Dead Connection

Murray is an outcast, who talks to the dead. He visits the cemetery every day to talk to his friends. He stays away from most living people until he meets Pearl, the graveyard caretaker's daughter. She finds him strange, but is also drawn to him. One afternoon, Murray hears a new voice. While he can hear her and sense her presence, he can't see her or talk to her. Meanwhile, the town scrambles to find out what happened to Nikki, a missing cheerleader. Murray and Pearl come to the conclusion that the new girl in the cemetery could be Nikki. Is it possible that they've uncovered the biggest mystery in town? And if so, how can they tell someone who will listen to them and not think they're crazy? Broken up into short chapters, DEAD CONNECTION takes several character perspectives, letting the reader unravel the mystery. I recommend this one to reluctant readers and mystery fans. Reviewed by: Jennifer Rummel

High schooler Murray Kiefer and Sierra County sheriff's deputy Roman Gates, based out of Riverton, near Whiskeytown Lake, are both trying to solve the same murder. The two are not working together -- they don't even know each other -- but they are working in concert. On Oct. 17, Nikki Parker, a 16-year-old cheerleader at Canyon High in Riverton, Murray's school, disappeared from the parking lot after practice. Weeks later there are still no clues to her whereabouts. For Gates, a gambling addict now in recovery, the answer must be out there if only a sufficient number of leads can be followed up. For Murray, outsider and son of a prostitute mother, his best leads come from the town cemetery. He is convinced he hears voices from the dearly departed and he considers himself a "friend to the deceased." But then he hears sobbing, something in his mind that sounds like "please help me." And therein lies the tale. "Dead Connection" ($16.95 in hardcover from Roaring Brook Press) is Charlie Price's first novel, but you wouldn't know it. The Redding-based author writes with consummate skill, creating and interweaving the lives of multiple characters who are far from cardboard cutouts. Price is an organizational consultant and "executive coach"; he writes me that he spent 35 years in education and mental health. His wife, Joan Pechanec, is a psychotherapist with practices in Redding and Mount Shasta. The book earned starred reviews in both Publishers Weekly and Booklist and has been nominated, he writes, for Best Book Young Adults and Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. (A word of caution: There are adult themes and some foul language.) Murray is the emotional center of the book. A fixture at Forest Grove cemetery ("Don't call it a graveyard!") he hears the voices of "Dearly" (that would be "Dearly Beloved, Born 1944, Died 1969" in a car wreck), "Blessed," "Edwin" and more. They are his friends. "I don't spend much time with the older people," Murray tells us. "I figure they deserved it. Not deserved it, really, but what could they expect? After 40, you're going to die. The ones my age and the children, they almost all need someone to talk to. I comfort them the best I can. They weren't ready. ... Everybody needs a friend." Enter ninth-grader Pearl (daughter of the kind cemetery caretaker Janochek), who at first sees Murray as some kind of weirdo but later makes alliance with him. Then there's 22-year-old Robert Barry Compton who can just barely hold a job. "His ears were red and pockmarked from several piercings, but he had lost his studs when he was picked up for disturbing the peace in Chico." He is now on strong meds and has trouble remembering. Yet there was something he saw the night of Oct. 17, something terribly important. Vern Billup is a drunk given to blackouts. Public affairs officer for local law enforcement, Billup has it out for Murray ever since the kid walked in on him and Murray's mother at her home, where she entertained

Stumbled onto the book via a friend. After just a few chapters (they're short) I started to become attached to the main characters, much the same as when I read the "Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time." Then I found myself wanting to read "just one more chapter" before turning out the lights. While it seemed clear where the story was going, Charlie Price gave it some unexptected turns. He not only crafts a nice plot but also lets his obvious good sense of humor show through. I look forward to reading his next book.

I loved this book! It was both clever and thought-provoking. The characters were vivid and the plot held my attention from beginning to end. I highly recommend Charlie Price's "Dead Connection" and am eagerly awaiting his next book.

This book gripped me from the first page to the last, although I'm an adult. Charlie Price's skill with multiple points of view, character development, and plot surprises kept me turning pages. It's intended for teens, though, and I know, as a former high school teacher, that this book will be a hit with the intended age group. Charlie Price knows his audience. He provokes emotional reactions without manipulating his readers. This book is skillful, clever, and engrossing. I recommend it highly.