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Ellie Hatcher #1
Dead Connection
In Alafair Burke's electrifying thriller, Dead Connection, a rookie detective goes undercover on the Internet dating scene to draw out a serial killer targeting single women in Manhattan.When two young women are murdered on the streets of New York, exactly one year apart, Detective Ellie Hatcher is called up for a special assignment on the homicide task force. The killer has left behind a clue connecting the two cases to First Date, a popular online dating service, and Flann McIlroy, an eccentric, publicity-seeking homicide detective, is convinced that only Ellie can help him pursue his terrifying someone is using the lure of the Internet and the promise of love to launch a killing spree against the women of New York City. To catch the killer, Ellie must enter a high-tech world of stolen identities where no one is who they appear to be. And for her, the investigation quickly becomes she fits the profile of the victims, and she knows firsthand what pursuing a sociopath can do to a cop—back home in Wichita, Kansas, her father lost his life trying to catch a notorious serial murderer. When the First Date killer begins to mimic the monster who destroyed her father, Ellie knows the game has become personal for him, too. Both hunter and prey, she must find the killer before he claims his next victim—who could very well be her.Expertly plotted and perfectly paced, Dead Connection advances Alafair Burke to the front ranks of American thriller writers.
356 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 10, 2007
605 people are currently reading
7262 people want to read
About the author
Alafair Burke
61 books5,701 followersAlafair Burke is the New York Times, Edgar-nominated author of fourteen crime novels, including The Ex, The Wife, The Better Sister, and the forthcoming Find Me. She is also the co-author of several novels with Mary Higgins Clark. A graduate of Stanford Law School and a former Deputy District Attorney in Portland, Oregon, Alafair is now a Professor of Law at Hofstra Law School, where she teaches criminal law and procedure.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 472 reviews
December 2, 2019
This is pretty well written. The story gets better, more interesting and exciting the second half. 8 of 10 stars!
April 9, 2023
Another crime novel that was surprisingly good!
Maybe taking some time off from crime was a really good call, because the last two crime novels I've read have been excellent.
This story follows a serial killer that's somehow connected to online dating. Rookie Ellie is partnered up with a quirky detective to bring the killer to justice.
I actually really appreciated how many threads there were to this story. It kept me guessing and this story did a great job of pointing the finger in all kinds of directions. I had no idea how this was all going to go down.
Ellie is a great lead character - she's not perfect but she's not a pariah, either. She's just trying to get the job done. This felt like a really good sample of who she is, and I can see this being a strong foundation for further character building as the series goes on.
The writing was fantastic - you never got a breath to figure things out for yourself because there was something new happening at every turn. Every time you think you might be on the right track, something else happens to put you on another track entirely. It was an addictive read because there's no place you can comfortably put it down without needing to know what comes next.
The story was multi-layered so I really enjoyed delving into this one. Another read that lingered on my shelf longer than it should have.
Highly recommend for crime lovers!
Maybe taking some time off from crime was a really good call, because the last two crime novels I've read have been excellent.
This story follows a serial killer that's somehow connected to online dating. Rookie Ellie is partnered up with a quirky detective to bring the killer to justice.
I actually really appreciated how many threads there were to this story. It kept me guessing and this story did a great job of pointing the finger in all kinds of directions. I had no idea how this was all going to go down.
Ellie is a great lead character - she's not perfect but she's not a pariah, either. She's just trying to get the job done. This felt like a really good sample of who she is, and I can see this being a strong foundation for further character building as the series goes on.
The writing was fantastic - you never got a breath to figure things out for yourself because there was something new happening at every turn. Every time you think you might be on the right track, something else happens to put you on another track entirely. It was an addictive read because there's no place you can comfortably put it down without needing to know what comes next.
The story was multi-layered so I really enjoyed delving into this one. Another read that lingered on my shelf longer than it should have.
Highly recommend for crime lovers!
August 19, 2015
An excellent cop procedural with a worthy female detective. Sharp tension from beginning to end. I was a little surprised at how assertive she was with her far more senior partner, but she carried it off and it didn't intrude.
