Shallow Graves

John Pellam #1

by William Jefferies (Pseudonym), Jeffery Deaver

John Pelham had a promising career in Hollywood until his drinking got in the way. Now, as he tries to pick up the pieces of his shattered career, he finds himself in the small town of Cleary, New York, looking for a new location for an upcoming film. But the town's inhabitants are less than excited. When his friend is murdered and the crime is covered up by the local police, John realizes just how far the town will go to keep its secrets hidden.

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

368 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

There is more than one author by this name in the database.

This author: Pseudonym for Jeffery Deaver.

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

John Pellam is in Cleary, New York to line up locations to film a Hollywood movie. Some residents are excited, hoping to land a part in the film. Other residents - for reasons of their own - want John and his partner Marty to go away forever. Harassment ensues and before long Marty is dead in suspicious circumstances.



The town honchos expect John to pack up and leave but he insists on hanging around to investigate his partner's death. In the course of his investigation John meets a variety of people, including:

A horny hippy;



A pretty real estate agent and her family;



A hostile mayor;



A tough sheriff;



some thugs, and so on.



The story has a rather mundane "secrets in a small town" theme but it has some interesting twists. This is an average mystery, good for a bit of diversion.

You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....

[Jim C · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the beginning of a series. Jeffrey Deaver wrote this book under a pseudonym and it was early in his career. In this one, we follow Pellam as he is a location scout for a movie company. He visits a small rural town and trouble rises for him. Someone doesn't want him or his movie company to shoot there.

This book was early in the author's career and it shows. I have read several of his later works and they have been terrific reads. This one had flaws. I thought some of the characters could have used some more fleshing out. I could say the same thing about the mystery aspect as it was pretty much straight forward. One of the things I love with this author is his use of twists and turns. In this one there was a revelation at the end that I didn't think was earned. As I was reading this you can see the roots of the author's writing style in his later books. They were just not refined yet as I have been come accustomed to when reading his books. Like I said it was early in his career.

This wasn't the author's best work. I really didn't expect it to be either. There is something there for a series as the main character is interesting. His job definitely will let the author explore different scenarios. I started reading this book because I was curious about his early work. With that curiosity fulfilled I can go back to his later works which I enjoy so much.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

John Pellam was a movie location scout along with his partner Marty as they rolled into Cleary, New York. However, things were bound to get out of hand and go sideways. Seems like in an instant Marty is killed when he's blown up by a car while trying to smoke crack. Pellam knows better that something is very fishy. Pellam soon discovers bullets holes in gas tank of Marty's car. Before Pellam can get very far a car barrels into him sending him to the hospital. The driver, Meg a local real estate agent and mostly housewife visits Pellam in hospital and they become fast friends. The plot spends the next several days investigating Pellam's quest for the truth about Marty's death. Poor Pellam goes from one harrowing situation to the next. I thought the plot was somewhat predictable, and did know how it was going to end far before conclusion. The characters were pretty well developed and the dialog was especially witty. Having never read a Jeffery Deaver book before I was anxious to try one out. I gave this 3 stars out of 5. When I had finished the book I was 50-50 as to whether or not I liked it. Not sure if I'm going back into another Deaver book at this point. It was an okay story. Did not really grab and hold me too well. I imagine Deaver fans enjoyed this more than I did.

[Armin · Rating 1 out of 5]

24/100
Literarische Lehrlingsleistung mit entsprechend vielen handwerklichen Schnitzern und bezeichnenden Schwächen. Motivation war damals schon nicht gerade Deavers Stärke, Bösewichter waren auch schon im Frühwerk Schmutzfinken und Müllsammler, erste Ansätze zur nicht vorhersehbaren Wendung sind ebenfalls erkennbar, gerade beim Finale. Ansonsten typischer Thriller Ende 80er, frühe Neunziger, aber eben aus der Feder eines ziemlich ungeübten Autors.
Keine schmerzhafte Leseerfahrung, auch wenn man immer wieder entsetzt zusammenzuckt, wenn der Anfänger, der anscheinend endlich die Kurve gekriegt hat, einen gelungenen Abschnitt durch eine besonders plumpe Wendung entwertet.

