Dance for the Dead

Jane Whitefield #2

by Thomas Perry

When eight-year-old Timothy Decker finds his parents brutally murdered, it's clear the Deckers weren't the intended victims: Timothy's own room--ransacked, all traces of his existence expertly obliterated-- is the shocking evidence. Timothy's nanny, Mona, is certain about only one thing. Timmy needs to disappear, fast.

Only Jane Whitefield, a Native American "guide" who specializes in making victims vanish, can lead him to safety. But diverting Jane's attention is Mary Perkins, a desperate woman with S&L fraud in her past. Stalking Mary is a ruthless predator determined to find her and the fortune she claims she doesn't have. Jane quickly creates a new life for Mary and jumps back on Timmy's case . . . not knowing that the two are fatefully linked to one calculating killer. . . .

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

400 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Thomas Perry was the author of 25 novels. He was born in Tonawanda, New York in 1947. He received a B.A. from Cornell University in 1969 and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Rochester in 1974. He had worked as a park maintenance man, factory laborer, commercial fisherman, university administrator and teacher, and as a writer and producer of prime time network television shows.

Thomas Perry lived in Southern California.

Reviews

[Tim Null · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read ebook from SJPLibrary.

[John Culuris · Rating 4 out of 5]

.
(Read Dec 2018; Reviewed in May 2022)

I have never liked the term “Suspension of Disbelief.” For me it does not allow for degrees. Instead, when a writer crosses too far into improbability I tend to say that he is “stretching credibility.” What my preference lacks in elegance it makes up for in flexibility. A thing can be stretched beyond its breaking point--or it can be stretched just enough to fit. At one end of the scale is the superhuman secret agent who in a single assignment routinely survives dozens of death-defying situations. The other end is represented by works where the multiple implausibilities are so minor that they do not register until after you finish the book. Closer to the latter is where Thomas Perry lives.

He does so with repeated acts of innovation. No, not with his protagonist. Jane Whitefield, who is half Seneca Indian by blood, considers herself a guide. She is a one-woman Witness Protection Program; but never for criminals, only people who can no longer safely live their lives as they know it. Unique to be sure but not necessarily innovative. And though there are action sequences and thrills, most of the plot, at least in Dance for the Dead, stem from courtroom and financial matters. We’ve seen that before too. The ultimate villain, when we meet him, is smart and ruthless. Again, nothing new. In fact, all the main players are reasonably intelligent. That’s actually something I prefer. Dumb characters bore me, even in comedy relief.

The innovation in a Thomas Perry novel lay not so much with the author and his craft as with the characters and their world. It’s moments, big and small, of “find a way.” Need to surreptitiously break into a semi-secluded, heavily-alarmed house. Jane will manage it. Need to get past a barbed-wire fence in the dead of night with no tools or preplanning. Here’s how. And when Thomas Perry stacks his innovations he’s at his best. In the pre-9/11 days of 1996 you did not yet need a ticket to reach the departure gates of an airport. It is there where Jane begins a sequence that helps a woman escape Los Angeles ahead of what seems like an endless supply of henchmen. But there were metal detectors back then. Without their guns it is the intent of these minions to follow this woman until they can catch her alone, probably in a parking deck. It takes more than a few quick-witted maneuvers for Jane to get her away clean.

I now see this was always going to be Perry’s contribution to the artform. “Find a way” was there from the beginning. He just lacked the skill to pull it off in Butcher’s Boy, his debut. He did not make the opposing forces formidable enough. His protagonist, a professional killer, dispatches both U.S. Senator and a mafia chieftain with ease. Perry also tended to cut scenes prematurely, considering his work done once the lead escaped pursuit, forgetting that storytelling sometime must serve multiple needs. But in fairness, Butcher’s Boy did win the Edgar for Best First Novel, and many of my Goodreads friends love it; as many (informally speaking) found it as disappointing as I did--or worse.

