Six Months to Kill
by Enzo Bartoli
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Pub Date Aug 13 2019 | Archive Date Aug 13 2019
Amazon Publishing UK | Thomas & Mercer
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Description
A terminally ill killer has nothing to lose . . .
When Régis is told he has six months left to live, the news leaves him numb. A gifted astrophysicist but a loner, he is resigned to dying alone and unfulfilled. But then he receives a macabre offer from a beautiful stranger that changes everything. . .
Chloé represents an underground organisation that tracks down murderers who have escaped justice—and then kills them. And she wants Régis to do their dirty work.
With nothing to lose, Régis soon discovers that he has a talent for killing. He devotes his remaining time to ridding Paris of the unrepentant guilty, taking more pleasure from ending lives than he ever did from living his.
Although the clock is ticking, Régis has never felt so alive and in control. But what if he’s not as in control as he thinks? Who is really behind the mysterious organisation Chloé works for—and why have they chosen him?
A Note From the Publisher
His professional career saw him walk several paths—some of them surprising, to say the least. From a mechanic’s workshop to a communications agency and the bar of an infamous dive, he finally became a journalist and rediscovered his love of reading. When he was done with the classics and had made his way through a substantial portion of the bestsellers, he decided it was perhaps time to give it a go himself, and has since written several novels set in the city streets and criminal underworld of Paris.
Available Editions
EDITION | Other Format |
ISBN | 9781542093767 |
PRICE | $15.95 (USD) |
PAGES | 208 |
Featured Reviews
Something must have been lost in the translation. This book moved to slowly for me. The characters were not sympathetic nor intruiguing. The story was entertaining, but not much more.
Overall, it was a good story although I disliked some aspects.
One being the writing - it was not for me. However, I do recognise that the book was translated from French, so I guess that's why a lot of atmosphere in the writing was missing.
I like the premise and the overarching character arc of Regis. However, I find the villains in this story a bit unconvincing. The ending was satisfying and felt earned.
Six Months to Kill was a bit disappointing and that may have been due to a translation issue. The book was a bit slow and the writing a bit off. The premise of the book seemed interesting.
An extremely difficult story to get into, but well worth the perseverance. I thought I knew the outcome early on, but was extremely surprised by the end. A most extraordinary serial killer with an unexpected modus operandi, a story with a sting in the tail.
Régis is a genius. His IQ is so high that he can figure out almost anything but social interactions. He is told that he only has six months to live and shortly thereafter meets a woman who offers him a deal: become a hitman. He has nothing to lose and the people who need killing are the kind that nobody will miss. Régis approaches the challenge as he would a mathematical problem and, being a genius, it's pretty easy to figure out how to get away with murder. At least at first. But there are factors that he can't control, and those may be his downfall. Bartoli does a great job of making you care about Régis. He is not likable - he hates everything and anything. He is also not very relatable - not to normal people who didn't learn all prime numbers by the time they were four. And yet, I really, really wanted him to get away with it. I cringed when he was close to disaster and cheered when he was doing well. The rhythm is so fast that it was hard to put it down, making it a fast read.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Amazon Publishing UK!
Six Months to kill is a very entertaining story. Although I did not like the story much in the beginning I found myself reading more and more to find out what is happening. The author sprinkles enough clues to pique the readers interest to want to learn more, The story becomes more interesting the more you read until you find yourself unable to put it down. Great character arc for main protagonist Regis who becomes more confident in himself as the story progresses. The ending was fabulous and well deserved, overall a wonderful and entertaining story that deserves five starts. The translation was absolutely fantastic, the prose was easy to read and beautifully written. I would definitely recommend this book to others.
Enzo Bartoli thought outside the box with this uniquely riveting novel.
Regis Gaudin is a recluse, divorced astrophysicist. Other than science Regis has no hobbies and no real true friendships it seems.
