The first chapter of Zero Kill reads like the opening scene of a thriller movie. What starts off as a romantic dinner, quickly turns into something dark and deadly. And this continues throughout the book. Mark Hill writes with a cinematic flair and I could see this being a film. Elsa Zero is like a female Jason Bourne. She might have been out of the spy game for a while but the skills kick back in when she needs them. With the not-so-saintly Saint in tow, Elsa has to find out why all the security agencies in the world suddenly want her dead.

There's plenty of twisty tension in this book but a thread of dark humour runs through it too. I particularly liked Elsa's parents. I don't know if there are any plans for more Elsa Zero but I think she could be a returning character quite easily. I await the sequel.

This book starts very strong and had me instantly pulled into the story with the action in the beginning of the book but unfortunately I found the second half of the book very slow.

The story follows Elsa who is at a restaurant with her boyfriend and he proposes to her. Things quickly change at this point and Elsa realises people are after her so she has to protect herself and her children. This book reminds me of the movie Mr and Mrs Smith a lot.

I enjoyed reading about the main female character, Elsa but found the descriptions of her at points were not needed, it was quite obvious it was written from a man’s point of view. I did find it hard to empathise with Elsa and her feelings toward her children.

The plot of the book does have a twists and turns but failed to thrill me and some twists I did anticipate and didn’t hold my attention.

I did enjoy the read but the strong first few chapters had me expecting so much more.

If you like classic spy novels with action-packed fight scenes then this is a book for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and Aria & Aries for providing an ARC read in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars
Well this kicked off in right style... We start with Elsa having a nice meal out with her boyfriend Joel in a packed restaurant, he has just proposed and she is mulling it over when he gets a phone call. On his return, he, well, he tries to kill her...
See, in a previous life, before she retired, and had children, Elsa was an undercover agent... As you do!
And someone now wants her dead. And her only focus, once she has her children safe, is to stay alive long enough to find out who and why and stop them...
Oooo she is deliciously badass. Which she displays often during this action packed story. She used to work for private firm of Red Queen but she has been "retired" nearly a decade. But with a long service history it will take some doing to work out which of her ops this kill order refers to.
As already mentioned, this book kicks off from the very beginning and ramps up straight away, only letting up on occasion to give the characters - and the reader - short respite. But outwith the action it is also very tightly plotted with the two going hand in hand all the way through. Twisting and turning as it went, exposing secrets and lies aplenty all the way to the wholly satisfying end.
The only reason for the lack of the final half star was that I never really fully connected with Elsa and so I never really completely got behind her and I think the book needs that from a reader. It needed it from me to tip it to a fantastic read. It's probably my fault but we never got off to a good start in the restaurant scene where, I think, maybe, the author could have made her a tad more likeable. Maybe he didn't for a reason that went over my head, that others don't need, but I think I did. But hey, 4.5 stars is still a good rating and it is a stonking read so, don't listen to me, what do I know! Oh and will there be more from Elsa in the future cos I would maybe like to try again with her...?!
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

ARC Rating 5/5 ⭐️

“The world and his wife wants you dead”

"Another lifetime, then"

This was a really enjoyable espionage/ spy thriller that was fast-paced and full of tension.

The story follows Elsa Zero, single mom and ex-deep cover agent. But when the clock strikes midnight, just after her fiance proposes, all hell breaks loose. Suddenly, Elsa is thrust back into her old life, while every intelligence agency is trying to kill her.

I really did enjoy this book, and the characters were well written. This has such great twists and turns, which just kept me guessing!

Overall, this was a really good read, and I would definitely read any sequels.

Thank you, NetGalley, Aria & Aries, and M. K. Hill for sending this book for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wow, what a fantastic book this was to read! Really gripping from the off with a storyline that really captured your attention and I honestly didn't want to put the book down until I had finished it, a sign of a good book for me! A great main character too that you could understand. A book I'd highly recommend to read.

This is being recommended for fans of KILLING EVE - though it's not like the show in the slightest. It's got more of a MR AND MRS SMITH kind of vibe.

I found the opening chapter very intruging and it made me want to continue reading. However, I felt a bit disappointed with the reveal as to why Elsa was being hunted by assassins.

You can tell this is written by a man though, as some of the descriptions for Elsa were a bit ... odd.

This book packed a punch from the very beginning!
Elsa Zero is one bad ass single mother and I really enjoyed her character although is some cases it was painfully evident this was written by a man and perhaps not perfectly executed.
Overall a quick and enjoyable read.

Zero Kill - M. K. Hill

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this eARC.

