The Dead Room

Book Description

A year ago, archaeologist Leslie MacIntyre barely survived the explosion that took the life of her fiancé, Matt Connolly. In the long months since, sh's slowly come to terms not only with her loss but with her unsettling new ability to communicate with ghosts, a dubious 'gift' received in the wake of her own brush with death.

Now sh's returned to lower Manhattan's historic Hastings House, site of the explosion, to conquer her fears and investigate a newly discovered burial ground. In this place restless spirits hold the secrets not only of past injustice but of a very real and very contemporary conspiracy with deadly designs on the city's women—including Leslie herself.

By night Matt visits her in dreams, warning her and offering clues to the truth, while by day she finds herself helped by—and attracted to— his flesh-and-blood cousin Joe. Torn by her feelings for both men, caught between the worlds of the living and the dead, Leslie struggles against the encroaching danger that threatens to overcome her. As she is drawn closer to the darkness at the heart of Hastings House, she must ultimately face the power of an evil mind, alone in a place where not even the men she loves can save her.

Customer Reviews:

I didn't know whether to cry because I was happy or sad! ( I'm a spoiler!).......2007-07-20

Leslie, Matt, and Joe! Ahh! WHY? WHY? WHY? Ok did I say why enough? I just don't get it. Why bring Joe into the story if its going to end this way. Joe already lost so much for the story to end this way. I know bringing Genevieve in at the end is supose to vendicate what happened but I read this story because I thought that the hero and heroine concures all evil and live happily ever after, not heroine dies and goes off into the sunset with dead fiance, leaving behind someone that who could have been something in your life. I just did not know how to feel about the story as a whole when I got to the ending. I think that if I knew more about Matt, I would not have felt cheated. I think if Matt were more of a main character, and not just the ghost boyfriend protecting the heroine, I would have understood why the author went down this path. Also, I probably would have been all for love to concure all and Matt and Leslie ending up together as true love should. But from the beginning Leslie seems to be moving on, and moving in the direction of Joe. This is why it should not have ended the way it did. Joe could have been the "Ghost Whisperer" and the story could have been about him finding the killer and not about leading you to believe this was a story of Leslie and Joe. Sorry Im rambling! I just feel cheated somehow. I know I probably sound like a hater, but I do love Heather Graham.

Great read with a twist ending..........2007-07-20

Even with the twist at the end I loved this book. After reading it, I have to say that yes I was a little disappointed with the ending. However, we readers have come to expect the "typical" happy ending and have a hard time with any other type of happy ending. Those of you who hated the end need to really look at the relationships between all of the characters and know that there are many potential happy endings to this book. I would still recommend this book to anyone.

Outstanding!.......2007-07-10

Okay let me start off by saying that anything Heather Graham, aka Shannon Drake, writes in the paranormal field I love. She is one of two writers that brought me back to reading after almost a 6 year absence,the other being Maggie Shayne.
Now I must admit I read the reviews before I purchased this book so I knew ahead of time that the ending was questionable. All I can say is thats the reason I stopped reading for several years, still rarely read basic romance books, was because they were all the same..ie..man meets woman,they fall in love, conquer one or two obstacles and then get married and have kids..end of story. I got to the point were my imagination was actually TRYING to make me go places that the books werent taking me..One word..BORING! Then I started reading books by Heather Graham. I absolutly love an author who is willing to take a risk and write an ORIGINAL story! For me this was a 2 day read and only 2 days because I had to work,otherwise it would have been a one day read.

I won't rehash the story line because that has been done so many times allready..hopefully often enough so that perspective readers realize the original plot is well worth the chance that they will like it.

I absolutely loved it and honestly thought it ended the way it should. One more great book by Heather Graham. Happy Reading!!

Great story.......2007-07-05

A well written, smooth flowing book. Loved the story, and it had an excellent ending that made me want to get more of Graham's books.

i hated this book.......2007-06-17

Everyone is right who has written a review before myself. The ending of this book............ what can i say awful.......... i hated it. I have read everything heather graham has written. I get most of my books from the library. (thank goodness in this case). I waited a long time for this book to arrive. What a dissapointment!! i have to wonder if all the people who read this book before me was equally as disapointed.

Average customer rating:

Slick packaging
Dead Paradise
Feel Cheated
not duped....thanx to u
Dead Paradise

Dead Paradise (Stone Barrington Novels)
Stuart Woods
Manufacturer: NAL Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Dark Harbor (Stone Barrington Novels)
Dirty Work (Stone Barrington Novels)
Cold Paradise (Stone Barrington)
Fresh Disasters (Stone Barrington Novels)
Short Straw

ASIN: 045121756X

Book Description

In the hands of bestselling author Stuart Woods, Manhattan cop-turned-lawyer Stone Barrington has seen his share of the dark side of human nature. But nothing compares to what he finds in the sunny climes of California and Florida...

L.A. Dead-When a celebrity murder threatens his former flame Arrington Calder, Stone must plumb the depths of film society to find the killer-before a court trial rips away his last chance at a life he once desperately wanted...

Cold Paradise-In the dead of a New York City winter, Stone gets paid a small fortune to track down a Palm Beach femme fatale. But her true identity unearths a part of Stone's past-and a crafty killer...

Customer Reviews:

Slick packaging.......2007-06-27

Be careful when buying this book. It is really a repackaging of two of his earlier best sellers in one cover. The title is so similar that it appears to be a new offering but it is really LA Dead and Cold Paradise in one cover. I was fooled. I'm not very happy by the slick packaging and misleading title. HOW WERE THE BOOKS? Great as usual. Stewart Woods is the best. - Dave

Dead Paradise.......2007-05-25

Didn't realize that it was a book with a new title combining two previous books I already had. This is not your fault, but of the Author.
Believe it was a deliberate misleading practice.

Feel Cheated.......2007-02-12

I felt cheated when I received the book Dead Paradise, because it's two books in one, and I'D READ BOTH, LA Dead and Cold Paradise! I re-read Cold Paradise because I didn't want to go to the trouble of sending it back.
I'm love Stuart Woods, but I'm going to be more careful choosing his books in the future.

not duped....thanx to u.......2007-01-16

i was so glad that i read the reviews before ordering. i love stuart woods books, but if i ever got a repeat like this one, under a different name, i would....not be happy!! so i thank u all for ur heads up on this book!

Dead Paradise.......2007-01-10

Didn't realize that I was getting two novels. At this time Woods has become my favorite.

Average customer rating:

"New York Dead" is Alive
A lot of fun!
Kind of Bored
very fast page turner
Extremely Average

New York Dead
Stuart Woods
Manufacturer: HarperTorch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Police Procedurals | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

Police Procedurals | Mystery & Thrillers | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Dirt
Dead in the Water: A Novel
Swimming to Catalina Low Price
Worst Fears Realized
The Short Forever

ASIN: 0061090808

Book Description

Everyone is always telling Stone Barrington that he's too smart to be a cop, but it's pure luck that places him on the streets in the dead of night, just in time to witness the horrifying incident that turns his life inside out.

