Someone has stolen some precious gems from his studio safe, but worse than that, no one except Puppy knows they were taken. They were replaced with such realistic fakes that only dropping one by accident and seeing it shatter had clued Puppy to the substitution.

After this revelation in a neighborhood bar, Emerson accompanies his friend back to his Dearborn Street home. As they approach the home a sniper takes a shot at Puppy wounding him critically. Emerson takes off after the perpetrator but fails to catch him. Doctors fight valiantly to save Puppy's life, a seemingly impossible task. However, Puppy is a fighter and gradually seems to be winning the battle against death. Then suddenly, he inexplicably dies. Emerson suspects his friend has been murdered, a fact confirmed by a meticulous coroner.

Faced with two problems to solve, Emerson redoubles his effort. Not only must he locate the missing gems, but he must also expose his friend's murderer. Puppy was a flamboyant, egocentric individual who possessed several unpleasant traits of which Emerson was totally unaware. As a result, there are numerous persons who are not sorry to see Puppy die. The people with whom he worked, an ex-wife, estranged children and stepchildren, friends upon whose toes he had trod, all have reasons for hastening Puppy's demise. As Emerson digs deeper into the past he discovers the man he considered to be a good friend had another, much darker side to him.

A Forever Death is an entertaining yarn with a fast paced plot and a number of interesting characters. No perfect, well adjusted man or woman lives within these pages, though they all possess some characteristics which make them worthy of some compassion or pity. A few individuals, notably Glynnis, Puppy's daughter, make almost superhuman strides in repairing some serious personality flaws, which tests the limits of believability. In addition, it is difficult to believe that Emerson, supposedly a close friend of Puppy's, could be so blind to his buddy's aberrant behavior.

The critical piece of evidence from which Emerson is able to unravel the mystery presents a problem. While Emerson's reasoning seems logical and sound, the fact that other people never tumbled to the same conclusion is unlikely. This fact should have been obvious to Puppy's family many years before. To accept the fact that his family was ignorant and Emerson saw it immediately requires some willing suspension of disbelief on the part of the reader.

There is little educational material in this novel. In many mystery books the author dispenses a fair measure of detailed knowledge on a specific subject. Except for a brief account on how to spot fake gems, this element is sadly lacking in Mr. Sherer's book. Also absent is a sense of the color and geography of Chicago. If it were not for the mention of specific street names, the action could have taken place anywhere in the United States. Mr. Sherer didn't even take a poke at Chicago's notorious climate.

The author's primary interest appears to be to entertain his readers with a quick moving tale. In this sense he has succeeded admirably. A Forever Death is a well recommended book for a transcontinental plane ride or a weekend when the weather outside is conducive to staying inside.

--Andy Plonka