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.