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17 of 17 found the following review helpful:
 Enormously entertaining Feb 22, 2001
By Charlotte Vale-Allen
I've been a fan of Thomas Perry's work since his first book, Butcher's Boy. Perry is one of the rare writers who never inflicts himself on his material, but rather allows the characters to evolve and speak for themselves. His writing is spare, never cluttered, and his characters are always fully realized and highly distinctive. Death Benefits is a fine example of a writer at peak form. Aside from a truly intriguing plot line that extrapolates on the possibilities of misusing life insurance that have not (at least to my knowledge) previously been explored, we have a central character who, at the age of twenty-four, grows up within the pages of this book--ably and entertainingly pulled along by the fascinating Stillman and the clever Serena. What I particularly liked about the character of Stillman, aside from his ingenuity, is his humor and wisdom. There's a lot of truth about life, and about the process of personal growth in these pages. Much as I enjoyed it, though, I found the "bad guys" to be rather an implausible creation. That said, this is a thoughtful and entertaining book, and the last hundred pages of Death Benefits make for a breathless ride. Highly recommended.
13 of 14 found the following review helpful:
Looks like Mr. Perry has the start of another great series Jan 16, 2001
By Harriet Klausner
In Pasadena, California, insurance agent Ellen Snyder approves the payment of the twelve million-dollar death benefit to an impostor. Not long afterward, Ellen vanishes somewhere between the nearby airport and apparently LA. The impostor has also disappeared. A stunned McClaren Life and Casualty hires private investigator Max Stillman to investigate the fraud.After making inquiries in both the Pasadena and the San Fransicso based home office, Max successfully recruits John Walker, an analyst working for his client, to assist him on the case. Max believes John can help him because he amorously knew Ellen when they were trainees. John agrees to help because he believes the woman he still loves is innocent of any wrongdoing. With opposite motives, John and Max begin a trek around the country in an effort to locate the money and the two culprits behind the felony. If anyone had doubts that no one does suspense thrillers better than Thomas Perry does, just read the exciting, action-packed and character driven DEATH BENEFITS. Only a great writer with the talent of Mr. Thomas can turn insurance companies and related fraud seem glamorous and exhilarating, but that is what the author accomplishes in this fabulous tale. Max and John make a powerful team even as their individual traits make them seem like real people. The who-done-it is cleverly designed from the start, when Ellen flees into the night, and never eases up as the audience has another mystery from one of the genre greats. Harriet Klausner
9 of 10 found the following review helpful:
 Not up to his standards Apr 15, 2001
By John R. Linnell
I agree with those that liked the characters of John Walker and Max Stillman as well as the premise of this novel. As the characters worked their way through the puzzle of how somebody was defrauding McLaren Life and Casualty out of millions of dollars the intrigue gets more complex, interesting and very dangerous. However, the answer to the puzzle struck me as so implausable that after following what had become a real head scratching story, I could not help but wonder why the author had chosen to go there. I have enjoyed all of the Jane Whitefield books and am still looking for a copy of The Butcher's Boy, but this book is simply not up to what I have come to expect from this author. It deserves a better ending.
11 of 14 found the following review helpful:
A MUST READ! Jan 17, 2001
By Nick G
Max Stillman is a security consultant called into the San Francisco office of McClaren Life and Casualty, his job is to investigate the disappearance of one of their employees, a young woman named Ellen. As Max begins his questioning of the employees, he comes to the discovery of John Walker, the young claims analyst who once had an affair with the missing co-worker. Shocked that he has been chosen to accompany Max, John, tries to understand why he is in this mess, and as the pieces fall into place, he finds out that Ellen disappeared quickly after paying a large insurance claim to an imposter. As the two men work together, one looking to clear Ellen's name and the other looking to convict her, they will uncover an evil conspiracy neither is prepared for. "Death Benefits" is a first-rate, fast paced thriller, that can NOT be put down. From page one the reader is hurled into a maze of unexpected danger, double-crosses, mysterious characters and un-bearable suspense. Thomas Perry author of several very good thrillers, none of which compare to this, has written a breakout novel that thriller readers should dive into. "Death Benefits" deserves a spot on all the bestseller list's! Nick Gonnella
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Another Great Perry Novel May 31, 2002
By D. Wolf
"wolfd"
While Perry has never matched the quality of Butcher's Boy, Death Benefits makes a wonderful read. The story is suspenseful (if not altogether plausible) and he again creates interesting multidimensional protagonists. Like all his books, this one includes extensive descriptive settings so the reader always has a strong physical point of view to accompany the narrative. Some reviewers have had a problem with the ending, but I found it a unique twist. Yes, one must suspend disbelief when reading; but, what fun thriller doesn't require that? The ending is a bit abrupt; but, you gotta stop the story sometime. This is a great book to read at the beach or while travelling. It sure helped me pass a couple long train rides.
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