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    Killer Move: A Novel
    Killer Move: A Novel
    Killer Move: A Novel
    Audiobook11 hours

    Killer Move: A Novel

    Written by Michael Marshall

    Narrated by Gary Dikeos

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    “[A] subtle and unnerving story of the little things that can tip the balance of one’s life and send it spiraling into chaos.”
    —Publishers Weekly

    Stephen King called Michael Marshall’s debut novel The Straw Men, “a masterpiece…brilliantly written and scary as hell.” With Killer Move, the acclaimed author of Bad Things and The Intruders demonstrates that he has only gotten better with time. The electrifying story of a man on the fast track to success who finds that his life has been chillingly “modified” by someone, somewhere with a very different master plan for his future, Killer Move is a remarkably intelligent, genuinely creepy thriller from Phillip K. Dick Award-winner Marshall.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateJun 28, 2011
    ISBN9780062082800
    Author

    Michael Marshall

    Michael Marshall is a full-time writer. His novels include ‘The Straw Men’, ‘The Lonely Dead’ and ‘Blood of Angels’, and he also writes short stories and screenplays. Two of his earlier novels written under the name of Michael Marshall Smith, ‘Spares’ and ‘One of Us’, have been optioned by major Hollywood studios. He lives in North London with his wife and their son and two cats.

