The Kill Clause - by Gregg Hurwitz (Paperback)

About the Book

Devastated when the killer who brutally murdered his daughter is released on a technicality, a deputy U.S. marshal finds himself involved with a vigilante group that confronts the failings of an imperfect judicial system. "[A] literary "Law & Order." "--"People."

From the Back Cover

The series that started it all!

A riveting and explosive novel, The Kill Clause is a brilliantly inventive tour de force by a powerful new master of suspense.

Tim Rackley is a dangerous man of honor, a deputy U.S. marshal who is very good at his job--until everything he believes in is shattered by the brutal murder of his own daughter.

Betrayed by an imperfect judicial system, Rackley watches helplessly as the killer walks free on a legal technicality. Devastated, furious, and burning with a righteous need for vengeance, he is suddenly forced to explore his own deadly options--a quest that leads him into a shadowy no-man's-land between justice and the law . . . and into the welcoming fold of "the Commission."

A vigilante group made up of people like him--relentless streetwise operators who have each lost a loved one to violent crime--the Commission confronts the failings of a system that sets predators loose to hunt again, cleaning up society's "mistakes" covertly, efficiently, and permanently. But as he is dragged deeper into a deadly morass of hidden agendas and murderous justice, Tim Rackley discovers that playing God is an excruciating and fearsome task. When his new secret life starts coming unwound at an alarming speed, he is suddenly caught in the most terrifying struggle he has ever faced--a desperate battle to save his marriage, his career, his life, his soul . . . and everything left that's worth fighting for.

Review Quotes

"Do No Harm is a terrifying and savage descent into the darkest corners of evil and madness." - Jonathan Kellerman
"Do No Harm is the perfect blend of suspense, pacing, strong storyline, compelling characters, and a villain who will knock your socks off. Great Combination and a great read!" - Sue Grafton
"Hurwitz has done it again, with this spooky, surprising and unsettling thriller. Good character, a suspenseful plot and a shock of an ending. Hurwitz gets better with every book." - T. Jefferson Parker
"Deeply Disturbing. Darkly satisfying. Chilling...Do not pass up the chance to read this book. It very well could be the one to garner most of the awards next year." - Tom Mayes, I Love a Mystery
"Hurwitz both dramatizes our darkest passions and reminds us why they must be resisted. This is an impressive start to what is billed as a new series about Tim Rackley." - Patrick Anderson, Washington Post
"This is an exciting vigilante thriller that blends a delightful look at Tim the executioner on the job within a comic book Hollywood feel." - Harriet Klausner (also posted on Allreaders.com)
"This book was so good on so many levels...demands to be read in as few sittings as possible. It's a slam to the head, it's a chair being pulled out from under before you sit, it's a speeding bullet with your name on it." - BooksNBytes.com
"THE KILL CLAUSE is like a James Patterson novel on steroids...packed full of emotional scenes of impact and power. Gregg Hurwitz knows how to create tension and how to build on it. Get things done around teh house before you start reading, because once you start, nothing else will get done until you finish the book." - CurledUp.com
"It's here where Hurwitz really excels. His action scenes rival those of Stephen Hunter and, especially, Lee Child. And his command of cutting-edge weapons and surveillance technology is second to none...[The Kill Clause] packs the kind of wallop that thriller fans thirst for and find all too infrequently." - Providence Journal-Bulletin
"THE KILL CLAUSE is like a literary Law & Order, without the commercials. Bottom Line: Killer read." - People
"THE KILL CLAUSE is a tough, engaging, and morally complex work that grabs you early and never lets you go. Hurwitz knows a cop's world inside and out. Every page bristles with authenticity. I highly recommend it." - Christopher Reich, author of The First Billion
"THE KILL CLAUSE is a buzzsaw spiral into the darkness of lawless men hiding within the law, and the damage they do in the name of justice. Gregg Hurwitz perfectly realizes the gritty, hair-trigger world of the U.S. Marshal's elite Arrest Response Team with some of the most intense action scenes I have ever read, counterpointed beautifully by the heartwrenching story of a father's horrifying loss. This book is the real deal." - Robert Crais, author of The Last Detective
"THE KILL CLAUSE is a white knuckle thriller of the first order. Smart, with a little twist of the wicked." - Joe R. Lansdale, author of The Bottoms and A Fine Dark Line
"THE KILL CLAUSE is a bullet-fast ride through a landscape of high tension and sudden death -- but it's also a moving story of real human beings negotiating the gray areas of the world. Hurwitz draws you in to the mind of a top flight U.S. Marshal and then shows you how and why such a good man might cross the line. It's strong stuff, exciting on every page." - Andrew Klavan, author of Don't Say a Word
"Hurwitz's deft descriptions...are convincing, and his fast-paced plotting will keep readers riveted. Tim is a promising series hero, with his multitude of skills and conflicted loyalties, and Hurwitz is off to a fine start with this first installment." - Publishers Weekly