No. 4) - A Novel (A Dave Gurney Novel) - Peter Pan Must Die (Dave Gurney

I won't take your time providing a description of Peter Pan Must Die, as you can get this from the Book Description above. Rather, my review is to inform you of my opinion of the book, which, hopefully, will be of value in deciding if this book is one you'll want to read.

While Peter Pan Must Die has some interesting "page turning" moments and its share of murders, these, unfortunately, do not occur until well into the second half of this 448 page book. By this point, my interest had been steadily waning, and the subsequent suspense that did occur was not sufficient to rekindle my interest.

For me, Verdon's plodding writing, his uninteresting interactions between the main character -- Dave Gurney, a retired NYPD detective -- and his wife, and his somewhat stereotypical, cliched secondary characters ultimately became too much to allow me to recommend Peter Pan Must Die to any readers other than those who have been loyal fans of the first three books in this series. It's not that Peter Pan Must Die is a very bad book - I did finish it, after all. It's just that, in my opinion, there are many other mysteries/thrillers that would represent a better investment for your time and money.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

I'm a sucker for good titles...and tales of a fairy nature. So by title alone, I was intrigued by John Verdon's Peter Pan Must Die. While I admit that I hoped for a reworking of the Peter Pan story, I was not overly disappointed with the "just as you think you're out, they pull you back in" murder mystery that reminded me quite a bit of Criminal Minds.

A murder most foul gets a wife convicted for the death of her husband, but did she really commit the crime or was there police corruption? This question is what draws Jack Hardwick, a former police officer and recent personal investigator to look more closely at the case with the help of retired NYPD detective Dave Gurney.

While Dave had moved to the country with his wife Madeleine to live a more restful, less dangerous life, the curiosities of this high profile Spalter murder draw him in and add to his burden of personal trauma that drives his conviction and action to do right. So where does the spritely Peter Pan come into play? He's the androgynous hit man who has evaded Interpol for years and has a unique and chilling MO that Dave works through to come to a realization of what transpired and who ordered the hit.

The prose was quite detailed and provided a good sense of the scene and the emotional state of characters, particularly Dave, throughout the whole process but at times it felt like a bit densely packed. The puzzle of motivation for murder and ultimately who ordered the murder were intricately woven throughout the whole story and kept my crime-show-watching-and-speculating-self guessing for a good portion of the book. The chapters were consistently short for quick pacing, which mirrored the pace of the investigation of the case.

While Verdon may never live up to the awesome promise of his debut, this was still a strong entry into the series, almost on par with book 2. It's all I want in my audio book (format for which my standards are lower than usual), a fun fast paced mystery thriller. Gurney, during what must be one of the most active retirements ever, is at it again when what starts off as a fairly simple inquiry to exculpate a convicted murderess quickly turns into something altogether more sinister and elaborate. More again on the strange marriage of Gurneys. I think I finally figured out what's off about it, based on the way Dave described his relationship to his son. There is a basic comfortable cohabitation, physical attraction, love...but it just seems so affectionless somehow. There is an obvious mutual respect and meeting of minds, but it's all so strangely dispassionate, unlike, for example the murder solving. Anyway, it works for them. And it works for readers, giving the books a much welcome another dimension. Pretty good story, nice ironic twist at the end. Enjoyable and entertaining listening experience.

Psychological thrillers often fall into one of two categories: one style tends to lead from one adventurous episode to another. Steven Berry's Cotton Malone series comes to mind. The other is far more thought-provoking, i.e., the case unravels slowly and methodically. Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch series is this modern equivalent.

This is my first David Gurney novel and I would say I'm hooked. The summation of the case has been reviewed elsewhere so I will focus on what interested me. First, Gurney is not your "Dirty Harry" retired detective. His approach to case resolution is more methodical. As an observer/reader, he struck me as more of a teacher, putting together a logically sequence jigsaw that made sense as you followed his reasoning. Gurney has many of the traits of a modern-day Sherlock Holmes with purpose a more support structure than Holmes enjoyed.

If you like good mysteries where the answer is right before your eyes, then you will like this book. The sequence of events is logical and the situation is realistic. Gurney is an appealing character as are others presented. I especially appreciated that the author referred to, but didn't require, former cases or instance in Dave's life that you need to know to understand this story. Beware, the focus on this book is solving the crime, not understanding or falling in to the mind of the criminal. That ploy captured my interest. However, if anything failed in the story, I thought the length was a tad too long, but the conclusion does keeps your attention. This is a promising series that I intend to explore.

