Deeper than the Dead

By: Tami Hoag

Narrated by: Kirsten Potter

Length: 13 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

Tami Hoag is in a class by herself, beloved by audiences and critics alike, with more than 22 million copies of her books in print. With Hoag's first novel for Dutton, she proves anew why the Chicago Tribune called her "one of the most intense suspense writers around."

California, 1984. Three children, running in the woods behind their school, stumble upon a partially buried female body, eyes and mouth glued shut. Close behind the children is their teacher, Anne Navarre, shocked by this discovery and heartbroken as she witnesses the end of their innocence. What she doesn't yet realize is that this will mark the end of innocence for an entire community, as the ties that bind families and friends are tested by secrets uncovered in the wake of a serial killer's escalating activity.

Detective Tony Mendez, fresh from a law enforcement course at FBI headquarters, is charged with interpreting those now revealed secrets. He's using a new technique-profiling-to develop a theory of the case, a strategy that pushes him ever deeper into the lives of the three children, and closer to the young teacher whose interest in recent events becomes as intense as his own.

As new victims are found and the media scrutiny of the investigation bears down on them, both Mendez and Navarre are unsure if those who suffer most are the victims themselves-or the family and friends of the killer, blissfully unaware that someone very close to them is a brutal, calculating psychopath.

©2009 Tami Hoag (P)2009 Random House

Critic reviews

“[A] nail-biting thriller…Once again, bestselling Hoag plots craftily and creates characters readers root for.” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)

“Hoag's first-rate exploration of her characters imbues Deeper than the Dead with compelling plot twists.” (South Florida Sun-Sentinel)

“There's a truly terrifying serial killer at the heart of Hoag's...page-turner...the chilling premise and exciting twists make Hoag's latest a thriller in every sense of the word.” (Booklist)

“Bestseller Hoag (Kill the Messenger) ventures into serial killer territory with results sure to please her many fans.” (Publishers Weekly)

Couldn’t stop listening!

Better than any true crime podcast. The narrator did a great job with all the voices.

Glad

I was glad to find so much Tami Hoag on here. I loooove her. The narrators voice is very soothing as well. I really enjoyed it.

Only one PROBLEM....

Any additional comments?

As most know the narrator is as important as the story and Kristen Potter was awsome! The story was great and the narration was on point. I loved it.. Only one problem.. I couldn't put it down and was up waaaayyyy to late so didn't get enough sleep.

All Three Oak Knoll Get the Same Review

All three Oak Knoll stories are good get away from everyday life and loose oneself in a mystery thriller. Not the best mysteries, always about a horrid subject; but Hoag knows how to entertain.

Book One was very good, Book Two as good, and Book Three was not bad. By the third in one week though, I had enough. Good characters in Books One and Two. Less so in Book Three but the read does not disappoint.

Pretty good murder mystery

This is my first Tami Hoag book and I'm thinking about finding more of her novels. Good reader on this one too, good voice changes so you know who is speaking.

Kept me entertained - so glad it's a series

If you could sum up Deeper Than the Dead in three words, what would they be?

off and running

What was one of the most memorable moments of Deeper Than the Dead?

There were a few but in order to share those, I think I would be a giant spoiler!

Which character – as performed by Kirsten Potter – was your favorite?

Ann. She was funny and sarcastic and witty. Her interactions with Franny were really entertaining

Any additional comments?

Normally, I can't stand the male narrations that females do, but KP did an excellent job! I wasn't distracted by "This is a woman doing a crappy man impersonation." I never lost focus on the characters.
This was a very entertaining story. Many "side stories" that kept your attention. Good mystery/thriller. VERY spooky method of torture at the hands of the serial killer.
I'm off to hear the second book........

Murders In A Small Town-With A Twist(s)

This is the first time I have ever read a Tami Hoag novel. I have a set group of authors that I stick with, but I have been branching out trying to find new authors to read when the old ones become to formulaic.

When I started this book, I thought it was going to be another Serial Killer In A Small Town book. In some ways it was, but there were more twists than a cork screw. The characters of this book are complex and very well written. You get a sense of why they do the things they do. It kept me entertained and wanting more.

Most books of this genre have a large group of unlikeable characters, and a few likeable ones, of the latter, one is the killer. This story gave off the feeling of a very likeable town with nice people, except a few. Once the killer is caught, you almost want to pack up and move to Oak Knoll.

There were a few MINOR things I didn't care for about this book. First was the setting of the book, 1985. The author harped too much about what doesn't exist yet. This book stressed the fact that DNA technology didn't exist and someday might be a useful tool. But it brought that fact too much. Second, was the use of the phrase Person Of Interest, which did exist since the 1960's. However, this phrase wasn't really used in law enforcement until the 2001 anthrax attacks when Attorney General John Ashcroft overused the term over and over. Like I said, minor issues.

Kirsten Potter did and outstanding job as narrator. Each voice has a character of it's own.

Overall this books had suspense, a little romance, and an entertaining plot.

Enjoyed this book.

I enjoyed this audiobook. What I like is a story that starts off interesting and then maintains it. This book did that for me. Good main characters. Maybe a bit predictable but still a good listen.

Great Consistent Narration And Good Suspense

This was a really nice suspenseful story. Although I thought many times that I knew who "done it", I was never really sure until the last two chapters. The side stories that occur also flow well with the main plot. It all leaves you considering what those various outcomes would lead you to do. The fact that this is set in 1985 was an added bonus. Just as the author suggests, policing had to have been so much more difficult without DNA testing, cell phone tracking, and GPS.

Another excellent story

Where does Deeper Than the Dead rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Pretty high, I have listened to hundreds of audiobooks over the years. This book had all of the important elements for me, mystery, romance, thriller and it kept me guessing till the reveal.

What did you like best about this story?

The interaction of the characters.

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

Kirsten Potter brought the characters to life. So many times a characters voice can be distracting from the story but not so here.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

NO