Stand by Your Hitman

Greatest Hits Mysteries #3

by Leslie Langtry

When her family of assassins decides that she needs a love life, Missi Bombay finds herself in Costa Rica on a wild reality show where she's paired with the hottest contestant on TV, but fun soon turns to danger when someone tries to sabotage the show. Original.

Genres: Romance, Mystery, Contemporary, Humor, Suspense, Fiction, Chick Lit

273 pages, Paperback

First published August 26, 2008

About the author

Leslie Langtry is a USA Today Bestselling Author of the Merry Wrath Mysteries and the Bombay Family of Assassins Greatest Hits series. She lives in the Midwest with her family and is an active Girl Scout volunteer. Her dream is to someday invent calorie free cake.

Reviews

[Julie (jjmachshev) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed for queuemyreview.com; book release Sep08

How can you pass up a book with the title of “Stand By Your Hitman”? This is the first novel I’ve read by Leslie Langtry and it is very funny! The story is definitely a romance…and the heroine is an assassin. Is there a feminine form of assassin? Assassinette? Assassiness? I couldn’t find one in the OED (Oxford English Dictionary), but maybe we can all just vote? Anyway, Langtry manages to play off just about every stereotype there is regarding assassins and does a darn good job too. Who knew assassins could be loveable heroes and heroines?

Missi Bombay comes from a long line of professional assassins (are there any other kind)? She’s also an inventor. After her husband died (don’t ask!), she retired with her twin sons to the Bombay family’s island refuge and immured herself in her lab, inventing exploding jockstraps, strangling pantyhose, and poison lipsticks, etc. Then ‘the council’ approaches her with a job. She will appear on a reality TV show, ‘Survivial’, to gather information on a possible target. By the end of the show, the council will let her know whether to kill or not. No biggie, right? Umm…the show is a Canadian knockoff of ‘Survivor’ with a WAY cheap budget, some of the stunts could actually be lethal, she’s beginning to like her possible victim, and oh yeah, she’s falling in love too.

If you’re a fan of reality TV or ‘Survivor’, this book is worth the price just for the screaming parodies Langtry uses. Really! It’s like ‘Survivor’ done by a demented group of teenage delinquents. It’s a riot and I found myself giggling and laughing through the ‘challenges’ and ‘rewards’. Ditto for Missi’s amazingly loveable teenage twins who manage to escape from their grandmother’s custody, steal her credit card, and hide in the jungle in an effort to ‘help out’ their Mom. They also manage to throw a few wrenches (well, actually they’re mangoes not wrenches, but you get the idea) into Missi’s amorous encounters with another of the contestants. I’d actually like to see a book with these two on a college campus!

The only downside for me was the minimal relationship development which made it hard for me to like the lead characters as a couple. The sex scenes are hot (if short) but it felt more like sex than lovemaking?! I never learned much about the male lead. I can’t really call him a hero because the book is all about Missi. He just happens to be the male opposite her. The mystery involved in the story is well done and there’s really nothing serious about anything in the plot. It’s a well-written comedy with romance.

I enjoyed the laughter Leslie Langtry provided me with “Stand By Your Hitman”. It made for a great change of pace and in the future I’ll keep her books in mind for those times I don’t want to read anything that comes close to being staid or somber!

[Elisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a book that makes me laugh out loud in public and stand by your hit man did that for me talk about the funniest book in this series so far, I enjoy everything Leslie writes she really has a wicked sense of humour.

[☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The series just keeps getting better and better! This one is Hilarious! Don't read it anywhere where you won't be comfortable laughing out loud!

Quote:
There’s no reason to become alarmed, and we hope you’ll enjoy the rest of your flight. By the way, is there anyone on board who knows how to fly a plane?
Airplane!

[Gary Sundell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Missi Bombay, the Bombay Family version of James Bond's Q, takes center stage. Missi is given an assignment to kill one of the contestants on a Canadian version of Survivor. Missing finds herself a contestant on the show as well.

These books are so much fun. Be aware that one of the contestants has a fairly well developed love for profanity.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these books! They're such fun and so funny! I really don't know if I should laugh at people handling killing so casually, but they're wonderful. This one additionally has a great send-up Survivor done very, very, very wrong.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe my least favorite in the series. The plot was a little weak and sketchy at best. But again still laugh out loud funny.

