Kill and be Killed: A Novel

Master stylist Begley continues the story of Jack Dana, the former Marine Corps officer turned novelist whose quest to avenge his murdered uncle takes a new, more dangerous turn.



The man who brutally murdered Uncle Harry is dead. In an effort to recover from the confrontation and collect himself, Jack takes refuge on Torcello, a small island in the Venetian lagoon, to return to his writing career. Even more urgently, he wants to win back Kerry, the beautiful lawyer who rejected him after the bloody episode with Harry's assassin.



But events beyond Jack's control intervene: Kerry loses her life in circumstances that contradict everything Jack thinks he knew about her. Soon death begins to stalk Jack himself. It is impossible not to recognize in its drumbeat the machinations of Abner Brown, the man who orchestrated Harry's demise.



Jack fights back, driven by cold rage and determination to complete his revenge. At his side is Kerry's best friend, the glamorous and enigmatic Heidi Krohn. Their quest will force Jack to plumb the abyss of depravity into which Kerry had sunk and face one of his fellow Marines who has embarked on a violent feud of his own.



Reprising memorable characters from Killer, Come Hither and introducing dangerous new ones, Begley concludes Jack's harrowing vendetta with one last shocking twist.



Praise for Kill and Be Killed



[This] is delightfully sophisticated entertainment. After Begley's 1996 novel 'About Schmidt,' Albert Schmidt returned for two more novels. Jack Dana deserves another encore.-San Francisco Chronicle



[A] gripping thriller filled with tension, danger, and the unknown; and written in such graceful prose, it deserves to be called a literary thriller.-The Huffington Post



[An] intriguing follow-up to Killer, Come Hither . . . Fans of Lee Child's Jack Reacher should enjoy Jack Dana's adventures.-Publishers Weekly



Lovers of New York will enjoy the scenes of the city wonderfully portrayed by Begley. The characters are interesting and the lines between good and evil clearly marked. We know Jack will win, but occasionally he needs a little luck and help. Seeing the rich and famous get their comeuppance can be a guilty pleasure. While it appears that Jack has accomplished avenging the murders of his friends, one wonders if there are more of these adventures in Begley's repertoire.-Bookreporter



Kill and Be Killed is a humdinger. The final confrontation between Jack and Abner Brown is unforgettable.-Southampton Press



Admirers of the City will love the scenes in this book! The location is fabulous and the details are perfectly written to make the reader feel as if they're right by Jack's side the whole time. A continuation of book one, Killer, Come Hither, the main characters are interesting, both good and evil, and the author has added some new, menacing ones to the fire.-Suspense



Begley remains one of America's most able storytellers-reliably smart, naughty and wise.-Toronto Star

LOUIS BEGLEY's previous novels are Killer, Come Hither; Memories of a Marriage; Schmidt Steps Back; Matters of Honor; Shipwreck; Schmidt Delivered; Mistler's Exit; About Schmidt; As Max Saw It; The Man Who Was Late; and Wartime Lies, which won the PEN/Hemingway Award and the Irish Times/Aer Lingus International Fiction Prize. His work has been translated into fourteen languages. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

About Louis Begley