About a month ago, I finished reading The Retired Assassin’s Guide to Country Gardening by Naomi Kuttner. The title alone drew me in. I wasn’t sure what to expect. What I got was a mostly funny murder mystery novel. The main character, Dante, was a previous government assassin. While Dante appears to be a big tough guy, he’s a bit of a softy on the inside.
Meet the Tough Guy and His Friends
After retiring as an assassin for the British government, Dante moves to a small New Zealand coastal town. He’s hoping to relax and just enjoy a quiet life without people bothering him. Despite his big physique and tough guy image, most people aren’t too intimidated by him. He soon finds himself trying to solve a murder with the help of a lady who has some questionable secrets of her own and a guy in his 20s with a habit of talking to the dead.
There are a few fun touches to Dante’s story. For example, he has regular online AA ( as in Assassins Anonymous) meetings. He keeps track of how long it’s been since his last “kill,” and makes it a goal not to kill anyone else. This goal is definitely tested throughout the story.
Dante’s about 40, but I can see him in a few years as that old guy who acts all grumpy but who is hugged by the little kid at the end of the movie. He’s just that kind of character.
What’s There to Love and Hate?
There is some swearing in this book. There’s no sexual content, and the violence is behind the scenes or not described in detail.
There are two reasons this wasn’t a five-star book for me. First of all, it was kind of long. There were a few places where I felt like the story dragged on a bit, and I just wanted to get to the action. Second, there were several grammatical errors. Some of them required me to go back and reread parts to try to figure out what the author was trying to say. Overall, though, if you enjoy a fun, slightly quirky murder mystery novel, I’d recommend this. It is planned as the first in a series. The second novel is scheduled to come out later this year.
