Killer

Badass Gets Out of Jail #3

by Dave Zeltserman

Praise for Dave “ Pariah will keep you glued to its pages. There are no holds barred anywhere in this wonderful launch into evil. The meek beware . . . be-very-ware.” —Charlie Stella “This fusion of hard-boiled and bitter satire is brand new territory for noir and I suspect that [ Pariah ] will be one of the most talked about novels of 2009.” —Ed Gorman “The plot of Small Crimes is a thing of beauty.” — The Washington Post Leonard March walks free from jail after fourteen years' hard time served after turning state’s witness against his Mafia boss Salvatore Lombard. It’s only after Leonard is sentenced that the public learns that he was a Mob hitman with eighteen deaths to answer for. Leonard is released to public outrage and media furor. He spends his time working as a janitor while looking over his shoulder, fearful of a vigilante attack or revenge hit from his former colleagues. At sixty-two and with plenty of time on his hands, he is at an age when most men grow reflective and attempt to understand their mark on the world. But for Leonard, while the threats to his safety are not imagined, his self-reflection may pose the greatest threat of all. Dave Zeltserman lives in the Boston area with his wife. Small Crimes was included in The Washington Post ’s Best Books of 2008 and was one of NPR’s top five crime and mystery novels of 2008.

Genres: Crime, Mystery, Fiction, Noir, Mystery Thriller

214 pages, Paperback

First published January 7, 2010

About the author

Author of the crime noir novel SMALL CRIMES named by NPR as the best crime and mystery novel of 2008, and by the Washington Post as one of the best novels of 2008, and made into a major film (to be released in 2017) starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Molly Parker, Gary Cole, Robert Forster, and Jacki Weaver.

Shamus Award winner for JULIUS KATZ. Ellery Queen's Readers Choice Award winner for ARCHIE'S BEEN FRAMED and ARCHIE SOLVES THE CASE.

PARIAH named by the Washington Post as one of the best books of 2009. THE CARETAKER OF LORNE FIELD (2010) shortlisted by American Library Association for best horror novel of the year and named a horror gem by Library Journal. MONSTER selected by Booklist Magazine for their 2013 list of top 10 horror novels and WBUR for one of the best novels of the year.

OUTSOURCED (2011) and THE CARETAKER OF LORNE FIELD are also currently being developed for film.

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a regrettable sub-category of crime movies (there seems to be a few every year) that takes former tough guys and action heroes (Clint Eastwood, Arnold, Stallone, even Willis (who is a bit younger), etc.) and sends them around the movie track one more time, complete with walkers with racing stripes. Usually with PG 13 attached. Now I don't mind seeing these guys, older now, playing tough roles as aging guys. It can be done, and without becoming parodies of their former selves. What I would like to see is one of these guys plugged into a script by Dave Zelserman. It might have a scene it like this:

His new found boldness was annoying and I decided I liked it better when he was too afraid to say much of anything. I leaned in closer to him and told him how much he looked like I guy I once knew, and it was the truth.

"Duane Halvin," I said. "Big roly-poly kid. Thirty years old and still had baby fat. Christ, the two of you could have been separated at birth." I leaned in closer, added, "I had to put an ice pick through his eye, and thing was, I used to see Duane all the time at the track and I liked the guy. He was fun to hang around. You, not so much."

This is coming from sixty something Leonard March, night time janitor and former hit man with 28 confessed kills, confronting a mouthy rent-a-cop. Killer is now the second impressive novel I've read by Zeltserman. It's pacing, and voice, is completely different from the earlier Pariah. March has the measured voice of an older man, and the overall story is told in a simple present-past style via alternating chapters, as March looks back on his past crimes, while trying to live through his present difficulties and reintegrate back into society. It doesn't have the manic edge of Pariah. Doesn't need it. And if Kyle Nevin, the violent lunatic from Pariah, ever had a run in with Leonard, I'd put my chips on the geezer.

[Leftbanker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Killer is a brilliant, noir masterpiece that I'd highly recommend to anyone who likes crime fiction—like go out and get it today! Why are you still here? Go get the damn book already.

A taught gem that flips from the present and back through the sordid career of a Boston hit man. The first person narrator never asks forgiveness, he only wants to tell the truth, just this once. The question you need to ask yourself is do you really want to know, can you stomach the truth?

This was so much fun; the perfect book for a train trip, or maybe if you have to spend a night in the pokey. Leonard March is a really bad guy, or at least he used to be fourteen years ago. Maybe prison straightened him out. You have to read 184 pages to get an answer, but the good news is those pages will fly by (I could use a train analogy but I’m better than that) very quickly.

