Secret Dead Men is an engagingly quirky fantasy/mystery by Duane Swierczynski. Originally released in 2005, this reformat and re-release from Titan Books came out 1st Oct 2024, is 320 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout.

Instead of a seedy walk up office downtown, PI Del has a hotel inside his brain which houses a collection of conscious souls which he's collected. His main purpose at the moment is to chase down and dismantle The Association which was responsible for his own trip into discorporeal inconvenience.

The writing is, frankly, solid. It's action driven, but also full of well rendered three dimensional characters (including a stoner thief who comes out to hotwire the occasional getaway car, lots of criminals, and a few psychopaths). The plot is well constructed with a nice mystery which works very well given the intricate and creative world building.

It's not at all derivative, but there are glimpses of Philip K. Dick, Chuck Wendig, Stross, and even a bit of Joe Lansdale in the mix. There are moments of levity, although it's not primarily a humorous book, and there's over the top violence throughout.

Four stars. Well written, workable plot, nice mystery, solid characters.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I have to start out by saying that I am a big fan of Duane Swierczynski. I have read most of his (non-graphic novel) books, so I know what to expect: weird situations, pulp-ish fiction and action, lots of violence, a touch of the supernatural, and a direction that I absolutely did not see the book taking. “Secret Dead Men” definitely fulfills these expectations, although not as well as his other books, and a fan could tell that this was an earlier work (actually his first novel) as Mr. Swierczynski was still finding his style.

Del Farmer was an investigative journalist out in Las Vegas, writing an exposé about The Association, a group of bad guys doing bad things. Unfortunately for Del, he got a little too close and had to be killed… but that’s where the story begins. Del becomes a soul collector, grabbing souls from recently killed bodies and collecting them in a “hotel” inside his mind. These souls are chosen to help him get to the heart of the Association, to find the leader, to avenge his death. His latest acquisition is a turncoat in the witness protection program who may hold the key to the Association, but this guy won’t cooperate until Del solves his and his wife’s murder.

So off we go, chasing hitmen. But someone is trying to kill Del (with his new face), the souls in his head are getting restless and rebellious, an FBI agent’s soul is able to come and go as he pleases (something new to Del), and a bodyguard duty for a rich guy’s mistress may be linked to the whole mess. Can Del solve his problems, both internal and external, and get his revenge for his murder?

I must admit that the first half of the book had me hooked and racing through the chapters. But the ending was a bit of a mess, I couldn’t keep straight the aliases and false names and secret identities, all of which were jumping from body to body. Unfortunately in the end you didn’t really care who was who, you just tried to get through it.

I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Titan Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

Secret Dead Man is a speculative detective story in the urban fantasy/superhero vein.
It's funny, I went in without knowing the author, but quickly thought it was strange how much it read like a comic book. No wonder, Swierczynski is a Deadpool and other big licence writer.

The book is quick and light, a bit silly in parts, a bit gritty comic with morally grey characters in others. Lots of action and quick Pulpe Fiction-type scenes.
There were a few things that made me a little uncomfortable - that's where we see this is a 2004 book, like the main character has no problem with keeping a prostitute soul around so she can keep doing what she did in life... for all eternity? What the hell? How evil is that? Why isn't she treated like the other people but as part of the hero's decor - a "service" to other souls? That definitely felt icky.
The main character is an ass, which I think is supposed to help with the humour, but felt a little too heavy-handed.

Then again, I quickly realised I wasn't the target for the book. I think people who like large licence American comics with enjoy it (think DareDevil / Legion/Deadpool) - I'm more an indie graphic novel and manga type of girl so I wasn't as enthused as I thought I would be when I read the blurb.

Have you ever read a noir or pulpy novel or seen a show with those vibes and tried searching and searching to find something that captures it? Well I have and I have to say that Swierczynski’s Secret Dead Men is perfect for me. It’s a touch of Philip K. Dick, a touch of Jim Butcher and yet something completely original.

I actually loved Del and the world he lives in. It’s a really interesting concept to have a private eye who has souls or ghosts that they collect to help solve cases and I can honestly say I loved every minute of it. It’s fast-paced, witty, smart and has just the right amount of noir and supernatural that neither cancels out the other. I honestly didn’t know I needed supernatural noir in my life but now I’m hoping we get more for Del Farmer in the future because it’s safe to say I’m hooked.

As always thank you to Titan Books and Netgalley for my copy. My review is always honest and truthful.