Suddenly he is on the front page of every New York newspaper, and his life is hopelessly entwined in the increasingly shocking life (and perhaps death) of Sasha Nijinsky, the country's hottest and most beautiful television anchorwoman.

No matter where he turns, the case is waiting for him, haunting his nights and turning his days into a living hell. Stone finds himself caught in a perilous web of unspeakable crimes, dangerous friends, and sexual depravity that has throughout it one common thread: Sasha.

Download Description

E-book Extra: 'We Are Very Different People": Stuart Woods on Stone Barrington. In the dead of night, Stone Barrington witnesses a horrifying crime. Now he's entwined in the shocking life (and perhaps death) of Sasha Nijinsky, the country's hottest television anchorwoman. Only one thing can stop the unspeakable crimes, dangerous friends, and sexual depravity that Stone uncovers: Sasha.

Customer Reviews:

"New York Dead" is Alive .......2006-08-31

Unabridged Audio Book
Reader: Robert Lawrence gets an A+.
This book held my interest from the start. I thought the plot twists were good. I especially liked the mystery of the missing "suicide" victim.. I listened to this book in my car and there were a few "driveway" moments involved in the process. The reader can make or break and audio book and Robert Lawrence was definitely a maker.

A lot of fun!.......2006-04-12

In this Stuart Woods' book, we find Stone Barrington in his first outing. He is a Lt. Detective on limited duty due to a bullet he took to his knee and has decided after an evening out to walk home in order to get some exercise to it when, in a case of being in either the right place at the right time, or wrong place at the wrong time, he witnesses a woman falling from a building. It turns out to be a rather famous TV personality who was scheduled to take her place as a co-anchor on a prestigious network the next night. When he arrives at her apartment he hears someone leaving it rapidly, but when he gives chase his knee gives out and he loses the person he was chasing. However, what is set up to be a relatively open-and-shut homicide case is quickly muddied by the arrival of a freelance journalist who got footage of her at the scene showing that she was still alive when put in the ambulance, by her diary that shows that she was severely depressed at times, and then by her disappearance - no body, no crime. Barrington's obsession with finding out the truth in this case, as opposed to just finding someone to stick with the crime, quickly puts him at odds with the rest of the department (with whom he never fit in all that well to begin with) and he soon finds himself railroaded out on a medical disability retirement. However, he has a background in law and decides to take the bar exam and set himself up that way. The twists just keep on coming as taxi drivers start getting murdered around the city, and Barrington begins to get notes purportedly from the missing star.

I started to read these books out of order when I picked up "Reckless Abandon" and then "Two Dollar Bill," then I decided to hold off until I put my hands on all of them and start at the beginning; I'm glad I have, because I can now look forward to a long line of these most excellent thrillers. Woods knows how to put together a great mystery and keep it exciting!

Kind of Bored.......2005-06-07

I started reading this series with a lot of excitement. I thought that I had found a new series which to sink my teeth into. I have found Mr. Woods' writing to be boring and a bit self serving. I find it bothersome when an author writes almost like it is himself in the book. With the attitude of being better than most. For the same reason I don't like Linda Fairstein or James Patterson. The premise of the books is pretty good but all through reading I just wanted to shout out loud "you are not the cop in the book!". I hate reading a story where I think the author perceives him/herself as the star. I enjoy reading so I would tell you to try it. My personal dislikes may not bother you. I even tried one of the Orchid series and had a hard time with that one as well.

very fast page turner.......2004-10-27

i'm becomming a bigger and bigger fan of Stuart Wood's books..this is the second stone barrington novel I've read..

he keeps things jumping at a pretty quick pace but I never felt lost while reading this book. Plenty of colorful characters abound as well, most of which are flawed..some more than others. But I find that more interesting than the formulaic black and white of good vs. bad.

Stone has crises of conscience in this book. Torn between what's right and what could make his life better. This goes both with his personal life as well as his work.

The book reminds me a little of James Patterson's earlier work, before he became too formulaic.

Definetly a great read and I look forward to reading the rest in the series!

Extremely Average.......2004-07-29

This is my first Woods book, and as a fan of this genre I was very disappointed. The love story between Cary and Stone in this novel is one of the most unrealistic, ridiculous ones I have ever read. Right before the rather dull and predictable climax, Stone dreams of marrying this woman and having kids with her. WHY???? Other than her apparent physical attributes and sexual prowess she offers nothing of substance. By the end of the novel, even before the incredibly predictable revelation of who pushed Sasha, she was an immensely unlikable person. Yet we are to believe that our handsome, intelligent protagonist is in love with this woman. COME ON!!!

The only reason I gave it 2 stars was because there were one or two plot twists early on that I found interesting. Even though I have a couple of Woods paperbacks on my shelf, I am not sure I will read him again. If so, I hope the next one is better than this mess.

Average customer rating:

Enjoyable first-person story in dark a NYC crawling with zombies and vampires
Vampires vs. Zombies--well done
A disappointment
dark, gritty, and mean
The New Noir meets NYC Vampires

Already Dead: A Novel
Charlie Huston
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Hard-Boiled | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

No Dominion: A Novel
Six Bad Things: A Novel
A Dangerous Man: A Novel
Caught Stealing: A Novel
Rain Dogs

ASIN: 034547824X
Release Date: 2005-12-27

Book Description

Those stories you hear? The ones about things that only come out at night? Things that feed on blood, feed on us? Got news for you: they’re true. Only it’s not like the movies or old man Stoker’s storybook. It’s worse. Especially if you happen to be one of them. Just ask Joe Pitt.

There’s a shambler on the loose. Some fool who got himself infected with a flesh-eating bacteria is lurching around, trying to munch on folks’ brains. Joe hates shamblers, but he’s still the one who has to deal with them. That’s just the kind of life he has. Except afterlife might be better word.

From the Battery to the Bronx, and from river to river, Manhattan is crawling with Vampyres. Joe is one of them, and he’s not happy about it. Yeah, he gets to be stronger and faster than you, and he’s tough as nails and hard to kill. But spending his nights trying to score a pint of blood to feed the Vyrus that’s eating at him isn’t his idea of a good time. And Joe doesn’t make it any easier on himself. Going his own way, refusing to ally with the Clans that run the undead underside of Manhattan–it ain’t easy. It’s worse once he gets mixed up with the Coalition–the city’s most powerful Clan–and finds himself searching for a poor little rich girl who’s gone missing in Alphabet City.

Now the Coalition and the girl’s high-society parents are breathing down his neck, anarchist Vampyres are pushing him around, and a crazy Vampyre cult is stalking him. No time to complain, though. Got to find that girl and kill that shambler before the whip comes down . . . and before the sun comes up.

Customer Reviews:

Enjoyable first-person story in dark a NYC crawling with zombies and vampires.......2007-08-15

"But I did get sloppy last night, and someone is gunna swing for it. So I'll fry a little to keep them happy and to keep myself alive. Because I don't want to die. Except, oh yeah, I'm already dead."

