A new urban fantasy featuring a man working on the right side of law-with talents that come from left field.
Psychometry-the powe... read full description
Psychometry-the powe... read full description
reviews
Feb 01, 2009
Kati
rated it: 
The first half of this book is awesome: funny, quirky, interesting. But the second half... It feels like it's written by someone else. The author suddenly uses phrases like "I threw up in my mouth a little" or "we exchanged a WTF look." I mean, huh. I really liked Simon, Connor, the Inspectre and Irene, even Wesker was funny with his acerbic sense of humor. But Jane... If there's a poster girl for a stereotypical blondie, it's her: gorgeous and cute but with empty space where
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(7 people liked it)
Oct 13, 2011
Mike (the Paladin)
rated it: 
Surprisingly good...I wish I could give it slightly less than 4 stars, but I can't and I do want to give it more than 3. While it may not rate (to me at least) as high as some I've given 4 stars, but again, it's better than just, "pretty good".
I would say that even though I had read books before this that would qualify as urban fantasy, my "formal recognition" of the genre would be through the Dresden books by Jim Butcher. I have looked for other urban fantasy rea More...
I would say that even though I had read books before this that would qualify as urban fantasy, my "formal recognition" of the genre would be through the Dresden books by Jim Butcher. I have looked for other urban fantasy rea More...
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(5 people liked it)
Mar 18, 2008
Schnaucl
rated it: 
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Apr 02, 2008
Readin'ruth
rated it:
This is quite possibly the WORST book I've ever read. I could NOT put it down. It was like watching a train/biccycle wreck. You know it's going to be really bad but one's mind can't comprehend quite how low the writing (in this case) can go. It managed to go farther than I ever imagined.
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Aug 16, 2011
Callista
rated it: 
I wanted to love this book. The premise and the first chapter are promising. I tried to take it for what it is without unfavourably comparing it to some of my favourite fantasy/urban fantasy books, but I couldn't make myself love the whole book. It felt as if the author's trying a little too hard. Simon is a decent character, but the narrative voice isn't fully convincing to me. There's a little too much "telling", and the emotions lack depth. While there are some cute bits--like some
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(1 person liked it)
Jun 12, 2008
Brownbetty
rated it:
A potentially interesting book (which seemed vaguely as if it might be a sequel, but I couldn't find out whether or not this was the case) which ended up being disappointing.
The story is told in first person by Simon Candorous, who is an unreliable narrator: and not the literary sort of unreliable, where he tells you untrue things because he's got a secret, or is interestingly deceived, he's just the sort of unreliable which forgets to pick you up at the bus station because he thou More...
The story is told in first person by Simon Candorous, who is an unreliable narrator: and not the literary sort of unreliable, where he tells you untrue things because he's got a secret, or is interestingly deceived, he's just the sort of unreliable which forgets to pick you up at the bus station because he thou More...
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Jun 17, 2008
Laura
rated it: 
This book is fantastic and I highly recommend all scifi people to pick this book up and read it.
funny thing was I found myself more drawn to the secondary character of Connor who I found to be more interesting. Simon Canderous was everything that a woman would want in a man, except that he could never, ever touch her without knowing about some part of her life that he doesn't need to know.
I liked the psychometry aspect of the book. How awesome would it be to pick up an More...
funny thing was I found myself more drawn to the secondary character of Connor who I found to be more interesting. Simon Canderous was everything that a woman would want in a man, except that he could never, ever touch her without knowing about some part of her life that he doesn't need to know.
I liked the psychometry aspect of the book. How awesome would it be to pick up an More...
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(1 person liked it)
Oct 10, 2011
Ithlilian
rated it:
The opening chapter of Dead to Me is certainly in your face and unforgiving seeing as though the main character is in the process of having sex. It does serve the purpose of introducing the "touch things and get memories" ability, but not much else. We then move on to some more mundane activities with a video game system, and we get a little back story on the main character. My interest started to decrease a bit with the backstory, because I didn't find it very enjoyable. The main char
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Feb 28, 2010
Brenda
rated it:
Anton Strout is a new author to me, which horrifies me to admit, since he is right up my alley. He's a mixture of Piers Anthony (Xanth novels), Douglas Adams and Simon Green, with his own twist on things thrown in the mix. I was chuckling by page 2, and knew I HAD to share Mr. Strout's ability to add a title to the most obscure things. It can't be explained, so I simply have to share:
Ghost of Bruises Yet to Come
Ten Simple Ways Your Job Will Disfigure You!
Witty Banter to E More...
Ghost of Bruises Yet to Come
Ten Simple Ways Your Job Will Disfigure You!
Witty Banter to E More...
Feb 18, 2010
Tammy
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Feb 17, 2010
Kalyn
rated it:
I really liked the premise of the book - otherwise normal guy with psychometric abilities steps away from a life of crime (that he wasn't super great at) to become a legitimate investigator for the New York City Department of Extraordinary Affairs. They come across a ghost who is more alive than she should be, find out that the forces of Darkness have a swanky, well-funded organization (with city blessing), and that trouble is afoot.
