Book Review: Deeper than the Dead

Deeper than the Dead
Deeper than the Dead #1
Author: Tami Hoag
Pages: 416 pgs
Reading Level: Adult
Published: December 29th 2009

“Deeper than the Grave” was one of the two books I bought for Tami Hoag’s book signing.  I had never read any of her books before, and I must say after reading this one, she is definitely one of my top 5 authors for murder mysteries!  I can’t wait to start reading all of her other books. 

The book took off from the very beginning.  Every chapter was filled with suspense and drama and honestly, I couldn't put the book down.  I especially loved how Tami Hoag described the characters and their surroundings with such detail.  I actually felt like I was living in Oak Knoll!  The book had me guessing who the serial killer was the whole time and just when I thought it was this person, new things happen and made me change my mind completely.  She really did a phenomenal job! 

There were times in the book that I laughed, cried and even times when I wanted to jump in the book and slap someone.  I was really on an emotional roller-coaster from beginning to end.  I truly enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book, “Secrets to the Grave.”  I totally recommend this book for all of you murder mystery book junkies.

Summary: (from Barnes & Noble) When three children stumble on a shallow grave in 1984, an idyllic California community is rocked to its core. The victim is a young woman, her eyes and lips sealed closed, a blind and silent witness to an unspeakable crime. The third victim in two years' time, it's clear that a serial killer has come calling. 

As a member of the FBI's fledgling criminal profiling unit, Special Agent Tony Mendez knows serial killers. It quickly becomes apparent that the See-No-Evil killer is no ordinary psychopath. The profile paints a portrait of a man easily trusted, well respected, and intelligent--a man no one would suspect.

Dr. Peter Crane fits the bill. A pillar of the community, he volunteers at a center for disadvantaged women--a center the victims had all attended. Crane is also a beloved husband and father to a ten-year-old son, Tommy, who was one of the three children to discover the grave. Needing insight into Peter Crane's world, Mendez asks Anne Navarre, Tommy's...