The Ways of the Dead - Hardcover

"The Ways of the Dead is a great read. Deep characters, pitch perfect dialogue and a plot with as many curves as the Rock Creek Parkway as it moves through the side of Washington DC far away from the Smithsonian. Neely Tucker takes this novel up an even further notch with a story framed around the hot button issues of our time, including race, justice and the media. If this is Tucker's first novel, I can't wait for what's coming next." (Michael Connelly)

"A whiplash smart debut...a truly promising crime novel that leaves you aching for more...edgy, fierce and gripping, with a fast line in neat dialogue and a suitably bleak, nuanced conclusion. A sequel is on the way which should underline that Tucker is a fine new talent." (Daily Mail)

"Compelling" (The Sun)

"From the powerful opening to the shocking finale, The Ways of the Dead delivers the very best in gritty, hard-edged suspense. Complex characters, taut dialogue, and a riveting plot all add up to one extremely excellent novel." (Lisa Gardner)

"The Ways of the Dead has got the plot, a brilliant lead character and a bucket-load of suspense." (Sunday Sport)

"A page-turning, gripping debut novel...sharply observed story, well-drawn characters and pitch perfect writing. The Ways Of The Dead is an intricate, absorbing and a thoroughly enjoyable read - fans of the crime and whodunit genre won't regret picking up a copy." (Press Association)

"Stronger, though, is the character of Sully Carter, whose vinegary world-weariness makes him an unappealing man but a most appealing character ... Carter may not be likable, but there’s a lot to like in Tucker’s storytelling." (Washington Post)

"Tough, exciting, always intelligent, Neely Tucker’s The Ways of the Dead captures the multi-layered corruption and cynicism – and the edge-of-the-ledge danger – of a hard-nosed former war reporter digging out a serial killer in the backstreets of Washington, D.C." (John Sandford)

"Every character is fully fleshed out and the dialogue is pitch perfect...For mystery and crime fiction lovers, particularly fans of Elmore Leonard, to whom Tucker dedicates his book, this is a must-read." (Associated Press)

"The Way Of The Dead has everything you'd want from a book noir – enveloping atmosphere, flavorful characters, evocative writing, and a serpentine plot which seems to make the pages turn themselves. Neely Tucker is an impressive new talent." (Richard North Patterson)

‘The Ways of the Dead is a great read. If this is Tucker’s first novel, I can't wait for what's coming next.’ Michael Connelly

TRUE DETECTIVE meets HOUSE OF CARDS in the electrifying first novel of a new crime series from a veteran Washington, D.C., reporter

The body of the teenage daughter of a powerful Federal judge is discovered in a dumpster in a bad neighbourhood of Washington, DC. It is murder, and the local police immediately arrest the three nearest black kids, bad boys from a notorious gang.

Sully Carter, a veteran war correspondent with emotional scars far worse than the ones on his body, suspects that there's more to the case than the police would have the public know.

With the nation clamouring for a conviction, and the bereaved judge due for a court nomination, Sully pursues his own line of enquiry, in spite of some very dangerous people telling him to shut it down.