[Connie53 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ik vind deze boeken zo geweldig dat ik ze alle 4 wil lezen, puur omdat ze zo hilarisch en over de top zijn. Dit keer gaat Mississippi Bombay met een opdracht op pad. Meestal werkt zij op het tropisch eiland van haar familie, waar ze apparaten en gadgets bedenkt die het haar andere familieleden makkelijker maken om de hun toegewezen personen uit de weg te ruimen. Missi's moeder vindt het hoogtijd dat Missi een nieuwe man vindt en ze schrijft haar dochter in voor een soort Expeditie Robinson ervaring. En om te onderzoeken of Isaac, iemand die ook meegaat, inderdaad zo slecht is als in de informatie staat die haar moeder heeft ontvangen. En mocht dat zo zijn dan moet ze hem uitschakelen. Missi vertrekt met tegenzin.
Op het eiland treft ze elf andere medespelers aan en een spelleider, Alan met zijn jonge assistente Julie.
Het is inderdaad een soort Expeditie Robinson maar dan erg low budget. Bovendien gebruikt Alan een groot deel van het budget om zich zelf een leuke tijd te bezorgen met drank en vrouwen in het luxe resort dat naast het kamp van de expeditie ligt. De mensen van het resort kunnen een groot deel van wat er gebeurt gewoon duidelijk zien.
Het team van Missi bestaat uit Isaac, Lex, Sami, Silan en Cricket. En algauw krijgen Missi en Lex gevoelens voor elkaar. Als dan ook nog Missi's 17 jarige zonen, Monty en Jack, zich laten zien verborgen in de toppen van de bomen is de chaos compleet. Zij zijn door Missi's moeder gestuurd om een oogje in het zeil te houden en informatie aan haar door te geven. Door in deel 4.

[Holly Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

what would you do if your whole family were assassins? What would you do if your MOTHER booked you on a reality show because she thought you needed a social life? What would you do if your children were also sent to the show to make sure you don't kill the man you thought you had a hit on and were getting paid to take out?? Mississippi (Missi) Bombay comes from a long line of assassins, her Mother California (Cali) booked her onto a reality T.V. show her fraternal twin sons 17 year old Montgomery (Monty) and Jackson(Jack) have been sent to make sure she does NOT kill anyone while she is there. She meets sexy hot Lex Danby and sparks fly....this is a good fun read from start to finish and I will be looking for more of the Greatest Hits series by Leslie Langtry

[Shae · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot was better than the first two. Still has some giant plot holes, but still better. I would probably rate this 2.5 stars, as I did like it, but I have some massive complaints about sexism. The main character's love interest at one point says he's fine with her being an assassin, but it might take him some getting used to the idea that she has more money than him. Really? This is our hangup?

[doris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Leslie langtry

This is in a series of books about the Bombay family and the different characters portrayed in the story a must read need to start with first series and go from there about a family of assassin's and the way they seemed to bungle through their hits they are assigned to do entertaining some humor and love involved

[Georgia A Frost · Rating 5 out of 5]

All of Leslie's books keep you entertained. There's not really any slow parts and once you start a story, you're in it until the end. I stayed up until 3 am to finish this book. Had to wake up a 5 am to go to work but it was totally worth it.

[Kathie Duame · Rating 4 out of 5]

I laughed out loud a number of times. Still finding the typos distracting. Leslie Langtry needs to find a better proofreader.

[Paschalis]

elibrary

[Linda Lugar · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars!! Love this series :-)

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was a lot of fun. I loved the tv show aspect mixed in.

