• Dance for the Dead

  • By: Thomas Perry
  • Narrated by: Joyce Bean
  • Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (445 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Dance for the Dead  By  cover art

Dance for the Dead

By: Thomas Perry
Narrated by: Joyce Bean
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $17.62

Buy for $17.62

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

When eight-year-old Timothy Decker finds his parents brutally murdered, it's clear the Deckers weren't the intended victims: Timothy's own room---ransacked, all traces of his existence expertly obliterated---is the shocking evidence. Timothy's nanny, Mona, is certain about only one thing. Timmy needs to disappear, fast.

Only Jane Whitefield, a Native American "guide" who specializes in making victims vanish, can lead him to safety. But diverting Jane's attention is Mary Perkins, a desperate woman with S&L fraud in her past. Stalking Mary is a ruthless predator determined to find her---and the fortune she claims she doesn't have.

Jane quickly creates a new life for Mary and jumps back on Timmy's case...not knowing that the two are fatefully linked to one calculating killer.

©2008 Thomas Perry (P)2009 Tantor

What listeners say about Dance for the Dead

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    252
  • 4 Stars
    140
  • 3 Stars
    41
  • 2 Stars
    10
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    237
  • 4 Stars
    90
  • 3 Stars
    23
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    210
  • 4 Stars
    96
  • 3 Stars
    36
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Detailed Geography Doesn't A Thriller Make...

I have now read the first three Jane Whitefield novels, which were gifts to me. I really wanted to give the Series a chance, because I was so impressed with "The Butcher Boy" Series and my favourite Perry, "Metzger's Dog".

I think Ms Bean delivers a compelling narration, and her character voices fit the people to whom they've been assigned. Her story telling doesn't get in the way, a pet peeve I have, where a narrator's overly dramatic take on a book overpowers the story, like a pianist playing so loudly you can't hear the singer.

I found it hard to suspend my disbelief when it came to Jane Whitefield herself, as a construct. Cool, aloof, detached, this Native American detective then accepts traditional marriage to a (get this!) doctor in upstate New York. She surrenders her life, her passion, and it strikes me that for Mr. Perry, there is no other course of action for her. Makes me wonder if he gets a charge out of creating this incredible super-woman and then having her willingly subvert and subordinate herself to her Man.

It wouldn't be the first time. Elizabeth Waring in the otherwise wonderful "Butcher's Boy" series is borderline incompetent at times, and unlucky and ineffective. But as she is really a foil for the infinitely smarter and luckier sociopathic killer, the real star of the show, the stories in the Butcher's Boy Series are great fun to read.

But with Jane Whitefield, the author has created a female protagonist we can't accept or believe or even like that much. It's a risky move that doesn't quite come off.

The other issue I have with these books is the author's love of detailed geography lessons and endless hippity-hoppity criss-crossing the country. The novels get mired in airports and on highways, and sometimes in national parks. For me, he is a strong enough writer that I put up with these forays into narrative nowhere, but I was tempted to fast-forward a few times.

I would consider listening to more Jane Whitefield if I thought the author would replace the didactic travelogue or exposition about, say, guns, with more compelling and believable narrative line that includes characters like those he brilliantly created in Metzger's Dog, a wonderful, sly, witty, laugh-out-loud book where even the cat has personality and attitude you can appreciate.

We want to inhabit the world of these books, not watch from the sidelines, as we shake our heads in disbelief. .

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Intrigue, Suspense and Hide and Seek

Jane Whitefield knows how to make people disappear. How she does it is part of the reason this novel is so fascinating. Equally intriguing is her client is this adventure, a beautiful con artist ho stole millions in the S&L scandals in the 90's.

However, the degree of difficulty is dramatically reduced by Whitfield's endless cache of vable fake licences and legitimate credit cards of her many aliases. She is as resourseful and invisible to the public eye as Jack Reacher, as deadly as the Gray Man, and as invincible as Mitch Rapp. I tend to shy away from super hero series.

Joyce Bean is simply remarkable with all the voices.

Thomas Perry is one of the best authors of our time. Dance for the Dead is well worth the time.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Not Butcher's Boy!

This was my first Jane Whitefield book. I made the mistake of thinking, since it is written by Thomas Perry, it would be like the Butcher's Boy series. It isn't. I had to get used to Joyce Bean's narration, first off. She did grow on me. The story dragged in parts, filled with detail that, in my opinion, did not move the story forward.I did like Jane's attachment to her Indian heritage. And the fact that the main character is a tough, strong, smart woman. I stayed with it, and will probably try another Jane Whitefield in fact. It was entertaining enough, but not riveting. Would give 3 1/2 stars if I could.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Kept us on the edge of our seats.

My husband and I enjoyed this together and separately. It's a great story. There are some very evil characters in this book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

*****5 Stars for Thomas Perry

Once again Jane Whitefield is at her best. Thomas Perry has a winner, there is no more attractive character than Jane Whitefield

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good book!

This was the last of three books in this series and it didn't disappoint. If you haven't read the others, wait to read this one- this is a series that is best read in order. Love Thomas Perry's writing.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Perry is better than this book offers

I have thoroughly enjoyed almost everything T. Perry has written. Inventive plots, fast dialog, and intriguing characters are all to be found in his books.

While Jane Whitefield is truly and intriguing character, this book doesn't take much advantage of that. This is mostly confection without a whole lot to sink your teeth into. Yes, there are both tension and twists in the plot, but they don't really carry the reader anywhere that contains those wonderful surprises that we all love in good books.

One of Perry's trademarks is his ability to turn his plots into puzzles that the reader is compelled to figure out before the bad guys do. "Dance for the Dead" had some of that but just not enough to make it a 4 or 5 star listen.

Re the narrator: Ms. Bean has a wonderful timbre to her voice when narrating a woman's or child's role. But when she is reading as a man, her throat seems to tighten up and you could swear that she is recovering from laryngitis

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Distracted by the character Carey

I accidentally started the 3rd in the series before this and probably would have liked this better if i read it first. My big problem is with Jane's love interest Carey who is introduced here and a significant character in the next. Not sure about the 4th because I think I've now stopped this series. I returned the 3rd book unfinished. Maybe a strong, intelligent and skillful woman like Jane would go for a 1950's husband type Carey but I don't want to watch that. Knowing he was in the background actually distracted me from liking this book as much as the 1st in the series, which I really enjoyed.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

I liked it less than the first, but I perserver!

Any additional comments?

This book took off in the middle of a fight scene, one in which you did not know the characters, their motivations, or a clue of what JANE was up to. The answers drifted through the book like leaves in early fall...most of the time I was just trying to figure out WHY Jane chose to help this woman, she doesn't meet Jane's screwy criteria for assistance and it trudges most of the way thru with bright ahining moments of activity...I will say I now have a better idea of the S&L debacle in the 80's. I'm sticking thru book four only because I already bought 3 & 4, 5-8 are very unlikely...but we'll see if Jane fleshes out first.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Too much financial wizardry

The author seemed to want to show off all the sophisticated ways he knew to avoid detection, and also all the ways he could think of to tangle devious financial doings into the plot. When there was action, it was good, but that was rare in the first half. And that’s as far as I got.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!