An interesting blend of gritty suspense, first-person detective thriller, and action in the context of a dark New York City (NYC) riddled with zombies, vampires and their socio-political hierarchies, Charlie Huston mixes a tangy cocktail punch in the form of ALREADY DEAD. There's a love mixed in as well, but true to guy fiction, it's a bit tragic and certainly not the primary focus of this novel. I liked the noir feel of ALREADY DEAD, I liked the fast-paced action, I enjoyed the dark NYC settings, I even liked the politics amongst the vampire (or "Vampyre") clans. The wry, sardonic humor our main character Joe Pitt exudes prompted some laughs. Charlie Huston's Joe Pitt reminded me of Richard Morgan's Takeshi Kovacs, but I liked Kovacs better. Charlie Huston's ALREADY DEAD hums with an impassioned detachment - if I can call it that - that stems from its main character Joe Pitt, and the book contains plenty of violence and explicit language. All of it builds the dark and gritty scene in an unsympathetic New York City nightlife crawling with vampyres, zombies and other creepy creatures you don't want to meet in a dark alley.

A cool, fun book overall, I still found the final pieces of the mystery puzzle a bit lacking, a bit anti-climactic. Although I liked the anti-hero persona of Joe Pitt, I thought the book had him in a reactionary role throughout. From beginning to end, Joe Pitt is always reacting to the circumstances others have set in motion, never really dictating any of his own. I suppose that's part of what makes this book a mystery/suspense, but it'd be nice to see Joe setting something up for once. Even at the end when he retains Horde's teeth and ultimately evades the Coalition and Predo, I thought he lucked out rather than eliciting an outcome of his own making.

There's some memorable soliloquies and humorous lines in this novel. That in and of itself made the reading experience very worthwhile.

"Death has truly and finally arrived.

Good.

I have failed. Failed as a child; failed as a man; failed as a revolutionary; failed as a lover; failed as a goodguy. My only success in life has been as a pawn. [Screw] it, I never asked to be any of those things. And my life was over by rights long ago. I've just been waiting to catch up to it. Then my heart explodes, beating a manic rhythm, and a I realize my life is not over.

Hell."

The Story, possible SPOILERS.

We pick up the story as rogue vampyre Joe Pitt eliminates some "shamblers" (zombies) which pose a threat to the underground Vampyre hierarchy by drawing undue attention. 6-foot-3 Joe Pitt looks 28, but he was was turned into a Vampyre some 30 years ago, and initiated into the vampyre clan the Society in New York City by his then-friend, Terry Bird. In Terry's clan the Society, Joe serves as the Society's de facto Enforcer, meting out the Society's justice and punishment. He leaves the Society though to live as a rogue vampyre, no longer wanting to play someone else's thug enforcer. Joe is very cynical and often times unapologetic over his brutal actions and prosaic immorality.

Joe settles into a life of a rogue vampyre after he leaves the Society. Sometimes he's hired for jobs by the Society, other times, he's hired for jobs by the biggest vampyre clan, the Coalition. The Coalition hires Joe to eliminate some zombies as the book begins, zombies he cuts down on Society's turf. After eliminating the zombies, Joe realizes he still needs to find and kill the carrier who is at large. Predo from the Coalition threatens agonizing death (sunlight) if Joe doesn't clean up the mess from the zombies Joe killed, a mess in which Joe leaves an innocent witness alive and the zombie corpses in plain sight.

It's Joe's soft spot for trying-to-do-the-right-thing which lands him into some trouble, and Predo from the Coalition exploits these good-guy tendencies, and stages events which ultimately position Joe between a rock and hard place. Predo further confounds Joe's problems as he obliges Joe to help the most wealthy family in NYC (and the closest thing NYC has to an aristocracy) find their missing 14 year-old girl, Amanda Horde. Dale Horde (CEO and founder of Horde Bio Tech) and his wife Marilee are seemingly at odds with each other and with Joe. Meanwhile, Terry and the Society are on Joe's case for all the unwanted events on their turf. The most powerful and also the most surreptitious Vampyre clan the Enclave also seems to have adopted Joe against his wishes.

Between trying to balance the different vampyre clans (Society, the Coalition, the Enclave), finding the zombie carrier, finding the Horde girl, Joe also struggles to maintain a semblance of normalcy with his HIV-positive girlfriend Evie. He loves Evie and Evie loves him but of course she knows nothing of what he really is; that is, his vampyre life.

Welcome to Charlie Huston's ALREADY DEAD, where the [everything] hits the fan, and Joe Pitt must solve some riddles and cope to survive with everyone breathing down his neck. Except, of course, he's already dead.

The action is good, and I was glad the end refrained from a Matrix-esque finale. However, I was disappointed by the reactionary elements in the storytelling and the various pieces of the mystery puzzle itself seemed empty once we learn everything. Still, there's some good kick-butt writing here, fast pacing, plenty of action and of course, a hard-nosed gritty first-person characterization to sate anyone's appetite.

Vampires vs. Zombies--well done.......2007-07-21

Death would be easier for vampire-detective Joe Pitt if he'd join up with one of the vampire organizations that rule New York. The Coalition owns the center of Manhatten and they've got plenty of money and access to blood. Further south, though, where Pitt lives, The Society has resources that could help him. (Pitt definitely doesn't want to join up with the crazy vampires of The Enclave--vampires who insist on starving themselves of blood in a weird hope that they'll thus overcome the 'Vyrus' that turned them into vampires. Being independent, a rogue, has some advantages, though. Pitt manages to work for multiple groups and keeps himself supplied that way.

When Pitt runs into a group of zombies, he realizes something has been added to the equation. Zombies aren't unknown, but they don't tend to run in groups. Somewhere, there's a vombie master, and the Coalition instructs Pitt to terminate him at once. Then there's the beautiful woman looking for her daughter. Could the girl have simply run away to enjoy the goth scene, or is there more going on? When Pitt's emergency blood stash vanishes, and rumors of a wraith start to circulate, he finds himself in a world of trouble--with none of the vampire organizations ready to help.

Author Charlie Huston creates a powerful blend of hardboiled detective story and vampire urban fantasy. Pitt is a strong and sympathetic character as he strives to keep his independence, to discover the truth, and to keep the zombie master from converting more innocent people.

Huston's New York is a strange and fascinating place--physically it's the same New York ordinary humans see, but the social overlay of Vampire society lets us see the city through different eyes. Pitt's loner habits and his tendency to slap people around to find the truth definitely bring the best of the old hardboiled detective stories to mind.

A disappointment.......2007-06-20

I rushed to buy Already Dead after reading that it is being turned into a film since books are almost always so much better than their celluloid counterparts and all the reviews I read praised it highly. Unfortunately, it just never grabbed me in the way I was hoping. It was well written, was plenty dark -- just how I like my vampire stories, and the characters were well developed; but for whatever reason the story was somewhat offputting. It all seemed too contrived and convoluted. I just never felt a bond with the characters, and by the end I hardly cared what happened. I was just ready for it to be over so I could move on to the next thing.

dark, gritty, and mean.......2007-06-16

THIS is the contemporary vampire vampire novel I have been waiting for and just didn't know it. While many vampire novels are veering more towards a romantic angle, Huston is bringing the archetype back into a down'n'dirty milieu. What Huston is doing with the undead isn't breathtakingly original - vampire detective, vampirism-as-virus, et al. - but his approach is. Huston comes from a hard boiled crime fiction background, and it makes a difference; the book crackles with a rough energy that is lacking in many of the fantasy/noir hybrids I've read. This is easily one ofthe best and most refreshing vampire novels I have read in years. Freakin' awesome.