The final verdict on Leonard March? Perhaps you already think you know what bad is. You have no fucking idea what bad is. This is true noir.

[ipsit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leonard March is former hit man for the mob that cuts a deal by ratting out his boss. Instead of the life sentence he would have received, he barters information for a shorter sentence. Now fourteen years later, he's back on the streets, looking over his shoulder for the hit he expects is coming.

Zeltserman does a masterful job of making you feel for the guy. Sure, he's was once a vicious killer for the mob, but it wasn't like his victims were darling little angels. The men he killed were lower than scum, the filth of society. They were the kind of people I would kill. Child abusers. Rapists. Drug dealers. Good riddance to bad rubbish. Now all he wants is to make a reconnection with his children, do an honest days work, and forget the past.

Unfortunately for Leonard, the past isn't going anywhere. It's in the papers and on the radio. It's on the faces in the street that recognize him as easily as Frankenstein's Monster. It's in the mirror.

Zeltserman's style here is a little less straightforward than usual, mixing March's past life with his present actions to try to paint him more favourably. March reflects his life as he justifies his actions.This helps lull the reader into a false sense of security and clouds the image you have of March in a way unusual for Zeltserman's writing.In the end there are no more justifications,no excuses but a deep icy realization.This is where Killer stands apart.

[Heath Lowrance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aged hit man Leonard March is back in Boston after fourteen years in the slammer. And he's lucky it was only fourteen-- turning state's evidence on his former employer spared him a longer term.
But now, working as a janitor and living in a filthy dive, March is haunted by the memories of his murders and wracked with guilt over his non-existent relationship with his children. He's playing out his final days, knowing that, sooner or later, his old boss's thugs will come after him and make him pay for his betrayal. Either that, or one of his victim's relatives.
There's more to this sad old man than what meets the eye, however. While Leonard March may be repentant, just how much of the cold-blooded killer is left inside him? Before Killer is over, the reader will learn the chilling answer to that question.
This is Dave Zeltserman's final book in the so-called "Man Out of Prison" trilogy, and fans of Pariah and Small Crimes might be surprised by the strangely contemplative nature of the story. On the surface, Killer is about regret, loneliness, and that old inevitable mortality thing. But scratch a little deeper and even darker themes emerge... it all leads to a truly shocking climax that could be Zeltserman's darkest yet-- and this is a writer who has made a fine art out of dark and shocking climaxes.

[Max · Rating 5 out of 5]

KILLER is simply bad ass. I am a sucker for the grizzled old bastard archetype, hard-bitten, tough as nails, becoming slightly out of step with the times. And brother, is KILLER a top-notch example! I know now this is the conclusion to a trilogy and though I read this first, I will definitely be coming back to read the first two. I'll consider them prequels! Zeltserman's storytelling and characterization are just too good to miss.

The story's simple and doesn't need to be complex; the point for the most part is to hang out with - and connect with, on many levels - the character. That's not to say there isn't a plot, for there is; but if we didn't spend as much time as we do wandering around with Lenny March, we wouldn't find it as gripping when the action does explode.

Most of the real action is in the very revealing flashback chapters, but don't let that fool you - it does spill over into the here and now with a vengeance.

Quit reading me talking about the book and get a copy! It's affordable and well worth it, a great, hard-boiled read. A++

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

The final installment of Dave Zeltserman's man-out-of-prison trilogy is the most low-key of the three. When mob hitman Leonard March goes free, he has every reason to believe that he will soon be rubbed out himself--he did, after all, get a reduced sentence by ratting out his boss. So he takes a job as a janitor and waits. The dark joy of these novels, however, is that they never quite go where you think they will. Their episodic plots resist formula.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third in the 'Badaas-gets-out-of-jail' trilogy. Haven't read the second, Pariah, but this is better imo than Small Crimes, #1 in this trilogy.
These books can be read in any order as the only connection is the 'Badaas-gets-out-of-jail' theme, not the characters.

Great ending. 4*

[Soho_Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the couple I've read recently, I've been very impressed with Dave Zeltserman's work thus far. He uses a wonderful noirish narrative that takes you straight to the heart of the story. His story telling is very straightforward, not weighing down the story with too much style, but sticking to the substance and delivering a hard-hitting work every time. With ''Killer'', he has done the same again.

Leonard March is walking free after fourteen years in prison. Formerly a hit man for mob boss Salvatore Lombard, March has been vilified by the public during his time inside after details of the 28 murders he committed for Lombard were leaked to the press. March leaves prison a changed man; his wife, the only person who stood by him, has died and his children have abandoned him. All he wants is a quiet life in his small flat and his janitor's job.

