Discover new selections
$9.99

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Sold by Amazon.com Services LLC.

Audiobook Price: $19.68

Save: $6.69 (34%)

You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the authors

Michael Marshall
Follow
Michael Marshall Smith
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Killer Move: A Novel Kindle Edition

by Michael Marshall (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.0 out of 5 stars 295 ratings

Stephen King hailed Michael Marshall's novel Straw Men as “a masterpiece . . . brilliantly written and scary as hell.” Now, Marshall returns with this latest unnerving tale—a creepy, fast-paced thriller that grips you from the first page straight through to its shocking end.

Bill Moore already has a lot, but he wants more . . . much more.

He's got a lucrative job selling condos in the Florida Keys, a successful wife, a good marriage, a beautiful house. He also has a five-year plan for supersuccess, but that plan has begun to drag into its sixth year without reaping its intended rewards. So now Bill's starting to mix it up—just a little—to accelerate his way into the future that he knows he deserves.

Then one morning Bill arrives at work to find a card waiting for him, with no indication who it's from or why it was sent. Its message is just one word: modified.

From that moment on, Bill's life begins to change.

At first, nothing seems very different. But when things begin to unwind rapidly, and one after another, people around Bill start to die, it becomes increasingly clear that someone somewhere has a very different plan for Bill's future. Confused and angry, Bill begins to fight against this unseen force until he comes to a terrifying, inescapable realization: Once modified, there's no going back.

Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    369 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    HarperCollins e-books
  4. Publication date
    June 28, 2011
  5. File size
    3.2 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
Next slide of product details

Editorial Reviews

Review

Keeps readers guessing with twisting plot...adrenaline-paced...addictive.”

From the Back Cover

Bill Moore already has a lot, but he wants more . . . much more.

He's got a lucrative job selling condos in the Florida Keys,a good marriage, a beautiful house . . . and a five-year plan for super-success that he's just kicked into high gear.Then one morning he arrives at work to find a card waitingfor him with a one-word message:

Modified

And Bill's life begins to change—small, barely detectabledifferences at first, but soon things begin unwinding rapidly.

Then people all around him start to die.

Someone, somewhere, has a very different plan forBill's future. And as he's about to learn, fighting back may prove futile, even deadly. Because once your life has been modified,there's no going back.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B004JN1D7S
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins e-books; Reprint edition (June 28, 2011)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 28, 2011
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3.2 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 369 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 out of 5 stars 295 ratings

About the authors

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Previous page
  1. Michael Marshall

    Michael Marshall

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read book recommendations and more.

    See more on the author's page
  2. Michael Marshall Smith

    Michael Marshall Smith

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Novelist, short story writer and screenwriter, writing under the names Michael Marshall Smith and Michael Marshall. As the former, author of ONLY FORWARD, SPARES, ONE OF US, THE SERVANTS and the upcoming HANNAH GREEN AND HER UNFEASIBLY MUNDANE EXISTENCE. Also winner of the August Derleth, International Horror Guild and Philip K Dick Award — in addition to winning the British Fantasy Award for best short story more times than any other author in history.

    As Michael Marshall, an internationally-bestselling writer of thrillers including the STRAW MEN trilogy and THE INTRUDERS — recently televised starring John Simm, Mira Sorvino and Millie Bobby Brown.

    www.michaelmarshallsmith.com

    Twitter @ememess

    Insta @ememess

    See more on the author's page
Next page

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
295 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers enjoy the book's fresh twists and find the prose sumptuous. However, the pacing receives negative feedback, with one customer describing it as not particularly compelling.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more

8 customers mention "Twists"8 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the fresh twists in this thriller, with one mentioning the satisfying ending and another noting the good tension throughout the book.

"This is an engrossing thriller from an author who really, really knows how to write good fiction. The book hooked me in right away...." Read more

"...and development, the firm sense of place, the thickening atmosphere of stark uncertainty and dread and natural dialogue that rings true...." Read more

"...They still have a very unique idea, and a good twist, and are well written enough, but i reread his earlier material trying to digest every detail,..." Read more

"...are some formulaic elements, but these are far outweighed by a gripping plot that draws close to the line of implausibility without ever crossing it...." Read more

6 customers mention "Writing quality"6 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing style of the book, describing it as sumptuous.

"...His prose is crystal clear and razor sharp, so smooth it almost reads itself, and works in thoughtful observations about the human condition without..." Read more

"...which is not bad. because the same you'll get more of is the stylish writing, the piercing characterization and development, the firm sense of place..." Read more

"...They still have a very unique idea, and a good twist, and are well written enough, but i reread his earlier material trying to digest every detail,..." Read more

"Another very good novel by Mr Marshall. I can't wait for him to write another one." Read more

3 customers mention "Pacing"0 positive3 negative

Customers find the pacing of the book unsatisfactory, with one customer describing it as not particularly compelling and another noting it lacks substance.

