THE ITCH

The "unassailable new kingpin of the South Florida crime novel" (James Ellroy) returns with a breathtaking novel of family secrets and murder.

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 Deal， however， he has surpassed himself.

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.

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" (The Miami Herald)