The Ways of the Dead: A Novel by Neeley Tucker (Viking Adu

[Smokey]

Tucker's book, set in the late 1990s, is based upon the Princeton Place murders, actual crimes that took place in Washington, D. C.

Sully Carter, Tucker's main character, is a Washington D. C. newspaper reporter. He's also an alcoholic, who may be getting on his employer's nerves for his habit of sipping coke and bourbon at work. While covering the war in Bosnia, his right knee was damaged, and the blast also left his face scarred. The war also left Sully's heart scared when lover, Nadia, became one of its victims.

A big story -- the murder of a prominent white judge's white daughter -- propels Sully into an investigation that become more murky and complex as it goes on. The reporter's first problem is a previous run in with the judge. A run in that nearly got Sully fired. Their history results in his bosses questioning Sully's motives while he's covering the story. A more serious problem occurs when Sully discovers other girls have been killed in a manner similar to the judge's daughter. These murders are, however, unsolved, and no one seems to be working too hard to do so. The victims in these cases are, well, they are not white girls.

Reluctantly, Sully enlists the aid of Sly, the most important gang boss in the neighborhood in which the murders occurred. With Sly guiding him, the reporter begins to suspect the killer is more untouchable than is right.

Tucker, a former reporter, is a very skilled writer, Sully is a complex character, who is a well-developed, if a bit stereo-typical alcoholic character. Several of the other characters are interesting and unexpectedly devious. The ending is also unexpected, as is the resolution of the crime.

I think this is going to be a series. And I hope so.

[milyjohnson37]

This book sounds really interesting. Thanks for the review.