"...Its easy to take in, but without substance...." Read more

"...Bottom line -- it ain't exactly literature, but for what it is, Killer Move is very good." Read more

"...not a writer, suffice to say I found the book peculiar and not particularly compelling. Complete waste of $10!" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Usuallee
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very good thriller
    Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    This is an engrossing thriller from an author who really, really knows how to write good fiction.

    The book hooked me in right away. The pace, and my interest level, never wavered. Marshall's depiction of the protagonist's wired, workaholic, ambitious, ultimately likeable character is excellent. His prose is crystal clear and razor sharp, so smooth it almost reads itself, and works in thoughtful observations about the human condition without slowing things down. The book has good tension throughout & the twist at the end is pretty satisfying.

    I have been a fan of Marshall's since 2002 when I had the good fortune of discovering an abandoned copy of The Straw Men at the hotel I worked at back then. Since then I've read every one of his books (including the noir-ish Sci-Fi he wrote as Michael Marshall Smith - Spheres, One of Us, and Only Forward are all fantastic) and will continue to purchase his new books.

    One quibble: the obvious choice for a title given the book's content would have been Modified & would have been a great title. Why call it Killer Move, a title that has nothing to do with the book?
    6 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • panopticon7
    4.0 out of 5 stars The Engine Runs Fine
    Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    the language crackles. the plot races and does not break a sweat. sudden turns startle. sudden insights thrill. thrill so much, in fact, i found myself surfacing from the story and pronouncing the very words in order to savor them, even sharing them with whomever was around me at the moment, before diving back in to the depths. and there are depths. but we've been here before. it's a welcome return, but we've been here before and with other guests. other books. books like The Invaders, Bad Things and The Straw Men trilogy. not a bad place to visit, not literarily; unfathomably ghastly should even a fraction of any of this be available outside of the pages that imprison them firmly in imagination. but the seams are showing this time around. for the veteran only. first timers to the work of Michael Marshall (Smith) will be dazzled. the prose is sumptuous and the story engaging. but for who has been in his capable hands before? more of the same. which is not bad. because the same you'll get more of is the stylish writing, the piercing characterization and development, the firm sense of place, the thickening atmosphere of stark uncertainty and dread and natural dialogue that rings true. it's just not new. new would be a detour from an ending that recalls literally each of the other novels he's put out. from the heart, i suggest Mr. M consider and commit a greater reveal. a reveal to bring closure. nonetheless, it just doesn't get better than this. unless this man wrote it.
    Helpful
     Report
  • Joseph Parker
    3.0 out of 5 stars Trailing Off
    Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    I want to start off that I haven't finished the book yet. I know that some of you out there are going to criticize me for being a critic of something that I haven't fully experienced. What I would like to say to that is that I have read every single Michal Marshall book ever published (to include the Michael Marshall Smith material published in the UK, which I highly reccomend) and he is my favorite author, at least at his best. His material from the 90's is classic and has lots of copycats and fans all over the world, and even when he tried to reivent himself with the straw man trilogy I was along for the ride. The first Straw Men was amazing, even if it did ask more questions than it answered, and ultimately I was not satisfied with how it ended, kind of like lost, how they asked more questions than they knew how to get answers to, but I enjoyed the ride even if I was disappointed, but I could feel the auther tiring towards the end of that series, and have felt that in his subsequent books. They still have a very unique idea, and a good twist, and are well written enough, but i reread his earlier material trying to digest every detail, and while I can say that this is up to par with the bi-annual Dean Koontz book, I really feel that if the auther spent the real time on it, and maybe worked on his words like he used to, and I just don't remember it. Its not rich. I can go through a chapter, get through it quickly and no remember what I read. The chapters are getting shorter, like its trying to appeal to travel readers on planes with short attention spands. Its easy to take in, but without substance. I'm not saying that I need grand literature, but its just that half way through the book I don't really care what happens, and while an amazing ending that demands rereads, and gives reasons for the blandish beginning, I just don't see it happening. I'll change this if I change my mind, as I always hope he will get back to his old ways. Such a shame, but I read the back cover and he is writing American TV, and books, and this and that, and he totally sold and and abandoned his craft.

    Update, after finishing the book, and ther was a clever twist ending, I still can't say that the ending justified how blandish the beginning was. I also just want to say that he is bringing back the straw men to some degree here, but the way in which he does so does even less to clarify what it is that the straw men were at the end of the straw men trillogy. I really hope that he has an end game in mind or somewhere that he ulimately wants to take that story line, and maybe one day I will look at this book as an important in some new direction, but I can't help but feel like the whole point is just a muddled cash cow.
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Rolf Lindgren
    5.0 out of 5 stars Michael Marshall fails to disappoint
    Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    I've ben a fan since «Only Forward» and can't be objective. But there's something about his style that just appeals to me.

