- REVIEWS OF DEAD ON
- "You will like this little dose of escapist fiction if the genres of murder mystery and serial
killers are two of your favorites. If you are an X-Files fan, too, you will probably love it to
death."
--Floyd M. Orr, author of Plastic Ozone Dream
To read more, please visit http://iuniversebookreviews.blogspot.com/2006/09/dead-on.html
"She's a brilliant writer. She has a gift for the eerie."
--Kat Martin, New York Times Best-selling Author
- "A stunning first novel...I highly recommend it."
Jonathon Maberry, author of New York Times best-selling book, Ghost Road Blues
- "Dead On" is an unsullied novel by a new, fresh and spirited, upcoming author who is
not afraid to color outside the lines."
--Leslie J. Erdo
- "...there is one sentence within this book which will forever remain with me: “Where do
words go when they die?” Perhaps as a writer they hold more meaning for me than to a
reader, yet all it takes is one memorable character, one hypnotic scene, one sentence
to forever plaster an author’s name and book in a reader’s mind. This particular
sentence did this for me and you can be sure I will be on the lookout for future books by
Ann Kelly."
--Lea Schizas, Muse Book Reviewer
"...haunting and emotionally resonant...."
- "Erotic and suspenseful, Ann Kelly's Dead On is a good read."
--Mystericale Magazine
- "A fun read with an intriguing cast of characters...something different and interesting."
mysteryfiction.net
- "She's a brilliant writer. She has a gift for the eerie. The words she chooses are
absolutely brilliant. She has an incredible talent for stringing words together."
- Lee J., a lover of the unseen, (from bn.com)
ENDING PACKS A WHALLOP!
Ending Packs A Wallop! This book speaks the unexpected, in poetic form. Meticulously
full of deliberation, extensive, yet firmly constructed…the unknown is what keeps this
book going, showboating mystery, illusion, alarm, surprisingly sensual, along with
splashes of paranormal, while intimately painting the charm of Doylestown, PA. The first
murder takes place at Fonthill Castle, which is, most assuredly real & definitely a castle.
It was built by Mr. Henry Mercer in 1908. I can visualize a movie, the eerie old castle, the
death-driven murder, cleverly slipping in & out each room of Fonthill. Slithering from the
tour, without being seen, into a dusk ridden sky. Then, as fate would have it, he lurks,
hidden in the trees behind the parking lot, waiting scrupulously to taste the blood of his
first victim of this life. Man...if the right producer caught hold of this, using accurate
lighting, gaining the quaintness of Doylestown, the movie would be like an anomaly in
the rouse of suburbia. A challenge, even for Ron Howard! The psychology of this book is
part of Kelly's polished technique, revisiting scenes of each life...each crime. It is... not
only interesting, but what lies withering beneath the killer's madness, comes alive in
your room. So, get comfortable, prop your feet up, with a nice glass of sherry, but...don't
forget...to turn on the lights.
From amazon.com, Lee Gooden
Dead On is Dead On
First and foremost I’ve got to get this out of my system, “Wow!” I’ve got some other
choice interjections but this is a rated G review and my expletives will be censored into
some symbols, “@#$%%^@!” Dead On by Ann Kelly published by iUniverse 2004 at
$24.95 is 196 pages of pure guilt-ridden instant gratification. I could have read Dead On
in one sitting, in fact that would have been my preference, but much resented life
interfered with my reading and I had to put the book aside for a day. Everyone around
me, friends and family not excluded had to listen to my grumblings about the rude
“readerious interruptus”. Dead On is a mystery in a mystery within a mystery. Ann
Yang, a medical examiner finds herself stuck in all three. Yang’s investigation of a
murder scene in Doylestown Pennsylvania reveals what she suspects to be the act of a
serial killer. A ruthless murderer that uses Civil War coat buttons placed beneath the
victim’s tongue as a calling card. “Union infantry. Genuine article.” At the same time,
Yang finds during the renovations of her house an old diary that belonged to a former
occupant and maybe the key to a hundred year old mystery. Newly divorced and gun
shy of relationships, Yang begins to have feelings for Mark, the carpenter that is
working on her house, but will not give in to them because of the “trauma” involved with
being a medical examiner. She attempts to alleviate these deterrents by attending
therapy sessions of hypnosis and past-life regressions. Soon, Yang is convinced that
the killer, the diary and her past are somehow connected.
