Death Most Definite (2010)

Sex :
Violence :
Author Trent Jamieson
Publisher Orbit (an imprint of Hachette Australia)
Length 372 pages
Genre Death
Blurb Ready or not – you've got to run, even to Hell and back.
Country

Disclaimer: Please note this review reflects the opinion of the team at ScaryMinds and should in no way be construed as representing the views of the AHWA Shadows Award Judges. This review is for the edification of ScaryMinds readers and does not constitute a “literary criticism” or any other criteria the Shadows Judging panel may take this year.

While I'm personally involved in the Shadows Awards this year I would point out that my review following in no way reflects my opinion of the source material from an Awards perspective.

Review

“But we've already bonded over your porn collection” - Lissa

Death Most Definite is the first of a trilogy of books dealing with the trials and tribulations of Steven de Selby, a dude who's business and life revolve around death. Hachette Australia are taking one hell of a risk here investing in a relatively unknown writer to the tune of three books, which by the way is why ScaryMinds simply love Hachette. The Publisher is giving an opening to some great new talent, long may it continue. The single most asked question I get with a new Author is “who does he/she write like that I may have read”. A really dumb question kids, I have no idea who the hell individual readers might be familiar with. For mine Trent Jamieson writes like Shaun Hutson on speed, and if you are unaware of Hutson then do a google. Okay with that out of the way let's hit the printed page.

Steven de Selby has a hangover of epic proportions and simply wants to score something to eat in a Brisbane mall. The day isn't going to improve for Steven as someone begins shooting at him. Thankfully he's guided out of harms way by a dead girl. While you or I might take a double look at anyone dead, helpful or not, Steven is quite used to aberrations, he is a Psychopomp (pomp) after all. A pomp is someone who guides the recently dead to the underworld. Oh and who keeps the demons, Stirrers in de Selby world, from inhabiting dead bodies. It pays the rent okay!

Suddenly Steven finds his ever increasing workload involves colleagues, friends, and family members. To make matter worse Stirrers are taking up residence in the deceased in increasing numbers while the pomp workforce is being downsized in the most gruesome fashion. Can Steven, with the help of Lissa, the dead girl, and an unlikely group of associates find his boss Mr. D and avert what looks like a regional apocalypse from happening. The world hangs in the balance and Steven might just have to hit Hades to find the answers he needs.

Has Jamieson created the next big trilogy, get in on the ground floor and find out, I'm saying hell yes!

In Death Most Definite, the first of the “Death Work” trilogy, Trent Jamieson cranks up the pace and presents a novel that works at break neck speed. I actually got whip lash reading the book and finished it off in two days of high excitement. Simply the best novel to come out of Australia dealing with the complex nature of death and the here after. Jamieson adds a new spin to the whole concept and keeps things rocketing along in a light hearted manner. You get your gruesome and your grins in equally doses between the covers of this novel. Initially I was going to go with a whole “penny dreadful” spin on the book, but that would be to undersell Jamieson's talent as a writer. The book appears simple but is actually well crafted and paced to perfection.

Steven de Selby our narrator, yes it's a first person perspective from Steven, fits the role of accidental hero as he faces the very gates of hell opening and the real threat of Australia having it's own individual apocalypse. For Steven the business of death, Jamieson pretty much smooths the edges of dying into the corporate world, is a way to make a living and something he does because his family have pretty much always been in the business. While Steven can see dead people, it's all pretty much a mundane 9 to 5 gig. Naturally come the day come the man, though Steven is kind of dragged kicking and screaming into the role. Trent Jamieson with Steven has created one of the great dark genre characters, as readers we simply have to get the next book in the series to see if Steven will continue to rise to the occasion or will inevitably revert to being a part time drunk with a line in overdue DVDs. It's engrossing stuff and you are going to be entertained from the first to last page with Steven's views on life and his haphazard approach to surviving.

What Jamieson does in Death Most Definite is set up the major characters in the trilogy, seemingly effortlessly, add some local flavour from the Brisbane environs with minor characters, and give the reader a roller coaster ride of mayhem and destruction. Slight digression, is this the first major dark genre series based in the Queensland capital? I'm certainly looking forward to the next novel in the series, Managing Death, to see how Steven and crew pick up the shattered pieces and right the ship. Of course with something dark and titanic coming ever nearer, echoes of Lovecraft's elder gods? - things might get a tad more hectic than simply sweeping through the ashes of a failed corporate take over. Jamieson simply has a wonderful imagination and I for one will be expecting the unexpected.

Guess I've said all I got to say about this novel as I'm out of space. I had a real fun time between the covers and grooved to Steven de Selby, his friends, and those arrayed against them. I got a lot of unexpected twists and turns as the plot unfolded and was glued to Trent Jamieson's prose from the first line of the novel. If some enterprising television Exec wants a series to rival Supernatural then they need look no further, a 13 part three season “Death Works” dramatisation would rock the house down in my feeble opinion. Yes Jamieson writes with a visual flare that will keep you locked and loaded on the page. Jamieson has launched a series that will become very important to the Australian dark genre scene, a major new talent, dial into the series today you wont regret it. Full recommendation, hit that funky beat and definitely book a date with death.

Trent Jamieson has a blog up and running right here, (WordPress excellent choice of software). Dig on in for all the Author info you can handle friends and neighbours. Hachette naturally have the book details online and a sneak peak available, click through. Finally as the saying goes, Death Most Definite is available from all good bookshops. If not stocked down your local then demand they order it in.

ScaryMinds Rates this read as ...

  A murderously sensation debut novel that promises an engrossing trilogy.