The New Noir meets NYC Vampires.......2007-05-13

Noir Writing
adj.
1. Of or relating to the film noir genre.
2. Of or relating to a genre of crime literature featuring tough, cynical characters and bleak settings.
3. Suggestive of danger or violence.

Gentle readers should note that this book contains, in tasteful amounts of course, and integral to the story, violence, blood, gore, paranormal beings, cross dressers, burnt out Hippie Vampire leaders, more violence, and kinky sex. But wait, it gets even better.

Do you know over 4000 thousand Vampyre, attached to various clans like The Society, The Coalition and The Dusters live, work and drink in Manhattan ?
Trying to remain unattached and pick up a payday of a few pints of Blood, Vampyre Joe Pike takes care of " problems " for the Clans. And Joe is not a Really Nice Person. Funny, tough, honorable and a smart mouth, but Not Nice. Not even a little.

If Anne Rice Vampires are your trip, Tri Chic in velvet smoking jackets, sipping 100 year old sherry while babbling their soulful tales just keep going; because if you tool up with a tape recorder next to Joe, anti hero of "Already Dead" he`ll likely break your arms before inviting you out back for a drink or two. On you of course.

The other, more articulate reviewers below have pretty much covered the plot, so all I want to say is this: There is some seriously good writing going on here.

Huston has created a fully formed character in Joe Pike, as you follow him and his friends through the gritty streets of New York, he`ll charm, infuriate, depress and excite you, and make you laugh. Your going to like him and hate him, root for him to win and not care if he gets his fangs kicked in, and that`s just in the first 100 pages....

Besides, you got to like an author whose ultimate threat is staking you out in a New Jersey Mall parking lot to watch the Sun come up. I live in NJ. Believe me....you don`t want that.

Buy this Book and read it.

Average customer rating:

LA Dead
Wife or No Wife
Arrington Barrington
Audio CD Review; Just 'OK'
A good read...

L.A. Dead
Stuart Woods
Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Cold Paradise (Stone Barrington)
The Short Forever
Swimming to Catalina Low Price
Worst Fears Realized
Dirt

ASIN: 0399146644
Release Date: 2000-11-06

Amazon.com

Stuart Woods is a master of the glitzy, high-concept, suspense thriller, and Stone Barrington, hero of five previous mysteries, is the kind of private cop who glides gracefully between lavishly detailed dinners, private jets, fancy parties, sexy assignations in luxury hotels, and the occasional murder investigation. Occasionally he gets his hands dirty, but more often it's his sheets. L.A. Dead finds him in Venice, where he's about to marry the beautiful (but seriously crazy) daughter of a high-ranking Mafioso, whose other daughter happens to be married to Stone's best friend--an NYPD cop, naturally. The civil ceremony's over, but the church wedding is only hours away when Stone is called to L.A., where his former lover has just discovered her husband's dead body. The lover is Arrington (an oddity, given Stone's surname; did Woods just run out of imagination here?), the dead husband is a famous movie star, and everyone believes she killed him. Everyone except Stone, who's still in love with Arrington. He has a helluva time interviewing (and bedding) all the women in her circle, including the dead husband's private secretary, Arrington's best friend, her lawyer's mistress, and a number of Hollywood wives. Jackie Collins does the ladies better, but Stone manages to save the damsel in distress, get rid of his nutty near-wife without offending her father, and wrap up all the details except the most important one. No doubt he's saving that for the next book. In the meantime, Woods's many fans will snap this up and spend the interim wondering: if Stone marries the woman of his dreams, will that make her Arrington Barrington? --Jane Adams

Book Description

Each new Stone Barrington novel has brought Stuart Woods more and more fans eager to follow the adventures of the always surprising attorney and investigator. The most recent thrillers in the series have been New York Times bestsellers, from last year's Worst Fears Realized to Swimming to Catalina, Dead in the Water, and Dirt.

In L. A. Dead, Stone finds himself caught between two alluring women-one who has been left at the altar and another who is suspected of murder. Stone is in the midst of plans to marry Dolce, the daughter of a New York mafioso, when he is suddenly called to the side of Arrington Calder, a woman he has loved and lost, but never forgotten. To her horror, Arrington believes she is about to be indicted for the murder of her husband, one of America's most beloved film stars. With both enemies and friends among the Hollywood A-list swarming around her, Stone is the only person she can trust to gather her defense. But how much does Arrington actually remember about the night of the murder? And can Stone really trust her? The evidence against her mounts, the trial date looms, and Stone's feelings for her return. But even he doesn't know what danger the truth will bring.

"Stuart Woods is a no-nonsense, slam-bang storyteller."-Chicago Tribune

Customer Reviews:

LA Dead.......2007-07-24

After reading the newest STONE BARRINGTON series book I have gone back to the beginning to see how it all began. Love reading about Stone's adventures. They all have been good.

Wife or No Wife.......2007-06-10

Stone Barrington is off on another caper in this the 6th installment of Stuart Woods' fascinating series. Murder is high places of his rival for the affection of Arlington Carter, leaves Arrington accused of killing her superstar husband, Vance Calder. Motives abound as the bedposts are not tall enough to notch up all the conquests made by the participants.
Stone leaves his wedding to Dolce Bianchi, the sister of his previous partner, Dino Bachetti's wife to rescue Arlington. A gesture that is resented by the bride. A fast read by a master of detective fiction, Woods leaves no stone unturned to keep the reader guessing as to the outcome.
Nash Black, author of "Qualifying Laps" and "Taxes, Stumbling Blocks & Pitfalls for Authors 2007."

Arrington Barrington.......2006-10-05

Just read Jane Adams' review on "LA Dead" by Stuart Woods.

I'm not accusing Jane of plagiarism, but her "Arrington Barrington" playful dig at the author comes directly out of Mr. Woods' 2nd Stone Barrington novel "Dirt" (Pages 96 & 97), when Stone meets Arrington for the first time.

Quote "This is Arrington Carter" the actor said after shaking Stone's hand, "Arrington, this is Stone Barrington".
"Mr. Barrington" the young woman said with a pleasing southern accent, you and I must never, ever marry" Stone and Calder both erupted with laughter, while she regarded them coolly, "Gentlemen, you make my point for me". End quote.

As for the book, it was a standard Stone Barrington, if you like that sort of thing, which I happen to do. I am working my way thru the Stone Barrington series and really haven't been disappointed yet. I especially like the way the author use characters from other books as minor characters in his other books. I think I'm going to expand my serial reading to all Stuart Woods books so I won't miss how any of his character's develop along the way.

