The Business of Dying - Simon Kernick

...not because it falls into the thriller genre, but because it was in a book clearance sale at Books Etc and cost the princely sum of £1.00. For an avid reader like me it is almost impossible to pass by such a bargain and I’m delighted that I didn’t on this occasion as this author’s potential talent was evident in abundance.

Born in 1966 Simon Kernick led a fairly nomadic existence in his early adult years travelling extensively in the ...
...Brighton Polytechnic releasing himself onto the job market smack bang in the middle of the last recession. His life appears fairly “colourful” with a number of different short term jobs including that of a Christmas tree “uprooter” (allegedly his favourite), before turning his hand to writing a couple of crime novels, somewhat unsuccessfully. However, early in 2001 “The Business of Dying” was completed and finally published in summer 2002 to much ... more

Simon Kernick’s debut novel “The Business of Dying” caught my eye not because it falls into the thriller genre, but because it was in a book clearance sale at Books Etc and cost the princely sum of £1.00. For an avid reader like me it is almost impossible to pass by such a bargain and I’m delighted that I didn’t on this occasion as this author’s potential talent was evident in abundance.

Born in 1966 Simon Kernick led a fairly nomadic existence in his early adult years travelling extensively in the Far East, the USA and Australia. In 1991 he completed a Humanities Degree at Brighton Polytechnic releasing himself onto the job market smack bang in the middle of the last recession. His life appears fairly “colourful” with a number of different short term jobs including that of a Christmas tree “uprooter” (allegedly his favourite), before turning his hand to writing a couple of crime novels, somewhat unsuccessfully. However, early in 2001 “The Business of Dying” was completed and finally published in summer 2002 to much critical acclaim. Subsequent releases include “The Murder Exchange” and “The Crime Trade”.

The novel itself is extremely well written and starts off with an explosive thrilling entry; a journey which continues through this book from start to finish. Detective Sergeant Dennis Milne is an “old school” copper frequently frustrated with the punishment meted out by the criminal justice system. However, he is also a hitman on the side for one of London’s gangland bosses. Kernick takes an unbelievable situation and manipulates it into one of the most exciting, adventurous thrillers filled with anticipation and excitement that I have read in a long time.

The opening gambit is Milne picking off three drugs dealers; but the “dealers” are innocent men. Not only are they innocent men, but they are government officials – Customs & Excise Officers. Subsequent events see him trying to balance the life of the respectable police Sergeant with that of the professional hitman. Kernick takes us on a harsh journey into the murky vice trade of seedy London’s King Cross as he sets about trying to solve the murder of a young prostitute. His double life becomes increasingly complex yet intertwined. As the investigation into the prostitute murder progresses, Milne uncovers shocking, horrifying, depraved practices involving fellow Police officers and child care workers, whilst in tandem his life as a hitman is unravelling before him and taking him into a downward spiral. The finale is tense and filled with suspense and anticipation of what the end result will be. Will the Sergeant mend his ways, does he get away with it, and is the prostitute murder solved? To answer these questions would be to give the plot away and of course I’m not going to do that. If you’re an enthusiast of the thriller genre then you will be gripped from the first page. I recommend you read it, you really won’t be disappointed.

I liked the fact that the main character had such incredulous double standards. The complexity of such a situation was managed well within the plot and although rational thought tells you that it’s unreasonable and unbelievable, you know that it’s not! We know that corruption is part of everyday life, so why not thread that concept into a novel? I positively revelled in the sardonic wit that was evident in every single chapter of the book and enjoyed the dry humour evident in the most horrific situations.

To provide a well balanced review I would like to try and provide some constructive criticism but admit that in this instance it is a bit of a struggle. Perhaps the hardest aspect of the “read” is the fact that that majority of the story is delivered in the first person – that is, through the eyes of DS Milne himself, so aside from this character the general characterisation of others could be perceived at weak. However, this is a minor flaw in my opinion. Another minor point is that scenes of gratuitous violence are described in minute detail, and if you have an imagination as vivid as mine, sometimes this makes for uncomfortable reading.

Fast paced, clever delivery ensures that you don’t want to put this book down. The narrative is punchy, set out with a credibility that the plot suggests is beyond belief, yet the story is convincing to the reader. Some of the plaudits aimed at this book include “Kernick shows every sign of being a major talent in his debut novel” and “Conscience meets cynicism in a gripping tough-talking tale of corruption and violence in high and low places.” I couldn’t agree more; a formidable new author has entered the arena to compete with the likes of James Paterson and Ian Rankin and I will undoubtedly be reading his subsequent efforts and eagerly looking out for the launch of a new publication in summer 2005.

Published by Corgi Books £6.99
ISBN 0-552-14790-5
415 pages

© Christina ;-) x
 

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