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DI Frank Keane #2
Down Among the Dead Men
The dark, gritty second novel in the Detective Inspector Frank Keane series.
At first glance, the bloody crime scene in suburban Liverpool looks like a straightforward murder-suicide – the husband kills the wife and then himself. But what of their missing teenage son, Nicky? Is he their prime suspect or the third victim?
With Nicky’s holiday job on a film being shot in the city bringing unwanted press attention, newly-promoted head of the Merseyside Major Incident Team DCI Frank Keane knows that time is running out to find the boy.
But all too soon the case starts unravelling into one that will test Keane to the limit – and haunt him to his dying day.
At first glance, the bloody crime scene in suburban Liverpool looks like a straightforward murder-suicide – the husband kills the wife and then himself. But what of their missing teenage son, Nicky? Is he their prime suspect or the third victim?
With Nicky’s holiday job on a film being shot in the city bringing unwanted press attention, newly-promoted head of the Merseyside Major Incident Team DCI Frank Keane knows that time is running out to find the boy.
But all too soon the case starts unravelling into one that will test Keane to the limit – and haunt him to his dying day.
448 pages, Paperback
First published November 7, 2013
2 people are currently reading
53 people want to read
About the author
Ed Chatterton
12 books18 followersI've been writing and illustrating children's fiction for almost thirty years under the name 'Martin Chatterton' ('Ed' is my middle name). In the past couple of years I have been mutating into a crime writer. My debut adult crime novel, 'A Dark Place To Die' was released by Random House in Australia in August 2012. It is published in the UK on September the 27th. The sequel has been completed (to first draft) and will be out in 2013.
I lived in the UK until 1998 and then spent some years shuffling between the US and UK before moving there in 2001. I moved to Australia in 2004 where I have been ever since.
I lived in the UK until 1998 and then spent some years shuffling between the US and UK before moving there in 2001. I moved to Australia in 2004 where I have been ever since.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 22, 2013
Ed Chatterton bounces back onto the British crime scene with another gripping thriller featuring DCI Frank Keane, introduced to us in the brilliant debut novel, A Dark Place To Die. Opening with the horrific murder of a respectable couple in a Liverpool suburb, and the disappearance of their teenage son, Chatterton immerses his likeable detective in the pursuance of an incredibly narcissistic killer, taking us into the strange labyrinthine world of the Joseph Williamson tunnels that provides a particularly sinister feel in terms of location, and then a relocation to the bright lights of Los Angeles in search of said killer.
As in A Dark Place To Die, Chatterton uses this plot device of transporting the action across continents (Australia in the previous outing) for Keane to pursue his quarry, and although I wasn’t entirely convinced by some of the strands that this produced, I found with a slight suspension of disbelief, my attention was still held. This is due to the fact that the pace of the whole affair is unrelenting, and there is an immediacy and sense of urgency about the prose that gets a hold of the reader, compelling you to read this quickly. Fuelled by the great characterisation, in particular of our everyman hero DCI Frank Keane, Chatterton has created a police officer with an appeal that doesn’t rely on the usual cliches, and the shifting and complicated nature of his relationship with his sidekick, the marvellous DI Emma Harris, adds another dimension to the plot. As in A Dark Place to Die, Chatterton pulls no punches in terms of language, violence and sexual reference, although this didn’t feel quite as wonderfully sordid as the first book. The interactions between the police protagonists, in particular, is infused with the natural wit so characteristic of Liverpool, so some of the darkness is offset with some mordantly funny exchanges, adding to the general fluidity of the dialogue and the interactions between the characters. Indeed, it is probably this aspect of both Chatterton’s books that holds the greatest appeal for me as a reader, as his observation of the weaknesses of human character is always spot on, and his characterisation across gender and social class always has an authentic feel in terms of speech and behaviours. I feel like I know these characters intimately, and this extends to the fascinating and murderous killer that Keane pursues throughout the book, with an inherent balance of charm and evil that makes for a compelling bad guy, seeking to elude our dogged detective.
So, in conclusion, an extremely readable follow up to the superb A Dark Place To Die. Although less dark, sleazy and visceral than Chatterton’s debut, that really set the first book apart, I enjoyed the overall plot and catching up with DCI Frank Keane. Just don’t call him Roy…
As in A Dark Place To Die, Chatterton uses this plot device of transporting the action across continents (Australia in the previous outing) for Keane to pursue his quarry, and although I wasn’t entirely convinced by some of the strands that this produced, I found with a slight suspension of disbelief, my attention was still held. This is due to the fact that the pace of the whole affair is unrelenting, and there is an immediacy and sense of urgency about the prose that gets a hold of the reader, compelling you to read this quickly. Fuelled by the great characterisation, in particular of our everyman hero DCI Frank Keane, Chatterton has created a police officer with an appeal that doesn’t rely on the usual cliches, and the shifting and complicated nature of his relationship with his sidekick, the marvellous DI Emma Harris, adds another dimension to the plot. As in A Dark Place to Die, Chatterton pulls no punches in terms of language, violence and sexual reference, although this didn’t feel quite as wonderfully sordid as the first book. The interactions between the police protagonists, in particular, is infused with the natural wit so characteristic of Liverpool, so some of the darkness is offset with some mordantly funny exchanges, adding to the general fluidity of the dialogue and the interactions between the characters. Indeed, it is probably this aspect of both Chatterton’s books that holds the greatest appeal for me as a reader, as his observation of the weaknesses of human character is always spot on, and his characterisation across gender and social class always has an authentic feel in terms of speech and behaviours. I feel like I know these characters intimately, and this extends to the fascinating and murderous killer that Keane pursues throughout the book, with an inherent balance of charm and evil that makes for a compelling bad guy, seeking to elude our dogged detective.