It certainly helps that I like Jane Whitefield considerably more than the Butcher’s Boy or his adversary on the other side of the law. Liking the lead isn’t always necessary of course. But finding them appealing enough to follow is. Jane is endlessly interesting. Her character, her adventures, her Seneca heritage. And her competency. A series featuring a “guide,” much like that of a bodyguard, carries with it an inherent difficulty. In order for there to be a novel-length story worth telling, something has to go seriously wrong. And if it is continuously the fault of the protagonist, or even if it only appears to be their fault, why are they still employed? And if they actually are responsible, why should readers care enough to keep coming back? Any brilliance displayed in the end will not ring true if ineptitude has regularly created the situation at the beginning. I can’t speak for the rest of the series but here in its second entry, the mistakes that initiate its explosive opening are the fault of others. We could hardly blame Jane for failing to rectify it while fighting for survival.

From the opening fight for the life of an 8-year old boy to the final battle with a powerful and vengeful villain, Dance for the Dead could be used in a master class on how to structure a thriller. Then why only 4 Stars? Only the thriller parts, the actual ongoing story, are masterful: The buildup, the suspense, the action, the reveals, the downtime and, most of all, the principal characters. Everything works. What doesn’t work is an annoying subplot that only serves to disrupt the rhythm of this carefully constructed story. Not only does it distract Jane, it distracts us. A man in her hometown that she had known for years and with whom she has been extremely close, asks Jane to marry him the morning after they crossover into intimacy. From that moment on, every time they meet, every time they talk on the phone, every time they miss each other on the phone, every time she thinks about him, EVERY SINGLE TIME, his presence undermines the novel. He turns a confident, professional woman into a soap opera character.

But only for those moments. Get past this hometown distraction and you’ll find a fascinating heroine who can handle both unique crimes and traditional confrontations with equal parts calm, skill, and intelligence.

And innovation.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jane is an intriguing character with a serious demeanor and different problems to solve than most protagonists. She's fresh and interesting, and of course kicks bad guy butt. Hooked on these.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an unexpected surprise! I've listened to most of Perry's books & have put off the Jane Whitefield books. Every quibble I had with the first disappeared.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

She's still a bit of a flat character for me, but that was OK. She's just a bit of a flat character. That's her thing. Her actions spoke plenty for her, especially at the end.

The plot was quite twisty, believable, & not one I've run across too often, especially not in this detail. Excellent characters in general.

I'm looking forward to listening to the next.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am delighted to have discovered Jane Whitefield, a one-woman witness protection program. She helps people disappear, mainly women and children fleeing abusive men or criminals fleeing other criminals. Naturally, the books are very suspenseful since the bad guys are chasing Jane a lot of the time (sometimes she's tracking them). This is the second book in the so-far seven-book series, and I thought it was great---definitely better than the first. The ending was especially satisfying.

Even though she has a house (in upstate New York) and more than one set of clothes, Jane reminds me in some ways of Lee Child's Jack Reacher. She operates by her own moral code, doesn't think twice about a little B&E and believes in justice, swiftly delivered. She also is highly resourceful and a keen observer of details who works things out in her mind without a lot of talking.

Her Native American heritage (Seneca Indian)is a big part of what makes Jane who she is. The books contain a good bit of Native American history, culture and mythology. In fact, the first book (Vanishing Act) was a bit too-heavy on that, which is part of why I didn't like it as well.

In general, it would be best to read these in order since Jane ages as she goes along and learns from her experiences. However, you could start with this one.

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the very compelling Jane Whitefield series. I have read several of the books in this series and have enjoyed them a lot. I put off reading this one because I thought I had lost my copy of it, but, lo and behold, it finally turned up in our garage where I think it was lost for several years behind one of my boxes full of books to be read.

Jane Whitefield is a Native-American Seneca guide who leads people to a new life when they deserve a second chance and are being sought by others. She knows how to cover her tracks and provide her clients with new identities to start a new life. But in this one, Jane sees two of the protectors of a young boy killed before she could stop the tragedy. The boy was an heir to a fortune and had been missing and was going to be declared dead so the fortune could be distributed to charities as designated in the boy's grandmother's will. But was the money properly accounted for or has someone been siphoning off these funds. And why would they want the boy dead? And then there is Mary Perkins who had stolen millions from the Savings and Loan industry. She seeks out Jane's help to disappear when she tells Jane that she is being pursued by someone after the money she may have taken. So how do the two cases relate? A very despicable bad guy, a former cop who runs a security agency is after both the boy and Mary. Can Jane successfully take them out of harm's way?

