The Hit Man Cometh

by Edward Kendrick

The Hit Man Cometh by Edward Kendrick

Mick is a hit man sent after Gavin. Can Gavin, an ex-conman and a shifter, convince Mick they should join forces before Mick kills him?

Mick Whalen is a hit man hired to kill Gavin Wilde. However, when he tracks Gavin to a remote mountain cabin, he discovers that killing the coyote shifter is not in the cards. Especially when Gavin offers sex as an incentive to spare his life—an offer Mick does not refuse.

At Gavin’s insistence, they find out who hired Mick before someone else is sent to finish the job. The most probable person is a vampire with an ax to grind because of something Gavin did to him in the past. With the help of Gavin’s bear shifter friend Torben, and Torben’s vampire friend Brynja, they set out to stop the vampire—perhaps permanently.

Mick and Gavin decide to join forces since, as Gavin points out, he can teleport Mick away after a hit. The contracts come, and their rough bouts of sex heat up in the process.

However, they’re almost killed on a job—a job no one knew about except Mick’s friend and handler Johnny. When Johnny is murdered, they team up with the two other hit men who also once worked for Johnny, to find and eliminate his killer as well.

With death and destruction now both men’s way of life, will it draw them closer together—or destroy what has become more than just a friendship?

About Edward Kendrick

Born and bred Cleveland, I earned a degree in technical theater, later switched to costuming and headed to NYC. Finally seeing the futility of trying to become rich and famous in the Big Apple, I joined VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America), ending up in Chicago for three years. Then it was on to Denver where I put down roots and worked as a costume designer until just recently.

I began writing a few years ago after joining an online fanfic group. Two friends and I then started a group for writers where they may post any story they wish no matter the genre or content. Since then, for the last three years, I've been writing for publication. Most, but not all, of my work is m/m, either mildly erotic or purely 'romantic', and more often than not it involves a mystery or covert operations.

Genres: M M Romance, Paranormal, Shapeshifters

168 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 11, 2014

About the author

Born and bred Cleveland, I earned a degree in technical theater, later switched to costuming, and headed to NYC. Finally seeing the futility of trying to become rich and famous in the Big Apple, I joined VISTA—Volunteers in Service to America—ending up in Chicago for three years. Then it was on to Denver, where I put down roots and worked as a costume designer until I retired in 2007.

I began writing a few years ago after joining an online fanfic group. Two friends and I then started a group for writers, where they could post any story they wished, no matter the genre or content. Since then I've been writing for publication. My first book came out in February of 2011. Most, but not all, of my work is M/M, either mildly erotic or purely 'romantic'. More often than not it involves a mystery or action/adventure, and is sometimes paranormal as well.

Reviews

[Optimist ♰King's Wench♰ · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book and I did NOT see eye to eye.



We started off rocky. We broke up in the middle. There was quite a bit of colorful language. We just couldn't make it work. Unless a book is obviously not meant to be taken seriously then I go into each experience with certain expectations. I struggled through the first 30?% trying to ascertain whether or not this was to be taken seriously at all, if it was supposed to be PWP without the porn or if I was being punk'd. Finally, I came to the conclusion that I, in fact, was supposed to take it seriously, though I still wonder about the punk'd thing. Unfortunately, my suspend reality capabilities did not extend quite this far.



I'm probably about to creep some of you out, but I swear I'm really not a contract killer. I swear. But I do like them and how twisted, cold, sociopathic and merciless they can be. Mick, however, is the worst hit man. Ever. He's hired to kill Gavin, is in his bedroom with a high-powered rifle pointed at him and somehow they wend up fucking. How? Wut? Why? That does not make any sense on either one of their parts. What's more, Mick turns out to be moody and angst-y? A moody and angst-y contract killer?



The icing on top of this crazy cake is Gavin, in addition to being a coyote shifter, can teleport. Which he and Mick affectionately refer to as "Air Coyote". More like:



Why not teleport once you see the rifle pointed at you? I'd be gone like Sean. Gavin, I guess, was too busy being turned on by the threat of mortal injury? Maybe? I really have no clue. I'm too left-brained for this book and these characters. Said brain was stomping up and down having a hissy fit all over the place.

