Inherit the Dead: A Novel

I certainly hope this type of writing is not the wave of the future. The advertising as a Lee Child book is misleading at best and fuaudulent at worst. As it is written by different authors it is fragmented and choppy. I feel the store misrepresented it and over charged for it. I rarely quit a book without finishing it but I probably will this one. I am disgusted by the whole experience and feel I have been ripped off by the store and Lee Child.

I have read all of Lee Child's books. If you like a well written story, consumed in good plots, interesting characters, , suspense, danger and action, try this book by Lee Child . Chances are you will be looking for another one soon..

I thought I was buying a Lee Child book. Big surprise. Child wrote the forward. Big wow.

But I deserve it for getting excited about a Lee Child novel. And just jumping in. But I do feel a little cheated.

This is without a doubt the worst book I've read since starting Dick and Jane in first grade! Don't waste your time or money. Boring and makes no sense whatsoever. By the time it's divulged who the murderer is you won't recall reading anything about him-or his name!!! Again-don't waste your time or money. If I could give it no stars I would. Lee Child-you should be ashamed of yourself. He did the intro and you're lead to believe he wrote the book. He did not. DRECK!!

Wow, this one of the most boring books I have ever read, considering the top name authors who each contributed to it, it should have been one of the best. Inherit the Dead was written in a round robin, pass the incomplete story to the next person and each author writes a chapter then the next one picks up where they left off. If you've never picked up this style of short story or even novel before, think back to your school days when you probably participated in an exercise like this with everyone in the class writing a paragraph then passing the paper to the person sitting next to them who wrote the next paragraph, passed it to the next person and so on until everyone in the class had contributed to each of the 30 or so stories. You no doubt had a lot of fun with it trying to twist different classmates work so far into your own ideas, such as introducing elements to characters to change the previous image of them, killing some off and putting something weird in there for the conservative kid next to you to deal with. The finished work of your class' 30 or stories would have each been more exciting than Inherit the Dead.

It's not the round robin writing style that makes this a boring read, it's the quality of the writing. A book like this needs to start well in setting up the premise, and the editor Jonathan Santlofer of this one, decided to go with, well himself to do that. His situation was pretty average, and nothing unique, a washed up ex cop now PI desperate for a case to pay the bills gets a phone call from a rich woman that her daughter is missing. Her daughter by the way is an adult, and doesn't actually live with her. PI Perry Christo also couldn't be any more boring if he tried. He's just your another hard crime noir leftover guy in a trench coat with no personality. To make the book even more boring Santlofer was obviously trying to impress Lee Child (who he would ask to write the introduction) by using the same over descriptive longwinded style Child does of describing something happening in minute details, that everyone else would sum up in a few words. The opening chapter badly needed an editor but as anyone is told even if they're just writing a job resume, never edit your own work. The other author chapters don't do much to lift the story either. It's a struggle to push through really.

Child tells us in the introduction that he's amazed all these authors had time to contribute to this due to their heavy workloads of novel deadlines and movie commitments. There is probably explains the result of this book, the authors simply didn't have time to do a decent job, and like when you're about to walk through the supermarket entrance and some hot girl shakes a bucket of coins and asks you for some change for a worthwhile charity, it's hard to say no. This book has royalties (other than editor and contributor compensation) going to Safe Horizon which empowers victims of domestic violence, human trafficking and other crimes. Linda Fairstein has an afterword that explains what they do. A worthy cause no doubt, and probably the reason some reviewers rate this higher. But rating the book on it's own merit, it's one star in quality.

This style of storytelling has been done brilliantly, so don't be put off by Inherit the Dead if it's your first taste of the style. The best in my opinion is Natural Suspect.Die, Lover, Die! is also brilliant. Naked Came the Manatee is also good but not in the league of Natural Suspect. Inherit the Dead isn't the only failure of the round robin style, avoid the disaster that is Watchlist: A Serial Thriller as well.

This book was written by multiple authors, I think 20. Each did a chapter, in which I like this idea. And they did a pretty good job. The characters’ personalities were kept the same throughout. It was done for a charity and to raise awareness of domestic abuse. I hope I’m getting this correct. While each chapter had me wanting to know what happens next, it was almost sort of repetitive going along. But at the end of each chapter, there would be something that made you want to read the next so bad. I liked how each author added their own little jewel to it. Perry is a P. I. who was once a police officer. As a cop, he had tried to do a drug bust on some well known people in the community, one being a well respected pastor. His higher ups on the police force were all looking the other way, some even taking cuts to cover it up. Perry refused to do this so he got let go. It was made to look like he bungled up the case because the wrong person got arrested and was choosing to take the fall for the bd guy. This was something that never got resolved. That was just life. I read to get away from the real world so I was hoping this would all be brought to light and Perry’s honor restored.

