Review: Dead Anyway

Dead Anyway by Chris Knopf

My rating:         Thriller

Dead Anyway starts with the intriguing concept of a man who just barely survives an assault on his life, an attack in which his wife is also murdered. Rather than getting on with rebuilding his life, Arthur decides to play dead to pursue his revenge. As he struggles to create a series of new identities, we see him gradually morph from innocent victim into cold-hearted avenger.

This is a gripping plot with a fascinating premise, but it's the characters and relationships which really make this such a wonderful read. As Arthur tries to work his way into the criminal underworld, he makes unexpected friends and fascinating enemies. There's plenty of dry wit, too, which had me reading quotes to my long-suffering husband to explain why I was laughing out loud.

While the ending is good, not all the questions are answered, and it sets everything up perfectly for a sequel. At least, there had better be as sequel in the works!