Death is just the beginning for Charles Stone and the dog he names Rose.
When Charles finds himself in the afterlife with bullets in his chest
and a strange dog at his side, he resolves to return to the world
of the living to find out who killed him and why.
His search takes him to L.A.'s Skid Row and beyond.
Along the way Charles learns some uncomfortable truths
about death and life, and uncovers a cruel crime in progress
that he must stop before it is too late.
A Vroman's bookstore bestseller for January, 2015.
Eric Idle's Christmas, 2015 Book List http://www.ericidle.com/reading/?p=1306
When Charles finds himself in the afterlife with bullets in his chest
and a strange dog at his side, he resolves to return to the world
of the living to find out who killed him and why.
His search takes him to L.A.'s Skid Row and beyond.
Along the way Charles learns some uncomfortable truths
about death and life, and uncovers a cruel crime in progress
that he must stop before it is too late.
A Vroman's bookstore bestseller for January, 2015.
Eric Idle's Christmas, 2015 Book List http://www.ericidle.com/reading/?p=1306
"A wonderful, original, hilarious, and brilliant book. I really enjoyed it.
I think you’ll like it very much indeed… A must read."
––Eric Idle
"Jo Perry has crafted a detailed mystery thriller with incredible heart and the real punk rock spirit ..."
––It's An Indie Book Blog
"It's funny, foul mouthed, almost heartbreakingly sad in the way Charlies impotence in the face of suffering reflects our own, yet, like all the best crime novels, it's satisfying in its denouement, and hope – a fragile, uncertain hope, but hope nonetheless– left me wanting more of my new favourite detecting duo.
Perry’s prose here is blunt, clean, simple and sharp. It's Charlie’s voice, but it's also Philip Marlow, and,
at times,the combination of direct language and surreality overlaying worlds unsaid makes this feel like a
Noir novel by Sam Beckett. Which can not be a bad thing. Recommended for lovers of quirky crime, dark humour, Chandler (Raymond, not Bing) and the afore mentioned Hammett."
––Derek Farrell, author of Death Of A Diva
"DEAD IS BETTER is a total delight, a terrifically original, always surprising, very funny..."
––Timothy Hallinan, award-winning author of For The Dead, The Fear Artist, Crashed, Little Elvises, The Fame Thief
"DEAD IS BETTER is not just beautifully written but weirdly moving and funnier than death should be and with a dog like Rosie, the afterlife is sweeter than I could have ever hoped for."
––Jervey Tervalon, author of Monster's Chef, Lita: A Novel, Understand This, and Dead Above Ground
"What a wonderful book! It’s witty and wise, and sometimes poignant. It’s one of those rare books that made me think, 'How in the world did she think up something like that!' As one of her quotes in the books says, 'Even in the grave, all is not lost...'"
––Terry Shames
"According to Jo Perry’s highly original dark, and witty novel, the dead are not only with us,
they’re frustrated, confused, snarky and hilarious. Perry’s protagonist,
Charles Stone, a recently murdered successful businessman and
self-described nebbish, narrates his bizarre otherworld adventures
accompanied by an equally-deceased mongrel dog who, in truth, seems smarter than he.
. . .Stone’s narration is as engaging, suspenseful and flat out funny as a
Ted talk given by a top standup raconteur -- living or dead, take your pick."
––Dick Lochte, Ellen Nehr Award-winning book critic
"DEAD IS BETTER is a beautifully-written, darkly comic gem.
Part ghost story, part whodunit, and wholly enjoyable from start to finish."––Dennis Palumbo, author of the Daniel Rinaldi Mysteries
“The best time I’ve had with a dead person since my gross anatomy class in medical school.
The bittersweet charm of our deceased narrator had me from page one.” ––H. Lee Kagan, essayist and
contributing writer for Discover Magazine
"A fun ride for those of us trapped in our earthly bodies.” ––Paul Levine, author of State vs. Lassiter
“Jo Perry’s DEAD IS BETTER is a fascinating literary gem you’ll read not just once or even twice,
but return to the rest of your days, for it explores the greatest mystery of all with wit, wisdom, and understanding.”
––Jeffrey Siger, author of the celebrated Chief Inspector Andrea Kaldis series
"This novel charmed and delighted me: its ghostly, portly protagonist;
his spectral canine sidekick; and the vivid rogues’ gallery of antagonists they must navigate
as they set off on their urgent mission back to the world of the living --
in this case, contemporary Los Angeles (which the author, a native, portrays so well).
One expects surprises in a mystery novel, and this one does not disappoint;
but what I was unprepared for was its growing moral urgency, achieved with
the same natural grace as the story’s startling climax." ––Joshua Gidding, author of The Old Girl and Failure: An Autobiography