Perry is hired by a well to do lady to find her missing daughter who happens to be 20 years old and hasn’t seen her mother in a year I think. The dad who is no longer married to the mother, says she has been missing for two weeks. The story is about Perry’s search for Angel and where it leads him. He is untrustful of the mother and the father, along with some other characters the girl spends time with. I didn’t like the parents. No wonder the girl isn’t around. And everybody has secrets of their own. It was a kind of dark and mournful kind of read. My heart aches for Perry with his loss of being a policeman and how honest he had been. He had also lost his wife who got custody of the daughter. His family for generations had been cops. His dad and his dad’s dad and so on. He lived and breathed it. I really didn’t care for his ex wife, what little I knew about her. No one seems to have any redeeming qualities. But all the while, at the end of each chapter, there is someone following Perry. The narrator is telling that part in the stalker’s voice. It is really intense and suspenseful. This is what really had me reading on and on. I’m still messed up about the ending. It sucked and left me feeling like the pieces didn’t line up and there needed to be either more chapters for closure and to tie up loose ends or another book. If you are in the mood for a solemn read, this would be the one. It’s one of those you love and hate at the same time but, like a bad car wreck, you can’t seem to look away. Oh, that’s another thing, this stalker tries on multiple occasions to kill Perry. In the end, someone winds up dying, but I’ll let you read and find out who that will be.

I listened to the audiobook. The narrator was SO GOOD! I LOVED him. Especially the stalker’s voice. It was very creepy and fun.

Title: Inherit the Dead
Author(s): see the above list for all 20(!!) names! :)
Published: 2013
Genre: mystery, fiction, thriller, crime, anthology, law enforcement, private detective, proceeds go to charity. (Some swearing, though not much. Some violence - murder - adult innuendos but no sex).
Format: ebook via Samsung Galaxy 4 Nook ereader
Read: June, 2015

NOTE: proceeds from the sale of this anthology are donated to charitable organization: Safe Horizon. Safe Horizon is (VERY SUMMARIZED) a victim's of violent crime support group that was established in the late seventies. The website is: www.safehorizon.org, for detailed information about what this organization does and has done, to help people for many years.

My GoodReads rating: five "round robin" stars! I leaned towards FOUR for the story itself, but 20 authors? ONE novel? I couldn't not rate at five! Lol ;))

Brief remarks:

Truly though, this was really a great read!

It has to be extremely challenging to get TWENTY WELL KNOWN & MUCH PUBLISHED AUTHORS (ie: Mary Higgins Clark, Charlaine Harris, Lee Child, Cj Box, see what I mean?!), together to write a chapter for one book, but this group pulled it off amazingly well! Somehow, character development was rich, the storyline stayed very interesting and the story itself was kept rolling at a fast clip. I'm super impressed.

In a nutshell, I believe this novel is meant to be a sort of "follow-up", not necessarily a sequel however, to "No Rest for the Dead" which was another round-robin style book published in 2011. "Inherit the Dead" easily stands alone and needs no other introduction or "pretending", imo. Based around billionaires, the lust for more money, and the lengths people will go to to get richer, we follow a private detective as he tries to solve the case.

There were times when the storyline kinda bummed me out as the MC, Perry Christo, is a divorced dad that misses his kid and has fallen from grace as a former police (NYPD) detective-wrongly. Whenever I felt "down" about the story however, I reminded myself that it is some pretty excellent writing to illicit such a strong emotions from a reader! Makes me respect and admire this project even more! :D

This is not the kind if book that I would classify as a thriller-keeps-me-up-at-night-cannot-stop-reading mystery, yet a very strong, well written, twists and turns filled "who freaking dunnit"?! <--- a question I asked myself MANY times right up until the climax of events. Very cool indeed.

Enjoy and thanks for reading my post! :)

Cheers,
Lisa (aka: @NurseLisainOhio on all of the social networking platforms).

Can Twenty Good Writers Write One Good Book?

Yes, they can, and they do it in Inherit The Dead. Fortunately, this is no deliberately trashy, collaborative bestseller like 1969’s Naked Came the Stranger written by twenty-four journalists (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naked_Came_the_Stranger.)
This classic noir tale about a PI hired to locate a rich, icy matron’s daughter named Angel features twenty chapters by twenty well-known authors, and it is edited by Jonathan Santlofer and introduced by Lee Child. The authors are Mark Billingham, Lawrence Block, C.J. Box, Ken Bruen, Alafair Burke, Stephen L. Carter, Marcia Clark, Mary Higgins Clark, Max Allan Collins, John Connolly, James Grady, Heather Graham, Bryan Gruley, Charlaine Harris, Val McDermid, S. J. Rozan, Jonathan Santlofer, Dana Stabenow, Lisa Unger, and Sarah Weinman. Inherit the Dead provides tons of twists and turns and keeps us guessing. More important, it keeps us turning the pages. Child describes the novel as “seamless,” and it is, though in one chapter I noticed a shift in style. However, it was so well done, and in general the writers subordinate their egos and styles to the greater group effort, creating few distractions.

This book has a great deal going for it. The writing is fine with exquisite touches of symbolism, and the characterization is superb. The appropriately named Norman Loki, father of Angel, is really tricky, at times schizophrenic in his behavior. Is he real or is he Memorex? Is he trying to deceive the hero or not? Other characters are hard to read also. Like the detective Perry Christo (another symbolic name), we stare at them and listen closely, hoping to identify the real person beneath the mask, assuming there is a mask. Such uncertainties and deceptions are common in crime noir novels, and these authors handle them exceptionally well.

