Peter Pan Must Die (Dave Gurney, No. 4): A Novel (A Dave Gurney Novel)

This series continues to grow on me. And this book was the best one so far.Verdon presents another complex problem that challenges Dave Gurney’s puzzle solving skills.This book, like the others, was longer than it needed to be, but didn’t seem to drag as those did. For one thing, I wish Verdon would cut back on naming every flower, shrub, and tree Gurney spots.Verdon still spends too much time in Dave’s head but it didn’t seem as tedious in this book as in the prior ones. Partly because his thoughts range over a much broader spectrum of things instead of belaboring one little thing.Madeline’s passive-aggressive treatment of Dave is toned back here as well. Again, it’s still there but not as blatant as in earlier entries and Verdon seems to be moving her away from that immature behavior.After the first book, I wasn’t sure I’d continue reading the series. I’m sure now.

I saw the title of Mr. Verdon's first book, Think of a Number, on Amazon, read the synopsis, thought it sounded interesting and ordered. I was hooked immediately and have been a John Verdon fan ever since. His creation, David Gurney, is one of the best characters in the genre. Right up there with Harry Bosch, Elvis Cole, Joe Pike and the infamous Lincoln Rhyme. The stories are tightly woven, thought provoking, intricate tales of mankind at its worst. David Gurney, ever the puzzle solver, takes us on a journey filled with whys and how comes and involves the reader in not only the psychology of the crime but also in the twists and idiosyncracies of the killer. You have to think when you read one of these books and, as I do, I put the book down and try to wrap my head around David Gurney's brilliant mind. Most of the time, Gurney wins. John Verdon is a gifted writer. He would have to be to have created such a gifted character. So now, the hard task of waiting for the next one. Thank you, Mr. Verdon, for some truly amazing books and the time spent enjoying them. Long live David Gurney and company.

Holy Cow! After discovering these books by John Verdon, I can't stop buying and reading them. Not sure why this author had not been on my radar screen before, but he is awesome. His character Dave Gurney and his wife Madeleine are a complex couple. He is a savant almost when it comes to solving crimes. Talk about thinking outside the box! When I start reading these books, I am unable to put them down. His premises are off kilter and not at all predictable. His characters have a lot of depth and you can almost visualize what they would look like. I'm on the fourth book now, Wolf Lake, and only have one to go. My hope is that Mr. Verdon will continue to feature this character, his wife and their bucolic life outside the city.

Another excellent book by John Verdon. They are so good I hate for them to end and actually draw them out. His villains are truly creepy characters.His wife is another story. Madeleine is forever rude and mean to Dave because he needs more stimulation in life besides planting flower beds and gazing at sunsets. So what if he wants to dabble in detective work? He retired very early in life. While he is trying to solve horrible crimes she walks around all offended and nags him about building chicken coops and gardening chores. She even insults him in front of her friends. They have nothing in common and rarely have a conversation where she doesn't cut him down. Of course I don't mean literally that she must die, but I wouldn't be upset if she took a trip to Europe for six months.

This mystery captured my attention quickly. It flowed well, still concerns me that he doesn’t improve his relationship with Madeline. I like this character and his surrounding characters but. I don’t like him putting himself in extreme danger each time.

John Verdon's Dave Gurney series of crime novels is on a par with or better than most of the others out there -- and I read them all. Verdon's Gurney, along with Michael Connelly's, Harry Busch, are my favorite crime fighting protagonists. Verdon always presents a complex plot with many twists and turns along with a cast of multi-dimensional characters. Gurney's personal life -- he's a retired N.Y. City detective, living in bucolic upstate New York, who can't quite give up crime fighting -- is as interesting as his complicated murder plots. He could write a separate series of novels about that. Oh, I forgot to mention it, but Verdon is a really good writer, as well. His style is dense, textured and articulate. I can't wait for the next novel in the series.

One of the very best of the Dave Gurney series. It was a real page turner up until the ending, which, for me is where it fell apart somewhat. After being drawn into a very carefully plotted mystery, the author seems not to have known how to resolve it. Let's just say that for me, the ending was disappointing. After the wonderfully plotted narrative of the preceding chapters, the ending almost seemed silly. But for that, I would have gladly given it five stars. Even with the ending, I would heartily recommend it. The rest of the book is worth the price of admission.

I'm a non-reader (usually) of crime fiction, but I've become a big fan of John Verdon, based on the first three books in the series. Unfortunately, PETER PAN MUST DIE is quite a letdown. Verdon's plots always stretch credulity, but up until this, the fourth book in the series, they don't go over the line into complete implausibility. I'm afraid this one does. I couldn't buy into the resolution of the crime, and the final, dramatic scene works only as fantasy. I'll give this three stars because I love Verdon's writing, and I find Gurney a fascinating subject.I'm hoping that BEWARE OF THE WOLF (due out in 2016) shows a return to the excellence John Verdon is capable of.

I've read the previous books in the series and had to wait for this one as, with no UK publisher, it was way too expensive! I finally managed to get one.This latest is the usual Dave Gurney book of riddles and puzzles. It's a great read and, especially if you've read the others, I'd thoroughly recommend. I won't bother recapping the story but I'd like to respond to some other reviews.Some reviewers have been critical about the pace of the story and relationships between the characters, especially Gurney and his wife. Yes these books flow at a gentler pace than others in its genre but that isn't a bad thing.The story doesn't race from chapter to chapter leaving readers on a knife edge because it doesnt need to - these books are more about problem solving and using your brain than any blood and gore shock factor - if you want sensationalism try Chris Carter!These books are like an episode of Jonathon Creek; a story that takes you by the hand and leads you through a winding maze of riddles and conundrums, keeping the pace slower so you have time to digest the information and then (foolishly) think you've solved it.Slower doesn't equal boring, not with these books. So if you enjoy a good puzzle, if you're a fan of Poirot or Jonathon Creek, then these books could be for you.

Have read all his previous books. The first two was minor masterpieces, the third not so good. The end was terrible and too steep and didn't give you any satisfaction. I mean in a literary sense The book just ended in a hurry. This book, however, is a real bummer. Totally uninteresting, and you don't really know what's it all about. And the Cardinal sin - it's very boring. And the relationship between Davie Guerney and his wife Madeleine are just idling along in a formulaic fashion. And worse, some of the exciting characters from the previous books seems to have change to another person. The mysterious cop Jack Hartwick is just a dumb bully in this installation. Before, he was a clever, fascinating policeman who thought outside the box. And last, you don't really care about the story. It just doesn't hold your attention and becomes very vague and sketchy... What a disappointment!

Fantastic read, I haven't read any book in the series since 'Think of a Number' however it hadn't seem to matter as it had been written almost as a standalone, with references to Gurney's previous cases.This book had a great nail biting storyline and featured all the characteristics you could want in a homicide investigation, Gangstas, sluts, corrupt cops, the lot!I also felt the truth behind the murders wasn't as easy to guess as the first book in the series, which in hindsight was the first suspect.some reviews say that this book was slow to get into or no murders happened quite early on the book, but I can assure you that is nonsense and that john's writing skills are superb and I found that I was glued to the book always wanting to know what was going to happen next.I could only hope john sees this review to congratulate him on his hard work.

I have already read all the previous books by John Verdon, "Think of a number" is my favorite. I'm halfway to finish the reading of "Peter Pan Must Die", so far is a good story , is easy to read.

great book