When his beloved stepfather is murdered, a Los Angeles reporter confronts lingering questions about his paternity as he trails the killers. By the author of The Horse Latitudes. 150,000 first printing. $250,000 ad/promo. Lit Guild & Mystery Guild Feat Alt.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
The opening scene of Ferrigno's third crime novel (after The Cheshire Moon) is a reminder of how good and tough this West Coast-cool author can be: as two killers invade the home of California Superior Court Judge Teddy Krammerson, the judge meets death with dignity, but not before slamming one of his attackers in the face with a telephone ("'You have no idea how good that felt," he said... breathing hard, his eyes calm as smoke. 'Opportunity knocks... I always answer.'"). In the face of rampant evil, the judge's stepson, investigative reporter Quinn, shows similar courage as he digs into the murder. The web of deceit involving new ripples from long-ago crimes that Quinn uncovers is so tangled, so ultra-Chandleresque, that the reader yearns for some violent action to cut it clean. But there's no relief until the final chapters, when Ferrigno thrusts Quinn into two shockingly bloody battles. Along the way, a gallery of memorable characters-the two killers, eccentric and scary angels of death; their wealthy, corrupt patron; Quinn's mysterious family friend who reappears after 28 years in prison-boost the sleuthing. And an affecting subplot about Quinn's loyalties in love-he is torn between his girlfriend and his estranged wife and daughter-enriches the tale. But finally, poor pacing and spaghetti plotting render what could have been a minor crime classic into just an above-average thriller. 150,000 first printing; $250,000 ad/promo; Literary Guild and Mystery Guild featured alternates.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Ferrigno (The Horse Latitudes, LJ 2/1/90) continues the adventures of investigative reporter Quinn. Judge Teddy Krammerson, Quinn's stepfather, is brutally murdered, apparently by neo-Nazis. At the same time, Teddy's old friend, Joe "Steps" Sarducci, has been released from prison, much to Quinn's surprise; his stepfather had told him that Joe had died 28 years ago. Teddy's murderers are Rick, a flamboyant, psychotic hairdresser, and quietly intense Hugo, who happens to be Joe's driver. As Quinn investigates the murder, he discovers other connected deaths and finds himself looking into his own past?at his tenuous relationship with Teddy, at the identity of Joe Steps, and at Ellis Fontayne, a powerful defense attorney whom Quinn recognizes from his childhood. Good characterizations mark this light, entertaining novel. Recommended for fiction collections.?Stacie Browne Chandler, Newbury Coll. Lib., Brookline, Mass.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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More About the Author
I was born in South Florida, a tropical backwater rife with mosquitoes, flying cockroaches and the sweet stink of life. My youth was spent stealing science-fiction paperbacks from the local mini-mart and cutting tunnels through the palmetto thickets behind my house with a machete. Later, I regularly burned down those palmettos for the pleasure of seeing the fire trucks arrive, sirens blaring.
After earning degrees in Philosophy, Film-Making and Creative Writing, I thought that I would be happy as a college professor, writing dense, literary novels which I would assign to my students. I found, however, that being a professor was mostly a matter of going to meetings, and that I hated reading, let alone writing dense, literary novels. Instead, I went back to my first love, poker.
The next five years I gambled full-time, living in a high-crime area populated by starving artists, alcoholics, and drug dealers. I was comfortable there, and became friends with many people who would later populate my novels, the loveable, but dangerous sleazeballs as they have often been described. After a time, I got restless and used some of my winnings to start a punk rock magazine called The Rocket, where I interviewed the Clash, Elvis Costello, Iggy Pop, etc. The success of The Rocket got me a job as a feature writer for a daily newspaper in Southern California, where I took the adventure-and-new-money beat.
Over the next seven years I flew jets with the Blue Angels, drove Ferraris and went for desert survival training with gun nuts. More importantly, the newspaper taught me to train my eye and ear, to observe, to research, and how to use direct, concise language to create a character, and set a scene. The newspaper was a great gig but I wanted to write novels. I quit my day job.
My first novel, THE HORSE LATITUDES, (1991) was called the fiction debut of the season by Time magazine. It was, however, only May. I have since written seven more novels. My work has been described by the Washington Post as "Quentin Tarantino territory, with drugged-out and sometimes violent people in search of sensory overload, but what makes it all not just bearable, but often compelling, is Ferrigno's scorching wit and his relentless moral sense."
