A Prayer for the Dead

by David Wiltse

Book Overview

A gripping cat-and-mouse tale of wide-eyed terror concerning a diabolical psychopath who's found the will to kill and a detective who's lost the will to win. A chilling thriller in the tradition of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0586214720
• ISBN13: 9780586214725
• Release Date: January 1993
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.0" x 1.0" x 4.4"

Customer Reviews

The Best

At the risk of sounding effusive, let me state right up front that this is the best, scariest, most interesting thriller, the best, most interesting, most seriously flawed hero, and the strangest, most frightening villain of any book that I've read in a decade. The earlier one was Red Dragon by Thomas Harris. An added plus for Wiltse that Harris, for all his talent, doesn't seem to have, is a sense of humor. I got my copy from a friend, I don't know if you can buy it, but, hey, try the library. It's a terrific book.

Prayer for the Dead

Whoa, whoa, whoa! Be careful with this one, I didn't sleep for a week afterwards. So this is how John Becker got started. What a debut! I've been working my way backwards through David Wiltse's stuff, and I see he just started at the top and stayed there. Remarkably scary book!

Loved it!

After having read "Black Notice" by Patricia Cornwell ( which is not worth the time) reading this book was a welcome thrill. Becker is a good guy that isn't too good, and that's the way I like my protagonists. I have already ordered the 2nd book in the series "Close to the Bone" and can't wait to start reading it. Becker has a mystery surrounding him and I will enjoy discovering his secrets!

A Mesmerizing, Original Thriller of the Highest Order

David Wiltse's A PRAYER FOR THE DYING is the best serial-killer thriller since Thomas Harris's RED DRAGON. In it, Wiltse introduces us to a brilliantly conceived lead character, FBI agent John Becker. Becker has the rare gift of pure empathy and projection, enabling him to invade his quarry's subconscience and sift through his motives and dreams. Like DRAGON'S Will Graham, Becker is ashamed at his ability and views himself as a freak, yet, when pulled deeply enough into the hunt, he greedily feeds on his ravenous bloodlust, becoming as deranged and psychologically unstable as his prey.The madman Roger Dyce, who calmly drains his victims of blood to the point of death, is complex and fascinating in his endeavors, and Wiltse expertly catalogues his behavioral levels, so Dyce's reasonings become lucidly clear to the reader. The prose and dialogue are very inspired here, lending considerable grace to the central premise, momentum to the narrative, and texture and nuance to the characters. This is a wonderful piece of fiction that goes to the head of the class.

AWESOME!!

This book sent me on a reading frenzy of all of David Wiltse's books. He is an amazing writer who depicts the psychological aspects of serial killers' psyches with aplomb!! He will scare you, excite you, thrill you, and ensnare you in the web that I hope to never leave! I check the web daily to see if a new Wiltse book has been written. He has captured me as an avid reader of mystery and I must say that I've never read anything like his books. All Wiltse books are amazing and I crave his next book more than my next breath of air! Unforunately, I don't have his gift of words and can't possibly hope to express how much I adore his novels. I've never appreciated another author quite like I appreciate him. I worship him!!!