Audio CD Review; Just 'OK'.......2006-07-09

This is the first Stone Barrington novel I've heard by Robert Lawrence; the others were read by Tony Roberts. So for those of us listening to audiobooks, we get to rate the story itself AND it's telling. I find the story to be just 'light reading', or what my book group calls beach trash; mindless, a little mystery, a little sex, a no-brainer. Other Stone Barrington stories have had more depth. Also, Robert Lawrence reads in a flat tone of voice without any real enthusiasm. He sounds as if he's reading a textbook. Tony Roberts reads with much more life.

I recommend Joe Mantegna reading Robert B. Parker's "Spenser" novels, and Tony Roberts reading the Stone Barrington series.

A good read..........2006-05-27

I am surprised at the low star rating on this book as it was truly a good read. However, having said that, I'm still in a quandary about who did it! Who killed Vance Calder? I used to think Arrington wasn't too bad, but in this book I really lost respect for her. She's a weak whiner and doesn't have much understanding for others or a backbone to stand up for herself. Stone, of course, continues to be a whore and sleep with every beautiful dame that comes along. I really hope he's finished with Arrington, but I have my doubts. Is Arrington's son Vance Calder's or Stone Barrington's child? We still don't know, but we have our suspicions because Calder had enough money to get the original DNA tests skewed. I simply love Dino and Stone sure should have listened to his partner about getting involved with Dolce. What a frightening mess that woman is! Truly, it's a fun ride in the life of Stone Barrington...especially if you want to listen to the book on tape.

Average customer rating:

Bad
Dead Connection
A fast-paced, vivid mystery that comes to life under audio.
Her best work yet!
So not worth even checking out from the library.

Dead Connection
Alafair Burke
Manufacturer: Henry Holt and Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Women Sleuths | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Suspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Tin Roof Blowdown: A Dave Robicheaux Novel
Jesus Out to Sea: Stories
The Overlook (Harry Bosch)
Killer Weekend
Bones to Ashes: A Novel

ASIN: 0805077855
Release Date: 2007-07-10

Book Description

When two young women are murdered on the streets of New York, exactly one year apart, Detective Ellie Hatcher is called up for a special assignment on the homicide task force. The killer has left behind a clue connecting the two cases to First Date, a popular online dating service, and Flann McIlroy, an eccentric, publicity-seeking homicide detective, is convinced that only Ellie can help him pursue his terrifying theory: someone is using the lure of the Internet and the promise of love to launch a killing spree against the women of New York City. To catch the killer, Ellie must enter a high-tech world of stolen identities where no one is who they appear to be. And for her, the investigation quickly becomes personal: she fits the profile of the victims, and she knows firsthand what pursuing a sociopath can do to a copback home in Wichita, Kansas, her father lost his life trying to catch a notorious serial murderer. When the First Date killer begins to mimic the monster who destroyed her father, Ellie knows the game has become personal for him, too. Both hunter and prey, she must find the killer before he claims his next victimwho could very well be her. Expertly plotted and perfectly paced, Dead Connection advances Alafair Burke to the front ranks of American thriller writers.

Customer Reviews:

Bad.......2007-10-03

Her name may be Burke but she is no James Lee Burke. If you can manage to get through the first 268 pages the rest is so-so. My advice? don't buy it, get it from the library.

Dead Connection.......2007-09-10

A killer is selecting victims without regard to age or looks and each is killed in a different way. Are the killings linked in some way? If so, how would the police prove it.

Why is Detective Ellie Hatcher pulled from her job and being transferred to homicide, where she has no experience? Will she be able to work with the homicide cop in charge of the investigation into the murders as he's considered a loose cannon by fellow officers.

Talented author Alafair Burke crafted a multi-layered suspense tale with realistic characters whose motives for doing what they do will keep you reading. You'll enter the mind of a killer and think you know who it is only to find you've been led down a dead-end alley. Beware of jumping to conclusions about the killer's identity.

Family matters complicate Ellie's life too as the past is still having an effect on their lives. Will she ever find the peace of mind she needs to move past the tragedy that cost them so much?

I'm pleased to recommend this book as a worth while read. Dead Connection is not a tribute to gore, but a real story that will hold your attention. You'll be looking forward to this author's next book. For any thriller of suspense or mystery fan, this is a story guaranteed to satisfy. You'll be careful of communicating with strangers also after reading it. Enjoy. I did.

A fast-paced, vivid mystery that comes to life under audio........2007-09-03

lafair Burke's DEAD CONNECTION receives Christopher Lane's smooth voice as it tells of a rookie detective who goes undercover on the Internet dating scene to draw out a serial killer targeting single women in Manhattan. To catch the killer Ellie must enter a world of stolen identities and place her own life in danger in a fast-paced, vivid mystery that comes to life under audio.

Her best work yet!.......2007-08-24

We should all disregard the previous review by C. Davis, as her other reviews reveal that she prefers books that are "Super Cute" and she writes like a Friends character talks.

With that out of the way, any fan of the mystery genre has known about Alafair Burke for many years now. Each of her novels has improved and I was glad to be introduced to the character of Ellie Hatcher. Hatcher is a hard-working member of the NYPD with a troubling past and a bright future.

This book captures the feel of Manhattan and moves along at a pace consistent with the big city. The plot is detailed and rewards careful readers.

Looking forward to the next in this exciting new series!

So not worth even checking out from the library........2007-08-23

This book was so poorly written that I couldn't get through half of it. Her dialog was contrived and her characters implausible.

Stone Cold Dead Serious: And Other Plays

Average customer rating:

Stone Cold Dead Serious: And Other Plays
Adam Rapp
Manufacturer: Faber & Faber
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

United States | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Nocturne: A Play
Red Light Winter: A Play
The Clean House and Other Plays
Rabbit Hole
Our Lady of 121st Street: Jesus Hopped the A Train & In Arabia, We'd All Be Kings

ASIN: 0571211399
Release Date: 2004-08-25

Book Description

Recent plays from "one of the more daring young stylists working today" (David Cote, Time Out New York)

Adam Rapp's plays have captivated audiences across the country with their unflinching explorations of the good, the bad, and the ugly in America's heartland and cities. Gathered here are three of his latest works: Faster, in which two young grifters try to strike a deal with the devil during the hottest summer on record; Finer Noble Gases, a lament for a band of arrested thirty-year-olds slouching toward adulthood amid East Village decay; and the Off-Broadway hit Stone Cold Dead Serious. An honest, strange, and humorous look at a blue-collar family struggling to survive in the face of disability and addiction, and the seemingly surreal lengths their teenage son will go to save them from themselves, the play prompted Bruce Weber to rave in The New York Times: "Rapp is very gifted, and, even rarer, he has something to say . . . Stone Cold Dead Serious [is] brave, compassionate, and . . . breathtakingly moving. It is the work of a playwright who is forging a real voice . . . Its rendering of the shared language of loved ones illustrates how families can remain intimate even when they are in shards. Its depiction of a working-class America that is unable to dream of anything beyond enduring is as sincerely sad a commentary on our culture as I've seen in recent memory. And its fear for young people is, unfortunately, deeply convincing."

