Customer Reviews

Dead On

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Ann Yang is trying to move on with her life after a messy divorce. She moves to Doylestown, a small Pennsylvania suburb. She expects her job as medical examiner to be fairly quiet, but Ann is surprised when she becomes embroiled in a case that has all the twisted markers of a serial killer. Not only is she searching for common clues during autopsies, but Ann starts receiving personal threats that she may the final and most important victim in the madman's scheme.

Ann's search leads her to New Orleans and into past life regression, where it appears she may have been killed in multiple lifetimes by the same killer. Other pieces of the puzzle come together when Ann finds a diary that is over one hundred years old while remodeling her Victorian home. The diary reveals very intimate details about an unsolved disappearance of a young girl.
Ann has a quest to find the killer before he tries to fulfill his demented destiny.

DEAD ON is a debut mystery and has been nominated for an Agatha Award for Best First Mystery Novel. It is easy to see the reason for the nomination. Ms. Kelley has a unique style and voice. The blend of paranormal, gritty mystery and erotic undertones make for a true page turner. This is not the book for those who want a "cozy", but will be enjoyed by those who are fans of Karin Slaughter, Tess Gerritsen and MJ Rose.

The story is told partly in third person narrative and in journal entries. This combination, along with pitch perfect dialog make for a riveting read. My only criticism is one that I have found even in national bestsellers. That is the occurrence of glaring typos. In this day of technology, pages seem to be proofread by computer programs, rather than a second pair of eyes. I am guilty of this myself. Being an avid reader and reviewer this is sort of a pet peeve.

Ms. Kelly has great promise as a writer and is wished much success in her career.

Dead On is an excellent read that will take you through many character's lives and somehow, Ann Kelly brings them all together like a wrapped package. Her writing style is somewhat of a less gory James Patterson. The setting for this novel makes you want to go to Bucks County, PA and check out all the true to life landmarks. This is not a book that you will give away, since you'll want to read it again, just in case you missed something! Well done, Ann Kelly. I'll be waiting for a new release!!

Ann Kelly combines highly eloquent writing with a very absorbing story. The book is a must-read for anybody who appreciates a good mystery and savors skillful use of the language. Dead On is worth reading more than once. While it's a page-turner, don't read too fast or you'll miss the strong descriptions. The characters and scenery are portrayed beautifully, and the book is a bonus for anybody who is familiar with Bucks County.

There is nothing like a good mystery to keep you up turning the pages at night and "Dead On" is one of those books. With plot twists and turns and characters that are inextricably linked through their pasts (yes that "pasts" is plural for a reason...) you can't help but be sucked in. Add to that a surprise ending and you've got a real keeper of a novel.

The best part of the numerous characters and unique storyline (not to mention the location details of murders that happen right in my backyard) is that it spurred numerous discussions between me and my partner who got to read it first (she won the coin toss :-(

Can't wait to read the next mystery from this up and coming author....

Ann Yang, a county medical examine, tracks and confronts a killer who claims to have killed her before--in other lifetimes. While Ann is investigating a series of brutal killings in an upscale suburb, she finds an old journal in her home containing intimate details of a murder that took place on the grounds over 100 years before. Meanwhile, she becomes involved with the handsome carpenter remodeling her home--even though she suspects he could be the killer. I loved the language play and surprises in this book, and the ending does the erotic, suspenseful tale justice. I loved it!

Dead On by Ann Kelly is a stunning first novel that blends ghostly happenings, romance, eroticism, time travel and intrigue into a genuine page-turner. The Ann Yang character (Bucks County, PA medical examiner) is particularly well-drawn, and the story builds nicely to a satisfying conclusion. I highly recommend it.

I thought that this book took alote of imagination to write,(I hope). I was very shocked by the ending and the combination of true crime and beliefs of past life was a great idea. I very enjoyed it very much and I will look for more books by Anne Kelley.

What a great book! The suspense was outstanding and the characters were very good. Especially good was the ending of the book. Lots of good books have a disappointing ending. This most certainly did not. The villain was very scary and you did not suspect how it would turn out. Hopefully, this book will become a movie!!!

I read Ann Kelly's book over the course of a long weekend. I could not put it down. It followed me everywhere I went! Ann has a flare for words, and a great skill with keeping an interesting storytelling pace. Pick up this novel if you interesting in something new and exciting. I would spoil it with more info...but thats just wrong!!!

Ann Yang is the new Bucks County ME in Doylestown, PA, trying to catch a psychopathic serial killer in the Philadelphia suburb. She desperately needs to delete the disturbing memory of a failed marriage and find her new place in life. The psychopath may not be the only one who's nuts in the book, and the intimate relationship Ann wants to uncover may not be far from home. The case sends her to a place we all love, pre-Katrina New Orleans, but even that trip brings more questions than answers to her and her retired FBI associate. The leading clue left by the killer is the button from a Civil War uniform, and Mulder and Scully are not around to help her with the past-life regressions and time travels that cloud her mind and the case. The excessive use of italics representing text from a diary and thoughts held by the perpetrators makes the reading more difficult than necessary. Some of the descriptions of characters and events are so brief that they appear to be extraneous to the plot, confusing the reader just a bit. A few of the chapters are less than a half page in length: a little more detailed explanation of the characters and their actions would not hurt the pace of the story. The one-star review posted on this site is overly harsh. Dead On is a cake-walk to three stars, and the fourth provides the benefit of the doubt. This is a fine first effort by an upcoming new author.