Rating: 4.5🌈

The Hitman’s Guide to Righting Wrongs While Causing Mayhem is the fourth book in Alice Winters series about a retired hitman who’s now happily married and in business with his PI husband. We’ve followed their hilarious , zany, sometimes murder-filled lives, from the meeting at the infamous and now enshrined Fence all the way through their engagement and marriage.

I have adored every second of every bit of the time I’ve spent getting to know former hitman Leland and his now husband Jackson, chief of police, Henry, who’s basically stepped in as father figures for Leland, fellow former hitman Cassel, and his boyfriend cop , Jeremy, dogs Cayenne and Sarge, …. I mean the cast of fantastic characters is huge! And they weave in and out of every story, regardless of what that particular book’s theme is. You can count on certain people and animals to be a part of the investigations and whatever shenanigans that ensues.

Leland’s ( and Cassel’s ) adolescence and twisted mentorship under Lucas has also been a constant dark thread in the series. Sometimes it manifests itself as Leland’s inability to connect in a “normal’ to established family celebrations or traditions. They physically make him hurt as something so warm and loving is so outside of his universe. Lucas manipulated him and all his “boys” in a utterly, cruel way. Hand picking abused, starved boys at their worst then narrowing their world down to Lucas, their kill, their training, and their next target. Those that didn’t live up to Lucas’s standards, were “gone “.

That past gets reflected through Leland’s actions and remarks through every story too. And Jackson is there supporting and helping Leland with the pain and growth.

I love that element.

This couple is hilarious, loving, but the substance is always present.

This was an especially complicated investigation. Of course, it starts with someone from Leland’s past coming for Leland and his special “talents”.

Naturally, the case goes sideways right from the start with bodies piling up, false identities, porn names, and the reappearance of the Sasquatch!

It’s fast moving, often over the top action, matched by equally snappy,snarky dialogue . Lots of shooting, and explosions!

Lucas makes several important appearances here. The deep damage done as he molded both as youth into assassins, damage that’s left both Leland and Cassel traumatized, is clear here. So is the influence he continues to have on both men even from prison.

This is the one major element that is only partially dealt with. Lucas has been THE major bad for the entire series, deservedly so. He’s a fully developed, multidimensional villain. There’s a reason he’s to be feared.

At one point Leland gets his moment of revelation about himself and his emotional growth. It’s allowing him to move forward.

However, and this is a huge however, this gigantic emotional step forward isn’t complete because the story doesn’t allow it to be. Unless there’s another book to come. Leland never goes to see Lucas to see if Lucas can still get to him.

Lucas and his part in Leland and Cassel’s lives needs a closure.

While he’s still in prison pulling strings , no one is getting any. Leland , no matter what happened during that case, has been unable to face him without being traumatized. Cassel can’t face him at all.

The series needs to address that.

Plus Ava, that strong AF mother in law, who went through so much? You can’t tell me there aren’t some emotional fallout elements to come there. There should be. Because there always been some very truthful threads underneath the caustic comedy routine between Ava and Leland. We need to see what happens next.

So I’m hoping this isn’t the end of the series because while it’s a terrific story, there’s still much important stuff left to bring to closure.

It should be clear how very much I love this universe and series. These people are so close to my heart. I want nothing less than the absolute best. Because the way Alice Winters wrote and created them? They are deserving of nothing less.

What a series! What a wonderful story! I’m highly recommending them all . And honestly waiting for the next.

The Hitman’s Guide series:

✓ The Hitman’s Guide to Making Friends and Finding Love #1

✓ The Hitman’s Guide to Staying Alive Despite Past Mistakes #2

✓ The Hitman’s Guide to Tying the Knot Without Getting Shot #3

✓ The Hitman’s Guide to Righting Wrongs While Causing Mayhem #4

Side Story:

😎The Former Assassin’s Guide to Snagging a Reluctant Boyfriend

AMAZON

GOODREADS

AUDIOBOOK

Synopsis:

Leland

Growing up, I was taught that getting too close to someone would be my downfall. But I’ve proven that wrong now that I’m happily married to Jackson, the greatest man in the world. The issue is that mayhem always seems to find me (which is definitely not my fault), and this time, it comes in the form of a woman looking for her daughter. What starts as a simple missing persons case turns into so much more, forcing me to rely on my found family and others, including a muscley “bear” who will definitely not whisk away my husband with his irritatingly sexy accent—I mean, yes, I’m very focused on this case… Jackson, don’t look at me like that.

Jackson

While Leland is “code potatoing” (whatever that means on his strange cheat sheet), I’m left questioning what he’s gotten himself into this time. At least he’s willing to let me assist him, even if he’s still positive that I should just “sit pretty” and let him handle everything. But with the girl missing, he knows we need to work together to determine whose game we’re playing because not everything is as it seems. Of course, when one gets involved with Leland, nothing is ever simple. But maybe that’s just the way I like it.

Contains: speed walking up way too many stairs while holding pointy objects, feel-better cookies that didn’t turn out quite right, Spanish that definitely isn’t Spanish, and lots of long-suffering people being swept up in Leland’s shenanigans once more