Average customer rating:

intriguing Irish Author
unputdownable
Belfast confetti, Big Apple machete
An outstanding Listen
excellent crime thriller

Dead I Well May Be: A Novel
Adrian McKinty
Manufacturer: Scribner
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Suspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Dead Yard: A Novel
The Bloomsday Dead: A Novel
Hidden River
Bad Luck and Trouble
The Wrong Kind of Blood: An Irish Novel of Betrayal

ASIN: 0743246993

Book Description

This Irish bad-boy thriller -- set in the hardest streets of New York City -- brims with violence, greed, and sexual betrayal.

"I didn't want to go to America, I didn't want to work for Darkey White. I had my reasons. But I went."

So admits Michael Forsythe, an illegal immigrant escaping the Troubles in Belfast. But young Michael is strong and fearless and clever -- just the fellow to be tapped by Darkey, a crime boss, to join a gang of Irish thugs struggling against the rising Dominican powers in Harlem and the Bronx. The time is pre-Giuliani New York, when crack rules the city, squatters live furtively in ruined buildings, and hundreds are murdered each month. Michael and his lads tumble through the streets, shaking down victims, drinking hard, and fighting for turf, block by bloody block.

Dodgy and observant, not to mention handy with a pistol, Michael is soon anointed by Darkey as his rising star. Meanwhile Michael has very inadvisably seduced Darkey's girl, Bridget -- saucy, fickle, and irresistible. Michael worries that he's being followed, that his affair with Bridget will be revealed. He's right to be anxious; when Darkey discovers the affair, he plans a very hard fall for young Michael, a gambit devilish in its guile, murderous in its intent.

But Darkey fails to account for Michael's toughness and ingenuity or the possibility that he might wreak terrible vengeance upon those who would betray him.

A natural storyteller with a gift for dialogue, McKinty introduces to readers a stunning new noir voice, dark and stylish, mythic and violent -- complete with an Irish lilt.

Download Description

"This Irish bad-boy thriller -- set in the hardest streets of New York City -- brims with violence, greed, and sexual betrayal. ""I didn't want to go to America, I didn't want to work for Darkey White. I had my reasons. But I went."" So admits Michael Forsythe, an illegal immigrant escaping the Troubles in Belfast. But young Michael is strong and fearless and clever -- just the fellow to be tapped by Darkey, a crime boss, to join a gang of Irish thugs struggling against the rising Dominican powers in Harlem and the Bronx. The time is pre-Giuliani New York, when crack rules the city, squatters live furtively in ruined buildings, and hundreds are murdered each month. Michael and his lads tumble through the streets, shaking down victims, drinking hard, and fighting for turf, block by bloody block. Dodgy and observant, not to mention handy with a pistol, Michael is soon anointed by Darkey as his rising star. Meanwhile Michael has very inadvisably seduced Darkey's girl, Bridget -- saucy, fickle, and irresistible. Michael worries that he's being followed, that his affair with Bridget will be revealed. He's right to be anxious; when Darkey discovers the affair, he plans a very hard fall for young Michael, a gambit devilish in its guile, murderous in its intent. But Darkey fails to account for Michael's toughness and ingenuity or the possibility that he might wreak terrible vengeance upon those who would betray him. A natural storyteller with a gift for dialogue, McKinty introduces to readers a stunning new noir voice, dark and stylish, mythic and violent -- complete with an Irish lilt. "

Customer Reviews:

intriguing Irish Author.......2007-05-07

Lots of insight to the emigres of Northern Ireland. Too much graphic gore, but action keeps the pages turning. If his character could show a bit of remorse for his formulaic killings, the product would be better.

unputdownable.......2007-05-03

I bought this book primarily because it was a recom either here on Amazon or from someone who had read Declan Hughes' novels. I can't remember any longer. But boy, I am ecstatic that I ordered this book.

McKinty has a gift for both dialogue and plot movement. In this, the first of the Michael Forsythe series (I believe there are two other books in the series, both of them even now waiting for me in an Amazon box at home, if package tracking is to be believed), the reader follows Forsythe on his journey from Ireland to New York to Mexico and then back to New York.

He leaves Ireland because he has no options available to him; he can not afford to stay there and has prospects in New York. Upon arriving in New York, he becomes a very low-level gangster whose life hardly sounds much of an improvement over what he had in Ireland. McKinty does a sterling job of showing us what Forsythe's circumstances are (think mega cockroach heaven and continued poverty) at the same time that he develops Forsythe's character through the descriptions the first-person narrator provides.

This novel is done in Forsythe's voice, and that's a plus. Not only do we get to "hear" him speak to others, thereby getting a sense of how he communicates; we also get all the action filtered through his humor, intelligence (in many things, but not all--the boy simply can not pick a good woman to save his life), and philosophical bent.

I found several parts of this book particularly fascinating. The one that sticks out most in my mind at the moment is the part of the book that takes place in Mexico, after Forsythe has been jailed in a truly horrific Mexican prison. (Don't hurt me! I'm not revealing anything that's not on the book jacket!) I absolutely loved getting into Forsythe's mind here; he created movies with which to occupy his intellect so that he would not die both mentally and physically. He literally reconstructs wars and childhood events, creating "films" that allow him to survive the days when he is chained to the ground for 23 out of 24 hours.

Forsythe is an appealing character even when he is at his ugliest, and he can be ugly indeed. He's no hero, not really. He's capable of doing terrible things because they seem right to him at the time or even because he doesn't see an easy way out of them. But he's also got a conscience (even if it does seem a bit convenient) and a sense of honor that help balance the other side of him. And he's utterly hilarious. You'll find yourself snorting laughter at odd times.

You'll love the view you get of a New York that isn't quite so obvious any longer. This is the New York that existed before different areas got "cleaned up" and the crime rate began to go down. It's a New York you'd be hard-pressed to want to live in. And Forsythe's circle of "friends" is one you'd never want for your own. Hell, you might not want Forsythe anywhere near you or anyone you loved. The man has serious issues.

All in all, this is a wonderful first novel in the series. I can't wait to read the other two.

Belfast confetti, Big Apple machete.......2007-01-10

I've owned this book since December of 2004, which makes it quite pathetic that I'm just now writing this review for the book. But with Adrian McKinty's new novel seeing its release in just two more months, I figured that this may help with the build-up of that new Michael Forsythe vehicle.

Speaking of Michael Forsythe; typical young Irishman coping with the political and religious hardships in Northern Ireland, out of work and shipped off to New York for a dire means to an end; his own survival. He didn't want to work for Darkey White, but when opportunity knocks...

Darkey White's caste-level system crew of Irish mobsters run the rackets in Harlem and the Bronx, reluctantly sharing the streets in a nefarious relationship with rival Dominicans. Michael is young but he's poised, the only real leader among the low level paddy mobsters, a rag tag crew found in Scotchy, Fergal, and Michael's new mates. Living in a tenement and attempting a mum's the word relationship with the boss' number one girl, Bridget, Michael gets in over his head, and not even his monumental skills with a Belfast six-pack will keep him from what awaits.