Regis has not been in the best of health lately. He is diagnosed with cancer; and told he only has 6 months left to live. With this news heavy on his mind he goes on a walk, during which a beautiful woman, Chloe, smiles and waves at him as she runs by. Surely this is a mistake he thinks;' until later that night she shows up on his door step with a proposition for ' the adventure of a lifetime'.
This adventure is killing people. When you have 6 months left to live why not help humanity out and get rid of some of the lowest, indecent humans possible.
As expect, not all is as it seems when it comes to Chloe and those she presents to Regis for killing. But he has found that this experience is indeed life changing for him.
Regis is a 40-something man who has just been given a death sentence. He has terminal cancer and can not hope for more than a mere six months to live.
He is approached by a young woman who claims to know him ... know about his cancer. She has a request to make of him. Chloe works for an underground organization that tracks down 'bad' people who escape justice. She wants Regis to kill the people they find.
Makes sense .. if he's caught killing someone, he'll most likely die before ever seeing the inside of a court room. Or he may be shot by an armed witness or the police. He's going to die anyway.
Accepting her proposal, he finds that killing people is quite pleasurable. He likes the thrill of the hunt and his high IQ brain loves the scheming and planning beforehand.
The story takes the reader on each and every kill he makes. Is Chloe who she says she is? And Regis has some big surprises that he never saw coming. Twists and turns lead to an outstanding ending. This is well written, with kudos to the translator, who did an excellent job.
Many thanks to the author / Amazon Publishing UK / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Regis finds out from his doctor that he has about six months to live. However, to perhaps hold back the spread of the cancer, an experimental drug is injected to Regis on a weekly basis at his home. A genius, Regis enjoys watching quiz shows that have difficult questions and answers.
One day, though, Regis decides to go out to plan his funeral. As he is arriving home, through the park, he is met by Chloe who seems to know something about him. He asks if she was a student of his. No, he is 44 and she is 30ish. Later that evening, Chloe appears at Regis' door. He invites her in and she tells him that her organization is of the mind that certain people need to be killed for the good of mankind. She brings out a folder and Regis recognizes the name . A truly hated individual with political views seen as a threat to society. Regis hates the guy, anyway. Even if caught and detained, Regis decides that he probably would not live long enough to "see a courtroom".
The entire spree of more killings by Regis continues. This, probably due to Regis falling in love with Chloe. However, the love is not reciprocated. Yet, Chloe is able to get Regis to do her organization's bidding.
When will this end? Will the police find out that Regis is behind multiple killings (of course of "bad" people)? Is Chloe on the up and up? Will Regis die before any of the crimes are discovered to have been committed by him?
An interesting story with a twist. We see a man who is expected to die in 6 months bewitched by a beautiful face become a killer. A great read that is sure to be enjoyable by mystery/suspense/thriller readers!
Many Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for a thought-provoking read.
Enzo Bartoli has written a great thriller with Six Months to Kill! A superb beach read that will keep you engrossed
My first from this author and although i found the first chapter hard to get into, i am pleased i stuck with it.
The main character is not at first likeable but he grows on you.
Thw concept and execution are great but the last chapter is a little predictable.
I really enjoyed this.
Gosh, but, this is such a fabulous read! I had experienced some really poor books recently and so, was particularly excited when this one arrived in my Kindle as it's such an interesting premise and the translation is excellent. I wouldn't have guessed that it hadn't been written in English.
Regis is a genius, a specialist in astrophysics and a professor who is terminally ill and approached by a woman who has an interesting, adventurous proposition for him. And, let's face it, what has he got to lose?
I found the story riveting, the writing excellent and the narrative had me hooked until the end - which is a fabulous conclusion.
A really, really good read.
Highly recommend and thanks so much to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview. As well as Enzo Bartoli and the fabulous translator, Alexandra Maldwyn-Davies.
Enzo Bartoli must have lots of imagination and a good sense of humor. The title of the book is such that the story can go two ways: either the main character, Régis, dies after six months or he doesn't. I liked the humor in the book and I also liked the ending.
