Peter Pan Must Die, by John Verdon

NOTE: I received this free book from Blogging for Books in exchange for writing a review on their website.  My review is as follows:

I have been reading either college essay exams or books for my two book groups, so I considered this book a mini vacation from my required reading.  It has been quite a while since I have read a pure detective mystery and I loved every minute of this reading experience!  The author, John Verdon, provided insight into the personalities of the characters, particularly the main character, Dave Gurney, and his wife Madeline that made them fascinating and helped me care about them.  He also provided insight into Dave’s thought process and motivation that was quite interesting.  Besides having an enjoyable reading experience I learned how detectives might go about solving cases as well as insight into my own thinking.  The solution was ingenious and thought-provoking!  I strongly recommend this book to mystery lovers as well as someone who wants an enjoyable, thoughtful read where they will gain knowledge and insight.  Please visit my blog, ReadtoEnrich.blogspot.com for a list of characters and discussion questions.    This book was provided free in exchange for my review.

Characters

Dave Gurney – retired detective Madeline – second wife – counselor at crisis center Danny – Dave and Madeline’s son – deceased at age 4 – automobile accident when Dave was watching  him Kyle – son by first wife – Columbia law student   Jack Hardwick – retired detective, Esti Moreno – BCI investigator, dating Jack   Lex Bincher – lawyer working with Jack to free Kay Spalter   Carl Spalter – murdered executive and prospective politician Kay Spalter – second wife - convicted of killing Carl Alyssa – daughter  by Carl’s first marriage – drug addict Jonah Spalter – Carl’s brother – Cyberspace Cathedral Mother  to Carl and Jonah – murdered in senior living home   Michael Klemper – Mick the Dick – Senior Investigator on Spalter case   Adonis Angelidis – Donny Angel – mob boss – murdered by Peter Pan   Petros Panikos – Peter Pan   Brian Bork – RAM-TV   Malcolm Claret – Dave’s therapist   Minor Characters: Paulette Purley – cemetery manager Frank McGrath – manager of apartment building Carol Blissy – manager of senior living home Freddie – witness against Kay who disappeared Balo – in apartment next to crime scene

For Discussion:

NOTE: All page numbers refer to the hardback edition of the book

1. Discuss Dave’s reasons for pursuing the case.  He felt it was an intellectual challenge or puzzle to be solved.  Madeline thought he was driven by the idea of risk.  (Chapter 10, Page 60)

2. What did you think of Claret’s analysis of Dave’s motivation?  On page 257 (Chapter 37) he stated that “So this obsessive need of yours to atone for Danny’s death, to deal with your guilt by exposing yourself to the risk of being killed…it’s terribly selfish, isn’t it?”

3. Consider Dave’s explanation of how witnesses can be wrong.  In chapter 39, page 271 he stated, “We don’t think what we think because we see what we see.  We see what we see because we think what we think.  Preconceptions can easily override optical date – even make us see things that aren’t there.”  Do you think this is correct?  Can you think of any examples, either from the news or from your own experience, to prove or disprove this idea?

4. In the midst of the investigation while Dave was gathering information he reflected that, “Too much was happening too damn fast.  It was as though his brain couldn’t contain another speck of information, and every time something new got jammed in, it shoved something out the other side.”  (Chapter 39, Page 272)  Have you ever felt like this? 

5. What did you think about the idea of “pattern resonance” where we make connections unconsciously between things that are somewhat similar but not overtly so?  (Chapter 52, page 356)  How did this help Dave solve the mystery?  Can you think of any examples from your own thought processes?

6. Why did Brian Bork run the promotion ads for the fictitious show earlier than agreed upon?  Did you think this was realistic?

7. Several times the author described Madeline as able to compartmentalize her life (Chapter 44, Page 309 and Chapter 45, Page 315).  Are you able to do this?  Do you want to be able to do this?

8. The author noted that being in law enforcement changes people by “nourishing certain traits: skepticism, calculation, insularity, toughness.”  (Chapter 34, page 235)  He continued that different people react differently to these and have either positive or negative outcomes.  Can you see how this could happen?  What could police departments do to help their officers survive and thrive in difficult situations?

9. As a college professor, I often remind my students about the importance of sleep and the need to give information time to become consolidated into your long-term memory.  Gurney thought that dreams were the result of “the nightly filing and indexing process the brain employs in the movement of recorded experience from short-term to long-term memory” (Chapter 54, page 365).  Do you think this is correct?  Can you see how this would be important to a detective trying to solve a case as well as a student studying for an exam?

10. As you were reading, who did you think was the murderer?  What clues led you to your conclusion?

11. Did you like the ending and the explanation of the solution to the case?  Was it satisfying?  Compare this novel to other mysteries you have read and the way the solution was revealed.

12. Discuss your reading experience. 

*****

First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at wordassociation.com, amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.   Click on link to upper right to go to Amazon page.