Review of Deeper Than the Dead by Tami Hoag

From Winnipeg Free Press --

MYSTERIES: Seamless narrative of escalating suspense --

By: John Sullivan --
13/02/2010 --

A two-year sabbatical brings a reinvigorated Tami Hoag back to the bestseller lists with Deeper Than the Dead (Dutton, 432 page, $34), a serial-killer whodunit set at the dawn of behavioural profiling and DNA forensics.

When four kids stumble upon the half-buried remains of a young woman, the quietude of a prosperous California town is shattered. The discovery of an earlier, similar victim and a new disappearance, all with ties to a local women's shelter, bring FBI profiler Vince Leone into the lives of the children, their families and a protective teacher.

A bracing psycho-thriller with romantic underpinnings, Hoag delves deep and comes up roses.

Deeper Than the Dead by Tami Hoag, a Review

From The Weekender (Pennsylvania) --

NOVEL APPROACH: Six feet under --

by Kacy Muir --
January 26, 2010 --

In today’s society, it is hard to imagine life without the technological advances that we have made. We have the ability to solve crime through methods of criminal profiling, DNA and ultraviolet testing. But, that of course is now, not 1985 when forensics was all but limited.

In Tami Hoag’s newest novel, “Deeper Than The Dead,” readers are introduced to Anne Navarre, a fifth-grade teacher who lives and works in Oak Knoll in the late 1980s. The town is two hours outside Los Angeles, and crime, as Anne implies, “ran along the lines of small-time drug deals, petty theft and vandalism.” In 1985, profiling is only in its beginning stages and not yet an accepted part of investigative methodology.

It is not until bullies chase two of Anne’s students that Oak Knoll is changed forever. Tommy Crane and Sara Morgan are led to a traumatizing find just outside of their school. After running and falling down a hill, Tommy finds his head has rested on top of a corpse.

The woman is partially buried, though some exposed body parts had been mauled, possibly by an animal days or nights before — “things came into focus: blood that had drizzled down her cheek and dried, a slash mark across one cheek, ants marching into and out of her nostrils.”

After the police are called to the scene, Anne witnesses what has happened. She sees the body and the children off to the side. Anne knows that the experience of seeing a dead woman so brutally dumped into the earth is traumatizing to her, let alone young children.

As Anne contemplates who could have committed such a crime, she worries how the image affects her students. Tommy is reserved about the situation and Sara is emotional but open. Anne soon realizes, however, that her relationship to these students is placing her that much closer to the same demise as this woman.

Vince Leone, one of the most notable FBI profilers, is sent from Washington to investigate further into the murder. It is not until more bodies and past cases are reopened to show that these murders are connected by a signature: all females — tortured, assaulted, and later killed, all the while their eyes and mouths are glued shut.

As Vince gets closer to unmasking the serial killer, a romantic relationship is established between Vince and Anne. Through their relationship, readers begin to understand more about Anne and how she becomes not only a teacher, but also a survivor.

While there is predictability about the identification of the serial killer, Hoag tends to allude to other characters in order to show that everyone is hiding something. Ultimately, however, I do not think any reader could expect an ending such as the one Hoag provided. It is not without warning that the reader understands the conclusion may be unsettling due to its lack of resolution. However, that is perhaps the best ending of all — one that we never see coming.

Review of Deeper Than the Dead by Tami Hoag

From Journal Gazette and Times-Courier (Illinois) --

BOOK REVIEW: 'Deeper Than the Dead' By Tami Hoag --

Review by Juanita Sherwood --
January 25, 2010 --

Tami Hoag writes a good thriller. Some of her earlier books were more romance-oriented than many of her current offerings, but this one offers a bit of both.

The book is set in 1985, before much of today’s crime-solving technology was available. The plot offers a saga of a community that is inhabited by an especially horrendous serial killer.

He kidnaps his victims and tortures them by gluing their lips together and their eyelids closed with Super Glue. He then destroys their eardrums by piercing them and proceeds to inflict pain on the victims. He eventually kills them and disposes of their bodies.

Previous murders committed by this disturbed individual had not been noted as similar by authorities until one was found buried in a shallow grave in a community park in Oak Knoll. The victim’s head was above ground, resting on a rock as on a pillow. The site was discovered by two fifth-graders taking a shortcut through the woods on their way home from school.

