Friday 26 January 2018

LAWRENCE BLOCK - KELLER'S HOROSCOPE (2001)


Synopsis/blurb....

Keller's a Gemini. He has a murderer's thumb.

Who knew?

Keller's Horoscope originally appeared in Death by Horoscope, an anthology of crime stories with an astrological element. It was subsequently included in the second Keller episodic novel, Hit List, and is now eVailable by itself for the first time.

Another Keller episode from Block and not having read Hit List yet it was a totally new story for me.

Horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, tarot cards, fate, destiny, preordination, murderer's thumbs and a hit or two. Well it wouldn't be Keller without a murder or two for hire.

Keller has his horoscope read and is surprised at the intuitive results derived by his reader. For a fleeting moment he is unsure whether he needs to kill her or not, but it passes. Be very watchful on a specific date in the future she says. Needless to say, against his better instincts he takes on a job. Should have stayed home, methinks. Probably wouldn't have been such an interesting tale if he had though.

Personally, I don't put any faith in horoscopes or the like. I don't have any regard for them. Give Block enough time though, I think he could convince me of anything.

4 from 5

4 down, 7 short outings with Keller to go.

Read in January, 2018
Published - 2001
Page count - 47
Source - Kindle Unlimited
Format - Kindle

8 comments:

  1. Block's definitely that sort of a writer, isn't he, Col? Lie you, I'm not much of a one for the paranormal. At all. But in the hands of a writer like this, it's hard not to enjoy the context.

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    1. I'll happily go wherever Mr Block wants to take me, Margot.

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  2. I thought this sounded familiar, and that makes sense since I recently read Hit List. Hit List is different from Hit Man in that 3 or 4 chapters make up a "story". Anyway, I enjoyed it, like everything I have read so far by Block.

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    1. I'm working through these shorts and am hoping to finish all ten or eleven by the end of February. Maybe I can get into the novels later in the year. It won't bother me if I'm re-reading segments.

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  3. Sounds fun, like all these Block shorts.

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    1. Highly entertaining - highly recommended!

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  4. Yes, you are filling my TBR with these Kellers...

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    Replies
    1. A pound each, maybe two - an absolute bargain in my opinion

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