Glad I was finally able to read this entry in the series. It was a very intense thriller that I found hard to put down. The characters were very well written and I always enjoy Jane's association with the Senecas and her use of Native American skills to provide sanctuary for her clients. I have a couple more books in this series to read that I'll definitely be looking forward to.

[Bonnie G. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I quite liked the first book in the series but I found this boring and disjointed and wildly sexist (which I am generally cool with in books, especially those written in the 20th century, but this was serially and outlandishly offensive). I dnf'ed at 37%. There is this scene where a judge meets Jane (who is a prisoner at this moment and who was recently beaten up and the results of that battery are visible on her face) and he notes that she looks like a model, all angular and cool but that he prefers softer plainer women like his late wife and like the guard who has escorted Jane from the jail to his chambers. This is supposed to make us like the judge, I think. Ew! This is a judge, trying to get the information he needs to decide the fate of an 8-year-old boy and he is thinking about the fuckability of the officer present in her official capacity and the prisoner before him. No. There is plenty more toxic sludge where that came from, and also general right-wing crap. There is a reference to someone who gets a life sentence for murder but will only serve 5 or 6 years because of the broken system. It is that kind of completely wrong "criminals are roaming the streets" conspiracy theory crap that led us to our current prison industrial complex. In most states, one cannot come up for parole for a life sentence until they have served at least 25 years (not counting compassionate release when someone is dying.)

The only way I was finishing this was as a hate read, and I don't have time for those.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

After enjoying book one (3 stars) featuring this unique Native American witness protection guide, Jane Whitefield, book two didn’t sit as well with me for several reasons.

While the story started off interestingly, it devolved into the machinations of embezzlement and a lot of stuff about the banking industry. I got bored enough to consider not finishing. When I finished reading another book, I came back to this one because I was still curious about the plot. But the story kept bogging down as Jane conducted surveillance (in slow, painstaking detail) to figure out who was behind the murders and where the money went.

Another equally important strike against this book was the gratuitous violence (on page 75%). Nothing from book one or this book had prepared me for the escalation. Some horrible situations one victim experienced in book one was briefly mentioned, though nothing was on page. This story could have been managed the same way as book one. It makes me wary of continuing with the series.

On a positive note, the plots are not easily pieced together (and I am a frequent reader of mysteries and thrillers).

I realize that my review is an outlier. However, considering the inconsistency in pacing (now of two books) and the unexpected violence found here, these books are best left for other readers to enjoy.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I continue to like this character Jane and see that I have now 6 more books to count on for fast paced action as Jane enacts her role as one who cares and puts everything on the line to rescue those who need it and expose criminals who see them as prey.

[jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

i would like to thank mike for leading me to this series, which i like to distraction. i'd give this book five stars if i hadn't given five stars to Portrait of a Lady and such other masterpieces. if goodreads allowed six stars, this novel would get five stars, for sure.

there is a brief and, as such things go, mild torture scene towards the end that blew me away. perry describes the tortured person's psychological evolution and eventual descent into psychosis in such a sensitive, intelligent, and informed fashion, that if you know anything about trauma-related psychic pain (and by know i mean know), you will be chilled and moved and blown away.

i love jane whitefield. i want to keep on reading about her. i have no interest, however, in meeting her, having her for dinner, or going to the movies with her. i want her to remain firmly ensconced inside perry's books, and i want perry to keep on writing about her as a lithe but steely presence in the vast human, urban, and natural scapes of the united states of america.

[Monica (is working the heck out of · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love kickass heroines, most especially those who take their own risks and who don't need to answer to their overprotective male partners/love interests/bodyguards/employers.

Jane Whitefield is agile, cunning, quick, silent, deadly and, most importantly, independent; I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this.