Dead On is a quick read, but packed like a novel twice its size. Kelly’s chapters are
short but hit with a large wallop. While some authors fawn and preen their vocabulary
and stamina as a wordsmith by writing forty page chapters made of lengthy passages
of purple prose describing each tiny filament on the leg hairs of a tsetse fly. Ann Kelly’s
writing is sparse and at the same time lyrical. She keeps the reader riveted, their mind’
s racing; continually second guessing themselves in a delicious tension that is almost
palpable enough to eat with the mouth as well as their devouring eyes. Her descriptions
just about burn the page with action interrelated with ideas; especially the entries of a
journal that her protagonist Ann Yang has discovered:
April 14, 1902
I don’t bother her in school. It’s not that I’m ashamed of myself. It’s just not the thing to
do. I have no desire to step into the shallow pool; I’ve grown accustomed to the
reckless, deep walls of my own poisoned well. What a glorious Saturday. I found myself
on the trolley today, heading to Willow Grove Park. I was surprised when she sat down
next to me, alone, not saying a word. Eventually we reached Philadelphia. I enjoyed her
nearness; I was excited by the proud way people stared at her. Soon we were north of
Philadelphia in a crowd of well-dressed ladies and men departing the trolleys,
descending the stairs, and walking through the tunnels that had been dug under Easton
Road. There’s an inscription above the door to one of the two tunnels:
For myriad souls this is the shrine-The temple of the art divine.
Ann Yang is like Kathy Reichs’ heroine Forensic Anthropologist Temperance Brennan
and James Patterson’s Abnormal Psychologist and Forensic Psychologist hero Alex
Cross (Kelly even makes a playful salute to Patterson by having Yang describe her
retired FBI profiler friend Tony Cole as resembling the actor Morgan Freeman. Freeman
played Alex Cross in the movie adaptations of Patterson’s novels Kiss the Girls and
Along Comes a Spider.) Some differences between Yang and Brennan are not subtle.
Brennan does not carry a Glock strapped to her ankle and she is not Chinese. The
subtleties are more interesting: Yang is more fallible than Brennan, but she
understands her needs and appetites better than Brennan. Like an ascetic, Yang
denies herself any pleasure almost as if she is punishing herself for her poor decisions
in the past. Unlike an ascetic she eventually gives into her needs and passion, which
makes her likeable and thus the reader can emphasize and identify with Yang’s
emotions more than Brennan’s intellect. Yang and Alex Cross have similar traits
possessing an animalistic tenacity, a primal determination to not only solve the case,
but also to bring a permanent closure. Yang doesn’t have Cross’s pretentiousness and
her vulnerability lends humanity to an inhumane situation and that creates hope.
-Lee Gooden
Reviewer: Ira Josephs
- Ann Kelly combines highly eloquent writing with a very absorbing story. The book is a
must-read for anybody who appreciates a good mystery and savors skillful use of the
language. Dead On is worth reading more than once. While it's a page-turner, don't read
too fast or you'll miss the strong descriptions. The characters and scenery are
portrayed beautifully, and the book is a bonus for anybody who is familiar with Bucks
County.
Dead on is Dead On Target
Reviewer: Jonathan Maberry "Author of GHOST ROAD BLUES"
Dead On by Ann Kelly is a stunning first novel that blends ghostly
happenings, romance, eroticism, time travel and intrigue into a genuine
page-turner. The Ann Yang character (Bucks County, PA medical examiner)
is particularly well-drawn, and the story builds nicely to a satisfying
conclusion. I highly recommend it.
Just could not put it down!, Reviewer: bjb
amazon review
What a great book! The suspense was outstanding and the characters were
very good. Especially good was the ending of the book. Lots of good books
have a disappointing ending. This most certainly did not. The villain was very
scary and you did not suspect how it would turn out. Hopefully, this
book will become a movie!!!
Reviewed by Vero Caravetta, Mysterical-E
Erotic and suspenseful, Ann Kelly's Dead On is a good read.
Ann Yang, medical examiner, is facing her first big case in Doylestown , PA a suburb of
Philadelphia and not one that is used to the attention that a high profile crime brings.
