Publish and Perish (Ben Reese Mysteries, No. 1) [Mass Market Paperback]

Sally Wright (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 30, 1999

INTRODUCING ACADEMIC SLEUTH BEN REESE

A college professor dead under mysterious circumstances. A secretary who hates the victim with lethal ferocity. A vengeful former student. To university archivist and former intelligence agent Ben Reese, the sudden death of his old friend and colleague Richard West, Chair of the English Department, looks like murder, but in a small buttoned-down private college, can it ever be proved? Not until an attack on his own life tells Ben all he needs--and fears--to know about a brilliant, sociopathic killer. . . .

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The Ivory Tower of academia may look serene from the outside, but inside it's a snakepit. At least according to Sally S. Wright in her wickedly pointed campus mystery, Publish or Perish. The victim here is Richard West, head of the English Department at a tony private college in Ohio and keeper of an academic ethic that belonged to an earlier age. The sleuth is Professor Ben Reese, a smart historian with a nose for crime. After reading Publish or Perish readers may see beneath the staid surface of university life, suspecting page-turning stories hidden from the untutored eye. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"PUBLISH AND PERISH is put together with polish and precision.  It echoes such classic writers as Dorothy Sayers and Ngaio Marsh without in any way imitating them."
--The Washington Times

"Sally Wright puts a clever twist on the campus mystery."
--The New York Times Book Review

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 214 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine; Reprint edition (January 30, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 034542588X
• ISBN-13: 978-0345425881
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,146,937 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fun turn in Academia, December 17, 1999

By 

Karen Bierman Hirsh (Greenwich, CT) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Publish and Perish (Ben Reese Mystery) (Paperback)

Ben Reese is my kind of character and Sally Wright is my kind of author. This book was a true mystery - you know the kind, the one that actually relies on the plot and clues to keep it going as opposed to the ones that try to thrill and scare you simply with blood and then all of the sudden they discover the murderer and it's someone you never heard of before?

Publish and Perish was a good book. Ms. Wright introduced us to a character that we could like and investigate the clues with and we knew was going to be back to visit (hey, the author was the one who sub-titled the book Ben Reese Series - book 1).

All in all, the plot was solid as was the writing and there were enough twists and turns to keep me intrigued. The only reason I gave it four stars was the ending - it did just that - end. It seemed as tho my book was missing a few pages because it seemed to end mid-sentence which was the only thing I found wrong with this book.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Good Investment, December 27, 2003

By 

Eric Wilson "novelist" (Nashville, TN United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Publish and Perish (Ben Reese Mysteries, No. 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

Other reviewers have denigrated Wright's writing. It's true: If you're a fan of the modern, hard-hitting, and action-packed mysteries that now abound, this may not be the series for you.

Whereas many of the newer writers resort to Hollywood-style scenes and cardboard characters, Sally Wright turns her eye to the struggles of the human soul. She writes about believable characters, taking us into their thoughts and motivations with skill. The dialogue is sharp and attuned to its setting and era; the atmosphere is palpable; the faith issues are real, yet never preachy.

Okay, I'll admit that the book did not "grab" me. It didn't take off like a rocket, with this reader hanging on for dear life. It did draw me in, however. I found myself looking forward to these treasured forays into the world of academia. I was left hoping for more insight into the past and future of dear Ben Reese.

Wright's stories require investment. For those so inclined, it's an investment worth making.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, January 31, 2001

By 

Russ White "Russ White" (Holly Springs, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Publish and Perish (Ben Reese Mystery) (Paperback)

One of the best new mystery series out there. A must read for fans of mysteries! It seems that most of the 'mysteries' on the market today rely heavily on sex, blood, and gore, to keep the pages turning, rather than on the mystery itself. This one, however, doesn't--the mystery and the characters involved in the mystery are the central part of the book. It's a refreshing read.