Rating: 
Summary: A Pleasure to Read
Review: I've been a fan of Perry since I picked up the Jane Whitefield novels. He was smart enough to realize that they had pretty much run their course (many authors aren't). Thomas Perry moved on to a new set of characters. There is some of the same race-around-the-country, find-anyone feeling, but not too much.Mr. Perry has put in a fair amount of intelligence, too. In many of the interactions between the two main characters (Walker, who is inexperienced and Stillman who is an old pro) Walker figures out why Stillman is or is not doing something or why Stillman did or did not ask something. The conclusion always leads to an "aha" moment, but it isn't spoon fed to the reader. I found the female lead a delight. She's sassy, smart, gutsy and when the time is right, quite feminine. Other reviewers will tell you all you need to know about the plot. This reviewer is recommending the book because it was such an enjoyable read.
Rating:
Summary: Enormously entertaining
Review: I've been a fan of Thomas Perry's work since his first book, Butcher's Boy. Perry is one of the rare writers who never inflicts himself on his material, but rather allows the characters to evolve and speak for themselves. His writing is spare, never cluttered, and his characters are always fully realized and highly distinctive. Death Benefits is a fine example of a writer at peak form. Aside from a truly intriguing plot line that extrapolates on the possibilities of misusing life insurance that have not (at least to my knowledge) previously been explored, we have a central character who, at the age of twenty-four, grows up within the pages of this book--ably and entertainingly pulled along by the fascinating Stillman and the clever Serena. What I particularly liked about the character of Stillman, aside from his ingenuity, is his humor and wisdom. There's a lot of truth about life, and about the process of personal growth in these pages. Much as I enjoyed it, though, I found the "bad guys" to be rather an implausible creation. That said, this is a thoughtful and entertaining book, and the last hundred pages of Death Benefits make for a breathless ride. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Looks like Mr. Perry has the start of another great series
Review: In Pasadena, California, insurance agent Ellen Snyder approves the payment of the twelve million-dollar death benefit to an impostor. Not long afterward, Ellen vanishes somewhere between the nearby airport and apparently LA. The impostor has also disappeared. A stunned McClaren Life and Casualty hires private investigator Max Stillman to investigate the fraud. After making inquiries in both the Pasadena and the San Fransicso based home office, Max successfully recruits John Walker, an analyst working for his client, to assist him on the case. Max believes John can help him because he amorously knew Ellen when they were trainees. John agrees to help because he believes the woman he still loves is innocent of any wrongdoing. With opposite motives, John and Max begin a trek around the country in an effort to locate the money and the two culprits behind the felony. If anyone had doubts that no one does suspense thrillers better than Thomas Perry does, just read the exciting, action-packed and character driven DEATH BENEFITS. Only a great writer with the talent of Mr. Thomas can turn insurance companies and related fraud seem glamorous and exhilarating, but that is what the author accomplishes in this fabulous tale. Max and John make a powerful team even as their individual traits make them seem like real people. The who-done-it is cleverly designed from the start, when Ellen flees into the night, and never eases up as the audience has another mystery from one of the genre greats. Harriet Klausner
Rating: 
Summary: Geographical puzzler
Review: In the first thirty pages the characters leap out of this book, tie you to your chair, and won't release you until Walker and Stillman go east. But it doesn't continue, and that's too bad! With a superb plot, and captivating suspense, Perry really ensnares his readers and keeps them in suspense until he decides to tell another story. Here, the second part of the novel is attenuated to the point that you'll need a map to figure out where the action is at the end. I think the story goes downhill when our insurance operatives leave the state. Certainly, any semblance of credence is left in the main office. Too bad. Perry is a gifted mystery writer, but he doesn't do well with science fiction.
