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Danny King

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The Henchmen's Book Club Kindle Edition

by Danny King (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

593 ratings

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Mark Jones is a henchman for hire. He guards bunkers, patrols perimeters and stands around in a boiler suit waiting to get knocked out by Ninjas. This is his job.

He has worked for some of the most notorious super-villains the world has ever known – Doctor Thalassocrat, Victor Soliman, Polonius Crump; Mark was with each of them when they met their makers at the hands of British Secret Service super-spy, Jack Tempest, and lived to tell the tale – if not pay the bills.

Still, for every hour under gunfire, there are weeks if not months of sitting around on monorails staring into space so Jones starts a book club with his fellow henchmen to help pass the time. It was only meant to be a bit of fun. It was never meant to save the world.

"One of the best... ripping good yarns I have come across in quite a while" – The Literature Professors' Book Club

Product description

About the Author

Danny King is a British author who has written for the page, stage, big and small screens. He has had nine novel published in the UK, most of which have been translated and sold across the world, and is the screenwriter of the BBC sitcom 'Thieves Like Us' and the BAFTA-nominated movie, 'Wild Bill'. He lives in Chichester, West Sussex with his wife and four children and has seen every James Bond film ever made about thirty times.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B005FX0KRU
Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
Publication date ‏ : ‎ 3 Aug. 2011
Edition ‏ : ‎ 7th
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2.4 MB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 360 pages
Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: 635,663 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- 4,165 in Espionage Thrillers (Kindle Store)
- 6,174 in Fantasy Adventure Fiction
- 6,282 in Spy Stories & Tales of Intrigue

Customer reviews:
593 ratings

About the author

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Danny King

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Danny King is an award-winning British novelist and screenwriter.

Born in 1969, he has worked in offices, shops and building sites and today uses this rich tapestry of experiences to avoid all of the aforementioned. He has written 20+ novels as well as for the big and small screens.

His first book, The Burglar Diaries, won the 2002 Amazon Writers' Bursary Award and was the basis of the BBC sitcom, Thieves Like Us. His debut feature, Wild Bill, won the 2012 Writers' Guild of Great Britain Award and a BAFTA nomination. His second film, Eat Locals, was released in 2017 and is available on Prime and DVD/Blu-ray.

His Monster Man series of novels were first published in Germany and were nominated for the Vincent Price Horror Awards. HIs middle-grade novel, Amy X and The Great Race, won the children's story prize at Wells Festival of Literature. And more recently, Cancelled was nominated for the Prometheus Award by the Libertarian Futurist Society.

He lives in Chichester, West Sussex with his wife and children and divides his time between writing and wondering what to write about. Follow him on Facebook at 'Danny King author & screenwriter'.

Customer reviews

593 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoy this book's humor, particularly its laugh-out-loud scenes, and find it well-written with a fast-moving plot that merges into another. They appreciate the wonderful characters and brilliant concept, with one customer noting it's a terrific poke at clichéd hero-types. The readability receives positive feedback, with one review highlighting its high-end action writing style. While customers find the book completely engrossing, the grammar receives mixed reviews, with several noting quite a few grammatical errors.

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Humor Readability Narrative quality Character development Concept Engrossedness Grammar

31 customers mention ‘Humor’31 positive0 negative

Customers find the book humorous, with many noting it's a great read full of laugh-out-loud scenes. One customer particularly appreciates the book's perspective on the life of a henchman.

"...Deftly narrated by the wonderful Mr. Jones, full of witticism and humour, the story of Mr. Jones, Mr Chang, Mr Woo, Mr Collins and all the other..." Read more

"This is an interesting and funny book...." Read more

"A gripping sideways view of the life and times of a hired goon. Fantastically funny, truly down to earth and relatable characters, a terrific poke..." Read more

"...I couldn't help but love the characters and laugh uncontrollably at the witty writting...." Read more

30 customers mention ‘Readability’30 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well written and easy to read, with one customer describing it as a fantastically written piece of high-end action.