Apocalyptic thriller that is guaranteed to get your heart rate elevated as Elsa Zero comes out of retirement to save the United States from mass destruction.

Exciting and engaging novel; if you wonder why I didn't give it a five, the idea of a large number of the population dying a hideous death from a virulent virus seems neither outlandish, nor particularly entertaining these days...

Until next time, dear readers...

Hold on tight as Elsa Zero dives into a web of conspiracy, where survival is just the beginning.……

Book Information

Zero Kill, written by M.K. Hill, is a 400-page thriller to be published on July 6, 2023. M.K. (Mark) lives in London and was a journalist and an award-winning music radio producer before becoming an author. Thank you to Aria & Aries for providing me with an advance reader copy of this book for review.

Summary

Elsa Zero is a single mother and a former deep cover agent. She finds herself in a perilous situation when her uneventful evening takes a drastic turn after her boyfriend's proposal. Now on the run to protect her children and discover the truth, Elsa must evade numerous intelligence agencies desperate to eliminate her, all because she possesses a deadly secret. Surviving long enough to unravel the mystery becomes her top priority.

My Thoughts

Zero Kill by M.K. Hill is an intense and fun book that grabs you from the very first chapter and never lets go. It is a quick and exciting read, with short chapters that keep the action moving. The plot is well crafted, filled with twists and turns, making it a page-turning, pandemonium-filled, thrill-ride adventure. Hill creates a world where nothing is as it seems, and only Elsa Zero can unravel the truth.

One strength of the book lies in the complex character of Elsa Zero, who seems to me to be a mix of Ethan Hunt and Jason Bourne with a sprinkling of John Wick. I do think, however, that there is a slight disconnect between her personality in the first chapter and the rest of the book. While she was not likable at the restaurant with her fiancé initially, she is portrayed differently in subsequent chapters. This discrepancy seems more like a disconnect than character growth.

While the book is very enjoyable and a great read, it does have some formulaic elements. Additionally, there are instances where the prose and character descriptions can be seen as misogynistic, which detracts from the overall reading experience.

Despite this, the book remains entertaining and captivating. It is one of those stories where the fate of the world hangs in the balance, and only the protagonist, Elsa Zero, who seemingly has the world against her, can save it. Throughout the book, the layers of the story unfold, leaving us uncertain about the motives behind everyone wanting to kill Elsa and the identities of the good and bad guys. The involvement of Elsa's parents adds an interesting dynamic to the story which I enjoyed. I also enjoyed the character Saint, despite all his flaws.

Betrayal, danger, and a heroine you won't forget - Zero Kill is an adrenaline-fueled rollercoaster.

Recommendation

Zero Kill is a thrilling and fast-paced book with a well-crafted plot and a strong protagonist in Elsa Zero. Despite some minor flaws, it offers an entertaining read for those who enjoy action-packed adventures. Recommended.

Rating

4 Apocalyptic Stars

This is the first book I have read by MK Hill but definitely won't be the last. The plot starts off with a young woman being proposed to by her partner and then suddenly all hell breaks loose. The science behind the story has obviously been well researched but to be honest the lead character is the ingredient that makes it really great. Initially starting as a Mum of two she develops into someone with a very convoluted and varied past which is well written and enjoyable to learn about. There are other characters also with various pasts and all add to the story.
If you are a spy thriller fan or even if you just like a good yarn then I would really recommend giving this book a try.

Unfortunately, I read this book shortly after reading another book about a retired secret assassin who's also a mother ("Second Shot"), and I couldn't help making comparisons even though the two protagonists are very different women and the situations that they find themselves in are unrelated, Zero Kill is a fast-paced thriller and good for a summer beach read.

Thanks to Aria & Aries for access to a digital ARC on NetGalley.

WOW! When I say I want a fast paced thriller THIS is what I mean. Zero Kill is officially my 4th 5 star read of 2023.

She is Elsa Zero, a seemingly normal mum with a past that comes back to haunt her. She’s a former deep cover agent for a private security firm called RedQueen. She is out to dinner with her partner Joel but at the stroke of midnight she skyrockets to the top of a shoot on sight list.

The first chapter explodes on to the page and you just know you are in for a wild ride throughout this book. My worry with books like this is that I fear they won’t keep up the pace throughout the book. This book? Yeah it keeps up the pace. Elsa is the kind of character I love in thrillers, she is cynical, hard as nails and acid tongued.

I have never read any MK Hill but this has me thinking that I need to explore more of his back catalogue.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Aria and Aries for the advanced copy.

