History FakingTheDead / Literature

* ''Literature/TheCasteelSeries'': In ''Dark Angel'', [[spoiler:Troy Tatterton]] appears to have drowned. The next book in the series, ''Fallen Hearts'', reveals that [[spoiler:he had faked his death so that Heaven could marry her first love Logan, whom he believed was better for her]].

* John Scalzi's ''Literature/StarterVillain'':

* In John Scalzi's ''Literature/StarterVillain'', every single "mourner" who shows up for Jake Baldwin's funeral is there to see if he's really dead this time. It seems sometime before the novel's start, Baldwin had faked his death as part of a plan to screw over some rivals, and they still remember that stunt. [[spoiler:He's really dead this time. On the other hand, one of his friends is killed later in the novel and that death is a fake]].

* In John Scalzi's ''Starter Villain'', every single "mourner" who shows up for Jake Baldwin's funeral is there to see if he's really dead this time. It seems sometime before the novel's start, Baldwin had faked his death as part of a plan to screw over some rivals, and they still remember that stunt. [[spoiler:He's really dead this time. On the other hand, one of his friends is killed later in the novel and that death is a fake.]]

* Several Lawrence Block novels:
** In ''Literature/MeTannerYouJane'' the Movement for Moderation in Modonoland holds a phony funeral for Evan to get him out of being under house arrest in Griggstown.
** In ''Literature/TheBurglarInTheLibrary'' Bernie lowers a crude dummy into the ravine near Cuttleford House to make everyone but Carolyn believe he fell to his death. This buys him a few hours in which to search other guests' rooms for clues.

* In ''Literature/LesMiserables'', Jean Valjean fakes drowning in order to escape prison without being searched for.

* In ''Literature/ChainLetter'', [[spoiler:Neil, Kipp, and Fran]] are presumed dead. In actuality, all three are alive due to one of them being The Caretaker and wanting to ensure everyone knows why he's doing what he's doing before he kills them.

%%* A favoured plot device of Creator/ChristopherPike -- used in ''Literature/{{Falling}}'', ''Literature/ChainLetter'' (Neal), ''Literature/SlumberParty'' (Nicole/Celeste), ''Literature/{{Weekend}}'' (Bert), ''Literature/GimmeAKiss'' (Jane), ''Literature/ScavengerHunt'' (Joe/Tom), ''Literature/FallIntoDarkness'' (Ann).

* ''A Study in Murder'', an expanded universe [[Franchise/SherlockHolmes novel by Robert Ryan set during World War One.

* ''Literature/TheWitchlands'': In ''Windwitch'', Merik is presumed dead after an assassin blows up his ship, and he choses not to correct this assumption to give himself more freedom of movement.

* ''Literature/TheYoungDiana'': When Diana leaves her parents to go work for Dimitrius, she fakes her death by leaving one set of clothes by the cove and throwing her bathing clothes in at high tide to make it look like she drowned. She knows her parents won't miss her, and she doesn't want anyone from her old life trying to contact her. The only person who knows the truth is her friend Sophy Lansing, who she stays with for a little while before she travels to Switzerland.

** In ''The Burglar in the Library'' Bernie lowers a crude dummy into the ravine near Cuttleford House to make everyone but Carolyn believe he fell to his death. This buys him a few hours in which to search other guests' rooms for clues.

* This becomes a major plot point in ''The Beckoners'', a young adult novel by Canadian author Carrie Mac. The titular Beckoners are a GirlPosse led by AlphaBitch Beck (short for Rebecca), who throughout the book torture and bully a classmate named April in egregiously cruel ways. Events come to a head toward the end of the novel when the Beckoners brutally beat April nearly to death and then kill her dog. The protagonist of the novel, Zoe, and her friends devise a plan to bring the Beckoners to justice, which involves [[spoiler:faking April's suicide. The plot even involves the police department, who carry a mannequin out of April's home on a stretcher at a time when they know the Beckoners will be watching. In addition, Zoe tells the Beckoners that April left behind a suicide note implicating them in all the torture they've inflicted on her. The novel ends with the gang being taken into police custody, still not realizing that April is actually alive.]]

* Happens as an inadvertent result of technology in ''Literature/TheMoonMazeGame'', in which Darla is "killed out" of the scenario just before armed kidnappers interrupt the proceedings to take the Gamers hostage. As she's in the process of crawling out of the play area on her belly, remaining unseen while her slain [=NPC=] persona's holographic "corpse" is left behind, she's already undercover when the thugs arrive and they don't realize her faux-body had previously been a living actress.

* ''Literature/JoelSuzuki'': In the first book, Joel learns that his favorite rock star, Marshall Byle, was killed in a van accident. But he later learns that Marshall actually faked his death so he could live in Spectraland, away from the stresses of fame.

* One of the alternative endings for ''The Dandee Diamond Mystery'' features the benefactor of the will alive and telling the reader/protagonist he just faked his death so he could see how far his relatives would go to find [[MacGuffin the Dandee Diamond]].

** In ''Me Tanner, You Jane'' the Movement for Moderation in Modonoland holds a phony funeral for Evan to get him out of being under house arrest in Griggstown.

%%* A favoured plot device of Creator/ChristopherPike -- used in ''Falling'', ''Chain Letter'' (Neal), ''Slumber Party'' (Nicole/Celeste), ''Weekend'' (Bert), ''Gimme a Kiss'' (Jane), ''Scavenger Hunt'' (Joe/Tom), ''Fall Into Darkness'' (Ann).

** As early as ''Literature/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban'', she reveals that Peter Pettigrew was killed in a magical duel with Sirius Black, destroyed so utterly that only a single finger remained. Black was sent to Azkaban for the crime. Except [[spoiler:Pettigrew faked his death in order to frame Black and get him out of the way.]]

* ''Literature/{{Heimskringla}}'': While laying siege to a Sicilian town which seems especially hard to attack because of its strong fortifications, Harald Hardradi and his Varangian troops deceive the defenders by pretending that Harald has fallen sick, gets worse, and finally dies. They then ask the inhabitants of the town for permission to have Harald buried in their city. Because the clergy of the city expects major donations in return, they grant the request, open the gates, and walk out to the army camp in a solemn procession to join the Varangians for conducting Harald's body into the city. When the pall has passed the town gates, the Varangians put down the coffin, blow a signal, and attack the townsfolk. The rest of the army pours out of the camp and into the town through the open gate, and sacks the city.