Kill Me
Stephen White
Published By: Dutton Adult
Book Category: Fiction, Mystery & Detective
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Reviewed by Andrea Sisco
It wouldn't surprise me to learn that a large percentage of the world's population has considered their own death. You know the question: When will I die and how? Often it's followed by: If I were in a vegetative state or terminally ill, would I want to live like that?
Oh, there are variations to the questions and answers but the end result is control. We all would like to have control of our destiny. What if you could choose when to die? Would you? That question is asked and answered in Stephen White's newest novel, Kill Me.
Following a tragic scuba accident involving a dear friend and his own near-death experience while snow skiing, the unnamed, happily married, wealthy businessman in Kill Me questions his own mortality. He learns of and retains an organization that will, for a huge fee, end his life when his own well-defined perimeters of being a burden to others are met.
The unthinkable happens and the "Death Angels," as the unnamed hero calls them, are unleashed. But some unfinished business causes the unnamed man to decide he doesn't want to leave the world just yet. Unfortunately the Death Angels don't rescind their contracts. Will the paid assassin's plans be thwarted? Will the unfinished business be completed?
Kill Me is an installment of the popular Dr. Alan Gregory series. But Dr. Gregory is relegated to the background and the unnamed patient tells the story in a series of sessions with him.
The ending feels a bit contrived but it doesn't diminish what is a spectacularly exciting read. I haven't read any of Stephen White's previous novels but am looking forward to doing so. If they are as breathtaking as Kill Me, I'll be ever so happy.
Armchair Interviews says: Kill Me is a thrilling, fast-paced novel that will keep you turning the pages. And long after you've finished reading it, you'll question what you would do if you could make the decision when is the right time to die. Your answer just might be different after reading the novel than it was before you began.