The January Corpse (Dave Garrett Mystery) (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This exceptional first mystery is driven by a baffling plot and comes to a surprise ending that passes the Holmesian test: after the impossible is eliminated, that which remains, however improbable, is the truth. Seven years before the story opens, fledgling attorney Daniel Wilson had disappeared, and his bullet-pocked and bloody car was found by his sister Lisa in the woods near the place where they had planned to meet later that evening. Now Dave Garrett, a disbarred lawyer turned PI, is called in to help the estate have Wilson declared dead so the survivors can collect his insurance. Defying mob warnings to lay off, escaping two sets of gunsels sent to maim or kill him, penetrating a fog of deceit and lies laid down by Lisa, her mother and Wilson's law partner, the brave, able, cynical Dave, after a night in Lisa's arms, comes to a startling conclusion worthy of a Scott Turow. Like Turow, Albert is a lawyer. He promises more adventures for his appealing sleuth.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

Disbarred attorney-turned-Pennsylvania p.i. Dave Garrett has only the weekend to prove that a man who disappeared seven years ago is dead so that the man's mom and sister Lisa can collect on his insurance policy. Was the vanished Danny Wilson murdered, and if so, by whom? His former law partner, Leo Strasnick, says their practice consisted mostly of civil cases, but then why is Garrett being tailed and warned off by mafia types? And what happened to the $100,000 Wilson had with him in his car? And was someone else with him? Abetted by the pretty but tough Lisa (she has no trouble shooting a thug, point-blank, in the foot as a warning), Garrett begins to suspect that Wilson's still alive. But then who died in that blood-splattered car? The unsurprising revelation may have readers flipping back a few pages and rereading Garrett and Lisa's romantic interlude--in disbelief. Workmanlike prose, routine beat-up-the-p.i. sequences, and a twist ending that fizzles. A disappointing debut. -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Onyx (January 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451403770
• ISBN-13: 978-0451403773
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #957,026 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating character and a remarkable twist ending, January 9, 1998

By	P. Mann (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

How do you prove a man is dead when his bullet-ridden car is discovered but his body is not? In Pennsylvania, you wait seven years and hope you hear nothing. But it is embarrassing if a judge finds that a man is dead after seven years only to have him pop up during the eighth. So a law firm seeking to prove that the man who owned the car is in fact dead hires lawyer-turned-investigator Dave Garrett to see what he can find out over the weekend. The case promises to be anything but ordinary when Garrett learns that the law firm turned to him after one of the more prestigious investigative firms dropped the case. Clearly, the forces at play must be pretty powerful, and it does not take long for Garrett to realize some of the forces he's up against. In Dave Garrett, author Neil Albert gives us a protagonist who is both intelligent and resourceful. But "The January Corpse," a thoroughly enjoyable mystery throughout, cannot truly be appreciated until the ending, which is reminiscent of Christie's "The Murder of Roger Akroyd" for the twist that Albert provides. Only after the mystery pays off can we truly appreciate Garrett for the complex character he is. Initially, for example, we learn that he was disbarred. Later, though, we realize why and can appreciate him all the more for it. But his reaction to the twist ending truly indicates what a wonderful character he is. "The January Corpse" provides an excellent test for those who believe they can solve any mystery where the author plays fair. Albert does play fair, but few readers will be alert enough to pick up all the clues to arrive at *precisely* the right answer. (A large part of the answer is rather obvious, but that by no means diminishes the story.) For those who prefer their mysteries to be rich in character, "The January Corpse" is a wonderful ride and will no doubt send the reader looking for the next in the series, "The February Trouble."

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars great ending...average story.., June 4, 2004

By	Peter LaPrade (worcester ma) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Neil Albert's "January Corpse" has one of the better endings to any mystery. It is a bit inspired by the "Crying Game", but it is original, and Albert had a lot of guts to do it. Otherwise, this novel is average in plot. A disbarred lawyer is hired by the family of a lawyer who disappered seven years before to invesigate his disappearence so he can be declared dead for insurance purposes. What is discovered is that the mob wants some property that the missing man supposedly had. Soon, the man's sister helps our hero to try and find the truth. There are hints at the ending, but we are taken by surprise. the ending earns this book 3 stars.