Speak for the Dead [Paperback]

Rex Burns (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1979

This rare book is the first "Gabe Wager" homicide case. The Denver detective is confronted with a severed head carefully placed in the city's Botanic Gardens, and not much else by way of clues.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Wager is a solid creation . . . High-tension, highly literate, highly creditable entertainment" -- The New Yorker --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Author

The third in the Gabe Wager series finds him transferred from the Organized Crime Unit to Crimes Against Persons (Homicide Section), and face-to-face with his first victim. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Berkley Pub Group (Mm) (June 1979)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425041417
• ISBN-13: 978-0425041413
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,709,192 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Rex Burns was born to a Navy family and travelled widely as a child. His earliest memory is of the Japanese invasion of Cheefoo (as it was called then) China, where he and his mother were threatened with beheading by a Japanese officer. Since then, he has always worn his hair cut short. Going to schools in Boston, Pensacola, Coronado (CA), San Francisco, Chincoteague (VA), Jacksonville (FL), Virginia Beach (VA) and other ports of call gave him a comprehensive, if chaotic, education which contributed to his penchant for telling tales. So far these have reached 19 books--of which "The Alvarez Journal" won an Edgar. He has also written numerous short stories and a few poems as well as non-fiction articles. Writing under his father's name "Tom Sehler," he published "When Reason Sleeps," a novel that may be found on the Tom Sehler biography page.

Rex received his AB from Stanford, served in the Marine Corps, earned his PhD from Minnesota, and spent most of his teaching career at the University of Colorado, retiring in 2000.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Ordinary Mystery/Detective Book, July 30, 2006

By 

F. Chloupek (Cleveland, OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Speak for the Dead (Paperback)

Speak Of The Dead is the second in the Gabe Wager mystery series and the first in which he is a homicide cop. Wager is the standard good cop who breaks cases due to his work ethic and insight without taking the easy way out.

In this book, Wager is investigating a murder mystery where the corpseless head (as opposed to headless corpse) is found in the Denver botanical gardens.

Dated somewhat in terms of crome sophistication, being written in 1979, it doesn't ride about the level of an ordinary detective book. No real twists and turns in the plot. Its not a *bad* book, but there isn't anything to particularly recommend it. I would give it 2&1/2 stars if I had that option, but can't bring myself to round up to 3.