Inherit the Dead: A Novel

This New York Times and USA TODAY bestseller is a collaboration between twenty bestselling mystery novelists who have joined forces to create a spellbinding story of love, betrayal, and intrigue. “Readers can’t go wrong with this juicy thriller” raves Library Journal.

Pericles “Perry” Christo is a PI with a past—a former cop who lost his badge and his family when a corruption scandal left him broke and disgraced. So when wealthy Upper East Side matron Julia Drusilla summons him one cold February night, he grabs what seems to be a straightforward (and lucrative) case.

The socialite is looking for her beautiful, aimless daughter, Angelina, who is about to become a very wealthy young woman. But as Christo digs deeper, he discovers there’s much more to the lovely “Angel” than meets the eye. This classic noir tale twists and turns down New York’s mean streets and along the Hamptons beaches and back roads during a bitterly cold and gray winter where nothing is as it seems and everyone has something to hide.

In this inventive “serial novel” storytelling approach, each of the twenty bestselling writers brings his or her distinctive voice to a chapter of Inherit the Dead, building the tension to a shocking, explosive finale. The editor, Jonathan Santlofer, has arranged to donate any royalties in excess of editor and contributor compensation to Safe Horizon, the leading victim assistance agency in the country.

Contributors include: Lee Child, Linda Fairstein, Mary Higgins Clark, John Connolly, Charlaine Harris, CJ Box, Mark Billingham, Lawrence Block, Ken Bruen, Alafair Burke, Stephen L. Carter, Marcia Clark, Max Allan Collins, James Grady, Heather Graham, Bryan Gruley, Val McDermid, SJ Rozan, Jonathan Santlofer, Dana Stabenow, Lisa Unger, and Sarah Weinman.

ISBN: 9781451684773
Format: Paperback
Pages: 304
Publisher: Touchstone
Published: June 24, 2014

"Although it’s not a sequel to 2011’s No Rest for the Dead, this novel-by-committee is a very good followup. Twenty writers—among them such notables as Billingham, Box, Bruen, Connolly, and McDermid—combine forces. … There are some stylistic variations between the 20 authors—John Connolly doesn’t sound like Charlaine Harris—but, for the most part, the story moves as though there were a single hand on the tiller. Not merely a genre curiosity, the book is a well-told mystery that stands on its own two (or 40) feet."“Well drawn and idiosyncratic . . . [with] some amazing twists. An entertaining mystery.”“Each chapter is written by a different author (all top-notch contributors ranging from Charlaine Harris and Heather Graham to John Connolly to Mary Higgins Clark) who moves the story forward in his or her own distinctive style . . . culminating in a surprising and shocking conclusion masterfully written by Lawrence Block. Thrillers fans will definitely want to check this book out! Not only is it a good read, you can feel good too as it supports a very worthy cause!”“Not a hiccup from one chapter to the next. It's a delightful book. … But what else can you expect when these tried and true authors combine their skills?”“Readers can’t go wrong with this juicy thriller written serial style by 20 popular authors.”“Distinguished crime authors who each contribute a chapter to this team project succeed in fashioning an engaging and cohesive plot. The chapters move seamlessly as clues and storylines set up by one author are expanded by the next.”“A wonderfully written mind teasing mystery. The plot twist and turns will have you questioning and second guessing till the end. Each chapter starts with the contributing author so not only do you get a great story but a good taste of each author's individual work...making us want more.”“When 20 of the best crime writers of our time team up to write a story, you know it will be worth the read. . . . The imagery evoked is noire, the PI just hardboiled enough, and the main reason for the investigation is a true femme fatale.”“Good book, good cause, bad guy caught: win, win, win.”“Each chapter is a gem, as though this were the only project that the writer had on his or her desk … well done!”