Mike
Monson has done it again. The man is a noir genius. He published great noir
through All Due Respect and he writes some of their better releases. His
latest, A Killer’s Love, is a novella that fires on all cylinders and is an
excellent example of why some the best noir fiction (maybe the best?) is being
published by ADR.
Lancaster
Messier is a grifter; he scours his surroundings looking to find his next meal
ticket. He is an equal opportunist when it comes to seeking victims … young, old,
male, female … the only thing that matters is if the victim has something that he
desires. In other words, he is the perfect main character for an ADR book.
This
novella is a fast-paced, quick read that follows Messier as he leaves victims
in his wake and settles in with Carla, who may be the dame who finally tames
him. Life with Carla is seemingly perfect; high end food, great booze,
high-grade medical marijuana, and a woman who asks no questions about the past
and has no worries about the future. But all that changes with a simple knock
on Carla’s front door …
Messier
is an interesting character. His emotions run volatile and we see him on
opposite ends of the spectrum. One minute he is a cold-blooded killer and the
next he is a benevolent benefactor for those in need. This strange dichotomy
allows us to see a nice amount of depth within him as a character, something
that can be lacking in quick paced novellas. Monson does a great job fleshing
Messier out and hooking the reader and creating a desire to see what Messier will
attempt next.
Monson’s
writings often seem to remind me of the Hard Case Crime type of stories; true
to the plots of old noir classics. His books usually contain dames, hoods,
guns, and double-crossing swerves. He has quickly become a man of relevance in
noir publishing and I have come to learn that if he is involved in some manner
of a book being published, the book will likely be kicking serious ass.
Highly
Recommended.
Reviewed
by Derrick Horodyski.