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    Reviews for Killer Move

    4/5

    41 ratings11 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Excellent thriller. Marshall writes exceptionally well.
    • 4/5
      Bill Moore is an ambitious estate agent with a plan to go places - until he finds a card on his desk that says "MODIFIED". After an email he didn't send, an Amazon order he didn't place, and some photos he didn't take, everything he cares about unravels - and he finds himself the subject of a game played by the rich and powerful - who may not be the people he thinks they are. MMS delivers as usual with a clever set-up, smart prose, and those haunting insights into the human condition that set him apart. Having found The Intruders and Bad Things 'fine' but not entirely compelling, Killer Move is a return to form that left me wondering why I haven't read more MMS recently.
    • 4/5
      As Michael Marshall Smith, Marshall writes sf/horror I really enjoy. As Marshall, he writes thrillers whose implausibility lies more in serial killer conspiracy theory than in high technology or eldritch visitors; this leads the thrillers to present an especially grim view of human nature. This one involves a shallow everyman with ambitions to be More (more of what is not something that crosses his mind) who starts to find little things changed around him, with the message “modified.” This quickly escalates from pranks to something much worse. Marshall is always a sharp writer; I particularly liked the description of a Ben & Jerry’s as having “the air, as usual, of having recently withstood a concerted attack by forces loyal to some other ice cream manufacturer.” I’ve been to a few Ben & Jerry’s stores like that. As much as I like the writing, I wish he’d write more as Smith.
    • 3/5
      The jury's still out on Michael Marshall (Smith). A British author who sets his novels in the States (usually alternate realities thereof), I loved One of Us, written under his sci-fi name, but seem to have stalled halfway through Only Forward, his first novel, and I'm not sure what to make of Killer Move either. Clever, but sometimes too clever, would seem to sum up Marshall Smith's style.Killer Move is a whacking great cynical warning for the modern world - a cautionary tale about being 'modified' by greed and ambition. Bill Moore would seem to have everything - a successful career with plans to go into business for himself, a happy marriage, a good living in the Florida Keys. He also comes across as rather obnoxious, but the reader is obviously supposed to identify with him - especially when the cracks start to appear in Bill's perfect life. Someone has stolen Bill's identity. At first, the clues are trivial and irritating - a book he didn't order, a joke he didn't send - but then Bill begins to realise that someone is playing a very dangerous game. Bill Moore is being 'modified', and his life is out of control - who can he trust to help him get back to who he used to be? The build-up is very deftly plotted, feeding on the paranoia of the technological age, but the climax, and the pantomime villains responsible for all the death and corruption, didn't quite work for me. Marshall's dystopian metaphor - 'You're not the cause, the be-all and end-all of anything. There's no house. There's no life. There's just you. A point and space in time' - is not only depressing, but stretched to breaking point by the end.A dramatic, fast-paced thriller which will have you checking your e-mails and Amazon account, but lacking the quirky flair of Michael Marshall Smith.
    • 3/5
      This book started a little slow, especially for a Michael Marshall book, and seemed to take around 90-100 pages to find itself, but eventually did. And once it did it was a cracking read. Not as totally immersive as some of his others, but a great way to spend a bit of your time.
    • 4/5
      Every now and then an author creates a book that is truly unique and causes the reader to stop and consider what is being said.John Hunter is released from prison after serving sixteen years for a murder he didn't commit. He's had plenty of time to plan his revenge for the people who framed him.Bill Moore is a real estate agent in Florida. He's successful and loves his wife but wants more and has a plan to obtain his goal but he's behind his time table. One day he notices a paper on his desk with the word "MODIFIED" on it.He doesn't think anything about it but soon a series of things happen that changes his life. Something is placed on his computer and his wife becomes very upset with him. An appointment is missed and the client's secretary denies making an appointment. People are killed and he becomes a suspect when a man goes missing.Michael Marshall has written an intelligent novel that is a puzzle that the reader must solve. What is the connection between John Hunter, Bill Moore and the missing man?It takes a while before we find a connection between these people and the action moves at a breakneck pace that seduces the reader, and yet, nothing is as it seems.The author brings up good points about greed in society and the wealthy assuming that they won't be held accountable for their deeds.The dialogue is right on but only the two main characters are really developed. The plot is complicated and unpredictable however, it is still unimaginably addictive.
    • 3/5
      Michael Marshall's latest book Killer Move opens with a newly released con named Hunter seeking payback for a crime he says he didn't commit.We then meet realtor Bill Moore, a man with a five year plan - increasing his condo sales numbers in the Florida keys, opening up his own realty office, rubbing shoulders with the movers and shakers in his corner of the world. Problem is - it's year six. But Bill is nothing if not upbeat. It will happen.. he just has to work a little harder at it.Small things start to happen - a card with nothing but a single word - Modified - is left on his desk. A book from Amazon that he can't remember ordering, a prime table at a restaurant he doesn't recall making a reservation for. Then it starts to escalate - he discovers compromising photos on his computer, conveniently stored in a folder labelled Modified. And suddenly that very simple word takes on ominous overtones. Because someone is playing a game with Bill's life....What a great premise - an everyday guy with no idea who or why someone would mess with him. Bill's desperate attempts to stop his life spiralling out of control are alternated with Hunter's steps to exact retaliation.Bill tells his story from a first person narrative, which I have to admit I found increasingly annoying in the first few chapters. It took quite a few chapters beyond the prologue for me to become invested in the book. Bill's thoughts on his father and his philosophy on selling were tiresome. The plot is inventive and plausible, but some of the 'moves' were a bit over the top. The ending was somewhat disappointing, referencing a previous book by Marshall as an explanation for what has gone on.That being said, I think Marshall has come up with a great idea. How much of our lives are controlled by passwords and online access? How secure are they? How much would it take someone to start games with our lives? A good read, but not great for me. Linwood Barclay does it better.
    • 5/5
      This book starts out with a bang and does not let go. Little things start happening to Bill Moore, an upscale realtor in Florida, and he really does not pay attention at first. Then it starts affecting his personal life when his wife accuses him of being a peeping tom with his co-worker. There is proof on his computer but he didn't do it. From that point on the action just keeps on going. A very suspensful story about how your life can get turned around and changed if someone is out to "modify" it. This book is very well written and holds the reader captive as the mystery starts to unfold. Twists and turns in the story will keep you turning the pages until the end. Very creepy.As you can see by the authors bio, he is a very accomplished author, screenwriter etc. I highly recommend this book to any reader of the mystery/thriller genre.
    • 5/5
