Give Up the Dead

It is another brutal Northeastern winter in New Hampshire, and the cold weather and shoveling snow only add to Jay Porter's misery.  He lives in a small apartment above a service station and works for his friend Tom, an antique dealer. Tom is ready to retire and if Jay could afford to buy Tom out, he would take over the business. However, his current situation does not allow any extras. When a stranger shows up at his apartment and offers him a large sum of money to find a missing teen, he is intrigued but suspicious at the same time.

Jay Porter is not a happy man and this is set out in much detail by the author.  He has hit many hard times — his parents and brother have died and his marriage failed. He’s a loner and likes his work, but somehow trouble keeps creeping in around the edges. The subplots add to the story and keep the pace steady, and well-drawn supporting characters add dimension. The suspense and drama are not as intense as one might expect from this type of thriller, and the continual mention of Jay’s family passing is redundant. Readers may not take to his melancholy personality, but it suits his situations and way of life. "Give Up the Dead" is the third in a series but stands alone as a gritty read.  Joe Clifford has created a proven survivor in Jay Porter, and reading the previous books in the series will give readers more insight into the man he has become. 

Viola Robins