Hissy fit #1: Mick and Gavin deduce that a vampire named Clemente, who abducted Gavin's daughter some time ago to sell into slavery, is the one who hired Mick. Gavin was able to track down Clemente all those years ago and rescue his daughter thus creating a rift between them. Isn't there always a rift between vamps and shifters? Anyway… Clemente has opened a gay BDSM club apparently to lure in Gavin and then exact his revenge for the loss of revenue, not to mention face amongst the other vamps, so many years ago. Then why hire a contract killer WHO'S HUMAN? AND how does Clemente even know Gavin is gay or kinky for that matter? It's not like they have regular lunch dates.

Hissy fit #2: The BDSM is offensive. Extremely offensive. One might even go so far as to call it abusive.

"Strip. Now," Mick ordered.
"And if I don't?" Gavin retorted, pushing buttons. He could feel the tension rolling off Mick, even if his lover wasn't aware of it himself.
Mick grabbed Gavin's biceps painfully. "Are you defying me?"
Gavin lowered his gaze, shaking his head. "No," he whispered.
"Then do as you're told." Mick brought one hand down so hard on Gavin's denim covered ass that Gavin felt as if he was already naked from the pain that ensued.

Mick removed his fingers, instantly replacing them with the thick head of his swollen cock. He thrust in hard and fast. Gavin couldn't help it. He shouted as pain tore through him then bit down on the pillow to keep from doing so again.
"Shh, shh," Mick whispered unexpectedly. "It's what you need. What I need to give you."

When Mick slapped his ass, hard, Gavin let out a yelp then bit back on another one when it happened again and Mick ordered him to remain silent. It was hard to keep quiet. Mick was being almost vicious with his hits. The only thing that gave Gavin the willpower to obey was telling himself that Mick needed to work out the last of his residual anger. Anger at Gavin for not trusting him.

Needless to say there was some colorful language, one fingered salutes and a smorgasbord of eye rolling going on on my part. To add insult to injury, the kinky sex was also boring and quick. It's like the same scene over and over. I wonder if they were just copy/paste scenes with a tweak here and there.

Hissy fit #3: The misogyny.

"…No wonder women aren't my thing. You can't trust them any further than you can throw them."

That statement alone wouldn't be enough to offend me, but this was the tone throughout. Women are untrustworthy, flighty, malicious and diabolical. Then the whole downplaying the importance of prior relationships card got pulled. I hate that card. Gavin was married and had a daughter. He eschews calling himself bisexual and calls his wife a beard that he never loved. And I'm supposed to like this person? I get the whole marriage of convenience thing and being closeted. What I don't get is having a daughter with someone and never feeling anything for that person and he's NOT the contract killer here. He's portrayed as being sensitive, a pacifist and free spirited. So, just an asshole. Gotcha. I'm not even going to go into him needing said beard to fit into his pack that isn't accepting of homosexuality; the same pack that he's in now.



The rest of my problems with this book stem from bad writing, rife with redundancies like:

"Is that an existential question? Like why do we exist? What is the meaning of life? What is my purpose?"

Thanks for clearing up what existential means. I wouldn't have known otherwise.

The writing is tedious with endless financial talk and encryption of emails. The plot is plodding. There was one point where Mick and Gavin accept a contract where the hirer wants to collect double indemnity from the life insurance which Mick believes translates into he has to kill the person at their place of work. That's kind of amusing in a 'how-the-fuck-did-you-get-to-be-a-contract-killer?' kind of way. Anyone out there who has set your sights on learning how to become a contract killer, you could learn more from Grosse Pointe Blanke. Just a tip from me to you.

If you're able to suspend disbelief to infinity and beyond, you may enjoy this.



A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

[Kelly (Maybedog) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hated this too much to give a proper review. My notes:

Not impressed with them telling each other entire stories. They trusted each other way too soon. Lots of info dumps. They also talked an excessive amount, especially for men. Is this really a male writer?

I knew the premise going in but it was even more stupid reading it. I'm a decent book, though, I can overlook a ridiculous premise. I enjoy the absurd Midnight Matings series and that's the dumbest premise ever.