Alafair also pays a somewhat hidden tribute to her dad when her character Ellie Hatcher calls a Louisiana cop name Dave, and has problems pronouncing his last name. Could it be Jamie Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux?
Alafair also pays a somewhat hidden tribute to her dad when her character Ellie Hatcher calls a Louisiana cop name Dave, and has problems pronouncing his last name. Could it be Jamie Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux?
February 15, 2012
I had no idea this was by James Lee Burke's daughter until there was a reference to his main character, Dave Robichaux, about midway through this book. The nut didn't fall far from the tree in this case! And wasn't Dave's daughter named Alafair, too?
I enjoyed this thriller about Ellie Hatcher, a rookie NYPD detective, who gets her first shot at a murder case. While I did guess who the bad guy was early on, there were enough twists and turns to keep me interested and a few surprises to make me want to pick up the next one in the series. Recommended!
I enjoyed this thriller about Ellie Hatcher, a rookie NYPD detective, who gets her first shot at a murder case. While I did guess who the bad guy was early on, there were enough twists and turns to keep me interested and a few surprises to make me want to pick up the next one in the series. Recommended!
March 5, 2018
Detective Ellie Hatcher's cop father shot himself in his car many years ago while investigating a serial killer. At least that's the official story from the police. Ellie never believed this story and she continues to fight for the truth so her still grieving mother can get the pension benefits she deserves. Ellie is requested to partner on a case where women are being killed after going on a date with someone they met on an online dating service called FirstDate. Ellie creates her own profile and sends out flirts to try to attract the killer.
After reading the outstanding novel The Wife by this same author, I decided to go back and read this first in a series from 2007 introducing Ellie Hatcher. This one is a police procedural so there's really no comparing the two except to say that Burke's storyline and writing has gotten much better with time. However, I liked the start of this series much more than Burke's legal series with Stephanie Kincaid. Ellie Hatcher has lots to learn but I like her spirit and I'm interested to see what happens with her father's murder investigation.
After reading the outstanding novel The Wife by this same author, I decided to go back and read this first in a series from 2007 introducing Ellie Hatcher. This one is a police procedural so there's really no comparing the two except to say that Burke's storyline and writing has gotten much better with time. However, I liked the start of this series much more than Burke's legal series with Stephanie Kincaid. Ellie Hatcher has lots to learn but I like her spirit and I'm interested to see what happens with her father's murder investigation.
November 2, 2013
This was a fun read, and a great start to a series! The main character-Ellie Hatcher was a strong independent woman, and I liked her right from the start. I give DEAD CONNECTION 3 and 1/2 stars. I wasn't crazy about the ending, but I look forward to reading more of this series.
July 9, 2012
If you love a great suspenseful mystery series, you're at the right place. Alafair Burke introduces into the world of Ellie Hatcher, a new NYPD detective who's assigned to a new case. When we meet Ellie, we're welcome into her world as how she's treated as a fellow police officer, and how people look at her. Tough as nails, we see how she cares for her mother and brother, and how devastated she is, with some emotional baggage back in Kansas. She doesn't give up. This mystery series packs a punch of twists and turns, dealing with hard-hitting facts, and tons of surprises. When you meet Ellie, you'll be rooting for her all the way through. She's your kind of heroine who doesn't give up.
February 3, 2014
A thrilling hunt to find justice for the dead women and a brilliant effort to connect the the crimes to First Date, a company created to find true love. I enjoyed meeting Ellie and her brother Jess plus a few other characters. This was a fast paced crime that had all the elements of a serial killer and more. I had a feeling that a sleight of hand was being played with the clues but didn't see the outcome at the end, exactly.... I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. I'm hoping that her trip back home to finally find out what happened to her father is the basis for the next title. The police are finally releasing all the evidence and Ellie is going to to look through it all and see if she can figure out what her father was doing on the serial case he was working on before he died. The police force claims, her father took his life and Ellie, her brother and Mom think that is all wrong. Alafair Burke's previous job as a D.A. in Oregon and her teaching job of criminal law make this title a smart read in my world. I felt very connected to the every day to day details that a detective would pursue on the job trying to piece the clues together of the victims.
