Legally Dead

Michael Venturi #1

by Edna Buchanan

U.S. Marshal Michael Venturi of the Witness Protection Program relocates a mobster, now a government witness, to a small rural town after creating a new identity for him. The man proves to be a monster unleashed on an unsuspecting community. The results are tragic. To make amends Venturi leaves the Marshals Service and assembles a team of close confidants to secretly create new identities for innocent men and women whose lives have been ruined through no fault of their own -- people who really deserve fresh starts in new lives. But before they are relocated and reborn, each must change a lifetime of habits and actually become someone else, with new traits, tastes, and personalities.And before being declared "legally dead" -- they have to die. The result is a combination of "Extreme Makeover," "Mission Impossible," and "CSI" -- the last in reverse. In these "deaths," some of them spectacular, phony forensics must be created to fit the "facts" and fool the experts.

His fascinating experiment works -- for a time. But as Venturi continues to relocate the deserving, evil begins to stalk Venturi and his legally dead clients.

Soon one is dead.

Really dead.

Are the relentless killers from his own past, or was one of his clients not so innocent after all? His own loved ones are now targets because of his attempts to atone for a tragedy that haunts him.

In a desperate race to protect those he has relocated, Venturi must call upon his former training in both the U.S. Marines Force Recon and the Marshals Service, as he is hunted by police, prosecutors, ruthless killers, and his own former federal colleagues.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Suspense, Thriller, Action, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook

368 pages, Hardcover

First published August 12, 2008

About the author

Edna Buchanan knew she wanted to be a writer since she was 4 years old. She moved to Florida where she got a job at a small newspaper. Ms. Buchanan became a reporter for the Miami Beach Daily Sun in the late 1960s.

In 1970, she was hired as a general assignment and police-beat reporter at the Miami Herald. In 1973, Ms. Buchanan became a police beat reporter, which coincided with the rise of Miami as a center of the international drug trade.

Winning a Pulitzer Prize, Ms. Buchanan became one of the best-known crime reporters in the U.S. She discussed some of her assignments in the books, The Corpse Had a Familiar Face (1991) and Never Let Them See You Cry (1993). She has retired from journalism and writes mystery novels. The main character in her crime mystery series is Britt Montero.

Reviews

[LJ · Rating 1 out of 5]

LEGALLY DEAD (Susp-Michael Venturi-Florida-Cont) - Poor
Buchanan, Edna – Standalone
Simon & Schuster, 2008, US Hardcover – ISBN: 9780743294775

First Sentence: She was all he desired but everything forbidden.

Former US Marshall Michael Venturi worked with the witness protection program. After being fired, he and a long-term friend, Danny, from military days decide to help innocent people—those whose lives have been ruined—disappear and start anew.

Someone breaks into Venturi’s house, steals his laptop and is hunting those he helped, having already killed one of them. Venturi and Danny need to ensure the safety of the others and find the killer.

Ms. Buchanan has written some very good books. This wasn’t one. The story was completely coincidence-driven and over plotted. Most of the story was a series of vignettes and felt repetitive. The villain was one I didn’t except but the motive seemed weak and, again, the resulting actions were based on coincidence.

There were some good characters--Venturi, his mother-in-law and the dog Scout, in particular—and the crime scene investigation detail was fascinating. The sense of place was decent but the dialogue didn’t always work for me. For books wherein people are helped to vanish, the Thomas Perry/Jane Whitefield books are so much better on every level.

This book was hugely disappointing.

[Jeanette (Ms. Feisty) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I suppose this qualifies as brain candy, but what the heck. Edna Buchanan always tells a good story with neither too many nor too few details.
This one's about Michael Venturi, a former U.S. Marshall who unofficially goes into the business of helping good people disappear and convincingly faking their deaths. Someone starts finding and killing the people he has helped disappear and relocate. The answer to the mystery of who's doing it is a little lame, but the very ending to the story is just right. It couldn't end any other way.

[Vannessa Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Michael Venturi, former U.S. Marshal, leaves the service after one of the monsters they’re protecting brutally rapes and kills eight years old girl, puts his experience to use by helping good people start over with new identities. He is successful for a while but his plan seems to foil when he accidentally lets a bad guy into his program. After a while Venturi is being hunted by the police, prosecutors, The U. S. Marshal Service, and, of course bad guys. The cat and mouse chase is interesting.

[Lori · Rating 1 out of 5]

Although, fast-paced, this novel was a disappointment. I really enjoyed Ms. Buchanan’s Britt Montero series so maybe my expectations for this standalone story were too high. I found the characters difficult to relate to; they were caricatures really; formulaic and underdeveloped. Much of the plot stretched one’s beliefs and there were way too many convenient occurrences. Overall, not worth your time.

