Customer Reviews

The Kill Clause: A Novel

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Not usually given to superlatives, let me start this review by stating that Gregg Hurwitz' 4th novel, "The Kill Clause" is the best book that I've read in the past year! The plot takes off like a rocket from page one and never loses steam.

The story revolves around the brutal murder of the young daughter of law enforcement officers, Tim and Dray Rackley. As the Rackley's deal with a parent's greatest nightmare, things become even worse when the alleged murdered is set free because of a violation of his 4th Amendment rights during his arrest. Tim is so distraught over this turn of events, that he considers taking the law into his own hands. As he comtemplates this action, Tim is approached by an unusual band of vigilantes known as The Commission. Each member of The Commission has suffered a great personal loss along the lines of the Rackleys. And, in each of their cases as well, the perpetator has gone free because of some legal technicality.

Without giving away too much of the plot let me just say that the anguish that Tim feels over the loss of his daughter pales in comparison to the guilt that he begins to feel as he becomes the hit man for The Commission. This very human story tests the depths of many emotions, especially the relationship that a husband and wife have to deal with after a loss of this magnitude.

Hurwitz has done another outstanding job with his character development in this novel. The members of The Commission are unique in their own fashion and extremely interesting. There were a number of scenes throughout the book that I read at a blur because the action was so intense. Numerous graphic scenes definitely make this powerful book one that is not for the faint of heart.

Bravo to Mr. Hurwitz on his latest creation and attention all Hollywood execs: This would make a dynamite film! The screen play is practically written already. I can't wait to see what Hurwitz writes next!

HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION!

THE KILL CLAUSE is one of those thrillers where I almost feel guilty not awarding a High Five.

U.S. marshal Tim Rackley lives in SoCal with his wife Andrea, a deputy in the local police department. On the very first page, the two learn that the dismembered body of their 7-year old daughter, Ginny, has been discovered. Shortly thereafter, the suspected perp, a convicted child molester named Kindell, is cornered. Before the man is taken in for booking, Tim is given an opportunity by the arresting officers to execute the suspect. Left alone with Kindell, the slimeball gives Tim the hint that there was an accomplice, so Tim allows him to be taken into formal custody hoping the subsequent investigation will yield more information. But it doesn't, and the court sets the accused free on a technicality. Soon thereafter, Tim is approached by The Committee, a vigilante group of five men and one woman proposing to act as judge and jury on seven high profile murder cases where the suspect has gone free. They want Tim to join their deliberations, and then execute those condemned. The bait is the seventh and last case, which is Kindell's. Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time by all concerned.

There's much that author Gregg Hurwitz does right in this book. His prose skillfully depicts gritty and suspenseful action. The dialog is well constructed. (My pet peeve about too many potboilers is that all characters "sound" the same.) Rackley himself has a clever bag of tricks from years of military and law enforcement experience that makes him an eminently dangerous man. He knows how to booby-trap a .357 pistol so it blows off the shooter's hand, or pack an audio earpiece with explosive so it blows off a head. He can simulate infected needle tracks using a syringe full of Visine, Comet cleanser, and a crushed vitamin C tablet. He pulls metal fragments out of his body using nothing but Advil, hydrogen peroxide, and a tweezers. Don't try these parlor tricks at home.

My biggest problem with the novel, compelling me to shave off a star, is that I never felt more than indifference towards Rackley. Yes, the murder of Tim's daughter and the subsequent downward spiral of his marriage did inspire sympathy. Yes, I was riveted by his consummate and deadly resourcefulness. But there was nothing about the man that was particularly engaging. I think of other fictional action series heroes whose quirks make them endearing. Trouble-magnet Munch Mancini (by Barbara Seranella), who has a smart-mouth response to life in general. Ex-military cop Jack Reacher (by Lee Child), a rugged individualist so out of the mainstream that he hasn't a clue how to iron a shirt or manage a household budget. Or skip tracer Stephanie Plum (by Janet Evanovich), who's basically just a klutz. Even Eastwood's Dirty Harry persona had his catchy sayings ("Are ya feeling lucky, punk?") Rackley is nothing of the sort. And while this didn't prevent me from finishing the book, it would, oddly enough, keep me from buying other novels by the same author. A hero with a likability quotient means that much.

First of all, the writing is good. The author has talent and flair, but the story lacks cohesiveness. I liked the character development. I thought the main characters were well rounded and about as bright as a box of rocks.

This book is the STAR CHAMBER only with Deputy Marshals instead of judges. The main character Tim Rackley approaches apparent injustices in the criminal justice system by taking the law into his own hands and whacking the bad guys (it just isn't clear if there any good guys in this tale).

The initial enthusiam for vigilante justice degrades to what-have-I-gotten-into to something akin to I've-written-300-pages-and-how-do-I-end-this book. Personally, I would have killed off the main character rather than go through the strained, improbable and fixed ending.

When his seven year-old daughter is killed, U.S. Deputy Marshal Tim Rackley's life comes apart. The local police arrange a fake suicide for the quickly caught child-molester but Tim decides to let justice run its course. The man is clearly guilty and Tim believes that the law and justice coincide. But in this case, a terrible botch in procedures sets the man free and Tim has to decide what to make of his life--as his marriage unravels. Out of the blue, a group approaches him--they are all victims of similar breakdowns in the justice system. They've set up a Commission that intends to redress justice failure and are looking for a point man--an executioner. Tim is their choice but can he turn his back on a lifetime of beliefs? The bait is almost impossible to turn down--they promise the full evidence on his daughter's case.