That said, she doesn’t always make the smartest calculations; the consequences of this flaw are very dire in this one.

To an extent, I understand why; but for this one problematic aspect of her character, she’d be hovering dangerously close to Mary-Sue territory.

Still, she makes more than one rooky mistake here, which costs lives and breaks people.

Also, I get no sense of her; she says very little and has almost no personality. I get a better sense of the minor characters than I do of her, and that’s a problem.

To continue, I love “on the run from people who want to kill me” stories because of the nail-biting tension, dramatic irony, and suspense.

That said, the story is stiff and boring in places, so much so that I had to rewind the audible book several times because I either kept dozing off or getting easily distracted. A good book interests me enough to bother to rewind it. An amazing book has me so hooked that I’ll either fight sleep to keep listening/reading or pause it if I need to do something that requires my concentration.
More importantly, there are huge stretches where I felt like I was listening to someone describe someone else playing Resident Evil, Toom Rader, or one of those other single player games. I like dialogue and action, and this one was dominated by dense walls of exposition and protracted descriptions of lone escapes, subterfuge, and goose-chases.

Finally, the Villain is your garden variety wealthy, murdering, torturing, greedy, arrogant sociopath, a muscular, terror inducing kingpin indistinguishable from that which you’d encounter in a piece of romantic suspense.

That said, I liked that you had to keep digging through layers of minor villains to get to him.

I’ll probably jump around in the series a bit, even though, as I’ve discovered upon scanning the blurbs for future installments, Jane winds up promising her overprotective love interest (Sigh, here we go again) that she’ll “never work again.”

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a significant improvement over the first in this series, Vanishing Act. The action starts on the first page, and the whole thing is smart, fast, and tasty. Jane gets to be a badass from the get-go, and the villains here are better as well.
Like the first, there is a romantic subplot here, but here it humanizes Jane as opposed to weakening her. This is also where most of the humor comes in, and it works. It's a small part of the book, but works well as contrast.
The main villain this time is smart and nasty, with believable motivations and no redeeming qualities. A perfect thriller villain, really, and one who is one step ahead of Jane for most of the novel. The cat-and-mouse games are spectacular, leading to a finale that is quite satisfactory, if a bit perfunctory.
The side characters are all well-drawn, the plot twisty but focused, and the action fantastic. Jane is our primary viewpoint, but others are used, on occasion, for purposes of either narrative or suspense, and are always used well. Given the number of specialized trades in this book, the exposition is never too heavy, giving you only the information you need.
If you're in the market for a great thriller with a strong, smart heroine, this is a great choice for you. This would serve well as an introduction to Jane Whitefield, so reading the first in the series is not necessary, though it is also worth a look. This won't be the best thriller you've ever read, probably, but is still a fine example of the genre.

[Jammin Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this story featuring Jane Whitefield, a Native American that works to get fugitives lost in the world. I didn't read book 1, but I loved her character and her willingness to help others to lead safer lives. She is really a kick-ass heroine and I loved her interactions with the little boy at the graveyard.

[Eric_W · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second in the Jane Whitfield series. Following a successful child protection, Jane is enlisted by someone she met briefly in jail who is being pursued by several men. It turns out that “Mary Perkins” was involved in several schemes to make money off the deregulation of the S&L’s (I happen to like the details of historical financial corruption, but it may bore the crap out of most people.)

Mary is reluctant to follow Jane’s directions. Hiding involves changing one’s personality as much as one’s looks. Things one liked before need to be ignored or disliked. If you liked money and sunshine, you need to move someplace where it’s cold and live ostentatiously. The details for creating new paperwork for new identities is truly fascinating. I wondered just how much experience Perry has in this regard.

The scene then shifts back to the child who, Jane suspects, is still in danger from the law firm that handled his Grandmother’s trust. She realized that the firm had a way to scam all the money out of the trust. They way they intended to do this is a wonder of convoluted legal machinations that, I suspect, might provide a blueprint for the hoards of unscrupulous lawyers out there, so if you are a lawyer, please don’t read this book. Jane sets out to scam the scammers with the help of a friendly and honest judge. The two cases merge as Mary and Jane are pursued by an unscrupulous private investigator.