A passive-agressive reprimand of the deportation sort.

Michael must overcome the Mexican heat, shanks, hallucinations and depreivation and torture, only to see that the light at the end of the tunnel is a return to life that led him blindly, in the city that took him in and spit him back out. Once on the warpath, heads roll and loyalties are revealed that Michael and his six-shooter must learn to cope with, setting personal feelings aside and digging into what he's endured, and who has forced him to do so.

Knick-nack, Paddy whack, crime fiction will never be the same. McKinty's writing is clever and nothing short of inspirational to writers of the genre. Michael's voice is naive but then again seasoned, shaped in Irish slang and Belfast lilt. Told tough and noirish, Dead I Well May Be serves up gritty revenge stone cold, leaving you full and famished for more of his stylish work. Buy into McKinty's whole catelog. I did.

An outstanding Listen.......2006-12-15

Combine a great writer and an equally great reader and you have the ultimate in storytelling pleasure. Gerard Doyle's talent makes you believe the protagonist himself is seated in the chair next to you and is telling you his story. I cannot praise Mr. McKinty's prowess enough either. Every bit of his tale melds so seamlessly you never notice the wheels and pulleys and other writerly mechinations. My only problem -- where to find another such book?

excellent crime thriller .......2006-12-11

In Belfast, Michael Forsythe is unemployed, has no prospects (or ambition), and is no longer a state recipient of a stipend. In 1992 with little to keep him in Ireland, he decides to go to New York where he anticipates opportunities will abound for a young healthy teenage Irishman, but first he must pay back his airfare debt which includes expediting an illegal entry. Thus Michael quickly obtains employment in construction in Harlem as an enforcer for Irish mobster Darkey White who is at war with encroaching Latino gangs.

Michael soon proves adept at killing the enemy especially construction competitors and the Dominican gangs. However, loyal to Darkey when it comes to eradication, Michael cannot resist the lure of his boss' girlfriend Bridget in spite of his brain telling him he is dead if he gets caught. He is not stunned when a drug deal in Mexico proves a setup that leaves him forgotten in a Mexican jail. He vows to join Darkey's enemies when he returns to the mean streets of Manhattan.

Having read and enjoyed THE DEAD YARD several months ago, this reviewer wanted to obtain the first Forsythe tale, DEAD I MAY WELL BE. It is worth the effort as the fast-paced thriller focuses on the dichotomous antihero's thirst for vengeance. Forsythe in this novel in some ways will remind the audience of Alex star, of Burgess' A Clockwork Orange though Michael's violence is not random; in THE DEAD YARD he seems more like Bourne. Crime thriller fans will appreciate this fine tale and its sequel, but recommend reading this one first as fans will have a better understanding of what makes Forsythe tick during THE DEAD YARD escapades.

Harriet Klausner

Dead Center: Behind the Scenes at the World's Largest Medical Examiner's Office

Average customer rating:

Ego gets in the way.
Worth a read
DEAD CENTER IS DEAD ON
Captivating and extremely interesting!
One Mans Brave and Honest Experience of 9/11

Dead Center: Behind the Scenes at the World's Largest Medical Examiner's Office
Shiya Ribowsky , and Tom Shachtman
Manufacturer: William Morrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Terrorism | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Closure: The Untold Story of the Ground Zero Recovery Mission
Dissecting Death: Secrets of a Medical Examiner
Cause of Death: Forensic Files of a Medical Examiner
Aftermath, Inc.: Cleaning Up After CSI Goes Home
Who They Were: Inside the World Trade Center DNA Story: The Unprecedented Effort to Identify the Missing

ASIN: 0061116246
Release Date: 2006-09-05

Book Description

In his fifteen years with the New York City medical examiner's office, Shiya Ribowski has been the primary investigator on more than eight thousand deaths–a harrowing crash course that put him at the scene of the most gruesome and bizarre crimes in the city's history. There was the encounter with mummified human remains, the traveling freak show, bodies dumped under bridges and the crack dens of the nineties–and, most challenging of all, the extraordinary task of identifying the bodies of the victims of 9/11, an undertaking that only recently came to a close in April 2005.

In Dead Center, Ribowsky shares his intimate and utterly unique knowledge of death. From the morgue to the examining table to the darkest corners of the forensics industry, Ribowsky reveals the personal ethics and emotional backbone that allow him to do the job–and, macabre though it may seem, enjoy it. Weaving together fascinating stories from 9/11 and tales of Ribowsky's career at large, Dead Center is a riveting tale of forensic science and murder, and a vicarious thrill ride through New York's criminal underworld.

Customer Reviews:

Ego gets in the way........2007-10-10
This started out promising, but I found the author's ego got in the way of what should have been a very moving storyline. He related several job-related incidents of working in the coroner's office of New York City, and then switched to the upheaval of 9/11. At this point, he seemed to be a one man savior for the identification process, and never missed a chance to question his superiors, or note the time he personally spent. With the exception of mentioning a very few co-workers, which he recruited, he barely mentions the huge staff effort to accomplish the identification of 9/11 victims.
Worth a read.......2006-12-25
Dead Center covers a lot of ground - it's a compelling first-person account of the aftermath of the World Trade Center disaster, from scientific, professional, and personal levels, but also illuminating in its description of the Medical Examiners Office, forensic methodology, and relations between that department and the police. It does have a lot of material included for shock value, but it's not as much gruesome as breaking of taboos about discussion of these sorts of thing - and there's a fair amount of objectification and humor in those descriptions.
There's also the occasional policy discussions on current practice and law regarding mortality reporting and other issues that relate to forensics - buried in the text but worth consideration. Recommended.
DEAD CENTER IS DEAD ON.......2006-12-06
I was captivated by this book from the moment I turned the first page. Mr. Ribowsky's experiences at the New York Medical Examiner's Office were gripping and most fascinating. The author shared an insider's view of a place most of us know very little about. Though sometimes graphic, the details were nevertheless riviting. From the harrowing descriptions of real life crime scenes, to the compassion Mr. Ribowsky showed the families after the horrific events of 911, Dead Center was hard to put down.
Captivating and extremely interesting!.......2006-12-05
Incredible insight into the untapped world of a medical examiner's work! I loved this book because although the subject can sometimes be morose, it was still written in a lighthearted manner with dashes of humor and intense detail. Shiya Ribowsky unveils the mysteries of how so many people who've lost their loved ones to tradgedies, can once again be at peace after determining who these unknowns are and where they came from.
One Mans Brave and Honest Experience of 9/11.......2006-11-27
Dead Center is a very, very honest book on 9/11. I enjoyed it start to finish. The author took you with him, step by step, on that fateful day. His honest rendition of what he and everyone around him had to go through is just unbelievable. To function on a day, when kaos is all around you, tell's us what these heros actually went through. I especially enjoyed his telling of his schooling and how he became a medical examiner. It is very refreshing for an author to be honest enough to share a part of his life with his readers, so that we may understand his feelings on that day. I would recommend this book very highly to anyone who wants the behind the scene truth of what went on at the Medical Examiners Office on 9/11. I also want to thank the author for being brave enough, to put into print and not sugarcoat the events of that day.

