Lee Southern works as a part-time bouncer and mechanic, fixing and restoring cars through the night. He is also employed and in training to replace retiring private investigator Frank Swann.
Swann is approached by an old colleague of dubious reputation who wants him to find some photos of his daughter. This colleague, a wealthy entrepreneur, is being blackmailed. Years ago, his daughter was kidnapped. He paid the ransom, and she was returned. Now in the present, photos of his daughter, taken while she was abducted, have surfaced. The kind of photos that this entrepreneur does not want exposed.
It is quite evident that there is bad blood between the two men and Swann passes the job of retrieving the photos over to Lee. Taking the job leads Lee into a dangerous hidden world of crime, blackmail, corruption, and pedophilia. As bodies start to pile up and Lee’s own life becomes threatened, Lee must use all his developing skills, not just to complete the job, but to survive.
Set in Western Australia during the ’90s, plot twists and obfuscation keep the reader guessing and lead to a fast-paced enjoyable read.
I first came across Whish-Wilson when I read his historical crime novels The Cove and The Sawdust House, which I thoroughly recommend. I am happy to find his contemporary crime novels are just as enjoyable. This is the second book to feature Lee Southern. The first, True West, is set six years earlier, and although this novel can be read on its own, reading the previous book first adds depth and endearment to the young protagonist.
If you enjoy I Am Already Dead, you may also enjoy the ‘Frank Swann’ series as well.
Reviewed by Neale Lucas
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ABOUT THE AUTHORDavid Whish-Wilson was born in Newcastle, NSW but raised in Singapore, Victoria and WA. He left Australia in 1984 to live in Europe, Africa and Asia, where he worked as a barman, actor, streetseller, labourer, exterminator, factory worker, gardener, clerk, travel agent, teacher and drug trial guinea pig.
His first novel The Summons was published in 2006 (Vintage – Random House.) His second novel Line of Sight was published by Penguin in September 2010, and was short-listed for a 2011 Ned Kelly Award.
The sequel to Line of Sight – Zero at the Bone was released with Penguin Australia in August 2013. David wrote the Perth book for the New South Publishing city series, which was short-listed for the 2014 WA Premier’s Book Awards (see reviews).
The third novel in the Frank Swann crime series, Old Scores, was released by Fremantle Press in November 2016, and the fourth, Shore Leave, in 2020. His historical crime novel, The Coves, was released by Fremantle Press in July 2018. Reviews of all books can be found on the reviews page of this site.
David’s 2019 crime novel, True West, was shortlisted for a Ned Kelly Award for Best Fiction.
David has taught in the prison system in both WA and Fiji, where he started the country’s first prisoner writing program. He currently lives in Fremantle, Western Australia, where he teaches creative writing at Curtin University.
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