Dead Is Better

Charles Stone has just woken up dead. Well hes pretty sure hes dead what with the bullet holes in his chest and all. He also appears to be totally alone in the after-life except for the ghostly dog who seems to be his new companion. Unable to interact with the world of the living other than watching and listening he and the dead dog (whom he names Rose) have nothing to do and all the time in the world to do it. When Charles and Rose try to unravel the circumstances of Charless death they uncover a criminal who is raking in millions of dollars by cruelly exploiting and sometimes killing his victims. But what difference can a ghost make? And what does the damn dog have to do with any of this?A wonderful original hilarious and brilliant book. I really enjoyed it. I think youll like it very much indeed... A must read. --Eric IdleBeautiful. Lyrical. Unexpected.--Linda L. Richards Jo Perry has crafted a detailed mystery thriller with incredible heart and the real punk rock spirit ... --Its An Indie Book BlogIts funny foul mouthed almost heartbreakingly sad in the way Charlies impotence in the face of suffering reflects our own yet like all the best crime novels its satisfying in its denouement and hope - a fragile uncertain hope but hope nonetheless- left me wanting more of my new favourite detecting duo.Perrys prose here is blunt clean simple and sharp. Its Charlies voice but its also Philip Marlow and at times the combination of direct language and surreality overlaying worlds unsaid makes this feel like a Noir novel by Sam Beckett. Which can not be a bad thing. Recommended for lovers of quirky crime dark humour Chandler (Raymond not Bing) and the afore mentioned Hammett. --Derek Farrell author of Death Of A Diva DEAD IS BETTER is a total delight a terrifically original always surprising very funny... --Timothy Hallinan award-winning author of For The Dead The Fear Artist Crashed Little Elvises The Fame Thief DEAD IS BETTERis not just beautifully written but weirdly moving and funnier than death should be and with a dog like Rosie the afterlife is sweeter than I could have ever hoped for. --Jervey Tervalon author of Monsters Chef Lita: A Novel Understand This and Dead Above GroundWhat a wonderful book! Its witty and wise and sometimes poignant. Its one of those rare books that made me think How in the world did she think up something like that! As one of her quotes in the books says Even in the grave all is not lost... --Terry Shames