[Jessie (thatchickwithabook) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars for Shallow Graves by Jeffery Deaver. Deaver has such a captivating way of writing, however, his earlier works seem to be missing this and also missing his twists and turns he’s now known for. Nevertheless, I thought this novel was an easy and enjoyable read. I’ll definitely be finishing the trilogy.

[David Thrale · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Deaver's thrillers. This is the first of his books that I have read based on John Pellam. Shorter and warmer in character than the Lincoln Rhyme series, I am used to reading. A thoroughly easy and enjoyable read.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story, my first Deaver/Pellam but not the last. "Location scouting is to the film business what Switzerland is to war. John Pellam had been in the trenches of filmmaking, with a promising Hollywood career - until a tragedy sidetracked him. Now he's a location scout, who travels the country in search of shooting sites for films. When he rides down Main Street, locals usually clamor for their chance at fifteen minutes of fame. But in a small town in upstate New York, Pellam experiences a very different reception - his illusionary world is shattered by a savage murder, and Pellam is suddenly center stage in an unfolding drama of violence, lust, and conspiracy, which have a stranglehold on this less-than-picture-perfect locale."

[Jasbr · Rating 4 out of 5]

An dem Buch hat mich nicht als erstes gereizt, dass es in den USA spielt - das ist bei Thrillern ja nicht unbedingt was besonders. Interessant fand ich, dass es um Kinofilme geht. Wer jetzt aber an Hollywood denkt, liegt falsch, denn die Geschichte spielt in einem kleinen Provinznest und von einem Film bekommt man auch nur die Location-Scouts mit :D

Was mir aber richtig gut gefallen hat, war die Atmosphäre in dem Buch: Nach außen ist alles Friede-Freude-Eierkuchen, aber hinter den Kulissen spielt sich eine Intrige nach der anderen ab, die dann schließlich auch zu einem Mord führt. Das war seeehr spannend und die Auflösung einfach der Hammer. Denn damit hätte wohl niemand gerechnet.

John Pellam ist eine großartige Hauptfigur: Irgendwie zwar innerlich gebrochen, aber mit viel Verstand und vor allem Gerechtigkeitssinn. Auch wenn er also "nur" ein kleines Tier in einer großen Filmfirma ist, so steckt doch auf alle Fälle mehr dahinter.

Der Schreibstil hat mir auch gefallen, die Spannung war da, auch wenn es an einigen Stellen einige Längen gab. Deswegen gibt es von mir auch "nur" 4 Sterne!

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shallow Graves is the first of Jeffrey Deaver’s Location Scout novels. John Pellam is the location scout in question, and his job is to scout for suitable locations at which to shoot movies. He is doing just that in the small upstate New York town of Cleary when he is injured as a pedestrian and his assistant, researching a different location, dies when the gas tank of his hire car explodes. The speed of the “investigation” and the hasty disposal of the burnt car wreck cause Pellam to suspect foul play. The presence of bullet holes in the car body near the gas tank firm these suspicions. In the course of his own investigation, Pellam encounters a hippy, an attractive real estate agent, a pharmaceutical manufacturer, an apple fair, a junkyard, a jealous land developer, guns, drugs and quite a few fists at close range. Plenty of plot twists keep it exciting to the very end.

[Michelle Bacon · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of Jeffrey Deaver's earlier works about a location scout for Hollywood that goes into Cleary, New York and finds a little more than the perfect location for the film Shallow Graves. Pellham's partner winds up dead and Pellham doesn't believe the story he is given of how his partner died. This sends him on an investigation that could cost him his life and his job. A good book, but not Deaver's best. I enjoyed to action and mystery of the story.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

John Pellam works for a film (movie) maker as a location scout. He stumbles on a small town racket which puts him in harm's way. The characters are quite well developed and somewhat credible. The plot has some twists which keep the reader interested.

[Tuesday's Child · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deaver never disappoints.This is an older book, which i found by chance.Pellam is an interesting character, but not as compelling as Rhyme.Still, it is a solid read!

[Hazycloudsong · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I like is the way Deaver makes the place as much a character as the people. As someone who doesn’t know the US to any flavoured degree, let alone the smaller outposts as Cleary represents here, he evokes the feel, the smell, the light, so you can feel the leaves under your feet and the grime beneath your nails.

As always you’re going to find cliff hanger ends, twists and tumbles a plenty, tropes he is now renown for but here at the earlier end of his career (and indeed pseudonymously) already a mainstay.

[Nicci Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. I liked John Pellam. It was fast, and it had enough twists to keep me interested.

[The Cats’ Mother · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have a sometimes unfortunate compulsion to read everything (OK, almost everything – I can pass on Mills & Boon) that comes my way, and to read all series in order. The third book in the John Pellam series by William Jefferies – which is Jeffery Deaver in disguise – came to me from my book group, so I sourced the first two online and felt I should read them first. This has turned out to be a waste of time and money – when I have so many other books to read, and only limited time in which to read them. Sadly, not all books by good authors are good. This suffered from being extremely dated (it was published in 1992), having a weird and not particularly likeable hero, and an irritatingly wittery writing style.

John Pellam is a location scout for Hollywood movies; arriving with his young colleague Marty in a small New England town that seems perfect for his current commission, most of the locals are excited and want a bit part, but someone is trying to scare them off, first by vandalising their Winnebago, then by murdering Marty and planting drugs at the scene. The local police seem disinclined to look too deeply into it, and Pellam, becoming more and more suspicious, gets involved with two of the local women as he tries to work out what’s being hidden.

The story was okay, but nothing special, and the mystery no great surprise. 2.5 stars rounded down because this really shouldn’t be marketed as a Deaver book when it’s nowhere near as good as the rest.

[Manugw · Rating 4 out of 5]

GRIPPING

The tale begins when John Pellam a location scout, arrives in Cleary, upstate New York looking for the scenery of a future movie and meets a hostile town, then some awful things begin to happen to him and to his companion Marty with no apparent reason and instead of leaving town he is determined to stay, look for clues and face everything, these facts set up the mistery. I enjoyed this book, because this colorful story is so well written, that you can feel the tension and hostility against Pellam every step of the way and dont know what is coming up next, that is what I would call, suspense !, but what I liked the most is the great character drawing, and the dialogues, with just a few words when facing each other, they tell you all, how they actually are, their intentions, how they really feel and what you could expect of them, concocted with many dimensions, they looked like they were ready to jump off the book and sit right next to you. Also, I have another compliment for the twists in the story, this is a resource widely used by Mr Deaver in all his books, they were not many but those few under his sleeve were masterfully used at the right time, rocking my chair. Finally tough the ending leaves room for many sequels, the engrossing plot, worth reading, is what really counted.

[Old Man Aries · Rating 3 out of 5]

Il secondo thriller di Deaver senza i protagonisti storici (Rhyme & Sachs) che posso dire di aver gradito fino in fondo.La storia è abbastanza semplice, almeno nelle premesse: il location scout John Pellam si trova nella classica cittadina di periferia americana come se ne vedono in tanti film... e come in tanti film non è il benvenuto; partito semplicemente alla ricerca di luoghi per un film si ritrova ad affrontare una situazione in cui cominciano a capitare troppi strani incidenti per essere pura casualità.Molti se ne andrebbero di corsa, ma Pellam si ritrova con un motivo per rimanere ed ha le capacità e la volontà per scoprire chi c'è dietro tutto quel che gli sta capitando.Un thriller sicuramente inferiore a quelli del ciclo di Lincoln Rhyme, ma indubbiamente intrigante ed avvincente: il personaggio è più interessante di altri creati da Deaver e la trama è riuscita a superare il mio astio per i romanzi sulla "provincia americana".Nota a margine: questo sembra essere il primo romanzo di un ciclo dedicato a Pellam che verrà pubblicato (in ritardo) in Italia... vedremo se le premesse verranno mantenute, nel frattempo mi sento di consigliarne la lettura a chi vuole leggere un Deaver un po' diverso dal solito.

[Barbra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Jeffery Deaver's books and this is the first in a new sries for me. Really enjoyable.

Back Cover Blurb:
John Pellam had been in the trenches of filmmaking with a promising career - until tragedy sidetracked him. Now he's a location scout, travelling the country in search of shooting sites for films. When he rides down Main Street, locals usually clamour for their chance at fifteen minutes of fame.
But in a small town in upstate New York, Pellam experiences a very different reception. His illusionary world is shatterd by a savage murder, and Pellam is suddenly centre stage in an unfolding drama of violence, lust and conspiracy in this less-than-picture-perfect locale.

[Shirley Marie Bradby · Rating 4 out of 5]

September, 2011
prefer to pass judgement AFTER I have finished reading this book and not before! : )) So stay tuned! :))


01 Nov 2013
My goodness! So much time has passed..... I just discovered that I never came back to complete my review! Well, I must say that I enjoyed the book! It was very well-written, with a pace that was fast but satisfying....so I must say that it was a good read! :))

[Kristy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only gave it three stars because in the beginning I kept thinking how cliche the storyline was: Movie location scout from LA goes to a small town and the locals try to run him out of town. It ends up taking some twists and turns, and the second half of the book is much more exciting than the first half. Plus, one of the characters is a chemist :)

[Janai Symons · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun mystery thriller about a small New York town in which the protagonist wants to film a Hollywood movie. Dangerous things keep happening to him and the people around him. It is clearly early in Deaver's work and not as strong as the later books, but it is fun and well worth the read for thriller aficionados.

[Matteo Pellegrini · Rating 3 out of 5]

Abituato ai libri di Lincoln e Amelia in questo ci si allontana molto dal classico modo di narrare di Deaver
Il personaggio di Pellam è comunque coinvolgente e ti porta all'interno dell'azione facendotela vivere in prima persona
Resto curioso ora di leggere gli altri 2 libri con protagonista questo personaggio per vederne gli sviluppi e la crescita

[Marti · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was interesting in that it told what a film scout would do. There was quite a lot of violence, not to mention the use of drugs by a 10 year old boy, however inadvertently. Apparently, Jeffery Deaver is planning to use the character John Pellam in a subsequent book, since this one is designated John Pellam, #1. e-book

[George · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first of Deaver's "location scout" novels...Pelham is scouting a new little town and finds bad things. Despite resistance from the local constabulary, he solves the crimes and moves on to book #2. Characters are pretty well developed and easy to follow. A thoroughly easy and enjoyable read/listen.

[Erik · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was nice to read yet another Deaver book. His books are easy to read, interesting, and well plotted. This was no exception.

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took a long time to get going and I figured out who the mastermind was early on. Not one of Deaver's best efforts.

[Mai-ana]

A nice easy read to read in the car on my short breaks. Not as twisty turny as some of his other stories, although the twist was there.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have this one as an E Book and it seemed to ramble on where the paragraphs and situations should of ended. Poor editing on this made it hard to enjoy the story line.

[Ruth Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a slow start and seemed to be somewhat disjointed, but by the end it really pulled me in.

[kerry · Rating 1 out of 5]

My first Jeffrey Deaver book (in this case under his pseudonym) and sadly it was a disappointment.

Out of stubborness I finished it, but the storyline was fairly weak. Typical small town cliches, poor character development, unlikable, unforgettable characters.

The two new visitors to town who are location scouts, one of whom end up dead and the other, determined to prove it was actually murder ends up being framed in multiple ways by the locals, cue typical corruption by way of the town's sherrif and others'.

At the crux of it all, a bored wife takes a fancy to this new visitor to town by way of an "accident" where she hits him with her car. Despite turning over obvious stones that point to his colleague's murder, it's he who continues to be framed by the locals- didn't see that coming at all.

In the end, with a pretty unremarkable showdown, it turns out the bored wife's lover was indeed the one who killed the location scout's colleague, all out of jealousy that his lover might want to run away from him and live the Hollywood dream and how he couldn't let that happen.

I've skipped some detail here of what happens inbetween but you get the gist.