Dancing With the Dead

by John Lutz

When two women who closely resemble each other and who are both competitive ballroom dancers are murdered separately, Mary Arlington, a ballroom dancer who resembles the two victims, begins to fear for her own life.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

208 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1992

About the author

Librarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

John Lutz has captivated suspense enthusiasts for over four decades. He has been one of the premier voices in contemporary hard-boiled fiction. His work includes political suspense, private eye novels, urban suspense, humor, occult, crime caper, police procedural, espionage, historical, futuristic, amateur detective, thriller; virtually every mystery sub-genre. John Lutz published his first short story in 1966 in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and has been publishing regularly ever since. He is the author of more than fifty novels and 250 short stories and articles.

His novels and short fiction have been translated into virtually every language and adapted for almost every medium. He is a past president of both Mystery Writers of America and Private Eye Writers of America. Among his awards are the MWA Edgar, the PWA Shamus, The Trophee 813 Award for best mystery short story collection translated into the French language, the PWA Life Achievement Award, and the Short Mystery Fiction Society's Golden Derringer Lifetime Achievement Award.

He is the author of two private eye series, the Nudger series, set in his home town of St. Louis, and the Carver series, set in Florida, as well as many non-series suspense novels. His SWF SEEKS SAME was made into the hit movie SINGLE WHITE FEMALE, starring Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh, and his novel THE EX was made into the HBO original movie of the same title, for which he co-authored the screenplay.

Lutz and his wife, Barbara, split their time between St. Louis and Sarasota, Florida.

Reviews

[Stuart Brynien · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fans of "Dancing With the Stars"--or ballroom in general--will appreciate this 1992 mystery/thriller set in the world of waltzes, tangoes, and fox-trots. Mary Arlington is a woman in her thirties who takes dance lessons at a local studio; when other dancers, all women, start turning up dead--and when it becomes clear that each of the victims looked a heck of a lot like her--she begins to wonder if she's next. Making matters worse (but helping to make Mary one of the most well-rounded characters you're ever likely to meet), she has to deal with an abusive boyfriend, an ailing and alcoholic mother--AND the guy she's falling for may (according to the police) be responsible for the savage murder of his wife, a/k/a Victim Number One. Lutz populates his story with any number of suspects, and you'll be kept guessing till the end, but all the "dance-speak" slows the action down some, there are, perhaps, too MANY red herrings, and Lutz doesn't play entirely fair when it's time for the Big Reveal. A good read, but not a great one. Recommended, with reservations.

[John Marr · Rating 1 out of 5]

As a long-time John Lutz fan, I found this a huge, awkward disappointment. It's basically a sob story of a battered woman overcoming poor partner selection via the empowerment tropes of ballroom dancing, with a serial killer-killing specializing dancers who look just like her tossed in to get this book into the thriller section. The apparently authentic dance school setting adds mild interest.

[Leona]

No stars because I couldn't finish this one. My rule is that if I'm not in love with the book by 27% (100 minus my age), I'm giving up. Life is too short to read books that don't interest me. I've always loved John Lutz's books but this one, not at all. By 27%, nothing was happening to hold my interest.

[Gerd · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't like this book, quit it because I lost every interest in the murder that occurs at the beginning of the book and by page hundred I just wanted to slap around the female lead, who lives with a abusive partner, myself.

It's pointlessly meandering along between her dancing lessons, visiting her mother, who's a alcoholic and debating why she should leave her abusive boyfriend, which she won't get away from because he's so good in bed...

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mary is kind of a wimp. Her father was abusive, and she kept taking back an abusive boyfriend.

[Eliana]

Keeps you hooked til the very end every time. P.I. thriller/mystery.

[Terry Tilley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice! Easy read, an escape!