The characters were nicely rounded for this story and the pace was quite good. All in all I hope to read more of this author.
Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon for this digital review copy.
Well this was a slow start but once I got into it I really enjoyed the book. Characters were good and the twist at the end was brilliant
I am sad to say that this book just was not my cup of tea. It started out slow and was very unbelievable. I know most books are obviously based on things that couldn’t actually happen, but they still have an air of truth to them which makes you think that maybe this could happen. This book did not have that. It also kind of went in to his ‘new job’ a little fast and I feel like I didn’t get a lot of the character before he was presented with this opportunity. The main thing that bothered me was that it was just not believable in any way. Especially the randomness with which this was presented. The first few chapters turned me off to the book. I do like the idea of this book though and that’s what caught my eye to give it a try!
SIX MONTHS TO KILL – Enzo Bartoli
Alexandra Maldwyn-Davies (Translator)
Thomas & Mercer (June 30, 2019)
ISBN-13: 9781542093767
ISBN-10: 1542093767
Original publication: June 20, 2019
Translation: August 13, 2019
Mystery Thriller
France & Other Locations – The Present
Régis Gaudin is a hyperactive, hypersensitive, and hyper-emotional genius lacking social skills. He finds it easier to live a reclusive life with little social interaction although he lives in a very prestigious Paris address. His life and interests revolve around teaching at the Institute of Astrophysics in Paris, and missions to CERN in Geneva. Now in his early forties, his doctor, Professor Laxreg, has just told Régis a cancer will end his life in six months. Régis makes arrangements for his funeral knowing no one will attend or care. In the last few days he has encountered an attractive woman.
Chloé Schneider comes on to Régis and makes him an offer he at first finds ridiculous – to kill some deserving miscreants. Afterall, he will be dead soon, so will serve no prison time, plus she knows all about him. His intelligence will make the deaths seem accidents. Thinking Chloé a descent person with integrity but also a drive to accomplish what the police cannot, Régis agrees.
SIX MONTHS TO KILL has plenty of chilling moments and surprises for Régis which will change him in dramatic ways. It is a translation from the original French edition.
Robin Lee
A brilliant book, from the first page till the end of the epilogue had me totally engrossed. A lovely twist in the tail makes it even better though on reflection maybe it wasn’t a shock. Written in a black humour style hope to end more by this author.
This is a quick enjoyable read. A bit predictable but still entertaining and worth reading.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.
Regis is given 6 months to live due to cancer. The day he receives the prognosis, he is approached by a beautiful woman and offered a chance to really live his last months on earth. She explains that the group she works for is trying to rid the world of terrible people, and she would like for Regis to murder said terrible people. I really enjoyed the story. Regis is a likable character, and you really feel for him as he experiences the final months of his life. The twist surprised me, and I loved seeing how Regis reacted when everything came to light. I enjoyed the heck out of this book! Enzo Bartoli offers a well-written mystery with interesting characters and an inventive ending.
Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this ARC.
I have never read anything by this author before and found the book difficult to get into but maybe that is because it has been translated. However, it was worth persevering with and I thought I had worked it out and was surprised when I realised I hadn't.
I would recommend and definitely don't give up.
Regis is in his forties and had just been given the news that he has terminal cancer and he has only six months to live. He goes for a walk to clear his mind and meets a woman called Chloe who waves at him as they pass by. Later that night she turns up at his home with a proposition for him. She wants him to kill people.
I really liked this book. Regis is a genius, he specialises in astrophysics. The story had me hooked from the beginning. It's so well written. There are plenty of twists and I loved how the story ends. There are so many ways this story could have played out but I think the author has chosen the best one. I simply devoured this book. I couldn't and didn't want to put it down. A super read that I recommend.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and the author Enzo Bartoli for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this book. I particularly liked the humour throughout the book and also the ending. The writing style was good
The characters were well rounded and the pace was good.
Looking forward to reading more by this author
This was an excellent read. Not something I would usually pick up but It had me hooked from the outset and throughout. Will be keeping an eye out for more in the future.
