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Lawrence Block
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Keller in Dallas: a Keller short story Kindle Edition

by Lawrence Block (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 356 ratings
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This novella continues the story of Keller, after the wistful stamp-collecting hit man retired in New Orleans at the end of Hit & Run. A phone call and an economic downturn is all it takes to put him back in business.Keller in Dallas, a Kindle bestseller, serves too as the opening episode of Lawrence Block's brand-new bestseller, Hit Me.
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  1. Print length
    42 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    August 26, 2009
  5. File size
    908 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B002QGUCXQ
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ LB Productions (August 26, 2009)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 26, 2009
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 908 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 42 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 356 ratings

About the author

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Lawrence Block

Lawrence Block

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Lawrence Block has been writing crime, mystery, and suspense fiction for more than half a century. He has published more than 100 books, and no end of short stories.

LB is best known for his series characters, including Matthew Scudder, Bernie Rhodenbarr, Evan Tanner, and Keller. LB has also published under pseudonyms including Jill Emerson, John Warren Wells, Lesley Evans, and Anne Campbell Clarke.

His monthly instructional column ran in Writer’s Digest for 14 years and led to a series of books for writers. He has also written television and film screenplays. Several of LB’s books have been filmed, including A Walk Among the Tombstones.

LB is a Grand Master of Mystery Writers of America. He has won multiple Edgar and Shamus awards, the Japanese Maltese Falcon award, the Nero Wolfe and Philip Marlowe awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, and the Diamond Dagger for Life Achievement from the Crime Writers Association of the UK, been proclaimed a Grand Maitre du Roman Noir, and has been awarded the Société 813 trophy.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
356 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Kevin Tipple
5.0 out of 5 stars Taking Care Of Business in "Keller On The Spot"
Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2013
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Somewhere in the Dallas, Texas area is the setting in this tale that opens with Keller at a party. Not that Keller is the party type by any stretch of the imagination. Keller is on a reconnaissance mission because, though he had seen a picture when he got the assignment in the old man's study back in White Plains, he needs to see the target where he lives. The mission has to be done correctly or folks start losing confidence in him and that would be a bad thing.

So, that means he attends a party and drifts around considering the lifestyle of the target. The target lives very well indeed and Keller notes all as he drifts around the property. He notices everything around him including the child swimming alone and unsupervised in the huge pool. A child he does not think any more about until he realizes the child never got out and that means he has to have sunk to the bottom depths of the pool. Keller's actions in the next few seconds will change everything in this complicated tale.

This is another good story featuring the complicated character of Keller, plenty of action, and a mystery that does not become clear until the final lines. Simply good from start to finish and very well worth your time.

Material was picked up during the author's free read promotion during early July 2013.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2013
One person found this helpful
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D. Miller
4.0 out of 5 stars Our Favorite Hit Man is Back
Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2010
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Could Keller stay retired? You'll find out in this short story length tale that has the usual dark humor and irony of Block's previous books about our favorite hit man. It's a fun read and well worth the $1.98. Four stars instead of five because the formatting is funky with weird ascii characters for quotation marks and single quotes as well as word substitutions that slipped past the spell checker like "pug" for "plug" and "the" for "he".
5 people found this helpful
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J. Brandt
5.0 out of 5 stars A short "Hit Man" novella for your Kindle....excellent work by Block
Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2010
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Can Keller really stayed retired living the good life as a father and real estate guy in New Orleans? The real estate market crashes so what's Keller doing for money? Well, in this novella the "Dot and Keller" connection returns as she's back in business and Keller needs the income to support his family.

Keller comes to Dallas for the hit and, in typical Lawrence Block style, is funny, serious and philosophical in the ways of life. Keller has an motive of hunting for an elusive stamp (Keller is a HUGE stamp collector) so a big auction in Dallas is his "excuse" for the visit to Big D all the while planning his trip to once again be a hired assassin for money.

