Kill Me Again [Paperback]

Paul Bishop (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1994

Los Angeles homicide detective Fey Croaker must solve the recent murder of a pretty, forty-something woman whose fingerprints identity her as someone who has already been murdered--eighteen years earlier.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Empathy for female victims of child abuse and adult sexism informs this gripping, intense sixth novel by Bishop ( Chapel of the Ravens ), a 17-year veteran detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. At 43, homicide detective Fey Croaker has survived three dead-end marriages, a severely abusive upbringing and the relentless resentment of her male colleagues on the force. Now, because of a streak of unsolved murders, Fey feels extra pressure to solve the murder of a mysterious woman who had multiple IDs with different names, a million dollars in cash and only brand-new clothing and furniture in her equally brand-new condo at the time of her death. Fingerprints inexplicably reveal that the woman had already been murdered--18 years before in San Francisco. Despite this twist, the case appears to be open and shut--the woman's ex-husband, convicted of killing her the first time, was released on parole weeks before her second murder. But the victim turns out to be a killer herself, murdering the rich men she married under a variety of names. Throughout the story, what seems obvious is contradicted in labyrinthine ways, until Fey herself becomes one of the suspects in this complicated, compelling thriller.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Avon Books (Mm) (May 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380768909
• ISBN-13: 978-0380768905
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,897,775 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

A prolific writer, Paul Bishop is also a thirty-five year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department, where he has twice been honored as Detective of the Year.

Aside from his numerous novels, Paul has written scripts for episodic television and feature films. As a nationally recognized interrogator, he co-starred on the hit ABC reality series Take The Money And Run.

His interview and interrogation seminar, Dancing With Pinocchio, is regularly scheduled by law enforcement, military, human resource, and legal organizations. Paul is also sought out as deception consultant, a motivational speaker, and writing teacher.

The Los Angeles Times has called Paul 'the closest equivalent of Joe Wambaugh yet,' and stated Hot Pursuit 'could hardly be better.' The New York Times proclaimed him a 'first-class writer,' and called Deep Water a 'lively, bloody adventure.' Publishers' Weekly cited Croaker: Kill Me Again, as 'gripping, intense, labyrinthine, complex, and compelling.' And author Dominick Dunne declared Croaker: Grave Sins to be a 'tough, taut, terrific tale!'

Paul's new novel, Fight Card: Felony Fists (written as Jack Tunney), has just been released. He can be found blogging at www.bishsbeat.blogspot.com/ and followed via twitter@bishsbeat.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perhaps The Best In The Series, February 13, 2004

By 

J H Murphy "Hank Murphy" (Agoura, California USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Kill Me Again (Paperback)

I've read all but one of Detective Bishop's books now and this may be the best of the Fey Croaker series. The plot is complex, with a twist a few pages from the end that I didn't see coming, although the hints were there. This mystery seems to have the best balance of Fey Croaker's personality (self-doubt, anguish, and determination), LAPD procedure, and the plot itself. The supporting cast is a little less colorful than in the other Fey Croaker books - Alphabet and Hammer and Nails are missing from this one, for example - but one detective's obnoxious behavior is a plot element that had to have more time than the other players. And in this book Croaker's horses actually take part in the story, not just serve as props. But the plot shines here - unfolding the identity of the murdered woman, tracking down her aliases, following the money, all leading to a surprising ending. As in some of the other books, a liberal defense lawyer mucks up the investigation, although Janice Ryder is colder and less obnoxious than similar characters elsewhere in the Fey Croaker series. And the investigation is subject to the whims of internal politics. All of this is well blended to produce a book which manages to keep the suspense going.

Now for a couple of nits. The time difference between the murders was ten years, not 18. And Bishop has a habit of mangling names of buildings at the University of California which is maddening, for me at least. (Boal for Boalt, Bunch for Bunche in another book.) But the LA scene is presented fairly well, not in the moody descriptive sense of Raymond Chandler (still unmatched IMHO for LA background), but in general accuracy...unlike some others I've read!

When reading any of Paul Bishop's books, I get a real flavor of life on the other side of the counter at the West L.A. police station. This is a police procedural mystery, but doesn't trip into the pitfalls which make other similar books drag. As another review noted, it may take a while to track this down, but it's worth the effort.

If you are a regular mystery reader, this one should be on your reading list. Bon Apetit!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars May be hard to find, but worth the look", May 22, 2001

By 

Steve Dowell (Bristol, Va USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kill Me Again (Paperback)

This book is now 7 years old and may be a little hard to find but perhaps you could find it in a used bookstore as I did. The plot is very easy to follow and the characters are all very believeable. Paul Bishop is a veteran homicide cop in Los Angeles (at least he was at the time of this book). The book revolves around the death of a woman who's fingerprints identify her as someone who was murdered 18 years before. The woman's ex- husband may or may not have done the deed. Fey Croaker the lead investergator on the case is one tough cop. The book has a lot of twists and is a pretty quick read. If you like police novels and who-done its, you'll really like this one.

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional, January 13, 2012

By 

Daniel D. Honey (Ventura, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Croaker: Kill Me Again (Kindle Edition)

Paul Bishop brings to life Fey Croaker (aka the Frog Lady) in this thrilling novel. Normally cop thrillers aren't my thing, but I found myself completely engrossed in the story, finishing it up around 2:00 am and still thinking about it well after.

The characters are a lot of fun to read about, especially Fey who is extremely complex in her own personal life (coming from horrific abuse) and her entangled relationships. The pace is at a good clip, taking the reader through a thrilling adventure. The murder premise is fairly original and cleverly done.

The book itself it fairly gritty, dealing from some heavy issues stemming from systems and histories of abuse.

If you've ever enjoyed watching a cop TV show, you'll love this!