Kevin Wignall’s fourth and latest novel, Who is Conrad Hirst,has been nominated for a 2008 Edgar Award. For the Dogs is his third novel.

For the Dogs is a crime thriller. Ellen Hatto is in Italy with her boy friend Chris. Sitting at an outdoor café, two men attempt to kill her. A strangerintervenes, quickly disposes of the two would-be assassins, and spirits Ellen and Chris away. Later we learn that Lucas, the stranger, is a retired contract killer hired by Ellen’s father to watch out for her while she traveled.

Lucas learns that Ellen’s family has been killed but is determined to honor his commitment to keep Ellen safe. We get some classic thriller action as Lucas employs his skills to dodge other killers who might be after

Ellen and he successfully delivers them to the U.S. Consulate in Zurich.

The later part of the book is a revenge story; Ellen wants to find out who killed her family, why, and avenge them. For this, she enlists Lucas’ help. To achieve her goal, Ellen has to change. She has to stop being the naïve student we first meet.

Lucas is an interesting character – a quiet, ruthless,

efficient killer who loves to read. We know that, had he not been retired, he would have had no qualms about carrying out the job himself.  But he does have a sense of honor and a pragmatism about the contract killer business that is unsettling. You can see elements of Conrad Hirst in Lucas; Wignall is able to make conflicted hit-men sympathetic if not likeable characters. While For the Dogs is a stand-alone novel, the reader might find it interesting to read it before Who is Conrad Hirst in order to contrast earlier and later characters who share the same profession.

Ellen’s character is also skillfully drawn and Wignall does a nice job evolving and maturing her in a relatively short book.

I can’t say any more without giving out spoilers but I did like the way that Wignall wrapped up the book. I plan to read his first two novels and have added him to my “watch out for” list.