This book was brilliant. I read it in one day. The writing was easy to get into, the chapters were short and the characters were well written. The story of having six months to live, does that mean murder can be committed and get away with it? It definitely had twists and turns and the ending I couldn't guess but as I got closer I wanted it to end a certain way and it did which I'm happy about. You need to read this
A delightful and well written novel with lots of slow action and a few twists. Excellent characters, plot and story.
Chloe enlisted Regis to kill bad people because he only has 6 months to live. Yep. Regis, however, is a brilliant man- an astrophysicist- so this becomes a more elaborate situation than it might have otherwise been. Chloe might not be who she claims to be. Regis certainly becomes someone different than he was. Set in Paris (and translated from French), it's a grotesque and perversely entertaining read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
A thriller story line to make you think. What WOULD you do with only six months to live? Right some of society's more spectacular wrongs? I think I'd agree to that proposition too.
The story is a translation from French so does not flow like a book in it's original language. But, stick with it, the story picks up speed and the action is pretty tricky. Our hero asks a few questions too many along the way and could find himself with considerable less than six months left.
Have you ever thought about what you would do if you only had six months to live? This story explores what the main character, Regis, decides to do with his six months that he has left to live. The story starts out a bit slow but starts to pickup pace about halfway through. There are some suspenseful moments and a twist near the end that I thought was somewhat easy to figure out.
Six Months to Kill Enzo Bartoli
Regis, a genius astrophysicist, is given only 6 more months to live by his oncologist.
He is approached by Chloe, a young woman who supposedly works for an underground organization that tracks down people who escape justice. She wants Regis to play the role of vigilante and mete out justice to them.
Regis takes up the role albeit reluctantly as he realizes that he has nothing to lose and after all he is doing good to society. He starts enjoying the scheming and plotting before each kill as it requires meticulous planning and research.
It is as if Regis starts seeking redemption in his newly donned avatar.
But is Chloe who she says she is? Does Regis’s killing spiral off control?
The story is riveting, the plot is compelling and the characters are captivating. This racy thriller is brilliantly thought out, different from the run of the mill suspense. Despite being a translation, the story does not lose its pace and keeps the reader hooked till the end.
My rating 4* / 5
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy.
The premise of this sounds far-fetched and like it would just be an ok read, but it is such an enjoyable one! A man with terminal cancer that is sought out to be a hired killer. Who would have thought there could be so many twists and turns in that story? Definitely recommend this one!
# Six Months To Kill # Netgally
I really looking forward to reading this book. I can say it definitely didn't disappoint me in any way at all, it's a addictive read full of different directions it could go. I think stabbed very cleverly done full of twist and a few unexpected surprises on the way
3.5 stars rounded up -- A terminally ill and socially awkward genius has the "adventure of a lifetime" when he embarks on a new career as an assassin and finds that he has an aptitude for the job.
Régis Gaudin is 44 years old, divorced, and lives a reclusive life with his television game shows, crisps and beer. With an incredibly high IQ and teaching at the Institute of Astrophysics in Paris, he's got money and a very comfortable, but solitary, existence. Unfortunately his cancer diagnosis means he has an expiration date of six months. He pragmatically buys a cremation plan and decides to spend his remaining days doing basically exactly the same as always. Then, he meets a woman, Chloe Schneider, and is presented with an interesting proposition. Is this an opportunity for him to do something good before he passes on? Deciding that he has absolutely nothing to lose, he takes her up on what he determines is a noble and moral crusade -- to rid society of some of the selected targets. Soon he finds that he's actually enjoying himself. NO SPOILERS.
This was a fun, fast read with an engaging archetypal anti-hero in Régis Gaudin. Were some of the situations and action a bit improbable? Yes, but it was easy to go with it anyway. I liked the writing style and the surprises kept me fully engaged. The descriptions of Paris made the setting another aspect of the narrative to enjoy. I particularly enjoyed the transformation of Régis as he tries to work his way out of his stolid, anti-social personality and his attempts to justify his actions in all the ways in which most of us try to make ourselves believe that change is possible.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this e-book ARC to read and review.
