Detective Alex Mills turns to psychic Gus Parker to help him solve a series of baffling murders perpetrated by a deranged killer who leaves his victims’ bodies and taunting clues in the cemeteries of Phoenix, AZ.A killer is on the loose, leaving fresh bodies among the dead in Phoenix cemeteries, and marking the murders with ghoulish signs that warn of more evil to come. It’s a crude camouflage … crude camouflage that has Detective Alex Mills stumped. As he has done before, Mills turns to his buddy, the reluctant psychic Gus Parker. His visions, as cryptic and baffling as they sometimes are, mean something.
But just as the investigation heats up, and Mills needs him most, Gus Parker receives ominous threats from a mysterious source. Is this a crazed fan who is trying to get to Gus’s love interest, rock-and-roll legend Billie Welch? Or are these threats related to the spree of cemetery killings?
There are nefarious secrets hiding in the shadows of the valley’s most well-heeled neighborhoods, and some of the most prominent residents have the most to fear.
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This is turning into one of my new favorite mystery series… This second book focused a lot more on Gus, and he’s a fascinating character. I thoroughly enjoy the back-and-forth between the logical Alex and the more free-flowing Gus, and the development of their personalities is a big reason why this series is so engaging. The other is the truly original serial killer presentations that keep being provided. This is complex evil, of the kind that (unfortunately) takes the community/reader/world by the throat and shakes until something pops… It makes for very eerie but compelling reading, especially when managed by a writer like Cooper who manages to keep everyone – even the bad guys – just human enough to be relatably, horribly, real.
Thanks to Seventh Street Books for my review copy. Here’s hoping there is much more to come from Parker and Mills – and, of course, Cooper!
Entertaining, who done it, with a lot of graveyard settings. Good plot.
Well-plotted, but told in the present tense which I find irritating, distracting, and amateurish. I did finish, which is not usual for me when I find myself faced with this particular style of novel.
This book was a thriller and exciting. I loked the two mystery stories entwine together it held your attention. I was surprised as to who the kiler was. This was an excelent book.
Come to Arizona and feel the heat, the land and the people. This ia a 4.6 star police procedural with the extra zest of a medium,Gus, who happens to help out his buddy, Miles, a cop.
First of the title is right on, or “dead” on …men found in makeshift graves. The first body is actually discovered in a cemetery, leaving open the door to funny comments from the cops. Alex Miller is an honest cop, married and in love with his wife, Kelly, and dealing with a teenage son, Trevor. He has a crack team working with him on cases including Powell, a woman, trying too hard to fit in and Preston and the rest.
You have Gus, who works sort of for Beatrice, a practicing medium. He takes her overload and is very intuitive. Lucky man lives with his dog, Ivy, and sometimes shares the home of Billie, a well known singer.
Alex is under pressure to find the killer or killers of some higher up professionals in graves they dug with their own hands. And mystery notes are left behind implying the men had committed crimes in their past.
The mayor is putting pressure on Alex and team as when the rich die, it matters more.
Gus and Billie are in bliss and enjoying her lifestyle until a stalker from her past starts up again.
Alex drags Gus away to help solve the crimes and deal with his own problems. His wife is ignoring him and he is really thrown by it…when you find out why…it is so real and funny! Reads true. And his son is accused if forcing himself on his girlfriend…..the list goes on.
Schultz, Klink, Gaffing, all dead and more to come if the police don’t find a clue. But with Gus and Alex, the crime will be solved. The only frustrating part was the way the Paradise police refused to believe Alex on his missing friend …..rivalry between depts is real but this led to a scary ordeal for Gus.
This is the second book in a series…I now want to read the first book and learn more about Gus and Alex. And the way Gus “reads” or intuits information is very well done! An enjoyable mystery.