Product Description

When his beloved stepfather is murdered, a Los Angeles reporter confronts lingering questions about his paternity as he trails the killers. By the author of The Horse Latitudes. 150,000 first printing. $250,000 ad/promo. Lit Guild & Mystery Guild Feat Alt.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #147373 in Books
• Published on: 1997-10
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover

From Publishers Weekly
The opening scene of Ferrigno's third crime novel (after The Cheshire Moon) is a reminder of how good and tough this West Coast-cool author can be: as two killers invade the home of California Superior Court Judge Teddy Krammerson, the judge meets death with dignity, but not before slamming one of his attackers in the face with a telephone ("'You have no idea how good that felt," he said... breathing hard, his eyes calm as smoke. 'Opportunity knocks... I always answer.'"). In the face of rampant evil, the judge's stepson, investigative reporter Quinn, shows similar courage as he digs into the murder. The web of deceit involving new ripples from long-ago crimes that Quinn uncovers is so tangled, so ultra-Chandleresque, that the reader yearns for some violent action to cut it clean. But there's no relief until the final chapters, when Ferrigno thrusts Quinn into two shockingly bloody battles. Along the way, a gallery of memorable characters-the two killers, eccentric and scary angels of death; their wealthy, corrupt patron; Quinn's mysterious family friend who reappears after 28 years in prison-boost the sleuthing. And an affecting subplot about Quinn's loyalties in love-he is torn between his girlfriend and his estranged wife and daughter-enriches the tale. But finally, poor pacing and spaghetti plotting render what could have been a minor crime classic into just an above-average thriller. 150,000 first printing; $250,000 ad/promo; Literary Guild and Mystery Guild featured alternates.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Ferrigno (The Horse Latitudes, LJ 2/1/90) continues the adventures of investigative reporter Quinn. Judge Teddy Krammerson, Quinn's stepfather, is brutally murdered, apparently by neo-Nazis. At the same time, Teddy's old friend, Joe "Steps" Sarducci, has been released from prison, much to Quinn's surprise; his stepfather had told him that Joe had died 28 years ago. Teddy's murderers are Rick, a flamboyant, psychotic hairdresser, and quietly intense Hugo, who happens to be Joe's driver. As Quinn investigates the murder, he discovers other connected deaths and finds himself looking into his own past?at his tenuous relationship with Teddy, at the identity of Joe Steps, and at Ellis Fontayne, a powerful defense attorney whom Quinn recognizes from his childhood. Good characterizations mark this light, entertaining novel. Recommended for fiction collections.?Stacie Browne Chandler, Newbury Coll. Lib., Brookline, Mass.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Quinn, an investigative reporter, has never known his real father, but his stepfather, Judge Teddy Krammerson, has taken good care of him, even after Quinn's mother deserted the two when Quinn was just a kid. Now Teddy is dead, viciously murdered, the police say, by a gang of neo-Nazi skinheads. Quinn isn't so sure who killed Teddy, especially after Teddy's closest buddy and Quinn's idol, Joe "Steps" Staducci--who Teddy claimed died 30 years ago--shows up right after Teddy's murder. Joe claims he's been in prison for three decades, but Quinn gets suspicious when Joe is reluctant to talk about why he wound up in the slammer in the first place. Once Quinn starts pulling at loose ends, he finds a closet full of long-buried secrets. Ferrigno, author of the very successful Horse Latitudes (1990), writes a slick, sleek story that races to a slam-bang ending, and even though there are some rough edges--plotwise, it's tough to keep the motives, sidebars, subplots, and bad guys all straight--this one rates above-average marks. Not only that, it's sure to profit from a 150,000-copy first printing and a $250,000 advertising budget. Emily Melton

Customer Reviews

All of the right ingredients, but the mix is a little off.
Robert Ferrigno can write. The Cheshire Moon and, especially, The Horse Latitudes prove that. With his southern California settings and dark, noir technique, he's been compared to James Ellroy. Dead Man's Dance falls a little short, though. It has evocative atmosphere, a couple of genuinely frightening psychopathic villains, a brooding, conflicted protagonist, some excellent minor characters, and a labyrinthine plot. The ending, however, just doesn't meet the high standard set by the rest of the book. It's not bad; it just isn't very satisfying. The book is definitely worth a read, but for a taste of Ferrigno's true potential, try The Horse Latitudes

A well crafted mystery with interesting characters.
As an investigative reporter who is not shy about getting involved in the uglier side of life, Quinn, the protagonist of Dead Man's Dance, is no stranger to humanity's dark underbelly. But when he has to investigate the brutal murder of his own stepfather, his protective veneer of professionalism and objectivity is entirely stripped away.
Dead Man's Dance is a well crafted murder mystery populated with a host of interesting characters. Readers know from the onset of the narrative that the killers are two frighteningly creepy hired guns named Hugo and Rick. The novel's mystery therefore revolves around the identity and the motivation of the person who has paid them to kill.
As Quinn pushes forward in his search for the truth he becomes aware that events occuring 3 decades in the past, some of which involve him personally, have led to his stepfather's killing.
Robert Ferrigno is a very talented novelist. The story is nicely paced and quite engaging. And the characters are well fleshed out and interesting. I look forward to reading other books by this same author.

I was rooting for Hugo and Rick!
The only thing I liked about this book was Hugo and Rick. the plot was so convoluted not to mention pointless that if it wasn't for his colorful killers I would have passed on it. Why would anyone want to start killing folk after thirty years? Too weak of a plot line for my taste.