The PI protagonist is another great character and carries much of the novel. We sympathize with him because six years ago, he was unjustly disgraced and kicked off the NYPD. He loved his job, misses it deeply, and has to put up with contemptuous insults from former fellow officers. Then there’s his divorce, his unsympathetic ex-wife, and his guilt concerning his daughter, who he knows he doesn’t see enough. Throughout the novel he wears her scarf around his neck, and we hope for a happy ending in which he puts all the pieces together and solves the mystery, thereby achieving some measure of redemption.

I really like Inherit the Dead and wish I could give it 5 stars or at least 4 and a half. I was bothered a bit by implausibilities, which can be lethal in a mystery/detective novel that depends so much on rigorous logic and deduction. For example, Lilith’s car breaking down with Lilith in it seems somewhat unlikely and convenient. Read the novel and see if you agree. Either way, I bet you won’t disinherit it.

Inherit The Dead
Jonathan Santlofer, Stephen L. Carter, Marcia Clark, Heather Graham, Charlaine Harris, Sarah Weinman, Bryan Gruley, Alafair Burke, John Connolly, James Grady, Ken Bruen, Lisa Unger, S.J. Rozan, Dana Stabenow, Val McDermid,, Mary Higgins Clark, C.J. Box, Max Allan Collins, Mark Billingham and Lawrence Block
Touchstone, Oct 8 2013, $25.99
ISBN: 9781451684759

Affluent Upper East Side socialite Julia Drusilla hires disgraced ex-NYPD cop turned private investigator Pericles Christo to find her daughter Angelina Loki, who when she soon turns twenty-one will inherit a large sum of money if she signs the documents on her birthday. The fee she offers him is exorbitant as the case seems simple, but Perry knows his client can afford it.

As he begins his search for the missing Angel, Perry runs into duplicity from the young woman's loved ones. Angel's father, her boyfriend and her BFF outright lie or omit something critical; and his instincts scream his client is too. As he investigates, his inner homicide detective radar warns Perry that Angel may be in peril. Desperately trying to find the missing woman before she is hurt or dead, Christo becomes a target too as the inquiry takes him to the Hamptons and Brooklyn.

Inherit the Dead is a fabulous collaboration in which each author provides a chapter that brings their particular genre strength to the mix though that can be somewhat distracting. Still surprisingly smoothly integrated and filled with terse twists, fans will enjoy this entertaining noir in which "... royalties in excess of editor and contributor compensation to Safe Horizon, the leading victim assistance agency in the country."

Harriet Klausner

Inherit the Dead is a novel written by 20 top selling mystery writers, (names below), each writing one chapter of the same story. Did it work? Not really. As a mystery the plot relied on an overdone storyline and far, far too much going over background that was already covered. It was as though each writer had to fix in his or her own mind exactly where the plot was headed pulling the reader along with them. I wouldn't call it boring, just tedious.
What was good about it? It was a fascinating study of twenty creative minds closing in on one central character and the subsequent supporting cast. I found it amazing that, for the most part, they kept the character in character except for the chapter written by James Grady. I thought he completely lost the concept. I found it interesting to note the subtle, and not so subtle, writing styles brought into each chapter. My favorite authors were true to their craft and didn't disappoint even in this unusual medium. The authors I didn't know (and will probably never read) most likely true to theirs. Some relied heavily on the `F' word for shock effect, or to fill space I'm not sure which. That word is vastly overused both in spoken and written speech and long ago lost whatever sensation it was supposed to generate.
Why should you buy the book? It's a passable read - interesting concept and proceeds from its sale go to, Safe Horizon, a victim assistance agency. More information about their mission can be found at [...] As sad as it seems without victims of crime, crime writers would have no plots. In an awkward sense you are supporting the genre by buying this book.
If you are a writer, or want to be a writer, it's a great book to read and re-read. Knowing, as you do, that each of these authors are best sellers in the mystery field. Analyzing how they were able to move within a structured framework and carry the storyline is a lesson in writing discipline. And, that's your homework for today!
Contributors include: Lee Child, Jonathan Santlofer, Stephen L. Carter, Marcia Clark, Heather Graham, Charlaine Harris, Sarah Weinman, Bryan Gruley, Alafair Burke, John Connolly, James Grady, Ken Bruen, Lisa Unger, S.J. Rozan, Dana Stabenow, Val McDermid, Mary Higgins Clark, C.J. Box, Max Allan Collins, Mark Billingham, Lawrence Block, with an explanation about Safe Horizon from Linda Fairstein.

Crime writer and former prosecutor Linda Fairstein helped to found a group called Safe Horizon in 1978. This organization provides support and promotes justice for victims of crime and abuse. Her involvement in this serial anthology, INHERIT THE DEAD, includes the proceeds gained from its sale donated to aid in the great work Safe Horizon continues to do for victims and their families.

