Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining but weak plot at the end
Review: I can see that many have given this book a low rating, but then they might not see the humour in what L. Block has done with this novel. It depends what you are looking for. This is entertainment and not a thriller or crime fiction. The entertainment is mainly in the dialogues and the setting -- Keller and Dot's "mildly" alienated approach to their work, how Keller looks for new stamp collection in the city where he is to do his work as a hitman, the remarks from Dot, the various descriptions and characters. I agree about the weak plot at the end - but that is forgiven. Block writes a lot. It is extraordinary how his books differ - from the brilliant "burgler" series to more lightweigt "Tanner" series. And the "Scudder" series again totally different and great reading. This book belongs to his lightweight novels. You have to read the Scudder or Burglar..series to get his best work. (I am just about to order all of his "Burglar" novels..)
Rating: 
Summary: GO FOR A WALK INSTEAD!
Review: WHAT UNADULTERATED DRIVEL, A TOTAL WASTE OF TIME! THIS IS SO OUT OF CHARACTER WITH LAWERENCE BLOCK'S NORMAL WORK THAT I DIDN'T EVEN RECOGNIZE IT. AFTER TRYING HARD FOR 25 OR 30 PAGES I SIMPLY SURRENDERED, AND STOPPED SHAKING MY HEAD IN BEWILDERMENT, AND/OR DISGUST. GO FOR A WALK INSTEAD!
Rating:
Summary: What a snore!
Review: This is the slo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-w-w-w-w-est novel I've ever read, and that includes
all of Dickens and Hardy. At least Dickens writes interesting dialogue. The so-called
"banter" here is as pointless and tiresome as dialogue gets, constantly distracting us
from the plot, which is pretty thin anyway. So if you like your "thrillers" sans suspense,
go ahead and pick this up; it might be good to keep by your bedside for those nights when
you can't sleep. This will put you to sleep, believe me.
Rating:
Summary: What a snore!
Review: This is the slo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-w-w-w-w-est novel I've ever read, and that includes all of Dickens and Hardy. At least Dickens writes interesting dialogue. The so-called"banter" here between the principal characters is as pointless and tiresome as dialogue gets, constantly distracting us from the plot, which is pretty thin anyway. So if you like your "thrillers" sans suspense,
go ahead and pick this up; it might be good to keep by your bedside for those nights when you can't sleep. This will put you to sleep, believe me.
Rating:
Summary: I just wish that I could give it a starless rate.
Review: What a horrible book! This may be one of the worst books that I've ever read. I've already decided not to pick up L.B's books anymore after I've tried his recent new series and his "Hitman." I've read all of his Mathew Scudder P.I. series, only its last two [were bad] big time, and now, this...this horrible Hitman series. Just horrible and horrible! Not even one page is not wasted in blahblahblah...my God. Is there any way an author could be forced into mandatory retirement?
Rating:
Summary: Profoundly Disturbing
Review: This is an utterly repugnant book. The protagonist, Keller ("killer" without an "I", without a soul),is a conscienceless murderer. Dot, his boss, may be even worse; she murders not for money but to "tie up loose ends" (and there may be something even nastier going on with her: her victims are innocent women whom Keller actually liked). The pernicious side of the book is its attempt to "humanize" these monsters by making them funny (and he a stamp collector). Imagine a book about a clean-shaven, life-of-the-party Charlie Manson, and you will have some idea of this "laugh riot". But Keller and Dot are even worse: Manson was surely deranged, in some sense "driven" to his crimes, whereas Keller and Dot have made a career choice: rather than work at McDonalds or sell cars, etc., they CHOOSE to kill for a living [sic!]. I cannot imagine that Block approves of serial killers (even if they are funny, business people), so I must conclude he is testing the limits of our credulity - and laughing all the way to the bank.
Rating: 
Summary: A good idea wasted
Review: When I bought the book I was intrigued by the idea of a hit man being himself the prey. But what a disappointment it was - a very slowly moving plot (apart from the last 30/40 pages), pages of pointless ranting by the main characters, and then all this astrology nonsense ... I had a hard time to fnish it. The end itself is better, but it can't make up for the rest of the book.
Rating:
Summary: "Snooze" List
Review: Very disappointing. I thought it was going to be a book full of action and suspense, but it turns out to be a book full of constant worthless prattle by the two main characters. I wanted to scream, "Where is this babble going? Shut up and get to the story!" The action scenes are skipped over, and yet we are treated to about 4 1/2 chapters of jury duty.
Rating:
Summary: Keller kills
Review: I loved the 1998 collection "Hit Man" and looked forward to the next edition for years. While "Hit List" is not one of the best of Block's novels, it was very satisfying. Like "Hit Man", this novel is more of a collection of scenes than an entire novel. The characterization is terrific but the ending seems rushed. But Block is like the Michael Jordan of writing - even at 80% he's still so much better than everyone else. I can't wait for Keller to return!
Rating: 
Summary: Hit List will knock you dead in spots
Review: The plot is simple, although at times very obscure, with hit man Keller realizing that he has become the hunted. Full of interesting thoughts and philisophical questions, Keller makes his way through the novel with a knack for humoring the reader, establishing relationships with other characters as he does so, and collecting stamps. This is a very unique book, though most critics fail to connect with the main character, a hit man. Sure, he's a cold-blooded killer, but the idea is for it to make you laugh at him, not judge him. I liked it, though it was a bit wordy at times, and Dot was an amazingly annoying addition to the equation. My gripes were that the characters are shallow, if anything, and the plot gets chopped up and mixed with lots of uninteresting, irrelevant garbage at times. The book is really good when the plot is moving along, but there are lots of random detours (Keller getting stuck on jury duty) that are nothing but dead-end reading. Then you're back to the plot, and it gets good again. I hesitate to call this book great, or wonderful, or anything close, but it was ok as far as mystery books go. The finale was good, but I'd stick to the Matt Scudder series. Those are where Block's talent is, and I hope this book isn't a sign of things to come.
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