Deadbeat
A Novel
by Adam Hamdy
Pub Date: Dec 03 2024
Atria Books
General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers
DESCRIPTION/SYNOPSIS:
The author of the “moving head-spinner of a novel” (John Connolly) The Other Side of Night returns with a taut thriller following a desperate single father as he searches for the anonymous employer who hired him as a hitman.
Peyton Collard was a good man once, but his life changed after a horrific car accident. Divorced, drunk, and severely damaged, Peyton is offered a life-changing sum of money to kill an evil man. But as he goes on a vigilante journey that leaves a trail of bodies across California, Peyton wonders about the identity of his anonymous patron. Soon, his questions become an obsession, and he embarks on a tense and potentially deadly investigation to discover the truth about the murders he’s committed.
“A superb, white-knuckle thriller . . . Surprise explosions make the pages shake.”
—Booklist
“Once again, Hamdy has delivered a standout work of smart, tough crime fiction.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
REVIEW:
How much you enjoy DEADBEAT might rely on how well you can suspend disbelief and overlook logistical issues. Deadbeat is a fast-paced thriller with breezy prose that carries you along from one dire situation to another and at that level, it really satisfies the suspense and thriller itch. What tugs against that fast-forward plot current is the continually mentioned anchor of Peyton’s guilt over becoming what is, in essence, a serial-killer. On one hand, he takes to the role of a hitman with relative ease while agonizing over his own choices throughout. Initially, he’s convinced he’s doing the world a favor by ridding it of nasty actors (i.e, people who deserve it) based upon what he reads about them on (planted) search result pages. He’s paid incredible sums of money to kill his victims, but becomes victimized (and brutalized) himself by petty criminals. I kept wondering why he didn’t think about hiring bodyguards. And having sudden large sums of money on hand doesn’t seem to raise enough eyebrows as he buys an expensive car and a new home in a new, ritzy neighborhood, along with hiring a very expensive lawyer. Since he can’t put the money in the bank without raising IRS flags, he spends time storing it in furniture in a home he doesn’t own (yet), or underground, like a pirate. Then there’s the hooker with the heart of gold who seems way too eager to accept his murderous choices. She seems put in place to provide Peyton with the potential for a happy ending—no pun intended. There’s a revelation (not exactly a twist) that gives a reasonably satisfying reason for everything that’s happened to Peyton, but there are still a lot of “oh, really?” moments throughout that stretch credulity. And yet, if you’re willing to cruise along with the story without stopping to ask too many questions, on ponder the implausibilities, you’ll enjoy the ride.
Note: I received a free eGalley of Deadbeat from Net Galley in consideration of an unbiased review.
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