This is the fourth book revolving around NYPD Detective Dave Gurney written by John Verdon.  This is the the first book in the series I have listened to and it was such a great book I have added the previous 3 to my Audible Wish List.

First I want to say that Robert Fass deserves to be recognized for his work on this audiobook. His presentation and performance of each character was as good as if they had seven or eight different voice talents performing this book. The story may be the best mysteries I have read this year, Robert Fass brings the story to another level as I was on the edge of my seat listening. I know if I had read this book it would have kept me up all night until I finished it.

John Verdon has written an almost perfect book. I never new who hired the killer until the very end. If this was a movie you would watch a second time just to see if you missed a clue along the way because the finally is so shocking.

A man is murdered at his mothers funeral by a snipers bullet. His wife is convicted of the murder and an ex New York State Police Detective asks Retired NYPD Detective Dave Gurney to help him get her conviction reversed. There could be no two Cops more different than Dave Gurney and Jack Hardwick, but Dave owes Jack a big favor. And so it begins the Odd Couple of Detectives look into the case.

This, as I said, may be the Best Mystery I have read this year and it is my favorite book of the year as of this writing. I hope there are more books with both of the main characters in the future and that Robert Fass continues as the narrator.

This book was gifted to me by the Publisher Dreamscape Media for an honest review.

Very good book that bogs down too often and could be shorter. The mystery itself is very good and interesting, however I have gotten tired of his passive-aggressive wife and the pages spent rehashing the same differences between them over and over. Either split up or finally accept each other's shortcomings and go to counseling (only leave the sessions out of the book). The ending was good and was obviously written with a screenplay in mind.

Maybe I missed something by starting with the 4th book in a series. I try to avoid that. I try to avoid series altogether unless I likelike the first book, but I took a chance on this one because Gurney's character seemed so intriguing. Boy, was I wrong.

Gurney and his Madeline (I can't even remember the correct spelling of her name) arebtwo of the most annoying characters I have ever encountered. Madeline and the chicken coop, and Gurney with his "You may be right." It was his all-purpose response - to the friendly and the furious, the sane and the insane.'

Can SOMETHING happen, please? Or will it all be new age, passive aggressive chat?

38% through and I can't go on. This is one of the very few books that I simply cannot finish. I found myself dreading going back to these characters . I am giving 2 stars because the scene with Angelidis actually read true. Otherwise, 1 star because I avoid people like these navel gazers in real life.

This is the fourth entry in the series featuring retired NYPD detective David Gurney who, according to New York magazine, is “the most successful homicide dick in the history of the Big Apple.” Now in his late 40’s, he and his second wife, Madeleine, live on an old farmhouse in the rural Catskill Mountains of upstate New York, leaving New York City three years earlier (“the city where they’d both been born, raised, educated, and employed”) after 25 years on the job. Dave has agreed to help out his old friend, Jack Hardwick, with whom he has a long and somewhat fraught history: Jack had had a ‘forced departure” from the State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation after a difficult case they had worked on together. (Hardwick is described as having “a sharp mind and sound investigative instincts . . . concealed behind a relentless eagerness to offend.”)

This case is much more than just difficult: Hardwick is now a p.i., his first client being a woman who has been convicted of killing her husband – well, convicted of shooting him, at his mother’s funeral, following which he died during her trial, with the charges of course being changed to murder. Hardwick’s job, with Dave’s assistance, is to prove that the woman was framed and that the cop in charge of the investigation, either willfully or negligently, completely mishandled the case, including but not limited to hiding evidence and suborning perjury. Jack tells him that the case has everything: “Horror, hate, gangsters, politics, big money, big lies, and maybe just a little bit of incest.” As the case evolves, Dave’s propensity for putting himself in life-threatening situations is tested once again.

This is a fascinating mystery, wonderfully well-written, with a unique plot. The villain of the piece is the eponymous little elf himself, but discovering his actual corporeal identity proves a very difficult task. The first reference to the elf comes in Part Two, appropriately headed “Peter Pan,” nearly a quarter-way into the book, with nothing more about him until even further on. But as things proceed, the book centers on the monstrous human who bears that nickname, who appears to be a sadistic serial killer. I was hesitant, even fearful, as I reached Part Three (ominously headed “All the Evil in the World), but that quickly changed as I soon found I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. The author explores the question of whether “the patterns we perceive are determined by the stories we want to believe,” and states that “In the real world of crime and punishment - - as in all human endeavors - - objectivity is an illusion. Survival itself demands that we leap to conclusions.” And he makes a very good case.