      As the book open, John Hunter is being release from prison after 16 years, for a murder he did not commit.The murder of the woman he loved. And he has a plan. Those responsible are going to pay. Meanwhile, on the west coast of Florida, we meet Bill Moore. Bill is a pretty successful guy, with a good job as a realtor, a very nice house, a luxury car and a wife with whom he is deeply in love. But it is not quite enough for Bill, because he has a Plan, a five year plan that is now in it's sixth year. So Bill decides that perhaps he needs to step it up a bit. But it seems as if someone may have something else in mind for Bill. First, he gets a book, a rather pornographic 'art' book delivered from Amazon that he swears to his wife he never ordered. He thinks it is just a mistake. Then, even more upsetting, a racist joke is sent from his e-mail account to friends and business acquaintances. Again, at first, he doesn't take it seriously, thinking it is some sort of joke, some sort of misunderstanding. Like the card that turns up on his desk at work with just one word printed on it..."MODIFIED".Things quickly turn even nastier. He agrees to meet a potential client at his house in the evening to discuss the possible sale of the wealthy man's home. When the man does not turn up, Bill is sent of a wild goose chase to a bar some distance away by the man's assistant, but again the man does not show up. Bill goes home to find the next day that somehow some nude photos of a female co-worker were loaded on his computer, dated and timed when he told his wife he was waiting for that Mystery Client. It is even more unsettling when he see the name of the file the pictures are in..."MODIFIED".He has a techie guy that works for his company try to figure out, unsuccessfully, how someone is doing this. It seems someone, for some unknown reason, somehow has gained access to his passwords, his computer, all sorts of aspects of his life, his very identity.Bill has no idea who is behind it, what he can do to stop it, who he can even trust.When the Mystery Client turns up missing and appears to be the victim of foul play, Bill becomes the police's number one suspect and things are turning very, very bad indeed, quickly spinning out of control.Mr. Marshall is the author of several other books, none of which I have read, but I must say, I loved this one.For a significant part of the book, the reader is as confused as Bill Moore as to what is going on. There is the whole other story of John Hunter, the released convict, and the question of what this has to do with Bill's dilemma. But don't worry, they are related, and in good time it will all become clear. Well, maybe not totally clear but clear enough to keep the reader flipping those pages as the story tears along, veering this way and that, keeping us on edge, holding on, as the bodies starting to pile up, all leading to a totally surprising twist at the end. If you like your stories all black and white, everything all spelled out simply, this might not be to your taste. The reader has to pay attention, figure some things out. Good guys may be bad and some bad guys may be good, everything is certainly not what it seems and it will not all be neatly tied up with a bow at the end.But it is very good indeed..Bill starts out as not the most likable character. His relationship with his wife is his one saving grace but otherwise he is rather naive, very ambitious and really, a bit of an ass. But by the end of the story..a rather open ended ending...he is indeed a changed man. I think he becomes someone the reader will like, if only because we will identify with him and what happens to him. How easy would it be for our entire life, our very identity, to be turned on it's head in an instant. Way to easy it seems. I am sure many readers will we changing all their passwords on their computers by the time they reach the last page.If you enjoy a good thriller, with a healthy dose of conspiracy thrown in to get you thinking, Killer Move is a book I would certainly recommend!
    • 4/5
      John Hunter has just been paroled from prison. He was incarcerated for killing the woman he loved, a crime he did not commit. Bill Moore sells condos on the Florida Keys. He does everything he has been told will make him successful; he works out, he quit smoking, he gets daily affirmation emails, practices positive thinking and visualization. One day Bill finds a card on his desk at work with the word "modified" printed on it. Small inconveniences start occurring with the word "modified" attached and then things start getting serious. Bill becomes the main suspect in the police's investigation of a missing man.What do these men have in common? Why is John Hunter's story so important to answering Bill's questions?This novel is divided between Bill's first person narrative and a third personal omniscient look at John Hunter. It is obvious that Bill is unwittingly part of a game that has become deadly, but it takes a while to bring both men's stories together. I would have liked to have read more about John, but this is really Bill's story.This intelligent thriller kept me guessing until the very end. Even when I thought all the questions were answered there was one final twist. A well written engaging thriller I highly recommend.
    • 4/5
      By the time you get to page 82 in Killer Move, you will likely already have run to your computer to change all your important passwords. If you have been reading the book while on a commuter train you will be praying that you make it home before it is too late to change your passwords and your life is ruined. Killer Move will make you paranoid. And, like they say, just because you're paranoid doesn't mean everyone isn't out to get you. John Hunter and Bill Moore have never met, but they each fall prey to the same insidious cabal... a group of people that gets their kicks by destroying other people's lives. Killer Move follows the story of each of these two men as they separately deal with this sinister cabal. Moore and Hunter meet briefly toward the end of the book under circumstances in which neither trusts the other, but each of them learns something from the other to help him in his fight against their common enemy. Still not trusting each other, they split paths again, each resolving to put an end to the madness one way or another. The writing is riveting and chilling. It is not a book for the faint of heart. There are gruesome murders. While we are spared descriptions of the actual brutish criminal acts as they transpire, the descriptions of the bodies in the aftermath of the crimes are a bit disturbing. But then, in the midst of this horror there are tender recollections of love and romance, in which MacDonald's holds a special place. Can you imagine a candle-lit table for two at MacDonald's? Actually, it is quite nice and memorable. And there are lovely recollections of a young man and woman walking along a beach. Quite nice, but they don't last long before the world again starts falling apart around our protagonists. As I prepared to write this review I kept thinking "5 Stars, 5 Stars." But there was a period of time in the middle of the book where I felt that the narrative had lost its tension. I began to doubt that the author could tie all the wild happenings together and make sense of it all. (He does.) But for a while there, I had the feeling that Killer Move was a replay of an old Twilight Zone episode in which a bunch of people are trapped in a space enclosed by a high wall and they can't get out. And at the end of the episode the people turn out to have been toys in a child's toy box. Thankfully, the book doesn't end this way, but my interest had begun to wane. Late in the book Bill Moore, and later John Hunter, each meet with two members of the evil cabal. These people reveal secrets about the cabal to Moore and Hunter without putting up much of a fuss...except in the case of Hunter who had become a bit too pro-active for his own good. Better would have been (as they say in chess books) if the protagonists had discovered these secrets on their own. But these are minor faults. I highly recommend Michael Marshall's "Killer Move," although the title doesn't really fit the book...(another minor fault,) and although I disagree with Chamfort's maxim cited in the beginning of the book (very roughly translated as "being philosophical is often a miserable way to spend your life...act; do stuff; don't think too much...don't ponder the meaning of your own existence.") myself much preferring Socrates' opposing view that "the unexamined life is not worth living"...(another minor fault.)