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The Dead [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Ingrid Black (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

Price: $32.50 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details
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Book Description

January 2005
Five years ago, Ed Fagan disappeared and since then nothing has been heard from the serial killer known as the Night Hunter. Now, a Dublin newspaper has received a letter from someone claiming to be Fagan, and the message is chilling: he's going to kill again.
At first, the Dublin Police are inclined to dismiss the letter as the work of a crank. Then, the body of prostitute Mary Lynch is found, and it's only too clear that a murderer is at large again.

But is it Fagan?

Saxon, a former FBI agent still haunted by the events of five years ago, was writing a book about Fagan when he disappeared, and she is certain as anyone can be that the killer must be someone else. So while Detective Chief Superintendent Grace Fitzgerald and the rest of the DMP sniff at a cold trail, she somehow has to convince them to look beyond the obvious.
But in a city of shadows and secrets, that's never easy--especially when the truth is so surprising that even the most astute detective would be shocked into carelessness in the moment of discovery.

And as Saxon knows, it's never wise to be careless in the presence of a killer.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Irish author Black invades Val McDermid territory and comes out a winner in this first mystery set in gritty, moody Dublin. Saxon (we never learn her first name), a former FBI agent turned true-crime writer, has remained in Dublin after her unsuccessful attempt to write a book about Ed Fagan, a vicious, Bible-quoting serial killer who suddenly vanished from Dublin five years earlier. She has a fond relationship with her lover, Detective Chief Superintendent Grace Fitzgerald, but a professional life in limbo. Then newspaper reporter Nick Elliott, who did write a book about Fagan, receives a letter with a threat to kill five prostitutes in the next week. With each murder, the killer taunts the police with enigmatic clues. Grace pulls Saxon into the investigation as an expert on Fagan, but Saxon knows from a secret she can't reveal to Grace that this is a copycat killer. The book becomes a tense balancing act between the police search for Fagan and Saxon's search for the real killer. A string of plausible suspects keeps the reader guessing and the suspense at fever pitch until the breathtaking ending. Black writes with the edginess of Denise Mina, Jenny Siler and the masterful McDermid. On the minus side, the many characters are hard to keep track of, and the use of Britishisms like "whilst" and "opposite to" by Saxon and a fellow American profiler jars. Still, this first book will whet the reader's appetite for a sequel.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

In a genre filled with Bible-quoting, women-hating serial killers who target prostitutes, Black's debut, set in a sharply detailed Ireland, stands out as a refreshing change of pace: its serial killer offers a new twist on psychotic behavior, and its heroine is not just another cop. Called simply "Saxon," the female narrator, an American expat, is a cigar-smoking former FBI agent involved in a love affair with Grace Fitzgerald, chief superintendent of the Dublin police. Saxon's FBI training comes in handy when Ed Fagan, a notorious Dublin serial killer, sends a letter to a local paper saying he is going to kill again--and does. Saxon, who extensively investigated the "Night Hunter," as Fagan was called, is positive that the killer is not a him. But can she convince the authorities? Black throws in enough red herrings to make the story unpredictable--indeed, the ending is a little too far-fetched--but what makes this one work is the psychology of the killer and the charisma of the heroine, whose combination of sarcasm and smarts will have readers clamoring for more. Jenny McLarin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 528 pages
  • Publisher: Isis (January 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0753172399
  • ISBN-13: 978-0753172391
  • Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.5 x 1.7 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

7 Reviews
5 star:
 (3)
4 star:
 (3)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
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Average Customer Review
4.3 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Tense and suspenseful thriller, July 27, 2004
By 
E. Griffin (Wilton, CT, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   
This review is from: The Dead (Hardcover)
The Dead has all the essential elements of an absorbing thriller including an independent heroine, a cruel and malicious serial killer, police officers with human failings, and the subtext of a love story set in rainy, chilly Dublin. What sets The Dead apart is Saxon, the hero, is a former FBI Agent turned novelist turned killer who is in love with the female Detective Chief Superintendent Grace Fitzgerald. The serial killer seems to have reappeared from the past to recreate new versions of his crimes. Only Saxon knows for sure that the former killer is dead, and this new crime spree is a copycat killer.

The plot of The Dead twists and turns, with suspicion falling on police officers, a newspaper reporter, the son of the alleged serial killer, and past coworkers of Saxon. Each time the reader thinks they are getting close to identifying the killer, Ingrid Black offers surprise and a smooth move down a new path.

The Dead is clever and skillfully written with strong characters and a well-developed plot. A cold and rainy Dublin almost becomes a character itself, creating a background that highlights the character's thoughts and action. The tension and suspense keeps the reader engaged for the entire book. I would strongly recommend this book to fans of mystery, suspense, and women sleuths, and hope that we see more from Ingrid Black.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars engaging Irish serial killer thriller, June 1, 2004
This review is from: The Dead (Hardcover)
Five years ago, Ed "The Night Hunter" Fagan killed his last prostitute, but suddenly vanished without being caught. In Dublin Post free lance journalist Nick Elliott informs former FBI agent Saxon that he received a letter from someone claiming to be Fagan and insisting it is time to start again. Saxon pursued The Night Hunter serial killer without success, but kept a journal with hopes of a true crime book coming out of their "joint" endeavor; not catching the killer left that book seemingly dead.

However, Saxon is a bit shocked with Elliott's news because she knows why Fagan and her book vanished since she killed him though everyone else thinks the Night Hunter lost interest temporarily. Saxon agrees to uncover the identity of the letter writer who has begun to kill. Though the killing signature and his modus operendi are slightly different, the Dublin police believe Fagan is back. Teaming with her secret lover Dublin police detective Grace Fitzgerald, the American expatriate searches for a killer who seems like a fun house mirror image of The Night Hunter.

This engaging Irish serial killer thriller hooks the audience due to the somewhat acrimonious narration of Saxon at times juxtaposed by her more intellectual sounding lover as both debate the murders. The story line uses action, though limited, to enhance the cerebral elements of the plot. The climax is terse, twisty, and terrific, but this tale is totally owned by the former American fed whose cat and mouse encounters five years ago and now make for a fine time for readers.

Harriet Klausner

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars I Couldn't Put It Down, July 15, 2004
By 
pc6 "pc6" (Durham, NC USA) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Dead (Hardcover)
A very absorbing read. I found myself staying up to 4AM to finish it, because I had to know how it all turned out. The identity of the killer turned out to be a complete surprise. I hadn't even come close to suspecting him. The protagonist, Saxon, is a bit of a bitch, but there is something deeply likeable about her. I enjoyed the interactions between Saxon, her lover, and the world at large. Pick this one up, it's worth it!
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