February 5, 2018
This book started out slow but I was glad I stuck with it. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.
September 21, 2014
Not good for me, but mystery fans might like it.
This is a police procedural. We accompany Ellie (a homicide detective) as she investigates murders by a serial killer. Michael Connolly does the same thing with his character Harry Bosch. But with Bosch I am intrigued and fascinated. I did not feel that way with this book. It was dry, almost plodding. Both authors use twists and surprises, but for some reason Connolly does it better. I don’t know how to explain why.
If you look at the plot and what happens in outline form, it sounds good.
Toward the end I was disappointed with Ellie’s mistakes/stupidity which caused bad things to happen. She is sneaking up on someone but doesn’t turn her cell phone off so it rings and gives her away. She knows who the killer is and goes there alone. She enters a dangerous room and doesn’t check behind the door.
I was also disappointed with the ending. If two cops and another told the truth about why they did something or their investigation process, the killer might go free. So they agreed to lie to make sure the killer would not get off. I did not understand that. I wish the author spelled that out better. I thought what they did seemed legit. It wasn’t like planting evidence.
There are no sex scenes other than briefly mentioning a couple had sex while spending the night together.
THE SERIES:
This is book #1 in the Ellie Hatcher series. So far there are five in the series.
AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR:
Christopher Lane was good. But I was not pleased with his voice for Ellie. It was odd, maybe too rushed.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Unabridged audiobook length: 9 hrs and 21 mins. Swearing language: strong but rarely used. Sexual content: none, other than what is mentioned above. Setting: current day mostly New York City, NY. Book Copyright: 2007. Genre: crime mystery.
This is a police procedural. We accompany Ellie (a homicide detective) as she investigates murders by a serial killer. Michael Connolly does the same thing with his character Harry Bosch. But with Bosch I am intrigued and fascinated. I did not feel that way with this book. It was dry, almost plodding. Both authors use twists and surprises, but for some reason Connolly does it better. I don’t know how to explain why.
If you look at the plot and what happens in outline form, it sounds good.
Toward the end I was disappointed with Ellie’s mistakes/stupidity which caused bad things to happen. She is sneaking up on someone but doesn’t turn her cell phone off so it rings and gives her away. She knows who the killer is and goes there alone. She enters a dangerous room and doesn’t check behind the door.
I was also disappointed with the ending. If two cops and another told the truth about why they did something or their investigation process, the killer might go free. So they agreed to lie to make sure the killer would not get off. I did not understand that. I wish the author spelled that out better. I thought what they did seemed legit. It wasn’t like planting evidence.
There are no sex scenes other than briefly mentioning a couple had sex while spending the night together.
THE SERIES:
This is book #1 in the Ellie Hatcher series. So far there are five in the series.
AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR:
Christopher Lane was good. But I was not pleased with his voice for Ellie. It was odd, maybe too rushed.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Unabridged audiobook length: 9 hrs and 21 mins. Swearing language: strong but rarely used. Sexual content: none, other than what is mentioned above. Setting: current day mostly New York City, NY. Book Copyright: 2007. Genre: crime mystery.
December 27, 2014
Dead Connection – A Twist at Every Turn
In her first outing of Ellie Hatcher in All Day and A Night, Alafair Burke follows up her introduction to Ellie Thatcher with Dead Connection. Dead Connection is a sleek first rate thriller, which introduces us to engaging characters that helps to make this thriller so compelling. It is easy to see why Dead Connection and Alafair Burke has been lauded and quite rightly so as she delivers a compelling thriller that delivers on the suspense and thriller aspects to deliver an entertaining read.
Detective Ellie Hatcher works out of the NYPD’s Midtown North Precinct dealing with all the general crime in her part of the borough. When her lieutenant tells her that she is going on a temporary to homocide to help a star detective Flan McIlroy who has got a couple of dead females on his hands and no seeming connection to each other than they were both killed with the same bullet. One was a Russian junkie prostitute found dead in the parking lot of a strip club the other a young woman found outside her apartment block.
