The Death Dealer (Harrison Investigation, 5) (U)

Joe is driving, he's far enough behind an accident to stop before becoming one of the cars involved in it. He rescues a young girl from a car about to explode when it becomes a major situation. He believes that he has rescued the driver, too, the girl's uncle, because the man spoke to him. He later discovers that the man's neck was broken on impact, and that he couldn't possibly have spoken to him. Later that afternoon, it is at a bar, drinking, when Genevieve finds him. She's disturbed. The man who died is another member of a group called The Ravens, dedicated fans, readers and writers, who had formed a Poe society. Genevieve has become close with her mother, and her mother is one of the Ravens. Genevieve had come to Joe when the first of the Ravens, a man named Thane Bigelow, had been killed, by poison (a la a Poe story), but the police investigation was getting nowhere. The only clue had been a printed note on the man's desk with the message: Quoth the raven, Die!While Joe is dealing with the fact that a dead man spoke to him, Genevieve is anxious that he realize that another man involved in the accident, the owner of the first car struck, is Sam Latham, also a member of the Ravens.Publishers WeeklyA serial killer fixated on Edgar Allan Poe stalks New York City in this captivating paranormal romantic thriller from bestseller Graham (The Last Noel). When philanthropist Genevieve O'Brien hires PI Joe Connolly to investigate the murder of Thorne Bigelow, a member of the New York Poe Society, to which Gen's mother also belongs, Joe is initially reluctant to take the case. He's worried about his recently discovered knack for hearing dead people talk, though this psychic gift will come in handy when Joe starts checking out the surviving Ravens, whose numbers are dwindling fast. The romance that develops between Joe and Gen simmers subtly in the background, never overshadowing the pursuit of the culprit. Some helpful ghosts enhance a sinister tale sure to appeal to fans across multiple genre lines. (Apr.)Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.