I am a genre fan, hence writing reviews for SF Book Reviews. I love the flights of fancy that horror, science fiction and fantasy give an author. Wherever the author leads, I will go. For all my willingness to suspend my disbelief with space battles or Elvish languages, I struggle in more general fiction, with a detective making an unprofessional decision or a lawyer suddenly being able to defend themselves against two armed brutes. It just feels false to me. Is the problem me or the books themselves? M K Hill shows that there is another way for general fiction to go in Zero Kill, a spy thriller as outrageous and entertaining as any sci fi thriller you are going to read. The difference is that this ‘could’ happen.

Elsa Zero is a personal trainer and single mother of two young children. Tonight, is going to be a special one as her boyfriend is going to pop the question and Elsa is finally ready to open her heart again. It has been closed for a decade since she left her past life. You see, Elsa used to be a spy for hire, respected across the board, but after a mission went South, she decided to retire. However, you never retire from this game and at the stroke of midnight a kill code has been issued and now every assassin in the world is after her. The first assassin to have a go may just be closer than she thinks.

Zero Kill is a spy thriller, but it is more in the Mission Impossible/Bond school of realism that John Le Carre. Indeed, it is even more action packed and crazy than Tom Cruise riding his motorbike off a cliff. From the first chapter Hill lights the touch paper and we are off. You get mere pages to learn about Elsa’s normal life for the past few years before it is all tossed away. This is not your typical agent being activated after a shadowy phone call, Elsa likes her new life, she has clients and two children to look after. Elsa’s commitment to her children plays a huge role in the story as she cannot just run away, she needs to solve what is happening so that her family can go back to a normal life.

Fixing the issue will not be easy as Elsa cannot trust anyone and most of her contacts are out of date, her best source has fallen on the worst of times and is more of a hinderance than some help. The old firm she works for seems legit, but are they behind her name being added to the kill list? Perhaps the UK secret service will help, but they have her as a number one target. Getting out from under these crosshairs is not going to be easy.

We soon learn that Elsa is part of a larger international conspiracy. The story goes from a hi octane cat and mouse adventure, to something bigger. The world is at risk, and you get that Bond villain tingle when we meet a shady private businessman whose Surrey Mansion House has more than just antiques hidden within. Elsa pings between being friend, foe and back again as various agencies look to kill her and then use her. It is highly enjoyable watching her navigate the various player, always knowing that her children are the most important thing.

Zero Kill is a fun book, it is a spy thriller designed to entertain, not describe the way that spy craft works in the real world. It is a book that starts off at a fast pace and does not take its foot off the peddle throughout, indeed, the book speeds up, becomes more exciting and the stakes get higher. As a genre fan, I loved it, the overblown action and frantic pace. The perfect book to take on holiday or as a quick read, you will not struggle with being entertained, just do not worry too much about how realistic it may be.

Talk about the date from hell, this was such a fantastic start to a book, I was instantly gripped and had to know what on earth was going on 😂

This is so fast paced and maintains this pace throughout, the backstory gave so much to the who, what, why! I didn’t know who to trust. This is a story with so many complex characters and their relationships with each other is so interesting.

There has to be a sequel, the book community needs more Elsa Zero

My first outing with Elsa Zero and what a ride! This is a true thriller; action packed, fast paced and plenty of twists and turns. What starts as an ordinary night out with her boyfriend turns into a nightmare as she’s forced to leg it across London, She’s a wanted woman but has no idea why. It’s great escapist fiction which I raced through in a couple of sittings. It left me breathless and wanting more. Definitely looking out the first book and this hits the right spot for excitement and intrigue. Cant ask for more.

‘Who Wants Elsa Zero Dead? Everybody’ - cover tag line.

My thanks to Aria & Aries - Head of Zeus for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Zero Kill’ by M.K. Hill.

This was a high-octane spy thriller that explodes into action from the first chapter through to its dramatic final showdown.

