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Thorn Mystery #12
Dead Last
From an acclaimed "master of suspense"(New York Times Book Review) comes a thriller in which Thorn must confront an assassin whose victims and methods are taken directly from the script of a popular TV show
April Moss writes obituaries for the Miami Herald. Her son, Sawyer, also a writer, has been scripting a cable TV series called "Miami Ops" and has been using his mother's work as a central element of the show's storyline. In "Miami Ops," a serial killer is using obituaries published in the local paper as a blueprint for selecting his next victims.
But midway through the season, a copycat appears off-screen, a real-life killer who is using the same strategy to select victims. When this serial killer crosses paths with the reclusive Thorn, he has no choice but to leave his sanctuary in Key Largo and join forces with a young policewoman from Oklahoma who is investigating the murders.
In addition to the show's head writer, April's other son, Sawyer's twin brother, works on "Miami Ops" as the lead actor. Could one of them be involved in the killings? Or are they orchestrated by the director of the TV series, an aging mogul who badly needs a hit? And what about the female star of the show, a deliciously strange young woman who seems willing to do anything to promote her career.
Thorn walks into this hotbed of entertainment business intrigue totally unprepared for the life-altering shocker he's about to face. This loner from Key Largo has brought down his share of killers, but he's never confronted one that was his own flesh and blood.
With the pacing of a thriller, and the lyrical prose for which Hall is renowned, this story pits Thorn against a killer—or killers—whose motives are as elusive as their identities.
April Moss writes obituaries for the Miami Herald. Her son, Sawyer, also a writer, has been scripting a cable TV series called "Miami Ops" and has been using his mother's work as a central element of the show's storyline. In "Miami Ops," a serial killer is using obituaries published in the local paper as a blueprint for selecting his next victims.
But midway through the season, a copycat appears off-screen, a real-life killer who is using the same strategy to select victims. When this serial killer crosses paths with the reclusive Thorn, he has no choice but to leave his sanctuary in Key Largo and join forces with a young policewoman from Oklahoma who is investigating the murders.
In addition to the show's head writer, April's other son, Sawyer's twin brother, works on "Miami Ops" as the lead actor. Could one of them be involved in the killings? Or are they orchestrated by the director of the TV series, an aging mogul who badly needs a hit? And what about the female star of the show, a deliciously strange young woman who seems willing to do anything to promote her career.
Thorn walks into this hotbed of entertainment business intrigue totally unprepared for the life-altering shocker he's about to face. This loner from Key Largo has brought down his share of killers, but he's never confronted one that was his own flesh and blood.
With the pacing of a thriller, and the lyrical prose for which Hall is renowned, this story pits Thorn against a killer—or killers—whose motives are as elusive as their identities.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 22, 2011
25 people are currently reading
214 people want to read
About the author
James W. Hall
89 books488 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
James W. Hall is an Edgar and Shamus Award-winning author whose books have been translated into a dozen languages. He has written twenty-one novels, four books of poetry, two collections of short stories, and two works of non-fiction. He also won a John D. MacDonald Award for Excellence in Florida Fiction, presented by the JDM Bibliophile.
He has a master’s degree in creative writing from Johns Hopkins University and a doctorate in literature from the University of Utah. He was a professor of literature and creative writing at Florida International University for 40 years where he taught such writers as Vicky Hendricks, Christine Kling, Barbara Parker and Dennis Lehane.
James W. Hall is an Edgar and Shamus Award-winning author whose books have been translated into a dozen languages. He has written twenty-one novels, four books of poetry, two collections of short stories, and two works of non-fiction. He also won a John D. MacDonald Award for Excellence in Florida Fiction, presented by the JDM Bibliophile.
He has a master’s degree in creative writing from Johns Hopkins University and a doctorate in literature from the University of Utah. He was a professor of literature and creative writing at Florida International University for 40 years where he taught such writers as Vicky Hendricks, Christine Kling, Barbara Parker and Dennis Lehane.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
January 17, 2012
I remember picking up my first James W. Hall book, and the first book about Daniel Oliver Thorn. I gave it four stars.
Ended up reading everything Jim Hall has written, even his poetry. Met him and talked with him last September in St. Augustine at a writer's conference and he's such an amiable and witty fellow. Just a real nice guy, so it really bothers me that I can't give this book better than two stars.
Thorn (and Hall) has come full circle in his more than 20 year career; losing his parents when he was a kid; losing his brother as a young adult; having multiple partners, none to keep long; and finding out he was rich, then giving it all away. The only thing stable in Thorn's life has been his good friend Sugarman, from his childhood.
