Bad Monkeys

I just finished Bad Monkeys by Matt Ruff. I have to say I haven't read a book like this before.

This story is about Jane Charlotte who has had a rough life. She has been arrested for murder and is being interviewed by Dr Vale to determine if she is sane. She has told the arresting detectives that she is a part of an organization that fights evil and the division she is in is called the "Bad Monkeys". They kill evil men, "not all of them. Just the ones Cost-Benefits decides will do a lot more harm than good if they go on breathing."(pg3). She tells Dr Vale that she was recruited after the twin towers went down and she has been a part for the last eight months. The first time she crossed paths with the organization was when she was a teenager and she stumbled into a Bad Monkey op.

Dr. Vale: "So tell me about this operation you stumbled into."
Jane: "Well , it all started when I figured out that the janitor at my high school was the Angel of Death..."

From here, we follow Jane's story of how she came to be a part of the Bad Monkeys. We learn about her troubled and sordid past and what jobs she had as a killer and why the last killing wasn't a bad guy, just a jerk.

I found this book on Cromley's World and he recommended it highly. It's definitely not like anything I have ever read before. The book kept me guessing as to what type it was, not sure if Mr Ruff was making it a sci-fi or psychotic thriller. Not until the very end did it really become clear. I really did get caught up in this book and think if you are in the mood for something off the beaten path...this one is for you, full of twists and turns, black humor and sarcastic wit.

I give it a 4 out of 5.