Just a few plot details for context: nine years ago after a top secret mission had gone spectacularly wrong, Elsa Zero retired from RedQueen, a private security agency that undertakes dangerous covert missions for various intelligence agencies. At the time of the mission she had just discovered that she was pregnant.

Today Elsa is a single mother to 8-year-old twins, Harley and India. She lives a quiet life and is self-employed as a personal trainer. She has been dating dull but devoted Joel for the past year. While out on a date, he surprises her with a marriage proposal. She says yes though minutes later Elsa’s world is turned upside down and she finds herself running for her life as it appears every intelligence agency on earth suddenly wants her dead!

Why? That’s the key question as Elsa is forced to use all her skills to evade capture and get her children to safety. Can she find the answer and can she trust anyone?

While I enjoy spy fiction, my preference is for the quieter style favoured by writers such as John le Carre. Still, every now and then it’s fun to read something more frenetic where the lead character is tossed from one crises to another in rapid succession seemingly with no meal or bathroom breaks.

Throughout M.K. Hill provides plenty of twists and turns and importantly does provide a satisfying answer to that all important ‘why’.

Overall, ‘Zero Kill’ was a slice of pure escapism with the kind of baddies that I had no problem wanting to meet a very sticky end.

High octane thriller. A rollercoaster ride when ex-agent and mum of two Elsa, has a night out with her boyfriend who proposes… then tries to kill her! On the run to protect her children and find out who is behind it all.

Wow. What a ride. Tense and exciting all the way through. Characters who grew on you throughout the novel. Thanks for the opportunity to read.

Phew, I have just finished this adrenalin filled, fast paced, rollercoaster ride of a read if that makes any sense. To me it does. The action is non stop from the first page until you end, I am wondering if we will see more of this main character, I hope so.

So what’s it about? Elsa zero is an ex-deep cover agent, now retired she lives in a normal house raising her two children, she has started her own business as a fitness instructor. She has been dating a pretty boring guy Joel, for over a year and is going on a date night, the evening starts off ok except for when Joel gets on his knees to propose to Elsa. But minutes after saying yes, Joel gets a phone call and excuses himself, when he doesn’t come straight back she goes to see where he is. When he turns and looks at her the fun begins. Right there in this very fancy restaurant he attacks her, she has to fight for her life and she has no idea why. As she escapes an ambulance is outside and the crew want to check her out, but Elsa knows better and runs. Her main worry is her children. She needs to get them to safety whilst she tries to find out who wants her dead after all these years why?

I loved Elsa, she is one feisty woman, but when you learn of her upbringing you get why she is the way she is. Her parents weren’t like normal parents. They never showed her love, so she doesn’t know how to show love except for with her two children who are her whole life.

The story is mostly told in the present, but it does flip back a few times to the last mission Elsa was on 9 years earlier, with Saint, Steve Carragher, and Camille Steve’s wife. What was the mission for? When it went wrong Steve Carragher died, Elsa almost died, Camille and Saint kept her alive until they could get to a medical facility.

The other character I loved was Saint, he is an alcoholic, living on the streets or in a hostel, the life he had lived had got to him and he is at rock bottom. But Elsa still asks him to help her, because he is the one person she can trust, if he can stay sober long enough.

This is one exciting, tense thriller, where the pace doesn’t let up for a second, there are a couple of amusing bits with Saint, but mostly this is an edge of your seat ride, with multiple layers that keep you engaged in the story, twist after twist,danger seems to be found every corner Elsa turns, but she fights on, even when she is bone weary she manages to fight on. There is destruction wherever she goes. The plot is brilliant and as I learned what Elsa was wanted for I thought wow, could this actually happen, and for all we know it could. Thank you M. k. Hill for writing such an entertaining, thrilling, compelling, fun read with that ending that makes you wonder if Elsa will be back for another adventure. This is an absolute ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💥💥💥💥💥 read I could not put it down until I finished it.

Thank you to #netgalley for an eARC of this

4 stars

Coming into this i had no idea what to expect, and if im honest, the first few chapters were so crazy i wasn't sure if i could keep up. Bang after bang after bang.