However, the last few books, this one in particular, have been so disappointing to me with no depth of the characters, flimsy storylines, and little intrigue. They just haven't been good, readable and entertaining books.
The one and only thing I enjoyed about this book was Hall's wonderful description of the landscape which happens to be in Miami this go around. (Thorn lives in the Keys.) Hall is surperb with the written word; his phasing and use of adjectives allow the reader to visualize the scenery so clearly. And I love books set in Florida, so I was 'at home' again.
Been thinking about how I enjoyed Hall's earlier books and wondering if my taste has changed or Hall's writing has changed. Read through some reviews and it's about 50-50, good and bad. One fellow said that if you didn't like this book, you need to change the genre of books you read! No, I stand with the ones who said it just wasn't all that good, even though I do it with a heavy heart. I'm sure I'll read the next one published probably in November. Just hoping, please Hall, make it better than the last three books.
Ended up reading everything Jim Hall has written, even his poetry. Met him and talked with him last September in St. Augustine at a writer's conference and he's such an amiable and witty fellow. Just a real nice guy, so it really bothers me that I can't give this book better than two stars.
Thorn (and Hall) has come full circle in his more than 20 year career; losing his parents when he was a kid; losing his brother as a young adult; having multiple partners, none to keep long; and finding out he was rich, then giving it all away. The only thing stable in Thorn's life has been his good friend Sugarman, from his childhood.
However, the last few books, this one in particular, have been so disappointing to me with no depth of the characters, flimsy storylines, and little intrigue. They just haven't been good, readable and entertaining books.
The one and only thing I enjoyed about this book was Hall's wonderful description of the landscape which happens to be in Miami this go around. (Thorn lives in the Keys.) Hall is surperb with the written word; his phasing and use of adjectives allow the reader to visualize the scenery so clearly. And I love books set in Florida, so I was 'at home' again.
Been thinking about how I enjoyed Hall's earlier books and wondering if my taste has changed or Hall's writing has changed. Read through some reviews and it's about 50-50, good and bad. One fellow said that if you didn't like this book, you need to change the genre of books you read! No, I stand with the ones who said it just wasn't all that good, even though I do it with a heavy heart. I'm sure I'll read the next one published probably in November. Just hoping, please Hall, make it better than the last three books.
January 2, 2012
This has an interesting twist of a serial killer copying a TV series. There are lots of twists that keep you guessing. The story is straightforward, with various points of view informing us of the different aspects of the progress.
There are so many passages where the language is beautifully expressed, I would suggest Mr. Hall's work be used as an example in classes of how to write American English.
There are so many passages where the language is beautifully expressed, I would suggest Mr. Hall's work be used as an example in classes of how to write American English.
April 23, 2013
I have come late to this author’s books, of which there have sixteen between 1987 and today, many of them in the series whose protagonist is Daniel Oliver Thorn, “the man from Key Largo” known simply as Thorn, whose well-deserved reputation is that of someone “going off the rails at warp speed.” As this most recent book in the series opens, Thorn is drawn into the investigation of serial murders committed by a person dubbed as “the obit killer,” with the police believing that the killer, who leaves a recent, seemingly unrelated obituary near his victims’ bodies, has found secret codes hidden in them, codes he uses as blueprints for his killings.”
Thorn contacts April Moss, the journalist who wrote the obituaries in question for The Miami Herald, a woman he met many years ago and with whom he had a very brief, but very intense, history, also known as a one-night stand. In an odd coincidence [or is it?], April has two sons, both of whom work on the cable TV show “Miami Ops;” one of them is the head writer for the show, the other is an actor in it. The other common factor in these killings is that it appears that they are copycats of plots used in the scripts for the show.
The supporting characters are all memorable: Laurence Sugarman, known to all as “Sugar,” Thorn’s friend and a “security professional” - - they were lifelong friends, “Thorn, a loner by choice;” Sugar, of mixed race “ an outsider by blood”); April’s mother, Garvey, a feisty senior citizen; their Doberman, Boxley; but most of all, Rusty Stabler, Thorn’s lover for two years and his wife for a month (after it was discovered that she had terminal cancer), and the young woman whose foster mother was Rusty’s aunt, a nineteen-year-old small-town Sheriff with the unlikely name of Buddha Hilton, an unforgettable character who gets Thorn entangled in the investigation.
The novel is written with lyrical prose that suddenly turns an interesting novel into something more urgent, at once literally breaktaking and unputdown-able, and it is highly recommended.
Thorn contacts April Moss, the journalist who wrote the obituaries in question for The Miami Herald, a woman he met many years ago and with whom he had a very brief, but very intense, history, also known as a one-night stand. In an odd coincidence [or is it?], April has two sons, both of whom work on the cable TV show “Miami Ops;” one of them is the head writer for the show, the other is an actor in it. The other common factor in these killings is that it appears that they are copycats of plots used in the scripts for the show.
The supporting characters are all memorable: Laurence Sugarman, known to all as “Sugar,” Thorn’s friend and a “security professional” - - they were lifelong friends, “Thorn, a loner by choice;” Sugar, of mixed race “ an outsider by blood”); April’s mother, Garvey, a feisty senior citizen; their Doberman, Boxley; but most of all, Rusty Stabler, Thorn’s lover for two years and his wife for a month (after it was discovered that she had terminal cancer), and the young woman whose foster mother was Rusty’s aunt, a nineteen-year-old small-town Sheriff with the unlikely name of Buddha Hilton, an unforgettable character who gets Thorn entangled in the investigation.
The novel is written with lyrical prose that suddenly turns an interesting novel into something more urgent, at once literally breaktaking and unputdown-able, and it is highly recommended.
August 9, 2017
I am really burned out on Hall books. The author himself lays out why his protagonist "Thorn" is such a pain in the ass: " Thorn's wife Rusty dies quickly of pancreatic cancer. He lights a bonfire and destroys his material life (good clear thinking.) The Sheriff, Buddha, lays it out for him,"
"You're getting old and predictable. You're rash and brash, you're old and slow." "You've been living off the grid since before there was a grid," You've punched the ticket for at least half a dozen people over the years. Always for some righteous cause, of course, or in self-defense. Maybe the people you took down were bad guys, maybe they weren't, but any way you look at it, you've got serious blood on your hands." "I also know that for the last twenty years, you've been a party to one disaster after another. People around you die on a regular basis. You have had a steady stream of women in and out of your bedroom. Hardly any of those ladies came to a good end. All in all, you've put together an impressive list of fuckups" I also know you tie some kind of fishing lures that you sell to a bunch of fussy fishermen. The cash that brings in just gets you by. And I know you don't have a social security card or a driver's license or any kind of legal ID. You graduated from high school but dropped out of college like you dropped ouf of pretty much everything. Don't socialize, keep to yourself, a hermit, push everybody away except your private eye buddy Sugarman and an occasional lucky lady. Or at least they think they're lucky at first. Until they're dead because of you. I'm believe I'm beginning to the get the real picture. Here you are, all tragic and tender and starry-eyed, with your sandy hair and your square jaw and blue Romeo eyes. Which helps explain all those good-hearted innocent women falling onto your mattress. But we both know there's another guy inside, a wild-eyed screwup with a taste for risk and ruination. A lot of upstanding ladies fell for the act. But it's all a fraud. Cause inside that man, in his heart of hearts, he wasn't looking for a woman to love and nurture, he was scouting the next calamity. Women thought he was courting them, but what he was really courting was disaster." The author in an interview said he never liked Thorn. In this several page denunciation, he really lays it out there, and I would have to agree. The book involves television, script writing, obituary writing, a serial killer, incest, mayhem and murder and the usual deaths per second while Thorn goes back to his coral reef to rebuild his own past life--from scratch.
"You're getting old and predictable. You're rash and brash, you're old and slow." "You've been living off the grid since before there was a grid," You've punched the ticket for at least half a dozen people over the years. Always for some righteous cause, of course, or in self-defense. Maybe the people you took down were bad guys, maybe they weren't, but any way you look at it, you've got serious blood on your hands." "I also know that for the last twenty years, you've been a party to one disaster after another. People around you die on a regular basis. You have had a steady stream of women in and out of your bedroom. Hardly any of those ladies came to a good end. All in all, you've put together an impressive list of fuckups" I also know you tie some kind of fishing lures that you sell to a bunch of fussy fishermen. The cash that brings in just gets you by. And I know you don't have a social security card or a driver's license or any kind of legal ID. You graduated from high school but dropped out of college like you dropped ouf of pretty much everything. Don't socialize, keep to yourself, a hermit, push everybody away except your private eye buddy Sugarman and an occasional lucky lady. Or at least they think they're lucky at first. Until they're dead because of you. I'm believe I'm beginning to the get the real picture. Here you are, all tragic and tender and starry-eyed, with your sandy hair and your square jaw and blue Romeo eyes. Which helps explain all those good-hearted innocent women falling onto your mattress. But we both know there's another guy inside, a wild-eyed screwup with a taste for risk and ruination. A lot of upstanding ladies fell for the act. But it's all a fraud. Cause inside that man, in his heart of hearts, he wasn't looking for a woman to love and nurture, he was scouting the next calamity. Women thought he was courting them, but what he was really courting was disaster." The author in an interview said he never liked Thorn. In this several page denunciation, he really lays it out there, and I would have to agree. The book involves television, script writing, obituary writing, a serial killer, incest, mayhem and murder and the usual deaths per second while Thorn goes back to his coral reef to rebuild his own past life--from scratch.
April 8, 2015
disgusted when the freshest, most interesting character is brutally murdered less that half-way through--no reason to continue--the rest is boring storyline with stock characters. first and last of this series.
December 6, 2015
More like 3.5 stars.
April 13, 2022
April Moss writes obituaries for the Miami Herald. Her son, Sawyer, also a writer, has been scripting a cable TV series called "Miami Ops" and has been using his mother's work as a central element of the show's storyline. In "Miami Ops," a serial killer is using obituaries published in the local paper as a blueprint for selecting his next victims.
But midway through the season, a copycat appears off-screen, a real-life killer who is using the same strategy to select victims. When this serial killer crosses paths with the reclusive Thorn, he has no choice but to leave his sanctuary in Key Largo and join forces with a young policewoman from Oklahoma who is investigating the murders.
In addition to the show's head writer, April's other son, Sawyer's twin brother, works on "Miami Ops" as the lead actor. Could one of them be involved in the killings? Or are they orchestrated by the director of the TV series, an aging mogul who badly needs a hit? And what about the female star of the show, a deliciously strange young woman who seems willing to do anything to promote her career.
But midway through the season, a copycat appears off-screen, a real-life killer who is using the same strategy to select victims. When this serial killer crosses paths with the reclusive Thorn, he has no choice but to leave his sanctuary in Key Largo and join forces with a young policewoman from Oklahoma who is investigating the murders.
In addition to the show's head writer, April's other son, Sawyer's twin brother, works on "Miami Ops" as the lead actor. Could one of them be involved in the killings? Or are they orchestrated by the director of the TV series, an aging mogul who badly needs a hit? And what about the female star of the show, a deliciously strange young woman who seems willing to do anything to promote her career.
July 3, 2022
A failing TV show called Miami Ops uses local Miami Herald obits to craft a storyline about a serial killer who picks his victims from words coded in the obit. When people start dying for real, life imitating art, the TV writer, actors and director all get their 15 minutes and a bump in the ratings. Add in is some personal angst for our anti-hero Thorn, (his wife dies of cancer in the first few pages) and the ever reclusive Thorn is dragged away from his Key Largo home to say thanks to April Moss, the writer who penned the lovely obituary of his wife. Many years ago, Thorn and April had a drunken tryst, which much to Thorn's surprise, produced twin boys. It's a page turning thriller, with Hall's usual eloquent, lyrical prose. If your a fan, it's a must, if not, welcome to the world of fly-tying Thorn, a truly memorable anti-hero.
December 19, 2019
I picked this up at a used book sale, and was delighted to see it, as it had been awhile since I'd read a Thorn book. Things have changed, and not for the better.
The plot was...meh. Lots of red herrings for the sake of having red herrings, and one big surprise thrown in about halfway through the book, which Thorn's reaction to was strange, to say the least. The descriptions of Miami, the surrounding areas, and the craziness that is South Florida still rang true, but the rest of the book was a disappointment. I will have to go back and read a few that I missed to see if this is an outlier or a trend.
The plot was...meh. Lots of red herrings for the sake of having red herrings, and one big surprise thrown in about halfway through the book, which Thorn's reaction to was strange, to say the least. The descriptions of Miami, the surrounding areas, and the craziness that is South Florida still rang true, but the rest of the book was a disappointment. I will have to go back and read a few that I missed to see if this is an outlier or a trend.
April 10, 2018
We all love Thorn
Dead last (Thorn series book 12) will only make you ready, for number 13! Having read the complete Thorn, I have watched him e evolve 💯 Do yourself a favor, read James Hall's Thorn books! I'm a Florida boy, but my heart is in Key Largo !
Dead last (Thorn series book 12) will only make you ready, for number 13! Having read the complete Thorn, I have watched him e evolve 💯 Do yourself a favor, read James Hall's Thorn books! I'm a Florida boy, but my heart is in Key Largo !