"...with the other "book club members", I found some great recommendations in the text as to what to read next...." Read more

"...The protagonist is interesting and oddly likeable for a man whose job is a assisting criminals ranging from simply greedy to completely insane to..." Read more

"The book was such a great read and had a really good concept. However, the spelling and grammar just made the reading hard going at times...." Read more

"...This was so much more than just a casual read, i finished it in one sitting!..." Read more

22 customers mention ‘Narrative quality’22 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the narrative of the book, describing it as action-packed with a fast-moving plot that merges into another.

"...The story skipped along (I read half of it in one sitting) and not only that but, along with the other "book club members", I found some..." Read more

"This is an interesting and funny book...." Read more

"...Fantastically funny, truly down to earth and relatable characters, a terrific poke at clichéd hero-types and insight into what the staff REALLY..." Read more

"...Without being overdramatic or forcing opinions onto you, the author manages to portray the story of "villians" in a different, more understanding..." Read more

11 customers mention ‘Character development’11 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, with one noting how it provides a terrific poke at clichéd hero-types.

"This is an interesting and funny book. The protagonist is interesting and oddly likeable for a man whose job is a assisting criminals ranging from..." Read more

"...funny, truly down to earth and relatable characters, a terrific poke at clichéd hero-types and insight into what the staff REALLY think about their..." Read more

"...I couldn't help but love the characters and laugh uncontrollably at the witty writting...." Read more

"...There are some great characters and sub-plots and I especially enjoyed the ending...." Read more

5 customers mention ‘Concept’5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the concept of the book.

"The book was such a great read and had a really good concept. However, the spelling and grammar just made the reading hard going at times...." Read more

"As with a lot of Danny King's books this book has a brilliant concept (Bond/Die Hard stories as told from the POV of the baddie's henchmen) which is..." Read more

"What an original idea. To write about secret service missions from the opposition viewpoint...." Read more

"Great read with a brilliant idea, lots of action, humour and wonderful characters. I couldn't put it down!..." Read more

4 customers mention ‘Engrossedness’4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book completely engrossing, with one customer describing it as an eye opener and another noting its detailed nature.

"...Mr Woo, Mr Collins and all the other henchmen in book club is completely engrossing...." Read more

"...Would definitely recommend this book and the author, a real eye opener." Read more

"...King keeps up a breathless narrative which is detailed and very funny. Once you've read it you'll realise why I gave it four out of five!" Read more

"...This book is hilarious and so on point...." Read more

7 customers mention ‘Grammar’3 positive4 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's grammar, with several noting quite a few errors, while one customer describes it as deftly narrated.

"...However, the spelling and grammar just made the reading hard going at times...." Read more

"...The result is utter brilliance. Deftly narrated by the wonderful Mr. Jones, full of witticism and humour, the story of Mr. Jones, Mr Chang, Mr Woo..." Read more

"...Yes there are quite a few grammatical errors but the author acknowledges this and apologies at the end of the book...." Read more

"...If you enjoy action, comedy, smart dialogue and common story tropes being ripped apart then this book is for you...." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

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V. G. Harwood
Genius
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2015
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Meet Mark Jones (not his real name); aka Mr. Jones, henchman for hire to the latest megalomaniac. Whilst the world's super villains are setting out to melt the North Pole/tilt the world on its axis/steal the Eiffel Tower, Mr. Jones is just the ordinary bloke guarding the vending machine in the corridor of the underground base. With "a mortgage he wouldn't wish on his worst enemy", Mr. Jones is constantly in search of the next big payday - if only those James Bond-style super-spies would stop scuppering his plans, murdering his bosses and preventing him paying back the massive loan he's had off his in-laws. Thank God he, and his comrades in misfortune have got book club to pass the time and keep them all going.

As you can probably tell from the above, this novel takes the tropes and stock-in-trade devices of your average James Bond style story and twists it around, turns it on its head and relates the story from the point of view of your ordinary "henchman". The result is utter brilliance. Deftly narrated by the wonderful Mr. Jones, full of witticism and humour, the story of Mr. Jones, Mr Chang, Mr Woo, Mr Collins and all the other henchmen in book club is completely engrossing. The story skipped along (I read half of it in one sitting) and not only that but, along with the other "book club members", I found some great recommendations in the text as to what to read next.

