Showing my age and lack of film viewing in the past few years, but easiest to compare this to Smokin’ Aces albeit this is much better and likely to live in the mind longer than the aforementioned. Kingsley, a fixer and collector of famous murder weapons, is on his way to purchase The Fangs of Wallachia, a pair of daggers thought to have magical properties, when he discovers the dealer has been robbed of the item and left very much in an injured state. The theft sets in motion a number of parties to look to retrieve the daggers from the drugged wastrel now in possession of them. Among them a mercenary, an assassin nun, a pair of “arty” serial killers, a corrupt cop with other player manipulating things in the background.

This is a high speed, rip roaring actioner full of funny lines and references. Lawson manages the task of making each character distinctive even when they are all ghastly murderous types. He keeps you invested in things and always second guessing what the outcome will be. There’s also a brilliant and unexpected sequence in the last third relating to the daggers and elevating them from mere macguffin status.

I’ll need to read the sequel at some point as there was enough fun to be had here and the story ends on a somewhat unresolved note.