Synopses & Reviews
Keller is friendly. Industrious. A bit lonely, sometimes. If it wasn't for the fact that he kills people for a living, he'd be just your average Joe. The inconvenient wife, the troublesome sports star, the greedy business partner, the vicious dog, he'll take care of them all, quietly and efficiently. If the price is right.
Like the rest of us, Keller's starting to worry about his retirement. After all, he's not getting any younger. (His victims, on the other hand, aren't getting any older.) So he contacts his "booking agent," Dot, up in White Plains, and tells her to keep the hits coming. He'll take any job, anywhere. His nest egg needs fattening up.
Of course, being less choosy means taking greater risks—and that could buy Keller some big trouble. Then again, in this game, there are plenty of opportunities for some inventive improvisation...and a determined self-motivator can make a killing.
Review
"The humor is even more deadpan than usual, and the vignettes...are quirky diversions....Block's legion of fans will savor his subtle wit, his consummate narrative skills, and his idiosyncratic method of celebrating the lives of working folks in America." Booklist
Review
"[A] wonderful book....What makes Hit Parade so much fun is that you can't help but enjoy spending time with Keller, despite his line of work....Read Hit Parade and enjoy, and be prepared to shiver a bit despite the summer heat." BookReporter.com
Review
"Most of the stories don't expand the territory mapped out in Hit Man and Hit List. But one of them, in which Keller is hired to kill a dog and ends up killing four people along the way, is worth the price of admission." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Block writes in the same terse, laconic style that his antihero employs, with rat-a-tat dialogue and a matter-of-fact attitude....Block has accomplished what few other mystery writers have: a detective trifecta." The Washington Post
About the Author
Lawrence Block is one of the most widely recognized names in the mystery genre. He has been named a Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America and is a four-time winner of the prestigious Edgar and Shamus Awards, as well as a recipient of prizes in France, Germany, and Japan. He received the Diamond Dagger from the British Crime Writers' Association—only the third American to be given this award. He is a prolific author, having written more than fifty books and numerous short stories, and is a devoted New Yorker and an enthusiastic global traveler.