To Bury the Dead

Rating:
Summary: A Father's Fury
Review: Paul Kelly has the perfect life. He and his beautiful wife, Julie, are still very much in love after more than 16 years of marriage. Although his daughter Kyra is going through the typical changes of puberty, he adores her. His job as a firefighter is rough, but one he does with the utmost professionalism and care. He is respected and well-liked. Life is good.

When Kyra is suddenly murdered, Paul's world turns upside down. The press is hounding his home for quotes. The police are struggling to find the killer. And Paul is doing everything he can just to maintain his sanity in the face of such overwhelming grief.

Interspersed with Paul's story are some interesting documents -- the coroner's report on Kyra, background information on fires, even scientific manuals on pain and patience. These tend to break up the pace of the story a bit, while also giving some useful background information.

Paul is incredibly compelling. He's a man who deals with life and death on a daily basis, and is completely rocked when Kyra is killed. What he does after his daughter's death, and how he changes, is really the heart of this book. Agree with his actions, or disagree with how he handles his grief -- either way you'll still be forced to continue reading to find out what happens next.

Craig Spector's writing is fresh and strong. Other than his annoying habit of leaving foreboding clues at the end of just about every chapter, Spector knows how to pull a reader into his world and sympathize with the characters' actions.

"To Bury the Dead" works because of its surprises. It's infused with the fury of grief and the strength of fire, both of which act as wonderful descriptions for the pain a father goes through after losing his daughter in such a violent manner. The writing style is easy to absorb, and seems ideal for a future film adaptation.

Rating:
Summary: This Book Will Make You Sweat
Review: TO BURY THE DEAD really hit home for me. This is the story of Paul Kelly, a firefighter who has a nice, stable life until the violent murder of his daughter. With his life pulled out from under him and no help coming from our justice system, Paul is consumed with rage, becoming emotionally like the fires he fights.

I thought the ending of this book was really well done. It gave the whole story a closure you don't get from many books.

Rating:
Summary: To Bury the Dead is Hot!
Review: Violent crime is something we see everyday. On the news, in the daily paper, the movies, television. It's hard to comprehend how a victim might react to such crime unless one has been a victim themself. In TO BURY THE DEAD author Craig Spector does a brilliant job of exploring the mind and mentality of a father left to pick up the pieces of his life when his teenage daughter is brutally murdered.

Paul Kelly is a firefighter. He's seen his share of violence, done his share of saving lives. He's a good man with a good life.

When all of this is suddenly yanked from under him and his faith in our system of justice is betrayed, a disillusioned Paul becomes overwhelmed with grief and a rage that all but consumes him.

Fires have lives of their own, however brief and like any life it takes place in stages. Spector compares Paul's process of grief and fury to the life and stages of a fire from "running hot" to "flashover". We feel and relate to Paul's pain as he goes from the grief-stricken father to the near-insane victim that's desperate for revenge and justice, all leading to an climax and resolution that is both unexpected and very satisfying.

TO BURY THE DEAD will make your heart ache. Spector hits a little too close to home for comfort but at the same time he makes you stop and think.

Craig Spector is the coeditor of the well known BOOK OF THE DEAD and STILL DEAD: BOOK OF THE DEAD 2 anthologies as well as coauthoring (with John Skipp) THE LIGHT AT THE END, THE CLEANUP, THE SCREAM, THE BRIDGE, DEAD LINES and ANIMALS. Originally published in paperback in December 2000 by HarperCollins, Stealth now offers TO BURY THE DEAD in a hardback edition. The best place to read information on Spector is at Stealth Press's web site: http://www.stealthpress.com

Rating:
Summary: To Bury the Dead Burns!
Review: We see violent crime everyday. In the papers, on the news, the movies, television. It's everywhere. We do seem to be desensitized to it, until we become victims of it. How do you handle losing someone you love in a violent manner? In TO BURY THE DEAD author Craig Spector does a brilliant job of exploring how personal horror and tragedy affect one man.

TO BURY THE DEAD will make your heart ache for Spector hits a little too close to home for comfort.

Paul Kelly is a firefighter. He considers himself to be a good man. He's seen his share of violence and horror but at the end of the day he has a nice home and his wife and daughter to return to.

Then in one disastrous moment it's all gone. His daughter violently murdered. The faith he puts in the justice system, betrayed. Disillusioned and overcome by grief, Paul soon becomes victim to something else, an all-consuming rage.

Like anything else, the life of a fire happens in stages. Spector compares Paul's grief and anger process to the stages of a fire. From "running hot" to "flashover" we go through this tragedy with Paul until we find ourselves at a resolution both unexpected but at the same time very satisfying.