Deal with the Dead

The "unassailable new kingpin of the South Florida crime novel" (James Ellroy) returns with a breathtaking novel of family secrets and murder.<br><br>With his first five John Deal novels， Standiford attracted universal critical praise， and acclaim from such masters as Elmore Leonard， Tony Hillerman， and Stephen King. With his new <i>Deal</i>， however， he has surpassed himself.<br><br>Attempting to resurrect the Miami building firm that his late father ruined， Deal is elated to be awarded part of a major project， only to find that the project has strings. Deal never knew that， under duress， his father had been working secretly for a government agency， and now the same agency wants Deal to take his place. With great reluctance， he agrees-and his life is immediately torn apart， as he is caught in the middle of a vicious personal vendetta， his family threatened， and his friends hunted， his own existence hanging by a thread. Deal's only chance is to turn the tables on everybody seeking to use him， but unless he finds a way to do it soon . . . there'll be nobody left to save.<br><br>Filled with intense， character-driven action and rich， textured prose， Deal with the Dead proves again that "like Raymond Chandler， Standiford is a poet in a trenchcoat" (<i>The Miami Herald</i>).