A review by shelleyrae
Inherit the Dead by Lisa Unger, C.J. Box, Lee Child

3.0

In 2011 I read and enjoyed [b:No Rest for the Dead|9413879|No Rest for the Dead|Andrew Gulli|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348675735s/9413879.jpg|14297989], a novel written by the collaboration of twenty popular crime fiction writers. This year, the same format is presented in Inherit The Dead, combining the talents of authors such as Lisa Unger, Val McDermid, Jonathan Santlofer and Lawrence Block.

This noir detective tale has disgraced ex NYPD homicide detective turned private investigator, Perry Christo, searching for a missing heiress, at the request of her mother. Julia Drusilla claims she is dying and wishes to make peace with her daughter before the inevitable by ensuring Angelina inherits the millions bequeathed to her that must be claimed on the day of her twenty first birthday.

Unsurprisingly the case is not that simple and as Perry traces the whereabouts of the rare beauty that is Angelina he grows increasingly concerned for her safety. He is certain Julia isn't being completely honest with him and Angelina's stoner father doesn't seem overly concerned about his daughter's absence, her 'best friend' deflects Perry's questions by trying to seduce him and the men Angelina are sleeping with, a mechanic and a married senator, aren't anxious to share what they know. It's up to Perry to find out if Angelina has simply run away or if she is running scared.

The plot isn't complicated, there is hardly any action and the pace was a little slow - Perry does a lot of driving while either lamenting his divorce and custody issues or fantasising about Angelina. But there is a satisfying, sharp twist to be found at the end, where the villains don't go unpunished thanks to Perry's dogged determination and sense of justice.

It is obvious that each author has made a concerted effort to make the transition between chapters as smooth as possible though Inherit the Dead is not entirely seamless. There are elements of repetitiveness in individual contributions that should have been edited out. The character of Perry also changes in subtle ways, though for the most part the shifts are negligible since he is never very much more than a stereotype.

Overall I thought Inherit the Dead was a fairly ordinary effort and feel the collaboration could have, and should have been stronger, but it is a quick and easy read, and published for a good cause - to raise awareness of, and funds for, Safe Horizon (SafeHorizon.org)