A brother and sister pair, who both work as hit men. Murder, shoot-outs, and …comedy?

What could be funny about a story involving a pair of hit men? I mean, they kill people for a living. While that aspect of the story may not seem funny, you can find humor in the other details of Allan and Mac. 

They have banal conversations

The brother and sister actually have a conversation about Taco Bell while Mac holds some guy captive inside the trunk of her car. There he is, tied up and gagged, and there they are, discussing having a meal at Taco Bell. 

They take their jobs seriously, but not too seriously

Whenever they meet with a potential client, their conversations leave you with a sense of , “I can do this job, or not do it. Whatever.”  Especially Allan. He’s very casual and laid back with his clients. 

They’re very creative

What’s the best way to kill an alcoholic? According to Mac, drown him…in a tub filled with alcohol. And Allan entertains his sister with a story about a hit he carried out which involved a canon used in “pumpkin chuckin”. 

Aside from this book, Allan and Mac Avery retain their sense of humor when they make their appearance in the Valentine series. 

I liked the idea of taking what would be considered dark subject matter, and putting a humorous spin on it (sort of the way Bettlejuice puts a humorous spin on being dead. If none of you 20-somethings have never seen the movie Beetlejuice, I’m sure its on Netflix. Watch it.). 

If you’ve never read any of the books in the Valentine Apart series, Allan and Mac is a great book to start with. It’s filled with humor and heart, plus it’s the first in the series, so it just makes sense. 🙂