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Kill Someone
- Narrated by: Matt Addis
- Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Horror
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Summary
From the author of the international best seller The Stone Man, short-listed for Audible UK's Book of the Year Award 2015.
Here are the rules.
Method: you can't use a gun. You can't use explosives. You can't use poison. It has to be up close and personal. You don't have to worry about leaving evidence; that will be taken care of.
Victim: no one suicidal. No one over the age of 65. No one with a terminal illness.
Choose your method. Choose your victim.
Chris Summer was a 21-year-old call centre worker. A dropout. A nobody, still living at home with his parents. Then one day the Man in White came to his family's house, offering a seemingly impossible choice: kill a random stranger - one of Chris' choosing - within 12 days in order to save the lives of five kidnapped siblings. Refuse, and they die slowly and painfully.
The clock is ticking, the Man in White is watching and Chris has some very important choices to make.
This is a tale of fear, indecision, confused masculinity and brutal violence - a story of a coddled young man thrust into a world of sharp metal and bone. Ask yourself if you could do it. Then ask yourself who you would choose.
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What listeners say about Kill Someone
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- M. Williams
- 17-03-17
Dark and gripping
I downloaded this on one of those 'deal of the day' offers. I had never heard of Luke Smitherd before but after reading the synopsis and reviews decided to dive in even though thrillers are not usually my thing. I think it's a thriller but it's one of those novels that's hard to pigeon hole. That's a good thing I think.
The story is a dark and at times an unsettling one. The author really gets you inside the head of the main character Chris and is able to transmit those feelings to the listener. It's certainly a thought provoking story that meanders across what society would see as moral and immoral. I still can't decide if Chris took the right decision or not but that's the beauty of the story really.
My first Luke Smitherd book and I look forward to reading more of his work. This was my first audiobook narrated by Matt Addis too. He does a superb job and voices the characters very well and makes them believable.
5/5 for me and well worth a listen.
24 people found this helpful
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- Paul
- 14-03-17
His best so far
Smitherd is one of the most original authors I have read - all his books start with a great idea, and he is adept at developing the plot while dealing with wider themes, such as friendship, purpose and identity. Kill Someone is his most accomplished novel yet, I think. Chris, the main protagonist, finds himself in an impossible situation, and as the reader, you can't help but empathise and wonder what you would do in the situation. I found it really compelling and couldn't stop listening.
It is also a welcome return of Matt Addis as reader who does a superb job. I particularly enjoyed his portrayal of 'Mr White' - he absolutely does the character justice and brings it to life brilliantly.
11 people found this helpful
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- Kelly Rickard
- 07-12-16
What a fantastic story
So the point of the story is you need to kill someone or lots of people die. This is a very thought-provoking book and very dark in its nature. It doesn't have the usual humour that is in the author's other works but that takes nothing away from the story and it wouldn't have been right in this context. This is so well written that you feel every emotion of the character of Chris. The sinking feeling in the pub and with his boss made the scene so realistic and that is what a great book should do.
23 people found this helpful
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- Beet Nixon
- 07-12-16
Who would I kill?
Where does Kill Someone rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
I’ll admit it, Kill Someone took me a lot longer to listen to than any of Luke Smitherd’s other books. Not in a bad way, quite the opposite in fact. See, the story revolves around a poor sod called Chris who has found himself in a bit of a pickle that can only by resolved by killing somebody (I hate when that happens - don’t you?). It doesn’t matter who he kills, all that matters is that he does, which got me thinking - who would I kill?
When I was listening to Kill Someone, I kept pausing for long periods of time to deliberate who I’d kill. Would I kill my postman? It wouldn’t be hard would it? I’d just order a new trouser press from Amazon, and as soon as he came lumbering up the path with it a few days later, I’d have at him with the garden shears. Chop, chop, chop I’d go, and I wouldn’t stop chopping until there were no more chops to chop. But, I’m not the most menacing of folks - maybe the postman would disarm me. Maybe he’d take away my shears and calm me down with reassuring words and hot bovril. I couldn’t kill a man who has offered me Bovril - could I?
It’s factors like this that make Kill Someone a very hard book to listen to quickly, because every decision that Chris makes forces you to think as him and really try to narrow down the best route to take. I won’t say anymore about Kill Someone other than it was tremendous, stupendous, horrendous and it drove me round the bendus. This is the second of Luke’s stories that don’t feature any hint of the supernatural (the first being How To Be A Vigilante: A Diary) which if anything makes them a little more sinister than the rest.
Buy this book right now, and while you’re at it bring me some Bovril. And a new trouser press. Vamos!
