Deal with the Dead

Family history and introspection play a role in the lastest chapter of this series. Bad guys, boat chases and magical women are the more entertaining elements in this episode, but the writing and realistic adult approach are futher reasons to get into this series.

Les Standiford's sixth John Deal novel is a humdinger. All the suspense, all the action, and all the humanity that we've come to expect of Standiford's "Deal" Novels is there. The story is one of redemption. John Deal redeeming his knowlege of his father who had apparently been a crooked builder and a suicide; redeeming his family's good name; and, finally, redeeming himself. Can he do it? You bet. But, not without all kinds of barriers and impediments to climb over or push out of the way. Standiford is the worthy sucessor to John D. MacDonald and his Florida based Travis McGee stories. But, Standiford's John Deal is more a real person than MacDonalds McGee. Read DEAL WITH THE DEAD. It's the real deal.

Les Standiford's sixth John Deal novel is a humdinger. All the suspense, all the action, and all the humanity that we've come to expect from Standiford's "Deal" novels is there. The story is one of redemption. John Deal redeeming his guilty knowlege of his father Barton an apparent crooked builder and a suicide; redemption of DealCo, the company Barton founded and ruined, redemption of the Deal family's good name, and redemption of our hero, John Deal. Can Deal do it all? You bet. But, all kinds of roadblocks are thrown in the way. Standiford is the true successor to Florida's John D. MacDonald. And, John Deal the true successor to Travis McGee. But, Deal is more a real person than Mcgee. Read DEAL WITH THE DEAD. It's the real deal.

Les Standiford's sixth John Deal novel is a humdinger. All the suspense, all the action, and all the humanity that we've come to expect from Standiford's "Deal" novels is there. The story is one of redemption. John Deal's redemption of his guilty knowlege of his father Barton, an apparent crooked builder and a suicide; Deal's redemption of DealCo, the company Barton founded and ruined; Deal's redemption of the Deal family's good name; and Deal's redemption of himself. Can Deal do it all? You bet. But, all kinds of roadblocks are thrown in the way for Deal to climb over or push aside. Standiford is the true successor to Florida's John D. MacDonald. And, John Deal the true successor to Travis McGee. But, Deal is more a real person than McGee.Read DEAL WITH THE DEAD. It's the real deal.

Miami builder John Deal wants to restore his deceased father's company to the hey days of the 1950s-1960s when Barton Deal was a major player in the construction boom. When John wins the bid on an advantageous government contract, he feels he has taken a large step back to what once was.However, sometimes you get what you wish for, especially if one is not careful in what they ask. Tied to the contract is a shadowy individual claiming to be a Fed. He informs John that Barton bartered away his soul in order to succeed. The government arranged for Barton to befriend the local Mafia and subsequently provide information against the mob. Ultimately a pressured Barton killed a friend while his disloyalty to the Mafia led to his alleged suicide. John finds wearing his father's shoes pinch more than just his toes as history seems ready to repeat itself.After waiting for two and a half years even with a well-written filler (BLACK MOUNTAIN), readers will rejoice in the return of John Deal. His latest adventure, DEAL WITH THE DEAD, is extremely complex as two major story lines in two different eras blend together into a fantastic plot. With superb plotting, fantastic characters, and the return of old friends, ultra talented author Les Standiford is trapped by how fantastic the Deal novels are. When he ventures outside of Deal, readers feel let down even if the book is better than just about everything else on the market. Well, no depression as this novel is the real deal for fans of suspense.Harriet Klausner