I think the book did an ok job of setting up the More...
I think the book did an ok job of setting up the More...
Jan 06, 2010
Rebecca
rated it:
Okay, I really didn't like this book. I don't know if it was my taste or it was just bad, but I was skimming just to get through the darn thing so I wouldn't have to carry it on the plane with me -- I should have just left it in Florida in hopes my step-mother would enjoy it more, but I figured I could hock it online for something better*.
So, the premise. Simon is a psychometrist who joined the local Paranormal Investigations Division because it beat being a small time con-man. Th More...
So, the premise. Simon is a psychometrist who joined the local Paranormal Investigations Division because it beat being a small time con-man. Th More...
Jun 02, 2011
James
rated it:
I generally don't like over criticising a book but this was not one of the best that I have read. The idea, whilst solid, was not really as cool as one might have expected, whilst the plot while original failed to captivate. In short, this book promised so much and then just failed to live up to them.
The Good points:
1. It had an interesting premise.
2. It wasn't boring and I didn't have to force myself to read it - always a plus
3. ...
The bad points:
1. More...
The Good points:
1. It had an interesting premise.
2. It wasn't boring and I didn't have to force myself to read it - always a plus
3. ...
The bad points:
1. More...
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Apr 23, 2011
Shawn
rated it:
I thought this book was pretty good, it was a good fun read, although I thought the main character was two dimensional. I'm hoping with the progression of the series that the character would grow.
(this is a spoiler alert) Simon is a psychometrist, which is a person that can read memories by touching an item. he's a former theif who is now working for the Department of Extrordinary Affairs, a department that deals with preternatural of the city. He and his partner stumble upon a plot i More...
(this is a spoiler alert) Simon is a psychometrist, which is a person that can read memories by touching an item. he's a former theif who is now working for the Department of Extrordinary Affairs, a department that deals with preternatural of the city. He and his partner stumble upon a plot i More...
Feb 01, 2012
Lynn
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Jul 09, 2008
aaron
rated it:
another book by a first time novelist. strout has written a couple of short stories but this was his first lengthy novel. what has produced is a great addition into the urban fantasy genre. simon is a psychometrist which means that he touches objects and sees visions of those who previously touched them. what follows is a romping good time (for the reader at least) as he runs into ghosts, cultists, and attacking bookshelves. enjoy the read.
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Jan 20, 2012
Ami
rated it:
I know that when it comes to urban fantasy/paranormal, I am supposed to cut some slack when it comes to the first book; that sometimes, a series will not get as good until book #2 or #3. So, I'm ready to have low expectation on this. At the same time, male protagonist in UF is so rare, I really want to end up liking this even before I start.
Unfortunately, I don't. Somehow, Simon ends up for me as incompetent most of the times; it's like the only thing he does is running here and ther More...
Unfortunately, I don't. Somehow, Simon ends up for me as incompetent most of the times; it's like the only thing he does is running here and ther More...
Apr 06, 2011
Nicholas
rated it:
Dead To Me, by Anton Strout, follows Simon Canderous, a recently recruited agent of the Department of Extraordinary Affairs. Simon has psychometric powers, which allow him to glean information about objects and people by touching them. This makes it difficult for him to have relationships with other people, as just being around their stuff can be mentally overwhelming.
This book got off to a slow start, but by chapter three, it had hit its stride and we really get a taste of Simon's d More...
This book got off to a slow start, but by chapter three, it had hit its stride and we really get a taste of Simon's d More...
Mar 22, 2008
Alessandriana
rated it:
I wanted to like this more than I did, but something just wasn't clicking. It felt like the author didn't have a good handle on any of the characters; they tended to act irrationally and unpredictably. The plot wasn't bad, but overall, I wasn't really thrilled. Too bad.
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Jan 08, 2009
Angela
rated it:
This book has been described as a sort of cross between Men in Black and Ghostbusters, and yeah, that's about right. Which means that Dead to Me is a lighthearted and very welcome antidote to a lot of the grim, gritty darkity-darkness that makes up so much of urban fantasy these days, with humor and a dash of romance driving the action rather than blatant sex and violence.
Simon Canderous is gifted with psychometry, the ability to read past incidents in a person's life by touching the More...
Simon Canderous is gifted with psychometry, the ability to read past incidents in a person's life by touching the More...
Oct 21, 2011
Chantaal
rated it:
2.5 stars
I'm not really sure how I feel about this. One on hand, it was a pretty nice twist on most urban fantasy novels, adding a whole This Is Our Silly Office element to it, but that went way overboard. All the pamphlets, seminars and paperwork being mentioned over and over got really old after the first third.
Also, I'm not sure what Strout was going for when it came to Simon's voice. Half the time his narrative made him sound like a regular guy, then the rest of the time More...