Jonathan Santlofer, himself a best-selling crime writer as well as renowned artist, had the unenviable task of not only writing the first chapter of the novel (which could be a blessing a in disguise) but also the more daunting assignment of assembling the group of international writers who each provided a chapter to INHERIT THE DEAD.

With Lee Child providing the introduction, Santlofer takes the reins and kicks off a story featuring a former cop and now hard-boiled P.I. by the name of Pericles 'Perry' Christo. Perry is hired by a rich, and allegedly dying, socialite named Julia Drusilla. Drusilla needs to find her daughter, Angelina or 'Angel'. It seems Angel is just days away from turning twenty-one-years old and becoming eligible for a huge inheritance --- all of which will be hers when the 'ill' Julia passes away.

What transpires is a classic tale told consistently in the crime noir fashion. Bouncing between the wealthy world of uptown NYC and the seedy, washed out parts of Montauk, Long Island, INHERIT THE DEAD tells a straight-forward P.I. tale created by a slew of talented authors all with respect for the genre.

There are twenty chapters and each author gets to deliver one apiece. It's sort of like a literary game of improv as the preceding author has the ability to enter new plot elements or characters into the story-line which must be picked up and followed by the succeeding writers. Contributions range from veteran writers like Lawrence Block (who writes the final chapter) to romantic suspense author, Heather Graham and even former prosecutor Marcia Clark of the infamous O.J. Simpson trial.

All of these authors are up to the task and some chapters are more intriguing than others. I particularly liked the chapters written by Dana Stabenow and Mark Billingham. In some cases, signature elements like John Connolly's knowledge of vinyl records and Val McDermid's overt homage to the writings of Hammett and Chandler are present. The story is enjoyable but is at times overshadowed by the clever plotting of the twenty authors.

I also found the names used within the story to be quite unique. Obvious references to both classic literature and historical figures abound with names like: Loki, Hyde, Watson, Lilith, Tweed, Hook, Gawain and Athena keep things constantly interesting. INHERIT THE DEAD delivers on every level. A solid mystery read that will please both modern fans of this genre as well as those who enjoy old-school Crime Noir.

Reviewed by Ray Palen for Curled Up With A Good Book

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.

As reviewed by Belinda at Every Free Chance Book Reviews.

(I received a copy of this book for review purposes.)

At first glance, I thought that Inherit the Dead was a collection of short stories from some of my favourite authors. (20 of them to be exact) Upon closer inspection I realized that it was one story, a serial novel, with each chapter written by a different author. And that there was a purpose behind the compilation - monies raised go to support Safe Horizon - an organization championed by Linda Fairstein.

Perry Christo is a disgraced former cop turned P.I. When a wealthy 'uptown' woman summons Perry, he runs - he really needs the money. But the case is odd - Drusilla wants Perry to find her daughter Angel - she hasn't seen her in two weeks, but hasn't bothered with the police either. Christo takes the case, but as he digs, it just gets more complicated - everyone has their own agenda and Angel may have been right to disappear.

I was quite eager to read this as I do follow about half of the authors regularly. The initial chapter sets the stage and from there, each author added their own twist and direction. But, sadly, as the book progressed, I found myself losing interest. I like a good meaty mystery. With the format used here, the flow was choppy and the plot seemed cobbled together. Which it was. You can easily identify the hood or twist that dictates where the plot is headed. I did have reading each chapter and identifying the style of known authors. And finding some new authors to try. You would think that with so much talent, it would be a great book. It's a neat premise and a good hook for a fundraiser, but for this reader, it was just an okay read.

Jonathan Santlofer has put together 20 famous acclaimed crime writers to create "Inherit the Dead". In the classic noir style, the story twists and turns as Christo travels along New York's streets and along Hamp­tons' beaches and back roads. Nothing is as it seems and everyone has something to hide.

Pericles "Perry" Christo is a former NYPD detective, now earning his needs as a PI.
He is rough on the outside and soft on the inside, a typical New Yorker. The story begins one cold wintry night on the Upper East Side. A very, very wealthy matron Julia Drusilla hires him to find her missing daughter, Angelina. It should be a straightforward and lucrative case. But as he delves deeper into the actions and acquaintances of the beautiful Angelina disturbing facts arise.

The characters and situations are interesting. Angelina is the most mysterious because of her chameleon nature. In the background there is a mysterious stalker on the tale of Christo. As his thoughts are revealed, so is the danger Christo is unaware of. Each author has picked up on the plot and initial characters, adding more dimensions.

One of the best enjoyments of reading this book is going forward to the next chapter. Although the theme stays consistent, you can recognize some of the various writers. I liked the opportunity to read authors I hadn't read before.

On the negative side, I don't think if written by one author there would be so much redundancy by Christo brooding about his past bad experience on the police force and his broken marriage. The link with his daughter and the missing girl is important.
We soon learn that the girl comes from an extremely dysfunctional home.
The is a mother is described as unfeeling. The father has problems with drinking and
drugs.

I think this would be a wonderful book to give a fellow mystery reader.

