Dear Irene,: An Irene Kelly Mystery [Mass Market Paperback]

Jan Burke (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1996 | Series: Irene Kelly Mystery

Still recovering from injuries sustained in her last murder investigation, reporter Irene Kelly dutifully hobbles back to work, only to get lured into another case of murder and mayhem. On her very first day back, Irene is "welcomed" by a threatening bit of fan mail from someone who calls himself "Thanatos" - the ancient Greek name for "Death." Though Irene shrugs it off as a prank, she soon learns to take Thanatos at his word. As Thanatos' letters keep coming, each cleverly wrapped in mythological puzzles, the bodies mount - as does the tension in southern California's beach community of Las Piernas. Unwilling to be a pawn in a killer's deadly game, Irene Kelly knows she must take action. Taunted by phone calls and deadly threats from a killer known only to her as Thanatos, Irene ignores warnings from her worried fiance, homicide detective Frank Harriman, and embarks on her most dangerous case yet. As Irene unravels the clues to the case - each one embedded in ancient riddles and mythic puzzles - Thanatos watches her every move with a fascination that brings him too close for comfort. Yet Irene will stop at nothing to unveil the true identity of this genius of death, even if it means playing into the hands of a killer who is determined to make her part of his deadly destiny.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Nearly recovered from the wounds she received in Sweet Dreams, feisty reporter Irene Kelly returns to her California newspaper office to be caught up in another intelligent tale of danger and vengeance. Among her accumulated mail is a letter from someone calling himself Thanatos, addressing her as Cassandra and promising that "Clio will be the first to die." Dismissing the letter as the work of a kook, she nevertheless pursues the mythological references: Thanatos is Death; Cassandra, a woman cursed with telling the truth but not being believed; and Clio, the muse of history. That night the body of a college history professor is found, her skull battered, in the peacock enclosure of the zoo. The next day Irene is phoned by someone who identifies himself as Thanatos, claims responsibility for the crime and threatens another. As the warnings and murders continue, Irene and her fiance, police detective Frank Harriman, find themselves caught in the web of police and press relations and the counter-pressures of Frank's desire to protect Irene versus her need for independence. Burke maintains firm control of her intricate tale, leading readers along a suspenseful path to a dramatic conclusion.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Newspaper reporter and amateur sleuth Irene Kelly receives an unsettling letter at work that uses mythology to warn her of impending death. A series of brutal murders follow, each preceded by a letter to Irene. Despite cautions from her detective fiance, Irene launches her own investigation. A follow-up to Sweet Dreams, Irene (LJ 2/1/94).
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Avon Books (Mm) (February 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380725568
• ISBN-13: 978-0380725564
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,981,149 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm the author of crime fiction novels and short stories. You can find out more about my writing on my Web site.

I'm also the founder of The Crime Lab Project, which works to increase awareness of the problems facing public forensic science labs in the U.S.

I live in Southern California with my husband, Tim, and our two dogs, Cappy (in the photo above) and Britches.

I want my epitaph to read, "Had a great time, thanks for inviting me." I hope not to be in need of that any time soon.

Oh yeah -- I'm a lifelong night owl. As another night owl once said, don't go to bed on the same day you've awakened.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another fabulous Irene Kelly mystery!, March 11, 2003

By 

Pat Tracy (Lexington, KY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dear Irene, : An Irene kelly Novel (Mass Market Paperback)

If y'all haven't read the first two books featuring Irene Kelly, fearless reporter ... well, I recommend getting & reading them soon!

In this 3rd installment, Irene is recovering from the physical and psychological injuries she incurred in "Sweet Dreams, Irene" (definitely an ironic title, I'd say!) and is trying to recover her natural (feisty) courage to deal with a new threat: someone sending her mail, calling her his "Cassandra" and giving her "hints" about future horrific murders defined/described by mythology ... implying that SHE must solve the murders to stop them.

Besides dealing with the frustrations of her physical limitations from previous injuries (leg cast, sore hand, painful shoulder), Irene must conquer the unwelcome fears her previous experiences had inflicted upon her ... and recapture the fearless curiosity that made her such a great reporter ... so she can keep more people from getting killed and bring the killer to justice.

I enjoyed "watching" Irene follow the clues (and her instincts)to investigate & solve the mystery, even while dealing with the "conflicts" of reporter vs. police (confidential questions/informers) and conflict of interest (being engaged to a detective!)*AND* trying to deal with overly sympathetic friends, family and "suspects" who want to help.

Did I say I had to read the whole book in one sitting? <g>

Pat, looking forward to the next Irene adventure!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wise-cracking thriller, November 5, 2003

By 

Lynn Harnett (Marathon, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dear Irene, : An Irene kelly Novel (Mass Market Paperback)

Fiesty newspaper reporter Irene Kelly (recovering from her last adventure) starts getting cryptic letters from a serial killer whose creepy fascination with her increases with each murder. Sound familiar? Well, yes, but that doesn't make it a bad plot.

In this case the variation is classical. The letters are from Thanatos, Greek for death, and address Irene as Cassandra, the seer who's fated never to be believed until too late. Thanatos describes his victims and methods in terms of Greek and Roman mythology and taunts Irene with the possibility that if she's quick enough she might save a victim and catch the killer. And if she's not, she may be his final victim.

Burke keeps the pace moving. With ingenuity, police work and investigative skills that ring true, Irene and her fiance, police detective Frank Harriman, find a link between the victims that reaches back 40 years. Still the mystery is far from solved and people keep dying while Irene finds strange tokens from Thanatos in her locked car.

A good, suspenseful story with plenty of meat in the plot, a bang-up finish and just a little too much wise-cracking banter from Irene.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bring on the next one!, July 7, 2005

By 

Jennifer Wells "Tree Hugger" (Wolcottville, IN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dear Irene, : An Irene kelly Novel (Mass Market Paperback)

What can I say, another great book in the Irene Kelly series! Jan Burke once again wrote a unique and page-turning novel that I couldn't put down. Throwing in a bit of mythology made this book even more entertaining and thought-provoking. And once again, the romance between Irene and Frank is a wonderful addition to the storyline. I'm ready to read the next book.