Then another couple of young females are murdered outside their apartments and the women of Mannhatan are running scareed. Three of the murders seem to be connected through a dating website called FirstDate. Questions keep being thrown up by the investigation which seems to lead them in a different direction and as they get closer to the truth McIlroy is killed in the line of duty.
It is through that death of her partner that Hatcher is able to find the truth even if her own NYPD do not really want to hear it. With the help of an FBI agent she is able to find the who killed the three connected murders and then finally the murder of the Russian junkie prostitute.
The pace of this thriller will leave you breathless turning each page in the hope that Hatcher will be able to get through this case in one piece. Even after the murder of her partner Hatcher is not afraid to keep moving to find the truth. The writing is crisp and clear Hatcher and her brother Jess are engaging characters as well as all other characters that appear in the book. Alafair Burke’s style of writing is so engaging and it draws you in and there is an intense pleasure in reading her work.
In her first outing of Ellie Hatcher in All Day and A Night, Alafair Burke follows up her introduction to Ellie Thatcher with Dead Connection. Dead Connection is a sleek first rate thriller, which introduces us to engaging characters that helps to make this thriller so compelling. It is easy to see why Dead Connection and Alafair Burke has been lauded and quite rightly so as she delivers a compelling thriller that delivers on the suspense and thriller aspects to deliver an entertaining read.
Detective Ellie Hatcher works out of the NYPD’s Midtown North Precinct dealing with all the general crime in her part of the borough. When her lieutenant tells her that she is going on a temporary to homocide to help a star detective Flan McIlroy who has got a couple of dead females on his hands and no seeming connection to each other than they were both killed with the same bullet. One was a Russian junkie prostitute found dead in the parking lot of a strip club the other a young woman found outside her apartment block.
Then another couple of young females are murdered outside their apartments and the women of Mannhatan are running scareed. Three of the murders seem to be connected through a dating website called FirstDate. Questions keep being thrown up by the investigation which seems to lead them in a different direction and as they get closer to the truth McIlroy is killed in the line of duty.
It is through that death of her partner that Hatcher is able to find the truth even if her own NYPD do not really want to hear it. With the help of an FBI agent she is able to find the who killed the three connected murders and then finally the murder of the Russian junkie prostitute.
The pace of this thriller will leave you breathless turning each page in the hope that Hatcher will be able to get through this case in one piece. Even after the murder of her partner Hatcher is not afraid to keep moving to find the truth. The writing is crisp and clear Hatcher and her brother Jess are engaging characters as well as all other characters that appear in the book. Alafair Burke’s style of writing is so engaging and it draws you in and there is an intense pleasure in reading her work.
June 5, 2010
I haven’t read a good mystery novel in a while and Dead Connection definitely satisfied my hunger for one. It had everything I could ever ask for in a mystery novel. Great characters, check. Suspenseful, check. Fast pace plot, check.
I love the characters in the book and even more than that I love the relationships and interactions they had with one another. The characters were drawn extremely realistically and they were fully fleshed out. Each character carried around their own personal baggage, which made it easy for the readers to relate to. Sure they made some mistakes, but we all do. Despite the serious nature of the book, Burke was able to infused the book with humor through the witty banter between the characters. I really enjoyed the relationships and chemistry between the characters because it felt so natural and real.
Of course every mystery book needs to be suspenseful and unpredictable and this book fit the bill. Every time I thought I had everything figured out, Ellie and Flann would uncover something else and I would just think “well there goes my theory.” The plot was intriguing and it moved at a pretty fast pace so I never felt too bogged down by the details or the investigations.
It’s definitely worth the read if you enjoy mystery/thriller books and I’m looking forward to seeing how the characters develop in the next book.
I love the characters in the book and even more than that I love the relationships and interactions they had with one another. The characters were drawn extremely realistically and they were fully fleshed out. Each character carried around their own personal baggage, which made it easy for the readers to relate to. Sure they made some mistakes, but we all do. Despite the serious nature of the book, Burke was able to infused the book with humor through the witty banter between the characters. I really enjoyed the relationships and chemistry between the characters because it felt so natural and real.
