A terrifying tape recording convinces the world that brilliant and beautiful Alison Emerton has been murdered. But was she? The police can't find a body. Or a clue. And the convicted rapist accused of the crime has nothing to say. Finally, her unprincipled attorney hires Twin Cities P.I. Holland Taylor to learn the truth once and for all -- no matter what the cost.

So begins Taylor's odyssey into the life and death of the twenty-seven-year-old woman, a violent and puzzling journey that takes him from the mean streets of Minneapolis to the gravel-road glamour of a Native-American gambling casino in Northern Wisconsin. Along the way he'll meet an astonishing assortment of misfits and malcontents -- some who loved Alison, many who hated her and all with their own motives for making sure she stays dead and buried.

For his efforts, the former homicide investigator will be threatened, stalked, arrested, beaten and shot. And in a blazing finale, he'll discover a hard and terrible truth: Living well isn't always the best revenge. Sometimes dying is.

REVIEWS

Understated, literate, and tricky as they come.
-- Kirkus Reviews

If you're looking for (a) satisfying and well-written story to read on these first cold nights, you won't go wrong with 'Dearly Departed' by David Housewright . . . several well-drawn, idiosyncratic characters draw the reader into the story. This is a skillfully plotted, surprising novel. The dialogue is crisp and believable, and there are some unusual twists...
-- St. Paul Pioneer Press

Housewright's third entry in the Holland Taylor series is an entertaining missing-person yarn . . . shades of the movies Laura and Vertigo . . . Overall, this is an enjoyable mystery with a corker of an ending.
-- Booklist

Once again (Housewright) shows a sure narrative touch through the voice of his engaging and quirky shamus... a singularly pleasurable series filled with light crime tones.
-- Publishers Weekly