(2008)Genre: Thriller/Fiction
Synopsis: “Jack Thigpen works in Detroit, nicknamed The Motor City, the perfect place for a fraud investigator who specializes in car insurance scams. Ironically, as he is targeted for death because of his current investigation, Jack is diagnosed with a fatal illness that is untreatable. And instead of killing Jack, the hit man shoots Jack’s best friend. Struggling to come to terms with his impending death, Jack vows to track down his friend’s killer. Death is staring him in the face, but he doesn’t back down."
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Review: The Dead Guy is a fast-paced action thriller, throwing you roughly in the passenger seat of Jack Thigpen’s Explorer and speeding you on a timed race around Detroit. Feeling a bit like Gone In Sixty Seconds with just a dash of Tarantino, this quirky yet serious novel will even make you laugh out loud, as it tracks down a crime ring that gets deeper and larger by the mile. Crafted with knowledge and detail that gives the novel immense realism, absolutely anything seems possible. Each short chapter brings a new twist or a new direction for Thigpen, or a new unforgettable character to throw into an undefined equation. The entire book plays out on a mental movie screen, and you can practically see the characters faces. There are many explosions, shootings, scams, and murders, but it all plays out in a credible action-movie fashion. And Hewitt doesn't forget to layer the story with some sentimentality either.
I have to admit at first I was a little hesitant about Thigpen at first - it may take a while to get behind his eyes and see things from his perspective, but once you're there, he's a great guy.The Dead Guy himself is put in situations (most) readers will never have to face; but with a somewhat tangential thought process and a great, slightly dry sense of humor, Jack Thigpen is revealed to be a universal character whom everyone will find themselves relating to in some way.
He is the unlikely superman - one of the most interesting parts of the story is the resistance of his dying nerves to pain, and how he uses that to portray himself as Invincible. The first thing I thought upon reading this was: that would be brilliant for an ultimate foe. A seemingly indestructible madman who turns out to just be a dying man with a neurodegenerative disease. However, seeing the good guy with the disease allows us to see the story from an entirely human perspective, without any supernatural element. This in turn allows us to see the interesting effects of fear, superstition and how legends about supermen may come to manifest from something so simple as a Dead Guy - just one of the philosophical layers of intrigue to this novel.
As for the supporting characters - they're just brilliant. Octavia - to be played by Juliette Goglia (a.k.a Little Girl God in Joan Of Arcadia) for sure. She doesn't play a huge part actively, but her potential is clear. Blalock reminded me of Kenneth Leung in "Keeping The Faith." Sloan reminded me of Slugworth in "Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory" (the Gene Wilder version, naturally.) It's a book screaming to be placed on the movie screen. Tom, Jack's brother is a loveable character in his own right - my only issue here being I found the relationship between the two men a little unconvincing. But don't let that deter you! My favourite, however, was Delovich. What a character. Hes very understated - a little more drama wouldn't have gone amiss at all, but he doesn't suffer for it. He's charismatic, he's pedantic and he's THE Bad Guy... for a while anyway. He walks with intent, tapping a stylized walking cane on the ground with every other step, like the ticking of seconds as your doom moves inevitably towards you. Until, of course, he's flustered and then he hurries along, forgetting to tap the cane for effect - which made me laugh out loud.
Lastly - there are some lovely philosophical touches. The pebble mentioned in the Short Ramble, is a reference to the the communications monolith in Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey." In the words of Doug Hewitt himself, "Jack Thigpen sees the pebble as the monolith and is hoping it will transmit his anxiety (etc) to a higher power. It reflects Jack's desire to find meaning in something, when nothing in his life makes any real sense." Given that the pebble becomes Jack's 'Pet Rock' - I think its safe to say its a sentimental philosophical venture we can all relate to.
This book is one of those rare gems that plays out enjoyably on two different levels, a basic one and a deeper one. I'd personally recommend you start reading it, and with the deeper level in
mind. Crime lords and explosions, dark humor and serious undertones, the essence of an unlikely superman, and philosophical allusions - this book has it all.
Rating: 4.5/5