[E'Who'Reads'a'Thousand'Mysteries · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another hilarious book in an exciting, high quality series...I can't wait to see what chaos ensues in the next installment.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was hilarious I laughed throughout the whole thing.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poor Missi. Her twin boys are about to leave home in about a year to go off to college and she is basically a hermit in her on little lab that she makes all these inventions that will never be noticed on the outside because they are only used for good, I mean to kill bad people, by her family. Her family Council tells her she is going to go on a HIT on a copy show of Survivor from Canada called Survival and that she will get more details as needed. She gets little hints and she finds out where they are going and who the other memebers are. She finds out that she has to fly to Canada and then when she gets there, she is classified as a Texas widowed homemaker for her two children. Well, she did live in Texas when her husband died, but she lives on a remote island now, but then they are there for all of 30 mintues, before they fly back to Costa Rica, basically beside the remote island she was from. She bonds with a male teamate, that is very hot and his name is Lex and all she can think about is how Lex sounds like sex. When they land, they are taken to basically the beach that is on a resort of all places. And the group is highly upset that they can see all the people close by eatting, sunbathing, enjoying life, while they are to go on like they are not there. The 12 are divided into 2 groups of 6. Missi is in the group with Lex and also with her Vic (victim). This is good for so she can keep tabs on him. Since the show is on a resort, you can only assume that things will go down hill from there and the quickly do. The "challenges" are stupid or down right dangerous. No medical help is provided. When the other tribe is told to vote off one of their members, they each vote for themselves. After several rounds of this, the "star" of the show gets pissed and takes it into his own hands. No one wants to be there. They all feel it is so lame and stupid. The show is in danger of someone evil, but Missi doesn't feel like it is her Vic at all. And she finds out it is not. But in the end, she does get her man. And she also finds out the Council set her up to get a man. Very wonderful book. Going for #4. Leslie, don't stop writing these. They are too dang funny.

[I'd So Rather Be Reading {Nat} · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really enjoying this series! The Bombay Assassin books are fun, light-hearted, witty and just all-around good reads. They remind me of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books, without the disappointment of a slow-moving or recycled plot which I've experienced with the latest installments in the Stephanie Plum series.

Langtry's writing style reads like a conversation between two friends. The books are written in a first-person point-of-view, with a lot of internal dialogue from the main character. I love that because I really get to know the main character. I loved being in Missi's head and knowing everything she was thinking and feeling. That girl was all kinds of funny!

The premise of the book is a Survivor-type show, produced by a Canadian network. Basically, Survival is just a poor man's Survivor. The host and producers bungle everything, leaving Missi and the other competitors to figure things out for themselves. In the midst of the reality show competitions and eliminations, is Missi's objective for being there: she needs to identify one of the contestants as an arms dealer and 'take him out.' The only problem is, Missi likes this guy (as a friend, which has never happened before with one of her hits) as is not convinced of his guilt. To further complicate things, Missi develops a crush on another contestant, her first romantic attachment since her husband died years ago.

What made this book so great was the writing, the humor, and that it was just a fun read. The 'bad guy' was a surprise---not at all what I was expecting. I thought that Missi's relationships with her twin teenage boys was so sweet and well-portrayed. I liked the slow build of the love story, and the way things wrapped up at the end.

Stand By Your Hitman is my favorite Bombay Assassins book to date and I can't wait to read more from Leslie Langtry!

[Wendy Hines · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series by Leslie Langtry is a real hoot! STAND BY YOUR HITMAN is the third in the series, and it doesn't disappoint!

Mississippi Bombay, Missi, is the family's inventor; fatal flowers, Jell-O bullets, stroke-inducing panty hose and other ways to kill a target without leaving any kind of evidence. She lives on a secluded island with the rest of the family "council" and raises her two twin boys alone. Her late husband met his maker via a jaywalking accident years ago.

Missi's mother has a new assignment for her. She needs her to become a contestant in the Canadian version of Survivor, called Survival, and take out a hit on a supposed arms dealer. The problem is the council isn't sure if he really is an arms dealer, so Missi needs to stay in the game long enough to be sure he is before she kills him. Missis' mom is also hoping that Missi can find herself a love life while she is there!

When Missi meets hunk-o-rama handsome Lex at the show, her love life is set aflame. But before long, someone starts sabotaging the show, and Lex thinks she is the culprit! With humor, romance, and a family of assassins, you can't go wrong. Its MacGuyver meets Survivor, so hang onto your seat-belts, your in for one heck of a ride ! I hope to see more of the Bombay family in more wonderful writing from Langtry.

[Nancy Goldberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Leslie Langtry book was "Scuse Me While I Kill This Guy," and I absolutely loved it. "Stand By Your Hitman" is a winner, too, but I didn't like it quite as well as the first book I read. I never watched "Survivor." I'm a fan of "The Bachelor/Bachelorette." I didn't exactly get the jokes about the show. I also found a few typos, where words were missing and the sentence didn't make any sense.