What starts out as a normal dinner between a girlfriend and boyfriend turns into a proposal. Elsa has only loved one man in her life, the father of her kids, but Joel has made her feel special so she decides why not. Not long after Joel receives a call, everything changes and Elsa’s old life as a secret agent causes her to come out of retirement. After all, a mom will do anything to protect her kids.

Think James Bond meets female version, Elsa Zero, who has to be quick on her feet to figure out how to stop a past failed mission from coming back and being completed. Old acquaintances come back, but she doesn’t know who is to be trusted. You won’t want to put this book down to find out who is after her and why. Loved the cliff hanger at the end indicating more to come. The author builds on the plot through out the book jammed pack with action just when you think it was resolved. There were so many unexpected outcomes that were not expected and I loved that it wasn’t predictable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria & Aries (Head of Zeus) for the advance reader copy.

The premise of this book sounded very exciting and I may have gone into it expecting something different to what the actual story was.

The story follows Elsa Zero, a retired secret agent who then gets targeted by everyone for reasons unknown to her.

There’s a lot of spy/thriller tropes within the book; bureaucracy, double crossing, not knowing who to trust and at times it feels like there is too much. It’s a very dramatic, slightly over the top book. And I found it funny even though it’s not meant to be comedic.

I found it a fun read, and the book wasn’t long. The book has set itself up for a series, but I’m not overly fussed about following any later stories.

I’d like to thank Head of Zeus, Aries and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Zero Kill’ by M K Hill in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Ex-secret agent and mother, Elsa Zero and her boyfriend Joel are in a London restaurant where he asks her to marry him. Minutes later Joel leaves their table to answer his phone and when Elsa approaches he begins a ferocious and prolonged attack on her. Elsa escapes but she needs to find out what’s happening to her, why and by whom. What is it she knows that makes people think she’s part of a major global conspiracy?

‘Zero Kill’ is an intense and very exciting spy thriller that’s had me on the edge of my seat for the last twenty-four hours. The first pages with Elsa trying to escape sure death at the hands of Joel set the pace for the remainder of the book and so involved was I in Elsa’s fate and that of her family that I put the housework on hold and sat glued to my Kindle turning page after page until I reached the end. With its suspense, intrigue and twists and turns, I’ve been continually flummoxed as I’ve tried to decide who were the goodies and who the baddies. This is one of the most exciting books I’ve ever read and I’m very much hoping that the cliffhanger on the final pages means there’s more of Elsa to come. Congratulations go to Mr Hill who’s written a fantastic thriller that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.

One moment Elsa is enjoying date night, having left the kids at home. Next moment, Elsa is being hunted. She is the target of various intelligence agencies around and she has no idea why ...

This was a brilliantly crafted spy thriller with excellent twists. The plot lagged a little around the middle, but it picked up again and the ending in particular really delivered!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley and it is set to be released in July 2023.
Considering that I DNFed this book perhaps this review isn’t a true reflection of the entire contents, but I truly cannot force myself to push through it.
I wanted to like this book more than I actually did. Clearly, I am not the target demographic for this book. This book had the potential to be amazing as it is action packed and has a very interesting and exciting premise, however, in my opinion these are let down by the misogynistic undertones in the writing, along with heavily in detail descriptions of the main character’s body which were unnecessary and inappropriate. Also, for a top agent she sure does need to be saved a lot.

I feel like I’ve just got off a rollercoaster after reading this book. The drama is intense and thrilling with a great cast of characters. The storyline toggles between now when Elsa Zero, an ex secret agent is targeted while enjoying her quiet new life in London and 10 years previously while she was on her last mission abroad. There are twists and excitement all through the book and I found myself saying ‘just one more chapter’ then reading another 5 - always a sign of a good book. I hope there’s more to come.

What to say about Zero Kill? It’s a novel about a deep cover agent who gets caught up in a plot that involves the worlds soy agencies looking to end her life. Interspersed with a back story plot to flesh out the narrative. Do you like cliche? Look, this is an easy read but, with that, there’s a certain level of what I’d call male gaze applied to the main character. Some of the descriptions applied felt uncomfortable and, almost, made me want to stop reading. However, it’s fast paced, action based and had just enough redeeming features for me to persevere. Who’s this for? Y’know those limited action series shows on Netflix and Prime? This novel is that in paperback. Good to keep you interested for 8-hours but maybe not something you’ll talk about on Monday.

I found this rather disappointing. The story seemed lacking in substance until the final chapters but was full of repetitive chapters full of fights. The details of the fighting are graphic but then the combatants get up and carry on! The characters are all disloyal and have little team connection. I found it all very improbable.