Regis has just been told he has six months to live when he is approached by a young woman who wants him to kill someone who is ‘bad’. Regis gets sucked in by the woman’s charisma. In addition, he is lonely and facing a boring, painful end to his life. He agrees to help her, and so begins a trail of murder where Regis ends the lives of several people who he is told are the vermin of society.
Of course, all is not as it seems. When the police become involved, Regis finds himself getting in deeper. Alongside this, there is the miracle cure for his cancer, which his own doctor offers him ‘off the record.’ Might he be cured?
The best thing about the story was the set-up. What would we do if we knew we would die in six months? It makes it intriguing to follow Regis. More character development would have made the story more believable for me. Regis was a bit took quick and easy in his decisions. The other two main characters, the doctor and Regis’ handler, are also a tad shallow.
This was an easy read, entertaining and original.
My thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book. This is my honest review.
Found this a difficult book to really become absorbed in, but am glad I stuck with it. I agree with other reviews regarding issues regarding the translation, but a great read.
The premise is awesome. The genius astrophysicist Regis is told that his cancer is going to kill him in 6 months time. He spends most of his time in front of the TV watching stupid shows and eating junk food. So when a mysterious woman named Chloe approaches him with an unusual proposition it doesn't take long for Regis to agree. The deal is this: work for a secret organization and kill people that nobody is going to miss. And suddenly, Regis turns out to be exceptionally good at it. But who is Chloe really? And is everything really how it seems?
I think the first half of the book was really good. It captured my interest straight away. What made the story so interesting was the main character. Regis is very similar to Sheldon from big bang theory, only he kills people. A genius in some aspects, he is quite a naive person in other aspects. I found it so strange how he simply goes along with this suspicious proposal when I would have asked way more questions, but I think that was part of his personality.
But from about 60% the book starts to drag. There was a bit of formula: Regis kills one person,moves on to another, and then another. And suddenly I was at 90% and there were still no answers. So when the ending and the plot twists were revealed I thought they were anticlimactic and too rushed. Also,there were a couple moments of fat phobia that left a bad taste in my mouth.
A good premise,I just think it could have been executed better.
Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own
A killer with nothing to lose, cause even if he’s caught he’s only got six months left to live. What could go wrong?
Is a fast and action filled read. Some of the situations were a bit improbable but they made it work. A few turns.
I received a copy of this in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.
Unfortunately, this book just fell flat for me. THere was something important missing. It was slow.. and i couldn't bring myself to finish it.
Tried to get into this book but ended up DNFing at 25% just couldn’t get into the story and found myself not caring or being interested in the main characters
Really enjoyable read. Good characters and a Good story. Well worth a read. Think others will enjoy.
***Advance Review Copy provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I got halfway through it before I put it down (for some reason). This is a DNF but I'm really interested in picking it back up and finishing it because I want to know where the story went.
A completely different storyline for a book I have ever read. 6 months to live and learn you are an amazing killer. Enjoyed reading something so different. well done.
I LOVED the idea behind the book and the point of view it’s written from. I was intrigued from the beginning and was interested to see where it would go.
I must admit it became slightly predictable and although a big twist towards the end, wasn’t entirely surprised.
It was however and enjoyable and easy read.
I was not a fan of this one. I didn't enjoy the writing, though that may have been (as others have stated) a translation issue. Unfortunately this one just didn't work for me.
"I've become a natural. All that's left for me to do is to drag the bodies far enough out to sea and to attach the heavy parasol stand that was also part of this morning's shopping list to the chains around their feet."
The premise to this one was so good. A man is given six months to live and offered a chance to do some good before he dies.
Unfortunately, for me, the story fell flat. It took me so long to get into the book and I really struggled to finish it. Honestly, I was pretty bored throughout. Very disappointed.
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