I'm not really sure how I feel about this. One on hand, it was a pretty nice twist on most urban fantasy novels, adding a whole This Is Our Silly Office element to it, but that went way overboard. All the pamphlets, seminars and paperwork being mentioned over and over got really old after the first third.
Also, I'm not sure what Strout was going for when it came to Simon's voice. Half the time his narrative made him sound like a regular guy, then the rest of the time More...
Jul 06, 2009
Shedrick
rated it:
“Dead to Me” by Anton Strout is yet another entry in the “paranormal investigator” genre: though flawed, it represents a good effort to do something different with the premise.
Simon Canderous is a rookie investigator with the New York City D.E.A. (Department of Extraordinary Affairs). This is an officially off-the-record department that handles all of the paranormal crime in the city. Simon is a psychometrist: by touching objects he can divine things about their histories and the p More...
Simon Canderous is a rookie investigator with the New York City D.E.A. (Department of Extraordinary Affairs). This is an officially off-the-record department that handles all of the paranormal crime in the city. Simon is a psychometrist: by touching objects he can divine things about their histories and the p More...
Oct 18, 2011
Cassie
rated it:
Ok, let’s get down to business shall we? I really enjoyed this book! I won it through goodreads first-reads and was very excited when I got the email saying I had won! Not only did it have an intriguing cover with a dark haired hunk on it, but the synopsis reminded me of the movie Dylan Dog, which I really liked. Simon has the rare power to touch something and be able to see the past that is related to that object. He used have a sketchy past and used his powers to find items that the owner
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Oct 20, 2011
Carol
rated it:
Ghastly, er, ghostly. There are kernels of good ideas here, but for the most part the book is filled with tropes, awkward writing, intrusive explanations and wildly inconsistent characters. I kept putting it down in disgust, but picking it back up because my OCD disorder wanted to know the ending.
Tone and Plot: It's like an adolescent male writer is regurgitating Dresden lite, mixed with the Ministry of Magic courtesy of Harry Potter, sprinkled with every stereotype of the male det More...
Tone and Plot: It's like an adolescent male writer is regurgitating Dresden lite, mixed with the Ministry of Magic courtesy of Harry Potter, sprinkled with every stereotype of the male det More...
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Jan 05, 2010
Jessica
rated it:
Simon has the power of psychometry (the ability to see an person's past through touching an object) and turned his back on a life of petty crime to work for the government's team of oddities: people who possess certain abilities that make them useful in dealing with the paranormal. But when a beautiful ghost is convinced she isn't really dead, things start to get complicated.
It's an interesting story! If you like the Dresden Files, you'd enjoy it but it might not be a favorite. I More...
It's an interesting story! If you like the Dresden Files, you'd enjoy it but it might not be a favorite. I More...
May 25, 2009
Kater
rated it:
This is a funny urban fantasy set in New York. Simon uses his ability to psychically read the history of objects he touches. When he's not picking up extra bucks as an antique dealer, he helps out with a secret organization that polices supernatural happenings. While I enjoyed the humor, I found that the book sometimes crossed over into just-plain-silly. It's also laden with puns which are either delightful or deplorable, depending on personal taste. The writing is solid, and the main charac
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Oct 25, 2011
Kayla
rated it:
I’d say this book is an over all good book but I did find it that it reads as a little juvenile and that was some-what irritating to me. I can understand needing to use slang language in dialog to show that the characters live in a certain time period or that they live in a certain region with different speech patterns but I don’t believe slang such as “noob” and “WTF” should be used through out an entire book. There is a major contradiction in the book such as there’s machinery in place to ha
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Jun 09, 2009
Barbara
rated it:
Simon, a psychometric agent for the Department of Extraordinary Affairs, is involved in two major cases that somehow intertwine. Irene, an unusual ghost, has been murdered and her apartment trashed. Why? And Jane, an employee of the Sectarian Defense League, a cultist organization for evil. Simon has feelings for both Irene and Jane, the dead girl and the enemy, which pull him away from D.E.A. teachings. Of course, Faisal, the leader of S.D.L., is totally evil and out to kill Jane, Irene a
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Aug 04, 2009
Maura
rated it:
I was enjoying this a fair bit at first. But then character after character responded to any situation by yelling and flying off the handle. The main character did this in pretty much *every* situation. It got old. A pity, because the idea of there being a gov't department for paranormal occurrences, and a character who was once a thief but is now using his powers for good (he can learn things about previous owners of an object by touching them) -- well, that has some promise. But right now
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Feb 13, 2010
Tiffany
rated it:
A few months back I declared my love of male written and male point of view urban fantasies, but up until that point I had only read Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files. I asked for recommendations and Anton Strout’s name was tossed my way. When Literary Escapism announced the League of Reluctant Adults challenge I knew it would be the perfect time to pick up the Simon Canderous series and dig in.
Simon is an incredibly likable character. He is your typical bad guy gone good, but with an inte More...
Simon is an incredibly likable character. He is your typical bad guy gone good, but with an inte More...
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