Dead Man's Dance is Robert Ferrigno's third novel, following The Cheshire Moon and The Horse Latitudes. Set in 1990s Los Angeles, Dead Man's Dance combines a complex plot that is woven around various friends, lovers, and nefarious characters. Each character in the book is aspiring to achieve something in his or her life, but continually falls short or faces unforeseen roadblocks that leaves them unfulfilled.
Quinn, the protagonist, is a writer for SLAP, a gossipy magazine that likes to shine a bright light on the famous and near famous in Southern California. His life is rocked by the murder of his stepfather, Ted, who is a well-known judge with more than a few enemies. As the story unfolds, we see that Quinn never had a good relationship with his own father, his mother, or his stepfather. Quinn also seems to struggle with every relationship he currently has, and he is often left wondering who is his friend and who is his foe.
Despite some promising leads by the police that pin the murder of Quinn's stepfather on a neo-Nazi, Quinn has doubts about their conclusions. He soon sets off on his own to unravel the mystery. In the novel, the reader will become acquainted with Quinn's ex-wife, current lover, and his daughter. His relationships with those closest to him zigzag between familiar and loving to distant and perplexing.
Quinn also has several odd friendships, which include a former convict named Joe Steps and Tina Chavez, a Deputy District Attorney. Two of the most puzzling characters in the book are Hugo and Rick. They are seemingly a couple but Rick is actually asexual and quite introverted, while Rick is expressive, flirty, and bisexual.
I think that Ferrigno did a good job of incorporating the cultural and ethnic diversity of Los Angeles into this novel. The characters are not only Anglo, like the author, but Latino, Asian, and African American. We also get glimpses of the wide variety of neighborhoods prevalent in the Southern California, such as the exclusive seaside enclaves, the desert communities, and familiar middle-class suburbs. Frequent references are made to the sights and sounds of the city, such as freeway traffic, airports, and the ocean. These details all help make the novel more believable in my eyes.
Although the killer is identified early on in the book, it is not apparent until much later how the lives of all these people will intersect with each other. The disparate characters ultimately become tangled-up in Quinn's troubles as he uncovers evidence that identifies the true killer.
The prose of the author is taut with few wasted words, but the suspense builds only very slowly. Through the middle of the novel the storyline limped along rather lamely and aimlessly. Although it was interesting to see how Quinn uncovered clues about the murder, I started to wonder why I should be concerned about him. No one in the novel is a particularly outstanding person except perhaps Tina, the Deputy District Attorney. I admired Quinn's determination and fortitude, but he is often unappealingly flat-footed and tone deaf when relating to the people close to him.
I read this novel based on a friend's recommendation of the author. Although this effort by Ferrigno is moderately entertaining, it is not as spellbinding or as thrilling as I had hoped. One of Ferrigno's most recent novels, The Wake Up, is supposedly well regarded. I may read it in the near future.
Overall I give Dead Man's Dance a qualified recommendation. Its storyline was credible and the characters were fleshed out enough to be believable. But at times the narrative moved forward very slowly and without clear direction. Although the protagonist was good at unraveling a series of interwoven crimes, it was often difficult to see why I should worry about any of these characters' lives.
© trailhound. 2004.
This review is an entry for Lean and Mean III sponsored by sleeper54.
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