THE KILL CLAUSE addresses a common perception in America--that our justice system gives too much protection for criminals and too little to the victims and to society. For many, the idea of retribution is attractive and the Commission makes all of these arguments to Tim. That their arguments are flawed isn't really the point and author Gregg Hurwitz knows it.

Hurwitz solid and fast-paced action--both in the U.S. Marshal scene where Tim shoots several badguys and in the Commission scenes where Tim must confront some of the deadliest killers on the planet while on the run from the police himself. The depiction of Tim's marriage breaking down was moving and troubling as two people in love stand by helpless to do anything to prevent it.

Although the novel was mostly effective and compelling, at times Hurwitz's beliefs were presented in almost lecture form. The bar scene with the frustrated defense attorneys came off that way for me. The story would have been more powerful if Hurwitz had chosen to bring out his points solely through the story. And for me, the ending was just a bit too pat--so much so that it defeated much of the point of the book. Still, Hurwitz's writing is strong and THE KILL CLAUSE makes for an exciting and thoughtful read.

This is the first of Hurwitz' Tim Rackley series and he is a great character. When his daughter was found raped and murdered, my heart broke for him and his wife. The description of the pain they went through was very convincing and I totally felt it. That made Tim's decision to participate in the activities of a group who planned to assassinate known killers who escaped the legal system more believable. Tim had quit his job as a U.S. Marshall. As a strong, tough man of action, he had no way to deal with his grief and anger that her killer was free due to a loophole in the system. Under other circumstances, a character as smart and savvy as Tim Rackley would not have been drawn into this group, especially as he got to know some of the people involved. The entire book was full of action and suspense, was well written and interesting from beginning to end.

Hurwitz creates some good characters--Bear, Dray, and Tim. However, the book is about 200 pages too long. The story had tons of potential to be a fascinating look at the Marshals and modern LA. It is neither. Instead, it is one long action sequence with some tear jerking thrown in. The murder is terirble and sad--Ginny's that is. Otherwise, the other characters are relatively two dimensional. Where were the editors? It seems the book was sold to Hollywood, which makes sense...it would be a 2.5 star action flick. Still, I hear the Program is really good...will I try Rackley again? Probably...I just hope it is better than this.

Upon learning of the rape and dismemberment of his beloved daughter Virginia, US Marshal Tim Rackley went ice cold as if his heart was sucked out of him. He knows nothing will ever be the same. His wife Dray is in shock, but Tim no longer feels except frustration and anger and offers her nothing and doesn't seeks her comfort to ease his ire. Realizing the man he believes is the culprit will walk only brings more rage.

The Commission, an encounter group that shares Tim's outrage that the system enables killers to walk, recruits the former cop. They do not care about his adjustment to life without Ginny. Instead he becomes one of their hitmen providing vigilante justice to those animals who escaped. However, as the haze clears and he realizes some of his peers are loose cannons like the crazed Mastersons, Tim invokes THE KILL CLAUSE that eliminates his involvement, but first he must take care of rampaging Commission killers hurting anyone in their path.

This is an exciting vigilante thriller that blends a delightful look at Tim the executioner on the job within a comic book Hollywood feel (Bronson's Death Wish). Readers will understand Tim's reactions and subsequent actions to Ginny's horrific murder as he and the Mastersons insure gore and blood flows freely through the veins of the plot. Though not for everyone, Greg Hurwitz purveys an action packed thriller starring a hero seeking justice in all the wrong places.

Harriet Klausner

After reading all of the highly positive reviews listed here, I expected a fast paced, thrilling read. What I got was the complete opposite. Having just lost his only daughter, Tim Rackley, a US Deputy Marshal is out to seek his style of revenge with the help of The Commission, a group of law enforcement professional who have shared the devastating loss that Rackley has felt. Soon, he leaves his life behind and dives into the murk of L.A. to begin a series of hits on criminals who have slipped through the system's cracks...including the man who Rackley believes killed his daughter.
Although it's an interesting storyline, it wasn't as riveting as I expected.

In a compellingly emotional opening to the book, Tim and Andrea Rackley are faced with the news that their 7-year-old daughter has been horrifically murdered. Their heartbreaking grief and despair is captured in a few powerful pages and gives us the motivation that drives Tim for the rest of the book. To add to their misery, the man who committed the murder is allowed to walk free thanks to a loophole in the legal system.

As a highly trained Special Forces officer turned Deputy Marshall, Tim has the power and the opportunity to exact any form of revenge he chooses on his daughter's murderer, but refrains from doing so when he learns that an accomplice may have been involved. Meanwhile, his marriage is being ripped apart as Tim and Andrea try to come to terms with the loss of their daughter. Just when it looks as though the marriage is beyond salvation and after he quits his job, he is approached by a man offering him a chance at some measure of revenge, luring him in with the possibility that he will also get a shot of finding the mysterious accomplice.

Essentially, what Tim is asked to do is join a group of vigilantes, calling themselves The Commission, who are aiming to serve their own justice on criminals who they consider have escaped penalty due to shortcomings in the legal system. Of course, Tim accepts and the action takes off from there as candidates are assessed and their fate is decided, with the penalty to be meted out by Tim.

This is a tremendously fast-paced book that highlights the way in which severe emotional situations can skew the judgement of even the most level-headed thinkers. I had a great time reading this book, finding it both thought provoking and white-knuckle thrilling.

Sorry folks. I can't whole-heartedly endorse this book as everyone else has. I am scrupulous about reading cover to cover. This seemed to weave for hours, and finally I cheated myself and read the last chapter or two. And the ending I was expecting was there. Not a big surprise. After reading the end, I wasn't sorry I skipped the 100+ pages in the middle. He could have wrapped up a whole lot faster for me.