Queer Killing (perdition & redemption)

Queer Killing is an edge-of-your-seat type of thriller. Back in 1994, when homosexuality is starting to become a more well-known topic but is still taboo to many, there is a killer loose who targets homosexual men. Jake Woods is hired by a homosexual couple, Kevin and Ian, to protect them from Phil, an intelligent man who was negatively shaped by his past to become a mentally disturbed killer.
Jake is basically another James Bond, a type that any girl or guy would want to be with; but he comes with his own personal baggage from the past that he is still trying to deal with. Talented would be an understatement for his skills as a protector, having formerly been in the military and police force. Jake is also known for his looks and mental skills, although he’s humble in his knowledge of this. Meetings between Jake’s crew and Phil’s happen throughout the book, with the final encounter occurring at the end to give the story the closure the reader needs to calm back down after such a reading experience. With each meeting, the situation is packed with suspense and violence–most of it being in their duel in the end.

Of course, with the topic being about homosexuality, there is much talk among the characters of inclusivity and being accepting of everyone and letting them live their lives in the way that makes them happy. There are also several instances of homosexual intercourse and assault being mentioned, usually in graphic detail. Honestly, it was kind of hard for me to read those parts, and some skimming took place then.

With how exciting the thriller part of the story is, I found myself wondering many times throughout the book if I was missing something, or if this was a sequel to a book of which I was not aware. There are conversations among characters in which they talk about things that happened to them in the past, but then I never knew or found out exactly to what they were referring. As a big example, I never fully understood why Phil was going after Kevin in the first place. I was told in the beginning that Jake was hired to protect Kevin, and that Jake already knew and had the vendetta to take out Phil. These instances won’t make it so you don’t understand the book in its generality, but they do make it so you will feel confused in different parts of the story.

The target audience for this book would be individuals identifying with the LGBTQ community or those who enjoy a graphic thriller. Personally, I would probably only read this again if it had a different topic being discussed.