guthrie's hard man Pearce returns in a quick noir novella that pits him up against a drug boss, gives him a taste of parenthood, and reunites him with a former flame, albeit one that left him high and dry.
From the opening chapter we gain an appreciation for the easy come easy go violent nature of the anti hero while undertaking a peaceful walk with his three legged dog Hilda (also the lead of a short story) which culminates in the assault of a driver and a crashed car. It only escalates from there.
His former flame sucks him into helping her out of a dangerous situatin with her husband the victim of a debt not paid with her and the two young children next on the list. Pearce, not a bleeding heart by any stretch manages to become embroiled in this criminal enterprise which ultimately leaves more characters in body bags than not.
KILL CLOCK reads quick yet doesn't skim the good stuff. There are plenty of depth to the characters and the plot moves at a break neck pace. While not my favorite of Guthrie's books it's still an enjoyable read with a couple of shock moments I didnt see coming.
From the opening chapter we gain an appreciation for the easy come easy go violent nature of the anti hero while undertaking a peaceful walk with his three legged dog Hilda (also the lead of a short story) which culminates in the assault of a driver and a crashed car. It only escalates from there.
His former flame sucks him into helping her out of a dangerous situatin with her husband the victim of a debt not paid with her and the two young children next on the list. Pearce, not a bleeding heart by any stretch manages to become embroiled in this criminal enterprise which ultimately leaves more characters in body bags than not.
KILL CLOCK reads quick yet doesn't skim the good stuff. There are plenty of depth to the characters and the plot moves at a break neck pace. While not my favorite of Guthrie's books it's still an enjoyable read with a couple of shock moments I didnt see coming.
November 8, 2014
1 star: I did not like this book, either terrible storyline, morally unacceptable or because I just did not enjoy reading the book at all.
Very quick read, easy to read but parts of it are quite uninteresting. It's not a great book and isn't my type of book, not only because I didn't enjoy the writing style but also because there was very little to the story, nothing that stood out or even there to really drive you to finish it. I find the characters lack a certain amount of development, they weren't realistic which, in my eyes, really is important in a story. I picked this book off a shelf because I thought: that's an interesting title but unfortunately that is all I can say about this book that is good. I do realize that I am not in the intended audience(age group) but it is nice to read something short that one can finish within a day and I was hoping for something a bit more entertaining.
Very quick read, easy to read but parts of it are quite uninteresting. It's not a great book and isn't my type of book, not only because I didn't enjoy the writing style but also because there was very little to the story, nothing that stood out or even there to really drive you to finish it. I find the characters lack a certain amount of development, they weren't realistic which, in my eyes, really is important in a story. I picked this book off a shelf because I thought: that's an interesting title but unfortunately that is all I can say about this book that is good. I do realize that I am not in the intended audience(age group) but it is nice to read something short that one can finish within a day and I was hoping for something a bit more entertaining.
January 24, 2013
Gordon Pierce. If that name rings a bell, grab this little novella. It would help to read some of Guthrie's other stuff with Pierce to have a little background. My reviews for anything Guthrie writes are positive. He might be my favorite Author writing today. Looking forward to new stuff in 2012!!!!
November 26, 2016
British noir about a hard man. I recommend this short work to readers considering starting Guthrie's Pearce series to determine if they like this style/presentation. It's gritty.
January 17, 2020
No way this is 160 pages, but Guthrie's compressed timeframe and witty additions to the noir trope (including tough guy Pearce stuck trying to deal with two bratty kids) make for a lightning read.
July 5, 2020
Fast-paced and violent. No fluff, nothing wasted. Exactly the kind of crime fiction I love.
Not sure why I never read Guthrie before, but I just picked up all of his stuff and am set.
Not sure why I never read Guthrie before, but I just picked up all of his stuff and am set.
October 16, 2021
Short and measured gangster murder.
Read
March 8, 2017Quick, easy read. Easy, that is, if you don't mind reading a load of profanities.
September 12, 2011
Actually I’m doing something quite uncomplicated – write a review to tell that I think KILL CLOCK is a terrific novella. I’m not a fan of its author – I just happen to like the trim, well-written stuff he comes up with, and would rather read an unwritten story by Allan Guthrie than a published novel with 500+ pages by many other crime fiction writers. Why?
