I Am Already Dead by David Whish-Wilson

Publisher's Synopsis

Trainee private investigator Lee Southern finds himself drawn into a web of danger and deceit as he investigates a series of bribery attempts targeting a wealthy entrepreneur. Under the expert tutelage of retiring PI Frank Swann, Lee uses all of his developing skills, instincts and cunning to get to the heart of a sordid mystery. As Lee delves deeper into the case and questions the intentions of those he’s working for, he finds himself the target of increasingly ominous threats and several attempts on his life.

My Review of I Am Already Dead by David Whish-Wilson

I Am Already Dead is the second book to feature private investigator Lee Southern. The book picks up from where True West left off and, it turns out, that not only is Lee very young but he’s street smart and has a definite presence about him. The background behind how and why he’s the man he is today is explained in the rugged True West which took place when he was a raw 17 year old.

Southern is backed/mentored by the soon to retire PI, Frank Swann (Line of Sight, etc. I’d recommend these books to anyone who enjoys gritty hardboiled Aussie crime fiction). While he depends on him to put in a good word for him when picking up jobs, he’s virtually independent of the former hard man of Perth. 

Southern is hired to investigate the extortion of a local businessman by a syndicate who hold explicit photos of his young daughter. The photos were taken as part of a previous abduction and chasing down the low-lifes who now hold copies of them drags him and us into the sordid world of paedophilia. 

Now, Lee Southern is an extremely interesting character who boasts a number of strings to his bow. When he’s not doing his private investigator gig he also works as a bouncer at a reasonably seedy nightclub. But it’s the care and attention to detail he gives to restoring classic cars in his spare time and coaching boxing for disadvantaged kids at a local gym that gives us a significant peek at his true nature.

It’s the businessman’s fixer who makes contact with Southern each time a new person of interest is identified. They meet, he gets a file, they move on. In the file are details of a man who has a copy of the photo. Southern’s job is to retrieve the photo without the subject becoming aware.

It’s only when a couple of warning shots are fired across Lee’s bow that his seemingly simple job becomes a little more complicated. Shots are fired over his head from a high-powered rifle and then his car is blown up. Lee thought he was conducting a well-conceived mission and had covered his tracks perfectly. It appears things weren’t as well covered up as he first thought.

I Am Dead Already is a tough, no-nonsense crime novel that benefits from two very important factors that ensure it’s a winner. A smart, pragmatic lead character who comes up with thoughtful ways of approaching difficult problems and a brisk, always evolving plot that never gets caught up in meaningless faff that might otherwise distract. 

I’m sure I’m not the only one but I couldn’t help but be reminded of Peter Temple’s Jack Irish. The painstaking hours of work Southern puts into his classic car finishing is very reminiscent of Irish working in the cabinetmakers. In both cases the hours spent are used to mull over problems in the case and speak to their approach to investigating a case too.

This is a dark and edgy West Aussie thriller that reinforces David Whish-Wilson’s grip on the modern hardboiled crime novel. There is a richness to the setting descriptions and a delightful spareness to the dialogue which crackles with intensity. It all unfolds without a beat being missed while still delivering a helluva scintillating ending.