Joel Goldman (1)

The Dead Man… another name for a crime scene.

The main character, ex-FBI Agent Jack Davis, tells the story in a compelling, comfortable, and believable way. Normally a first person novel, for me, can seem too narrow, but it didn’t take long before I found myself seeing things as if through Jack’s eyes and experiences.

Jack is hired by billionaire Milo Harper to investigate the deaths of two people that were participating in a dream study at his facility, The Harper Institute of the show more Mind. Both have died under what appear to be normal circumstances, but Milo is concerned because they dreamed their deaths, just as they happened. Jack soon figures out he's become involved in something much worse than "dreamed deaths". There's a serial killer loose.

To further complicate matters, one of the deaths implicates Jack, dredging up tragic events from his past. With the police and FBI now on his tail, he must prove himself innocent as well as find who is behind these dream related deaths.

I live in the Kansas City area and am always looking for a good mystery that takes place here. This one did not disappoint. Though this book stands alone I definitely will next be reading the first Jack Davis novel, Shake Down. show less

A top-notch short from an author I never read before. This is a legal thriller told not from the point of view of a lawyer or a law clerk, but from the point of view of the defendant as he sits through trial. The
story feels authentic and it appears that the author has some familiarity with criminal law and procedure. I recommend this work for those interested in legal thrillers or crime fiction.

Joel Goldman introduces us to Lou Mason, a corporate lawyer turned reluctant detective, in Motion to Kill. Mason is thrust in to the midst of the murder investigation of a senior partner at his law firm after that partner asks him to compromise his ethics. The first murder leads to more murder, attempted murder, beatings, job loss, uncovered secrets, and vandalism among other things. Mason is forced to face a position he’d never dreamed possible - deciding in a split second if he can take show more another life to save his own. Goldman weaves twists and turns through Motion to Kill that at times leaves the reader wondering if the book is about to end and who can be trusted. Then he jerks, in an engaging way, the reader in another direction opening a whole new line of possibilities for the story to go. Mason’s friend, Blue, has a tendency to steal scenes with a quiet, unfaltering ease and confidence that is the perfect counterpoint to Lou’s insecurity and tendency to flounder. Goldman leaves the leader satisfied that justice is served but wanting more of Mason and Blue in Motion to Kill. show less

The Dead Man is another one of those mysteries with such a preposterously over-the-top plot and cast of characters that at first all you can think to do is shake your head and wonder what the author was thinking. There is a man, a previous FBI agent of course, with a mysterious disorder that causes him to periodically 'shake' uncontrollably, a young man with Alzheimer's, and an ex-cop/thief. As far as the plot goes, all you need to know is people are being murdered in the way they dream of show more dying.

Despite the initial ridiculousness, it didn't take long for the hooks to set in. It seems like these kinds of books do 1 to 2 things. They start out great and rapidly crumble, or start off horribly and turn into exciting and enjoyable reads. The Dead Man is the latter. The whole dream thing isn't as farfetched as it sounds - the murders take place a dream research facility and the participants are being killed after they relate a dream in which they die. The characters were still a little...out of the ordinary, but I quickly grew to like them!

In the end I really liked the book. As far as wildly over-the-top mysteries go, this is one of the better ones I've read in some time. An exciting, fast-paced, and very satisfying read! show less