He was being paid a lot of money for the hit. And to give that up for a quickie? Really boring uninspired and uninspiring sex in the beginning but that changed when they got into the mild d/s bdsm, which is funny since I don't usually like that. It was cool that the old and powerful shifter was the sub. Oh, that was the only interesting sex scene. The rest are variations on the theme, what he uses to tie him up etc., although they always use a cock ring and always spank. he talked about how they both needed it but never explained why or how. Just a little research and discussions with tools who later became my friends, I've learned a ton about the scene without being part of it. Research is an important part of being a writer. I think this had to have been written by someone who's never done it.

There were inconsistencies like Mick following Gavin off road by luck and later knowing where the cabin was and still later saying he had had to put on a tracker on the car.

There was good detective work fbding the vampire. I like that they acknowledged they were grasping at straws. But why would he be in the same city when Gavin was running from him. And why was he running and hiding and also searching? He thought the vamp himself would come for him, not a hiann. But they come up with good questions even if the answers are a bit too simple and easily come to.

I loved the description of The Bachelor.

Why do they assume everything is fine just because Clemente is taken care of? They don't know if he sent the hitman. Plus, I thought Gavin wanted revenge?
These characters are morally bankrupt. I really don't think killing someone for pay is better than killing because he enjoys it. They're both sociopaths, just the latter is probably mentally ill, too. He's a psychopath and the former is simply a sociopath. Yes there's a difference.

Oh, he can kill people but he's not a whore. He wouldn't use sex in a con. I mean, he has scruples. Criminy

Silver bullets kill werewolves not vampires.

The teleporting thing is too easy and convenient.

Hiding in an empty house for sale was smart. That's what modern day squatters do.

Okay, it's now a one. "No wonder I don't like women..."

Is this really a man writing this? It sounds like a woman who thinks gay men don't like women just because they're not sexually attracted to them. Sheesh. Then later-no wonder women aren't my thing. So one woman is evil and therefore all women are? This is disgusting.

They never fall in love, they're really just close friends with benefits. Yuck.

1.5 rounded down

[multitaskingmomma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original Blog Post: eARC Review: The Hit Man Cometh by Edward Kendrick

Oh, this is a new one from Edward Kendrick. It is still filled with the action-packed scenes I love, there are still the erotic scenes that can make readers blush. So what is different?

We have Mick who is an assassin for hire. His task is to 'off' one Gavin Wilde, actor and all-around a$$. Supposedly. Then we have Gavin himself. He is an actor, yes, but he also has a long background as a con man. He is also a coyote shifter which makes him wily as manipulative could be. The two meet, the con cons the assassin, the assassin takes the con, both like the results, and then we have an unusual partnership.

Basically, these two main characters are not your usual main squeezes. They are what I would call the anti-heroes who I just love to love and kind of get frustrated with. Mitch and Gavin, they don't have much of morality dear readers, neither do they have much of a conscience to speak of. No, they are not pathological liars or psychotics, they are just who and what they are because of their backgrounds. But I do really like them, although as fictional men, not in real life. They are kind of scary and deadly and sexy, just the type of men I like to spend an afternoon reading about.

This is a different Kendrick, but I likey! So more of this, I am waiting and wanting for.


Note: Copy provided by publisher for an honest review.

[Ro Dubose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder is just business for Mick Whalen; that is until he develops an immediate attraction for the target Gavin Wilde. Not only is Gavin kinky in the bedroom, he proves to be an asset to Mick’s hired assassination profession.

The Hit Man Cometh is an interesting plot featuring the criminal’s point of view. Murder is conducted like any other business. There is a boss who handles the assignments, as well as money transactions. Job files are sent to the hit men and another corpse becomes a story in the news.

Mick is a “no remorse” human, who likes the feeling of power he gets from being in control. His attitude is that the people he kills caused grievances to someone willing to pay for them to die, so Mick is just carrying out a task.

Although Gavin, a coyote shifter, is a former con man, he is not a killer without justification. Teaming up with Mick was more in the form of being Mick’s bodyguard, rather than becoming a hit man.

Edward Kendrick has created a saga that I found both impressive as well as a little distressing. The industry like set up is impressive. The information available through research is distressing because moral values along with a person’s anonymity do not exist in Mick’s world.

[LDL · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author implied that this book was written on a dare. Perhaps it shouldn't have been published.

[Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

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