Rating:
Summary: Chilling
Review: John Walker is a young data analyst in the San Francisco office of a large insurance company. When his former lover, Ellen Snyder, disappears after paying a multi-million-dollar death benefit to an impostor, John is hand-picked by security consultant Max Stillman to help him track down both Ellen and the impostor. The two diverse men start out at cross purposes since Stillman is counting on John's familiarity with Ellen to track her while John is firmly convinced that Ellen was an innocent pawn in the scheme. Leads take the men all over the country and ultimately into a chilling conspiracy fraught with more danger than either of them signed on for. The search finally ends with a bang in a small New Hampshire town, an ending neither John nor Stillman (or the reader!) ever expected. This is a heck of a good suspense novel which will keep you guessing all the way. I doubt whether I'll ever look at small towns or the insurance industry the same way again!
Rating:
Summary: It Even Makes Insurance Company¿s Seem Exciting
Review: John Walker works as a data analyst for McLaren Life and Casualty, a respected insurance company, when a mysterious character named Stillman, to help investigate the disappearance of one of the company's sales people, enlists him. Not only had the salesperson disappeared, but also, so had a significant payout, $12 million to be exact. Once they hit the road, the thrill of the chase really takes hold. Thomas Perry gives us a very interesting insight into what it takes to try to find someone who doesn't wish to be found. This is in stark contrast to his Jane Whitefield series in which we come at the problem from the side of the person trying to evade capture. Apart from a small lull in the action upon arriving in New Hampshire, the book was compelling reading with problem after problem needing to be solved. As it turned out, the small lull in New Hampshire was just an opportunity for me to get my breath back before the real fireworks began.
Rating:
Summary: A MUST READ!
Review: Max Stillman is a security consultant called into the San Francisco office of McClaren Life and Casualty, his job is to investigate the disappearance of one of their employees, a young woman named Ellen. As Max begins his questioning of the employees, he comes to the discovery of John Walker, the young claims analyst who once had an affair with the missing co-worker. Shocked that he has been chosen to accompany Max, John, tries to understand why he is in this mess, and as the pieces fall into place, he finds out that Ellen disappeared quickly after paying a large insurance claim to an imposter. As the two men work together, one looking to clear Ellen's name and the other looking to convict her, they will uncover an evil conspiracy neither is prepared for. "Death Benefits" is a first-rate, fast paced thriller, that can NOT be put down. From page one the reader is hurled into a maze of unexpected danger, double-crosses, mysterious characters and un-bearable suspense. Thomas Perry author of several very good thrillers, none of which compare to this, has written a breakout novel that thriller readers should dive into. "Death Benefits" deserves a spot on all the bestseller list's! Nick Gonnella
Rating:
Summary: You'll benefit from reading this terrific thriller.
Review: McClaren Life and Casualty is the kind of staid, respectable insurance company that inspires trust. That's one of the reasons that John Walker took a job there as an insurance analyst. Spending his days toiling away, staring at a computer screen in his cubicle, he certainly wasn't expecting any action or danger. When tight-lipped investigator Max Stillman enters the picture, though, that changes very quickly. Part of the joy of reading "Death Benefits" is watching the plot unfold as we, along with John Walker, are drawn deeper into the mystery. Perry's skillful plotting slowly peels away the layers of the crime as he gradually tightens the screws of suspense. He really is a master at this kind of book. "Death Benefits" appears to be a stand-alone novel, although these characters would certainly be very welcome in a return. Adding this to the superb Jane Whitefield series, Perry proves that he is one of the absolute best writers in the genre today. If you're not reading him, you should be.
Rating:
Summary: Another Winner! Thanks, Mr. Perry. Really Enjoyed.
Review: Mr. Perry has tried another new territory with this book and it turned out with absorbing gears shifting plot. This time, a 'Walker' paired wiht a 'Stillman,' quite interesting. The only thing that I'd like to recommend Mr. Perry is that his photo in the back looks like a Islamic Jihad terrorist, kinda funny. He should replace a new one.
Rating: 
Summary: perry is coasting and reusing a compe best material for this
Review: ok, some great ideas, recycled plots and scenarios from his earlier books, lame ending, still perry is great and I will continue to buy his books, next one is supposed to be better, pursuit!
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