Review of The Dead Giveaway

[Andrada Madalina]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Dead Giveaway" by Quentin Eckman.]

---

5 out of 5 stars

---

Share This Review

---

The Dead Giveaway by Quentin Eckman is a crime book about the importance of balance in everything. It illustrates the trip into the past of a dead soul accompanied by a man who has visions. Also, the novel presents themes such as kidnapping, adventure, and justice.

Briefly, the 35 chapters of this book focus on the journey of Lewis Price, a sixty-seven-year-old man who recently left the mental health hospital. Lewis is a witness to a robbery attempt at a bank, and his sudden outburst caused by waiting in line for 35 minutes takes the bank robber by surprise and forces him to implement plan B. But things only get interesting when Lewis starts having conversations with a ghost who needs his help.

I enjoyed the mystery created around the story of the ghost of Bill Keys and liked that the author gradually revealed the details of Bill's plan and Lewis's contribution to it. Also, I was intrigued by the nature of the hallucinations that Lewis could not ignore. For instance, I understood his inner struggles caused by the uncertainty of his visions because he did not know whether to consider them a gift or a mental illness. I empathized with Lewis' confusion and moments of separation from reality.

Another positive aspect of this book was its mixture of non-linear and quest narratives. For example, I enjoyed Lewis' introspection on his past and his diziness. I liked that the descriptions of his hikes in Joshua Tree National Park did not overwhelm me with boring details and instead sparked my interest even more in the mission's purpose. Also, I appreciated that the author outlined the bank robber's backstory and burglary career and loved how he illustrated the cat-and-mouse game between Fred and Lewis.

I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars because I disliked nothing about it. Lewis' encounters with ghosts and his conversations with them intrigued me, especially his deal with the ghost of Bill. I liked the balanced pace of the narration and appreciated that the novel was professionally edited. I discovered only five minor closing punctuation errors that did not affect my reading experience.

I gladly recommend this book to fans of crime and mystery books, especially those interested in finding out about a ghost's request from a mentally ill man. It is perfect for people who enjoy stories about treasure hunts but not those who dislike static characters. Also, The Dead Giveaway is suitable for a large audience because it has minor borderline profanity and no erotic content.

******
The Dead Giveaway
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Yasmine Zaki Muhieddine]

The title intrigued me, and I wanted to know more about the book. The plot is interesting to some degree, depending if you enjoy ghost stories; I hope that the adventure and the quest itself are more captivating. The question raised in the review is important: should Lewis consider his visions a gift or a mental illness?

[NetMassimo]

A crime thriller mixed with a sort of ghost story is unusual and I'm curious to see how Lewis's story is developed. Thank you for your great review!