I love writing crime thrillers. At their best they are an honest portrayal of the human heart, within the context of love, humor, ambition, greed and betrayal. Just like life, the good guys are usually tainted, and the bad girls are smarter than anyone. While I can no longer understand a word of my undergraduate thesis on the philosophy of British logical positivist Ludwig Wittgenstein, thanks to researching my novels, I can steal a locked car within thirty seconds, effectively clear a jammed Mac-10 machine gun, and make crystal methadrine from ingredients found in any supermarket. I wouldn't have it any other way.
After earning degrees in Philosophy, Film-Making and Creative Writing, I thought that I would be happy as a college professor, writing dense, literary novels which I would assign to my students. I found, however, that being a professor was mostly a matter of going to meetings, and that I hated reading, let alone writing dense, literary novels. Instead, I went back to my first love, poker.
The next five years I gambled full-time, living in a high-crime area populated by starving artists, alcoholics, and drug dealers. I was comfortable there, and became friends with many people who would later populate my novels, the loveable, but dangerous sleazeballs as they have often been described. After a time, I got restless and used some of my winnings to start a punk rock magazine called The Rocket, where I interviewed the Clash, Elvis Costello, Iggy Pop, etc. The success of The Rocket got me a job as a feature writer for a daily newspaper in Southern California, where I took the adventure-and-new-money beat.
Over the next seven years I flew jets with the Blue Angels, drove Ferraris and went for desert survival training with gun nuts. More importantly, the newspaper taught me to train my eye and ear, to observe, to research, and how to use direct, concise language to create a character, and set a scene. The newspaper was a great gig but I wanted to write novels. I quit my day job.
My first novel, THE HORSE LATITUDES, (1991) was called the fiction debut of the season by Time magazine. It was, however, only May. I have since written seven more novels. My work has been described by the Washington Post as "Quentin Tarantino territory, with drugged-out and sometimes violent people in search of sensory overload, but what makes it all not just bearable, but often compelling, is Ferrigno's scorching wit and his relentless moral sense."
I love writing crime thrillers. At their best they are an honest portrayal of the human heart, within the context of love, humor, ambition, greed and betrayal. Just like life, the good guys are usually tainted, and the bad girls are smarter than anyone. While I can no longer understand a word of my undergraduate thesis on the philosophy of British logical positivist Ludwig Wittgenstein, thanks to researching my novels, I can steal a locked car within thirty seconds, effectively clear a jammed Mac-10 machine gun, and make crystal methadrine from ingredients found in any supermarket. I wouldn't have it any other way.
Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
All of the right ingredients, but the mix is a little off.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Dead Man's Dance (Paperback)
Robert Ferrigno can write. The Cheshire Moon and, especially, The Horse Latitudes prove that. With his southern California settings and dark, noir technique, he's been compared to James Ellroy. Dead Man's Dance falls a little short, though. It has evocative atmosphere, a couple of genuinely frightening psychopathic villains, a brooding, conflicted protagonist, some excellent minor characters, and a labyrinthine plot. The ending, however, just doesn't meet the high standard set by the rest of the book. It's not bad; it just isn't very satisfying. The book is definitely worth a read, but for a taste of Ferrigno's true potential, try The Horse Latitudes
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A well crafted mystery with interesting characters.,
By
This review is from: Dead Man's Dance (Paperback)
As an investigative reporter who is not shy about getting involved in the uglier side of life, Quinn, the protagonist of Dead Man's Dance, is no stranger to humanity's dark underbelly. But when he has to investigate the brutal murder of his own stepfather, his protective veneer of professionalism and objectivity is entirely stripped away.Dead Man's Dance is a well crafted murder mystery populated with a host of interesting characters. Readers know from the onset of the narrative that the killers are two frighteningly creepy hired guns named Hugo and Rick. The novel's mystery therefore revolves around the identity and the motivation of the person who has paid them to kill. As Quinn pushes forward in his search for the truth he becomes aware that events occuring 3 decades in the past, some of which involve him personally, have led to his stepfather's killing. Robert Ferrigno is a very talented novelist. The story is nicely paced and quite engaging. And the characters are well fleshed out and interesting. I look forward to reading other books by this same author.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
I was rooting for Hugo and Rick!,
This review is from: Dead Man's Dance (Paperback)
The only thing I liked about this book was Hugo and Rick. the plot was so convoluted not to mention pointless that if it wasn't for his colorful killers I would have passed on it. Why would anyone want to start killing folk after thirty years? Too weak of a plot line for my taste.
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