Ann who feels stifled emotionally, has an obsession for the past. Her point of view is
different from almost everyone else around and her unorthodox approach is the way
she handles the newest case which has her co-workers baffled. Someone ruthless and
powerfully cruel is hunting down women, abducting them, and leaving their bodies in
highly visible public places in order to taunt investigators. There is growing evidence
that Ann is his ultimate target – and the killer is slowly building to that climax. Ann's
friend Tony Cole, retired FBI profiler, jumps into the fray to help. They track the killer
together moving from Doylestown down to Louisiana . In the process, Ann begins a
series of past-life regressions under hypnosis and remembers being killed in several
previous lifetimes. The shocker is that it's the same killer. Eventually, through a diary
found in her home, Ann makes a connection between her present case and that of a girl
murdered one hundred years before. Kelly has been called a passionate and creative
writer and that shows in this book. There's a complicated plot, an eerie background,
and, of course, sexual/romantic tension. Kelly creates vivid descriptions, has a knack
for creating an otherworldly feel, and has a definite style. Chapters are short and lead
you effortlessly from one to another. Add to this a surprise ending and you could be set
for a good read of an evening.
- From amazon.com
"DEAD ON" is A Must Read!
- "Dead On", is an unsullied novel by a new, fresh and spirited, upcoming author who is
not afraid to color outside the lines. She articulates so much with so few words, but
rolls a story off so effectively, the reader cannot put the book down? Alida66, what
could you be thinking? After a review of a book on sewing ("Oh there's a professional
critique"?) Did, perhaps the book insult you in some way? I suggest you stick to sewing
critiques...and I'm terribly sorry you missed the entire premise of "DEAD ON." "Dead
On" is not only physically powerful but effectively accomplished & to the point. You
cannot stop reading. 196 pages is "not" a large book, (I read it in two days) and the
chapters are certainly far from long, but electrifying. You find yourself emotionally
charged, trying to figure out the plot...which adds to the expertise of the writer's ability
to pull the reader into a memorizing & poetic playground of the demented killer. The
author's intellectual awareness & integration of personality theories, pulse an
emotional & spiritual read, to say the least! I could identify with the main character and
her gained strengths from the vulnerability of her present life's misfortune...I was
intrigued by the meat of the story, which takes place a lifetime before, and the ending,
hit me like a big fat wallop, never saw it coming! BRAVO!!! The author's attention to
detail froze my eyes to the pages, and found myself silently shaking my head (boy, did
she do her homework) this was indeed a powerfully convincing story...for those of you
who enjoy murder mysteries, with a touch of the paranormal...this is an engrossing
journey that would make any Hollywood producer the hit of tinsel town...if they were
able to reproduce the anticipation, the thrill and the surprises that lurk the pages along
the way, leaving nothing out. So, when's the author's next book coming out!
- From bn.com A reviewer-- surprises at every turn of the page
Dead on is just that - right on the money. The book is full of shocking surprises that
takes the reader on a journey of suspense and mystery at every turn of the page. I
especially liked this book because I grew up in the area it takes place in - beautiful
Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
The author uses the landscape to paint a picture that is easily seen by the reader's
mind's eye. The author also did her homework in research and brings to the
book an authenticity regarding her subject matter. Highly recommended!
- "Ann Kelly is a truthful, passionate writer and Dead On is an elegant and powerful
thriller."
- --Christian Bauman, author of The Ice Beneath You
"I've finished reading [Ann's] book. Loved it. She absolutely stunned me with the ending.
I like her style. She uses very few words and incomplete sentences and yet the
meaning is enhanced rather than diminished. Her command of knowledge and
understanding from history to forensics to emotions...is amazing."
- --Pamela Clifford, reader
From amazon.com Stephen King, Watch Your Back!
- If I could rate this one higher than 5 stars, I would. Anyone looking for a strong female
lead character combined with intellect, erotica and a surprise ending will not be
disappointed.
- Kelly's genius is in setting up all her characters to look absolutely guilty... but maybe
not... all at the same time. Just when you think you know who the killer might be, you
begin to doubt it, until you finally reach the very end and get kicked in the head by the
ending. Perfect story to be brought to the screen, no doubt about it.
