This was a seasonal mystery/murder novella that I have to say really didn’t land well. Give me a story about assassins’ with a Christmas twist I said. Well it just fell short. I think Unger can do really in your face endings and I think that she could have went there with this one. The ending was wholly unrealistic though which is the main reason why I gave this 3 stars.
The Kill Clause follows Paige. Paige we find out is an assassin (think Black Widow) and was recruited at a very young age to kill whoever her boss says is the target. Lately though Paige seems to be losing a step, and when she doesn’t go forward with a kill since it touches upon a rule she has about what she will and won’t do, she recalls that a Kill Clause is part of her contract and someone may be coming to collect.
I think the parts with Paige’s history were interesting, but that they quickly got glossed over. I also have to say that I didn’t find her love story with her ex-husband to be even a bit believable. I know why it got tacked on, but it felt out of place. We do get some surface level looks at her boss and why Paige feels so beholden to her, and I think that would have been interesting to provide more context to in my opinion.
The book moves through the Christmas week and be prepared for dialogue involving Santa Claus.
The ending as I said was not realistic, but Unger I think just didn’t want to get too dark.