So, in conclusion, an extremely readable follow up to the superb A Dark Place To Die. Although less dark, sleazy and visceral than Chatterton’s debut, that really set the first book apart, I enjoyed the overall plot and catching up with DCI Frank Keane. Just don’t call him Roy…
August 20, 2019
I read the author's first book and really enjoyed it but found this one a little disappointing. It seemed to skirt around the main plot a little too much and take ages to get going. The USA half was also a little far fetched.
December 26, 2013
Down Amongst the Dead Men is a book of two halves. The first half is set in Liverpool and is a very good, straightforward police procedural. Chatterton immerses the reader in the world of DCI Frank Keane, DS Em Harris and their colleagues and sets up an intriguing puzzle involving the death of two dentists and the disappearance of their son, who was working on a movie shoot. The characterization and social interactions are nicely portrayed and the story is riveting and compelling with a nice blend of personal tribulations, police politics, and difficult investigation. The second half shifts the action to Los Angeles and becomes much more thriller-like in its style, with Keane operating at the edge or outside of the procedures that gave him power but boxed him in in Liverpool. The plot links Keane up with Menno Koopman, his former boss who also made an appearance in the first book, who has flown in from Australia to help with the investigation. Whilst this part of the book is gripping, culminating in a tense finale, it is also less believable in substance given its political turn and presence of a shadowy organisation and I just didn’t buy the ending. If Chatterton had found a way of wrapping up the story in Liverpool this would have been a five star read for me. Nevertheless, it was engaging and entertaining read despite the shift in location and style and I’m very much looking forward to the next DCI Keane case.
April 16, 2023
To be honest, I'm annoyed with myself for carrying on with this. I was bored about 100 pages in but enjoyed the Liverpool location (particularly the trips into Ainsdale). It should have been a brilliant book, the story of the psychotic secret son of a powerful American politician should have been brilliant but unfortunately it just wasn't. The characters were not well written and not interesting. I think a better editor and proof reader was also required, there were some glaring errors in the edition that I read. Nevermind, on to the next one.
April 30, 2024
Suspension of disbelief required, especially during the second half. And why did nobody pick up on Noone's name?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 16, 2016
An extra point for the very pleasant surprise of this - it's been lurking in my TBR pile for over a year and I'd somehow got the idea it was American hard-boiled crime, but seeing Ed Chatterton listed amongst Caffeine Nights authors I took a second look and was almost immediately hooked. A really solid, well-packed tale; Frank Keane an absorbing character and a plot which never lost momentum.
February 12, 2015
I reached page 101 and gave up.
So far there have been 6-8 pages about the crime scene that should be the starting point of the story but the investigation still has not started yet. On page 101! When will the story begin?
Why is it that 80% of the sentences contain the word "fuck" in some form? Why are all women kinky, bisexual sex addicts? Having one psychopath in the book is fine, but why do all characters are slightly (or totally) mental and have a dirty mouth? Not one positive character. If people in reality were like the people in the book, this world would be even shittier than it is now.
So far there have been 6-8 pages about the crime scene that should be the starting point of the story but the investigation still has not started yet. On page 101! When will the story begin?
Why is it that 80% of the sentences contain the word "fuck" in some form? Why are all women kinky, bisexual sex addicts? Having one psychopath in the book is fine, but why do all characters are slightly (or totally) mental and have a dirty mouth? Not one positive character. If people in reality were like the people in the book, this world would be even shittier than it is now.
August 23, 2015
Being born in Liverpool I thought a murder detective story based in that city would be worth a read.
It was a very blood thirsty,scary... and there was more than one murder to solve for DCI Frank Keane
The evil killing person was very clever in covering his tracks so much.. he has to be traced to America.
In parts this book is far fetched and unbelievable but I stuck with it.
All turns out for the good in the end.
It was a very blood thirsty,scary... and there was more than one murder to solve for DCI Frank Keane
The evil killing person was very clever in covering his tracks so much.. he has to be traced to America.
In parts this book is far fetched and unbelievable but I stuck with it.
All turns out for the good in the end.
March 3, 2014
Confused and disjointed
July 16, 2015
Really slow to catch my interest, but then started to enjoy it. Unfortunately towards the end it all becomes a bit 'Hollywoodish' and unbelievable.
Read
February 1, 2016Just couldn't get into the book
April 9, 2017
A confused, disjointed effort that became more and more 'incredible' as it went on. While the first half is a somewhat tense procedural crime novel, the second half is a 'slick' spy story. Unfortunately the whole thing then takes far too many cliched plot points and the end result is entirely predictable.
The main antagonist is disjointed and inconsistent. He is far more interesting at the start than the end.
Keane is an enjoyable character but too many plot points go nowhere with him.
But I think, by and large, my largest distaste came from the authors outdated and intolerant use of words and insults like 'paki, poof, kyke' etc to hamfistedly show 'banter' between characters that feels out of place when it appears and just trying too hard to be 'real world working class' instead coming off as bigoted when they appear.
The main antagonist is disjointed and inconsistent. He is far more interesting at the start than the end.
Keane is an enjoyable character but too many plot points go nowhere with him.
But I think, by and large, my largest distaste came from the authors outdated and intolerant use of words and insults like 'paki, poof, kyke' etc to hamfistedly show 'banter' between characters that feels out of place when it appears and just trying too hard to be 'real world working class' instead coming off as bigoted when they appear.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews