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Dead Is Forever: A Novel of Crime
Blame it on the dragonfish. Exquisitely sculpted in yellow jade, it's a piece that collector and sometimes private investigator Philip Beckett simply cannot resist. To purchase it, against all his better filial instincts, he takes the case, for which his formidable sibling rival, aptly named Regina, with no little contempt agrees to meet his handsome fee. The family, which Philip has scrupulously deserted, has a problem, it seems, for cousin Audrey's wayward husband, Count Sergio D'Alesse, has added an embarrassing $40,000 gambling debt to his long list of dubious accomplishments. All Philip has to do is make it go away—which he does. Only before you can say Sergio, the count is dead. And Philip is the prime suspect. In this smart, suspenseful new crime novel, the enthusiastically reviewed David Cray turns aside from police procedurals to follow the fortunes of Philip Beckett, erstwhile scion of his family's industrial empire, in his attempt to solve Sergio's apparently senseless murder. Not that Philip doesn't learn soon enough who the killer is. It's what he can't determine that's more worrisome, to both him and his family, as it becomes increasingly clear that the shadowy figure behind the killer is one of them.
- GenresMystery
251 pages, Hardcover
First published January 2, 2005
8 people want to read
About the author
David Cray
8 books12 followersA pseudonym used by Stephen Solomita.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
October 7, 2013
RATING: 2.75
PROTAGONIST: Philip Beckett
OCCUPATION: Erstime PI
SETTING: New York City
SERIES: #1 of 1
Even rich families can have problems, as Philip Beckett can readily verify. The Becketts are an old rich New York family. Philip has declined to work in the family business and passed the reins on to his sister, Regina. Philip lives off a trust fund left to him by his mother with the principal not available until the death of his father. The fund does pay for life's necessities but does not support his passion for Chinese antiques. He is able to afford these expensive extras by working as a private investigator from time to time. His network of friends includes those who can afford to pay a lot of money for the discretion that he can provide when they need that kind of assistance.
Philip is approached by his sister to help with an embarrassing family situation. Their cousin, Audrey, is married to Count Sergio D'Alesse who has amassed a $40,000 gambling debt. Regina wants Philip to meet with the person to whom D'Alesse owes the money and have the debt forgiven. However, what ends up happening is that D'Alesse is murdered. Was it a result of his gambling and lifestyle? Did Audrey tire of his indiscretions and arrange to have him killed? For a time, Philip is the prime suspect; working with his significant other, Maggie, he has more at stake than a paycheck or the acquisition of a Chinese antique. Unfortunately, by this point, I really didn't care who did it or why; the book seemed so pointless and the characters so cardboard that I just wanted it to end.
I never bought in to the premise of the book which made reading DEAD IS FOREVER a struggle for me. Philip may have turned his back on the family business, but that did not make him a noble character. He still accepted the 2-bedroom condo that Daddy bought for him, and he still cashed the checks from the trust fund. What I really couldn't understand is why anyone would ever ask him to do investigative work for them. He didn't have any of the requisite skills of a private investigator; his motivation for doing the job at all was so that he could buy the latest jade gewgaw that he just had to have rather than any real interest in helping others or resolving a situation. He was ridiculously gaga over Maggie; reading about their relationship was even more irritating than trying to believe that Philip was a viable suspect.
I really like the Julia Brennan series by Cray; LITTLE GIRL BLUE features a hardworking, strong female police lieutenant and the book has a distinctly gritty edge to it. The plotting and characterization were exceptionally strong. DEAD IS FOREVER felt silly and inconsequential in comparison. If this is going to be a series, I won't be back for seconds.
PROTAGONIST: Philip Beckett
OCCUPATION: Erstime PI
SETTING: New York City
SERIES: #1 of 1
Even rich families can have problems, as Philip Beckett can readily verify. The Becketts are an old rich New York family. Philip has declined to work in the family business and passed the reins on to his sister, Regina. Philip lives off a trust fund left to him by his mother with the principal not available until the death of his father. The fund does pay for life's necessities but does not support his passion for Chinese antiques. He is able to afford these expensive extras by working as a private investigator from time to time. His network of friends includes those who can afford to pay a lot of money for the discretion that he can provide when they need that kind of assistance.
Philip is approached by his sister to help with an embarrassing family situation. Their cousin, Audrey, is married to Count Sergio D'Alesse who has amassed a $40,000 gambling debt. Regina wants Philip to meet with the person to whom D'Alesse owes the money and have the debt forgiven. However, what ends up happening is that D'Alesse is murdered. Was it a result of his gambling and lifestyle? Did Audrey tire of his indiscretions and arrange to have him killed? For a time, Philip is the prime suspect; working with his significant other, Maggie, he has more at stake than a paycheck or the acquisition of a Chinese antique. Unfortunately, by this point, I really didn't care who did it or why; the book seemed so pointless and the characters so cardboard that I just wanted it to end.
I never bought in to the premise of the book which made reading DEAD IS FOREVER a struggle for me. Philip may have turned his back on the family business, but that did not make him a noble character. He still accepted the 2-bedroom condo that Daddy bought for him, and he still cashed the checks from the trust fund. What I really couldn't understand is why anyone would ever ask him to do investigative work for them. He didn't have any of the requisite skills of a private investigator; his motivation for doing the job at all was so that he could buy the latest jade gewgaw that he just had to have rather than any real interest in helping others or resolving a situation. He was ridiculously gaga over Maggie; reading about their relationship was even more irritating than trying to believe that Philip was a viable suspect.
I really like the Julia Brennan series by Cray; LITTLE GIRL BLUE features a hardworking, strong female police lieutenant and the book has a distinctly gritty edge to it. The plotting and characterization were exceptionally strong. DEAD IS FOREVER felt silly and inconsequential in comparison. If this is going to be a series, I won't be back for seconds.
Displaying 1 of 1 review