Death Benefits

By: Thomas Perry

Narrated by: Michael Kramer

Length: 13 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

A careful, methodical young data analyst for a California insurance company, John Walker knows when people will marry, at what age they will most likely have children, and when they will die. All signs point to a long successful career---until Max Stillman, a gruff security consultant, appears without warning at the office. It seems a colleague with whom Walker once had an affair has disappeared after paying a very large death benefit to an impostor. Stillman wants to find and convict her; Walker is convinced the woman is innocent. Now Walker teams up with Stillman on an urgent north-by-northeast race---relentlessly leading to a pay-off that just might shock the life out of him.

©2008 Thomas Perry (P)2009 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Compelling...A labyrinthine tale of murder [and] conspiracy." ( People)

The Butcher's Boy this is not!!

Would you try another book from Thomas Perry and/or Michael Kramer?

Kramer is excellent. The fact that he performs this was one of my reasons for purchase. My only exposure to Perry is with The Butcher's Boy trilogy, all three of which I could not tear myself away. Death Benefits is another story indeed. Pedestrian, predictable and boring. I will try other Perry works, but will not expect The Butcher's Boy in any others of his. I am thinking that The Butcher's Boy trilogy is his finest work.

What does Michael Kramer bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Michael Kramer is an accomplished performer and brings a professional rich voice and a full range of expression to the table.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No

The end was ok

Painfully slow until the last hour or so then couldn’t put it down. I almost abandoned this book a dozen times but finally made it through

Riveting! Very good read!

Very good adult detective story.

Good character development, plenty of twists and surprises.

Reader, Michael Kramer, fantastic!

Fantastic. Cool theme, good execution of story.

Not cheesy, and a new theme at least for me. Good mix of logical investigation and mostly-realistic excitement.

Great book

Audiobook so enjoyable I listened to it again immediately after I finished the first time.

Interesting

A little too intricate at times. Walker often seems a little misplaced in his role; it seems his actuarial background could have been factored in a little more.
Overall it’s interesting in kind of a strange way.

Not Mr. Perry's finest hour, but a terrific ending

Mr. Perry has spoiled me. I now expect every book of his to be funny and thrilling, both of these to wonderful extremes. This book is not his best. Just the fact that he is trying to make the lives of two insurance investigators interesting shows you how high he has set the bar for himself. John Walker, who is, I guess, the protagonist, is an insurance company desk jockey. He is just not all that interesting. Max Stillman, a free-lance insurance "security consultant" (read: fraud investigator) is more quirky. The female character, "Serena," is simply improbable. Our heroes go out to investigate a $12 million insurance fraud, and madness ensues. The book lacks Mr. Perry's usual sense of humor, and the suspense doesn't work until the last five or six chapters, which then kick up the pace to frantic. The conclusion is a little confusing, but the chase is a lot of fun, particularly at the point where the three of them hide in a church belfry, with the entire town of Coulter underneath them. The plot sags quite a bit in the middle. I missed Mr. Perry's unique sense of humor. If I were you I would try any of the Butcher's Boy novels, and then read Metzger's Dog, which is truly masterful. I think it was on some "100 Best" list, and it would be even higher on my list, if I had one. Mr. Kramer's narration is, as usual, great, but he just doesn't have enough great stuff to narrate here.

Can this man write a bad book?

Starts fast, stays fast, and like most Perry novels, comes up with a totally unique premis.

a small masterpiece

Thomas Perry is a treasure. Perry has created several small masterpieces. This one will probably be my favorite. The value in this book is enhanced with Michael Kramer's narration. Kramer can move prose through nuance and gesture from words to dance. The humor in this book is so richly layered into the characters and themes that it is almost the exact opposite of Metzger's Dog. Perry seems to play with the style of other authors and Metzger's Dog had the benefit of references through style to Donald Westlake among others. Michael Kramer narrated some of Westlake's books, and translates the fun. In this book, Death Benefits, the humor comes at us from an entirely different direction. Perry is one of the few writers in this genre to take on themes like generational differences and gender difference rather than the political and social gossip that runs in mystery novels. This book has thoughtful insights into how differences work together or look to each other.

A thoughtful funny book with a plot that moves well and satisfies all the needs it creates.

More Stillman, please.

The Thomas Perry books I've read or listened to are among my favorites, except for the Jane Whitfield series.
Michael Kramer is one of my favorite narrators, too. Stillman is one of my favorite characters and I hope he appears again.