*I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review, and as you can see from the verified purchase mark I thought it was so good that I snapped my bank card in half and jammed it deep into my Macbook until Luke Smitherd got some of my ill gotten shillings.*
72 people found this helpful
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- M B
- 06-12-16
Another brilliant book from Luke Smitherd
Really impressed by the consistency in quality of Luke's books. I get easily bored of books that don't get you hooked early. I've read and listened to 4 of his books so far and I found myself eager to listen to the next chapter. This book is another winner to add to the list. I think Luke is the next big thing. I highly recommend
13 people found this helpful
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- 451
- 07-12-16
As exciting and unpredictable as ever
The greatest strength of good sci-fi is its ability to hold a mirror to society, passing comment as entertainment. Serling's screenplay for Planet of the Apes is a searing indictment of American racism woven into an already marvellous film. Charlie Brooker sometimes managed it with Black Mirror (as anyone who has seen 'White Bear' can testify) but few are as consistently entertaining in their critique of society as Mr Smitherd.
While discussion of the book would necessitate far too many spoilers, I'll suffice to say that as always, Smitherd is comfortable enough in his own world without the need to reference others. The subtext is entirely left to the reader, without the need to have it hammered home. Think of the original cut of Blade Runner vs the ghastly Director's Cut and the significance of the unicorn.
Indeed, Smitherd is fast becoming a new Ridley Scott, true artist rather than craftsman, turning from one genre to another with a style that never feels predictable, and the early familiarity of tone is merely to wrong-foot the avid reader. It works too, and soon enough you forget trying to predict the course of events and simply want to read what happens next
As for the evolution of Mr Smith, this is by far his most accomplished work to date. Richer, more nuanced and ultimately more satisfying, 'Kill Someone' is worth adding as a blind buy, at least until the hunger returns
22 people found this helpful
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- Samantha Taylor
- 04-03-19
Not what I expected and ...
For me it got lost 3/4 of the way through and for me it stopped being fantastic and ended up being a disappointment I’m sad to say. The ending was so abrupt that I actually went back to re listen to itto make sure I’d got it right .....
4 people found this helpful
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- John J. Wallace
- 22-12-16
A first review.
I don't ever write reviews, because frankly the world is awash with opinions, but since the author asked ever so nicely and said he reads them, I have been "guilted" into it. Luke, I've listened to 3 of your books as I jog slowly around Midlothian and i am delighted for you that the career as an author is working out, quite simply because I want to listen to more, as they keep my mind off the pain. In an age of franchised serials, formulaic themes and safe writing it's great to find someone with original ideas and the determination to get them out there. Good for you. Two small things though - you are a much better writer than narrator (not bad at narrating, but Matt is very good) and don't think the throwaway line about a champions league win for Coventry went unnoticed. That's real creative genius. You deserve the recognition and success that is surely in the post.
13 people found this helpful
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- Laura
- 16-01-19
Nailed it again :)
Another really interesting book from Luke Smitherd which I couldn’t stop listening to! The washing up and boring jobs got done this week after work because I didn’t want to push pause!Always something different but really relatable writing- thanks for this one :)
3 people found this helpful
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- D
- 04-01-18
2 hours shorter than advertised
Would you try another book written by Luke Smitherd or narrated by Matt Addis?
Yes, I have previously - the excellent stone man.
What could Luke Smitherd have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?
Don't add an extra (almost) 2 hours onto the end of the audiobook begging for reviews and playing chapters of his other books. It's a bit desperate, and very annoying when you think the book has 2 hours left to go, then suddenly ends, followed by what is basically a 2 hour advert.
What three words best describe Matt Addis’s performance?
Flexible, convincing, believable.
What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?
It was ok whilst it lasted, but my point about the sudden and rather weak ending spoilt it completely.
Any additional comments?
Just stop it, Luke.
3 people found this helpful
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- JoanneG
- 06-12-16
The Good of the Many is More Important...Or is it?
This book asks the question made most famous by "Spock" in "Star Trek - The Wrath of Khan": "Is the good of the many more important than the good of the few--or the one" (paraphrase)? And, if it is, is it the moral/right/decent/human thing to "Kill Someone" to make it so?
The main character, Chris, is given this very dilemma. He is just a normal young man--maybe a little lazy, maybe not too ambitious, maybe a little lost-- when he is literally forced to grow up and make choices no one should have to make for seemingly no reason. Chris must decide whether he can kill someone to save the lives of five sisters being held captive by the mysterious, "Man in White".