However, when the plot slowed a little and the ideas came to light, i really began to enjoy this book. Its action packed, with guns, secret agents, chemical warfare and lies.

I would definitely recommended this book if you love fast paced spy thrillers.

I loved Hill's writing style, keeping you on edge, and the use of both short and long chapters worked in his favour. He also created a very endearing character - Elsa Zero. I think at times there was too many characters but they were written about well.

This was one fast-paced, action-packed and thrilling rollercoaster of a book. It's the first book I've read by Mark Hill and I received it from Head of Zeus via Netgalley. It came out last week.

Elsa Zero, a single mom with a new boyfriend. Being proposed to one night but then ... her fiance receives a phone call and immediately tries to kill her. That's the start of the book. And it basically continues on filled with constant action.
Elsa is an ex-deep cover agent who left that world behind, but that world is coming crashing back to her. Now she needs to fight back to uncover the truth to save herself and her children. While every secret agency wants her dead, she fights and fights to get to the bottom of it all.

While reading this book, it played like an amazing action film in my head. This should definitely be made into a movie! I loved the characters and the way the story evolved leading up to a grand finale. Obviously a bit far fetched at times, but that's just great for your imagination.

4,5/5⭐

If you like spy movies you will like this book.First time reading this author.i can't put down this book

Zero Kill is a gripping and fast-paced thriller, full of twists and action scenes, written by M.K. Hill. A plot where many mysteries will be unraveled, while at the same time, we are following Elsa Zero, a retired secret agent, who for unknown reasons, is persecuted by half of the world's special agencies, trying to kill her.

Elsa Zero was on a perfect date, until the clock reached midnight. From that moment, most of the people she has found have tried to kill her; as an ex-secret agent, she thinks it might be related to her past and a mission in Buenos Aires that marked the end of her career. Her only possible resource is reaching some of her old mates and trying to uncover why she's a kill-target.

Hill manages to write a gripping thriller, which maintains the tension high at all the points, while at the same time introduces slowly the real plot behind the story: a conspiration that will unleash a biological weapon to devastate the world. The pacing is really fast, and there isn't a single moment to rest, as every few pages we find action scenes and explosions.

Personally, I would say that the only problem with this book is that the characters have almost no time to be developed: most of them last for a few pages, and outside of Elsa and Saint, they feel too plain. The villains' motivations are kinda pointless and simple, they are okay to advance the plot, but not much more.

Said that, Zero Kill is excellent as a thriller, a novel that would be perfect for those that enjoyed John Wick: Parabellum and The Bourne Identity. It's a book that you will devour, because it hooks you from page one until it finishes.

Elsa Zero used to be an incursion specialist, getting into anywhere, for anyone, for money. She's left that behind her and is now living in Clapham, raising her kids and trying to run a personal training company - until one night, the man who has just proposed to her tries to kill her - and he's not the only one, there is a positive queue of people wanting to kill her and she doesn't know why. Its going to take all her skills to get out of this one, keep her kids safe, and find out what's going on. Action packed thriller - first of a series?

fast paced thriller that i couldn't put down

thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the copy for review

My first book by this author & it certainly won’t be my last. An intense ride which does give some downtime to catch your breath; just as well, otherwise I might not have been here to write this review.

Elsa Zero is on a date with Joel when he proposes. Awww. He then takes a phone call, which he continues outside of the restaurant & then he proceeds to physically attack Elsa for all he’s worth. Elsa is seemingly enemy Number One & worldwide government agencies (on & off grid) are after her. It transpires that Elsa is a retired covert agent & has to go on the run with her two children whilst trying to stay alive as well as understanding why she is suddenly in danger.

In my head, I had Jack Reacher, John Wick & Ethan Hunt (yes, I know they’re men!) all vying for attention, it has that kind of feel. If that’s not your thing then fine, but if you enjoy relentless bullets, chases & explosions then this is for you. So, why 4⭐️? because of how the characters are written. The storyline is great & I did warm to Elsa eventually but that wasn’t enough. An entertaining read.

