Someone to Kill

By Kurt Corriher

Book Overview

When his wife, an investigative reporter working on a story about Germany and possible Cold War secrets, and young daughter are killed by a car bomb, John Pavlak, a decorated Vietnam war hero and college athletic director, finds himself the prime suspect in the crime and embarks on a perilous quest

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0765350734
• ISBN13: 9780765350732
• Release Date: April 2005
• Publisher: Tor Books
• Length: 496 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

A Fantastic Debut - Expect Great Things from Corriher

This novel was simply excellent. I'm wary at times when so many people give short reviews extolling the virtues of a previously unknown author. However, I liked the premise of the book and decided to give it a try. I'd recommend that you do the same. The central character of the story, John Pavlak, loses his wife and child in a car bombing at the beginning of the story. He then makes it his life's mission to hunt down those responsible for their deaths. This storyline has been tried before, but Corriher writes with originality and insight that most novels of this type lack. Pavlak's mission takes him from his home to Germany, Crete, and to the highest power circles of international intellegence agencies. During this, the FBI is trying to track him down.I thought that the character development in this novel was excellent. Pavlak is a likeable, strong, yet imperfect hero. He hates his father, which adds to the personal drama, since he has to ask him for money to fund his quest. Pavlak's relations with the sister of his wife's murdered German friend serve to make him all the more human. Jack the Mercenary is a great character, as are most of the other peripheral players.I'm quite surprised that this book isn't more popular. It hints of Robert Ludlum and Daniel Silva, two of my favorite authors in this genre. I recommend that you read it.

One of the best mysteries I've read recently!

Kurt Corriher has done an excellent job on his first mystery. Couldn't put it down! Very well written. The story really kept moving along right up to the very last page. I look forward to more books from Kurt. I put him right up there with Grisham, Deaver, Patterson, and Baldacci. I agree with others that it would make a great movie.

Something to Read

Why do we read fiction ? Two answers come to mind : 1) The simple pleasure of experiencing a well-told tale and 2) The possibility that we might learn something. First time author Kurt Corriher satisfies both desires with an explosive action-thriller-whodunnit that kept me on the edge of my seat from the first page until the last. Entwined with his rapid paced, twisting turning plot is more than enough well-researched intellectual meat to satisfy that desire to learn from one's pleasure reading. In this book we follow the protagonist from country to country experiencing those respective cultures along the way, we learn about pre- and post-coldwar government intelligence operations, international finance, and how to "shake a tail". (Corriher's writing is fearless : he even allows two of his main characters to discourse about the pros and cons of a government subsidized liberal arts education.) Most importantly, this book is fun. It is filled with fascinating characters from CIA operatives to members of an underground immigrant community to the protagonist, John Pavlak, a dark, brooding, and dangerous man.... think of James W. Hall's character Thorn.... but with a PhD and Special Forces training. Let's hope Mr. Corriher has a second book in publication soon!

Awesome!

Someone To Kill is one of the finest pieces of fiction I have ever read. It opens with a bang (quite literally) and kept me on the edge of my seat from cover to cover. Kurt Corriher is a masterful crafter of words. Each character is colorfully developed and locations are described in a way that I felt like I was part of the action. I couldn't put the book down and I am anxiously awaiting Corriher's next!

An exceptional first novel!

At first I thought the plot would be too complicated, but I was completely wrong. I couldn't stop turning the pages. Exciting from beginning to end. I loved the characters and their interactions. I hope that Kurt Corriher has more for his new fans!Deb Cervin