My likes outweigh my dislikes, though. I loved the chemistry between Missi and Lex--and he has such a great sense of humor. I spent most of yesterday with one of my funniest friends, so I was really picking up on the humor.

The secondary characters are great. My favorites: Sami (at first her language put me off, but by the end of the book, I realized that was part of her appeal), Silas, Isaac, and Jack and Monty.

I loved the Mystery Science Theater 3000 quote--which brought back some great memories. My late husband and I used to love that show, and so did a good friend of mine, who passed away earlier this year.

I look forward to reading more books in the series, especially the book of short stories about the Bombay family.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made me laugh so much! The setting was one that I could easily identify with, having seen something like it on television many times.
The main character finds herself as a contestant of a "Survivor" type contest that is truly low budget - with a set placed on the sands beside a Costa Rica resort and using the tennis court for the tribal counsel. She thinks that she is there to assissinate one of the other characters only to find out that ner mother has signed her up to find a mate.
This is a relatively quick read, one light enough for late nights but funny enough to read at your doctor's office! If you are in the mood to laugh out loud, then read STAND BY YOUR HITMAN!

[Lori Whitwam · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little disappointing. Missi was one of my favorite supporting characters in the earlier books, and I wanted to see her "happily ever after." The entire book essentially being on the set of a Survivor-like reality show kept the other favorite supporting characters out of it. A couple of the other contestants, like Sami, were fun, but the romance with Lex was so under-developed. Very little build-up, very little reward and a rather haphazard happily-ever-after. Hoping Coney's story (book 4) gets back in the groove.

[Drew Doll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and funny.

The first few chapters were not as strong as the rest of the book. In fact, I almost put it down because it was trying to hard to be funny. (If I had not been reading it for a challenge I might have.) However, once we got into the actual "Survival" show the book hit its stride and was quite enjoyable.

The scene at the first tribal council was laugh-out-loud funny. There was a mystery, but it was buried in the humor and general craziness of the characters.

Overall an enjoyable, if not a great, read.

Would I read it again? Maybe.

[Mary Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five 🌟

Missi Bombay story is just as funny as her cousin's stories were. Forced into a Canadian Survival reality show by the Council, Missi Bombay shows the soft side of the family of professional hit women and men. Trying to figure out if her target is an arms dealer and keeping the other contestants safe is more than a full time job.
This is a great series to enjoy a good mystery and plenty of snarky humour, both of my favorite things. Well written and editing job is good.

[Tamera · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh, this was ok. I think the author tried too hard, and I just couldn't buy it this time unlike her other stories in this series. So much potential - a great spoof of Survivor, how could it go wrong? Like in all the books, the stream of consciousness process can be entertaining and irrelevant. Butl.. I just couldn't buy into this one. Still some funny lines that made me laugh out loud, but i am not sure if i will read the last book in the series. To be fair, work has been super stressful, which might contribute to my lack of levity.

[Bookangels12 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another amazing book by Leslie.
This one was about Missi Bomnbay and she was on a tv show and thought she had to kill someone on the show only to find out it wasn't who she thought.
Will Missi kill the wrong man?
Will Missi find love?

Missi's twins help her in ways you wouldn't even think of.

Can she save her twins?

Read this amazing book and find out for yourself.

5 stars all the way.

Book angels12 bought their own copy to read and review.

[Mary Newcomb]

Missi Bombay becomes a contestant in a reality show, a surprise to her as her mom and sons entered her without her knowledge. The other catch is that her latest victim is a contestant as well, although there is some confusion about the the accuracy of that. Adventure, romance and some mayhem follow in unique fashion.

[S. Rutherford · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I've had this book for years before I finally sat down and read it. It's 1st person, so it wasn't easy to get into. When I did, I found it was pretty good and funny. Kind of like a Miss Congeniality story. I really enjoyed the humor, the romance, the story itself. It's definitely worth a keep.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought the first 4 books in this series in a kindle bundle. To be honest, I wasn't a huge fan of the first two- I only kept reading them because I already owned them. And let me say, I am so glad that I did. Hands down, this was the best one. Hilarious!!! I was laughing out loud the whole book!