Dead Connection (Charnwood Large Print) [Import] [Hardcover]

Alafair S. Burke (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: Ulverscroft Large Print Books Ltd; Large Print Ed edition (January 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1847820387
• ISBN-13: 978-1847820389
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,315,401 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Alafair Burke is the author of what the Sun-Sentinel has hailed as "two power house series" featuring NYPD Detective Ellie Hatcher and Portland Deputy District Attorney Samantha Kincaid. Alafair's novels grow out of her love for writing, her experience as a prosecutor in America's police precincts and criminal courtrooms, and her ability to create strong, believable, and eminently likable female characters. Dennis Lehane has called her "one of the finest young crime writers working today."

A graduate of Stanford Law School and a former Deputy District Attorney in Portland, Oregon, Alafair is now a Professor of Law at Hofstra Law School, where she teaches criminal law and procedure.

Alafair is often asked about the origin of her name. Alafair was named for her father's maternal grandmother. Now it is a name that belongs to her, two of her cousins, and, from what she can find on Google, ten cats, two dogs, an alpaca, and a boat.

She lives in New York City with her husband and beloved dog, Duffer.

Learn more about Alafair at www.alafairburke.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars `Find the motive, and the motive will lead you to the man.', June 23, 2008

By 

J. Cameron-Smith "Expect the Unexpected" (ACT, Australia) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dead Connection (Hardcover)

Detective Ellie Hatcher is specifically sought for a special assignment on the homicide task force when a clue left at the scene of a murder seems to connect two cases to an online dating service. Detective Hatcher is a rookie NYPD detective but Detective Flann McIlroy, seeks her involvement anyway. Why? I don't want to spoil the novel for anyone: suffice to say there is an explanation in the novel.

This thriller is set in the murky world of identity theft and anonymity: both made easy by the use of the internet. While Hatcher and McIlroy set out to solve the crimes, they uncover other crimes that may be related and a number of potential suspects. Along the way, both Hatcher and McIlroy break a number of rules and individual readers may find this irritating if not unbelievable.

And the conclusion? Some aspects are more clear-cut than others, and I found some parts of the storyline more satisfying than others. Overall, though, this was an enjoyable read and well worth picking up if you have a couple of hours to fill.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 4 1/2 Stars...To Another Level, August 13, 2007

By 

Eric Wilson "novelist" (Nashville, TN United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Dead Connection (Hardcover)

A few years back, Alafair created a stir when she arrived on the publishing scene, residing as she did in the huge shadow of her father, crime novelist James Lee Burke (one of my all-time favorites). While never trying to match his mastery with words and imagery, she showcased her own talent for plotting and dialogue, and gave us a memorable protagonist in Samantha Kincaid. With each Kincaid mystery, Alafair's writing got stronger as did her ease in storytelling.

Now, with the introduction of Detective Ellie Hatcher, Alafair takes it to another level. Drawing from her own experiences as a youth during the days of the BTK killer, she weaves in family and psychological insights without growing heavy-handed. She uses the theme of Internet dating, telling a cautionary tale while never oversimplifying. She teases us into the story with a great opening chapter, then leads us through a list of questions and suspects which pull us rapidly toward the conclusion.

Ellie Hatcher is a tough cookie, throwing out snippets of humor and exhibiting a few character foibles, which only make her more likable. The book ends with her poised for her next investigation, a more personal one. Alafair also manages, in a cleverly handled scene, to connect Ellie with a certain Detective Robicheaux in Louisiana.

With one series well underway, and another now off and running, Alafair Burke looks like she'll be around for a long time. That's a good thing. A very good thing.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thrilling, January 22, 2008

By 

Kirstin M. Pamboris "KMP" (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dead Connection (Hardcover)

Driven, young detective Ellie Hatcher, working scams and robbery in New York receives a surprising special assignment to the homicide department: A young woman had been strangled in an empty alley.
Like her two other victims have been killed. One 12 and one 24 months ago and the fourth victim is coming up.

All woman had something in common: They were connected to an online service named FirstDate. During investigations Ellie and her new partner won't get any help from FirstDate's CEO without a court order.
The killer's changing his M.O. and one victim wasn't even an user of FirstDate but a FBI informant releasing informations about credit card fraud and Russian drug dealers. Mentioning FirstDate to an agent got her killed three days later.

Searching for patterns that don't exist or don't add up Ellie and her partner use the help of former programmer and co-founder FirstDate to solve this case.

A fantastic mystery, very well thought through. As a former deputy district attorney and being the daughter of James Lee Burke, an acclaimed crime writer, Alafair Burke certainly knows what she's writing about. Twist and turns, dramatic and a little love is all this book needed to make it a perfect, suspenseful mystery, very well written and without leaving any questions at the end.

The character Ellie Hatcher is a stand-alone besides the Samantha Kincaid series, which I haven't read yet but certainly will read sometime soon.I read on e Alafair's webpage that there's going to be a series with Ellie. :-)