The three prior novels in this series were all very well received, and I have no doubt that this one will be as well. Despite its length, it is a page-turner, and is highly recommended.

John Verdon makes demands of his readers. You should not approach one of his Dave Gurney thrillers with the expectation of finishing it within a couple of hours. These books, of which PETER PAN MUST DIE is the latest, require attention on several levels. Verdon is not afraid to let Gurney wax wisdom, using his wife Madeleine, his ad hoc detective partner Jack Hardwick, or anyone within hailing distance as a sounding board as he gets from Point A to Point B during the course of approaching a tantalizing mystery that always seems to be unsolvable. Verdon demands much but gives back more. You walk away from the completion of one of his novels with more knowledge than you had when you first cracked the binding. Guaranteed.

PETER PAN MUST DIE is no exception. Gurney is a retired NYPD detective whose life with Madeleine in rural upstate New York is strangely (well, maybe not so strangely) unsatisfying. Once the department's top homicide investigator, Gurney continues to be drawn back into the hunt, exposing himself to danger along the way in spite of himself. Or maybe it's because of himself. That is one of the central issues that confronts Gurney in this book. The issue is indirectly raised when he receives a visit from Hardwick, who wants him to use his skills and talents as a murder conviction is unofficially reopened.

Kay Spalter has been convicted of murdering her husband, Carl, a charismatic politician who was killed by a sniper's bullet moments before he was supposed to give the eulogy at his mother's funeral. Katherine's attorney has hired Hardwick as a private investigator, and Hardwick wants to utilize Gurney's keen insight and analytical talents to take a fresh look at the evidence. Gurney is reluctant to get involved, but ultimately acquiesces, given that Hardwick's assistance to him in a previous case resulted in the abrupt end of Hardwick's career with the State Highway Patrol.

Gurney learns all too quickly that Kay is anything but a sympathetic client, yet it also becomes obvious that the police investigation was shoddy at best and corrupt at worst. His immediate conclusion? The evidence demonstrates that for Carl to have been murdered in the manner described by the police would have been impossible. When Gurney also discovers that the detective in charge of the investigation deliberately withheld evidence at trial that might have cleared Kay, a dismissal of the charges is all but assured.

Gurney does his job, but it's not enough for him. Having all but determined that Kay did not kill Carl, he needs to find out who actually did and why. The answers to those questions will put Gurney on the trail of a mysterious, almost legendary, hitman who is feared by law enforcement officers and crime lords alike, and whose origin is shrouded in mystery. He may be the most dangerous prey Gurney has ever hunted...and he is hunting Gurney as well. Tenacious as always, Gurney must confront his own motives as he pursues and is pursued by an all-but-invisible killer while he is once again drawn back into a situation from which he may not emerge intact.

One does not walk away from a Verdon novel without observations, and there is a significant one in PETER PAN MUST DIE. It is worth reading the book just for that, and has to do with seeing and thinking. Watch for it, as this wonderfully told story unfolds before you, layer by layer, within one of the truly great puzzle mysteries of the year.

Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

Dave Gurney is back and mixed up in another murder mystery, despite being retired from the NYPD and living with his sharp-tongued wife, Madeleine, in the Catskill Mountains of upstate NY. His former coworker, who is now fired for his unprofessional conduct Jack Hardwick, visits and pulls Dave into an investigation of a woman accused of killing her politician husband in public. Hardwick is acting as a private investigator now and shares the file with Dave, who of course can not resist the lure of the cerebral solution to a murder case much to the dismay of his loyal wife, who just wants Dave to construct a coop for her pet chickens and leave the mayhem behind them. Soon they find out about a small, slim hired assassin nicknamed Peter Pan for his looks and ability to swoop in and kill and make a clean getaway as if flying.

Despite the cutesy title and unusual assassin, I was not in love with this latest Gurney outing. I loved the first book Think of a Number, maybe because the gimmick was new and fresh to me: a retired detective assisting with investigations by using his talent and brains to read the clues efficiently. I like Madeleine as the wife who got her husband to retire to her dream location, and still putters in volunteer work and dinners with friends, but expects her restless husband to be content in their rural town. Their give-and-take is fun to read and the characters are well-developed, but I just didn't buy this scenario. Now that his friend Hardwick is off the force, I suspect that Dave Gurney will be busy helping his friend as a P.I. consultant.

