Jim Overturf

After recording a series of cassette tapes confessing that he knows about something illegal and wants to expose it, James Monroe Taeggardt tells his late wife that he will soon be joining her.
Meanwhile, PI Alisa Sharp has been assigned to locate Charles Allen Samuelson who, under state law, may be the main beneficiary of his late mothers’ estate despite her wishes because of the state laws regarding inheritance.
. Taeggardt dies and the police rule it a homicide. His daughter doesn’t believe that and hires Terry Grossman. Alisa’s boss, to work on the case. This is the main story: Discovering all the details of Taeggardt’s death.
One subplot is about stock car racing. Afficionados and others who would like to learn about the sport will find some interest in this but it is extraneous to the main plot. “Moonshine was a key ingredient in the founding of the SRVSCRA (Swift River Valley Stock Car Racing Association) because the moonshiners needed fast cars to outrun the local police and the federal revenuers.”
Since much Alisa’s work is based on the Taeggardt tapes, the title of the book, DEAD MAN TALKING, is excellent. There is a good story here, but, unfortunately, it is buried under a lot of side subplots, unresolved issues, unnecessary detail, repetition, and lack of logic.
Interesting quote: “The best things in life may be free, but I think the next best things in life are worth every penny.”… (mehr)