Educators will appreciate this book, as the teacher of the fifth-graders, Anne Navarre, is one of the main characters. Her relationship with her students and their parents, the parents’ relationship with their youngsters, and the involvement of the authorities who hope to solve the crime all seem true to life.

Some of the students in the class have problems of their own, some not quite as transparent as others. The behavior of one student is questionable from the beginning, but escalates beyond anyone’s expectations as the story progresses. Making matters worse is that his father is involved in law enforcement.

Other parents have issues that might seem stereotypical, but nevertheless, serve important roles in the story. One mother, for instance, seems cold-hearted and self-centered, but her son seems to be “Mr. Perfect.” Another mother’s son is timid and easily swayed by others.

One young female student’s mother seems to have a perfect life, but the stress of the situation with the kids discovering the body seems to shatter the pseudo-perfection.

The author has done a good job of portraying 10-year-olds, both in their personal lives and in school-related situations. It is easy to “feel” for them.

Entering into the mix are two other main characters. One is Tony Mendez, local detective, who had been to classes at the FBI Academy on the latest information regarding crime-solving techniques. There he met an instructor with whom he “connected,” Vince Leone.

Sometime after Mendez’s time at the academy was over, Leone was mugged in a parking lot, where he was shot in the head. The bullet fragmented and some of it was in places that doctors could not remove without causing extensive damage. He suffered effects from the fragments, such as physical weakness at times and headaches on occasion.

Mendez contacts the FBI for assistance when he realizes that similar killings have occurred in nearby communities. The FBI is backlogged with cases, but Leone, who is still on leave due to his wounds, decides to travel to California on his own to offer Mendez assistance.

There, Leone’s personal life will take a change for the better. Many of the other characters, both young and adult, will meet challenges as the story progresses.

After the identity of the killer is revealed, the reader may find that it was not totally unexpected, but other clues seemed to implicate another. This is typical Hoag: misdirection; tense, startling situations; and a bit of humanity at its worst.

This is a good read if you like thrillers. It also illustrates how much technology has improved and currently aids in solving crimes.

Thriller writer Tami Hoag returns after 2-year break

From Erie Times-News --

Thriller writer Tami Hoag returns after 2-year break --

By OLINE H. COGDILL --
January 10. 2010 --

Although 1985 was only 25 years ago, it's almost medieval in terms of the advances in technology and crime detection. In fact, it seems nostalgic to remember a time when DNA seemed like a myth, when FBI profiling was in its infancy and cellular phones were carried in suitcases.

Best-selling author Tami Hoag uses 1985 as the backdrop for a multilayered thriller that looks at the advent of groundbreaking crime detection.

"Deeper Than the Dead" (Dutton, $26.95) also explores parental skills and how one's determination to save face can be pathological. Hoag has built a reputation for highly entertaining thrillers, but in this novel, her first after a two-year hiatus, the author hits upon a complex story that is full of plot surprises and character studies.

At the center of the book are three children from three very different homes.

Tommy's doting father is a well-respected dentist and his mother a controlling witch. Wendy's lawyer father is never home, but her mother is patient and loving.

And Dennis' father is a deputy sheriff who heaps abuse on his mother and himself.

Chillingly, Hoag tells the reader right away that one of these parents is a serial killer who has been targeting young women in the small California town where they live.

Each child's personality has been shaped by their home life. These fifth-graders' discovery of the latest victim in a park will affect each in unpredictable ways.

The only adult who seems to have the children's best interests in mind is their teacher, Anne Navarre, who has her own father issues. Trying to both shield the children and help with the investigation, Anne is drawn into the case more than she expected, especially when an intriguing FBI agent begins an investigation.

Hoag's first-rate exploration of her characters imbues "Deeper Than the Dead" with compelling plot twists. Each character has two sides -- the personality they show to the public and their not-always-pleasant private side.

The author shows the story both from the viewpoint of these children and from their parents without giving away her plot secrets. Hoag utilizes the 1985 time frame well, weaving in developments in crime detection while keeping the plot buoyant.

Tami Hoag has written 16 novels, including "McKnight in Shining Armor," "Rumor Has It," "Night Sins," "The Last White Knight" and "Still Waters."

"Deeper Than the Dead" ranks high among them.