Dead Last [Hardcover]

James W. Hall (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 22, 2011

From an acclaimed “master of suspense”(New York Times Book Review) comes a thriller in which Thorn must confront an assassin whose victims and methods are taken directly from the script of a popular TV show

April Moss writes obituaries for the Miami Herald.  Her son, Sawyer, also a writer, has been scripting a cable TV series called “Miami Ops” and has been using his mother’s work as a central element of the show's storyline.  In “Miami Ops,” a serial killer is using obituaries published in the local paper as a blueprint for selecting his next victims.

But midway through the season, a copycat appears off-screen, a real-life killer who is using the same strategy to select victims.  When this serial killer crosses paths with the reclusive Thorn, he has no choice but to leave his sanctuary in Key Largo and join forces with a young policewoman from Oklahoma who is investigating the murders.

In addition to the show’s head writer, April’s other son, Sawyer’s twin brother, works on “Miami Ops” as the lead actor.  Could one of them be involved in the killings?  Or are they orchestrated by the director of the TV series, an aging mogul who badly needs a hit? And what about the female star of the show, a deliciously strange young woman who seems willing to do anything to promote her career.

Thorn walks into this hotbed of entertainment business intrigue totally unprepared for the life-altering shocker he’s about to face. This loner from Key Largo has brought down his share of killers, but he's never confronted one that was his own flesh and blood.

With the pacing of a thriller, and the lyrical prose for which Hall is renowned, this story pits Thorn against a killer—or killers—whose motives are as elusive as their identities.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Dead Last is a mystery with multiple layers, with Thorn pursuing a ruthless and clever killer as well as diving into his own past — two paths that will have a shocking convergence.” —St. Petersburg Times

“Thorn, that Key Largo loner whose renegade style always gets results, has written another page-turner, this time with a surprising twist. [...]Which, if any, of these leading suspects, is the right one? As if that weren't enough of a puzzle, Thorn gets the surprise of his life in the course of the investigation.” —Valerie Ryan, Shelf Awareness

"Hall combines crisp prose, solid psychology, sardonic humor, and glimpses of an edgy, fast-changing Florida into a suspenseful and satisfying whole." --Publishers Weekly on Dead Last

About the Author

JAMES W. HALL is an Edgar and Shamus Award-winning author whose books have been translated into a dozen languages. He divides his time between South Florida and North Carolina.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; First Edition edition (November 22, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312607326
• ISBN-13: 978-0312607326
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #23,315 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

James W. Hall was born in Kentucky, and graduated from Florida Presbyterian College with a B.A. in literature, and a deep love of Florida. He went on to earn an M.A. from Johns Hopkins University and a Ph.D. from the University of Utah, then returned to Florida to teach literature and creative writing at Florida International University for the next 36 years. During that time he published four books of poetry, a collection of short stories, a book of essays, and seventeen novels--most of which feature an enigmatic loner named Thorn. Hall was a Fulbright professor in Spain and is the winner of both the Edgar Award and the Shamus.

His collection of stories, OVER EXPOSURE, is available as an ebook. His most recent Thorn novel is DEAD LAST. Coming in April is HIT LIT, a non-fiction work that focuses on twelve of the biggest bestsellers of the 20th Century and examines why we love the books we love.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spectacular Florida Noir, December 4, 2011

By 

nobizinfla "nobizinfla" (Windermere, Florida USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dead Last (Hardcover)

Jim Hall is an uncompromising novelist. His latest Thorn adventure is an intoxicating, noir shrouded Florida mystery/thriller.

Thorn at best is a conflicted and reluctant hero. After his bride of just one month dies, he withdraws and attempts to destroy all of his possessions. Underneath the rage, he appears to be re-evaluating his existence.

The self-pity is short lived when an Oklahoma Sheriff enters his life. She's 19 years old and as fierce as any 19 year police veteran. She (Buddha Hilton) has a case that interlocks with Thorn's past and present. The case takes Thorn out of his comfort zone in the Keys and into the urban jungle of Miami.

In Miami, Thorn is reunited with a lover from his past (Obituary writer, April Moss) and learns that he now has twin sons. He reacts as best he can...but it's a tough one to come to grips with.

To get to the bottom of the murders, Thorn must match wits with both the law and the bad guys.

Everyone he encounters harbors some secret and suspicions weave through the story. No action (past or present) is without consequence.

"Dead Last" is smartly plotted. The plot is absorbing, disquieting and unpredictable.

Even with just a small cameo from Thorn's best friend Sugarman, the supporting cast is wonderful.

April Moss, his former lover; FBI agent Frank Sheffield; Sheriff Buddha Hilton and April's mom, Garvey are vividly brought to life.

Jim Hall captures the Florida feel in an authentic manner---you can feel the humidity, taste the salty sea breezes and feel the heat of the Florida summer sun.

At the end, past and present lock together for a payoff I never saw coming.

In the finale, Thorn requests one favor from April. The granting of that favor on the final pages is powerful, moving and unforgettable.

Just a great ending that leaves you thinking Thorn may have hope for some happiness in the future.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars superb whodunit, November 22, 2011

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dead Last (Hardcover)

Sawyer Moss, son of Miami Herald obit reporter April, uses his mom's obituaries as a key source in writing scripts for the cable series "Miami Ops"; a show in which his twin stars. The show's theme centers on a serial killer using obituaries as a guide to selecting his next kill.

However, a fan duplicates the TV show using April's obits to pick and kill. Starkville, Oklahoma teenage sheriff Buddha Hilton travels to Key Largo to ask for reclusive grieving widower Daniel Thorn's help. Thorn's late wife Rusty's Aunt Michaela Stabler (who also was Buddha's adoptive mother) was stabbed to death in Starkville; Rusty's Miami Herald obituary next to her. Thorn agrees to assist the Sooner law enforcement official in finding out who enforces real life to imitate art.

The latest Thorn thriller (see Silencer) is a superb whodunit as the protagonist wonders if someone from the show is willing to do anything for publicity. The story line is fast-paced while containing plausible exciting twists. Thorn is at his best as he prefers to grieve his loss alone, but out of homage to his late wife works the case. James W. Hall always provides a great mystery.

Harriet Klausner

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great writer at his very best!!, December 2, 2011

By 

Book Lover (CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dead Last (Hardcover)

I've read every Thorne novel as well as all of James W. Hall's non-Thorne novels and DEAD LAST just might be this accomplished author's best. It features Hall's dependably gorgeous prose, pitch-perfect dialogue, great pacing, and revelations that are as stunning to the reader as they are to Thorne. An absolute don't-miss!!