
This book was nominated for a 'Best Novel' Edgar in 2023. And Amazon has it as an "Editors' Pick" in the "Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense" category. And the back cover has fulsome praise from S.A. Cosby and seven other people.
And yet, I was repulsed. Too much disgusting gore and horror, some supernatural, all evil. If that's your bag, go ahead. Otherwise…
The narrator, Mario, is deep in debt due to his beloved daughter's daunting medical bills. So he does what any of us might do: signs up as a hit man, shooting people in the head for money. Surprisingly, this does not save his marriage, thanks to the "accidental" mayhem he visits on his wife. And (page 22 spoiler) his daughter dies anyway. And I guess life is cheap in Mario's world, because even after killing a bunch of people, he's still getting pestered by his creditors.
Tip: when hiring yourself out as an assassin, find out what the opportunities are for professional advancement.
Salvation beckons when he's asked to join up with a gang looking to rip off a shipment of cash from a Mexican drug cartel. His cut will be $200K, which he imagines will get him out of debt, get his wife back, basically solve all his problems. His teammates are a meth junkie, Brian, and a mysterious Hispanic, Juanca.
Mario does not wonder why such an important role in the scheme is being played by pathetic losers like him. He eventually finds out, though.
I should also mention, as a consumer note, that there's quite a bit of untranslated Spanish in the book. I didn't resort to Google Translate for anything, and … did I miss anything? I guess I will never know.