May 16, 2018
Thorn finds out he has twin sons from a one night stand he had 25 years ago when he is investigating a serial murder case involving the aunt of his recently deceased wife Rusty Stabler. I enjoy this author and I enjoy the protagonist who lives off the grid in the Florida Keys.
February 21, 2026
A better book than the previous 2. lt actually reads like more of a mystery.
A serial killer is at work following the MO of a tv series that's at risk of being canceled. Thorn, as happens all too often winds up in the middle of the action.
A serial killer is at work following the MO of a tv series that's at risk of being canceled. Thorn, as happens all too often winds up in the middle of the action.
January 2, 2018
Not a very good premise and not a very good book, not sure why I read it....
September 28, 2018
James Hall's description are well done.
October 18, 2019
Excellent book. Kept my attention throughout. Nice suprise ending.
June 21, 2013
When I first fell in love with James Hall's work, I didn't really know good writing from bad, at least not in any way I could put to words, but I did recognize his beautiful and suspenseful depiction of one of my favorite places (the Florida Keys), and I also fell in love--from the very beginning--with his fascinating characters, particularly Thorn. Now, more than a decade later, I can say that Hall's books are not only suspenseful and drawn with fascinating and believable characters, but that they're well-written and unpredictable. In the case of this work, though, I have to add something. Normally, I admire the fact that long-time readers can enjoy the return to known characters, but that new readers can come into any book and feel as if they're not missing anything--in other words, I admire the fact that, in general, it doesn't matter what order you read his books in, even where the recurring Thorn is present. With Dead Last, though, I feel differently.
Nearly from the beginning of the book, this more (most?) recent book centered on Thorn felt slightly different. Long-known characters were more present, and somehow, the book had a more personal feel. As the book went on, that intensified--by the end of the work, I felt that I could only really appreciate this one after having read all of the earlier "Thorn" books, and that this was the most personal work for Hall himself. (In brief, I'll say that this last impression has to do with writing--readers who write will recognize what I'm talking about when they read the work, especially if they've read Hall's earlier works and can note the differences.)
Overall, this may end up being one of my favorite Thorn novels. It wasn't the most involved or complex (though it was unpredictable and perfectly paced, as usual per Hall's work) and it didn't really stand out in any particular way from earlier novels. If anything, there was less depiction of Florida's landscape and unique nature, which is part of what I love in Hall's work. In fact, this actually felt like a somewhat simpler read than his earlier works. BUT, this also felt like something of a culmination for Thorn's character; it may not be an ending to the series, but in many ways it felt like a fitting one, if there must be one.
Simply, I'll always love Hall's work. He's the one mystery/suspense writer who I just can't resist, and whose works I've no doubt I'll reread in the future. This book stands up to his reputation and to reader expectations. So, yes, I absolutely recommend it...I just want you to read the earlier Thorn books first.
Nearly from the beginning of the book, this more (most?) recent book centered on Thorn felt slightly different. Long-known characters were more present, and somehow, the book had a more personal feel. As the book went on, that intensified--by the end of the work, I felt that I could only really appreciate this one after having read all of the earlier "Thorn" books, and that this was the most personal work for Hall himself. (In brief, I'll say that this last impression has to do with writing--readers who write will recognize what I'm talking about when they read the work, especially if they've read Hall's earlier works and can note the differences.)
Overall, this may end up being one of my favorite Thorn novels. It wasn't the most involved or complex (though it was unpredictable and perfectly paced, as usual per Hall's work) and it didn't really stand out in any particular way from earlier novels. If anything, there was less depiction of Florida's landscape and unique nature, which is part of what I love in Hall's work. In fact, this actually felt like a somewhat simpler read than his earlier works. BUT, this also felt like something of a culmination for Thorn's character; it may not be an ending to the series, but in many ways it felt like a fitting one, if there must be one.
Simply, I'll always love Hall's work. He's the one mystery/suspense writer who I just can't resist, and whose works I've no doubt I'll reread in the future. This book stands up to his reputation and to reader expectations. So, yes, I absolutely recommend it...I just want you to read the earlier Thorn books first.
