Review: Inherit the Dead by Jonathan Santlofer, et al

Inherit the Dead
written by Jonathan Santlofer, Stephen L. Carter, Marcia Clark, Heather Graham, Charlaine Harris, Sarah Weinman, Alafair Burke, John Connolly, James Grady, Bryan Gruley, Val McDermid, S.J. Rozan, Dana Stabenow, Lisa Unger, Lee Child, Ken Bruen, C.J. Box, Max Allan Collins, Mark Billingham, Lawrence Block
published by Touchstone (Simon & Schuster)

find it here: (affiliate links) Barnes & Noble, Amazon, iBooks, Book Depository, Goodreads

*Note: Editor, Jonathan Santlofer has arranged to “donate any royalties in excess of editor and contributor compensation to Safe Horizon, the leading victim assistance agency in the country.” You can learn more about this charity at www.SafeHorizon.org

Why did I pick this book: I was asked by the publisher to review this book. (I received a copy of this book for review purposes.)

Did I enjoy this book: Pretty much.

Ok class; get out your notebooks for a short review.

Today’s subject: The mystery novel formula – that dastardly bestselling beast that gets repeated all too often while more worthy literature gets passed over.

Main character: male, fortyish, divorced, feels guilty that he doesn’t get to see his daughter as often as he wants, and ostracized by colleagues for some unfair reason.

Setting:  either NYC or LA

Victim: young, female, beautiful, rich, and mysterious

Minor characters: rich, greedy, lying scum all of whom have a motive for wanting the victim out of the picture.

Story line: questions, lies . . . more questions, more lies . . .  then some interesting tidbit of a discovery. Follow up on the interesting tidbit while all other investigators say, “It’s stupid, let it go.” But our protagonist can’t. He continues to dig only to uncover some unexpected plot twist at the end.

Oh wait. I just went through a complete summary of Inherit the Dead.

Overall, it’s not a bad book, just disappointingly predictable.  I do love that some of the money could be used for charity. Assuming there is some money left over after editor and contributor compensation. If your heart’s telling you it’s a worthy organization I’d recommend skipping the book and making a donation.

Would I recommend it: If you’re looking something easy to read while on the treadmill or a book that’ll help you fall asleep, sure.  But if you’re interested in more creative mysteries check out Dark Before Dawn or The Tulip Eaters.

Will I read it again: No.

About the book – from the publisher: Inherit the Dead is a compilation of a-list, New York Times bestselling mystery writers which include Lawrence Block, Mary Higgins Clark, John Connolly, Stephen L. Carter and Charlaine Harris to name just a few of the twenty contributors. It is a thrilling, page-turning accomplishment that only our very best could achieve. The editor of Inherit the Dead, Jonathan Santlofer, had an idea to bring these tremendous authors together to produce an electrifying mystery reading experience. Santlofer has partnered with Safe Horizon (charity that provides aid to victims of domestic violence, child abuse, human trafficking, rape, sexual assault and to homeless youth and families of homicide victims) and a donation from the books proceeds will go to this organization.

About the book – from Goodreads: TO FIND AN ANGEL, HE MADE A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL.

Pericles “Perry” Christo is a PI with a past—a former cop, who lost his badge and his family when a corruption scandal left him broke and disgraced. When wealthy Upper East Side matron Julia Drusilla summons him one cold February night, he grabs what seems to be a straightforward (and lucrative) case.

The socialite is looking for her beautiful, aimless daughter, Angelina, who is about to become a very wealthy young woman. But as Christo digs deeper, he discovers there’s much more to the lovely “Angel” than meets the eye. Her father, her best friend, her boyfriends all have agendas of their own. Angel, he soon realizes, may be in grave danger . . . and if Christo gets too close, he just might get caught in the crossfire.

This classic noir tale twists and turns down New York’s mean streets and along Hamptons’ beaches and back roads during a bitterly cold and gray winter where nothing is as it seems and everyone has something to hide. In an inventive storytelling approach, each writer brings his or her distinctive voice to a chapter of Inherit the Dead, building the tension to a shocking, explosive finale.