The title, Who You Work For, aptly describes the plot of the book. The author deserves an appreciation for his smart thinking. The reason I say this is because the protagonist, Thomas Moore, does not know who he works for. His job does not exactly fall into the category of normal jobs. He receives an envelope consisting of the required description of the target whom he must kill. According to Moore, he is helping the society by killing the people who have prevailed crime by assaulting someone. So, he thinks his work a charity. He killed without a blink in the past; however, when he received his latest target’s name, he is not comfortable in making the move. His reasons are as follows: First, his latest target, Jake Stanton, is the mayor of Palatine; second, Moore is unable to find any hint of evil in him. Although Moore is still struggling with whether or not he should kill the man, he might not have a choice in the matter. His employer, Joe Colon, is not accepting no as an answer.
The author, Anthony, has included all the details about each of his characters that leave nothing to the reader’s imagination. Once you have read everything the author has to say about a character, you would have no unanswered questions about them. This in-depth description of the characters helped profusely in connecting with them. The disgust that Thomas Moore has with the society’s dependency on latest technology is well described. He wishes to live a simple life free of machine’s interference as much as possible. My favourite character, funnily enough, is Moore’s cat, Roy. He knows what he wants and doesn’t pay attention to anything else. Moore finds his feline companion quite strange but loves him, nonetheless.
The details of the preparations that Moore does before making the move on his targets are very well explained. His fixation on every tiny aspect of the victim depicts him both a perfectionist and a vulnerable human being. He knows the importance of knowing all there is to know about the victim and does his homework well. When Joe Colon pushes him to speed up the process, his frustration is understandable. This type of understanding with the characters does not come easily; however, the author’s incredible writing helped a lot. This is definitely commendable.
Although the central plot of the book is about murders, there are multiple secondary plots that add to its material. Moore’s fascination towards his love, Dearest, and his respect towards his father, Partner, are two of those secondary plots. This is not a fast read; a reader must read it with patience. Skim reading would only destroy the pleasure of reading a well-written book.
If you are a fan of reading a book that is filled with plotting and murders, then this one is for you. Moreover, if you like reading about the moral preachings amidst the killings, then you would find Who You Work For a perfect book.