[Katherine Clark · Rating 2 out of 5]

I initially really liked the concept. It is reminiscent of Thomas Perry's series, though it might have come earlier. I was drawn to this series because Buchanan is a journalist and an award winning one. But it felt very cardboard character and situation, and weirdly enough, coming from a woman writer, I really disliked the female characters. Still glad I finally read it.

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Michael Venturi works for the Witness Protection Program in New York, but when he hears on the news that a mobster he had relocated to New Hampshire has killed two local girls, he is infuriated. He had realized the man was a pedophile, but the higher ups wanted him to testify against organized crime. Michael argues with his superiors and then takes vacation leave to Jersey City. Instead, he drives to New Hampshire and kills the mobster. He is blamed for his death and fired. He drives to Miami where his marine friend Danny lives with his wife and three children. Michael buys a boat and fishes the Everglades where he finds a man floating in a crocodile infested lake. He saves him and learns he is hated because he supposedly developed a part for astronauts that failed. He has slit his throat, wrists and jumped into the lake. Michael saves him and comes up with the idea of using 19 million he received from his wife and unborn child being killed on a ferry accident in New York to develop a plan to relocate him to Ireland. He enlists his mother-in-laws help and Danny. When it succeeds, they relocate five others to other parts of the world. When one of them is killed, he and Danny try to discover why and keep the others safe. This is a fast-paced thriller that keeps the reader riveted until the last page.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never read Buchanan before, but apparently people are fans of her series. THIS novel, however, is a "standalone." The main character is an agent who creates new lives for criminals via the Federal Witness Protection Program. A horrific event causes the agent to quit his job, relocate to Miami & reconnect with an old special ops buddy. Then the plot changes to what a character calls a "blend of Mission Impossible, CSI &Extreme Makeover." The book's theme of whether people in society who are not criminals are worthy of having the chance for a whole new life is intriguing.

[Marti · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very interestingly crafted so that the main character, Michael Venturi, his buddy Danny Trado, his savvy ex mother in law, and finally Keri, a doctor make up a team that can provide a service for persons wanting to be legally dead with a new profile, perhaps in a foreign country. Michael had been a US Marshal in the WITSEC program, and his young pregnant wife had died in a ferry accident. There are any number of nice persons pursued by baddies, and really crummy characters. It is fast moving and interesting.

[Jeanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Buchanan's Britt Montero series. I thought it was well-written and interesting. This stand-alone is a far-cry from that. Michael Venturi, a disenchanted ex-WITSEC agent, begins a new career helping others fake their deaths and begin new lives. The book mostly reads like a series of short stories, and apparently faking death and getting new documentation and beginning a new life in a new country is easy-peasy. Lots of coincidences and lucky timing help, as does a best friend who works in a mortuary and apparently has easy access to dead bodies. Don't bother with this one.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

“In this stand alone novel by one of my favorite mystery authors Michael a U.S. Marshal with the witness protection program becomes disillusioned after several young girls are killed. He quits his job and moves to Florida looking for meaning and purpose. He finds it when he helps a deserving man flee his horrible life and start over. Now though Michael's witnesses are dying and someone is pointing the finger at him. Who hates him that much? This is a fast paced adventure with lots of action.”

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good, I stayed up late reading, but just in case you're curious, my star rating is based on how well I remember the book a week or more after I read it. I read a lot that are gripping in the moment, but very forgetful, so they get less stars. I almost only rate books 5 stars if I think I'd buy them. A lot are great reads, but I wouldn't purchase to re-read, hence four stars even though I would recommend you read them.

[Catherine Woodman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thougth this was a bit more far fetched than I usually like in a murder mystery, with a number of improbable events converging together and alot of deaths pile up along the way. i liked the chracters, and I would be happy to see them again (if that were indeed possible). It is also a cautionary tale about trust when you have money invovled with people--especially as we go down the financial crisis path that we appear to be solidely going down

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! I have read all of Edna's other books and this is a stand alone. The main character works for the US Marshall's office in the Witness protection agency and for reason good and bad gets fired. He takes what he knows and uses it in the "public" field. It was very interesting and thought provoking and really hard to put down. I read it in a day!

[Vickie T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Witness protection agency puts a child molester that it wants to testify in a trial against a mobster in a small town where 2 young girls end up missing. Michael Venturi takes care of the problem which sends his life in a different direction. A great read that kept me guessing until the very end.

[Barbara Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love how Edna can carry the action through multiple characters and not slow the pace or lose the story. I listen mostly to her on tape - she's not serious enough for me to actually take the time to read. It is pure entertainment.

