The Business Of Dying » (First Edition)

Simon Kernick lives near London with his wife and young daughter. The Business of Dying is his first novel.

“[Kernick is] a writer to be reckoned with.” —-Mark Billingham, bestselling author of Sleepyhead

Praise for The Business of Dying

“Gallows humor and a sardonic voice mark Kernick’s remarkable debut. Pathos, pace, twists, and a savage sense of place make this a guilty pleasure.” —-Guardian [U.K.]

“Gripping and thought provoking, Kernick weaves his web with the assurance of a seasoned professional.” —-Time Out [U.K.]

“The crime debut of the year so far...Kernick tells it straight with no embellishments, which is exactly how I like my crime fiction. A prizewinner if ever I saw one.” —-Independent on Sunday [U.K.]

“An exquisitely tortuous piece of characterization that should challenge both author and readers in the books to come.” —-The Times [U.K.]

“An uncommonly assured first novel, quite brilliantly plotted...done with the kind of dash which inspires total reader confidence and involvement...formidable stuff. There is a pro at work here.” —-Literary Review [U.K.]

“Taut, gripping, disturbing—-a most assured and original debut.” —-Reginald Hill

Publishers Weekly

British author Kernick shows every sign of being a major talent in his debut novel, a gritty, noir police procedural. Seemingly a cold-blooded hit man, Dennis Milne turns out to be a London detective sergeant committed, after years of dealing with sordid crimes and mind-numbing cruelty, to pursuing justice as he defines it. Milne's personal code of ethics is compromised when he learns that his latest victims weren't the drug dealers whose deaths wouldn't burden his conscience but two customs agents and an accountant. His decision to spare the life of a potential eyewitness places him in jeopardy both from his colleagues on the force and from those who paid him for the killings. At the same time, Milne doggedly tries to identify a young hooker's murderer, and persists in rejecting the official theory of the case. Kernick does a masterful job of making Milne sympathetic, despite his callous brutalities, by combining a captivating first-person narrative with emotionally complex characterization. The portrayal of the harsh realism of the mean city streets is complemented by the revelations of the secret lives of the supporting characters with their masks of public respectability. Powerful prose, tight plotting and a clever fair-play puzzle add up to a remarkable first effort. (June 16) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.