I admit I was hesitant about reading a book written by several authors, but I loved it and read it in one sitting. I'm hoping there is at least one more book about the disgraced detective who misses his young daughter and his ex-wife, but is now a PI. Perry deserves to be reinstated after being set up by former colleagues in the NYPD but he is determined to find and save a young woman for her estranged mother, but is the young woman or any of the other characters in the case what they appear to be? Read it now!

I only made it through chapter two before putting it down. It is very very poor technically. In chapter one whoever heard of a private detective beginning a case without a retainer. In chapter two it is implied that the detective is driving an aging Datsun automobile and on the very next page it talks about his powerful Northstar V8 engine allowing him to power by the expensive cars around him. Datsuns do not have Northstar engines. There is no excuse for such poor technical writing. I applaud Lee Child and the other authors for wanting to help a charity but I would not want my name associated with this poor quality of text. Sooner or later I will run out of books at home and probably pick it up again and read some more but I am not looking forward to it. I am a big Lee Child fan and picked this book up thinking it was one of his books but was sorely disappointed.

Inherit the Dead is a disappointing book. I picked it up because Lee Child's name is on the cover, so I expected something good.
Unfortunately, the jacket promises a better story than the pages reveal. I would like to have given this book a good review, simply because a portion of the royalties will go to Safe Horizon, but it's just not possible.

Each chapter is written by a different author, and it shows. It's disjointed – it starts to take off in several directions, which in some books simply adds to the "suspects" list. In this one it's more like someone picked up an idea, then dropped it to pick up something else.

I almost set this one aside several times, but kept slogging through to see how it ended.

I did get the feeling that the authors had fun with it. It reminded me of a party game where someone starts a story, then each person adds their part until it's all just nonsense.

INHERIT THE DEAD is what is sometimes referred to as a “novel by committee.” Specifically, it's a 20-chapter novel in which each installment is penned by a different author. Those who approach this as another book in an interesting experiment, executed for a good cause --- a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the book will go to Safe Horizon (an organization that aids victims of crime and abuse) --- will be pleasantly surprised to find a fairly seamless hard-boiled mystery with a protagonist who will leave you hoping for a return visit.

Let’s talk for a moment about the content before getting into the nuts and bolts behind INHERIT THE DEAD and its creation. The book is told primarily from the perspective of Pericles “call me ‘Perry’” Christo, a former NYPD homicide policeman who resigned in disgrace because someone determined that doing the right thing was very, very wrong. Christo is now a private investigator with a teenage daughter who he loves but sees all too infrequently, a child support obligation, and an ex-wife who he still loves dearly.

As INHERIT THE DEAD opens, Christo is responding to a call that is more like a summons from Julia Drusilla, a wealthy Upper East Side divorcee with an all-too-common problem and plenty of money to throw at it. Julia’s daughter Angel, just the other side of 20, has gone missing at a very inopportune time. Angel stands to inherit a significant amount of money from a trust that has been set up for her, but only if she signs some documents before turning 21, which will happen shortly. Christo takes the case, despite the fact that much he is told seems to be wrong. Angel and her mother were estranged to the extent that Angel’s father had custody, and the two women hadn’t spoken in a year.

Even more interesting is that the trust divests to Julia if Angel fails to sign the documents before she comes of age. Julia waves the latter detail away --- she says she has more money than she needs and claims to be terminally ill --- but Christo isn’t convinced. His alarm bells ring even louder when he journeys to Long Island to talk to Angel’s father, her studly but very inappropriate boyfriend, and her BFF of the month. Christo is convinced that everyone, including his client, is lying to him. And, to some extent, he is right. Things take another unexpected turn when Christo discovers exactly what has happened to Angel and why. Not everyone makes it to the finish line, and those who do have much to answer for, even as Christo walks into the darkness more jaded than ever.

The first chapter is written by Jonathan Santlofer, who also did yeoman’s work in guiding the contributing authors through the chapters. The 20 authors who participated include stalwarts like Heather Graham and Lawrence Block, who contributes the final chapter to finish INHERIT THE DEAD in grand form. There are some unexpected contributors here, including Stephen L. Carter, who is better known for his fine political thrillers than for shorter work; John Connolly, who was responsible for one of the best chapters with nary a hint of the supernatural to be found; and C.J. Box, who eschews his usual southwestern environs for the caverns of Manhattan. Another surprise is a chapter from James Grady, whose first novel was adapted into a film titled Three Days of the Condor. Others are names as disparate as Mary Higgins Clark and Ken Bruen, who each contribute a wonderful chapter.

I wish I had the space to note all the authors here, as no one disappoints. The only disappointment is that the book ended. I would dearly love to see more of the hard-luck but well-intentioned Christo, whether in this novel-by-committee format or by a single author, of which any of the contributors of INHERIT THE DEAD could do more than a fine job.

Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

Well, it is a portmanteau book. Twenty successful mystery writers collaborated somehow on this story with each writing one chapter. It was a pleasant-enough read without being particularly memorable. It was interesting to note the differences in style between chapters. This is not a formula for a first-rate novel, however. On the bright side, for those of us who are looking for new favorite writers, this sort of book serves to audition some new candidates. And all proceeds apparently went to charity.

