Although these facts could form the basis of an engrossing police procedural, The Dead Detective is a deeper and better book. After being assigned Chloe’s case, Wyatt soon learns that he has already encountered Chloe. They are both animal lovers who often spend lunch hours at the San Diego Zoo. When Wyatt questions Chloe about her abduction, he also learns that she is now a psychologist specializing in grief and trauma counseling. Chloe’s occupation is especially appropriate when Wyatt’s doctor informs him his cancer has advanced to multiple organs and is inoperable. He has some treatment options, but his ultimate prognosis is less than a year.

Astute readers can probably figure out what’s going to happen between Wyatt and Chloe well before they realize it. However, The Dead Detective is more of a character study than a romance. Wyatt narrates most of the book, so readers get a more detailed look at his psyche than Chloe’s. Among other things, he has never had a serious relationship despite being in his 40s, but he often becomes a caretaker for animals in distress. A raven with a broken wing named Wyatt named Lenore lives in his yard and subsists on scraps he leaves her every night. As Wyatt interrogates Chloe about the case, he learns more about her character as well (which I won’t reveal here to avoid any spoilers).

Extensive subject-matter research went into The Dead Detective, and the details the author provides should enhance readers’ experience. For example, when Wyatt visits the therapist Chloe recommends, he receives two assignments: to read Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie and to create a haiku. After reading this section, I started creating haikus in my head about things I observed as well. Unfortunately, at times, I felt the author included too many details about peripheral subjects just to show his thoroughness. Those digressions led to occasional distractions from the narrative.

Wyatt’s two cold cases are at the heart of The Dead Detective, and the author returns to them frequently. Wyatt is a good, intuitive detective, and he eventually spots a vital clue in Chloe’s case that the various cops who had worked the case over the previous 25 years had missed. This clue involves good old-fashioned observation and deduction (about some trivia I didn’t know) rather than forensic advances that had occurred over the past quarter-century. Readers who enjoy solving these types of cases alongside the detective may enjoy the challenge of figuring out the evidence that leads to a breakthrough here.

Although Wyatt narrates most of The Dead Detective, the author relates a few chapters in the third person from the points of view of Chloe and some secondary characters. This is an attempt to build suspense, but the abrupt point-of-view shifts may confuse some readers. Also, since the shifts put readers one step ahead of Wyatt, the author loses the opportunity for what could have been a major surprise.

The Dead Detective resonated with me on a personal level in a way it would not have if I had read it two or three years ago. I’ve had my own health and other personal problems, so I can understand and empathize with what Wyatt goes through in the book. I’m not sure if other readers will react the same way, but the story had a powerful personal impact on me. The book has a somewhat open-ended conclusion that could easily lead to a sequel. However, even if The Dead Detective represents the end of Wyatt and Chloe’s story, it’s a powerful book about life, love, and death that is much more than an entertaining crime story.   

NOTE: The publisher graciously provided me with a copy of this book. However, the decision to review the book and the contents of this review are entirely my own.