Dead Men [Large Print] [Paperback]

Stephen Leather (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2009

Undercover cop Dan "Spider" Shepherd knows there are no easy solutions in the war against terrorism. When a killer starts to target pardoned IRA terrorists, Shepherd must put his life on the line to protect his former enemies. While he is undercover in Belfast, a grief-stricken Saudi whose two sons died under torture in the name of the War on Terror is planning to avenge their deaths by striking out at two people close to Shepherd. As the assassin closes in on his prey, Shepherd realizes that the only way to save lives is to become a killer himself.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'A brilliant read that stands out of the morass of so-so military thrillers around nowadays.' -- News of the World on HOT BLOOD 'There's a new breed of British crime writer giving the genre a much-needed shake-up - and Stephen Leather is at the forefront ... the sheer impetus of his storytelling is damned hard to resist.' -- Daily Express on COLD KILL 'This is an aggressively topical novel but a genuinely thrilling one, too.' -- Daily Telegraph on COLD KILL 'A grand finale that'll have readers on edge' -- Literary Review on COLD KILL 'Reading Stephen Leather at leisure is always a pleasure. The pacing of SOFT TARGET is superb ...' **** -- Ireland on Sunday 'As tough as British thrillers get ... gripping' -- Irish Independent on HARD LANDING 'A riveting read' -- Sunday Life, Belfast on SOFT TARGET 'Exciting stuff with plenty of heart-palpitating action gingered up by mystery and intrigue ... Leather is an intelligent thriller writer' -- Daily Mail on THE TUNNEL RATS 'As high-tech and as world-class as the thriller genre gets' -- Express on Sunday on THE BOMBMAKER --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Stephen Leather is a former journalist for the Times. He is the author of the Dan Shepherd Mystery series and several other thrillers.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: ISIS Large Print Books; Large type edition edition (April 1, 2009)
• ISBN-10: 0753180898
• ISBN-13: 978-0753180891
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Stephen Leather was a journalist for more than ten years on newspapers such as The Times, the Daily Mail and the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong. Before that, he was employed as a biochemist for ICI, shovelled limestone in a quarry, worked as a baker, a petrol pump attendant, a barman, and worked for the Inland Revenue. He began writing full time in 1992. His bestsellers have been translated into more than ten languages. He has also written for television shows such as London's Burning, The Knock and the BBC's Murder in Mind series. You can find out more from his website, www.stephenleather.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spider runs with wolves, February 18, 2008

By 

Joseph Haschka (Glendale, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Dead Men (A Dan Shepherd Mystery) (Hardcover)

"I've been asked to give you a call to reassure you that we are aware of the approach that has recently been made to you by your American counterparts ...The fight against terrorism is one that we have to absolutely have to win. There's no question about that. And sometimes measures have to be taken that fall outside the remit of our law enforcement agencies ... We're very grateful for the work you've done for us in the past, your exemplary army career and the excellent job you've done as a police officer and with SOCA. There's no pressure on you to accept the offer that has been made. All I'm doing is calling to let you know that if you do accept, you do so with our blessing and that you will be accorded whatever protection we're able to offer. Subject to total deniability, of course." - A late night call from the Prime Minister in DEAD MEN

This is the best Dan Shepherd thriller to date. Nicknamed "Spider" because he once ate a tarantula on a SAS survival exercise, Dan is in danger of perhaps losing his relative innocence in the next book of the series. The stage is set in DEAD MEN.

This installment of Shepherd's career against assorted Bad Guys is at once better than some previous ones because the action alternates back and forth between two equally absorbing and heavy-hitting storylines, both of which achieve well developed and satisfying conclusions. Subplots in previous books, e.g. Hot Blood (A Dan Shepherd Mystery), have been known to sputter out in deference to the main plot.

Here, Shepherd, an ex-SAS trooper now working undercover for the United Kingdom's Serious Organized Crime Unit (SOCA), is assigned by his boss, Charlotte Button, to find the person responsible for murdering several ex-Irish Republican Army members, all involved in the execution of a Royal Ulster Constabulary officer, Robert Carter, several years previous. The Irish are now protected by the British government in deference to a cease fire agreement with the IRA. The chief suspect in the latest killings, which have so far eliminated four of Carter's five executioners, is Carter's wife, Elaine. Dan must get close enough to her to obtain either damning or exculpating evidence regarding her involvement.