In 2011 I read and enjoyed No Rest for the Dead, a novel written by the collaboration of twenty popular crime fiction writers. This year, the same format is presented in Inherit The Dead, combining the talents of authors such as Lisa Unger, Val McDermid, Jonathan Santlofer and Lawrence Block.

This noir detective tale has disgraced ex NYPD homicide detective turned private investigator, Perry Christo, searching for a missing heiress, at the request of her mother. Julia Drusilla claims she is dying and wishes to make peace with her daughter before the inevitable by ensuring Angelina inherits the millions bequeathed to her that must be claimed on the day of her twenty first birthday.

Unsurprisingly the case is not that simple and as Perry traces the whereabouts of the rare beauty that is Angelina he grows increasingly concerned for her safety. He is certain Julia isn't being completely honest with him and Angelina's stoner father doesn't seem overly concerned about his daughter's absence, her 'best friend' deflects Perry's questions by trying to seduce him and the men Angelina are sleeping with, a mechanic and a married senator, aren't anxious to share what they know. It's up to Perry to find out if Angelina has simply run away or if she is running scared.

The plot isn't complicated, there is hardly any action and the pace was a little slow - Perry does a lot of driving while either lamenting his divorce and custody issues or fantasising about Angelina. But there is a satisfying, sharp twist to be found at the end, where the villains don't go unpunished thanks to Perry's dogged determination and sense of justice.

It is obvious that each author has made a concerted effort to make the transition between chapters as smooth as possible though Inherit the Dead is not entirely seamless. There are elements of repetitiveness in individual contributions that should have been edited out. The character of Perry also changes in subtle ways, though for the most part the shifts are negligible since he is never very much more than a stereotype.

Overall I thought Inherit the Dead was a fairly ordinary effort and feel the collaboration could have, and should have been stronger, but it is a quick and easy read, and published for a good cause - to raise awareness of, and funds for, Safe Horizon (SafeHorizon.org)

It is some comfort to note that I am not alone in being disappointed with Inherit The Dead. Editing may have helped to keep our main character, disgraced detective Perry Christo endearing from one chapter to the next, but the story sure seemed to jumble. It's not much of a story at that as I found it hard to care about this missing rich girl and her awful family. Christo's daughter should have had a bigger part as she seemed much more likeable and deserving of attention. Oh, the novel is for a good cause, but some of the contributing authors seemed to be just dropping by, adding little to the mix. All in all, surely a better way to raise funds could have been found?

"Inherit the Dead" is a serial mystery with twenty bestselling authors adding their input to the development of the story.

Disgraced former homicide detective Pericles "Perry" Christo is hired by a Manhattan socialite to find her missing daughter, Angel. This is necessary because Angel needs to sign important papers to receive an inheritance prior to her twenty-first birthday. The socialite also tells Perry she is terminally ill and wants to reconcile with her daughter who she hasn't had a relationship for a long time.

Perry learns that the daughter lived with her father and has been missing. The father lives in the Hampton s on Long Island but doesn't seemed bothered by Angel's disappearance, nor does a number of men Angel dated.

At the same time, we observe someone following Perry. This person is set to do some harm but we don't know what their exact agenda is.

Perry has a daughter about Angel's age so feels compassionate about Angel's lack of family support but he also feels he's not getting the whole story.

The plot of finding a missing child who will come into money has been done before but seeing how the various authors take one chapter each and give it their input is fun.

I think mystery fans will enjoy the book.

When a story is told in the first person and only that point of view and that person's reflections and and reactions are telling the story and the thoughts and motivations - and still it's riveting - you gets page-turner. And this is a page-turner. Disgraced ex- cop, now a PI, working a missing child's whereabouts with millions of dollars in the balance and a short deadline, all make for a page turner.

Interesting concept where several writers participated in writing a mystery. Each took a chapter and handed off to the next writer in line. Each writer had to keep the flow. Hard to put the book down, so the jobs were well done. Lee child Did not participate other than writing the introduction of what's going to take place.

Former cop, now private investigator Perry Christo gets what he thinks is a simple gig with a big payoff by locating the daughter of a rich socialite. But things are never easy and it seems.

What was intriguing about this novel was that it took an old and tried plot and used twenty different authors writing a chapter each to advance the story. Unfortunately, I found it to be boring to say the least. The characters weren’t interesting, the mystery and thrills not so exciting. Like I said I liked the idea, and this book’s royalties are to be donated to Safe Horizon and I do hope they do succeed, but this but it is not one to stay in my library.

