If I had to summarize Dead Connection in one word, that word would be damage. Everybody in this book is damaged in some sense – some due to their own actions, others due the actions of other people.
Nikki Parker is a high school cheerleader who has been missing for some time. At this point everyone pretty much assumes she is dead, but her body has not been found.
Murray Kiefer spends a lot of time in cemeteries. Most people just think he’s weird, but there are reasons why he loves his time there. First, his mother is about as bad a mother as one could imagine. She barely provides for him, and the man in her life is constantly changing. Secondly, Murray’s big secret is that he can hear the voices of several of the dead people in the cemetery. These people are as real as the ones he sees every day. Now he hears a new voice but he can’t quite figure out whom the voice is or where it’s coming from. Could it be Nikki?
Enter Pearl. She’s the daughter of the cemetery caretaker and when she asks Murray what he’s up to, he won’t give her a straight answer. Her attempt at revenge backfires miserably but eventually they team up to try and solve the mystery of the mysterious voice.
There are other characters, including a schizophrenic young man and an alcoholic police officer, who all play a part in the final story. There’s also an unexpected ending.
I enjoyed this book but I didn’t love it. The only character I really felt connected to was schizophrenic Robert – I really liked the way his character was written. All in all, it’s a book that I would recommend to students put I wouldn’t push it as one of my favorites.
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