[La · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story was interesting. The ending has the potential to be a cliffhanger if the author wants to revisit this storyline. She may have already and I just haven't seen it yet. All in all I was surprised by the culprit but not the motivations. I'll likely read this author in the future.

[Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

First time reading a solo book by Edna Buchanan. Good story, and likable characters. The ending was both predictable and unpredictable. The very end, I had seen from many pages earlier. However what happened a little before the end took me by surprise. Good book overall.

[Maddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

RATING: 2.5

[Mike Moskos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, but this book could have been SO much better. The characters and their emotions were simply too predictable and stereotypical. Story was good though.

[Amy Sapp burr · Rating 3 out of 5]

It held my interest throughout the entire book. No complaints.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story line became repetitive. The two main characters are larger than life. I skipped most of the second half and read the last two chapters. Not bad writing, but predictable.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually liked this book right until the end. The mystery was a surprise for me & I liked the characters,but the end blew me away. Gotta be a sequel.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a huge portion of this book in the middle that could have been omitted giving it better results. I was about to give up on it but pressed on. There were some good moments near the end.

[Pam · Rating 2 out of 5]

My reading choices have changed. This sounded good but I wasn't impressed.

[Marina Kahn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first time reading an Edna Buchanan mystery; I didn't know she had written so many thrillers and previously had been one of the best known crime reporters in the US; so I was very excited to read this.
The books starts off very well; US Marshall Michael Venturi was working with the witness protection program and becomes disenchanted with the program when his supervisors relocate a known pedophile into a small community without warning any of the neighbors. The higher ups prefer to get their perp to testify against the mob regardless what danger he poses for the unwitting citizens. Then the unthinkable happens and the mobster proceeds to molest and kill two young girls. Subsequently, Venturi takes matters into his own hands and eliminates the pedophile and solves an armed car robbery. These chapters were riveting and packed with action.
However, his superiors are not amused and fire him; this forces Venturi to move from New York to Miami and re-start his life and re-connects with his long time friend Danny Sanchez. Then he accidentally runs into a man who is attempting suicide and foils the suicide attempt which subsequently makes Venturi re-think that if he can relocate criminals and create new identities for criminals perhaps it would be better to relocate and create a new identity for individuals who through no fault of their own are being persecuted and need to forge a new life.
Here is where things sort of get unraveled and soon, we have a Sci-Fi type story where deaths are spectacularly faked and each individual gets new documents, new identity and a new life in a country of their choice at the snap of a fingertip.
I just don't think it would be so easy for an American to move to Ireland, Australia or France and just blend in; there are so many peculiarities, mannerisms, culture attitudes in these countries which would be hard to replicate and one would stand out as an outsider. These things could not possibly be achieved by studying them and trying to learn them in a couple of weeks. No way.
Then of course, someone starts to kill the people Venturi and his friend Danny are relocating and so the hunt is on to discover who is behind this.
The action in this novel is certainly fast paced; but there is no explanation as to how they obtain all the different tools and equipment that they use; the characters are not fully developed. One minute Venturi is pining for his wife and the next minute he falls in love with Keri; one minute Danny is madly in love with his wife Luz, who is expecting their third child, the next minute Danny is canoodling and kissing Micheline (the ex-judge) Really!!
Finally, the end I thought was perhaps unexpected but at the same time expected. I don't know maybe this leads to a follow-up and a second book?

[Johnnie Gee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Michael Venturi was a US Marshall in-charge of relocating people, bad people who decided to testify before grand juries. He was let go, moved to Miami where a Marine buddy of his lived and they started relocating people that needed to get a new identity, usually because someone was trying to kill them. Regardless, that is what they did, until one day everyone that Michael Venturi relocated as a US Marshall starts turning up dead..........he needs to find out who and why.

This book has a very interesting ending.

[Amy Jo · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was terrible. The story sounded interesting initially, and the plot in the first half was well-developed. However, the last half read like an idea that needed to be finished because the ending was already decided. The answer to the big question "why" was answered quickly and unconvincingly. What I disliked the most about this book was how grossly sexist the male characters were, especially coming from a female author. The character development was horrible to begin with, but this aspect solidified how I felt about this book. Crap. Don't waste your time.

[Robyn Cobb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it when an author grabs you from the start.
The characters are easy to relate to, we've all had moments when we wanted to start over fresh. The ending shocked me but I freakin' loved it lol
I really like Michael Venturi and can't wait to grab the next book.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent book about two guys and their team who used to make people disappear in WitSec but now do it privately

[Marguerite Hargreaves · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was looking forward to something new from Edna Buchanan, but the last 50 pages of this are BS.