One plot, one story and twenty writers, twenty acclaimed crime writers I might add.
Having multiple authors contribute to an multiple story anthology tends to work better than having them write a chapter each for a one-story book. The anthology gives each person a chance to show their individual ideas. In this case it made the story seem like the main character was suffering from a case of multiple personalities. One writer would write Perry with a slowpoke depressive attitude and the next with a brass almost volatile temperament.
I think what bothered me the most was the actual lack of storyline. Perry spends nearly the entire book looking for a girl he has never met before, but who has suddenly taken on an imaginary role in his head and life. He obsesses over the unknown and adulates the fantasy girl, as opposed to the real woman. He also starts projecting his own custody issues and problems with his daughter and ex-wife onto the other characters in the book. Everything equates to his personal loss and guilt as a weekend dad. He thinks finding Angel will give him some sort of redemption card. Find missing girl equals being there for her even if he can't be there for his own flesh and blood.
I found the ending a tad soap opera bizarre and think the extra voice within the chapters could have been utilized better.
Although the novel wasn't as good as it could have been it deserves attention because it was created with a specific purpose in mind.
Despite the fact that certain chapters shone more brightly than others, I applaud and support the fact these scribes have come together for a worthy cause, to support the victims of domestic abuse.
I received a copy of this book courtesy of Edelweiss and the publisher.

Rating #1---the book, itself. I will have to give the book a 3* rating. It was an interesting story; not great, just interesting.
Rating #2---the whole concept of how it was written. I will have to give the concept a 5* rating. Twenty authors, writing twenty chapters, WITHOUT knowing what was written previously, or, after, their chapters. All of the chapters being written at the same time. Amazingly well done. Congrats.

If you think that having 20 different writers each writing a chapter and that the story would have a continual flow-you'd be wrong. There is too much redundancy (particularly in the first few chapters) with each writer re-describing previous events. However, even with the unevenness of the writing, this is a ridiculously far fetched story. I suggest your time is better spent reading any of the authors individually, rather then following this haphazard tale.

We'll admit to picking up this book because Lee Child's name was linked to it. We first thought it was an anthology of short crime stories, only to discover it was a single novel of 20 chapters, one each of which was written by a published author in support of a charitable effort that supports victims of crimes known as Safe Horizon (as explained in a brief afterword). Lee's contribution was a rather skimpy two-page introduction that basically patted the twenty authors on the back for being nice enough to cooperate. A short appendix provides a brief paragraph about each writer - for the record (in alpha order, not the order in which they write): Mark Billingham, Lawrence Block, CJ Box, Ken Bruen, Alafair Burke, Stephen L. Carter, Marcia Clark, Mary Higgins Clark, Max Allan Collins, John Connolly, James Grady, Heather Graham, Bryan Gruley, Charlaine Harris, Val McDermid, SJ Rozan, Dana Stabenow, Lisa Unger, and Sarah Weinman.

The actual crime story was about a former NYPD detective, Perry Christo, now a private eye, who was hired by a dying mother to find her missing 20-year-old daughter who would soon become a rich heiress. The mysterious death of the mother near the story's end added to the intrigue, as did some unknown stalker who was tailing Christo throughout much of the story, who was only identified at the very end. We felt all the different writers did an amazing job of weaving the story together so well that we were really unaware that it was quite a group effort. We found ourselves rooting for Christo, who needed some success in his life; and found the tale relatively suspenseful and entertaining. However, we did not at all like the denouement, feeling we had been ill prepared for the stalker's significant involvement in the whole affair. So - while by no means a great work, it is an oddity that just might be worth a quick perusal.

This was only the second time I read a novel written by a number of well known writers. I am familiar with some in the group, but not all. I found the format of having each chapter by a different author somewhat distracting and the plot was very thin and predictable. Some chapters seemed to exist solely to give that author his/her space while adding nothing to the story. I commend the writers for doing this for charity and I will check out the individual works of those whose styles show flashes of style and wit.

I will give these folks credit. If the proceeds from this book are indeed going to charity, they should be commended for their efforts. Beyond that, well.........

The good news is the book did not start with "It was a dark and stormy night". However, it had every cliche from every poorly written mystery novel that has ever existed. Even the names of the characters were cliches. They would have been better off using the names from the "Clue" game. I literally laughed out loud at how silly the characters were and all the typical plot contrivances. It made me think of a "Married with Children" episode I saw a couple decades ago where Al Bundy played a detective. It was that silly.

I give it two stars for making me laugh. As a detective story, however, I'd give it zero stars. This is the second collaboration novel I've read where a different author wrote each chapter. I won't waste my time on a third one.

Enjoyable mystery written one chapter each by twenty of the best mystery writers in the field. As others mentioned, there was sometimes repetition from chapter to chapter, but the over all story was interesting. It amazes me that writers can pick up a previous chapter written by someone else and continue on with the story. This is not the first type of story I've read, and I'm always in awe that they make It look as smooth as they do. The story line is interesting as are the characters. A good read!

The idea of a collaboration of amazing writing talent doesn't come to fruition in this choppy and disjointed mystery. With each chapter written by a different author, you don't reap the benefit of the talent, but a lack of flow of storyline. There seemed to be a repetitive quality to chapters. As if each author felt compelled to rehash and commit his/her stamp of approval on the storyline. If this is a new trend, I am not a fan.

It lost me when it had a hard boiled ex-cop private eye drink champagne and dance the rhumba with a rich socialite potential source. I appreciate the concept of raising money for a good cause but the writing style of many of the chapters authors was not for me. It hooked me just enough to keep going to see what happens in the end but I didn't really enjoy it....maybe others will.