June 24, 2012
Many moons ago, late 80's, I believe, I was on a business trip to South Florida and hanging in one of my favorite stores - Books and Books. A man was standing by a counter and a clerk was pointing to a display of paperbacks that had just come in and been set up. "Pure trash!", the clerk said, "How do they expect us to sell any of this crap?" The man he was speaking to was James Hall, and the book in question was "Under Cover of Daylight", Hall's first novel featuring the Thorn character. After the two of them had a good laugh, Hall proceeded to describe the book to me and I purchased same but only on the condition he sign it - my first paperback collectible. Since then, I have acquired all of his Thorn novels, signed first editions that I usually get by going to one of his signings. His classic collection of essays "Hot Damn" is one of my favorites and he is one of the nicest authors it has been my pleasure to meet. He even assisted my sister with her English thesis when she returned to American University at age 50 to finish her remaining credits after taking time to raise 3 sons.
Hall's best advantage in my opinion is his lyrical writing with regard to the Florida setting of his novels and most of them I enjoy immensely. But, one of the things that appealed to me about the Thorn character is his relative simplicity. But his life has become quite complex over the last few stories - rich, then not. Married, then, tragically, not. Keys dweller then dumped in big city Miami.
The introductory paragraph should give an indication as to why it pains me to give this book only 3 stars. The lyricism is there in many places, but the book seems to drag in spots without the pacing I so enjoy and some of the connecting elements are a stretch. But this is one of the few I would give "only" 3 stars and I look forward to the next.
Hall's best advantage in my opinion is his lyrical writing with regard to the Florida setting of his novels and most of them I enjoy immensely. But, one of the things that appealed to me about the Thorn character is his relative simplicity. But his life has become quite complex over the last few stories - rich, then not. Married, then, tragically, not. Keys dweller then dumped in big city Miami.
The introductory paragraph should give an indication as to why it pains me to give this book only 3 stars. The lyricism is there in many places, but the book seems to drag in spots without the pacing I so enjoy and some of the connecting elements are a stretch. But this is one of the few I would give "only" 3 stars and I look forward to the next.
November 28, 2011
“Dead Last” by James W. Hall, published by Minotaur Books.
Category – Mystery/Thriller
If you have read any of James W. Hall’s books you know that his novels take place in Florida and that his main character is Daniel Oliver Thorn. Thorn is off the grid and is his “own man”. He has been never known to play by the rules, either in his personal life or when he has to socialize. He is a solitary individual and seeks companionship only on his terms. He does have a few friends, but these can be counted on one hand.
Thorn has settled into a life of somewhat domesticity when tragedy strikes. He wants to destroy all vestiges of his past.
Thorn begins to restore his life through a strange young lady named Buddha Hilton. Buddha is a sheriff from a small town in Oklahoma who is on the trail of a killer. She enlists the help of Thorn, who is about to receive some shocking news concerning his past life.
April Moss who writes obituaries for the Miami Herald finds that her obituaries are being used by a serial killer to select his next victim. What is more bizarre is that her two sons are involved in a failing TV series called “Miami Ops”, and that the killer’s method of murder follows the script of the series.
There is a strong possibility that someone from the series may be the killer who is trying to save the series from cancellation by “upping” the ratings by copycatting the murderer’s scenario.
Thorn and Buddha find themselves at odds with each other, yet still working together to find the murderer. Thorn’s life becomes more complicated when his past history with April Moss makes his involvement in the case more treacherous.
A good, fast read that will hold the reader’s interest with the oddity of Buddha Hilton and the sometimes scrambled life of Thorn.
Category – Mystery/Thriller
If you have read any of James W. Hall’s books you know that his novels take place in Florida and that his main character is Daniel Oliver Thorn. Thorn is off the grid and is his “own man”. He has been never known to play by the rules, either in his personal life or when he has to socialize. He is a solitary individual and seeks companionship only on his terms. He does have a few friends, but these can be counted on one hand.
Thorn has settled into a life of somewhat domesticity when tragedy strikes. He wants to destroy all vestiges of his past.
Thorn begins to restore his life through a strange young lady named Buddha Hilton. Buddha is a sheriff from a small town in Oklahoma who is on the trail of a killer. She enlists the help of Thorn, who is about to receive some shocking news concerning his past life.
April Moss who writes obituaries for the Miami Herald finds that her obituaries are being used by a serial killer to select his next victim. What is more bizarre is that her two sons are involved in a failing TV series called “Miami Ops”, and that the killer’s method of murder follows the script of the series.
There is a strong possibility that someone from the series may be the killer who is trying to save the series from cancellation by “upping” the ratings by copycatting the murderer’s scenario.
Thorn and Buddha find themselves at odds with each other, yet still working together to find the murderer. Thorn’s life becomes more complicated when his past history with April Moss makes his involvement in the case more treacherous.
A good, fast read that will hold the reader’s interest with the oddity of Buddha Hilton and the sometimes scrambled life of Thorn.
