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Title: Faked to Death by Dean James ISBN: 1-57566-888-2 Publisher: Kensington Pub Corp Pub. Date: March, 2004 Format: Mass Market Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.4 (5 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Great premise
Comment: I've read both of the books, and am looking forward to the next one. I especially liked the introduction of his concern that he would be "outed" by not dying in an otherwise fatal accident.
I agree that the series cannot go on much longer with Giles' knowing the truth. Although he may not consciously speculate on some odd aspects of Simon's life, the clues must be racking up sub-consciously.
At this point, their relationship needs some sort of resolution; more of Giles throwing himself at an unwilling Simon will probably turn me off the series for good. It gets too emotionally masochistic/dysfunctional.
That leads to ... Simon's sex life. Or lack thereof. He may not need food, but his hormones seem to be raging alone just fine to me. He's been celibate since arriving in the U.K.?
One last thing: do we really need to be reminded of his taking his pills? Those mentionings take me out of the story gratuitously - and annoyingly! I'd like to know what happens if he stops taking them? Perhaps he could misplace some? Or be burgled and have the thief steal them thinking they have a street value of some sort? Perhaps that would cause him to need to turn to someone? Enter Giles!
Simon can be insufferable, but he's never mean or cruel. He fits in well with all of the other abursurdist characters in his world.
Rating: 5
Summary: Another gem
Comment: I have to tell you that I received Faked to Death in the post late in the afternoon on a Thursday; by Friday morning I was reading the final words - and I loved every minute of it. Posted to Death was a great surprise and a thoroughly enjoyable read, and its sequel was even more enjoyable. I really want Simon Kirby-Jones to have that conversation with Giles. I won't divulge the details or the plot - just read it and enjoy!!
Rating: 3
Summary: Pleasant but Predictable
Comment: Jumping directly into the second book in a series without having read the first can sometimes be a handicap. In FAKED TO DEATH, the second book in the Simon Kirby-Jones mystery series, the author Dean James quickly and efficiently deals with the salient plot points in the first three paragraphs.
"Being dead has its advantages.
"I get much more writing done now that I'm a vampire. When one has not one but two yearly best-sellers to produce, it's just as well that three hours' rest per night is sufficient.
"The world of popular fiction knows me as Daphne Deepwood (historical romance) and Dorinda Darlington (hard-boiled female private-eye novels). Little do my devoted readers suspect that Daphne-Dorinda is really Simon Kirby-Jones, respected historian, author of acclaimed biographies of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Richard the Lionheart. Nor do they suspect I'm a vampire. And gay."
James has written a throwback to the old English cozy mystery perfected by Agatha Christie, except he adds an original twist. Instead of Miss Marple, we get Simon Kirby-Jones, a gay vampire from the American South who now lives in a small town in England. It's an idea that could have made for an interestingly unique touch. Unfortunately, James didn't deviate much from the formula.
When Simon is invited to a Writers Conference as himself, he's very surprised to find that his alter ego Dorinda Darlington is scheduled to appear as well. The phony Dorinda quickly insults everyone at the conference - held of course, at a secluded English manor - so it's no surprise when she ends up dead. Predictably, the police ask everyone to stay at the manor overnight and, not surprisingly, someone else ends up dead.
Simon, who just like amateur sleuths the world over (alive or dead), can't seem to keep his nose out of police business, investigates and figures things out before the police do. I had the mystery figured out long before the big denouement, although for a while I thought James was not only going to follow formula to a tee, but was actually going to steal one of Christie's most famous plot-twists. Thankfully, he didn't go quite that far.
Despite the predictability of the book, I did enjoy James' writing style. Simon Kirby-Jones is a likeable protagonist, even if he does tend to be a bit insufferable at times. Still, I expected more from the premise than was actually delivered. A good beach read if all you want to do is escape with a bit of fluff.
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Title: Posted to Death: A Simon Kirby-Jones Mystery by Dean James ISBN: 1575668866 Publisher: Kensington Mass Market Pub. Date: March, 2003 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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Title: The Dirt Peddler by Dorien Grey ISBN: 1879194724 Publisher: GLB Publishers Pub. Date: August, 2003 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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Title: Gay Resort Murder Shock by Phillip Scott ISBN: 1555837573 Publisher: Alyson Pubns Pub. Date: 15 July, 2003 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: Dead Egotistical Morons: A Paul Turner Mystery by Mark Richard Zubro, Mark Zubro ISBN: 0312266820 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: 02 August, 2003 List Price(USD): $23.95 |
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Title: Wearing Black to the White Party by David Stukas ISBN: 0758200404 Publisher: Kensington Pub Corp Pub. Date: August, 2003 List Price(USD): $22.00 |
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