Of course every mystery book needs to be suspenseful and unpredictable and this book fit the bill. Every time I thought I had everything figured out, Ellie and Flann would uncover something else and I would just think “well there goes my theory.” The plot was intriguing and it moved at a pretty fast pace so I never felt too bogged down by the details or the investigations.
It’s definitely worth the read if you enjoy mystery/thriller books and I’m looking forward to seeing how the characters develop in the next book.
January 29, 2010
I "read" this one on audiobook. Both the story and the narrator were fantastic! Lots of twists and turns in this one with a variety of unique characters, each with personal demons (I like that). The mystery revolves around murders that are connected to an online dating service, a hook that internet junkies like myself will enjoy. I'll be back for more Alafair Burke.
August 14, 2019
I will definitely pursue the rest of this series! I found it to be well written, full of the unexpected and I especially enjoyed the strong and unapologetic female lead.
March 11, 2023
Great story! 4.5/5
September 24, 2024
Enjoyed this storyline.
July 27, 2012
Dead Connection was my first read by Alafair Burke. I could not get into the protag, Det. Ellie Hatcher till about mid-way. While the premise was alright the plot pacing was off. It was a slow go till the mid-way point and after that there were parts that went to fast and had too much info dumping. Then towards the end there were pivotal points that should have been addressed but were not till the last few pages and then were pressed into one or two sentences. I hate when that happens. Case in point; Mark Stein, who was a number one suspect for a while, gets a chance to redeem himself in Det. Hatcher's eyes and agrees to help set up a story for the Grand Jury, the FBI plus NYPD by lying his butt off to catch the real serial/cop killer. The scene gets cut off till the explantion at the end of the book that is managed down to one sentence. WTH? So as you can guess its ok to lie your ass off to cover everyone's butt and no one gets caught. Det. Flann McIroy was not much better and acted like a complete ass through most of the book. Ms. Burke needs to work on her characters to make them more sympathetic to the readers. Will delve into book two for the hell of it, but if its more of the same I will have to take a pass on her other books. This is really 2.5 stars.
February 26, 2016
I've read some of the other reviews on this book, and quite frankly, I don't share them. I'm a fan of the genre, but this book seems boilerplate among its contemporaries, and there is nothing exceptional about it. I've seen the other reviews that praise its authenticity, but I found it severely lacking, and there were a few times when I wanted to chuck the book across the room because it veered so far away from reality. For example, why would NYPD put a young, inexperienced cop with no homicide experience to try to hunt down a serial killer? Why would there only be 2 cops working to find the serial killer? The main character is barely memorable. While the author seemingly wanted to create a Kate Burkholder character like Linda Castillo, Ellie Hatcher looks flat in comparison. If you are stuck at an airport, sure, this book will make the time go faster, but I wouldn't go out of my way to read it.
June 26, 2016
We listened to this on the drive to/from Colorado. We were putting the pieces together with Ellie and it was quite a ride. Will definitely read more of the books in this series.
May 3, 2018
This started Ok but just went downhill for me. There was just something missing for me and I could not connect or care for the characters.
April 28, 2018
A fun read, heading to the next Ellie Hatcher...:)
February 24, 2022
This was not Burke’s best and seemed to drag on forever and changing story lines. Difficult to follow.
March 13, 2013
Goodreads Description- When two young women are murdered on the streets of New York, exactly one year apart, Detective Ellie Hatcher is called up for a special assignment on the homicide task force. The killer has left behind a clue connecting the two cases to First Date, a popular online dating service, and Flann McIlroy, an eccentric, publicity-seeking homicide detective, is convinced that only Ellie can help him pursue his terrifying theory: someone is using the lure of the Internet and the promise of love to launch a killing spree against the women of New York City.
To catch the killer, Ellie must enter a high-tech world of stolen identities where no one is who they appear to be. And for her, the investigation quickly becomes personal: she fits the profile of the victims, and she knows firsthand what pursuing a sociopath can do to a cop--back home in Wichita, Kansas, her father lost his life trying to catch a notorious serial murderer.
When the First Date killer begins to mimic the monster who destroyed her father, Ellie knows the game has become personal for him, too. Both hunter and prey, she must find the killer before he claims his next victim--who could very well be her.