I probably will read the next book, but I wish that Mr. Verdon will tighten up the over-wordy descriptions and go back to the fun of the first and second books ( I didn't read the third, but they are basically stand-alones).
4 stars for intelligent writing and loyalty to the main characters of the series, 3.75 for my actual enjoyment
(Received through Blogging for Books Program for a fair and honest review)

Dave Gurney is back in this fourth installment of John Verdon's series.

It's been just a few months since Gurney helped solve the Good Shepherd case. Just a few months since his consulting led to Jack Hardwick's forced retirement from the NYSP. Jack has been left with something of an axe to grind over the whole thing and Gurney is well aware that he owes him. So when Jack approaches him with a new plan, Gurney has little choice but to go along.

Jack is set on starting up as a PI and he has his eye on a high profile case as his first. Kay Spalter was convicted of killing her husband, Carl, and is serving a life sentence. Jack has inside information proving negligence in the investigation and, with the help of a top-notch attorney and Gurney, plans to get the case overturned. As Gurney begins to investigate, it becomes clear that there are definite questions about Kay's guilt and the case against her. With mob links, corrupt cops, and a seriously dysfunctional family at the root of the case, Gurney has plenty of leads to look into. Strangely, though, one unidentified person keeps appearing at every turn. Is this the real killer? And if so what is the motive behind Carl Spalter's murder?

John Verdon is a master at creating whip quick puzzlers! Gurney, dubbed a super cop, has excellent observation skills - skills that fortunately don't come across as over the top. It's quite easy, as a reader, to follow his train of thought and the various details to his conclusions.

In Peter Pan Must Die, Jack is something of a roadblock. He's determined to prove negligence - a clear effort to enact some revenge on the very people who penalized him for bringing Gurney in on their former case. And yet, as Gurney begins to find clues suggesting Kay Spalter's innocence, Jack seems almost unwilling to listen. He's not out to prove her innocence, he's out to prove the guilt of the police!

I love the interactions and relationships between Gurney and the other characters. The tension between him and his wife over his continued involvement in investigations in spite of his retirement (which is actually quite accepting on her part). Gurney's feelings about Jack, "it's complicated" about sums it up. There's a definite care and attention in the development of the characters in this series that I appreciate as a fan.

I kind of feel like the Dave Gurney series is one that doesn't get as much attention as it deserves. I really do recommend checking it out, even if you dive in with this latest, as Verdon has created something here that rivals the best of the mystery/thriller genre!

I loved this book! In terms of intensity, there's only one part where I was really on the edge of my seat. But what's important to me is that I wasn't able to guess the ending. Unlike a lot of 'who-dunnit' books, this one did not have some big dramatic reveal that made the whole audience gasp, but I don't care about that. I didn't guess 'who dunnit' so I was happy. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys surprises, no matter how big or small, or simple-minded they may be.

I absolutely LOVE John Verdon's Dave Gurney series, and have DESPERATELY wished that he would write a FIFTH book...SOON! I DO, however, agree with the previous reviewer that states Madeline is becoming an "Annoyance". Although, I THOROUGHLY enjoyed the "Twists and Turns" of the plot, and as usual the ending had enough "intrigue" to keep me guessing...somewhat...(I agree, again, with previous reviewers who indicate that Verdon's first three books were much better), I enjoyed this read enough to give it five stars. I know that, should Verdon pen a fifth book, I would definitely put it on my "Must Read" list. I would like to see some sort of character development when it comes to Madeline (an affair? a divorce? ANYTHING that pulls her out of the "One Dimensional Planet" where she seems to reside), other than that the Dave Gurney series has been one of my favorite little "I stumbled upon it by accident" pleasant surprises.

As with John Verdon's previous three Dave Gurney mysteries, this one grabs your attention and won't let go. Verdon builds the plot and tension of the story that forces you to read through the night! His insight into the character and marital relationship of Dave Gurney is a testament to what great writing is all about. I strongly recommend that you read this series from the beginning, "Think of a Number".
I put John Verdon in the same class as Michael Connelly, Robert Crais, and Don Winslow as top mystery authors.