Thank you Netgalley & Titan Books for an eARC ♥️

Del Farmer's life is a real mess. He's a soul collector, which is weird enough, but things get crazy when his latest "collection," Brad Larsen, might just hold the key to taking down the notorious Association - the organization that's been making his life hell.
Too bad his life doesn't do simple. An FBI agent, stuck in a time loop, is toying with him, making it impossible to know what's real and what's not. A mysterious couple's got a hit out on him, and his babysitting gig's spiraling into chaos. Yeah, you read that right - babysitting. It's not exactly his dream job, but it pays the bills.
What started as an easy paycheck turned into a twisted ride through deceit, identity crises, and dingy apartments. The kid's parents are shady, the kid's got issues, and Del's got his own demons to deal with. And don't even get him started on the ghosts from his past. Literally. They're stuck in his head, haunting him.
Duane Swierczynski masterfully weaves a gritty, addictive tale that'll keep you hooked. Join Del on his wild ride, but buckle up – it's gonna get bumpy. With its dark humor, twisted plot, and non-stop action, this book's a thrill ride from start to finish.
Five stars, hands down👍🏽

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

"A smart-talking supernatural noir, full of twists and turns, delivered at a whipalong pace about a dead investigative-journalist-turned-soul-collector on the trail of his nemesis - nd murderer. Perfect for fans of Ben Aaranovitch and Richard Kadrey.

Del Farmer isn't your ordinary hardboiled private eye. Instead of collecting fingerprints or clues, he collects souls of the recently dead. His latest dead guy, Brad Larsen, might just be the key to destroying Farmer's long-time nemesis, The Association.

Of course, Farmer is sadly mistaken. An FBI agent unstuck in time is toying with him. A mysterious couple keeps trying to kill him. Another job - a mundane babysitting gig that pays the bills - is threatening to steer him way off course into a violent hell of sexual deceit, fractured identities, and cheap apartment toilets.

With only a head packed full of nagging ghosts, Farmer realises this case might just drive him out of his mind, literally."

A violent hell of sexual deceit? Isn't that the definition of Noir?

Secret Dead Men is a fast-paced supernatural noir where soul-collecting PI Del Farmer hunts for his nemesis. Full of snarky dialogue and wild twists, it's a fun and chaotic ride. Four stars!

I've read only a handful of Duane Swierczynski's novels. Between his Charlie Hardie series and this year's novel, California Bear, I'm a little familiar with Swierczynski's work. With Secret Dead Men, which is his first novel, I really enjoyed the world and the story of a soul collector who is on the hunt to solve a murder. The vast array of characters made this story more enjoyable. Most books I have read in the past, I tend to get lost in the shuffle of too many characters in one story. In this one, I didn't have that issue.

The story was fast paced. I never felt a lull while reading. For a first novel, this was a great story. As I've read the most recent stories from Duane Swierczynski, he definitely has improved his writing craft. I overall enjoyed Secret Dead Men, a solid debut.

I have a few Swierczynski books and I've enjoyed them all. This is another great one from him. The concept is incredible with all the soul swapping and it really works well, if not a bit confusing at times. It's a nice mixture of sci-fi and detective mystery with really fun characters saying very fun dialog. Highly enjoyable.

Duane Swierczynski's work seems to have figured out what a pulp novel should look like in the 21st Century -- lurid, lean, and propulsive. This book -- his first, reissued -- is a huge swing at the PI novel via Philip K Dick. It's amazing as a first effort, but not a complete success; he throws out a lot of cards in the first half, and doesn't put them all in a satisfying order in the second. Rules and logic are loose, the mystery isn't completely satisfying or even as mind blowing as might be hoped, and the protagonist is a little too dumb for my needs with this kind of story.

That said? It's a terrific read. All of Swierczynski's talents are on display, in protean form. If I didn't know how much better his work would get, I would have been even more impressed.

I absolutely loved Swierczynski’s Charlie Hardie series, beginning with Fun and Games, so I was excited to dive into this new world that seemed to be made from the same noirish cloth, but a cloth that’s been turned into a superhero’s cape. And I was not disappointed! Incredible action, nail-biting suspense, twists and turns, and above all HEART. This book had it all. And I can’t wait for whatever comes next!

I read most of Swierczynski early works, was a big fan but somehow missed this one. Lots of mad cap hi-jinx, lots of swapping of souls, so much so it was occasionally hard to work out whose soul was whose. Del Farmer was once a PI, but now he is a Soul Collector trying to solve several murders in the hope that will gain the upper hand in his fight to destroy an evil organization known as The Association.
Lots of snarky dialogue, lots of sudden twists.
Not a book you can take seriously, but one that is a lot of fun.
3.5 Stars