Killer Instinct is a thriller
novel
A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...
written by
Joseph Finder
Joseph Finder (born October 6, 1958) is an American thriller writer. His books include ''Paranoia'', ''Company Man'', '' The Fixer'', ''Killer Instinct'', ''Power Play'', and the Nick Heller series of thrillers. His novel ''High Crimes'' was mad ...
published in May 2006 by
Orion Publishing Group
Orion Publishing Group Ltd. is a UK-based book publisher. It was founded in 1991 and acquired Weidenfeld & Nicolson the following year. The group has published numerous bestselling books by notable authors including Ian Rankin, Michael Connelly, ...
. It debuted at #13 on the
New York Times bestseller list
''The New York Times'' Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. John Bear, ''The #1 New York Times Best Seller: intriguing facts about the 484 books that have been #1 New York Times ...
with competition from ''
The Da Vinci Code
''The Da Vinci Code'' is a 2003 mystery thriller novel by Dan Brown. It is Brown's second novel to include the character Robert Langdon: the first was his 2000 novel ''Angels & Demons''. ''The Da Vinci Code'' follows symbologist Robert Langdon ...
'' and won the
International Thriller Writers Award The International Thriller Writers Awards are awarded by International Thriller Writers
International Thriller Writers (ITW), was founded October 9, 2004, at Bouchercon XXXV, the "World Mystery and Suspense Conference", in Toronto, Ontario, Canada ...
for best novel in 2007.
Plot
Jason Steadman is a thirty-year-old salesman, modest and industrious, who loves his wife Kate very much and wants to succeed in his work. But, as his boss makes clear to him, Steadman lacks "Killer Instinct" - the limitless ambition that will allow him to climb the ranks. Everything changes when Steadman meets Kurt Semko, a special forces combat soldier who has just returned from the Iraq war. From that moment, Steadman's luck improves remarkably, while his opponents encounter a strange succession of serious mishaps. Steadman's career is picking up, but the price he pays is very expensive. As a double-edged sword, Semko's fighting tactics turn to him and turn his life into hell.
References
2006 American novels
American thriller novels
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