I really enjoyed this book. It tells the story of Keller, a semi-retired assassin on a new assignment. It's such a quick read and yet the plot is completely developed and the characters are all well-drawn. I loved the banter between Keller, his wife and his handler - the women in this book are really feisty and in control of their lives, which is refreshing in a old school detective type story. It reminded me of some of the hard boiled noir greats, which is completely intentional given that a great part of the story revolves around how awesome Keller's new hat is. It's fun, irreverent and well written and a great return to Keller and his world.

I love Lawrence Block's ability to have you rooting for the "bad guy". Hitman Keller is an extreme example of the type - he is, after all, a coldblooded killer - so it's a bit harder to carry off than with Block's lovable burglar, Bernie Rhodenbarr, but Block manages it just fine. The reader ends up relieved that Keller survives his experiences - it's a bit like rooting for Richard III to win Bosworth. Please, Mr Block, next time make it a full-sized novel!

I received this book free from the publisher (Subterranean Press) through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Keller bought his dark gray fedora at a haberdashery on Canal Street. He lives in New Orleans with his wife, Julia, and daughter, Jenny. He had never owned or worn a fedora before, and he really liked it, as did everybody who saw him wearing it.

Keller is a retired hit-man who comes out of retirement to do one more job, this one in Illinois not far from Chicago. He rides the Amtrack train <i>City of New Orleans</i> to Chicago, where he rents a car to travel to the job site. Everybody notices his fedora, and that’s not particularly good news for him, given his line of work. Wearing the fedora complicates Keller’s task, and he has to leave it at home when he decides to complete his assignment on a second trip to Chicago.

This story is in the form of a novella, and it is very well-written. Both the plot and the dialogue are credible and realistic. The descriptions are accurate, but not overdone. This author clearly has talent. The book is a short, easy read. I liked it and would recommend it.

Putting on a new hat means trying on a new profession. In Keller’s case that means doing a bit of detective work before getting his hands dirty. Kill the lover of a philandering wife, no problem. Discover who that lover is, well that is more of a challenge. (Especially since the wife is a nymphomaniac with a capital N). Being a hitman comes naturally, a detective not so much. Fortunately he has a stylish fedora and can pick up a few points from the mystery novel he brings along.

Keller narrates the story, giving readers access to his innermost thoughts. His witty meditations and mental meandering makes a story that would otherwise be dark light and humorous. Keller is a likable guy, despite killing for a living. It is fun to accompany him on his adventures.

Keller's Fedora isn't your ordinary mystery, but it is definitely a lot of fun to read. It is easy to see why Keller is one of Lawrence Block’s most popular characters.

4 / 5

I received a copy of Keller's Fedora from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

Keller's Fedora will be released April 30, 2017.

--Crittermom

I generally don't pick up anything that could be called a quick read. I'm not a fan of novellas but here was a chance to sample Lawrence Block, which I had intended to so for some time. I'm glad I did. Not only do I have a new author to read, but the story was fun! It had enough detail and depth to pull me into it, despite not having read the attached series. It didn't go into graphic details of killing, which can be off putting in an otherwise good book. It moved well, though the way Keller wrapped up his second assignment was somewhat clichéd.

Keller's Fedora by Lawrence Block- Another great Keller story from Lawrence Block. Keller is the stamp collecting hitman who just can't stop because it's what he's good at. For this job, Keller doesn't even know who he's suppose to kill, so he must do some detective work first, following the client's wayward wife around until he zeroes in on who he thinks is the interloper. Then it's time to act. But as usual, life interferes with well-set plans and problems arise. Most of the violence is done off stage and the story is really an examination of the quiet, shy man as he goes about his chosen assignment, methodically with little emotion. Block's tight prose and gallows humor make for a wonderful enjoyable read.

Keller is back in another adventure. And this time he has a hat, a very snazzy fedora! Dot contacted Keller with a strange case, a husband has a cheating wife. He wants the other party whacked (not his wife), but does not know who is the villain. So Keller puts on his fedora to detect the guilty party. He succeeds, but of course, there has to be a nice twist. And Keller comes up with a doozy that really gets the job done. Glad to read Keller has not totally retired, but will occasionally make a foray into crime again!

A darkly witty tale of a kill-for-hire that, as always, went a bit wrong.

With this short story/novelette Block expands the story of Keller, a hitman-philatelist, who comes out of retirement for a peculiar job. It's completely standalone though, requiring no prior knowledge of the character, so it's a damn good primer for anyone wondering if reading about him is worth it.

Keller has to do double the work in this, as he has to not just kill the target, but identify who it is first. Block uses this to his advantage, writing some playful jokes at the expense of old pulp PIs and Raymond Chandler novels, teasing the tropes of those old books but showing his respect for them at the same time. The standard story beats are thrown away (which is lampshaded in a phone conversation with the hero's handler Dot), the expected outcome is just the tip of the iceberg, and our anti-hero prefers inner-monloguing about "things that rhyme with El Paso" instead of the overplayed beats like "the dame was trouble" and the hardships of being a killer-for-hire.

This is also way funnier than you might expect, as Keller and Dot enjoy matching wits in their conversations and, even when he's alone with his thoughts, the protagonist is no slouch in the humour department either.
The story is light, but engaging, the writing is good, though there were a couple of clunky sentences. Special mention goes to the ridiculous "He slept until he woke up", which is so outlandish that it might just be part of the joke.
And it's a very short book, so it is definitely worth your time if you are looking for something to take in one bite to satiate your hunger for crime novels.

Overall, fun and funny with a curiously offbeat narrator. A perfect quick read for anybody who enjoys the crime genre.

I love Lawrence Block's Keller books. I buy for my own personal collection as well as my library. Short, quick and lots of fun. Now I'm going to go back to the beginning and re-read them all.