As Good as Dead (Five Star First Edition Mystery) [Hardcover]

Ralph M. McInerny (Author)

Book Description

Series: Five Star First Edition Mystery | Publication Date: June 2002

One of McInerny's most intriguing and fast-paced novels, filled with sharp plot turns and the urban mayhem he's famous for.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Thomas Aquinas scholar and author of the Father Dowling mystery series, Ralph McInerny turns his attentions to the seedier side of life with As Good As Dead, in which a hit man hired by a dying woman finds his job complicated by two unwelcome understudies. Double-crossing, second-guessing and regrets abound as the novel jump-cuts between the conniving woman and the sparring criminals on its path to a bloody conclusion.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Declining to waste away when she is diagnosed with terminal cancer, Lucy Flood hires hit man Philip Crowe to end her life, setting in motion a string of unexpected events. Lucy only knows she will die painlessly in two or three days, but her husband and friends, through a series of misunderstandings, come to believe that one or more of them might be the target of the hit man. Crowe, however, has problems of his own in the form of enthusiastic would-be apprentice Larry and his girlfriend, Madeline, who are dogging the hit man's steps, eager to learn the trade. Attracted to Madeline and willing to use Larry, the unemotional Crowe proceeds with his plans through foul-ups, crosses, and double-crosses. McInerny, known for several mystery series, including the popular Father Dowling novels (the latest is reviewed below), populates this stand-alone mystery with unhappy marriages and mostly unpleasant characters, but the plot twists are enough to keep readers engaged (and guessing who will die in the end). Sue O'Brien
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Hardcover: 300 pages
• Publisher: Five Star (ME); First Edition edition (June 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786241799
• ISBN-13: 978-0786241798
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #535,388 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Better Off Unread, October 8, 2002

By 

Mamalinde "mamalinde" (Dallas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: As Good as Dead (Five Star First Edition Mystery) (Hardcover)

A cacophony of bizarre characters and ideas, lumped together in a mishmash that gets worse with every page. NOT a cozy by my definition. I admit to not being able to not finish the book, not only was I disengaged from every single one of the characters, there were such a multitude of inaccuracies and improbabilities that I am labeling this ... Better Off Unread.