Dead Money

By Grant McCrea

Book Overview

With dialogue reminiscent of Dashiell Hammett and Elmore Leonard's works, a ripping pace and a cast of characters you won't soon forget, Dead Money is a first-rate mystery like no other. When Rick... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0679313982
• ISBN13: 9780679313984
• Release Date: February 2006
• Publisher: Random House Canada
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.4" x 1.1" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

this book truly captures the heart of a nyc lawyer-pig

Once I picked up this book I didn't want to do anything until I figured out the mystery. I was in a room with dim light at the time. I didn't even bother to move to another room for less strain on my eyes-- I didn't move for 4 hours until I was done. I like this book so much for three reasons: 1) the mystery aspect - mccrea throws in new "mini mysteries" along the way, while the whole time keeping your attention grabbed by main question of "who did it??" 2) the characters - each character is introducted with great precision; you really can tell the characters are well thought out and you can understand them. There is so much in this book- from problems at the workplace to problems at home, and it is all played out wonderfully through the mind of Rick Redman. 3) the dialogue - especially pay attention to the dialogue between Rick and Dorita. The humor is subtle yet simply fantastic. Anyone who loves mystery with a dose of wittiness and class, will love this book. A-

dead on

McCrea takes us into a world that he knows all too well, 21st century New York City lawyering. Our man Rick is a world-weary attorney for a more or less politically incorrect firm. He's thrust face first into a criminal case, an affair that looks very much like he's been politically set up for a goose chase. In the meantime, a lot of amazingly literary-type stuff happens-- don't get me wrong, not too much, the grit is real-- but this story takes us into all kinds of situations, some of which are the stuff of the more conventional novel, such as parenting, co-habitation with an addict, and other unusual forms of amusing dysfunction I'll leave you to discover. McCrea manages to get the hardboiled tone and the breezy lines just right ("Raul looked at me like a lizard looks at... well, like a lizard looks at just about anything") yet the best stuff here just good storytelling: the characters actually change and even, gadzooks, mature as a result of their discoveries! And these are full portraits, from our slightly roguish, alcoholic hero, to his sidekick Dorita--who supplies some decent quips and distraction--to the overburdened daughter, to the bleary-eyed poker-player pal. Of course our flawed hero and his sidekick end up catching the goose-- geese, in fact --but I don't want to spoil it for you, do I? Rest assured, though, McCrea pulls off some nice feints in the process-he's a poker player, right? Looking forward to sequels!

I couldn't put it down

I was reading it while walking down the street and waiting in line at the grocery store. The plot is filled with twists and turns and characters you won't soon forget.

Not just for poker lovers.

Even without understanding any of the poker references, Dead Money is a fun read. The dialog reads easily. The story keeps you guessing until the very end and wanting more when it's over. I didn't go looking for this book. I'm not interested in poker and that probably would have resulted in my passing over this one. Nevertheless, it found me in the form of a gift. Before I needed reading glasses, I had a two novel a week habit. Wearing those things on my face seemed to suck the fun out of recreational reading for me. In spite of that, I plowed through Dead Money in three days and I'm already halfway through another book. I guess you could say that Dead Money brought me back to reading novels again.