History Literature / KillingTime

* MouthOfSauron: The crusading Paul Masetti and later his "politician's politician" replacement Archer Danile talk to Tim on behalf of a reform movement that wants him to testify against the political machine, with the leaders of their group being mentioned but never seen.* PoliceAreUseless: Chief Hacrum is quick to jump on any lead that might end the case due to how deeply involved he is in the local corruption Tim is threatening to expose, and while Detective Hal Ganz (whose assigned to the case) is honest and dutiful, he isn't that imaginative either.

* PoliceAreUseless: Chief Hacrum is quick to jump on any lead that might end the case due to how deeply involved he is in the local corruption Tim is threatening to expose, and while Detective Hal Ganz (whose assigned to the case) is honest and dutiful, he isn't that imaginative either.

* AnyoneCanDie: Major characters repeatedly bite it, with the last fifteen pages alone seeing at least eleven named characters die. [[spoiler:Tim himself is seen facing down a Casale about to shot him for his actions in the last lines of the book.]]

* IOwnThisTown: Jordan Reed, the corrupt local chemical plant boss has spent years having all of the city officials in town taking both his orders and his money and is proud of it.

* RightForTheWrongReasons: [[spoiler:Tim’s files on all of the town big shots are the reason that he’s being targeted for murder, but not out of an attempt to keep the reform movement from getting them, but because Hacrum ''wants'' to give them to the reformers to save his own skin and after killing Tim, he'll have an excuse to "confiscate" Tim’s files.]]

* DetectiveMole: [[spoiler:The attempts on Tim’s life are all committed by Hacrum the chief of police.]]

* FatBastard: Mayor Wanamaker (whose referred to as resembling Santa Claus), Chief Hacrum, District Attorney Watkins (who gets compared to a beach ball), Jack Wycza and Jordan Reed are all large, fleshy men who don’t know a thing about hard work and love lining their own pockets.

* AmoralAttorney: Multiple corrupt city councilmen are lawyers, the District attorney has no interest in justice and Tim’s lawyer friend Ron (although an affable guy who wants to help him out) has been trying to set up up a scheme to double tax a neighborhood of down on their luck world war two veterans in order to get admitted to the local machine.

* MercyLead: After CCG employee Archer Danile makes ti clear to Tim that [[spoiler:He isn't going to offer him immunity]] he does urge him to leave town before the next morning with a hint of respect.

''Killing Time'' is a Creator/DonaldWestlake book following Tim Smith, the only private eye in the town of Winston, New York. Tim has dirt on all of the thoroughly corrupt city fathers and is being sought out by Paul Massetti, representative of a reform group hoping to clean out the town. Someone is trying to kill Tim,and he comes to suspect that it’s one of the local big shots he has dirt on. He threatens to turn it al lover to the reformers unless he’s given assurance the attacks will stop, but this just gets them amped up, and soon he doesn’t know what trust, and finds himself growing to more cold lengths to save his own life and freedom.

* AnyoneCanDie: Major characters repeatedly bite it, with the last fifteen pages alone seeing at least eleven named characters die. [[spoiler:And Tim himself is seen facing down a Casale about to shot him for his action in the last lines of the book.]]

* CorruptPolitician: The mayor, police chief, District Attorney and four of the six city councilmen embezzle funs, take bribes and more.

* RightForTheWrongReasons: [[spoiler:Tim’s files on all of the town big shots are the reason that he’s being targeted for murder, but not out of an attempt to keep the reform movement form getting them, but because Hacrum ''wants'' to give them to the reformers to save his own skin and after killing Tim, he'll have an excuse to "confiscate" Tim’s files.]]

* IFightForTheStrongestSide: Jack Wycza’s hired gunman Bert, who sees the potential of gaining more power by helping Tim take down some of the local bigwigs and shows disappointment at seeing sentiment from Ben.

* MercyLead: After CCG employee Archer Danile makes ti clear to Tim that [[spoiler:He isn't login to offer him immunity]] he does urge him to leave town before the next morning with a hint of respect.

* RightForTheWrongReasons: [[spoiler:Tim’s files on all of the town big shots are the reason that he’s being targeted for murder, but not out of an attempt to keep the reform movement form getting them, but because Hacrum ''wants'' to give them to the reformers to save his own skin and after killing Tim well have an excuse to "confiscate" Tim’s files.]]

* AwfulWeddedLife: Marvin Reed and his wife Allisan don’t get along at all, ever since she found out he hired Tim to try and find dirt on her for a divorced (there wasn’t any) so he could pursue blonde bimbos.

* FatBastard: Mayor Wanamaker (whose referred to as resembling Santa Claus), Chief Hacrum, District Attorney Watkins (who gets compared to a beach ball), Jack Wycza and Marvin read are all large, fleshy men who don’t know a thing about hard work and love lining their own pockets.

* MercyLead: After CCG employee Archer Danile makes ti clear to Tim that [[spoiler:He isn’t login to offer him immunity]] he does urge him to leave town before the next morning with a hint of respect.
* MoralityPet: Tim’s are Ron Lascow and hi girlfriend Cathy, who draw out the most moments of friendship and unselfish moments from him.
* PoliceAreUseless: Chief Hacrum is quick to jump on any lead that might end the case due to how deeply involved he is in the local corruption Tim is threatening to expose, and while Detective Hal Ganz (whose assigned to the case) is honest and dutiful, he isn’t that imaginative either.

* RightForTheWrongReasons: [[spoiler:Tim’s files on all of the town big shots are the reason that he’s being targeted for murder, but not out of an attempt to keep the reform movement form getting them, but because Hacrum ‘’wants’’ to give them to the reformers to save his own skin and after killing Tim well have a n excuse to “confiscate” Tim’s files.]]
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: Mayor Wanamaker and Councilam n Brice flee town near the end as loyalties are readjusted and it becomes more clear who will and won't be able to make a deal.

* UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler: Massetti, who doesn’t realize that his employers are just trying to shake up the corruption for political headlines and are will gin to make deals with the most corrupt locals themselves.]]
* VillainProtagonist: Tim is a belligerently self-righteous man despite having spent years covering up the local corruption for money (although he sees himself more as regulating it) with no remorse. While initially affable enough and genuinely believing that his actions constitute the lesser of two evils, when it comes down to the prospect of going to prison himself he’s willing to set up people he’s known for years to die (ro kill them himself) just to eliminate the people who pose a threat to him.

* AmoralAttorney: Multiple corrupt city councilmen are lawyer, the District attorney has no interest in justice and Tim’s lawyer friend Ron (although an affable guy who wants to help him out) has been trying to set up up a scheme to double tax a neighborhood of down on their luck world war two veterans in order to get admitted to the local machine.

‘’Killing Time’’ is a Creator/DonaldWestlake book following Tim Smith, the only private eye in the town of Winston, New York. Tim has dirt on all of the thoroughly corrupt city fathers and is being sought out by Paul Massetti, representative of a reform group hoping to clean out the town. Someone is trying to kill Tim,and he comes to suspect that it’s one of the local big shots he has dirt on. He threatens to turn it al lover to the reformers unless he’s given assurance the attacks will stop, but this just gets them amped up, and soon he doesn’t know what trust, and finds himself growing to more cold lengths to save his own life and freedom.

* FatBastard: Mayor Wanamaker (whose referred to as resembling Santa Claus), District Attorney Watkins (who gets compared to a beach ball), Jack Wycza and Marvin read are all fleshy men who don’t know a thing about hard work and love lining their own pockets.