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The Skeleton Man (Philip Dryden Thrillers)

The Skeleton Man (Philip Dryden Thrillers) Cover

ISBN13: 9780312377816
ISBN10: 0312377819
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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

For seventeen years, the English hamlet of Judes Ferry has lain abandoned, used only for army training exercises. Before then, the isolated, thousand-year-old community was famous for one thing---having never recorded a single crime. But when local reporter Philip Dryden joins the army on practice maneuvers in the empty village, its spotless reputation is literally blown apart. Artillery fire reveals a hidden cellar beneath the old pub, and inside the cellar hangs a skeleton, a noose around its neck. No one knows---or will say---who the victim was.

Two days later, a terrified man is pulled from the reeds of a nearby river, with no idea of who he is or how he got there. The only name he can remember is “Judes Ferry.”

As Dryden searches for the secret history of the dead town, he is also witnessing a kind of rebirth: Seven years after the accident that nearly killed her, his wife, Laura, is finally emerging from coma and paralysis to begin a semblance of normal life. But will that semblance be enough for her---or for Dryden?

Review:

"Series hero Philip Dryden pits his wits against the scattered former residents of an abandoned British village in his dramatic fifth outing (after 2007's The Coldest Blood). After an ancient hanged body is revealed in a pub cellar during artillery practice, Dryden, a skilled investigative journalist, finds that other things in the deserted village are not quite right. Why is an old tomb partly open? What happened to the cellar's owner in the evacuation? Dryden soon bypasses the police and launches his own investigation, putting his safety at risk. The large number of interviewees and suspects can be confusing; many appear only once or twice and their characters are vague, but they supply vital information for the careful armchair sleuth. Kelly's evocative descriptions of the flat and misty fenlands meander through a revealing look at the deterioration of contemporary village life under the stress of large-scale agriculture and rural depression." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Synopsis:

For many years, the English hamlet of Judes Ferry has been abandoned. Before then, the isolated community was famous for never having recorded a single crime. But when local reporter Philip Dryden joins the army on practice maneuvers, its spotless reputation is literally blown apart.

About the Author

Jim Kelly, whose father was a detective at Scotland Yard, previously worked as a journalist and education correspondent for the Financial Times. He lives in Ely with the biographer Midge Gillies and their young daughter. His debut, The Water Clock, was shortlisted for the Crime Writers Association John Creasey Memorial Dagger for the best first crime novel of 2002, and in 2006 he won the CWA Dagger in the Library, which is awarded to “the author of crime fiction whose work is giving the greatest enjoyment to readers.”

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 1 comment:

mgreiner1, February 23, 2008 (view all comments by mgreiner1)
A fabulous mystery! I was sceptical about a journalist as the protagonist, but Dryden is a fully-developed sleuth. There was some English terminology new to me, but did not interfere with the flow of the story. Hard to put down!
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(4 of 10 readers found this comment helpful)

Product Details

ISBN:
9780312377816
Publisher:
Minotaur Books
Subject:
Mystery & Detective - General
Author:
Kelly, Jim
Subject:
Journalists
Subject:
Cambridgeshire, england
Subject:
Mystery fiction
Edition Description:
Us
Series:
Philip Dryden Thrillers
Series Volume:
No. 5
Publication Date:
20080108
Binding:
Electronic book text in proprietary or open standard format
Grade Level:
General/trade
Language:
English
Illustrations:
Y
Pages:
352
Dimensions:
8.1 x 6.2 x 1.305 in 1 lb
The Skeleton Man (Philip Dryden Thrillers)
0 stars - 0 reviews
$ In Stock
Product details 352 pages St. Martin's Minotaur - English 9780312377816 Reviews:
"Publishers Weekly Review" by , "Series hero Philip Dryden pits his wits against the scattered former residents of an abandoned British village in his dramatic fifth outing (after 2007's The Coldest Blood). After an ancient hanged body is revealed in a pub cellar during artillery practice, Dryden, a skilled investigative journalist, finds that other things in the deserted village are not quite right. Why is an old tomb partly open? What happened to the cellar's owner in the evacuation? Dryden soon bypasses the police and launches his own investigation, putting his safety at risk. The large number of interviewees and suspects can be confusing; many appear only once or twice and their characters are vague, but they supply vital information for the careful armchair sleuth. Kelly's evocative descriptions of the flat and misty fenlands meander through a revealing look at the deterioration of contemporary village life under the stress of large-scale agriculture and rural depression." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
"Synopsis" by , For many years, the English hamlet of Judes Ferry has been abandoned. Before then, the isolated community was famous for never having recorded a single crime. But when local reporter Philip Dryden joins the army on practice maneuvers, its spotless reputation is literally blown apart.
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