Book Review: Never Count Out the Dead

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Never Count Out the Dead     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Boston Teran
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Noir   Adult Content
St. Martin's, May 2001, $23.95, 352 pp.

In 1987, Baker, California Sheriff John Sully is to testify against Charlie Foreman on a drug charge. Charlie conspires with a gang of thugs to destroy John's reputation even as one of the gang plans to kill him. Teenager Shay Storey obtains John's help in taking her back to a relative in the deserted Mojave Preserve. However, Shay's mother shoots John. They bury him in a grave, but he survives. John's reputation has also been trashed as they plant solid collaborated proof that he sold coke. A helpless John disappears into the night.

Almost eleven years late, New Weekly reporter Landshark calls Victor Trey, a quiet person living in El Paso. Landshark informs Victor that he knows he is actually John and has evidence that points towards a criminal conspiracy to desecrate his name. John returns to Los Angeles with one thing on his mind: revenge.

As with his previous modern day noir, GOD IS A BULLET, Boston Teran paints a portrait of the uglier side of humanity in NEVER COUNT OUT THE DEAD. The story line breaks into two related tales. The first part centers on the success of the conspiracy against John; the latter segment focuses on his belated counterattack. This novel is excellent as the audience can see inside the heads of the key players to better understand whom did what and why. Mr. Teran owns the sub-genre with his gritty underbelly look at the success of dregs and drones in our graying world.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner