A Keller Sampler — Lawrence Block

Keller, the Urban Lonely Guy of assassins, is arguably MWA Grand Master Lawrence Block's most compelling character -- and a guilty pleasure for readers throughout the world. Says the Washington Post, "Fast, somber, funny. Does Block succeed in making a deadly sociopath great fun to hang around with for a couple of hours? I'm afraid so." There have been five Keller novels published -- Hit Man, Hit List, Hit Parade, Hit and Run, and Hit Me -- and A KELLER SAMPLER contains selections from all of them. Because the books may be categorized as episodic novels, these selections can stand alone (and indeed many of them first saw print as short stories, most of them appearing in Playboy). Taken together, they provide the reader with an excellent introduction into the inner and outer worlds of a character unlike any other.In addition, Block has written an original introduction for A KELLER SAMPLER, providing an overview of the man and tracing the history of his progress. If you already own the five books, you probably don't need A KELLER SAMPLER. If not, now's your chance to meet the man Marilyn Stasio in the New York Times Book Review called "Block's most fatally appealing protagonist."