View from Valhalla

Title: Kissyman and the Gentleman
Author: Scott Sigler
Genre: Crime Fiction
Released: 2 February 2011 – 11 February 2011
Located: Author’s Site, iTunes, Podiobooks
Formats Available: podcast only at this point
Rating: R for violence, language and adult content

So, on to the review.

Synopsis:

New York City, 1946. No one knows his real name, but when the job is too dirty, too dangerous, you call Kissyman. Once he was an elite Nazi SS commando, an honorable soldier, a taker of lives. When he was assigned to Dachau and saw what he was actual fighting for, he went AWOL and ran as far away as he could — to America.

He still makes his living with a gun, but he no longer kills for his country. Now, he kills for cash.

A dashing, high-profile bodyguard known as “The Gentleman” is hired to protect Beth Copenhaver, an up-and-coming Hollywood starlet. When a man named Mathis Wren surfaces from Beth’s past and threatens her life, The Gentleman hires Kissyman to make Mathis see the error of his ways.

It should be a simple job, but there is far more to the connection between Wren and Beth than the bombshell lets on. She’s starring in a new movie with John Wayne called Western Dawn. As the premier approaches, Kissyman has to get to Wren before Wren can get to Beth. (stolen from Podiobooks.com)

Production: The production of Kissyman and the Gentleman is surprisingly good. Wait. I’m not saying that Mr. Sigler’s stories are usually poorly produced. They’re not. But this one is different from any other I remember hearing from him. There is a running backtrack. Sirens, gunshots, road noise, etc. Either Mr. Sigler has moved to a much seedier part of town, or he has moved his production mojo to a new level. I’m going to assume the latter.

Regardless, this story sounds “good”. The production quality adds to the podcast sound and never really gets in the way.

Grade: A

Cast: As always, Mr. Sigler does Kissyman and the Gentleman as a self read, and he does it quite well. If you have listened to any of Mr. Sigler’s stories you know he is unique. Lively and expressive in his readings, he keeps the listener interested in what is going on in the story.

Grade: A

Story: Kissyman and the Gentleman is a relatively short listen with only 8 eps. Yes, there are 9 eps in the feed, but the first is the short story that introduced us to Kissyman that Mr. Sigler had released earlier. It, in itself, is a good listen and an excellent introduction to this world.

I didn’t realize until this moment that this story is told from a 1st person point of view. Regular readers of this blog will know I’m not a fan of 1st person narrative, but it is perfect for this story and works well here.

Grade: A

Verdict: I REALLY enjoyed Kissyman and the Gentleman and would like to see it turned into a novel, or perhaps a series with more Kissyman stories. I’ll admit, I have a soft spot for hitman stories, but this one is done exceedingly well. The main character is consistently developed through his interactions with others. Mr. Sigler has a variety of stories out there. From straight out creature feature to dark science fiction, to young adult space football, to scifi horror. I enjoy most of what Mr. Sigler produces, but Kissyman has been moved way up near the top. This is just a plain good story and I do recommend it for adult audiences.

Don’t forget, if you send an audio comment to me at Odin1eye at viewfromvalhalla dot com, I’ll include it in the podcast version of this episode next weekend. You can also leave voicemail, for this or any other story, at the Valhalla Hotline simply by calling 956-307-ODIN (6346)

Disclosure: I do follow Mr. Sigler on Twitter and have exchanged a few tweets with him. I do not claim I am a confidante of his or that I am on his Christmas Card (of Doom) list. I do have the feeling that when the plaid tanks roll, my address will be one of the ones known to the gunners.