The Kill-Off [Paperback]

Jim Thompson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1999

Luane Devore's days are numbered. All her neighbors in the declining seaside resort town of Manduwoc want her dead. Some, like her young husband Ralph and his girlfriend Danny, want the thousands of dollars she keeps hidden under the mattress she spends her days resting on. Others want her to stop her malicious gossip--some of which could ruin lives.

Told from multiple perspectives, The Kill-Off tells the story of a woman not long for this earth--but who will finally take matters into their own hands, and when? THE KILL-OFF was the basis of Maggie Greenwald's critically acclaimed film of the same name.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Thompson throws readers a curve in these two titles. Written in his signature tough-guy style, The Kill-Off (1957) is about a murder before it actually happens as protagonist Luane Devore is waiting to be knocked off by any number of likely assassins from among her friends and relatives. Published posthumously in 1985, The Rip-Off has a comedic tilt as Britt Rainstar's life is turned upside down after meeting the luscious Manuela Aloe. Thompson is always a fun ride.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"The most hard-boiled of all the American writers of crime fiction." --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Vintage (June 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375700358
• ISBN-13: 978-0375700354
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 0.5 x 8.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #912,853 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid, June 11, 1999

By 

Douglas J. Bassett (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Kill-Off (Paperback)

Sort of Thompson's version of the Peyton Place/small town soap opera stories that were popular in his day. Which means, of course, that it's pretty twisted. The book's structure is intriguing -- it's told in a series of monologues by the characters, most all of which reveal themselves to be petty, weak, malicious, self-deluding, or insane. (The monologue of the docotor's boy, a psychopath, is a highlight.) The plot ultimately seems a little beside the point, and things end rather abruptly, but that's par for the course for Thompson. Not his top rank work, but certainly belongs in the second tier.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable Thompson Novel, June 5, 2003

By 

Westley (Stuck in my head) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Kill-Off (Paperback)

THE KILL-OFF is somewhat of a departure from the typical Thompson crime noir novel. The plot centers on a number of characters a small resort town. Luanne Devore is the town gossip and has alienated/angered most of her neighbors. She becomes convinced that someone is going to murder her. Will she be murdered? And if so, who will do it? Each chapter is told from the view point of a different character, and the story-telling style varies accordingly. As a result, some of the chapters are better written and more interesting than others. The book packs in a remarkable number of well-developed characters and side stories. Although the story of Luanne is central, I found myself caught up in the other stories as well. Unfortunately, the ending seems a bit rushed, and the resolution is not entirely satisfactory.

I've read about 16 Thompson novels, and THE KILL-OFF is one of the most enjoyable I've read. It's not as carefully crafted and plotted as his best works, but I still really liked it a great deal. Highly recommended.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Character Studies, August 28, 2000

By 

Jim McKenna - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Kill-Off (Paperback)

Thompson tries to get inside the heads of around a dozen characters here; for the most part he does so very convincingly. It is, however, hard to tell a story from twelve different points of view, so the plot kind of gets lost in the shuffle. Since plot was never Thompson's strong suit, this really isn't too much of a loss. By the end of the book, you'll have almost forgotten the mystery, but you'll remember some of the characters for a long time.