The plot has a great twist at the end and I enjoyed the entire novella from beginning to end. It's cheap on KINDLE and worth the time to read. Hopefully, Lawrence Block has more plans in the future for Mr. Keller.
34 people found this helpful
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MrsD47
3.0 out of 5 stars 🤔
Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2024
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I don’t know if I like this Keller in Dallas story as well as the previous ones. But
he is still collecting stamps.
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William Greer
5.0 out of 5 stars Exemplary Keller
Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2016
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I've read this story before, back when it was fairly new. In fact, I've been reading--and re-reading--Block for many years. There's good reason for that: Block is a thoroughly professional writer who has seldom, if ever, disappointed me.
If you've never read a Keller story, this is a great one to begin with, as it reveals the essence of Keller's character.
Unlike the majority of fiction I've read from Amazon in over a year, this is a very professional production--well edited, nicely typeset, etc. I did find one instance of dropped quotation marks, but that's less than minor.
8 people found this helpful
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gammyjill
4.0 out of 5 stars An homage to O'Henry...
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2011
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Lawrence Block is my favorite mystery writer - I think "A Long Line of Dead Men" is the best mystery I've read - and his writing has been slim pickings in the last couple of years. I think he has a new book coming out in the next few months, but this novella, "Keller in Dallas", will have to suffice in a Block drought.

Keller is Lawrence Block's assassin-for-hire protagonist in one of his series. This novella would probably not appeal to any reader not already familiar with the characters of Keller and his contact, Dot. But for the Keller-fan, this short story - which is O'Henry-like in it's plot - and seemingly only available on Kindle, will be appreciated by the discerning reader who knows the basics of Keller's backstory from previous Block novels. Let's hope Block will issue more short-stories/novellas in Kindle form, and get to work on a new Keller book.
3 people found this helpful
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RP
5.0 out of 5 stars good... so very good
Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2011
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I'm a Lawrence Block fan, but I've not read his Keller series of books or stories. To be perfectly honest, ninety percent of the reason I bought this novella was because it takes place in Dallas, which is my hometown. Thankfully, my love for my beloved city on the banks of that thing they call a river but is really just a dry ditch at this point did not lead me astray. This is the kind of story my great aunt Ada Marie used to call "a page turner". You want to see what happens next. The story draws you in and doesn't let you go. Even when you're reading a passage about stamp collecting, it's quite engaging.

I am very glad I purchased this story, and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone.

And not just because it takes place in Dallas.
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Obdictum
5.0 out of 5 stars Block and Keller Nail It Again
Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2014
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If ever an author offered a functional example of existentialism, it would be Lawrence Block's Keller stories. Keller in Dallas, one of the stores in a collection that finally was released in 2013, provides a welcome updating of Keller's life. As always, Block offers an interesting murder-for-hire plot, but the depth of his characters is what really makes his this story immersive. DO NOT read this story on the subway unless you're willing to miss your stop.
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Top reviews from other countries

Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Decent Keller story
Reviewed in Germany on November 4, 2019
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Another decent Keller story
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col2910
5.0 out of 5 stars Killer Keller, killer Block!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 4, 2016
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I’ve only read the one Keller novel way back when and this fantastic story has me itching the read the series start to finish sometime soon.

Keller has married and has a family here and is retired from the hit man game. But with a stamp auction coming up and some lots he fancies and money a bit tight, one phone call is all it takes. He’s back.

Scoping out the landscape, sees him clear out the illegal help posing as authority asking for a green card. An unexpected nap throws his plans into disarray, but an ability to adapt and think on his feet sees the job done.

A bit of a kick at the finish when the dust settles. His promised double bonus has eluded him, due to matters of the heart – who could figure?

4.5 from 5

Lawrence Block, for the second month running, again offering 5 freebies in 5 days in February – this was one of them I downloaded from Amazon.
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White Room
3.0 out of 5 stars If you collect stamps and kill people...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 26, 2013
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Lawrence Block, in any or all of his pseudonymous incarnations, is one of my favourite writers, but the Killer stories leave me curiously cold. I stress "stories" since the Keller books are never really novels; more collections of short stories about the chill and affectless life of hired killer Keller, who assassinates people the way most of us buy a quart of milk. Sociopaths can be fun to read about - one thinks of Donald Westlake/Richard Stark's Parker - but Keller is chill. Even his stamp collecting fails to humanise him. Keller is at home only in his own head, and it's a lonely place. Entering it is like opening an unexpectedly unlocked door, peeking into the empty apartment, then guiltily leaving before you're seen. Satisfying on some level, but not what one could call "exciting".
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Short story
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 23, 2019
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A good way of being introduced to the hit man Keller. I really enjoyed the story and look forward to reading the rest in the series.
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Andrew Leary
5.0 out of 5 stars Stamps and a Hitman
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 26, 2016
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A nice little short about everyones favourite hitman!
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