Better Off Dead by Tom Wood (Little, Brown) will be featured on the Radio 2 Book Club on Monday 15 December.
The book was selected with the help of a panel made up of Reading Agency and library staff from across the UK.
We have an exclusive extract available for you to read as well as a discussion questions for your reading group.
Better Off Dead
Victor is the face in the crowd you don’t see, a perfect assassin with nothing to live for. But when an old friend turns to him for help, he finds he can’t refuse. For once his objective isn’t to kill, but to protect.
Hunted through the streets of London by ruthless enemies, Victor needs to be more than just a bodyguard… but his every move leads danger closer to the very person he’s vowed to defend.
Selection Panel Review
Our reading panel of librarians and staff from The Reading Agency really enjoyed Better Off Dead – here are some of their comments:
“The novel’s mysterious hero and anti-hero demonstrates his skill as an assassin and an espionage veteran, and is soon brought into an incredibly dangerous, violent, and frankly mysterious role as protector of a young female lawyer threatened with murder and/or hostage imprisonment. It is so gripping – even when the plot line suspends belief.”
“This book is easy to read and should have broad appeal, with its international flavour, reminiscent of Stieg Larsson. The characterisation is very good. The plot is surprisingly believable and racy, and the style is very much tongue-in-cheek. I loved the unexpected twist at the beginning of the book. A great sense of humour is apparent in the writing.”
About the author
Tom Wood was born and raised in Staffordshire and now lives in London. Before taking up writing he was employed as a bookseller, cleaner, factory worker, labourer, supermarket cashier and video editor.
Get involved
Tune in to Simon Mayo’s Drivetime show on Monday 15 December to hear a live interview with Tom Wood talking about his book or listen again here later date.
Win 10 copies of Better Off Dead for your reading group; just complete our short survey.
Have you read Better Off Dead? You can share your thoughts on Twitter, or by posting a comment in the space below. You can also follow Tom Wood and the Radio 2 Book Club on Twitter.
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My book group one a set of this book at the start of January. Some of us managed to read it fairly quickly, within a week, some took a bit longer. One found she couldn't get on with it till a bout of illness saw her stuck on bed rest and then 'It was the perfect way to recover! I really enjoyed it. I was gripped from beginning to end. I liked how the beginning was linked with the end and did wonder how the start was related. I would recommend the book to friends and would read other books by the author.' Another 'groupie' said I’m about 80 pages in! I’ve not read the author before, but it’s a fairly simple, easy-to-read, fast paced thriller. A little one-dimensional but quite an exciting white-knuckle ride so far!' One of our group who read it quickly, said 'This isn't the sort of book I usually read. The cover is arresting, with a man in black looking back at the reader as he escapes down a snowy road lined with blood. Enough to put me off to start with. I enjoyed reading the way Victor evades the notice of any watcher, following random routes and booking facing rooms in adjacent hotels. Once he finds Gisele, I found the story a little more interesting, probably due to their dialogue.
The violence was abhorrent, and the opposite of entertaining. The swearing; strange to have an immoral protagonist who disapproves of swearing , and doesn't swear himself. Not an author I'll be following I'm afraid, not my cup of tea. Thanks for giving me this book to read. Though I didn't enjoy it much I do like reading books that I wouldn't normally choose.'
Personally I found it fairly plain sailing, perhaps even a little mundane. I too particularly liked his method of moving around cities in such a haphazard way. I was looking for a twist all the way through, but there wasn't really one, although, once I twigged what was going on, the way the book ends with the start was very clever. My husband, who is also in the group, found it a good yarn but ultimately a bit hollow. Overall we would give this book a decent 7/10! Thank you Reading Agency, Radio Book Club, Little Brown and Tom Wood!
Vanessa
House of Night Series or His Bright Life! By D.S. ". " is a story about her sons life, if u like true stories this is one to try!📖📓📚