Play Audiobook Sample
Dead Connection Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(3.03) - 598 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
Teenager Murray Keifer just doesn't fit in at school. And it doesn't help that his mother is too busy entertaining male friends to be involved in his life. His only friends are "Dearly" and "Beloved"-dead people buried in the local cemetery. That's right, Murray talks to the dead. But Murray's peaceful and unusual world is torn asunder when he hears the voice of missing teen Nikki Parker, buried in someone else's grave. Daughter of the groundskeeper and Murray's one living friend, Pearl believes in his special gift and is determined to give Nikki justice. Meanwhile Deputy Roman Gates draws closer to solving the mystery behind Nikki's disappearance. Author Charlie Price's debut novel has garnered praise for this unusual, and sometimes funny, mystery. Booklist says listeners "will like the edginess and be intrigued by the extrasensory elements as well as the darker turns the mystery takes."
Download and start listening now!
"This was a great read! It was interesting the way the chapters were organized. Each chapter introduced a new character at the beginning. That created some suspense,for me, about how they were all going to be related and woven together. Murray was an interesting character. I didn't know what to make of him at first. He had a terrible home life and I wasn't sure if he could really hear the dead, or if there was something psychological going on. Well, turns out he can talk to the dead. He hangs out in this cematary and has made friends with the dead people there. He doesn't have any friends at school. The grounds keeper takes a liking to him, feels sorry for the awkward kid, and figures he isn't doing anything wrong so he lets him hang out there. There is a chapter on a cop investigating the disappearance of a cheerleader from the high school, a mentally disturbed older teen who hears voices but is on meds at a halfway house and works fast food, an alcoholic cop with blackouts and anger issues who gets kicked off the force, the groundskeeper of the cementary and his daughter Pearl who goes to school with the cheerleader and Murray. Pearl and Murray become friends(reluctantly at first) and find out some information (from the dead) that sparks a chain of events that is jaw dropping ( I won't ruin it) but it has a good little twist at the end. Its definitely a page turner! Great suspense thriller for late middle school and high school students."
— Lori (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
-
“By delving into the adults’ problems as they meld with the mystery of Nikki’s disappearance, Price has given the book an adult veneer. Readers will like the edginess and be intrigued by the extrasensory elements as well as the darker turns the mystery takes. This is something different.”
— Booklist -
“Dead Connection is a smart, funny, very clever page turner; unique and fun to read. As much as I wanted the mystery solved, I didn’t want it to end. You’re going to like this book.”
— Chris Crutcher, author of Deadline
Dead Connection Listener Reviews
-
" fast paced and leaves you thinking one thing and then another. Just who made Nikki disappear? Is Murray truly a pshyic of sorts? "
— Ginnjen2000, 2/19/2014 -
" This book is amazing! though at the begining the book is kinda hard to follow, it just clicks toward the middle. It's brilliant how the author blends three totally different stories into one. I really enjoyed reading this book! "
— Kasey, 2/2/2014 -
" Cool concept for a book. Young boy can communicate with certain spirits in a certain graveyard. He befriends the cemetery groundskeeper's daughter and together they unravel a murder mystery. "
— Msnelan, 1/31/2014 -
" I really enjoyed this. Its a little grittier than most middle school offerings. It is similar to Body Finder, but better. It is a bit more of a police/detective story ala Alex Cross. "
— Christine, 1/25/2014 -
" Boy from bad home situation spends most of his time at a cemetery, where he can communicate with the dead. He is befriended by the daughter of the cemetery keeper, and all help solve the case of a disappearance. OK story. Coarse language might be an issue for younger readers/listeners. Production on CD is marred by long pauses, making the listener wonder if the CD has stopped. "
— Steve, 1/21/2014 -
" This is Charlie Price's debut novel and I have to admit that I'm impressed. The novel follows 6 separate characters to show us vastly different points of view. There's Murray Kiefer who talks to the dead, Pearl Janochek who finds out his secret and vows to help him, Pearl's father who is the caretaker of the cemetery Murray frequents, Deputy Roman Gates who has made it his mission to find out what happened to poor Nikki Parker, Mister Robert Barry Compton who is a schizophrenic with a hard time remembering things, and Officer Vern Billup who may or may not have a problem following the rules depending on who you ask. I found the characters very interesting, most especially Robert. Seeing the story from the point of view of teenagers, law officers, and others gives a very eclectic feel to the book that offers a full story. "
— Kathryn, 1/19/2014 -
" This would be a good reluctant reader pick. "
— Julie, 1/18/2014 -
" i wasnt very impressed. in fact i was dissapointed. it couldnt hold my attention, it moved around the story way too much. i would not reccomend this "
— Ihartrob, 1/12/2014 -
" Listening to this audio book was a little tedious. I enjoyed the plot; the main character, Murray, tugged on my heartstrings all the way through. I felt the ending was a little abrupt. "
— Michele, 12/29/2013 -
" Really weird, but I kinda liked it. "
— Brieanna, 12/21/2013 -
" i have to do this book for my book review. I like it so far. "
— G®äÇε™, 12/19/2013 -
" Really liked this book- told from different points of view. Good characters. Plot twist- really liked the ending. "
— April, 12/15/2013 -
" Didn't much care for the ending... "
— Lindsay, 11/12/2013 -
" Really good & clever, with a number of intriguing characters and red herrings. would make a good companion read to the Graveyard Book, I think. "
— Kbryna, 9/28/2013 -
" main idea of the story the girl was walking home from school an she heard noiseing from the grave..but what happins is that its a good story but at the end it dont leave a good ending point it make u wanna kno what happins next but it dont leave that. "
— Tanarius, 9/3/2013 -
" I thought this book was pretty good...weird, but good. The characters were interesting and there was a twist ending. However it wasn't as creepy as I thought it would be and as a horror nerd I was kind of disappointed, but hey that's just me. "
— Ja, 7/21/2013 -
" I loved how this book was written. The author wrote so you got to know all these different characters and their lives and near the end all these lives start connecting together to solve a murder because they each had a piece of information and none of them even knew each other. "
— Kara, 7/1/2013 -
" It was okay - very quick read "
— Jennifer, 11/5/2012 -
" Can't believe Price left the ending the way it is, despite of being ideal. Who wouldn't like to see what happens in Murray's and Pearl's friendship next?? "
— Mary, 6/15/2012 -
" This particular book kept my attention throughout the entire story, always kept you guessing on what was going to happen next! Very well wrote and enjoyable!! "
— Jdub, 4/22/2012 -
" Bit odd to start but an easy read/listen "
— Hilary, 10/20/2011 -
" i liked it it was my first book of this author "
— Travis, 8/5/2011 -
" Kid hangs out in cemetery, talks to dead people, maybe even helps solve a murder. I didn't love it, but I enjoyed it. The writing is mature and focuses on the adults. "
— Stephanie, 6/14/2011 -
" The story was interesting, but the telling was a little rough. Interesting for the gentle, sympathetic portrayal of some disturbed characters. "
— Patrick, 5/17/2011 -
" Really weird and confusing, but still all right. "
— Brieanna, 3/1/2011 -
" There are so many character stories in this book that I didn't see a way that they would come together. The ending is great. "
— Sandy, 12/2/2010 -
" i wasnt very impressed. in fact i was dissapointed. it couldnt hold my attention, it moved around the story way too much. i would not reccomend this "
— Ihartrob, 10/16/2010 -
" I really enjoyed this. Its a little grittier than most middle school offerings. It is similar to Body Finder, but better. It is a bit more of a police/detective story ala Alex Cross. "
— Christine, 8/8/2010 -
" Really liked this book- told from different points of view. Good characters. Plot twist- really liked the ending. "
— April, 7/27/2010 -
" Really weird, but I kinda liked it. "
— Brieanna, 7/21/2010
About Charlie Price
Charlie Price was raised in Colorado and Montana and graduated from Stanford University. From street schools in Bedford-Stuyvesant, to locked psychiatric units, to academic dean in a therapeutic boarding school, he has worked with adolescents and adults in trouble since the early seventies. Currently he consults and coaches for public and private agencies. He is the author of Dead Investigation, Dead Connection, and Desert Angel among others. His book, The Interrogation of Gabriel James, won an Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Mystery. He currently lives on a river in Northern California.
About Robert Ramirez
Robert Ramirez came to audiobook narration fresh from his MFA in classical theater. Initially answering a casting call for a narrator who spoke Spanish, Robert has used his Mexican-American background to imbue authentic flavor and dialogue in audio titles. His powerful command of language and rich voice reflect his interest in dialects. Ramirez is the winner of eight AudioFile Earphones Awards.