Unfortunately, quiet is the one thing March's life is destined not to be. He worries that he is being followed, possibly by members of Lombard's organisation. He has several lawsuits to defend and many who disagree with his actions are determined to take issue with him over them. He is also hounded by people who want to tell his story, be they journalists or writers seeing a book deal. This attention only intensifies when he becomes a hero after foiling a robbery.

Zeltserman's style here is a little less straightforward than usual, mixing March's past life with his present actions to try to paint him more favourably than usual. March shows very little remorse, but he tries to distance himself from his past and the two ages of his story do paint a kinder figure, even if his lack of emotion doesn't exactly make you like him. This helps lull the reader into a false sense of security and clouds the image you have of March in a way unusual for Zeltserman's writing.

The narration is typically excellent, though. March isn't a terribly educated person and isn't trying to make himself out to be anything other than a former mob killer. The first person narrative helps him tell his story without embellishment and in plain language. This makes the book typically readable and given the size, it's one you can get through in a single session, as I did. Twice. The first time, I simply didn't know quite what to expect next, but the second time around when I did, my enjoyment wasn't greatly lessened.

Again, as is Zeltserman's style, the story isn't terribly visual with only things that catch March's eye getting a mention. This allows for women being described in more detail than men, but most situations are described in terms of the memories they evoke in March rather than what he sees. After a murder, he's more likely to describe the victim's bullet holes than their features. It's a refreshingly gruesome stylistic device I shouldn't admit to enjoying in polite company, but that doesn't stop me enjoying it. The other rare result of this is that it allows the more mundane parts of life to come through in the story, such as where March plans a bus journey to get somewhere, which is an unusual sight in the pages of a crime novel that only makes him seem more realistic.

Indeed, my only complaint with the book is that it's so very short. With some books this can be a blessing, but Zeltserman's writing is so good that you want it to go on forever. Admittedly, in this case that may have been stretching the story a little too far, which would also have been a tragedy. The story has found its own length and finishes when it's ready, but it's always a pity when you reach the end of something you wish would carry on forever.

I love Dave Zeltserman's work and ''Killer'' hasn't lessened my appreciation of him in the slightest. It may not seem quite as good as ''Pariah'', but Zeltserman's work will only fail by comparison with itself, never with anything else. Rarely do you find an author where you could simply sit down with all of their books and be completely content. For me, Zeltserman is that find and he should become that find for you, too.

This review may also appear, in whole or in part, under my name at any or all of www.ciao.co.uk, www.thebookbag.co.uk, www.goodreads.com, www.amazon.co.uk and www.dooyoo.co.uk

[Jessica Hubacher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a fan. Good writing is when you end up rooting for the bad guy, the cold hearted killer wanting him to win the lotto, get the girl, rekindle a relationship with his kids, grandkids...whatever. I went ahead and read The Interloper immediately after this book because I liked the writing style, the ending and even that it takes place where I lived for a few years. I need to take a break from these murder mysteries for awhile though. I recommend this for a great, quick read.

[Alison C · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Killer , by Dave Zeltserman, we meet Leonard March, a man who has just been released from jail after 14 years. He had received that relatively light sentence in return for turning State's witness against a Mob boss, after having negotiated a deal for himself in which he was given immunity for any crimes he might have committed. The problem is, March was the Mob boss's hitman, and in that capacity has killed 28 people, many of whom have relatives who might justifiably want revenge, in the courts or on the street.... I picked up this novel because I had read some short stories by Zeltserman featuring his Nero Wolfe pastiche character, Julius Katz, and enjoyed them, and also because I occasionally enjoy a good noir novel, which this certainly is. Oddly, the back cover blurb, which drew me into buying the book, is almost entirely inaccurate (claiming March had killed 18 people, not 28; stating that he was fearful of revenge attacks after his release from prison when in fact he's entirely resigned to the likelihood), but I wouldn't have known that if I hadn't bought the book and read it. And I'm glad I did - this is fast-paced, hard-boiled and well written, and given the story line, there are very few bloody scenes. Recommended!

