A Bloody Business

A Thriller

By: Stephen A. Roddewig

Narrated by: Jonathan Kilgore

History meets comedy meets hitman. Martin Williams often finds himself in deadly historical events, with a good chance his mark will die without any intervention. But professionals don’t leave things to chance, and Martin is a motivated worker for his paymasters, the Firm.

Follow Martin’s lethal career across four decades, three continents, and thousands of cigarettes. Along the way, Martin will find himself on a sinking RMS Titanic, crawling through mud in the middle of the Great War, holding the sold stocks that trigger the Great Depression, embroiled in a home-grown Communist workers’ revolution, and relaxing on a peaceful Pacific atoll the day after Pearl Harbor, to cover half the adventures within. But as time progresses, the world descends into the Cold War, and Martin finds himself increasingly in the crosshairs of equally skilled practitioners for rival organizations.

Tiring of espionage, he begins to eye retirement. But will the Firm allow their prized employee to fade into obscurity? Or will they send Martin to join his previous assignments in the ground?

©2024 Stephen A. Roddewig (P)2025 Stephen A. Roddewig

A Bloody Good Time!

A Bloody Business is a fast-paced, genre-bending anthology about a hitman who seems to always find himself smack in the middle of major historical events. It's thriller meets historical fiction meets dark comedy, and the result is a series that will make you laugh and then immediately after say, "oh that's gotta hurt."

It's bloody and humorous, but the book is also not afraid of going on more serious directions at times, pointing out certain truths such as the destructive nature of war, or the morality of living life as a hitman. These things truly put the dark in the book's dark humor.

The narrator did a fantastic job bringing all of the different characters to life, and adding energy to the fast paced novel! he has a great voice and I was left wanting to listen to more of it!

Overall, this book is a fun and interesting read with layers and reoccurring characters that draw you in again and again. I would recommend this book for history buffs and thriller lovers who don't mind a little blood on their shoes.

Great narrator, great author

If there's a better audiobook with my name on the cover, I haven't listened to it.

A bloody good time

A Bloody Business by Stephen A. Roddewig is a bloody good time. If you had told me that this was a byproduct of the writers room from Archer, I’d have believed you (coincidentally, one of my all time favorite shows).

Martin Williams galavanting journeys put onto display the Author’s reverence for the subject matter. His deft hand weaves a wonderfully poignant theme throughout Martin’s journeys in Europe, Asia, and a particularly striking journey into a booming post-war America. In a stark, but well escalated, turn from the overall tone, the final chapter hits like a slug from Martin’s revolver and leaves you contemplating the nature of war and peace.

Fans of Archer, Get Smart, The Man From U.N.C.L.E, and other classic spy stories, you will love this book. It has the highest seal of approval I can give for the genre–I gave my copy to my dad.

Creative, laugh-aloud read by and up-and-coming author and brilliant narrator!

Creative premise; approaching some of the most tragic historical events with comedy was fresh and incredibly fun. I laughed aloud several times (per chapter!). Intriguing characters unite the different episodes. Martin’s nonchalance and penchant for being in the wrong (or right?) historical place at the right time made for a hilarious saga, and Tessa was such a badass. So glad the author included a strong heroine to accompany his protagonist.

Lighthearted but with a healthy dose of solemnity that ultimately transformed the book into a nuanced cautionary tale. Loved seeing how Martin’s character development progressed throughout the book. Impressed by audiobook narrator Jonathan Kilgore’s ability to juggle several accents and voices.

Delightfully entertaining

This book was such a fun time. I’m not even a huge history buff, but I enjoyed every second of it.

Martin Williams is one of those characters that is just so amusing that you can’t help but root for him… even if he’s not exactly living by moral standards. The historical events and situations he found himself in were both exciting and intriguing and every chapter felt like a fresh new adventure with this amusing character.

Overall, Roddewig has managed to weave historical fiction with comedy and plenty of thrills and action to create a genre-bending masterpiece.

The narrator was an excellent choice for Martin, and kudos for juggling multiple different accents at several points in the book flawlessly!

Well written & well performed.

Of all the books I’ve read by the author this one is his best. Look forward to more from him. Enjoyed the tributes to his grandfather.