Ask the Dead »

Like the poet-detective featured in her novel, Ask the Dead, Joyce Yarrow has a hyphenated professional identity. Ms. Yarrow is a published poet and fiction writer, instructional designer, multimedia performance artist, and singer/songwriter.
Her early poems were published in Niobe Magazine in New York City (her place of origin) and in Ghost Dance (alongside Charles Bukowski, she’s proud to say). Joyce has performed with several jazz ensembles and recorded on the Pacific Arts and Soundbridge record labels. Four years ago she made a commitment to writing fiction full-time. Her short stories have been published in Whistling Shade Magazine and in Inkwell (which nominated “Ring of Truth” for a Pushcart Prize).
Ms. Yarrow has also written scripts for six “Magic School Bus” CD-ROM titles and several short stories distributed by the Discovery Channel as part of their media literacy curriculum. She now resides in Seattle, Washington, with her husband, son, and two cats. Her latest novel, The Last Matryoshka will be out in November 2010 from Five Star.

Jo Epstein can’t run from her mistakes. Then again, who can? Certainly not the Harlem photographer accused of manslaughter, the missing social worker with the heart of gold, or Jo’s ex-friend, the anarchist. But that doesn’t stop her from trying to cut all ties to the detective business that almost made her an accessory to murder in L.A. Unfortunately, she’s good at what she does and they always find her—the folks with loved ones who are most certainly guilty but in need of one last chance. Starting life over in New York City is pricey, and a desperate mother’s plea is too difficult to resist, especially with the money she offers. Suddenly, Jo is drowning in a tangle of money-laundering, kidnapping and murder, haunted by shadows from the past and guilt over debts unpaid. And then there’s Ellie, the girl who died in Jo’s bathtub. As Jo’s investigation brings her closer and closer to the truth, she learns that to save herself, she must do what no one else can…ask the dead.

Anne Romero

Review
Ask the Dead is a masterful debut and a must for fans of Sue Grafton and the Big Apple.