Deathryde: Rebel Without a Corpse

by Michael P. Naughton, Donna Novak (Editor)

Overview

They say you can't cheat death... Well, that doesn't stop these guys from trying. James DeRossa is a natural born rebel. Just released from Jackson County Jail, he turns his back on the family funeral business in Detroit and heads out to Tinseltown to set up a heist and settle an old score. Who better to hire than a group of unscrupulous undertakers. Only this time they aren't burying anyone, they're out to disinter $25 million in missing cash and ice. But Detective Hank Gladwin brought his shovel to the party and is onto DeRossa when his list of suspects starts pushing up more than daisies. These felons are all about to join a deadly procession and one hell of a ride. DeathrYde: Rebel Without a Corpse is written in the hip, offbeat, satirical crime novel style of Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiaasen. Fans of Six Feet Under or Evelyn Waugh's The Loved One should also appreciate this oddly entertaining book.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780977866908
Publisher:	Gilded Hearse Press
Publication date:	05/27/2008
Pages:	186
Product dimensions:	5.25(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.43(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Michael P. Naughton was born in Detroit and now lives in Los Angeles. He is a mystery and satire writer who writes in the style of Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiaasen. He is also a seasoned lead singer, songwriter and performer, and a multi-instrumentalist, being a gifted advanced guitar player (lead, acoustic, classical and flamenco) and bass player, and a lyricist and poet who also plays keyboards and harmonica. He worked for Borders for many years and went on to publish actor Michael Madsen's poetry and photography under 13 Hands Publications. He is also co-owner and host of Muse on Rodeo, a thought provoking literary series. He has also been a judge for the IBPA's (Independent Book Publishers Association) Benjamin Franklin Awards which honor the best in independent publishing. Michael P. Naughton was also a columnist and contributor to The Beverly Hills Times Magazine. He lives in Los Angeles.

Table of Contents

THEY SAY YOU CAN’T CHEAT DEATH— well, that doesn’t stop these guys from trying.

It wasn’t too hard to round up a group of unscrupulous undertakers to unearth $25,000,000 in missing cash and ice. Guys like—

JAMES DEROSSA, aka “JAMES DEAN,” who came into town to mastermind the caper: Harold & Maude. The Feds had been watching his family since Jimmy Hoffa disappeared in 1975.

WES BISHOP & DON KING, two corrupt Crenshaw undertakers that needed the payday more than anyone else.

THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS, owners of Coffin Depot in West Hollywood and currently enrolled in the Funeral Rule Offenders Program. They were smothered in debt.

RAY DRISCOL, aka “QUINCY,” wanted to be a celebrity coroner but never hit the big time... until now.

COFFIN JOE, hearse driver at The Big Sleep Celebrity Death Tours. He had encyclopedic knowledge of celebrity death and a lead foot for the getaway hearse.

Easy enough? The only problem was when Detective Hank Hellion Gladwin got in the way and started digging deeper into his LA sting operation of local funeral homes and then began connecting the dots to a cold case from Detroit in 1975 called Operation Grim Reaper. He knew DeRossa was involved, if only he could solve the mystery of the “Y .”

Editorial Reviews

If you have a taste for slambang satire that plays games with the names of dead celebrities from James Dean to Barbara Stanwyck and a hearse driver with the marvelous name of Coffin Joe, Michael P. Naughton's Deathryde: Rebel without a Corpse (Gilded Hearse Press, $12.95, 183 pages), is your kind of book. It's the story of a gang of criminal undertakers engaged in a caper known as "Harold and Maude" involving a group of Hollywood funeral homes and an ancient but unforgotten mafia heist. Mr. Naughton is a professional screenwriter and you can tell. He is flip and quite often funny and understands the value of brevity as few current writers do. This is the kind of book that can even take your mind off flying as you try to decipher the short takes of the plot. —The Washington Times

Deathryde is funny and fast-paced and hits some surprising twists - it has a similar feeling as the movie Be Cool. —Curled Up With A Good Book

I just finished Deathryde: Rebel Without a Corpse and I truly enjoyed it. Michael Naughton had my undivided attention with his thrill-packed, mystery/adventure. The characters, plot and dialog are absolutely awesome! This book is just dying to be a movie -- it will make a great one! —Shelly Palmer

The natural jump from undertaking to crime? "Deathryde: Rebel without a Corpse" is a gripping mystery about James DeRossa, who leaves his father's funeral home business to embark on a scam that could net him upwards of twenty-five million. Detective Hank Gladwin is on DeRossa's tail about his unsavory endeavors, and their cat-and-mouse chase has twists and turns throughout. An excellent mystery novel for fans of the genre. —Midwest Book Review

From the Publisher