The Dead Man [Paperback]

Joel Goldman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2009

Careful What You Dream. Milo Harper wants former FBI agent Jack Davis' help. People in Harper's study of the human brain are starting to die - and dying exactly in the very ways they have dreamed...Harper wants Jack to get to the truth and counter lawsuits aimed at the foundation. But when Jack investigates, the truth explodes: a serial killer is lurking inside one of the most advanced research facilities in the world. For Jack, the case will shatter illusions, raise ghosts, and take him onto both sides of the law - and into the path of a murderer's terrifying rage.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Locked and loaded and full of the blood of character and the gritty detail that make up the truth...I loved it." - Michael Connelly (on Shakedown)"

About the Author

Joel Goldman is the Edgar and Shamus author of the Lou Mason and Jack Davis thriller series. He lives in Leawood, KS with his wife and two dogs. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Pinnacle; Original edition (April 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786020407
• ISBN-13: 978-0786020409
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #66,323 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm in my fifth decade as a fourth generation Kansas Citian. I spent twenty-eight years as a trial lawyer and plan to spend at least as many as a writer. I started writing when one of my law partners complained about another and I suggested we write a murder mystery, kill the SOB off in the first chapter and spend the rest of the book figuring out who did it. So I did. Read the rest of the story on my website at www.joelgoldman.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars FAST PACED AND CHOCK-A-BLOCK WITH DANGER, April 9, 2009

By 

Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Dead Man (Paperback)

Someone recently wrote an article indicating that the sale of romance novels has gone up during this economic slump. People, it seems, want to escape through their reading. Since I'm not a great fan of bodice-rippers I'd like to suggest that reading a good thriller is a fine way to escape for a while, and to this end try Joel Goldman's The Dead Man.

Second in the Jack Davis series this story will capture with the opening pages - a sheriff goes to a brutal murder scene at a farmhouse. A couple is dead, brutally murdered, slaughtered really, rather reminiscent of the Clutter killings. But in that case the murderers were caught - in this case they are not.

As many will remember Jack is a former FBI agent. He suffers from a movement disorder that causes him to shake, thus the FB no longer believes he is capable of service. Milo Harper runs an institute aimed at helping people control their dreams. However, her institute may now be named in a law suit due to recent deaths of patients.

A friend of Jack's recommends him to Milo to run security for her. Said friend presents this opportunity to Jack as the perfect job for him - set your own hours, take breaks whenever you wish, etc. Jack's response is, "I haven't had a perfect job since Sue Ellen Erickson asked me to carry her books home in the fifth grade." Nonetheless, he takes the job.

It's not long before he has reason to wish he was back in the fifth grade as his investigation soon reveals that there is a psychotic serial killer on the loose.

Chock-a-block with danger and fast-paced The Dead Man will take anyone's mind off a dwindling bank account, at least for a while.

- Gail Cooke

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars 3.5 star mystery thriller, June 9, 2009

By 

Denise Crawford "DC" (Missouri, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Dead Man (Paperback)

Entertaining thriller featuring a very interesting protagonist!
Former FBI agent, disgraced Jack Davis, suffers from a neurological ailment that causes tics (involuntary spasms and muscle movements) and brain fog. Nevertheless, he is hired by billionaire Milo Harper to investigate why participants in a dream study he has funded have started to turn up dead - and have died in just the very way that they had nightmares about! The body count rises and Jack teams up with his landlady, a former cop named Lucy who was jailed for stealing diamonds from a crime scene, and the search for the killer is on.

The story is set in Kansas City, my hometown, and that added another interesting layer to the novel as I had fun identifying with the landmarks, streets, and other familiar details. The story blends past events to current circumstances in a well crafted tale but there is one main unanswered question at the end!

The characters are the best part of this mystery and I think there might be a sequel using them - at least I hope so.

Enjoy!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Too predictable!, January 12, 2012

By 

Othercat - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Dead Man (Jack Davis Thrillers) (Kindle Edition)

This book really shouldn't be compared to Grisham or Patterson. It had a great storyline, but it was soooo predictable! I knew who the killer was within 15 minutes. After that, I felt like I was just waiting for the characters to catch up. This could have been easily avoided by omitting just a couple of scenes.