"The Lemon Man" By Keith Bruton: Review/Giveaway

Review by Terrance McArthur

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book.

In The Lemon Man by Keith Bruton, Patrick Callen is a hitman in Dublin, Ireland. He got his nickname from a mistaken identity on his first job. Sometimes he kills people. Sometimes he only roughs them up or intimidates them. He rides a bike, wears his hair in a ponytail, his form of OCD makes a lot of daily to-do lists, his lover is a high-class call girl, and he has a baby boy.


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Image Source Brash Books
He didn’t have a child until this morning, when he found it in the apartment of his latest hit. Suddenly, his orderly world starts to spin out of control. Assignments go wrong, he’s buying diapers, and the Garda (Irish police) are looking for a murderous kidnapper. Patrick is saddled with an apprentice assassin, and he gets involved in a high-stakes heist to buy back his sweetheart from the sinister man who “owns” her.

It's a quirky tour guide to “Dublin’s fair city,” a study in dark humor, a thriller, a caper novel, and a revenge epic, all rolled into one weird package. You’ll fall for the antihero (an Adrian Monk who commits crimes instead of solving them) and the moral inversion of his chosen profession. His longings for a normal life and family are unlocked by the simple act of taking care of a child.

This debut novel is loaded with quirky characters, from the flamboyant lady who runs the assassination service she inherited to an arms dealer with “underground” sources, from an aging sharpshooter to a dentist who knows many ways to use her tools.

The obsessive-compulsive killer, the Dublin setting, Patrick’s desperate efforts to feed, clothe, and care for the baby, and an explosive showdown are unique elements that set The Lemon Man apart from other crime thrillers. Sometimes it’s violent and graphic, sometimes it’s say-what funny, sometimes it’s I-didn’t-see-that-coming surprising, but it’s always interesting.

To enter to win a copy of The Lemon Man, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line "lemon,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen August 27, 2022. US residents only and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. If entering via comment please include your email address so we can contact you. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section in Kings River Life and in our mystery category here on KRL News & Reviews. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. And check out our new mystery podcast which features mystery short stories and first chapters read by local actors! A new episode goes up next week.

You can use this link to purchase the book or click here. If you have adblocker on you may not be able to see the Amazon link:

Terrance V. Mc Arthur is newly retired as a Librarian in Fresno County, California. He is also a storyteller, puppeteer, magician, and maker of pine needle baskets. On top of that he writes stories that range from rhymed children's tales to splatterpunk horror. He's an odd bird, but he's nice to have around.
Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.

Comments

  1. The Lemon Man by Keith Bruton sounds like a fun and entertaining story.

    Nancy
    allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sounds like a exciting read. thanks.
    txmlhl;(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'd love to get a copy! tWarner419@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sounds like a great read.
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sounds right up my street!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Love to read this book. mermomm@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. We have a winner!
    Lorie Ham

    ReplyDelete

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