The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes

by Marcus Sakey Narrated by Christopher Lane

Overview

"A brainy, twisty, sometimes twisted mystery."-Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl

A man wakes up naked and cold, half-drowned on an abandoned beach...

The only sign of life for miles is an empty BMW. Inside the expensive car he finds clothes that fit perfectly, shoes for his tattered feet, a Rolex, and an auto registration in the name of Daniel Hayes, resident of Malibu, California.

None of it is familiar. How did he get here? Who is he? While he searches for answers, the world searches for him-beginning with the cops who kick in the door of his dingy motel with drawn guns. All he remembers is a woman's face, so he leaves town in search of her in hopes of uncovering his true identity. But that raises the most chilling question of all...

What will he find when he gets there?

Praise for Marcus Sakey

"Truly excellent. Like vintage Elmore Leonard crossed with classic Dennis Lehane."-Lee Child, author of A Wanted Man and Never Go Back

"An authentic, original new voice."-George Pelecanos, author of The Double and What it Was

"The reigning prince of crime fiction."-Chicago Tribune

"The electric jolt American crime fiction needs."-Dennis Lehane

"Crime drama for the 21st century."-National Public Radio

"One of the hottest young crime writers in the country."-The Oregonian

"Snappy writing...hair-raising."-Entertainment Weekly

Marcus Sakey is the author of Brilliance, The Amateurs, Good People, The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes, and other novels and stories.

Editorial Reviews

Marilyn Stasio

It takes guts for an author to resist the commercial lure of a series and come up with a new bag of tricks for each book. But with that sacrifice comes the freedom to write an unpredictable suspense novel that keeps the reader guessing to the end. That's what Marcus Sakey pulls off in The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes, a full-throttle thriller about a man who crawls naked from the Atlantic with no idea who he is or how he got there…
—The New York Times

From the Publisher

An unpredictable suspense novel that keeps the reader guessing to the end...A full-throttle thriller.”  — The New York Times

“A tight, intuitive, and terrific read. The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes confirms Marcus Sakey’s place as one of our best storytellers.”   — Michael Connelly

“A brainy, twisty, sometimes twisted mystery.” — New York Times bestselling author Gillian Flynn

“If you crave sleep, steer clear of Marcus Sakey. Start one of his books at bedtime, and you can forget about slumber…His stories are crisp, cool and utterly convincing, with plots that sweep you up like a midnight raid at a speakeasy. Sakey is also a beautiful prose stylist.” — Chicago Tribune

“The action is fast paced, the tension is nearly constant, and there are more twists in the plot than a double helix. A possible threat to readers’ cardiac health.” — Library Journal (Starred Review)

Chicago Tribune

“If you crave sleep, steer clear of Marcus Sakey. Start one of his books at bedtime, and you can forget about slumber…His stories are crisp, cool and utterly convincing, with plots that sweep you up like a midnight raid at a speakeasy. Sakey is also a beautiful prose stylist.

New York Times bestselling author Gillian Flynn

“A brainy, twisty, sometimes twisted mystery.

Michael Connelly

“A tight, intuitive, and terrific read. The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes confirms Marcus Sakey’s place as one of our best storytellers.

The New York Times

“An unpredictable suspense novel that keeps the reader guessing to the end...A full-throttle thriller.

Kirkus Reviews

Has Daniel Hayes killed his wife?The question torments the amnesia victim who's the protagonist of this fifth suspense novel from Sakey (The Blade Itself, 2007, etc.).

A naked man is crawling out of the icy ocean and up the deserted beach. He has no idea where he is or what happened. Then he spots a parked car, a silver BMW. There's a recently fired Glock inside and an owner's manual belonging to Daniel Hayes of Malibu; the name triggers no memories. He finds a motel and learns he's in Maine. More questions. Why is he compelled to watch a cable show with pretty actresses? And why is a cop banging on his door? There's nothing wrong with Daniel's reflexes: In seconds he's behind the wheel and out of there. It's a gripping enough start. Daniel steals new plates and returns to Malibu. He learns he's a screenwriter, married to one of those actresses, Laney Thayer, who died when her car was forced off the road. Daniel is a murder suspect. We meet other characters. Sophie, Daniel's agent, is being threatened by an intruder called Bennett, who has questions about Daniel and a necklace. Bennett is the sketchily characterized heavy, a Mr. Cool, blackmailer par excellence. A taut scene between Daniel and Laney's co-star ends with an enraged Daniel attacking him; could that same rage have led him to kill Lacey? Sakey lets the question hang, effectively. Elsewhere he is less convincing. Daniel is still driving his BMW with the stolen plates; the cops, after an unbelievably amateurish stakeout of Daniel's house, pretty much disappear. A shocking plot twist at the heart of the novel further undermines credibility. It's part of a one-two punch, the second punch only landing at the end. Dead bodies pile up; so do the improbabilities. It doesn't help that this hard-boiled crime fiction has a disconcertingly soft center, typified by the Forrest Gump-like mantra, "Life is a raindrop."

Far-fetched.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940172350733
Publisher:	Brilliance Audio
Publication date:	06/09/2011
Edition description:	Unabridged

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