💼 **Book Review: _Death Benefits_ by Nelson DeMille (Kindle Edition)**
_A darkly humorous short thriller that asks: what happens when a crime writer decides to commit the perfect crime? Nelson DeMille delivers a clever, fast-paced tale of desperation, greed, and literary irony._
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### 🧠 **Overview**
Originally published in **2012**, *Death Benefits* is a **31-page digital short story** by **Nelson DeMille**, the bestselling author of *The General’s Daughter* and *Plum Island*. The story follows **Jack Henry**, a once-successful crime novelist now facing financial ruin. With the IRS breathing down his neck and bills piling up, Jack begins to see his longtime agent, **Stan Wycoff**, as more liability than lifeline.
Both men hold substantial **life insurance policies** on each other—a detail Jack begins to obsess over. What if Stan were to die… unexpectedly? Could Jack, a man who’s written countless fictional murders, actually pull off one in real life?
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### 🔍 **Key Themes & Highlights**
– ✍️ **Writer turned criminal**: The irony of a crime novelist contemplating real murder adds a meta layer of suspense
– 💰 **Financial desperation**: Jack’s motives are rooted in relatable fears—debt, failure, and fading relevance
– 🧠 **Dark humor**: DeMille’s signature wit shines through, especially in Jack’s internal monologue and rationalizations
– 🔪 **Moral ambiguity**: The story explores how easily desperation can blur ethical lines
> “Can a famous crime writer commit the perfect crime?” — [Amazon description](https://www.amazon.com/Death-Benefits-Nelson-DeMille-ebook/dp/B0089EHK66)
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### 💬 **Reader Reception**
– ⭐ **Goodreads rating: 3.75/5** from over 1,700 ratings
– 📖 Readers enjoy the story’s **tight pacing**, **clever premise**, and **DeMille’s dry humor**
– 🧾 Some felt the ending was predictable or wished for more depth, but most found it a satisfying bite-sized thriller
– 💬 “A fun, ironic twist on the crime genre. DeMille knows how to keep it sharp and entertaining.” — Goodreads reviewer
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### ⚠️ **Considerations**
– 📄 **Short format**: At 31 pages, it’s a quick read—best approached as a literary snack rather than a full meal
– 📚 **Includes preview**: The Kindle edition also features a sneak peek of DeMille’s novel *The Panther*
– 🧠 **Character-driven**: The story focuses more on Jack’s psychological unraveling than action or plot twists
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### 🏁 **Final Verdict**
_**Death Benefits**_ is a **witty and suspenseful short story** that flips the crime genre on its head. Nelson DeMille’s exploration of a writer-turned-would-be-killer is both satirical and unsettling, making this Kindle edition a perfect pick for fans of literary thrillers, dark humor, and moral dilemmas.
