Cause of Death

4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars | 5,116 ratings

Price: 1.99

Last update: 09-10-2024


About this item

New York Times bestselling master of suspense Jeffery Deaver unveils the secrets of a marriage when a husband decides to investigate his wife’s death in this gripping short story.

Jon Talbot is a history professor who makes sense of the past by examining facts. He also knows how to speculate about the what-ifs. Jon’s doing both following the death of his wife, Pax. Driving home late from a volunteer assignment, she plunged off a mountain highway and died. The police find nothing suspicious about the facts: a deer in the road, a blown tire, a broken neck. But the what-ifs are leading Jon down a twisting trail of secrets. After five years of marriage, he is finally getting to know his wife.


Top reviews from the United States

Robert T. Borremans
5.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing Short Story
Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2022
Not sure that Cause of Death is actually a short story - it may be a short book. Anyway, whatever it is, Cause of Death is an interesting and intriguing story. It is a very written account of a husband investigating the death of his wife. And, what he learns is an unexpected surprise to him and the readers.

This is a good, quick read that is highly recommended.
Jennifer
4.0 out of 5 stars Cause of Death
Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2024
A short thriller read!! Had me on the edge of the seat and Patience had a side nobody knew. No triggers, was really good!!
C
5.0 out of 5 stars A suspenseful short story, well-written, nice details, satisfying ending
Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2021
This story follows Jon Talbot, a history professor, in the days following his wife's death. Professor Talbot is so observant that he is almost an amateur detective, and a few things have him wondering if there might be have been something else going on that contributed to his wife's car accident...

I have enjoyed every Deaver short story that I've read so far, and this one didn't disappoint either. We get a thrilling ride, chasing down evidence through the eyes of an unusually observant historian; a solid mystery story, twists and unexpected revelations, and even a surprisingly satisfying ending. The fact that Deaver was able to pack all of this into such a short story is amazing, he is definitely one of my favorite authors. I hope he writes another story for Amazon soon.
Birck
3.0 out of 5 stars Seems incomplete
Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2023
I liked it until things started happening. I read the 4-part Broken Doll series a few weeks ago and was impressed. That quartet tells different parts of the single story from four different viewpoints, and It all works. It totals about 360 pages. This novella, or novel, or short story, is about a quarter that length, and I'm not going to say "It doesn't work", but it didn't work for me. There are a couple of jarring transpositions within the story that stopped it dead. Characters appear without much preparation, and are then, just as quickly, dropped in favor of a different group of characters, without much explanation. So for me, if this is offered as a complete short story or a complete novella, it doesn't work. If, instead, it is offered as one quarter of another 4-part cluster, that's a different story. The one issue that this novella accomplishes is that it resolves the main character's confusion about what happened to his wife, but without providing enough background information to be convincing.
Neika
4.0 out of 5 stars When ya think you know someone.
Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2023
When you think you know somebody and you don't. A husband is trying to solve his wife case because he suspects something. He definitely solves it but comes to find out what his wife really does shock him. A good short read.
Fred
5.0 out of 5 stars Deaver is always a good choice
Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2023
Jeffery Deaver is one of my favorite authors. Love the short stories like this one for a break from time to time.

If you like detective, crime, or thriller/suspense stories, you will like Deaver. This book is only 91 pages long so a good one to try if you are unsure about Jeffery Deaver. I think once you read his work, you will be hooked.

You can't beat Amazon's Read and Listen for Free either. You can seamlessly move from reading to listening without losing your place.
B. McKee
5.0 out of 5 stars Smashing plot with surprises
Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2022
Professor Jon Addison is mourning the death of his wife of five years, Patience Susan Addison, or Pax to him. She died when her car went off the road, tumbling and rolling down a mountainside.

Well, what can you say. Pax loved driving too fast, and she had disengaged the ABS on her car. When Jon accompanied a police officer to the crash site, however, he had the disturbing feeling that something was not right.

8
A Lady
4.0 out of 5 stars CAUSE OF DEATH by Jeffery Deaver (An Amazon Original Short Story)
Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2023
I usually enjoy JDs short stories and this one was no exception. As I've come to expect of his work this brief but thrilling tale had lots of twists and turns and a "who-dun-it" that kept me guessing until the very end. Because of the stories brevity I didn't feel a deep connection to any of the characters but at the end of it I couldn't help but wonder at how well we really know the people we love. It definitely had a different feel to any of the other books I've read by Mr. Deaver but his diversity is one of the things I love best about his writing and I'm very glad I read this novella and highly recommend it... =)

Length: The kindle edition ended on page 88 and the 97% mark.

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