Ask a Dead Man

This gripping story had me captivated from the first page to the last. Mr. Levinson keeps the reader's interest by including twists and turns throughout the book! By including the struggles of the Irish people, it made the book even more interesting. The author makes his readers care about the characters. Highly recommended!

The only other Robert S. Levinson book I've read is The John Lennon Affair so I wasn't quite sure what to expect in this book since it's really a different genre. What I got was a suspense thriller that had enough twists and turns to keep me guessing, and enough other plot elements to keep me entertained. With many fun story elements like double-double crosses and not being able to tell the good guys from the bad ones, this is a good read all around.

I've been a fan of Levinson's work since I was given a copy of "The Elvis and Marilyn Affair" as a gift. I didn't quite know what to expect with "Ask a Dead Man." New publisher, different characters (no more Neil Gulliver and Stevie Marriner!?). I was worried not only that I'd never find out what happens with Neil and Stevie, but that I wouldn't like this book as much. Needless to say, my fears were groundless. The story is compelling from moment one, reminiscent of Ludlum but with the more subtly nuanced use of language that makes Levinson so enjoyable in the first place. Unlike most "thrillers" this one also packs enough mystery in the form of trying to figure out the good guys from the bad guys that I couldn't put it down --- and, as expected, there was very little that was black and white about the answers. I don't want to give too much away, but I will say that you should not be surprised to find yourself surprised --- over and over again.

Ask a Dead Man attracted my attention with its intriguing title. Little did I know how apt the title was until I finished this breathtaking story. The payoff was well worth the reading. Ask a Dead Man is a book for today about terrorists and antiterrorism efforts. At the same time, the book looks into timeless questions about love and loyalty that will haunt every reader. A strong book always makes me identify with the characters. In this book, it's all but impossible not to feel like you are KC McClory as she fights to stay alive and do what's right. You will find yourself understanding the other characters . . . but not identifying with them. That's the book's only significant flaw. The plot itself is a very satisfying one, reminiscent of the best of the Cold War spy stories about double and triple agents. The story develops in dramatic bursts as each event circumscribes the options open to KC. It's almost as though a classic shrinking room is about crush her. First, her husband Frankie, a former IRA enforcer who now heads a splinter terrorist group that operates for hire is murdered in front of her before the killer pistol whips her. Second, Frankie's slimy brother, Liam, pressures KC to smuggle explosive and guns into the U.S. for an assassination by Frankie's old group. Third, a "priest" comes on to her on the train headed for Pasadena . . . just before he tries to kill her. It's kill or be killed in a suspenseful scene. Then, she discovers she's killed the man who murdered her husband. Fourth, she's identified as the priest's murderer and her former lover is leading the investigation. Against this backdrop, we learn that she's actually a secret antiterrorism agent who was sent to Ireland to turn Frankie. The agency she works for doesn't trust her, and she's set up by both sides in ever-escalating violence. As the revelations mount, the tension mounts and her situation gets ever dicier. Although it may seem like I've shared too much of the story, that's just the prologue for the really serious developments! Robert Levinson writes well, keeps his story moving, and has great abilities as a story teller to develop characters with a few words, gestures and actions. Plan to stay up late whenever you start reading this book!

In a Belfast bar, a Plowman sent by the notorious Thirty-Two kills their former leader Frankie McCrory in front of his wife Katie McCrory because they obtained evidence that he turned traitor and worked for an American espionage agency TRIAD. . While Kate mourns her loss, Frankie's odious brother Liam blackmails his sister-in-law into doing a job for the Thirty-Two. She is to deliver money and equipment to a Plowman who will assassinate African leader Mustamba. If she fails to deliver, her beloved "adopted" family the Osbornes in Pasadena, California will die. On the train heading to Pasadena, Katie kills the same Plowman who murdered Frankie before he could assassinate her. In Pasadena she checks in with her TRIAD boss, devious Walter Burkes who wonders who his agent works for since her beloved die. As she seeks vengeance, but not sure against whom, Katie risks her life to keep the Osbornes safe and to obtain the truth. Only her former lover Los Angeles Police Detective Peter Osborne tries to keep her safe though he is not sure what is going on. Though it is difficult to keep track of the players, their agencies, and the twists (Katie feels the same way), fans will enjoy this solid espionage police procedural thriller. The story line is action-packed from the moment the Plowman kills Frankie until the final twist of a confrontation between Katie and her identified antagonist. Katie is a heroic protagonist wanting revenge yet needing to keep the Osbornes safe while readers will feel for Peter who made one mistake that cost him his beloved. The action and Katie make it worth gyrating through the tangled plot. Harriet Klausner