Kill Me (Alan Gregory)

by Stephen White

2007

Status

Available

Publication

Berkley (2007), Edition: Reprint, 489 pages

Description

Fiction. Literature. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:�??Kill Me is that rarest of creations�??a thinking-person�??s thriller. In this age of the same-old same-old-fiction, White�??s novel stands dizzyingly above the pack. The concept is unique (and brilliant), the writing is sharp, observant, and wry (White�??s trademark), and every page is filled with perfectly realized human emotion�??about life, death, and family. Superb.�?��??New York Times bestselling author Jeffery Deaver He�??s fabulously wealthy and lives life to the fullest�??enjoying fast, expensive cars, the love of his beautiful wife, and adventures in every corner of the globe. When a friend is stricken down by a terrible illness, he realizes his only fear is to be diminished by disease. That�??s when he meets the Death Angels, who promise to end his life should he ever face such a fate. The only hitch is that the contract is irrevocable. And once he signs it, he discovers he has one more all-important task to ca… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member sharonk21
Kill Me is something of a departure from the usual focus on the Boulder psychologist. Dr. Gregory is pivotal but the book is not about him.

The central character is instead one of his patients who has gotten himself into a most unusual situation. A middle-aged medical technology entrepreneur with
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ample wealth, a penchant for risk taking even outside his business life, and a wife and one daughter, the central character consults Gregory and tells his story in the first person.

He has found he has an unstable and almost inoperable brain aneurism. Prior to his diagnosis, he took out an "insurance" contract with the Death Angels who promise, for a hefty fee, to kill him should he ever become so disabled he would prefer not to live. Ah, but, defining the criteria for considering him disabled is up to him--much like a living will, except he has to set the criteria ahead of time and live with them thereafter. The contract is not reversible nor can he ever contact them again.

And therein lies the tale: a sick man who has discovered he has a son he never knew about--a boy he meets and desperately wants to get to know and to help. The problem? He has set the bar too low and the Death Angels are trying to fulfill their contract.

At first I thought, "Well, Damn! I wanted to find out what was going on in Alan Gregory's life and here is this interloper!" I got over it. It is one of White's best books.
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LibraryThing member Pam1960ca
Another excellent Allen Gregory novel. This hardcover edition will never leave my library as I have a signed copy!
LibraryThing member etrainer
Excellent! I can't remember a more compelling plot. The best Stephen White novel I've read. Recommended.
LibraryThing member stonelaura
White is full of details, doesn’t scrimp on description and has an intriguing idea with Kill Me. Occasionally I thought the details bogged down the pace a bit, and he might be a tad overdramatic, but overall the story is pretty compelling. What if we could hire a company to kill us before we
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reached a stage of discomfort or incompetence beyond which we feel we’d like to remain alive? The main character of Kill Me does just that, only to discover that the company’s cancellation policy doesn’t exist, just when he feels he needs just a bit more to tidy up some emotional loose ends in his life left hanging by the disappearance of his recently discovered son. The Denver and western slope local makes the story very personal to those of us who live in the area.
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LibraryThing member nyiper
I really liked how White worked out all the details and possible questions in this intriguing thriller. The audio was great. I really couldn't quite figure out the ending ahead of time which was a big plus!
LibraryThing member jmoncton
Great mystery - fast action all the way. Also makes you think if there is ever a point when your life is no longer worth living. Great narration by Dick Hill.

Awards

Barry Award (Nominee — Thriller — 2007)

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2006

Physical description

7.55 inches

ISBN

0451220714 / 9780451220714

Barcode

1603673
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