Product Description

When a strange letter signed "Thanatos" -- the ancient Greek name for death -- lands on Irene Kelly's desk, the intrepid reporter doesn't think much of it; she gets crazy mail all the time. A less cryptic message is sent when a body turns up the next morning. As more letters roll in, the death toll mounts...and Irene fears that her mysterious pen pal has cast her in his own private Greek tragedy as Cassandra, the seer whom others refused to believe. It's the killer's dream to challenge Irene to follow his ancient blueprint for murder. It's his ultimate desire to make her face the inevitable -- that she is the next to die.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #34970 in Books
• Published on: 2003-01-01
• Released on: 2002-12-31
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 336 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Nearly recovered from the wounds she received in Sweet Dreams, feisty reporter Irene Kelly returns to her California newspaper office to be caught up in another intelligent tale of danger and vengeance. Among her accumulated mail is a letter from someone calling himself Thanatos, addressing her as Cassandra and promising that "Clio will be the first to die." Dismissing the letter as the work of a kook, she nevertheless pursues the mythological references: Thanatos is Death; Cassandra, a woman cursed with telling the truth but not being believed; and Clio, the muse of history. That night the body of a college history professor is found, her skull battered, in the peacock enclosure of the zoo. The next day Irene is phoned by someone who identifies himself as Thanatos, claims responsibility for the crime and threatens another. As the warnings and murders continue, Irene and her fiance, police detective Frank Harriman, find themselves caught in the web of police and press relations and the counter-pressures of Frank's desire to protect Irene versus her need for independence. Burke maintains firm control of her intricate tale, leading readers along a suspenseful path to a dramatic conclusion.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Newspaper reporter and amateur sleuth Irene Kelly receives an unsettling letter at work that uses mythology to warn her of impending death. A series of brutal murders follow, each preceded by a letter to Irene. Despite cautions from her detective fiance, Irene launches her own investigation. A follow-up to Sweet Dreams, Irene (LJ 2/1/94).
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Burke's biggest claim to fame is President Clinton's recent announcement that he's reading her Goodnight, Irene. Burke's witty, entertaining style is probably a relief to the beleaguered big guy after tense days of statesmanship. Regardless of whether mystery fans like Clinton's politics, they'll most likely give him high marks for liking Burke's Irene Kelly, who is one tough, feisty, smart reporter. Irene's latest adventure involves a mystery man who sends anonymous notes alluding to Greek mythology and imminent death. At first thinking the notes are the work of a harmless nut-case, Irene gets serious when a local history professor is savagely murdered--in exactly the way the notes predicted. When one grim murder is followed by another, Irene becomes frantic to stop Thanatos, as the killer dubs himself. The intrepid reporter enlists the help of her fiance, Detective Frank Harriman, to unravel the twisted story behind Thanatos' dire threats. Besides being action packed, riveting, and cleverly plotted, Burke's latest is humorous and entertaining--a top-notch combination for mystery buffs of all shapes, sizes, and ages. Emily Melton

Customer Reviews

Another fabulous Irene Kelly mystery!
If y'all haven't read the first two books featuring Irene Kelly, fearless reporter ... well, I recommend getting & reading them soon!

In this 3rd installment, Irene is recovering from the physical and psychological injuries she incurred in "Sweet Dreams, Irene" (definitely an ironic title, I'd say!) and is trying to recover her natural (feisty) courage to deal with a new threat: someone sending her mail, calling her his "Cassandra" and giving her "hints" about future horrific murders defined/described by mythology ... implying that SHE must solve the murders to stop them.

Besides dealing with the frustrations of her physical limitations from previous injuries (leg cast, sore hand, painful shoulder), Irene must conquer the unwelcome fears her previous experiences had inflicted upon her ... and recapture the fearless curiosity that made her such a great reporter ... so she can keep more people from getting killed and bring the killer to justice.

I enjoyed "watching" Irene follow the clues (and her instincts)to investigate & solve the mystery, even while dealing with the "conflicts" of reporter vs. police (confidential questions/informers) and conflict of interest (being engaged to a detective!)*AND* trying to deal with overly sympathetic friends, family and "suspects" who want to help.

Did I say I had to read the whole book in one sitting?

Pat, looking forward to the next Irene adventure!

Bring on the next one!
What can I say, another great book in the Irene Kelly series! Jan Burke once again wrote a unique and page-turning novel that I couldn't put down. Throwing in a bit of mythology made this book even more entertaining and thought-provoking. And once again, the romance between Irene and Frank is a wonderful addition to the storyline. I'm ready to read the next book.

Wise-cracking thriller
Fiesty newspaper reporter Irene Kelly (recovering from her last adventure) starts getting cryptic letters from a serial killer whose creepy fascination with her increases with each murder. Sound familiar? Well, yes, but that doesn't make it a bad plot.

In this case the variation is classical. The letters are from Thanatos, Greek for death, and address Irene as Cassandra, the seer who's fated never to be believed until too late. Thanatos describes his victims and methods in terms of Greek and Roman mythology and taunts Irene with the possibility that if she's quick enough she might save a victim and catch the killer. And if she's not, she may be his final victim.

Burke keeps the pace moving. With ingenuity, police work and investigative skills that ring true, Irene and her fiance, police detective Frank Harriman, find a link between the victims that reaches back 40 years. Still the mystery is far from solved and people keep dying while Irene finds strange tokens from Thanatos in her locked car.

A good, suspenseful story with plenty of meat in the plot, a bang-up finish and just a little too much wise-cracking banter from Irene.