Great concept, good writing, but the story and characters lacked oomph. Knowing how much punch many of these writers can provide, it was disappointing but understandable (they were confined by what info and parameters they were provided and agreed to, I'm sure).

Enjoyable but certainly only 3 stars, at best. Ending is really not worth the time spent reading the rest, either.

I have read a lot of these authors and think they’re great but this book was a waste of paper, ink --- the whole story could have been consolidated into one short story (Block’s chapter – the end, was the best)! It was just a truly boring, long mystery and was so glad when Block finally put it to rest!

I think the story line was good, but the different writing left a lot to be desired. The men were much better writers, the women I think tried too hard, one of them was pretty foul if you ask me. I'm glad I got it from the library and didn't have to pay for it.

If twenty mystery writers got together and decided to wirtie a book, each one penning a different chapter, you might expect mayhem

Surprisingly this book turned out well and the collaboration produced a good story. Interesting [plot.

This was a fun book to read because the authors seemed to be having a ball writing it. Each of the authors would write a chapter, most of the time leaving some sort of a cliffhanger or a tight squeeze that the next author would have to work out a solution for. In the first half of the book each author would introduce a new player in the story. Then once everyone was known the authors would mix it up, so they might not be the person that you thought they were at first. And of course, they all bring some of their unique styles to the narrative.

Linda Fairstein wanted to draw attention to "Safe Horizon, the largest victims' support charity in the United States". So Jonathan Santlofer agreed to put the book together and called on 20 renowned crime writers to be a part of this book in support of Safe Horizon. "They all said yes." "and rallied around a good cause" (From the Introduction)

I give this book 4 Stars out of 5 and A Big Thumbs Up. I enjoyed the idea of a serial novel written by so many authors that I read and follow. It was fun and interesting and supports a good cause. Read "Inherit the Dead" if you like any of these authors. I think you will enjoy it as much as I did.

I received this Digital Review Copy for free from edelweiss.com.

I figured out the plot so fast it made my head spin. Disjointed, schizophrenic-no disrespect to the mentally ill. it felt like a meal with too many cooks. we need to issue cease and desist orders for multiple writer novels. never read one that i liked

Different writers wrote their own chapters so it didn't flow for me. It seemed like things kept being repeated. It was a very slow moving book and mostly boring I thought. One chapter had the main character cursing and completely out of character to the rest of the book. I only checkedc it out because Overdrive had the author as Lee Child. I probably should have read more of the description. I finished it because I didn't have anything else to read at the time.

This read is the expected result of a committee writing project--disjointed, disconnected, and put together with masking tape and bailing wire. I cannot recommend this book. I'm surprised that Lee Child associated his name to it.

These are all great writers but the compilation reads like a novel written by a committee. Which, of course, is what the book is. Perhaps my problem with it is that it doesn't reflect one personality.

Multiple bestselling authors take the reins with each new chapter! This is an entertaining and quick read for a great cause - Safe Horizon!

The narrative blends seamlessly with lots of action and introspection as Perry Christo, a disgraced former NYPD detective turned Private Investigator tries to find a missing daughter for his very wealthy client. Julia Drusilla claims that her estranged daughter is coming into inheritance from a trust on her 21st birthday -- but only if she signs the papers on that day! Problems mount during his search, however, as he dashes to and fro from NYC to the Hamptons and back again. SOME ONE, maybe EVERY one, is lying to him.

Who is Angelina Loki - devil or angel? Can Perry figure out what's going on before it's too late?!

Ebook provided by Touchstone and Edelweiss.

Obvious questions not asked, necessary research not done by the detective was frustrating to me and made him seem weak. I did not to particularly like him. Also, too much foul language for my taste. Skim read to finish book only because I was curious who did it. Needs some tweeking.

The clever plot line held my interest, but with a different author every chapter the writing was a little uneven. On the plus side, I think each author did a credible job of picking up where the previous writer had ended, as I think that would be a difficult task.

after introduction, I expected a full meal read….the plot never gained traction…had no teeth…more like a soap opera than a crime mystery…CJ and Max did develop some interest…others wasted time of theirs and readers.

I was really looking forward to reading different style of murder authors when I ordered this book. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. The authors seemed to repeat the situation in every chapter thus not moving the story along. Clever idea, but didn't work for me.

I changed my computer program to windows 10 and now I have lost my password and you insist that I spend too much time trying to prove I am me.I cant get to my account but you can get to me, so to hell with it

I didn't like this,can't put my finger on why exactly but there didn't seem to be any mystery about it. Even though written by 20 different authors one can't really distinguish any change in the writing style. I read the one mentioned in the editorial review No Rest For The Dead also written by 2 dozen authors and it was so much better than this and held your interest until the very end.

I skimmed through most of this to finish.

The concept of this novel is eye-catching and challenging. It has really excellent content. It is amazing how so many writers can extract from their intellectual resources, write a chapter each that is fluent and makes up this fantastic novel.

Lee Child and CJ Box are two of my favorite writers so I was very excited about a book written by them and other known crime writers. This book was not well-written and very boring. Should have been edited down to 3 -4 chapters.