The fairy-tale title of John Verdon's latest thriller is enough to intrigue most any thriller fan. PETER PAN MUST DIE is the fourth in Verdon's Dave Gurney series and the protagonist has purportedly been compared to classic sleuths like Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot.

Regrettably, the catchy title ends up being the best thing about this book. Written in a very over-wrought and formulaic style, Verdon takes his time getting the plot going. Dave Gurney is a retired NYPD investigator currently living in upstate New York. The idyllic existence he is attempting to live is disrupted when a former colleague, Jack Hardwick, comes up to pay a visit.

Hardwick wants Gurney to help re-evaluate an infamous court case of a woman who was convicted it the shooting death of her politician husband. Even though the facts about the husband's philandering were solid, there is additional evidence that may indicate the NYPD botched the investigation and jailed the wrong person.

Gurney is famous for solving the unsolvable and reluctantly steps into the new case. The issue he has is not only bending the noses of former NYPD colleagues out of joint but also puts him in the sights of a deranged killer labeled Peter Pan. Pan is called that because of his youthful appearance and viciousness. He has committed horrifying murders and now has targeted Dave Gurney.

Police corruption is just the tip of the iceberg as Gurney wades through this new case while keeping one eye open for the dangerous Pan. I wanted to like this book much more than I did. Just could not get past the plodding writing that took what could have been a standard but interesting premise and turned it into an overlong novel without much punch.

Reviewed by Ray Palen for New Mystery Reader

Allways like mystery books that follow in a series with same characters. Peter pan was 4th in series and i enjoyed all four. Any good books , mystery books, that follow that pattern. Since getting my kindle, i read at least 2 books a week and of course have read all the j pattern and j kellerman series.

I thoroughly enjoy these books and look forward to each new one in the series. As a librarian I have read lots of books in my lifetime and lately they all seem the same. I find this series and the main character to be unique and interesting to keep me reading.

I thought this was Verdon's best work since Think of a Number. There is something very compelling about the main character and I love the complexity of the crimes involved. This has quickly become my favorite mystery series.

Loved this book! Suspenseful, to the point that I could not put it down. I will now read the other books in the series. Can't understand the reviews that say this book is dull?!? If you like a good mystery, you will definitely not be disappointed.

After Connelly and Crais....I couldn't find authors of the same authenticity and depth to hold my interest.....until I found John Verdon. The narrative brings reality to each character....each plot, each page!

I kid you not – Buy this book immediately
FIVE STARS – Peter Pan Must Die – A Dave Gurney Novel
Verdon, John
Series: A Dave Gurney Novel
Hardcover: 448 pages
Publisher: Crown (July 1, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0385348401
ISBN-13: 978-0385348409

I discovered this writer about six months ago when I read his first effort, Think Of A Number. What an exciting writer he is. I am unable to adequately describe to you how much sheer fun and pleasure I derived from reading this new novel and his other three titles. If you are desirous of a mystery that encourages you to think along with the characters this is a writer that you need to read. Think of Blauner, Connelly, Hall, Pelecanos, and Koryta among others. Verdon is the real thing, a writer who will entertain the hell out of you and make you use your brain.
Run to your computer or better yet to a bookstore. Take out your money and buy Peter Pan Must Die. Call in sick, read this book and tell everybody you know that you discovered a brilliant writer who happens to write mysteries.

These books about Dave Gurney, the retired cop, are among the best of their kind being written today. John Verdon is, without doubt, the most stylish and intelligent writer of classic police procedurals out there. His books are not just crime novels. They are literature.

John Verdon's Dave Gurney series of crime novels is on a par with or better than most of the others out there -- and I read them all. Verdon's Gurney, along with Michael Connelly's, Harry Busch, are my favorite crime fighting protagonists. Verdon always presents a complex plot with many twists and turns along with a cast of multi-dimensional characters. Gurney's personal life -- he's a retired N.Y. City detective, living in bucolic upstate New York, who can't quite give up crime fighting -- is as interesting as his complicated murder plots. He could write a separate series of novels about that. Oh, I forgot to mention it, but Verdon is a really good writer, as well. His style is dense, textured and articulate. I can't wait for the next novel in the series.

I enjoy mysteries that I cannot predict many of the events that move the story along.
This one, "Peter Pan Must Die," certainly had a number of unpredictable events.
.....and for the most part held my interest almost to the end.
The ending tho was disappointing.