Book Review: For the Dogs

Reviewed By: Jennifer Jordan

For the Dogs     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Kevin Wignall
Class/Genre:   Mystery
Simon & Schuster, July 2004

A hitman enters the Hatto household and ruthlessly kills everyone within. It begins a ripple effect that will be felt half way across the world.

Ella Hatto relaxes in Italy with her boyfriend. But when she sees a stranger shes sure shes seen before, shes suddenly on guard. When this man crosses the street towards, her gun in hand, shes terrified. Shots are fired, but at two men down the street. To Ella the stranger says simply, Come with me. And Ellas life changes forever.

Lucas is hitman out of retirement whose sole job is to get Ella safely out of Italy and into the confines of the British consulate. But something about her strikes a cord in him. Hes reminded of a past tried hard to forget, including a daughter hes never met. A daughter hes decided hes ready to meet.

Ellas life becomes a downward spiral of sadness and rage. Admonished by friends and family to get over it, shes left isolated and sick with grief. She believes theres one cure. Revenge.

Lucas agrees to help her, hoping that the death of the man that killed her family will bring her peace. A peace he seeks for himself. There is no way he can know that helping her will unleash events that will lead one of them to redemption and the other to death.

For the Dogs establishes Wignall as a modern noir writer with roots deeply immersed in the classics. His allusions to the Nibelungenlied (translated by A.T. Hatto) confirm the depths behind the plot. This in no way translates to a dry epic with a sluggish pace. There is plenty of action and his characters operate under constant threat. It is an in depth exploration of death and isolation propelled by the twin conduit of revenge and redemption. The ending will leave you breathless.

Jennifer Jordan

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Jennifer Jordan