Don of the Dead
by Casey Daniels
Published by Avon
Click on book
cover to order
at Amazon.com
Reviewed by Andrea Sisco
Casey Daniels' Don of the Dead is difficult to define. It is a mystery with romance and strong paranormal influences.
Pepper (Penelope) Martin is from an upper-middle-class family and has led a privileged life. But now her doctor daddy is off to prison, convicted of fraud, and her mother has taken a powder, just like her finance. Pepper must learn to support herself since all the family money is gone. Pepper becomes a cemetery tour guide in Cleveland, Ohio. She'd like another job, but tour guide is what life dealt her.
Since Pepper hit her head on mob boss Gus Scarpetti's mausoleum, she's been able to see and talk to the long-dead ghost. PhD. Dan Callahan says her brain shows a propensity to hallucinations. That diagnosis doesn't give her much comfort since she's already seeing a dead person. And he wants her to find her murderer. If she's going to get rid of Gus, she's going to have to find out 'who done it.'
Daniels' prose is snappy and the book is pretty consistent overall. It drags a bit in several places but that can be overlooked because the mystery and adventure is fun and intriguing. I'd like to like the characters more and believe that Daniels will mature as an author.
Armchair Interviews says: The novel is strong enough that we look forward to the next Pepper Martin release.