January 31, 2012
James W. Hall has written at least twelve books about Thorn, the reclusive swamp bum, fisherman, and fly-tier whose involvement in deadly matters is ongoing. Hall writes well about Florida, which is unsurpassed as a scene for crime given the pervasive corruption and violence that seems to mark the state's twentieth-century history. He writes very well about minor characters, some of whom he kills off, and produces interesting human monsters as Thorn's opponents. He provides Thorn with some interesting friends, like Sugarman and Frank Sheffield. What remains a bit unclear throughout the books is Thorn himself, given his large irrational streak, but this book gets closer to his core as he is confronted with some debris from his past. The basic plot is interesting; a serial killer in real life is imitating a serial killer in a mediocre television series, thereby bumping interest in the series. Does the killer have a reason for his/her crimes, or are the crimes the random product of a true psycho? Is anyone inside the series on TV involved? The resolution, though telegraphed somewhat, works.
May 22, 2017
Is anybody harder on his fictitious heroes than James W Hall is on Thorn? He's married for a month and his wife dies of cancer. Naturally, since it's Thorn, this is only the beginning of his problems in this book. A mysterious woman shows up from Oklahoma and informs her that his wife's aunt has been murdered and that the obituary written for his wife was found at the scene of the crime as a clue. Throughout the book, Thorn makes difficult personal discoveries and takes at least one physical beating. I'm not complaining, just saying...Thorn never gets a rest. His life is about as cozy as a pinball during an active game.
This particular book is a good mystery, involving a zentai-suit wearing serial killer who uses a certain journalist's obituaries. Unique to this entry is the occasional switch to the rarely used second person point of view when describing the killer's perspective. Solid entry, though after two books away from the Keys most or all of the book, I'm looking forward to Hall putting Thorn back in his element.
This particular book is a good mystery, involving a zentai-suit wearing serial killer who uses a certain journalist's obituaries. Unique to this entry is the occasional switch to the rarely used second person point of view when describing the killer's perspective. Solid entry, though after two books away from the Keys most or all of the book, I'm looking forward to Hall putting Thorn back in his element.
December 20, 2012
Novels and TV shows, especially TV shows taken from novels, often have a mutually corrosive effect. For example, “Justified” is good TV, but RAYLON by the character’s originator is a silly knockoff of last season’s plotlines. “Dexter” on Showtime is better TV, but it has departed so far by now from the even better series of novels by Jeff Lindsay that it’s confusing keeping them separated.
DEAD LAST suffers from being too much about a silly TV show, albeit a fictional one that sounds perfect in its sheer terribleness for the FX Network. What provides the most appealing element is the use of newspaper obits as a road map for a nut-job serial killer (in Miami, of course) who is inspired by cryptic instructions she/he finds in them. NY Times obits are some of my favorite reading—offering strong writing, interesting stories, plus a sense of historical engagement. Sadly, the fictional obits in DEAD LAST are better than the novel itself—which seems droopy, confused and slapdash.
DEAD LAST suffers from being too much about a silly TV show, albeit a fictional one that sounds perfect in its sheer terribleness for the FX Network. What provides the most appealing element is the use of newspaper obits as a road map for a nut-job serial killer (in Miami, of course) who is inspired by cryptic instructions she/he finds in them. NY Times obits are some of my favorite reading—offering strong writing, interesting stories, plus a sense of historical engagement. Sadly, the fictional obits in DEAD LAST are better than the novel itself—which seems droopy, confused and slapdash.
July 21, 2012
James W. Hall's mystery Dead Last is the best Thorn novel yet. Hall is wonderfully adept at creating deliciously scary villains and that's certainly true in this book. Hall also has succeeded again in making Thorn's daily life even more interesting ... an intriguing turn of events here that will amaze even the most faithful Thorn fans. Can't say more without giving out spoilers. As usual, also, Hall's descriptions of Florida nature are beautiful and lyrical. And, for you fans of the poem "Maybe Dats Your Pwoblem Too" (google it) there's even a mention of a certain superhero here. Thanks, Jim. As always, you rock!
November 29, 2014
It has been some time since I read one of James Hall's novels, and I enjoyed this one very much. It is quite a bit different than the previous novels in the Thorn series. In various states, people are being murdered, and the killer leaves a printed obituary of someone else at the scene of the crime. The only common denominator is that the obituaries have all been written by the same woman. To complicate matters further, this lady has twin sons, one of whom is an actor in a series where one of the scriptwriters uses the obituary/murder story as the plot for episodes in the ongoing series.
