I did not purchase this for my school library and apologize that I have not yet sent feedback. I appreciate that you allowed me the opportunity to read and review this book even though it wasn't a good fit for my student readers. Thank you.

Sorry as it was book 3 in the series I could not get into this book. I wish series were not put on here out of order. Sorry to say I gave up.

Thanks netgalley for another interesting read. Jays life is sort of depressing, boring A last minute auction on Thanksgiving day will change everything for him. He is contacted requesting his help in finding a boy. After the offer is turned down His boss is almost killed, his work place is broken into, inventory stolen he is beaten.
What's the connection. What will he do?

A wonderful dark thriller by Joe Clifford. Fans will find his writing only gets better with each book. This is a five star must read. Highly recommend.

brutal and emotional. great characters and a great setting. totally enjoyed this book by a great author

I didn't realize this was a series so I will not be reading. Thank you for the opportunity.

Enjoyed the story although I was surprised that I did not warm to the main character. Good read.

Compelling, dark mystery. Jay Porter is a study in complex personalities and for that, Joe Clifford creates a raw, real protagonist that you will be drawn to and keep you asking for more.

GIVE UP THE DEAD by Joe Clifford is the 3rd book in the "Jay Porter Series", and the first book that I've read by this author.

Jay Porter lives in a one room apartment as a divorced father who makes a living working for his friend Tom, somewhat of a father-figure that has a business buying and selling furniture collections to be sold as antiques.

Tom plans on eventually selling the business to Jay when he retires, but the 40K required for Jay to buy the business seems out of reach, and Tom's major competition is chomping at the bit to take the business over.

A well dressed and mysterious man named Vin shows up at Jay's door one evening in an attempt to get him to look into the disappearance of the son of a rich and powerful man named Crowder.
Sensing that there is much more involved than what he's been told, he still decides to take on the case to come up with the capital needed to buy the antique business.

Joe Clifford does a great job of presenting Jay as a smart and street-wise albeit cynical individual well suited to persevere in the face of danger, who's not afraid to dig deep into the lives of the rich and famous; as he despises what the privileged can get away with in legal matters.

Possibly suffering the effects of PTS from what he's experienced as a result of the loss of his brother, and having previously squared off with a rich family protected by crooked cops, he's left physically and mentally damaged with a dim outlook on life; yet still has the support of his two closest friends, even though he treats them shabbily.

I found this book very enjoyable in spite of the bleak picture painted of Jay's life at this point, as the author shows traces of hope in him as he meets a woman involved in the case that awakens long lost feelings of interest, while he searches deeply within himself to evaluate his dealings with those closest to him.

As much as this book succeeds on the story involving the investigation, it provides a look into the life of a man who's almost lost hope; yet might be able to recover from loss enough to see the potential for the possibility of love and happiness to be found in the future.

4 stars.

Give Up The Dead 💀 is a hard nasty taste of country blues. Jay Porter, the lead character, is perhaps no one's idea of a pulp hero. He is manifestly despondent over his failed marriage, his wife's new marriage, his lack of career prospects, his bachelor life in a sad little apartment, his drug addicted brother's death, his parents' demise, and more. His sad lot is defined by the location - a cold snowy winter in rural New Hampshire in the shadow of Lamentation Mountain. And yet it's an incredibly compelling read, most likely because of the narrative voice that comes at you just like a fella talking to you.

There are a lot of issues that stew about here from addiction to seduction to murder and the abuse of power. It ends up being a murder mystery, but the story is really about an ordinary guy struggling all alone against the tide of despair as those around him succumb to it.

This apparently is the third book in the trilogy, but can easily be read as a standalone novel. It's a really good book that I found really captivating but I am not sure if it will have wide appeal.

Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy of this amazing novel.

This was kind of difficult to rate. It got off to a great start but a little over half way it sort of goes off the rails for me. The parts about the brother becomes so repetitious that it's annoying. The closer that I got to the end, the harder it was to pick up this book to continue reading. Not my cup of tea. Two and a half stars.

Give Up the Dead by Joe Clifford is the third book in the Jay Porter Series, although the first one I have read.

Jay is pulled unwillingly from the sidelines into investigating the case of a missing teenaged boy. A stranger appears asking Jay to find the boy for his employer for a large sum of money; Jay turns it down, and the next day, his own boss is found beaten near to death with all clues pointing to Jay. In order to clear his name, he finds he must find the lost boy. The more he investigates, the closer the two story lines come together.

This is a slow-paced book. Not a lot of action or excitement. Told through Jay's jaded point of view, I found myself reminded of Joe Friday in Dragnet. Just the facts, ma'am, just the facts. A rather dark look at a loner, though lonely man.

That being said, the book is well written and held my interest. A good read.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Oceanview Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Review: GIVE UP THE DEAD by Joe Clifford

May this series never end! I've read these three novels in immediate sequence, so I'm quite aware of character evolution in this series, particularly that of admirable protagonist Jay Porter, but also of several other ongoing secondaries. Each novel in the series brings Jay face to face with death and near-death, in trouble with the law and out-of-town bad guys, steadfast but stumbling. But I think it is in GIVE UP THE DEAD that Jay really sees into the mirror of self. Certainly enough individuals call him out on his perspectives and foibles. Jay, who is actually quite an intelligent guy, always thinks, but now he is thinking more effectively--at last.

Different kind of read, but enjoyable.. Nice interaction between characters..

Give up the Dead by Joe Clifford

4 stars

In the shadow of Lamentation Mountain

Jay Porter returns in the third story of this series and remains a sympathetic character despite his many flaws. Since the death of his parents in a road accident he has tried and failed to look after his junkie brother Chris who died at the end of the first book. He is now facing life separated from his wife and his much-loved son Aiden who is being brought up by another man. His best friend Charlie has lost his way and drinks to excess, to the extent that his health is in real danger. Despite all of this Jay seems to drift through life employed by Tom Gable in his estate clearing business. He has the opportunity to buy the business but lacks the drive to raise the necessary funds.

However, Jay has a good heart and a conscience and is prepared to stand up for those in trouble. He is not prepared, however, for the consequences of a visit from a strange man calling himself Buscogli who asks Jay to try to find a sixteen-year-old boy who has been spirited away from his father. Jay initially refuses, but then his employer Tom is beaten up and left for dead and suspicion falls on Jay. As he tries to clear his name it becomes clear that the missing boy and the attack on Tom are connected.

Jay Porter isn't the brightest star in the galaxy, but he is straightforward and never shies away from difficult situations. Despite never coming out on top, he is a fighter and none more so than when he comes across injustice.

I have enjoyed all three books and each has proved to be well written and well-paced. The suspense is managed artfully and the characters are convincing.

A good old-fashioned crime thriller with a typical flawed hero, but none the worse for that.

Pashtpaws


Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of this book to review.

This is the third book in a series but the first I have read. The author does an excellent job with a great storyline and interesting characters. The main character, Jay Porter, is damaged, bleak, a very dark person who fights many battles within himself. This book was easy to read as a stand alone, the discussions seem real, with hard hitting language and realistic scenes. A boy is 'missing', Jay now works as in the estate/antique sale business, a man comes to him asking he take the job finding this young man. Jay refuses, but immediately everything becomes strange, as his boss is found beat up the next morning and all signs point the police to Jay. Many twist and turns, the story kept me interested through the ending. I received a copy of this from Netgalley and would like to thank them as I provide my unbiased review.

This is one of those gritty, atmospheric books, where the setting is a vital part of the story. In fact, the setting was probably my favorite aspect. The story takes place in a small mountain community in New Hampshire, right at the start of winter. The author perfectly captures the New England feel with both the area and the characters.

I immediately connected with Jay Porter, a man who has been kicked around one too many times and is struggling to get back on his feet. I felt the edge of depression creeping in for him. But, as the story progressed, Jay began getting on my nerves. He wallows in self-pity, which he often turns into anger, and he refuses to let go of the past. And, to make matters worse, he's a taker, happy to recruit his friends for help while treating them like crap. The book is written in first person, from Jay's perspective, so all the brooding and disrespect made it difficult for me to stick with him.

Addiction and recovery are at the forefront of the plot. I felt the sinking despair of the characters lost to addiction, and the struggle toward and with recovery for others.

The case Jay Porter investigates is interesting, if not a little convoluted. We go along as he unravels the details, and there are some good twists. My one problem here came with the cops' involvement (or lack thereof). We only really see one cop doing anything, and that's Jay's nemesis from a previous book. The cop comes off as completely inept. I found myself wondering how he managed to do his job without Jay steering him in the right direction. I also wondered where the other cops were and why certain events weren't being investigated with more concern.

Joe Clifford is certainly a gifted author and I enjoyed his writing style. Unfortunately, I'm not sure I liked Jay Porter enough to spend more time with him.

This is the first Jay Porter book I've read, and it works well as a stand-alone.

This book just didn't grab me. I read about 25% of it and decided there are other books I'd rather read.

A real page turner. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A very well written story. I'll definitely be reading Joe's other books

Good story line but a bit slow in places, overall though I would recommend this book and will read the other books so thank you!