Don Of The Dead: A Pepper Martin Mystery [Mass Market Paperback]

Pepper Martin has lived the life of leisure since she took her first step all those years ago. The daughter of a prominent surgeon father, and a society mother, she's been draped in Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and countless other designers. That is, until her father got greedy, and was convicted of medical insurance fraud, landing him in federal prison; sending her mother into hiding in Florida, and leaving her on her own, penniless and jobless - as well as fiance-less. That is, until Pepper swallows her pride and takes the last job she ever thought she would hold as a tour guide in a cemetery. Sure, it doesn't sound too complicated - simply lead morbid groups on walks through a field of dead bodies - but when Pepper's involved, even the simplest task can become complicated. And that's exactly what happens. For Pepper is quickly involved in a head-on collision with a gravestone/mausoleum on one of her tours. And, aside from being left with one nasty bruise, she has suddenly inherited the ability to speak to the dead. And, as you may have already guessed, these particular deceased aren't exactly pleased with their current situations - and that shines through in their disgruntled demeanor. Enter Augustino "Gus" Scarpetti. Suddenly, the murdered mob boss is leading Pepper around by the nose, insisting that she find his murderer. Now, this ex-rich girl is shuffling through newspaper clippings, death records, and everything in between, in an attempt to discover who killed the Don more than thirty years ago, and help him to cross over before it's too late, and she's left in the same position as the Don...dead.

If you take a cross between Paris Hilton and Nancy Drew, Pepper Martin would be it. Pepper is the girl you love to hate and hate to love. Her flaming red hair, and penchant for stylish outerwear make her the poster child for heiress living, while the fact that she doesn't mind getting a little dirt under her nails to "dig out" the truth, make her a lovable girl detective with brains to match her new job. From beginning to end, Pepper's character keeps you captivated, while her adventures are riveting. From her ability to choose all the wrong guys - no matter how good looking - to her inability to keep her mouth shut, Pepper embodies the heart and soul of every girls best friend, making her the new "It" girl of the amateur sleuth world. Casey Daniels brings Pepper to life, even though she's surrounded by the dead; keeping her alive in the minds of everyone who has had the pleasure to encounter her witty, Abercrombie-wearing personality.

Erika Sorocco

Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

Don of the Dead is a cute, quick read. The tone/humor is somewhat similar to Katie MacAlister, early Anita Blake (without the intelligence) and the Stephanie Plum mystery series. Although the fact the is was praised by MJ Davidson on the back cover almost made me not buy it, Don of the Dead isn't as uber fashion conscious and annoying as her books. Don't fret if you like that kinda thing, there are a few fashionista moments. Although I was disappointed by the stupidity of Pepper a few times where she invariably found herself being rescued by a man, at least these moments could at least partially be explained by her sheltered upper-middle class upbringing when she thought that marring well was her only duty/job (yes, Pepper says it in the book). By the end of the tale, Pepper has met two sexy men. One (Quinn) is the cool, suave, well-kept and fashion conscious FBI- type and the other a very attractive if slightly unkempt doctor. Both men are a bit curious and for various reasons, I think these reasons will be both reveled and interesting in later books as they show some promise here. The Don in question has been dead for 30 years, and some of the characters encountered while tying to locate the person whom took out the hit on him are pretty funny. The humor is very good although subtle and punny at times, such as retired mobsters living in an exclusive retirement home called "The Family Place". I look forward to the next book since I think the Pepper wised-up a bit by the end of this one.

Pepper Martin has been down on her luck ever since her rich father was convicted of fraud and her even wealthier fiancé dumped her, forcing Pepper to actually work for a living. Unfortunately, she's not qualified to do much and so she's stuck being a tour guide for "Cleveland's Famous Dead" at the Garden View Cemetary.

Life is pretty dull as a tour guide of the dead until a bump on the head allows Pepper to see and talk to the ghost of mob boss, Augustino "Gus" Scarpetti. Gus wants his "unfinished business" handled so he can enter into the light. Pepper's problem is that no one knows who murdered Gus nor does anyone want to talk about it and Gus won't go away until she finds the murderer. Soon, she is being stalked by crazy mob hitman Albert Vigniolli while torn between her attraction to two men, cop Quinn Harrison and Dr. Dan Callahan who appears only interested in her head injury. Pepper is determined to identify Gus's killer- but will the current mob leadership stop her?

DON OF THE DEAD is a book with unrealized potential. The plotline is a unique twist on seeing ghosts but the characterization of Pepper is too superficial to add much depth. Pepper is overly focused on her past social standing and her 38C chest but doesn't have the quirkiness or sassiness of a MaryJanice Davidson heroine to truly make this work.

Pepper's dilemma between which man she wants in her life is also troublesome. Quinn appears overly wealthy for a man with his job and is constantly warning Pepper to stop her investigation and yet he simply fades away during the book. Dan Callahan, on the other hand, remains focused only on Pepper's brain until he suddenly morphs into some sort of Jet Li action hero. And why did all of his research folders initially hold only blank pages?

DON OF THE DEAD is both the author's first novel and the first in a series. With some minor tweaking to eliminate the gaps in the plot, this series could turn into a real winner. The plot does drag in several places but with some help from a good editor or critique group, Casey Daniels has most of the pieces needed to make a successful series. For now, however, DON OF THE DEAD is a nice but forgettable beach read.

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

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