Honestly Dear, You're Dead

Fredrickson continues to showcase his troupe of likable characters in "Honestly Dearest, You're Dead," the well-applauded sequel to "A Safe Place for Dying." Like the first book, "Honestly Dearest, You're Dead" displays superb storytelling--with eccentric characters and spot-on humor written in an easy-reading style that has become Fredrickson's brand--but this time, along with an interesting mystery that could have held the book all by itself, Fredrickson treats readers to a Jeep-ride into the past where they discover a surprising and poignant connection between this case and Dek's (and Leo's) past. With this second installment in the series, Fredrickson is at his best. It's a well-done mystery with a marvelous added dimension that lets readers really get to know Dek Elstrom. Any reader will find this a terrific book, but readers of the first book will also find it a truly rewarding and 3-dimensional sequel. Highly recommend.

Honestly is the second in the Dek Ekstrom series written in the tongue and cheek of the old fashioned who-done-it style. Dek is a fumbling likeable PI who takes just about any case if he gets paid something even if it is only $[...] bucks - He needs funds to heat the turret that he is trying to renovate. Dek has some of the most hysterical insights into the characters he runs into. This is a book that all mystery lovers will want to read, because as soon as you think you have figured it out there is another clever twist. I loved the first book, but the second book was a great step in Dek Ekstrom's character. I can't wait until the next book in the series. This was an easy to read page turner that has me anxious for the next.

I read this second in a series book first, loved it so much I went back and read the first (screwed up order, but hey.) Anyway, these books both feature a great protagonist, part philosopher, part PI, full-time thinker and comedian, Dek Elstrom. This is way, way better than most mysteries I've read. Highly recommend!

Delightful narrator offers the perfect blend of witty asides, unusual plot, and serious reflections on Life. Eagerly awaiting the next book in this new series!

I just finished reading Honestly Dearest, right after finishing The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. I like "Sawtelle" but enjoyed this book more. Honestly Dearest, You're Dead by Jack Fredrickson is the second mystery in a series by this Chicago author. The book is a quick read, a real page-turner, because of an interesting story, colorful characters, and pursuit of unresolved adolescent traumas that surface in a murder mystery. Chicago and an adjacent suburb, along with the nearby Michigan coast, is the setting. Fredrickson's characters remind me of David Baldacci's colorful supporting cast in his Camel Club series---each embodying one or more quirks that make them irritable, loveable, and valuable at various times. Leo, Amanda, Elvis, Aggert, Severs, Kutz, and the various lumps in municipal government give depth to the story. Fredrickson's humor is a droll quick-witted commentary on irritating trends overtaking our daily life--from potholes to Walmartization to big brother government. Like Baldacci, Fredrickson writes in episodic chapters that are brief enough to keep you wanting to read just one more. A satisfying, well-crafted mystery novel!