    The reflections about life and causes of actions that are sprinkled through his books. The mood. The way he builds up anti- or sympathy for his protagonists and then one sentence turns my perception about them. The way he builds characters that start to become mildly interesting who then gets killed in brutal ways for no apparent reason. OK, I'm not certain I'm such a huge fan of _that_...

    This book only mentions the Straw Men in passing, and the end is just mildly surprising. It's vintage Michael Marshall and I could`t put it down.
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • The Emperor
    5.0 out of 5 stars Thrilling thriller
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 14, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    This was a rollicking rollercoaster of a thriller.
    A very well written page turner.

    Maybe it doesn't quite live up to its premise and maybe it is a tad contrived but I thought that it was a lot less so than the vast majority of thrillers/crime novels.

    It has a great storyline and it was a less predictable one than I had thought it would be.

    The main character was pretty original. It was great having one that wasn't the usual quietly heroic everyman or superhuman Special Forces operative.

    His observations were quite amusing and the author knew when to dispense with them so that they did not become repetitive.

    This was greatly enjoyable and I genuinely couldn't stop reading it!
    Report
  • Die Stimme der Kritik
    5.0 out of 5 stars The game
    Reviewed in Germany on August 10, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    Bill Moore ist ein erfolgsverwöhnter und etwas selbstgefälliger Immobilienmakler, dessen schönes Leben geordnet nach Plan verläuft, bis er eines Tages eine mysteriöse Karte mit dem Aufdruck MODIFIED auf seinem Schreibtisch findet. Bald muss er feststellen, dass er in ein perfides Spiel involviert wurde, welches ihn in eine Sackgasse treibt, in der Chaos, Gewalt und Wahnsinn warten. Ohne zu viel von der Story zu verraten, sei gesagt, dass auch "alte Bekannte" aus anderen Romanen von Michael Marshall wieder auftauchen...
    Michael Marshalls neuer Roman beginnt diesmal zwar etwas zäh, gewinnt aber schnell an Tempo und hebt sich wie immer von den simplen Hau-Drauf-Geschichten ab. Ein echter Page-Turner, der leider viel zu schnell ausgelesen ist.
    Report
  • Nick S
    4.0 out of 5 stars Moore should have been more
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 12, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    For reference, I've just looked at the 1, 2 and 3 star reviews. The book is better than that.
    I was pretty engaged with the story, the plot, the characters; I kept thinking to myself 'this is really quite good'. Unlike some reviewers I liked Bill Moore in spite of his failings and because of his bewildered, near-idiotic efforts to do the right thing in the face of incomprehensible malice. Actually, at points in the story some very unbelievable malice conducted by some pretty unbelievable villains. Nevertheless, the journey kept me gripped. Good stuff.
    Then the story got to the 'escape, get out of town and hit the road' point. I was wanting to read a hundred pages more about Moore and the twists, turns and setbacks to be expected. What I didn't expect, or appreciate, was a sketchy outline explanation of What Happened Next using the familiar device of a few newspaper headlines, and our plucky hero now holed up in the woods, living on berries and leaves. Come on, that's a cop-out!
    So four stars, not five, from me.
    Report
  • Alfred Hitchplop
    3.0 out of 5 stars Struggled with the main character in this one
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 29, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Let me start by saying that I'm a huge fan. I've read all his books and have always sought out any new book or short story as I have always found his work to be of extremely high quality. Most of his books offer an intelligence beyond the norm. Whilst this book was intriguing and I was drawn in initially, I found the main character to be a complete idiot. His decision making was flawed throughout making it quite an unbelievable plot. There is one particular stage in the book where he doesn't know where his wife is, he's fearful for her safety, the police want to talk to him so he goes out, gets drunk in a bar and goes back to a young woman's house to get even more drunk. For me, this was the point that I started having trouble with the plot. Maybe I'm being over critical, but I don't enjoy books when I think the main character is a prat.
    Report
  • Rich
    5.0 out of 5 stars Somebody's messing with your S***
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 11, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    For every thousand or so meh-writers out there, there's one that comes along who knows exactly how to get under your skin. Michael Marshall is one of those writers. From the very beginning of KILLER MOVE, Michael, pulls us, pushes us, lures us through the story with his engaging prose and easily likable characters -- which, as in so often with his books, he either tortures in some way or kills off completely. The b*****d.
    From start to finish, a great read -- and the ending, without giving anything away, is to be loved and hated for exactly the same reason.
    Recommended for serious readers, and fans of crime/mystery fiction.
    Report

Report an issue


Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report