Average customer rating:

Gritty writing, but not much drama for a Scudder

Excellent ...

A Very Good Book (But An Average Mystery)!

B-O-R-I-N-G

The Devil Knows that this is a Great Scudder Novel

The Devil Knows You're Dead (Matthew Scudder Mysteries)
Lawrence Block
Manufacturer: William Morrow & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | 18th Century | 19th Century | 20th Century | African American | Asian American | Classics | Collections & Readers | Drama | General | Hispanic | History & Criticism | Humor | Jewish American | Letters & Correspondence | Native American | Poetry | Short Stories | Women Writers
General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Hard-Boiled | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Block, Lawrence | ( B ) | Authors, A-Z | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

A Walk Among the Tombstones

Out on the Cutting Edge: A Matthew Scudder Crime Novel

A Long Line of Dead Men (A Matthew Scudder Mystery)

Everybody Dies (Matthew Scudder Mysteries)

A Dance at the Slaughterhouse (Matthew Scudder Mysteries)

ASIN: 0688121926

Book Description

A deranged derelict, a crazed Vietnam vet, has been arrested for gunning down successful young lawyer Glenn Holtzmann at a corner phone booth on Eleventh Avenue -- and the suspect's brother wants p.i. Matthew Scudder to prove the madman innocent. But Scudder's curiosity and dedication are leading him to dark, unexplored places in his own heart...and to passions and secrets that could destroy everything be loves.

Customer Reviews:

Gritty writing, but not much drama for a Scudder.......2003-09-04
Let me preface by saying I'm a huge Scudder fan, so the three star rating is compared to the entirety of the Scudder saga. In this entry, the clean and ostensibly happily domesticated Scudder is hired by a vagrant's brother to clear the vagrant of a shooting. The victim happens to be a distant acquaintance of Scudder's, and though Matt didn't like the guy much, he ends up having a desultory kind of affair with his widow. Meanwhile the accused killer is himself killed in prison, leaving a stubborn Scudder to attack the closed case (or as his cop friend puts it, "trying to give a dead horse mouth-to-mouth resuscitation" --- love that noir dialogue). This is only an average Scudder entry, which means that it's a bleak look at a seedy world, rife with witty dialogue and sharp insights into AA philosophy. Probably because the case here is so cold, however, a lot of drama in the sense of personal danger or action is lacking. There's much of the traditional amoral, detatched soul-searching, which is terrific, but none of the rough justice Scudder usually hands out.
Excellent ..........2002-11-06
Captivating story .. this one will keep you burning the midnight oil and turning those pages. Lots of Mick Ballou in this one .. personally, I love Mick. If you enjoy his character, this will definitely be a book you shouldn't miss. This falls about 2/3 of the way in the Scudder series to date. I couldn't put this one down from the second I started it.
A Very Good Book (But An Average Mystery)!.......2002-02-18
The Devil Knows You're Dead is a very well written book that held my interest throughout -- however, I have been a big fan of this series from the beginning. Mystery fans who are looking for lots of action and suspense may want to skip this book. Relative to several of the other books in this series, there is considerably less physical violence and more --much more-- of a concentration on the emotional havoc and angst that Matthew Scudder is experiencing as he makes his way through his topsy-turvy world. The cases Scudder is working on in The Devil Knows You're Dead are interesting but they are not exciting and action-based. So, if this is what you're looking for in a mystery you probably should choose another book. If you enjoy great character development, interesting and likable secondary characers, vivid and accurate descriptions of the Hell's Kitchen/Clinton section of NYC, then treat yourself to this very good book. Keep in mind it's not the best book in this series but it's one I think you'll enjoy. However, I would strongly recommend that if you haven't read any of the books in this series, you first read at least one or two of the earlier books (e.g., When The Scared Ginmill Closes, A Ticket To The Boneyard, A Dance At The Slaughterhouse, A Walk Among The Tombstones, etc.) before reading The Devil Knows You're Dead. These books will familiarize you what the world of Matthew Scudder has been like. This book serves pretty much as a vehicle to further evolve the main character of Matthew Scudder and to let you know where he's moving to in his life.
B-O-R-I-N-G.......2002-02-04
I did not chose this book, it was required for a writer's workshop. When I sit down to read a detective novel I expect it to be about detecting. In The Devil Knows Your're Dead I was not the least bit interested in the personal issues / problems of the main character of this novel. The murder happens on page 17 of 316 and there is absolutely zero progress on solving the crime until about 231 pages into it. The intervening pages are mired in musings about alcoholism, transexuals, the morality of suicide, yada, yada, yada. B-o-r-i-n-g. I guess there is a market for this type of mystery (...) but give me Christie, Stout or Sayers and I'm happy. You can keep Block all to yourself.
The Devil Knows that this is a Great Scudder Novel.......2001-06-30
As if Lawrence Block's Matthew Scudder series wasn't already the quirkiest private detective series around, "The Devil Knows You're Dead," is Scudder's most unconventional story yet. Superficially, the novel is about Scudder's attempt to prove that a deranged homeless man did not randomly gun down a successful lawyer. But actually, the novel is a dissertation about death and the choices one makes in life. During his investigation, Scudder's ex-girlfriend Jan Keane discloses to him that she has terminal cancer and asks him to procure a gun so that she can end her life before the pain consumes her. Meanwhile, Scudder and his current love, the former call girl Elaine Mardell, are moving closer together, even as Scudder becomes more restless and Elaine begins to question the direction of her own life. To top it off, Scudder's restlessness causes him to begin an affair with the dead lawyer's wife that he is ashamed of but unable to stop. This causes him to question whether he will be able to continue his sobriety despite over ten successful years in AA.
All of this accompanies a mystery that is interesting in and of itself, but not nearly as menacing as most Scudder mysteries. The recurring charater of the street kid TJ also shows some progression in his life during the story while assisting Scudder's investigation. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this novel as the place to start reading Scudder since to truly enjoy it requires a lot of the previous background of the characters. But for those who already know how good the Scudder novels are it is a must read.
Books:

The Dispossessed

The First Eagle (Jim Chee Novels)

The Fourth Bear: A Nursery Crime

The Golden Age of the Moor (Journal of African Civilizations, Vol 11, Fall 1991)

The Historic Christmas Tree Ship: A True Story of Faith, Hope And Love

The Last Continent

The Mark of the Assassin

The Martyr's Song

The Memoirs of Cleopatra: A Novel

The Memory Keeper's Daughter

Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books

Donor-Centered Fundraising
Voyage of the Turtle: In Pursuit of the Earth's Last Dinosaur
The Art of Digital Music: 56 Visionary Artists and Insiders Reveal Their Creative Secrets
Strategy and the Business Landscape: Text and Cases
The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't
Touchpoints: Birth to 3 : Your Child's Emotional and Behavioral Development
The Thomas Guide 2007 Bay Area Metro: Metro Areas opf Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, S
Bright Landscapes, Inc.
The Economic Transformation of America Since 1865
Eunoia