Cause of Death by Jeffrey Deaver is an interesting story about Jon, an asper-esque history professor. He examines the past by studying the known facts and is able to speculate about the unknowns. Following the death of his wife, Pax, he finds himself doing both. She was on her way home from a volunteer gig when she veered off the road and plummeted down a mountain and died. The police rule it an accident but a deer in the road, a blown tire and a broken neck only lead to more questions for Jon. Soon he finds himself uncovering a trail of too many unknowns. After several years together, he suspects that he is finally getting to know the real Pax. While I enjoyed the book, it was somewhat long-winded and plodding throughout. I'm guessing all those details are what have made this author's books such great screenplays, though.

One of the biggest problems with short stories is that there is never enough time to really develop the characters and I really felt that with this one. Deaver is obviously a popular author and skilled at writing in the crime genre, but, despite the fact that he masterfully develops a story where the reader does not know if the MC is the murderer or not, because I had no feelings for him, I did not care.

My lack of attachment, plus the fact that the story veers into the unreal at the end, diminished it for me and I can only say I liked it but did not love it. Worth reading but I probably will not remember it.

Good story. Deaver's novella/short stories are quick fun reads. as all of his full length novels the stories are great

I really enjoyed this short novel centered around Jon Talbot , a History professor following the death of his wife. While there was nothing suspicious about the facts, the what-ifs lead him down a path of investigation, using his history background to piece together the truth.

Full of secrets, twists and turns and learning about the secret past of a partner - I loved it and it was a great one night read. A good book full of detail, without the commitment of a full novel.

I started this book thinking that I would read a little and then put the book down. I DID put the book down.... when I read the final word! I was intrigued from the very beginning.

Unlike many "I need a break" books that I read, this book had twists and turns that I didn't expect. Written in first person, it becomes easy to root for Jon and to hope that his wife's death is really just the accident that it seems to be from the beginning. The deeper the search, the more unexpected twists are uncovered. Patience isn't the wife Jon thought she was with the career that she purported to have. And her death WASN'T the car accident that everyone thought it was.

Pros: fast, engaging read. Jon is the proverbial squeaky wheel, except for his playing right into the hands of those who know more than they are willing (or able) to let on.

Cons: If someone you know has died in a car accident, you might have some unpleasant emotions surface. Jeffery Deaver doesn't go into graphic detail, but he does go into some detail. Death is never a fun topic of discussion.

Overall: I give this 4.5 stars. I mean.. I couldn't put the book down. Even tired, I wanted to keep reading. And the twist at the end? I absolutely did NOT see that coming.

If mystery and mild suspense are your favorite genre, you won't be disappointed.

This novella, available July 29, 2021, was Read Now on Netgalley so thank you to them and to the publisher, Amazon Original Stories. This was an okay story but, although the beginning piqued my interest, the overall theme isn't one I'd normally gravitate to and so I didn't enjoy it as much as some readers. The reveals at the end of the book seemed a bit implausible to me but, as I said, this isn't my usual type of read and I'm no expert.

Cause of Death will keep you reading as the clues lead you on a twisted path to find the truth. The characters are deverse and You'll try to figure out what is behind their words.

I DNF'd this book. I did not enjoy the authors writing style. The writing was not as descriptive as I am used to and seemed like the sentences were short and simple. Did not seem like the books I love reading.

When his wife Pax is killed in a car accident Jon isn't convinced that everything is as it appears. A mysterious stranger shows up at her funeral and is seen at various places. There are things that are questionable about the wreck scene and Pax herself has left some clues. Unable to process the emotions he is feeling Jon seeks the help of the police to unravel what has become a troubling mystery. Instead, he becomes the suspect. I am a fan of mysteries and Jeffery Deaver, this to me is one of his best. The story flows well, the characters are interesting and the mystery is finally solved in a surprise ending. I just wish he had made it a full-length book. Thanks to #CauseofDeath#NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this story.

A history professor calls himself a detective while studying the past. His wife dies. Detective work at hand!

A wonderful Deaver short story, with his typical twists. The historian writes “Facts are written in wet rope.....” so that we can see how the past truly unfurled.

Thanks to Netgalley!