- From amazon.com Unique Twists and Turns Keep You Page Turning
Reviewer: Paula Gregorowicz "Paula G"
- There is nothing like a good mystery to keep you up turning the pages at night and
"Dead On" is one of those books. With plot twists and turns and characters that are
inextricably linked through their pasts (yes that "pasts" is plural for a reason...) you
can't help but be sucked in. Add to that a surprise ending and you've got a real keeper of
a novel. The best part of the numerous characters and unique storyline (not to mention
the location details of murders that happen right in my backyard) is that it spurred
numerous discussions between me and my partner who got to read it first (she won the
coin toss :-(
Can't wait to read the next mystery from this up and coming author....
- Kirkus Discoveries says of the diary entries in Dead On... "...a haunting and emotionally
resonant story-within-a-story that includes a lesbian affair, a teenage love triangle,
incest, several murders and two suicides...a suspenser with a paranormal twist."
From New Mystery Reader
http://www.newmysteryreader.com/june_july.htm#dead%20on
Pennsylvania Medical Examiner Ann Yang lives a rather solitary and drab existence,
that is, until a serial killer strikes, and suddenly she's thrown into a world of danger and
chaos. Meanwhile, she's also been getting some strange feelings and thoughts,
thoughts of events long ago, odd memories of being murdered over and over again. And
when the killer starts communicating with Ann, she suddenly recognizes him as the
one, the one who has been chasing her through time, just as he has recognized her.
And as their past lives turn into the present, Ann must figure out which man that has
entered her life is the one who comes from the past to kill her yet again. This tale of
supernatural intrigue has suspense in spades, as well as some fluid and graceful
writing, especially found in the journal that Ann discovers in her home that she's been
renovating. There are plenty of surprises here as well, enough to stir the blood and
make the reader's pulse race in anticipation of the next. Definitely recommended, and
with a shock of an ending that does the tale justice, readers will enjoy this one.
- Review by Mary Emmons
www.Mysteryfiction.net
Do you believe in reincarnation? If so, then you will enjoy talented author Ann Kelly's
tale of one soul chasing through time after another. The diary of a young woman long
dead, an escaped convict, a medical examiner, a carpenter, and a psychiatrist--what
have they got in common? How do they relate to the deaths and threatening emails sent
to Ann Yang, medical examiner? Join Ann Yang as she tries to untangle her personal
and professional life and help catch a killer who leaves strange clues behind. Will she
be one of his victims? Visit Doylestown, Pennsylvania, and you'll find it isn't the sort of
town where serial killers live and kill. Yet, that is just what happens. Follow the trail as
the killer has done and see if souls really do live more than one life. That is the question
that will keep you reading. Recommended as a fun read with an intriguing cast of
characters, this is a tale that offers readers something different and interesting. Enjoy.
I did.
From Mysterious Women Newsletter A review by Suzanne Jacob:
This well-written, tightly-woven first mystery novel by an up-and-coming author makes
the reader eager to read future books by Ann Kelly. Excellent characterization, great
dialog, a complex plot, and great writing make this book a quick, exciting read! The key
character is Ann Yang, the (fictional) medical examiner of Bucks Couty, Pennsylvania.
She is faced with a serial killer who is trying to convey--through the murder locations,
body positions, and placement of objects in the victims' mouths--something. But Ann
can't figure out what the killer is trying to communicate.Ann, whose parents are
Chinese, believes in past-life regression. She begins therapy with a hypnotherapist on
her past lives and discovers a disturbing pattern of being killed in a previous life or lives.
Ann lives in an old house and finds a diary that pertains to an early 1900s girl who lived
there. This young girl's unsolved disappearance has Ann intrigued and is a subplot that
runs through the investigation of the serial killer. Throughout the investigation and the
reading of the diary that pertains to the 1903 case, that involves her house, Ann Yang
becomes more sensually aware of the man who is remodeling her home. Mark is not
only handsome but intelligent and enjoyable to be around.
Ann comes nearer and nearer to the killer--until they meet face-to-face in a taut, chilly
ending that has the reader on the edge of their seat and believably ties together the
subplots. The author is a Bucks County, Pennsylvania native who is well known to the
local public. A working mother and spouse, Kelly wrote the book in her "spare time" but
it does not show disjointedness or sloppiness often associated with a first-time novel.
Edgy but believable with sharply defined characters, Dead On by Ann Kelly is a terrific
book. Kelly is an author to watch in the crime genre.
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