Again, Perry intermingles lots of Native American lore into the story. Again, for me, at least, it seemed too peripheral, if interesting. Sometimes, the books seems almost a primary on how to disappear. I doubt if it would surprise anyone that Jane gets her revenge in the end.

[Randee Baty · Rating 4 out of 5]

My library is doing a discussion series on "Native American Mysteries" so that's how I was introduced to this book and this author. Thank you, Parsons Public Library! It was a very interesting read that will have me looking for the rest of the series.

Jane Whitefield, a member of the Seneca tribe, helps people disappear. Or in the case of the boy she was helping, she needed to make someone reappear at just the right time. Unfortunately, while getting him into the courtroom to prove he wasn't dead, several people were killed and Jane ended up in jail. When she is released by the judge, a former cellmate comes to her for help.

The book is a tale of how to make someone disappear while very powerful interests are trying to find them. I found that to be very interesting because much of what Jane does is not possible today in the post-911 world. It really pointed up to me how much has changed in the current climate of anti-terrorism laws!

The cross-country treks of Jane and her client are fast paced and kept my interest from the beginning. The bad guy is really bad and there are a few scenes that will be disturbing to some. They are confined to one section of the story and could be skipped without missing much.

Jane's native American background is mainly shown through dreams that she has that help guide her a bit and they were a little too drawn out for me. I skimmed those sections and didn't feel like I missed much. Over all, this was a good picture of a woman who fully embraces her native American heritage while being completely contemporary.

[Jerry B · Rating 3 out of 5]

When we read our first Thomas Perry, and first Jane Whitefield novel “Vanishing Act”, we were impressed by both the author’s story telling craft as well as the unique character and “occupation” of the leading lady. So we had high expectations for “Dance”, the second book in the Whitefield series.

As before, most of the tale involves Jane’s work as a private, one-Seneca-woman witness protection agency. When a young lad she’s been protecting is delivered to a courthouse to testify, and two people are murdered in the process, Jane goes into action protecting yet another woman, Mary Perkins, who turns out to have been set up so cleverly for S&L fraud, that she actually takes the money and runs. Eventually, it is clear she and Jane will never be able to sufficiently hide from another villain who runs his own security network, with virtually unlimited resources, so they decide on a trap technique instead. And on it goes.

What was fresh in book one quickly became boring in book two. And in the first book, when much of the “chase” enabled Jane to rely on her Seneca roots and wilderness skills, those hardly came in to play with freeway car chases, motel hideouts, and the like in this tale. In the end, we felt like this one was not nearly as original, as well plotted, or as entertaining as book one – leaving us to question whether pursuing more in this set is a good idea or not.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good read, in fact it was my second read of this book. I had forgotten I had already read it until I was a few chapters in. I decided to go ahead and finish it and was glad I did. I liked the character of Jane and what she did as a profession. I have as yet to read the very first book in this series and will remedy that very soon. In this one Jane takes on two clients whose cases become entwined as the book progresses. Jane attempts to help a young boy, Timmy, heir to a fortune and whose adopted parents have been killed. She then reluctantly takes on the case of Mary Perkins, a young woman who has made a habit of stealing millions from Savings & Loans but is now on the run from someone who feels they have the right to take what she has already stolen. This same ruthless pursuer has been stealing money from little Timmy's inheritance also. Jane is in for a tough ride because this pursuer will not stop until he gets what he wants. A big thumbs up for the Jane Whitefield series.

