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Review of DEAD FOR LIFE by Ethan Black
Simon & Schuster, 2003
New York police detective Conrad Voorst plans on spending his birthday with his girlfriend (or maybe with his beautiful cousin-by-marriage) but a call from the commissioner changes that. A woman has been murdered and the killer left a message blaming Voorst and promising three more deaths before midnight. Voorst is in trouble with the department--trouble he can avoid only if he can solve the crime and prevent more killing. But the killer is smart and has been planning this day for a long time--ever since the death of his son brought him back from near-death to strike back at all of those who destroyed his life and are working to destroy the city he loves.
DEAD FOR LIFE details one day in the life of Voorst and of the killer. Each is well motivated and strangely sympathetic. Both are deeply flawed but have admirable intentions. Author Ethan Black's strong writing leaves us hoping for an impossible result--that both can somehow be vindicated. Black's pacing pulls the reader in and, in my case at least, demanded late-night reading because I simply could not put the book down.
BooksForABuck.com reviewers select at most one mystery, one romance, and one Science Fiction/Fantasy novel per year as our five-star pick indicating that this novel is the best book of the year in its category. In 2003, this award goes to DEAD FOR LIFE in the mystery category.
Five Stars BooksForABuck.com 2003 mystery of the year
Reviewed 8/07/03
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