Upon My Soul -- Robert J. Randisi

If you're looking for a new twist in the hitman sub-genre of crime fiction, Bob Randisi has it for you.  The man who calls himself Sangster (he also calls himself Richard Stark and Westlake at times) was a killer who was good at his work -- the best.  One day he discovers that he has a soul (we're not told how this discovery came about) and that with the soul he has a conscience.  So he quits killing.

After a few years, the past comes calling, as it often does.  His old boss wants him back, and when Sangster turns him down, the boss sends two guys after him.  Can Sangster avoid killing when others are trying to kill him?  And if he's forced to kill, what about his soul?

Randisi's writing is crisp, and the short chapters race past.  The book is about the length of an old Gold Medal original, and it wouldn't be out of place in that line, which coming from me is high praise.  This is a good one, and since it's the first book of a trilogy, I'm eager to find out what happens to Sangster next.  You will be, too.