[Mike Nemeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Dance for the Dead," the second in the Jane Whitefield series, tosses the reader in the middle of the action. People with resources and instincts apparently as prescient as Jane's want to kill the little boy she's promised to protect. And Jane has miscalculated. Two she works with die, but she saves the kid. Author Thomas Perry then dives into the meat of the story. Jane meets Mary Perkins, who needs her help but initially doesn't rise to the level of a victim Jane normally deals with. But there's more to Mary's problems than Jane realizes. And the adversaries Jane faces are formidable, keeping a step ahead no matter how she tries to cover her tracks. But Jane is smart and calculating. And that's the allure of the character. She's no victim. She makes things happen. And when situations go bad, as they often do, she's ready with another plan. Perry's a pro, and his writing and detail, especially about Seneca history and practices, is constantly engaging. I read this as the third novel in the series and I immediately picked up the next.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Vanishing Act a few years back, and really enjoyed the first in this series. Jane Whitefield is a unique character, in that if you need to not be found, she will make you disappear. In her second adventure, the suspense & chase scenes are in full throttle. With her "extra" ID's, and some very clever ingenuity for setting a trap or to not get trapped. Jane might change more planes in one day, than a commercial pilot in a month. I really like her.

[Brittany McCann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy Jane Whitefield as a character, and I love what she does to help people.

Overall I love the main plot of this book, but it got entirely too long.

When the pacing is on par with the events, it is wonderful, but some of the flow gets so slow and drags and I hate that it happens because the meat of the book is pretty fantastic.

I will continue to read this series despite the lag times.

3.5 stars.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each Jane Whitefield story read makes me line this heroine even more! What a great story Thomas Perry put together with an ending that will bring a tear to your eye! Action, suspense and anticipation from beginning to end. 7 out of 10.

[ML · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so terrifying in parts that it took me a bit to finish it. I did not want the nightmares. 🫣🫣

Many people died in this one. Some really good people. I’m not sure how Jane can compartmentalize this type of heartbreak 💔. We do get introduced to a new soon to be ongoing character. This will be interesting in book 3!

In the end, the really bad guys get their comeuppance but it was brutal getting to the end! 😫😫😫

[LJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

DANCE FOR THE DEAD (Suspense-U.S.-Cont) - VG
Thomas Perry (2nd in series)
Ivy Books, 1996-Paperback
Jane Whitefield, an expert at helping people disappear, is actually helping a small boy reappear in time to save him from being declared legally dead and his inheritance being taken over by the trustees. However, it seems someone would rather he disappear forever. A woman asks Jane to help her disappear from those pursuing her. Although the cases are unrelated, the bad guys are the same.
*** I love books that are both exciting and actually teach me something--trusts and banking--without slowing down the story. Jane is a fascinating character, a Native American whose culture and history are provided through visions and dreams, who is capable and inventive. This is a very good book in a fascinating series.

[Joyce]

It's always a little shock to read a pre-9/11 book with lots of procedural details, and discover how easily people used to be able to take airplane rides without identification. Also people used pay phones and read newspapers -- even the morning and evening editions of newspapers! -- in 1996. And banks made bad loans on overvalued real estate, in transactions that might be fraud or might just be stupidity... oh, hmmmm, maybe that one does still happen. In any case, I hope Thomas Perry can find a way to continue this series in a security-threat-level-orange type of world.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really enjoying this series about Jane Whitefield. She's an interesting character - young, unusual profession, Native American, and not infallible. I'm fascinated by the methods she uses to make people disappear. The stories are suspenseful - I find it hard to put them down. Book 2 definitely had her pitted against a pretty bad dude, and it took everything she had to take him down. On to book 3...

[Elly Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3* Enjoyed this one too, just not quite as much as “Vanishing Act” and “The Butcher’s Boy.” Next time I listen, I may raise the rating but for this time, there was so much action, so many twists, that I found myself getting a bit disoriented. And it didn’t seem quite as solid. Still, an excellent audiobook and I continued to enjoy the Native American material.
Good one.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jane Whitefield has a very unusual and dangerous job. She helps innocent people disappear who are being hunted by bad guys. She is very good at this and has formed new lives for many people. definitely kept me on edge and rooting for her. I will continue with this series.

[Chrissie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's very interesting reading these type of mystery/changing identity books that were written in the 90s. Pre-9/11 they're going right up to the gates at airports to meet passengers. No smart phones. I'm very interested to see how book #9, out in November, keeps up with modern technology.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one got a little old and formulaic.

[Wesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one gets into Jane's background, and Seneca history more. Now I'm hooked, and will go on to the next one.