A delightful little tale from the master that is Jeffery Deaver.
A husband finds out that his wife has died in a road accident, but all does not seem to be as first impressions led you to believe.
A classic whodunnit with twists and turns that keep you guessing right up to the end.
Characters are well developed and described and the writing is very readable.
Recommended to all thriller fans.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley in allowing me read in return for a review.

Cause of Death is great short story by Deaver, one i throughly enjoyed.
Cause of Death by Jeffrey Deaver

History professor Jon Talbot's wife Patience is killed in an automobile accident. When he discovers that her phone and computer are missing from her personal effects, he goes to the scene with a police friend and more things don't add up. So he starts his own investigation, which leads him to question who Patoence really was.

This was quick, enjoyable read. Deaver excels at building suspense and a good mystery in such a short amount of pages. I enjoyed the fact that Jon shared his logic in how he investigates his wife's death. A solid short story that you can tackle in a little over an hour!

Thank you to Amazon Original Stories, Jeffery Deaver, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this short story in exchange for my honest review.

Jon Talbot is devastated by the death of his wife in a senseless car accident but then things aren't adding up. As a history professor he makes sense of things by following facts to solve the past so when facts start to lead him to a different conclusion about the accident he decides to go after the leads. What he finds leaves him questioning everything he thought he knew about his wife and the mysterious man who showed up at her funeral.
A intense page turner that keeps you guessing until the end. The author is talented in making you think you have the answer, when in fact you are only guessing.

The only thing wrong with this is its length. This is a terrific exploration of the secret life of a lost loved one, showing that we never really know someone. I was immediately taken with the main character, showing that Deaver does not require many words to make a character instantly relatable to the reader. Fabulous twists as the plot advanced and a satisfyingly tidy ending make this a great read.

As we all know by now author Jeffrey Deaver is the master of twists and turns, and this one is no different! As always his story starts off as rather simple until it starts growing its roots in the middle, all leading up to an reveal filled explosive finale. While I found this one too as engaging as his other works, both long and short, I wasn't exactly a fan of the climax here..nevertheless this is engaging read and would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a short thrill ride.

I love Jeffery Deavers Lincoln Rhyme series so I figured I'd like this novella. It was obviously a quick read but within those 77 paged it was packed with twists and turns and interesting characters! I cannot ask for more especially in a novella. I would definitely recommend!

When Jon Talbot's wife dies in a tragic accident, he doesn't seem all that upset or grief-stricken. But he is curious, as some things found at the scene of Patience's car crash as well as her missing phone and laptop, just don't add up to Jon. As he starts digging into his wife's life, it starts to look like she was murdered, but why and by whom. Did Jon ever really know her at all?
This short story might be only 77 pages, but the author manages to insert quite a few red herrings and twists. There is more to Jon than I first thought, and the mystery surrounding Patience, well, you will want to read this to find out the whole story.

Cause of Death is an Amazon Original Story by Jeffery Deaver.

"Jon Talbot is a History Professor whose wife was recently killed in a car accident. After the funeral, Jon starts looking into discrepancies about the accident and soon learns that his wife was keeping secrets. When his search brings him to the end of a dirt road he finds himself on the wrong end of a gun... "

Deaver has long been a master at misdirection. You wonder if there's something to the Professor's suspicions - did he do it? What's really going on? Are the other deaths related?

And when Deaver gives you the twist there's a big "What?" Lots of surprises at the end.

I like this story form - longer than a short story but shorter than a novella. It's gives an author plenty of space to tell the story they want and Deaver takes full advantage.

I love Jeffery Deaver. The Lincoln Rhyme series is one of my favorites along with many of the author's stand alone books. I enjoyed the short story, although I found most of it unbelievable. There was so much thrown into it. My favorite part had to be Kitten. Who doesn't love a junkyard Chihuahua who loves kitty chow???!!! It was a good short story. I enjoyed Jon trying to solve the truth behind his wife's death. When does a historian become the best detective? As soon as he sees the scene of the crash he instantly knows what must have happened. When everything was finally revealed, it definitely wasn't what I expected. Not sure how I feel about the ending and the truth about Pax. I would have given the book four stars and then I got to the part where Jon follows a car down a wooded lane and meets Cyrus, Zeke and Mike.

Definitely recommend the book. Overall it was a good mystery/thriller and kept me guessing until the end. Loved the writing style. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Amazon Original Stories through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.