In the meantime, Saudi sheikh Othman bin Mahmuud al-Ahmed hires the accomplished Muslim killer-for-hire Hassan Salih to assassinate the two individuals involved in the interrogation of Othman's terrorist son, Abdal Jabbaar, a couple of years previous, the methods of which interrogation included the torture death of Jabbaar's younger brother, Rahmaan, and assault on Jabbaar's sister, Kamilah. Jabbaar was subsequently imprisoned at Guantanamo and ultimately committed suicide. CIA officer Richard Yokely, reluctantly assisted by Charlotte Button, conducted the original interrogation (the details of which can be found in the Dan Shepherd thriller Cold Kill (Dan Shepherd Mysteries)). Salih's brief is to torture to death both Yokely and Button.

Because of Button's involvement in both of DEAD MEN's concurrent plots, so too is Spider.

Yokely is perhaps the most intriguing character. Like his hunter Salih, Richard is coldly effective, Machiavellian, and willing to do whatever it takes, however unethical by normal standards, to do his job, which is protect the USA and its allies. Richard also has friends in very high places, which adds a sinister element to his power. But, of course, Yokely is on America's and Britain's side in its battle against Islamic jihadism, so he perhaps has the Western reader's good will. Nevertheless, both Yokely and Salih are predatory, vicious wolves.

DEAD MEN is, obviously, a work of fiction written for its entertainment value. But author Stephen Leather is also presenting a moral dilemma. Just how unscrupulous and hardball do the guardians of Western society play it against those that would bring that society down? Perhaps the author himself has yet to answer that to his own satisfaction. In any case, the conundrum is presented by contrasting Shepherd, who's careful to limit his (sometimes lethal) violence to what's more or less legally sanctioned, and Yokely, who most certainly does not. Also, there are the answers Dan himself provides to the moral choice questions presented to him by Caroline Stockman, SOCA's resident shrink charged with evaluating the operational fitness of that agency's operatives.

DEAD MEN stands alone both as an edge-of-your seat nail-biter and as a possible preview of Shepherd's way through Yokely's shadow world. How will the call to duty play out?

5.0 out of 5 stars Dead Men, January 28, 2012

By 

Big Bertha (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dead Men (A Dan Shepherd Mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

I'm reading my way through the Spider Shepherd series by Stephen Leather and this, the fifth is definitely my favourite so far.

This time Spider's working undercover over the water in Belfast where a gang of ex-IRA prisoners who have all been released under the Good Friday agreement are getting 'popped off' one by one. Chief suspect is Elaine Carter, the widow of an Officer in the RUC killed by the gang. A second storyline has Spiders boss Charlotte Button and US Homeland Security's Richard Yokely in the crosswires. The action is balanced with the domestic as Spider struggles to arrange his work/home ratio so that he can spend as much time as possible with his young son Liam.

As with the previous novels this is a fast paced thriller with plenty of action to keep the reader interested. Whilst these books are by no means the best written or literary masterpieces, if you're after an easy read that'll keep you turning the pages without having to think too much, then you can't go far wrong with this series.

Any of the books can be read as a standalone novel but I'd recommend reading them in order as a number of the characters appear in previous novels

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Predictable and tiresome Sheperd, March 20, 2008

By 

bibliophile "A.B" (Florida USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dead Men (A Dan Shepherd Mystery) (Paperback)

Once more Stephen Leather wrote a Dan Shepherd novel.Once more ,since he has introduced to us Dan Shepherd,a bad replacement in any sense of Joker another ex SAS man, Leather came up with a predictable and tiresome story. The reader knows half way with certainty how the story will end.Shepherd will triumph though amidst some moral dilemmas.Morality is questioned for half a minute and then everything is nice and dandy.
I ve bought all Shepherd novels and i have purchased all of Leather's published work.I think he is an exceptional writer.His earlier works( like hungry ghost,double tap.tunnel rats.vets,Chinaman) were excellent.His Shepherd works are below par and mostly waste of time and money.They re a poor attempt to preach stereotyped morality and values and how to save the world by doing your duty.