Cover Image: Over My Dead Body

Over My Dead Body

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Chief Inspector William Warwick is a young DCI. Warwick and his wife are aboard a luxury cruise liner when he is asked to investigate a suspicious death. A new unsolved murders unit is set up in London and William is chosen as it’s leader. That leaves the death on the cruise liner and four cold cases to solve. True to Archer’s form, he does a magnificent job of developing numerous character studies in chapter after chapter. There are so many mysteries that you must pay close attention to who is doing what, to whom, and only guess at what is coming next. Archer is one of the best at delivering the unsuspecting at just the right time.

Was this review helpful?

I’m definitely in the minority with my 2 star rating but this story fell flat for me and I could not connect with any of the characters. DNF at 30%. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my review.

Was this review helpful?

This is the third book of the William Warwick series written by Jeffery Archer that chronicles Warwick's rise at Scotland Yard and his battles with an old adversary who keeps slipping through his fingers along with some new characters as his team is now assigned to investigate unsolved murders.  It is a fast read with lots of twists and turns as Warwick matches wits with his adversaries. I look forward to the next in the series.

Was this review helpful?

I wanted desperately to like this book - with murder, theft, revenge and overall mystery, how could you not?

My biggest critique is there is so much going on with so many characters all the time. I couldn’t get into this book because I couldn’t get who anyone was straight.

Also plot points got thrown in for what seemed like just the sake of adding complexity - like a former prostitute who gets pregnant.

I found that even after just putting the book down for 5 minutes I forgot entirely what the plot was going on about and I had to reread sections just to keep details straight.

All in all, this wasn’t for me.

Was this review helpful?

As a big fan of Jeffrey Archer's books since the 70s, I was delighted to be able to read an advance copy of the latest installment of his William Warwick series. I had previously read and enjoyed the earlier books in the series. There were multiple exciting subplots in this book, and some of the emphasis by the end was on another detective, Ross Hogan. I'm wondering if he will get his own series, as he's an interesting character. My only criticism of the book is Archer's typical cliffhanger ending. I wish each book would wrap up the events and stand on its own. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and I look forward to the next installment. I highly recommend this book, encouraging other readers to read the books in order for maximum appreciation.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you Harper 360, HarperCollins, NetGalley and Author for this readers ebook copy in return for an honest review!

Over My Dead Body by Archer is such a well written crime novel in the Detective William Warwick Series making it a very entertaining light read. Jeffrey has a brilliant way of constructing his characters and narratives.
A fast-paced and captivating read from start to finish. Gripping storylines, cliff-hangers at the end of every chapter and even more twists and turns!

Thanks again NetGalley, Publisher and Author for the chance to read and review this amazing book!
I'll post to my Social media platforms closer to pub date!

Was this review helpful?

Over My Dead Body is a mystery involving murder, family, and theft of valuable art. The book starts out on a cruise ship with a detective beginning a holiday. While on the holiday it is revealed that he is actually the recipient of this and many of his delectable events on the holiday because a friend of his wife could not attend them herself. Who is this friend and what is her relationship to the missing art? Is there a reason she wants the detective and his wife on this holiday journey? A murder occurs on board the ship and the plot twists begin to intertwine around the mysteries. This is an enjoyable story for fans of the era and lovers of detective novels. Thanks to #OverMyDeadBody#NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. .

Was this review helpful?

Having enjoyed so many Jeffrey Archer novels over the years, I looked forward to getting in touch with his famous characters once again. The novel starts with William on a cruise ship with his wife to New York, but quickly turns into a family feud involving the ship's owners. This subplot has nothing to do with the rest of the book and is quickly forgotten as it is a rather boring opening. But soon we get into the fraud of stolen paintings and counterfeits and the novel is more interesting. The marriage of one of the investigators to a prostitute seemed weird.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

Was this review helpful?

Archer has written another great book. I enjoyed the plot and was pleasantly surprised throughout the book.

Was this review helpful?

When I read any book that I'm planning to review, I jot on a 3 x 5 lined pad notes of important characters and events to refresh my memory when I've finished. Well, for this book I ended up with nine pages - far exceeding my usual three or four. That should tell you that if you read this one, you'll need to pay close attention because there are a ton of characters and subplots that switch at the drop of a paragraph. That said, I found it to be quite enjoyable, and it stands alone well despite being the fourth in a series (coming from one who didn't read the first three).

The London Metro Police's Unsolved Murders Unit includes several top-notch investigators such as Detective William Warwick - basically the star of the series - and the more offbeat Ross Hogan, who recently was pulled in to help after some years as an undercover agent. They've got no shortage of cases, though at the top of the list is tracking down Miles Faulkner, a millionaire art collected who's gone afoul of the law. Problem is, he turned up dead a couple of months earlier, as attested to by officers who attended his funeral. Warwick, though, is convinced the death was faked - aided and abetted by his long-time and super-loyal attorney, Booth Watson. To help, Warwick turns to his museum-employed wife, Beth, who's an air-kissing friend of Faulkner's greedy ex-wife, Christina.

While the Warwicks are on a vacation cruise, the detective meets the grandson of a family business dynasty. The young kid hopes to emulate William and go into law enforcement, so they do a bit of bonding - especially after the iron-fisted grandfather turns up dead. Back in the office, other members of the team are trying to bring down a loan shark who doesn't take it lightly when borrowers can't pay up and a husband who may be trying to add his new wife to the list of former wives the team think he also murdered.

Each of these scenarios brings its own set of characters and locales and transition among them all isn't always clear (thus underscoring the caution I made earlier about the need to pay close attention). But the tension - and the team's moving their investigations along to a successful end - kept me reading and, I must say, warming up to Warwick and Hogan (emphasis on the latter) to the point of looking forward to their next adventure. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for introducing me to this series by way of a pre-release review copy. Well done!

Was this review helpful?

Jeffrey Archer has once again written a proto-typical William Warwick novel, occupied primarily with Inspector Warwick's favorite criminal and his attorney, Miles Faulkner and Booth Watson.
Once again, rare art works and their movements and shifting ownership are at the heart of this novel. Inspector Warwick and his boss, the Hawk, and his colleagues in Scotland Yard travel from England, to the U.S., and to Spain, primarily in pursuit of the elusive Mr. Watson, who despite his great wealth and art collection never has enough to satisfy his venal needs.
I have read every Jeffrey Archer novel and short stories and I intend to read any and all that come in the future. They are entertaining, educational, both funny and sad, and the characters are captivating and cunning.
Thanks also Mr. Archer for all you have taught us about wines, fine dining and masterpieces of the art world, as well as the British sense of humor.

Was this review helpful?

Jeffrey Archer is a master story teller he grabs the reader on page one and never lets go until the pulse pounding finale. In this book he is on his game doing what he does best. When you read it, time is suspended and you want to do nothing but read. It is that gripping.
There are several stories and many nefarious characters and they all get their comeuppance in various ways that are unique and most inventive.
I have not read the others in this series but I had no trouble keeping up with the characters in this one and what characters they are. The reader is never sure which side some of them are on and they are well described and come alive.
I heartily recommend this book.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Over My Dead Body.

I didn't realize this was the fourth book in a series, though I didn't have much trouble keeping up with the present circumstances of Warwick and his team of police officers.

My issue was the writing style and tone; it was overly wordy, full of filler and superfluous characters, and much longer than it had to be.

The beginning where Warwick faces off with a teenage J. Edgar Hoover wannabe on a cruise ship was full of 'witty repartee' or so the author hoped it sounded like.

Instead, I found it tedious, contrived and headache-inducing.

There were plenty of subplots as the team of police officers scramble to resolve cold cases as Warwick attempts to locate and re-arrest his Moriarty-like nemesis, Miles Faulkner.

But, the most ridiculous sub-plots included one of the cops falling in love with a sex worker; they end up getting married because she's pregnant. It was so corny and ridiculous I laughed out loud.

What is this; the old timey fun timey version of Pretty Woman?

Fans of the author's previous works may enjoy this, but this wasn't for me.

Was this review helpful?

If you like Archer, you will definitely like this one. Well-grounded detective, manipulative thief, plenty of suspense and a solid cast of characters.

Was this review helpful?

William Warwick is back as Scotland Yard’s rising star, and he and his crew have several cases to solve. After an opening case which takes place on a trans-Atlantic cruise, he returns home to focus on returning an old nemesis to his jail cell.. Lots of sub-plots keep the action fresh.

Was this review helpful?

2.5 stars
The first section had the "too clever" vibe that annoyed me. I was interested in James, but the dialogue became too repetitive with Warwick being a little too superior and the conclusion to the shipboard mystery bothered me.

Then the novel shift to an overarching story from the previous novel which I had not read, but there was enough information about the plot to work well. DCI Warwick (choirboy) relinquishes the starring role to DI Ross Hogan, who actually deserves even more time as the more interesting character. The writing feels a little dated and not because of the novel's setting in the 1970's.

Maybe I expected more from this one, and there were parts I enjoyed. I don't regret reading it, but have no interest in the previous books in the series.

Was this review helpful?

This is a fast, easy read, perfect for a long airplane trip or the beach. The characters are likable, if not especially deeply drawn, and the story--basically the hunt for a notorious and elusive art criminal combined with a murder aboard a luxury line and attempts to solve various cold cases--is told with Mr. Archer's usual dry wit and penchant for coincidence. Apparently, this is the fourth in a series. I had not read the previous three and so occasionally struggled a bit getting my bearings, but was able to catch up quickly. While I thought some parts contrived, and others a bit treacly, on the whole, I thought it fun for those looking for light entertainment. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

My thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for an independent review.

Was this review helpful?

I read the 1st book in the series but not the 2nd and 3rd. I like Jeffrey Archer and decided to read this book when I saw it available on NetGalley. Unfortunately I did not especially like it. However, that may be because the book does not necessarily stand well on its own, which may be the intention. The author did provide some background information that probably covered events contained in the 2 books I missed. Some of the characters probably came from those 2 books but did not have much of a role in this one. Some of them seemed rather superfluous. Authors who write series like to allow fans to "check in" on the lives of the previous characters. If you do not read all of the books and care about the characters, they become clutter. I think that happened in this novel. Regardless, the plot was okay; nothing great. It started out better than it actually became. In fairness, I am giving it the benefit of the doubt with 3 stars. Someone who read all of the books in the series may enjoy this installment more than I did. I may go back and read the other 2 books that I skipped.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance reading copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Help! I cant review He Gets that from Me and I would like to. My ARC download is completely run on. No spaces, no punctuation, just a few line breaks. The premise of the story sounds intriguing and I am glad so many other readers have given positive reviews.

Was this review helpful?

This book you will not be able to put down - I read it in 2 days!!! William Warwick, Ross Hogan and all the Met crew team up yet again to try and catch the illusive Miles Faulkner. However, Archer does his magic again by weaving in other cases for the crew to solve. Excellent book!

Was this review helpful?