As a reader, you get pulled into Guthrie’s stories like a summer person into a sudden snow scene: sorry, no gloves. After a bit, you want out. Seriously. But then this is not stupid daytime TV, where you can just switch to a sunny stretch. This is prose that prefers to be exposed, that challenges the cold – and in doing so makes numb readers’ skeletons rattle with something way beyond chill.
Characters are battered, emotions are raw, and rawness is what makes the tag NOIR get to you here. KILL CLOCK features Gordon Pearce, a character Guthrie kicked into a muddy stream of events in his debut novel, TWO-WAY SPLIT. (It pays off big time to read that one. Trust me. The whole thing about becoming a fan is fake, you just get hooked instead and that’s that).
Pearce is that kind of guy who most of the time remembers that being halfway nice is OK, and not an uncontrollable annoyance like some nervous tic. He went through much crap and has placed hard times behind him, just in order to embrace with stoic demeanor some new trouble.
Pace is Guthries forte. Hours, minutes, seconds seem to move back and forth and bounce. Time is nasty, and so present in this tight prose that it appears to belong to the cast like a fully developed character.
KILL CLOCK is fast, but doesn’t plot too far ahead. The story (roughly 70 percent tough misery, 17 percent nihilism and a kick of 13 percent of what could possibly pass as smudged goodness) unfolds with simplicity, and drags the reader along. Pearce and his crippled dog get involved in an ex-girlfriends catch 22 (serious threat, loan shark, dead of night deadline, two shaken, fatherless children – that kind of thing). Reluctantly he makes it his mission to help, but things quickly spin out of control in a fusion of night and nastiness; even a second, less battered Ex of Pearce fails to get things off the dark track. Guthrie never makes the grave mistake to confuse misery with tragedy. He does not get too fancy about violence, but just makes sure all protective screens are removed: Noir pure. Neither becoming a fan, nor buying a pair of gloves lets the reader off the hook.
December 22, 2013
Being a novella, it goes without saying that KILL CLOCK is very quick read. Unfortunately, I didn't find it very mysterious. The characters were well drawn and entertaining, though some of the dialogue felt forced. The plot felt contrived as well, possibly because it was predictable. Then again I've been 're-reading Rec Stout and am writing a cozy novella myself, so that may have made me a more critical reader. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed reading KILL CLOCK. I just didn't think it was a great mystery read.
December 23, 2013
At the outset we meet Pearce, a man who trouble seems to follow around. Out taking his dog for a quiet walk he gets involved in a 'road rage' incident, moments later he meets his ex girlfriend, Julie. Last time he saw her she ripped Pearce off.
Julie tells Pearce she's in trouble, she owes a loan sharp 20 grand. He's not sure whether to trust Julie but once she's kidnapped at gun point he starts to change his mind.
This is a v well written novella, cleverly done by running the action against the clock. The characters are strong, the dialogue excellent. Pick it up, read it.
Julie tells Pearce she's in trouble, she owes a loan sharp 20 grand. He's not sure whether to trust Julie but once she's kidnapped at gun point he starts to change his mind.
This is a v well written novella, cleverly done by running the action against the clock. The characters are strong, the dialogue excellent. Pick it up, read it.
December 27, 2013
Holy Moley! Another killer novella from Allan Guthrie. I'd never heard of this writer until yesterday, and now I've read the 3 novellas offered for Kindle. More great dialuge; more great characters. I want more of Pearce! I just signed up for Guthrie's newsletter, something I seldom do for authors.
January 14, 2014
Kill Clock is the first book I've read by Allan Guthrie. I'll definitely be reading more. This novella starts out hard-assed and ends harder. Once Guthrie sets it up, the plot really moves. I was impressed most by the characterization; in particular, I found Pearce's interaction with Julie's children dead-on, their dialogue alternately heartwrenching and hilarious. Recommended.
December 3, 2008
Read the blurb on the back of this book....sounded good...that's about where the positive aspects of this book finished
Reads like a kids school essay and about as long......
Not worth the bother
Reads like a kids school essay and about as long......
Not worth the bother
December 6, 2013
Hardly long enough to call it a book - more of a novella. But it gripped me right from the start and held me till the end. A good read for a short flight or train ride.
Read
January 31, 2014FANTASTIC
it's a must read, keeps you hooked. Must say the writer did a great job in this short crime novel.
it's a must read, keeps you hooked. Must say the writer did a great job in this short crime novel.
October 24, 2015
Guthrie pumps out pure gold. Not a wasted word in this fast-paced novella.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews