The Ways of the Dead

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

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

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

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

Along with an ear for inner-city argot almost as finely tuned as those of Elmore Leonard and fellow D.C. crime writer George Pelacanos, Tucker has a knack for ingenious plotting that jolts his narrative into unexpected directions ... rich yet taut description, edgy storytelling, rock-and-rolling dialogue, and a deeply flawed but compelling hero add up to a luminous first novel.

Kirkus

The brisk plot is punctuated by an insightful view of journalism and manipulative editors, shady politicians, and apathetic cops, while also showing residents working to create a better neighborhood. Readers will be pleased that Tucker leaves room for a sequel.

Publishers Weekly

Based on a true story, this gritty, exciting book is Tucker's impressive debut novel.

Prize Quest Magazine

Outstanding.

Peterborough Telegraph

Stunningly written with such brilliant and believable characters alongside such an intricately woven and gripping storyline, this is one of the most enjoyable crime fiction novels I've read in a long time.

Book Addict Shaun blog

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

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

The Ways of the Dead has got the plot, a brilliant lead character and a bucket-load of suspense.

Sunday Sport

Right from the start I loved this book – descriptions of the main characters were believable and got me hooked. A real page turner and I read it really quickly…A great first novel by Neely Tucker, and I will certainly be looking for the next one.

Mojomums

Intricate, absorbing and a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Sunday Life

A page-turning, gripping debut novel ... sharply observed, well-drawn characters and pitch perfect writing.

East Anglian Daily Times

A thoroughly enjoyable read.

Colchester Gazette

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

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

Not only an enthralling murder investigation... but a plot that is strengthened and illuminated by two of the best characters I have read for some time- reporter Sully Carter and his cohort, the streetwise gangster Sly Hastings... their exchanges are pure gold.

Raven Crime Reads

Compelling

The Sun

This is a terrific first novel by a man with a long career in journalism. The tale builds to a dramatic conclusion, with a final unexpected and terrible twist in the tail.

Crime Review