Prayers for the Dead - (Decker/Lazarus Novels) by Faye Kellerman (Paperback)

About the Book

The brutal murder of a prominent surgeon is greeted with public outrage and a demand for swift justice. But the investigation into the good doctor's death raises too many questions and provides too few answers for homicide detective Lieutenant Peter Decker. Why does the dead man's family respond to his slaying with more surprise than grief? And what linked the strict fundamentalist physician to a dangerous group of outlaw bikers?

Book Synopsis

The brutal murder of celebrated heart surgeon Azor Sparks brings with it shock, public outrage, and a demand for answers. Immediately, Lieutenant Peter Decker and his crack team of homicide detectives begin working overtime to unravel the mystery. But the deeper they probe, the more murky the case grows. Sparks's wife and six adult children stand to inherit a sizable fortune. Vicious backbiting among jealous colleagues raises questions about the dead surgeon's pharmaceutical research. Outlaw bikers with their own agenda suddenly show up at Sparks's funeral. And Decker's investigation is further complicated by the resurrection of old secrets from his wife's past.

From the Back Cover

The brutal murder of Dr. Azor Sparks in an alley behind a restaurant is greeted with public outrage and a demand for swift, sure justice. But the investigation into the well-known surgeon's death is raising too many questions and providing too few answers for homicide detective Lieutenant Peter Decker.

Why, for example, would the family of a man so beloved respond to his slaying with more surprise than grief? And what linked a celebrated doctor with strict fundamentalist beliefs to a gang of outlaw bikers? But the most unsettling connection of all is the one that ties the tormented Sparks family to Peter Decker's own--and the secrets shared by a renegade Catholic priest . . . and Decker's wife, Rina Lazarus.

Review Quotes

"Brilliant and stunning...fast-paced and well written...Kellerman proves once again that she is a master storyteller. It's a real gem."--"Chatanooga Free Press"No one working in the crime genre is better."--"Baltimore Sun"Powerful, assured and absorbing...Kellerman succeeds brilliantly in making the search for understanding as compelling as the search for the murderer."--"Publishers Weekly"Her best work. It would be a sin to miss it."--Lorenzo Carcattera, bestselling author of "Sleepers"First-rate...fascinating...an unusually well-written detective story."--"Los Angeles Times Book Review

"POWERFUL, ASSURED AND ABSORBING...KELLERMAN SUCCEEDS BRILLIANTLY IN MAKING THE SEARCH FOR UNDERSTANDING AS COMPELLING AS THE SEARCH FOR THE MURDERER".

Publishers Weekly (*Starred Review*)