This is a book for everyone - the literary minded, as well as those who love a good mindless action story. And here's something else I spotted about this text: consider this excerpt from when Mr. Jones is assaulting a diamond mine in the Zambezi basin: ""Oh," I replied, relieved that I didn't have to keep on referring to this snivelling little kid as His Most Excellent Majesty any more, though it had helped with the word count over the last couple of chapters." (Loc 1676) - according to Russian formalist Viktor Shklovsky (one of my favourite critical theorists), true art "bares the device" and shows that it is art - which is just what the author does in this passage. - so, there you go - not only is this a rollicking good story, it's also a work of literary merit.

This is a fantastic, original story - you, Mr. King, are a genius.

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Mary Wombat
The friendlier face of the criminal underworld
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 September 2017
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This is an interesting and funny book. The protagonist is interesting and oddly likeable for a man whose job is a assisting criminals ranging from simply greedy to completely insane to carry out grandiose plans such as holding governments of the world to ransom. There is much casual (though unreal/cartoonish) violence and deaths and serious injuries are scattered throughout with gay abandon. It also features an interesting take on the contrast between English & American secret service agents and motivation of the Henchmen of the title. Along the way you get some interesting insight into some existing literature and into group dynamics and loyalty. An entertaining read

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Amazon Customer
Great to read when there's vending machines to guard..
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 January 2024
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A gripping sideways view of the life and times of a hired goon. Fantastically funny, truly down to earth and relatable characters, a terrific poke at clichéd hero-types and insight into what the staff REALLY think about their megalomaniac bosses.

All this. And books.

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BurnTheWitch
Good book but, ................
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 September 2012
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The book was such a great read and had a really good concept.
However, the spelling and grammar just made the reading hard going at times.
You would think someone would proof read before releasing?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Lets hope my next Danny King is going to be as good, but not as bad.

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k
Wonderful read, well written and intriguing
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 31 December 2016
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I wasn't expecting much from this book, found the blurb interesting since i've sometimes wondered what kind of life a henchmen must lead. (As you do when you watch them die in the hands of our heroes)
As it explored an interesting topic in a light hearted way, I expected a few laughs and a story to take my mind off things. This was so much more than just a casual read, i finished it in one sitting! Without being overdramatic or forcing opinions onto you, the author manages to portray the story of "villians" in a different, more understanding light. I couldn't help but love the characters and laugh uncontrollably at the witty writting.
Would definitely recommend this book and the author, a real eye opener.

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C
Fun romp
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 February 2024
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Some of the comedically un-PC bits have dated more cringingly than intended, but generally this is a fun breezy tale about the unsung henchmen in spy/action thrillers dealing with their crappy work and has some inspired gags. One fun running gag has the henchmen horrified and disgusted by the various quips that the action heroes do as they butcher people; what sort of sicko puts a Santa hat on a corpse?!

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Milo
Worth 5 stars in my book club
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 May 2015
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This is an action-packed book that races along with typical Danny King style prose (that's a good thing in my book club). I won't spoil the plot but it's definitely in the vein of a James Bond tale and even reminded me of The Incredibles in places.

I thoroughly enjoyed it and as long as you view it as a light-hearted take on those stories from the viewpoint of one of the mercenaries you might enjoy it too. I had more than a few moments on my daily train commute when I was silently laughing to myself, shoulders bouncing up and down, trying to suppress a full-on laugh-out-loud moment.

I'm already looking forward to my next Danny King book but, as I've read most of them, I'm holding off reading it for now.

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Liam Katz
Life in a James Bond universe from another point of view
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 July 2012
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When I bought this book I knew I would enjoy it at least a little bit, I had read The Burglar Diaries a couple of years a go (also many times) it was always my go to book for a quick slice of humour set in the real world. But I certainly wasn't expecting a book that was as fun as this!

If you enjoy action, comedy, smart dialogue and common story tropes being ripped apart then this book is for you.

What starts off as a great little slice of the world of a henchman turns into a fantastically written piece of high end action leading to a satisfying conclusion.

I highly recommend this book.

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Lori Palle
Great book!
Reviewed in the United States on 29 June 2013
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(review shortened from my blog for brevity)

I'm usually not for action and adventure, but there was something about the premise of stereotypically burly, scary killers having such a gentle and intelligent hobby that they like to do in their free time. I'm glad I picked up and read the book, because it was a fantastic read. There were many, many parts in the book where I couldn't help laughing, which was an issue since I read next to my sleeping toddler. Oh, those were the moments I had to put the book away...

