Simon Kernick is in his thirties, and lives with his wife and young daughter near London. His first novel is The Business of Dying.
DS Dennis Milne is a hard 'hero' to like. A jaded policeman, he has been corrupted and turned himself into an avenging angel on those he feels are unworthy of life. But one job goes wrong. He's duped into killing three innocent men in cold blood and, as his contrary morals kick in, finds himself out of his depth in a world of drug dealers, pornographers, and organised crime. At the same time his 'day' job must continue on the right side of the law - the hunt for a killer of young prostitutes - and an innocent facade must be maintained. The dual storyline is cleverly brought together by Simon Kernick, in this his first crime novel. Whilst at the same time as despising Milne for his vigilante violence, Kernick drags the reader into his unsatisfactory personal life till something akin to sympathy is felt and an overwhelming urge for him to triumph over adversity - even if it is unlawful in the extreme. Tightly paced and twisting at every turn, the plot rushes through to the climactic end, keeping the reader on their toes until the final page is turned. A surprisingly good read. - Lucy Watson
DS Dennis Milne is a hard 'hero' to like. A jaded policeman, he has been corrupted and turned himself into an avenging angel on those he feels are unworthy of life. But one job goes wrong. He's duped into killing three innocent men in cold blood and, as his contrary morals kick in, finds himself out of his depth in a world of drug dealers, pornographers, and organised crime. At the same time his 'day' job must continue on the right side of the law - the hunt for a killer of young prostitutes - and an innocent facade must be maintained. The dual storyline is cleverly brought together by Simon Kernick, in this his first crime novel. Whilst at the same time as despising Milne for his vigilante violence, Kernick drags the reader into his unsatisfactory personal life till something akin to sympathy is felt and an overwhelming urge for him to triumph over adversity - even if it is unlawful in the extreme. Tightly paced and twisting at every turn, the plot rushes through to the climactic end, keeping the reader on their toes until the final page is turned. A surprisingly good read. - Lucy Watson
London's Detective Sgt. Dennis Milne leads a double life. He assiduously tracks the ruthless murderer of a young prostitute but also acts as paid assassin-targeting drug dealers. Unfortunately, his latest kills turn out to be customs agents (albeit crooked ones), so now the heat is on. Though he is a disillusioned loner, Milne is still a self-assured, sympathetic, and appealing protagonist. The irony of his situation dogs his investigation as he tries to steer clear of trouble himself. Told with clarity and wit, this is an unusual but effective approach to the British police procedural from a new voice. Strongly recommended. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
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