Mr. Hall did an excellent job of making the characters "come alive". The book holds many surprises and it wasn't until I was almost finished reading it that I truly understood all the pieces that made up the story.
Mr. Hall did an excellent job of making the characters "come alive". The book holds many surprises and it wasn't until I was almost finished reading it that I truly understood all the pieces that made up the story.
February 28, 2013
I've been a fan of James W. Hall since I read "Under Cover of Daylight" in 1987. His main character Thorn, is a dropout from society with a strong sense of ecological concern and a prediliction for getting himself into scrapes. This book is about a serial killer who Thorn ends up tracking through some very unusual situations. At the opening of the book, Thorn loses the love of his life, Rusty Stabler, to cancer. The loss causes him to drop completely out of life, give away or burn his possessions and become a virtual hermit. It doesn't last long and he finds himself through meeting a strange succession of interesting people, in the thick of the murder investigations.
Lots of easter eggs in this story and lots of surprises. Hall's writing is a strong as ever and it is a great read.
Lots of easter eggs in this story and lots of surprises. Hall's writing is a strong as ever and it is a great read.
April 25, 2012
I really hope that this series hasn't jumped the shark. I have enjoyed Hall's books and the characters of Thorn, Sugarman and Rusty, for years. Until now. The plot of this one is full of gimmicks and ultimately unsatisfying, and the characters involved in it, with the sole exception of the young sheriff Buddha Hilton, run the gamut from unattractive to downright repulsive.
At least the Florida stuff is still excellent - Hall can write with the best, but all the best of this book is the landscape.
At least the Florida stuff is still excellent - Hall can write with the best, but all the best of this book is the landscape.
August 8, 2012
#12 in the Thorn series.
Thorn mourns the sudden death of his new wife, Rusty Stabler, by burning his possessions. Then Buddha Hilton, the 19-year-old sheriff of Starkville, Okla., arrives to ask for Thorn's help. Rusty's aunt, Michaela Stabler, has been stabbed to death in Starkville; Rusty's Miami Herald obituary was placed beside Michaela's body. The juxtaposition of clipping and corpse mimics a TV drama, Miami Ops, which employs the twin sons of the obituary's writer, April Moss, whom Thorn knew briefly years before. Is Michaela's killing a stunt designed to save a failing show?
Thorn mourns the sudden death of his new wife, Rusty Stabler, by burning his possessions. Then Buddha Hilton, the 19-year-old sheriff of Starkville, Okla., arrives to ask for Thorn's help. Rusty's aunt, Michaela Stabler, has been stabbed to death in Starkville; Rusty's Miami Herald obituary was placed beside Michaela's body. The juxtaposition of clipping and corpse mimics a TV drama, Miami Ops, which employs the twin sons of the obituary's writer, April Moss, whom Thorn knew briefly years before. Is Michaela's killing a stunt designed to save a failing show?
January 2, 2022
A truly horrendous read. Written by a dude that thinks women are either aggressively sexual (Deedee) or mysterious & weird, making them alluring and seductive aka Buddha. Honestly the author just seems like a real creep based off his writing. Plot was stagnant & predictable. Like cmon dude, evil twin? Bleh. Also what was the point of introducing Buddha just to kill her off rather quickly, especially considering she was by far the most interesting character. If I had to sum it up in a word it would be ew or yikes. Ewikes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 23, 2012
Another enjoyable entry in the Thorn series from Hall, this time centered in Miami with Thorn being dragged into an investigation of a possible copycat killer based on his relationship with Rusty and other factors that are revealed as the story progresses. Not much Sugarman in this one (alas) but the story is well-written as always and the interplay among the characters is smart and often humorous. If you are a fan of the Thorn series, you should enjoy this one.
January 23, 2012
I really enjoy James W. Hall's Thorn series and I wanted to enjoy this one more than I did. In this book Thorn is once again taken away from Key West to the Big City where he's faced with the kind of killer only the Big City has. He's forced to face his past after a tragic loss while helping to solve a crime. I found a lot of things too easy and some of the plot twists a little...unlikely. This is great to read in the course of the series but don't start with this one.
February 8, 2015
This Florida mystery gives reclusive Thorn the opportunity to repair some of the past damage he has done. The mystery is convoluted so keep a notepad nearby to help you remember the characters. There are surprises throughout but I predicted the killer from almost the beginning. Maybe Hall is just getting too predictable. Nonetheless, I loved the Florida atmosphere and the great presentation of Thorn.
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