The Good Kill is a novel by Kurt Brindley, one of a series that Kurt so graciously asked me to read and review. I apologize once more to him because I meant to get to this book earlier but I somehow made a mistake on my timeline and was only able to get to it last month.
This novel is about a man named Killian, a former Seal whose life is forever changed. It features an interesting cast complete with women forced into heroine addiction and prostitution, pimps and gangbangers, murderers and the wealthy men who pay for it all to happen. I would try and summarize the book for you but there is quite a lot going on. Multiple story lines that soon culminate into one, mixing the past and the present. What you must know before reading this novel is that it is full of emotion and action. Brindley definitely knows how to bring the fear and suspense that comes with writing action sequences but has a fair handle on the more emotional and thought-provoking scenes as well. When a young woman on her way to becoming a lawyer loses contact with her twin she will stop at nothing to find her including going to the shadier part of town and when Killian is forcibly retired after a terrible accident, how will he move forward with his life? These two people who are so different have more in common than they could ever know and when their worlds collide….well, that’s just something you’ll have to read for yourself.
*Now, I must warn you that I am about to go on a rant. The rant does not mean I did not enjoy the book. In fact, I quite enjoyed it but as a woman of color and an editing professional, I feel that a rant is necessary. *
Overall Score: 3.9/5⭐
While the plot was very interesting, there were certain aspects that kind of poured water on the action. Firstly, there are many times where we are given information that we never need to know. Anton Chekhov once said, “If in the first act you have hung a pistol on the wall, then in the following one it should be fired. Otherwise don’t put it there.” When you try to explain to much it muddles the progression of the story. Secondly, while it had some element of suspense, I kind of knew what was going to happen from very early on, there weren’t many surprises. Perhaps that is just because I am used to this sort of work but I was hoping for something novel. (See what I did there?) Lastly, this story features two Black characters and it is like Brindley has never talked with a Black person or gotten any sensitivity training. When you write a book, you naturally do fact checking and while Brindley gets the names of trees and where they would be located as well as places the most minute facts about cars in his novel, he doesn’t understand that Black people don’t like to be called Colored? Or that no Black woman with natural under the age of 70 uses rollers to curl their hair? A perm rod set? Sure. Flexi-rods? Most definitely. Just twist it at night with a bit of product? Every single day. The lack of attention to those who are supposed to be the main cast make me feel as though they are only there to make the book come off as more diverse. This is a note for everyone: If you are writing about a culture you are unfamiliar with, go gain knowledge and understanding!
Now, back to the review. My favorite part of this novel was how Brindley uses multiple plot lines. It is a device that never gets old and when done right can confuse the reader and make them question exactly who they should be rooting for. Brindley uses the multiple narrators quite well and while there are a few shortcomings to the novel as a whole, they don’t take away from the novel itself. Aside from the whole rant, I thoroughly enjoyed it, it was an easy and fun read. I wish that there was a bit more character development in the background but Killian himself and even Diego seem to step right off the page for me.
Thanks for stopping by! Does this sound like a novel you would read or be interested in? Maybe I come off as biased in this review and you want to have a look-see, which is completely understandable. Either way, it is always a good time to pick up a book.
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Happy reading!
Chyina
P.S. I apologize for my rant.