Smorgasbord Book Reviews – #Thriller #Sci-fi- The Hitman and the Thief by Richard Dee

This week I have read the science fiction thriller The Hitman and the Thief by Richard Dee and enjoyed the action packed adventure very much.

About the book

Assassination can be a messy business, especially if you’re having a bad day.

Dan Jones is the ultimate problem solver, the hitman for crime boss Fliss Bauer.

Fliss has a rival, Kalindra Dallin. She runs a particularly unpleasant planet. Dan is told to arrange her demise. It’s just another job; until a random event means that it all goes horribly wrong.

To save his skin, Dan is forced to try again, only this time he has to work with a partner. He doesn’t want to but it’s the only chance he’s going to get; if he wants to put things right.

Can the hitman and the thief get the job done, more importantly, can they keep each other alive?

My review for the book Saturday 30th January 2021

This is an action packed thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end as it races across a number of planets at some point in the future.

I have read a number of science fiction books over the years and there is a tendency to over complicate the story with extraterrestrial beings and technological wizardry which can distract from the story. However, the author has created a world that is familiar enough that you understand the environmental differences and methods of interplanetary travel whilst enjoying the basis of the story which is a good old fashioned thriller.

Having just watched the last four James Bond films back to back, it occurred to me that the central character of Dan Jones, an assassin who rarely allows his emotions to cloud his judgement, would fit very well into the role. Despite his preference to work alone he finds himself partnered with a thief who might assist in the near impossible task he has been set, and their relationship develops very satisfactorily throughout the story.

Of course things don’t go smoothly and it gets to a point where it is difficult to know who to trust and you are kept guessing right up to the last page.

I thoroughly recommend this for sci-fi and thriller readers who enjoy a fast paced read with plenty of surprises.

 Read the reviews and buy the book: Amazon UK – And: Amazon US

A small selection of other books by Richard Dee

Read the reviews and buy the books: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK – Website: Richard Dee’s Scifi – Goodreads: Richard Dee at Goodreads – Twitter: @RichardDockett1

I’m Richard Dee and I’m from Brixham in Devon. I was never a writer, at least not for ages. I made up stories in my head, based on dreams and events in my life, but I never did much with them. Life, a wife, three daughters and now three grandchildren have kept me busy.

I spent forty years in shipping, firstly at sea, then in Port Control and as a Thames River Pilot, with adventures to match anything I could imagine. When I retired, I just moved them out into space, changed some of the names and wrote them down.

I write Science Fiction and Steampunk adventures, as well as chronicling the exploits of Andorra Pett, reluctant amateur detective. When I’m not writing, I bake bread and biscuits, cook delicious meals and walk the Devon coast.

My first novel Freefall was published in 2013, followed by Ribbonworld in 2015. September 2016 saw the publication of The Rocks of Aserol, a Steampunk adventure, and Flash Fiction, a collection of Short Stories. Myra, the prequel to Freefall was published in 2017, along with Andorra Pett and the Oort Cloud Café, a murder mystery set in space, the first of a series featuring Andorra Pett, an amateur detective.

Sequels to most of them have either followed or are in production. I also contributed a story to the 1066 Turned Upside Down collection of alternative history stories. I’m currently working on more prequels, sequels, and a few new projects.

 

Thanks for visiting today and I hope you have enjoyed my review of Richard’s book and will head over to check his others out.. thanks Sally.