A surprise proposal, a dinner date to die for – literally die for, as Elsa’s boyfriend of a year, and her fiancé for five minutes, tried to kill her, but failed. Elsa Zero, retired covert agent for various secret services and an international agency called Red Queen, suddenly goes from peaceful single mother of twins and peripatetic fitness instructor to total killing machine. Every secret agency, from every country, is suddenly hunting her with the sole intention of killing her. She, and for a long time we, don’t know why, but it is clear that it is connected with her last mission for Red Queen nine years ago, in Argentina; a successful mission even though she nearly died. Since everyone is after her, it must be that she represents an existential threat to the whole world, but how could that be and why now? Recruiting Max Saint, former agent but now an alcoholic drunk, to help her, she embarks on a mission to save herself.
This is a classic chase thriller, agent on the run, fighting and killing the hunters while searching for a solution to the mystery. The cliché often deployed for this sort of story is “roller coaster”, but there aren’t really any moments when she isn’t fighting and killing, so its more “runaway train” or “downhill slalom”. Given that she survives multiple injuries while maintaining the ability to take even more punishment, she ranks close to indestructible superhero. Saint is also beyond caricature. Which is my main concern with this story, it is just too fantastically implausible. It will probably make a brilliant film but it doesn’t cut it as a novel.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

Thanks first must go to Netgalley, the publisher and M.K Hill for the ARC of ‘Zero Kill.

I love a spy / espionage thriller and this one didn’t disappoint. Pacey, twisty and complexed I read it in one sitting.

Enjoyed the characters, back story and ending. Would very much like a sequel!

When former deep cover secret agent Elsa Zero decides to accept the marriage proposal from the man she has been dating, she never expected to have to fight for her life. She barely survives his attack and rushes home to make sure that her children are safe. On the run, she is not sure who she can trust. She has been out of action for years and doesn’t understand why she has become a target, or who is targeting her. Leaving her children with her parents, who she has not seen in years, gives her a chance to reconnect with those from her past. The action is non-stop, in fact there is almost too much action and for me it seemed a bit overdone. Her character is definitely a badass, but it is a bit unbelievable that she could survive the constant threats to her life. Will she foil the plans of those who are working to cause death and destruction? I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

I’ve loved all of M. K. Hill‘s books I’ve read, so this was a must read. This book is action packed, fast paced and full of vivid descriptions that made me feel like I was watching a film more than reading a book.

Elsa Zero has left behind her life as a deep cover agent, her boyfriend has just proposed and then seconds later attempted to kill her. Suddenly the whole world is hunting her down and Elsa isn’t sure why. If that hasn’t got you hooked then I’m not sure what will🤷‍♀️

Zero Kill felt a little different to a lot of crime and thriller books as the crime allows you to enter the world of secret agents and beyond the normal crimes and police procedures. I wasn’t sure at the start how much I was going to enjoy it because I didn’t particularly warm to Elsa. But I grew to like her and she makes an interesting main character for sure.

Whilst this was different to M. K. Hill’s other books (and I LOVED One Bad Thing) I still think this a super strong book with a plot that keeps you thinking.

Okay, how do I start?

I could not put this book down, I love every page in this book. The more and more I read this book the pages were drawing me in with shocking details and twists.

This book gives me the vibes of James Bond and John Wicks, with a female character, which I am down for.

Mark, thank you so much for writing this book and allowing me to review this book. I truly hope that you would write more books like this.

If you are into Mystery and Thriller, this is the book for you. Especially for those female readers who wish there were more lead female characters.

M.K. Hill delivers a heart-stopping, action-packed thriller in "Zero Kill." This fast-paced novel follows the gripping journey of Elsa, an ex-secret agent turned wife and mother, who is forced out of retirement to protect her family from a deadly secret that could cost her life. With relentless suspense, intriguing plot twists, and a compelling protagonist, Hill keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. If you're looking for a thrilling and adrenaline-fueled read, "Zero Kill" is an excellent choice.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria & Aries, Head of Zeus for this copy.