Expertly plotted and perfectly paced, Dead Connection advances Alafair Burke to the front ranks of American thriller writers.
I love mysteries and haven't read a really good one in awhile until I came upon Dead Connection and my needs were satisfied in this new author for me. It had everything I could ever ask for in a mystery novel. Great characters. Suspenseful. And for the most part a fast pace plot.
The best part about this book is the characters and, even more than that, I love the relationships and interactions they had with one another. The characters were written extremely realistically and they were fully fleshed out. Each character carried around their own personal baggage, which made it easy for readers to relate to. They made some mistakes and may have crossed some lines, but we all do and in writing the characters as flawed made the book all the more enjoyable and "real". Despite the serious nature of the book, Burke was able to lace the book with humor through the witty banter between the characters. I really enjoyed the relationships and chemistry between the characters, especially Ellie and Flann, because it felt so natural and real.
Burke filled the novel with twists and turns. Every time I thought I had something figured out, some new piece of evidence or information was revealed that had me rethinking my theories. I say this a great deal in reviews that if an author can keep the ending a surprise and do it in a way that captures the readers' attention, then the author had done his or her job when it comes to mysteries. Burke definitely gets an A for this part of her job!
The only reason that I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 was that the end dragged just a little bit, but maybe I am being a bit picky. I would highly recommend this author and her Ellie Hatcher series. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series to see what Ellie will be doing next! 4 stars!
To catch the killer, Ellie must enter a high-tech world of stolen identities where no one is who they appear to be. And for her, the investigation quickly becomes personal: she fits the profile of the victims, and she knows firsthand what pursuing a sociopath can do to a cop--back home in Wichita, Kansas, her father lost his life trying to catch a notorious serial murderer.
When the First Date killer begins to mimic the monster who destroyed her father, Ellie knows the game has become personal for him, too. Both hunter and prey, she must find the killer before he claims his next victim--who could very well be her.
Expertly plotted and perfectly paced, Dead Connection advances Alafair Burke to the front ranks of American thriller writers.
I love mysteries and haven't read a really good one in awhile until I came upon Dead Connection and my needs were satisfied in this new author for me. It had everything I could ever ask for in a mystery novel. Great characters. Suspenseful. And for the most part a fast pace plot.
The best part about this book is the characters and, even more than that, I love the relationships and interactions they had with one another. The characters were written extremely realistically and they were fully fleshed out. Each character carried around their own personal baggage, which made it easy for readers to relate to. They made some mistakes and may have crossed some lines, but we all do and in writing the characters as flawed made the book all the more enjoyable and "real". Despite the serious nature of the book, Burke was able to lace the book with humor through the witty banter between the characters. I really enjoyed the relationships and chemistry between the characters, especially Ellie and Flann, because it felt so natural and real.
Burke filled the novel with twists and turns. Every time I thought I had something figured out, some new piece of evidence or information was revealed that had me rethinking my theories. I say this a great deal in reviews that if an author can keep the ending a surprise and do it in a way that captures the readers' attention, then the author had done his or her job when it comes to mysteries. Burke definitely gets an A for this part of her job!
The only reason that I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 was that the end dragged just a little bit, but maybe I am being a bit picky. I would highly recommend this author and her Ellie Hatcher series. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series to see what Ellie will be doing next! 4 stars!
September 1, 2015
Detective Ellie Hatcher, raised in Kansas, became a police officer because her father had been one. He had been working on a case involving multiple murders when he allegedly committed suicide. Her brother, Jess, moved to New York City and she soon followed, planning on helping him.
When two attractive, single women, around thirty years old, were killed exactly a year apart, the New York Police Department called in Hatcher to help solve the crime even though she had been a detective for only four years and did not serve in the Homocide Unit. When a third victim was murdered a week later, they began to wonder if they were dealing with a serial killer. Clues left with the bodies point them toward FirstDate,com, an internet dating site. Eventually a fourth murder, three years previously, became part of the picture as a bullet from her murder matches that of the one the previous year.
As Hatcher and her senior partner, Detective Flann McIlroy began to work the cases, they discovered that the policemen who investigated the first murder were rather sloppy in their work. Along the way, the FBI became involved, also in a manner that was not particularly helpful.
They soon realized that the perpetrator was playing games with them, inventing clues calculated to mislead them.
The book was well-written and moved at a nice pace. The characters were consistent with their personalities and idiosyncracies. There were several twists to the story though they should have been able to figure out murderer earlier than they did, though that would have lessened the plot.
It also provided information explaining how identity theft often works.
When two attractive, single women, around thirty years old, were killed exactly a year apart, the New York Police Department called in Hatcher to help solve the crime even though she had been a detective for only four years and did not serve in the Homocide Unit. When a third victim was murdered a week later, they began to wonder if they were dealing with a serial killer. Clues left with the bodies point them toward FirstDate,com, an internet dating site. Eventually a fourth murder, three years previously, became part of the picture as a bullet from her murder matches that of the one the previous year.
As Hatcher and her senior partner, Detective Flann McIlroy began to work the cases, they discovered that the policemen who investigated the first murder were rather sloppy in their work. Along the way, the FBI became involved, also in a manner that was not particularly helpful.
They soon realized that the perpetrator was playing games with them, inventing clues calculated to mislead them.
The book was well-written and moved at a nice pace. The characters were consistent with their personalities and idiosyncracies. There were several twists to the story though they should have been able to figure out murderer earlier than they did, though that would have lessened the plot.
It also provided information explaining how identity theft often works.
February 28, 2022
4.5 stars
I recently read Find Me, the 6th book in this series, without knowing it was a series. Though missing the backstory and slightly confused by all of the characters, I enjoyed the smart and intriguing plot-line, as well as the lead characters, and knew I wanted to go back to the beginning.
Dead Connection is the first in this detective series and I thoroughly enjoyed this well-plotted, interesting mystery. It’s a layered and just complex enough to keep the reader believing and invested, without seeming convoluted. It features a strong, intelligent, really likable female detective and the supporting characters are equally entertaining. I enjoy series that have an over-arching plot in addition to the current crime at hand, and this series does just that.
Dead Connection is a fun, fast-paced read and I look forward to the next in the series.
I recently read Find Me, the 6th book in this series, without knowing it was a series. Though missing the backstory and slightly confused by all of the characters, I enjoyed the smart and intriguing plot-line, as well as the lead characters, and knew I wanted to go back to the beginning.
Dead Connection is the first in this detective series and I thoroughly enjoyed this well-plotted, interesting mystery. It’s a layered and just complex enough to keep the reader believing and invested, without seeming convoluted. It features a strong, intelligent, really likable female detective and the supporting characters are equally entertaining. I enjoy series that have an over-arching plot in addition to the current crime at hand, and this series does just that.
Dead Connection is a fun, fast-paced read and I look forward to the next in the series.
November 16, 2013
A new series here, Ellie Hatcher is a rookie detective called to help on a homicide, but not for her skills so much as her history. She was highlighted in the news a fews years back as she demanded that her father's death be looked into more closely, it was ruled a suicide and she felt it was murder. Now she gets caught up w/ Russian gangsters & an evil man who will kill to serve his own ends.
June 24, 2008
This was my first Alafair Burke book, although technically the Samantha Kincaid series was written before this Ellie Hatcher debut. Vastly enjoyed the writing style and intricate mystery. Loved Ellie and can't wait for more in this series!!
February 18, 2018
The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.....
I sure am glad James Lee Burke is her Dad. Alafair Burke is now one of my favorites!
I sure am glad James Lee Burke is her Dad. Alafair Burke is now one of my favorites!
February 19, 2023
7/10. I enjoyed The Wife, The Better Sister and The Ex more than this one. This is a police procedural, and I come to Alafair Burke for courtroom drama and twisted family dynamics. I enjoyed it, nonetheless. It's a bit hard to follow at times, there are a lot of moving pieces, but Ellie Hatcher is a very likeable main character. I'll be reading more of this series.
June 27, 2017
An enjoyable story line mixing technology and crime. I think my first Ellie Hatcher book. Hopefully not my last.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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