Anyway, minor spoilers ahead!

Overview: The book is told through first person in Mark Jones's point of view, and we follow him over the years as his little reading hobby turns into a powerful force. This book doesn't highlight one event; we get to follow him along as he works for evil villains, gets thwarted by heroic spies, faces injuries and capture, trains future Affiliates (as part of the organization where evil villains hire their henchmen), and of course, as he reads and analyzes books. This anti-hero goes from being the guy you barely notice to the guy you're rooting for.

The actual timeline is starting with the birth of the book club (the meeting of two key characters: Mark and Mr. Smith) and the evident display of power of the book club. One of the things that made the later part of the book enjoyable was that characters introduced earlier weren't completely forgotten and would be brought back.

As I said, there were times where I was outright laughing. Much of the humor is dark and twisted, yet it still works. I enjoyed that many of the characters were evil and were unapologetic for that. It's just who they were. Mark is so likable despite what he does. As he says, it's just a job, nothing personal; he needs to pay his mortgage.

I'm pretty sure I missed out on some funny stuff since I'm American and only partly familiar with some British terms (if you don't know British terminology, it's still a great book)! My version of the ebook had many typos, and the author addresses this in a note at the end. The typos didn't bother me too much since I was already having issues with cross-the-pond word confusion anyway.

At the start, there were some parts where my eyes glazed over and my mind started drifting before there would be a part that brought me back. There also were a few strange transitions/time jumps from one major job/event/situation to the next that could have used a heading or so, but I quickly caught on.

This book should be a definite read if you like action and adventure, dark humor, and anti-heroes. Even if you don't, you'll find it a refreshing change (I did) with a unique premise.

Gore level: 4 out of 5 (people get mangled and killed)

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RKTPN
Amazing! So funny and addictive!
Reviewed in Mexico on 3 January 2020
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Totally totally worth it! It has some grammatical issues and more typos that I would like to recognize,but I enjoyed it so much! It’s funny and intelligent!

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Andrea 85
5 stars
Reviewed in Italy on 18 March 2017
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An other masterpiece from Danny King, great plot and likeable main character.
Strongly suggesed to those who liked the hitman diaries ;)

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Mecaza
Great read.. very original writing
Reviewed in Australia on 4 January 2017
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Really enjoyed this book.. a very tongue in cheek story from a "baddies" point of view. I bow to the author's ability to make a longtime henchman (mercenary to the worst baddies in the works) loveable!! Hilarious characters on both sides 😂

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Mvargus
Bizarre Premise, good writing, definitely worth a look
Reviewed in the United States on 12 June 2014
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If you are a booklover the premise behind this book will definitely get you to smile. Afterall what bookworm can't picture a group of bored workers taking the time to form a discussion group to discuss and rate books they have read? I can imagine that for many bookworms this would be in some ways a dream.

Of course, Danny King made it a sideline to a nightmare since the main character and his book loving friends are all paid henchmen working for some of the least effective mad scientist/megalomanic personalities ever written. The book club is shown first as a way to stave off boredom, but slowly morphs into something more over the course of the book.

Overall, I liked the characters and the idea. The employers are rather faceless, but since the focus on the book is on the main character who is the founding member of the book club, that is understandable. I did find that the superspy characters who offer a counterpoint to the anti-hero henchmen were overdone and just less than interesting.

It's a good book for book lovers and does look at the position of henchman in a new way. I will warn that the book drags out the plot far longer than it needed to. The action scenes are also a bit flat, which surprised me since the writing is first person and that should have given more impact to those scenes.

Call it a high 3 star, which I'll generously round up to 4 as this book does try to go where few tales would wander. I am interested to see what Danny writes next.

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The Henchmen's Book Club Kindle Edition

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Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing! So funny and addictive!

5.0 out of 5 stars 5 stars

4.0 out of 5 stars Great read.. very original writing

4.0 out of 5 stars Bizarre Premise, good writing, definitely worth a look

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Great book!

Amazing! So funny and addictive!

5 stars

Great read.. very original writing

Bizarre Premise, good writing, definitely worth a look