"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