[Rob Kitchin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Killer is a relatively short book at 214 pages, but there isn’t a single wasted word. Told in a straightforward, matter of fact way, the story is utterly captivating, hooking the reader in from the first line and not letting go. I was totally mesmerised, but it’s difficult to explain why. There’s nothing particular special about the prose and the plot is pretty uncomplicated, though there’s a sting in the tail. But there’s something about the story and the way that it’s told that’s compelling. I think it’s because it genuinely does feel like it is Leonard March’s story; that you are listening to his voice. And it’s a voice that tugs at the reader’s emotions in subtle, contradictory ways, which makes it seem convincing and credible. In addition, the structure of the book, with chapters alternating between the present and past events, enables the reader to get a rounded grasp of March’s persona and his history of violence. Overall, a great read

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

The last installment in Zeltserman's man out of prison trilogy sees ex hit man Leonard March released after a 16yr stint for murder. Having snitched on former mob boss Salvatore Lombard to reduce his sentence, March expects vengeance to be swift and violent as soon as he's made a free man - not the case. 'Killer' is a slow burn in that unlike 'Pariah' and 'Small Crimes', the mob are willing to bide their time in readiness for the opportune moment to strike resulting in the story focusing more on March's slow return to society over gun play. I liked the way 'Killer' switched from March's history as a hit man to present day post prison release to provide depth and substance to the protagonist but would've liked more action similar to its predecessors. Overall an enjoyable quick read but not as good as the exceptional 'Pariah' - 3.5 stars.

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

A killer who informed on the mob is released from prison and has to deal with the ghosts that haunt him along with those who want him dead. Turns out walking the straight and narrow isn't so easy. Zeltserman is a master of noir, and this is dark stuff indeed, but the second read was as enjoyable as the first. A must for any fan of noir.

[Eddie Dalton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent thriller about ex Mafia hitman released from prison having agreed to grass on co gangster crimes for reduced sentence. He tries to go straight doing a menial job cleaning an office each evening but soon bumps in to old acquaintances & suspicious characters. There's always an underlying sense of menace in his short book. Good page turner. Highly recommend it

[J.F. Juzwik · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is SO good, I can't praise it high enough. Make sure you read Small Crimes, then Pariah, then Killer. They are not continuations of the same story or anything, but part of Zeltserman's trilogy of ex-cons back in the world. They are all positively brilliant, and this is no exception.

[Mathias · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never read anything quite like this before. A story with an unexpected plot twists, character transformation and a cliffhanger ending.a thrill ride for sure.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

A razor-taut hard hitting Boston noir. The alternate timeline 1st person narrative style made for an excellent read!

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love books where the author makes you want to root for the bad guy.

[Kin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Veramente eccezionale.Un intreccio formidabile. E nel finale si coglie tutto l'humour che stava nascosto tra le righe.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third in the "Badass Gets Out of Jail" trilogy. Mr. Zeltserman can write a crime novel, a badass crime novel.

[Gav]

Synopsis

Leonard March walks free from jail after fourteen years, served after turning state’s witness against Mafia boss Salvatore Lombard. But it was only after Leonard was sentenced that the public learned that he was a Mob (Lombard’s) hitman with eighteen deaths to his name.

Released to public outcry and media furore. Leonard spends his time working as a janitor and looking over his shoulder. But instead of constant threats he finds Sophie, who wants ghost write his life story, she also seems to be in the right places at the right time.

Then an act of public bravery confuses those that are meant to hate and loath him.

Comments/Thoughts/Analysis

You’d think that being in the head of a serial cold hearted killer would be an unpleasant and disturbing experience. Well it is and it isn’t. Leonard’s life is told by alternating from the present to key points in the past.

Zeltserman’s writing is a wonderful example of show don’t tell. He doesn’t tell us to be sympathetic you just start to feel for March as he’s released to live on the breadline in a grubby apartment with minimum wage job cleaning.

It’s the way that he talks about his family and their alienation that is probably most striking. You get to the outside affect the hits he’s committed on those around him. Not directly but his distance and last minute change of plans. Oh and not to mention the unknown source of this money, which is too much to be unpacking boxes.

That’s not the heart of the tale. It’s about seeing how an ex-Mob hitman reacts in his new environment. How he deals with attention of Sophie. Seeing the reactions of those who recognise him. And waiting for the revenge of his confession 14 years ago.

And comparing that to how he was shaped and seeing the turning points in his life. Zeltserman’s choices and the way he links them feel exactly right. He times the revelations and the peeling away of the past to enhance events happening in the present.

I can’t think of anything that didn’t feel like it couldn’t have happened. Yes it feels heightened and enhanced but nothing that’s going to make you think that you are in a TV gangster movie.

Summary

It’s thin but no less powerful. Though only point I did feel rushed was the final section. I can see why it was and why we don’t linger but the tone is a bit different from the rest. The ending will leave you in no doubt that prison has made March reevaluate his life and he’s expected his lot.

Highly Recommended.

[Schurkenblog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ein verdammt guter Noir-Thriller mit hohem Unterhaltungswert und einem Stil, der Kunst auf hohem Niveau zeigt.