So how does a person go from being a slacker to having peoples' lives in his hands? We go every step of the way through it with Chris. At first he is incredulous; then comes denial; then comes acceptance; and then comes the anguish of the terrible decisions he is being forced to make. We learn about Chris' life through brief scenes from his past. He seems to have had a good life with a loving family, but he has also been harassed and discriminated against because he is black. Chris is written as a fully developed character. We know him, so we know the horror he feels, the frenzy he feels to do something--but he doesn't know what--and the self-doubts he has as to whether or not he can actually kill someone. He wants to do the right thing; he just doesn't know what that is. Could anyone? Could you?
If you don't want to talk about politics or global warming this Christmas, I suggest buying this book and a few copies as gifts for the family you will be sharing your Christmas with. This book asks questions that will lead to discussions (maybe heated ones) about what each reader would do if placed into the same position as Chris. You can literally discuss this book for hours and come away with no solid answers because the answers are personal to each individual person. Can you justify your beliefs as Chris must do? Can you explain your actions as Chris must do? Can you live with the end result of those actions as Chris must do for the rest of his life?
There are other questions raised when Chris finds out why this happened to him. Those questions may be even more difficult to answer. I have to say this book did not end the way I thought it would, nor the way I wanted it to, but it probably ended just the way it was supposed to end based on everything that happened previously. You'll probably have to read this again to catch things you might have missed the first time so that you come to some understanding of the decisions Chris makes. You may or may not agree with those decisions, but the book tells you why he made them, although you may not realize it at the time.
This is the second straight book of Luke Smitherd's that had nothing to do with the paranormal or science fiction, and I think it is a very good sign that this is probably one of his best books. It shows the range the author has and will keep readers eagerly anticipating his books, not knowing which direction he is going to go next. For current and future fans of Luke Smitherd, this is a very good thing. We already know he is an excellent writer, and now we are learning that he can write about almost anything and it will be of the same quality, with the same ability to make us think, make us wonder, make us scared, and make us question things we never thought twice about before.
I can't wait to see what comes next.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
12 people found this helpful
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- J. Seyfert
- 26-04-17
Entirely different
this was it entirely different type of suspense novel, with the perfect narration. I've been getting a little tired of the same old crime, detective, and suspense novels, haven't you?
4 people found this helpful
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- night owl
- 21-03-17
If I Had A Hammer
I'd have to use the hammer ,left with Chris's choices. Being a lot older than him I'd have an easier time finding a worthy victim. Could I really do the deed? For my children maybe. Very thought provoking and enthralling book with great narration.I'm texting my kids with recommendation. We've found a new author.
4 people found this helpful
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- Travis
- 08-04-17
Excellent!!
First time too listen and read books by Luke Smitherd. I'm looking for more of his books.
3 people found this helpful
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- Rocket Girl
- 01-04-17
what an amazing book! loved it!!!
I thought from the description that it might be predictable. It was not.
This story will stay with me for a very long time. I am so happy to have discovered this author. The narrator was great too!
I am already listening to another book by Luke Smitherd as I write this review.
Highly recommend this book, this author, and this narrator!
3 people found this helpful
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- Elizabeth
- 23-03-17
I loved this story!!
I never saw the ending coming. though I had wondered if that could be a possible outcome
3 people found this helpful
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- Karen Campbell
- 26-04-17
Too dark for me
I love Luke Smithered and The Stone Man is one of my favourite novels but I just couldn't finish this one. To be honest, I didn't get that far into it but it was just way too dark. The reason I love Luke Smithered's books is that they take me to ideas, thoughts and scenarios that I probably wouldn't go to on my own and each time I learn something while being totally enthralled with the plot. I have no doubt the plot would have grabbed me but I don't think it would have been an enjoyable read.
6 people found this helpful
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- Darin L.
- 22-03-17
Wow!
this is one of the most original and thought provoking books I have ever come across. I really enjoyed it and look forward to more from this author. the narrator is excellent. you will not be shortchanged.
2 people found this helpful
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- D. Marie
- 03-02-17
Thought provoking and suspenseful
This book got me thinking and imagining myself in the narrator's shoes, which is a great quality in a novel. I enjoyed the story arc and feel that the ending was fitting. The pacing was a tiny bit halting at times, but I am very satisfied and pleased to have experienced this story.
2 people found this helpful
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- Milking Badger
- 16-12-16
So long reality...
Any additional comments?
There is nothing like coming to that moment when you realize everything you have known isn't what you thought it was. As always, Mr. Smitherd has been able to unfold another "Made you think" moment wrapped in a captivating story. Well done as always!
2 people found this helpful