Michael Hendricks could qualify as one of those people who made their living in a most unusual way. In his case, he was a hitman who specialized in killing other hitmen. Previously, he was a U.S. military covert operative who was presumed dead while serving in Afghanistan. Giving up his former life, including the fiancée he loved, he found himself on a new career path only a minute few would ever know existed.

Sometimes when a hitman was hired to kill someone, Hendricks was tasked with taking the hitman out before he could execute his assignment. Hendricks’s reputation was such that all of the crime families in America combined their resources and hired a hitman, for one million euros, to take out Hendricks, the ultimate hitman.

As the two hitmen battled for supremacy, they left a wake of painful death and destruction that hit too close to home for Hendricks. They also left a blood-soaked trail for Federal Bureau of Investigations Special Agent Charlie Thompson who was determined to put an end to the growing number of dead bodies the hitmen left along the way before anyone else got hurt, no matter what resources she needed to use.

The Killing Kind is a novel by Chris Holm, the author of The Collector series. The author is also well-known for his award-winning short stories featured in many publications.

The Killing Kind opens with a tense, exciting first chapter that sets the tone for the rest of the novel. It is one of the best books I've read in quite a while. The characters are well developed and believable.

Vivid description adds to the building of suspense throughout the pursuit of the protagonist and antagonist as they use their cunning wiles. After a while readers will realize it is obvious a final battle is inevitable, and will leave them wondering how anyone can survive.

Tension builds throughout the story until a highly chilling, and unexpected, ending will leave readers in awe of the finish; an ultimate, breathtaking, perfect storm. The Killing Kind is one of the must-read stories of the year.

If you are interested, you can find the novels and short stories of Chris Holm on Amazon.com.

A special thank you goes to Mulholland Books for providing a complimentary copy of The Killing Kind for our review.