Vierzehn Jahre saß Leonard March im Gefängnis. Der ehemalige Auftragskiller jobbt nun als Reinigungskraft und wirkt wie ein alter, gebrechlicher Mann.
Doch Reue ist ein Fremdwort für ihn, nur ein Deal mit dem Staatsanwalt entließ ihn aus der Haft. Dass dieser Deal nicht ohne Folgen bleibt ist klar: Wer jemanden ans Messer liefert, muss sich nicht wundern, wenn er davon sich selbst ins Fleisch schneidet.

So ein bisschen Mitleid mit dem alten Mann kommt ja schon auf. Auch wenn er ein reuloser Killer ist, wirkt er geläutert. Mit seinem Verfolgungswahn scheint er ohnehin gestraft zu sein. Nicht nur der Leser bei March hin- und hergerissen, auch die Figuren in der Geschichte sehen ihn mal als geläuterten Helden und andere wieder als den skrupellosen Verbrecher, der er einst war.
Irgendwie weiß man nicht, woran man bei ihm ist. Das liest dann natürlich sehr interessant.

Zeltserman hat aber auch einen besonderen stilistischen Leckerbissen eingebaut. Die Rückblicke schildert er in der Gegenwart (Präsens), die March als gewissenlosen Killer zeigen, der nur seinen Job macht. Dagegen wird die eigentliche Geschichte der Gegenwart in der kurzen Vergangenheit (Präteritum) gezeigt, die zeigt, wie March versucht sein Leben auf die Reihe zu kriegen.
Wenn man diesen Stil betrachtet, kommt man zu dem Schluss, dass die Vergangenheit nicht abgeschüttelt werden kann, dass sie bis ins Jetzt wirkt und niemals vergeben und vergessen werden kann. Und dass vielleicht die Gegenwart längst vergangen ist.
Herrlich! Sehr gerissen umgesetzt und als Leser ahnt man schon, wie das enden wird. Für mich ist das hohe Kunst.

Die Noir-Thriller ist ein Leckerbissen für Feinschmecker, die mehr wollen als nur eine düstere, hoffnungslose Geschichte. Dieser Noir-Thriller ist stilistisch gesehen hohe Kunst. Und obendrein einfach verdammt gut zu lesen und mit hohem Unterhaltungswert. Buchtipp!

[Sudhagar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly recommended.

My first book by Zeltserman and I am hooked.

The author's a fine writer with strong prose and characterization. The plot moves steadily with moving back and forth throughout the years. In some writer's hands this would have confusing but Zeltserman does a fine job. One is kept engaged by the steady narrative and fast-moving plot.

I am looking forward to read Zeltserman's next book.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book in a little free library, and picked it up because the description on the back cover puts Zeltserman (whom I never heard of) in the same category as Jim Thompson.

Quick read, and very noir.

The chapters alternate between the past and present. Main character Leonard March is a bad dude.

I will be on the lookout for more by Dave Zeltserman.

[Bill Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but not as much fun as the first two "out of prison" novels nor, despite its title, as utterly harrowing as Pariah. Still, the three books together make a compelling triptych of extreme psychological disorders and do full justice to their genre.

[Mike Palmquist · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of noir, and Killer is a solid update of Jim Thompson-type noir. It doesn't really bring anything new to the table, it just delivers the basic goods.
I saw the ending (mostly) coming about a quarter the way into the novel, which isn't a bad thing in itself. But the ending seemed suddenly rushed and out of place in the otherwise restrained tension of the book. Also, the subtext about inheritance (you'll know what I mean), which could have been put to very interesting use, was sort of abandoned in important ways.
If you want to read a decent book that Thompson might have written (not on the level of "Hell of a Woman" or "After Dark, My Sweet"), this is for you. As Zeltserman has won some awards for other books, I'll definitely be giving him a second try.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Die Geschichte eines Auftragsmörders. Seine Vergangenheit und die Gegenwart ohne Aussicht auf eine Zukunft. Ein subtiler Spannungsaufbau führt zu einem unerwarteten Ende der Geschichte. Wir erfahren zwar, welche Verbrechen zu seiner Haftstrafe geführt haben, aber nicht wie es dazu kam, dass er geschnappt wurde. Es gibt nur Andeutungen und dieser Teil hat mir einfach gefehlt. Ein lesenswerter Thriller mit glaubwürdigem Einblick in das Leben eines Killers.

Zur Rezension:
http://lesenist.com/killer-dave-zelts...

[Susan Katz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a gift book, not one I'd have chosen for myself. I don't find the noir genre very compatible, not being much of a tough guy myself. But I think this is a good example of the genre, so I give it a 3 even though it's not really to my personal taste.

[CT · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much better than Pariah and on the same level as Small Crimes.

[Alison]

Just not feeling this one... I may come back to it another time.