Review: KILLING IS MY BUSINESS by Adam Christopher

Publisher Tor Books
Length 278 pages
Format paperback
Published 2017
Series Ray Electromatic Mysteries #2
My Copy I bought it

My Review

*updated November 2019 - re-read*

Ray is the last of his kind, having rolled off the production line before the robotic business went bust for good. Now he's a hitman moonlighting as a private detective. Accompanied by his handler, Ada, a supercomputer, Ray earns a living taking the lives of others. Sounds cold and dark but Ray is anything but.

The follow-up to Made to Kill and the novella Standard Hollywood Depravity, provides a glimpse into the murder for hit hitman robot's past on the production line by virtue of a crafty and deliciously devious pulp infused plot. 

Killing is my Business has an engaging story-line complimented by the fact that Ray has to download information every day given his memory stack fills each day and requires a reboot. Each day is a first for Ray - with just enough information to go on to get the job done. This a particularly important cog in the machine as it contributes heavily to some key plot elements, notably in the later stages of the book.

The thing I really like about Killing is my Business, is the way the author, Adam Christopher infuses doubt into the story. Doubt over the contract Ray's been hired, doubt over Ada's intentions, doubt over Ray himself; this is all mixed with a twisting plot that goes much deeper than a typical P.I book. 

My rating: 4/5 stars. 

Pick of the Month [July 2017]

I've definitely hit my mid-year reading mojo. July was another great month where I finished 17 books across a variety of genres and mediums. Reading different books keeps my hopelessly addictive hobby fresh and exciting. I often find reading the same kind of book too many times makes a genre feel stale so it's good to mix things up a little, as per a Recent Reads Post. 

For the third time this year my pick of the month selection is multiple books but I've narrowed it down to 2 (I could have easily picked more) and, as with the theme of this post, they couldn't be any more different from one another. 

Spiderlight by Adrian Tchaikovsky is a fantasy adventure novel focused on an unlikely band of heroes as they traverse a dangerous and mythical landscape in search of the Dark Lord Darvezian, the stereotypical fantasy villain spreading his darkness throughout the country. I was blown away by the world-building, characters, and the clever use of wit. This is a novel where the author clearly had fun writing and it shows throughout the dialogue and the atypical conclusion to the epic quest. Highly recommend picking this one up.  

October is the Coldest Month is a damn good book perfectly suited for fans of rural noir, and draws comparison with Daniel Woodrell. The 16yr old protagonist, Vega is a character you can't help but want more of. She's street smart, complex and has all the hallmarks of a countryside femme fatale. Shout out to Scribe for sending a copy my way.

Other books I rated 5 stars in no particular order include:

The Lone Child by Anna George - general fiction

A Girl Called Honey by Donald Westlake and Lawrence Block - pulp/erotica

Purgatory by Ken Bruen - the 10th book in the Jack Taylor series 

The Woman by Jack Ketchum (reread) - horror, set in the same world as Off Season

Review: THE DEVIL'S BUSINESS by Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips

Publisher Image
Length 136 pages
Format trade
Published 2012
Series Fatale (6-10)
My Copy I bought it

My Review

The second volume in the Fatale epic creates and concludes another chapter in the mysterious life of Josephine circa 1979. The eternal beauty who mystifies men with a mere look entraps a young and struggling actor into her gory world almost by accident; Miles fleeing from a gruesome cult killing murder scene with Suzy, a convert of the cult, stumbles upon Josephine’s secluded mansion as he searches for safety. There Josephine takes Miles and Suzy in, providing solace from the cult and any dangerous pursuers. 

The Devil’s Business can be confusing at times but reads better in a single sitting; it also requires the reader having some familiarity with the preceding volume Death Chases Me to understand the interludes, prologue and epilogue which span across two different periods; the 1950’s and present day.

The book doesn’t resolve the initial story arc introduced in Death Chases Me, rather it builds upon the lore of the cult and deepens the questions surrounding Josephine and her link to the violent Hollywood underground. Unlike Death Chases Me, The Devil’s Business does have a full story in it as mentioned above with new character Miles and his unfortunate involvement with the cult. 

The art is great and the chemistry between Phillips and Brubaker is evident throughout. Fatale is a series that hooks you in and will have you coming back for more. 

My rating: 4/5 stars.