Double Dead [Hardcover]

Gary Hardwick (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1997

When Detroit mayor Harris Yancy is murdered by two masked gunmen while enjoying an evening with his call-girl mistress, prosecutor Jesse King discovers that his own independent investigation into the crime has brought him into conflict with some powerful and ruthless enemies. 20,000 first printing."

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Jesse King is an assistant district attorney in Detroit who takes comfort in taking dangerous criminals off the streets. When Detroit's mayor, Harris Yancy, is murdered, authorities implicate his mistress, Ramona Blake. Ramona had been with Yancy before he died and, worse, fled the scene with Yancy's locked briefcase. Enter Jesse King, who becomes convinced that Ramona is innocent and, when he launches his own investigation, is accused of Yancy's murder. While hunting the real killer, Jesse goes on the run, searching for the truth in Detroit's violence-ridden streets.

From Library Journal

Detroit's esteemed mayor, Harris Yancy, is conducting a tryst with his mistress, Ramona Blake, when two assassins stab him to death. Amazingly, Ramona manages to elude her would-be killers, taking the briefcase that Harris was carrying. Jesse King, a driven, well-respected, and scrupulous assistant prosecutor for Wayne County, is called into the case. Trying to piece together this bizarre crime is no easy task, especially when it appears that the mayor was involved in some shaky transactions. Opposing Jesse in the legal battle is his ruthless ex-lover, Karen Blake. When Jesse is framed for Karen's brutal murder, he teams up with Ramona, and the unlikely duo take to the streets of Detroit in an effort to save their lives and clear their names. Hardwick (Cold Medina, Dutton, 1996) does an admirable job of creating a vivid picture of big-city politics and street crime, and this exciting, well-written novel is recommended for most public libraries.?Maria A. Perez-Stable, Western Michigan Univ. Libs., Kalamazoo
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Adult (August 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525939202
• ISBN-13: 978-0525939207
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,309,994 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Gary Hardwick is an author, screenwriter and award-winning director of The Brothers and Deliver Us From Eva. He lives in Southern California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You must read this THRILLING MYSTERY, October 11, 2000

By 

"misslove" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Double Dead (Paperback)

Double Dead is a compilation of squelching suspense, majestic mystery, and just a touch rising romance. Immediately, the unrelenting characters and profound dialogue seizes your attention and coats your imagination with intrigue. Gary masterfully authored an intoxicating story full of cunning twists and ferocious turns. The multifarious characters are a tasteful blend of allure, sass, rancor, invincibility, and mystique.

Set in dilapidated Detroit, a heinous murder occurs expounding the mystery and toxic deceit surrounding the political, religious, and criminal activities in Detroit. Jessie King, a sagacious district attorney for the city, is assigned to the case. Obsessed with `Justice for All' and plagued with the disjointed evidence, Jessie attempts to solve the murder himself. Discovering too much, Jessie gets saturated as he grapples to emerge unscathed from a wicked tale spin through the violent, decaying streets of Detroit. The sadistic characters and perilous situations that Jessie encounters along the way will captivate you.

Double Dead is so intense and spellbinding that your eyes will hungrily devour each page, in an attempt to digest this engrossing mystery that leaves you hungry for more.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, April 6, 2000

By 

Brian K. Walley (Clayton, Delaware) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Double Dead (Paperback)

Double Dead is a book that grabs you from page one and literally won't let you go until it's over. A fast-paced, "gritty" story of life in Detroit. The main characters in the book, Jesse and Ramona, were both very believable characters and their lives, due to fate, crossed paths and they found themselves needing each other for survival. Anyone who likes mysteries (books by Valerie Wilson Welsey or Hugh Holton, for instance) is sure to enjoy this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as his other title!, February 9, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Double Dead (Hardcover)

Again this book tackles urban crime, particularly the drug culture. The author knows his stuff; the storyline was gritty and violent. The gang of women drug dealers was new and different and added spice to the book. I wish they had been portrayed as less hotheaded and irrational as their male counterparts, who were more calculating and devious. Unfortunately, I also was not into the "romance" that happened between the two main characters. I found it hard to believe that they would fall in love: A hardworking attorney who'd pulled himself up by his bootstraps and a professional "kept" woman??!!! Please! The ending read like a drugstore romance novel and took away from the storyline. But this author is well worth the time and when he writes another title, I will definitely add it to my reading list.