Synopses & Reviews
The electrifying first novel in a new crime series from a veteran Washington, D.C., reporter. When the teenage daughter of a powerful Washington, D.C., judge is found dead, three local black kids are arrested for her murder but reporter Sully Carter suspects there's more to the case. From the city's grittiest backstreets to the elegant halls of power, wry yet wounded Sully pursues a string of cold cases, all the while fighting against pressure from government officials, police, suspicious locals, and his own bosses at the newspaper. Based on the real-life 1990s Princeton Place murders, Neely Tucker's debut novel is a pitch-perfect rendering of a fast-paced newsroom and a layered, edge-of-your-seat mystery sure to please fans of Elmore Leonard and George Pelecanos.
Review
"The Ways of the Dead is a great read. Deep characters, pitch perfect dialogue and a plot with as many curves as the Rock Creek Parkway as it moves through the side of Washington D.C. far away from the Smithsonian. Neely Tucker takes this novel up an even further notch with a story framed around the hot button issues of our time, including race, justice and the media. If this is Tucker's first novel, I can't wait for what's coming next." Michael Connelly
Review
“Tough, exciting, always intelligent, Neely Tucker's The Ways of the Dead captures the multi-layered corruption and cynicism — and the edge-of-the-ledge danger — of a hard-nosed former war reporter digging out a serial killer in the backstreets of Washington, D.C.” John Sandford
Review
“From the powerful opening to the shocking finale, The Ways of the Dead delivers the very best in gritty, hard-edged suspense. Complex characters, taut dialogue, and a riveting plot all add up to one extremely excellent novel.” Lisa Gardner
Review
“In a textured, wholly believable Washington, D.C., simultaneously near and far from the corridors of power, Neely Tucker, in his accomplished mystery debut, has created a gripping tale of secrets and lies, malice and mayhem...and very dead young women.” Otto Penzler, Co-editor of The Best American Noir of the Century
About the Author
Neely Tucker is a veteran journalist with a career spanning twenty-five years, thirteen of which he spent at The Washington Post. His 2004 memoir, Love in the Driest Season, was named one of the Best 25 Books of the Year by Publishers Weekly.