Secret Dead Men

by Duane Swierczynski

Detective Del Farmer is investigating a murder. But the usual suspects are all in his head. "Believe in nothing, believe in Hell, believe in the Brain Hotel... Secret Dead Men is the most inventive, uplifting, hilarious, moving novel since Catcher in the Rye" -- Ken Bruen 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 longtime nemesis, The Association. Of course, Farmer is sadly mistaken. Larsen isn't offering up the goods. 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.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Noir, Supernatural, Science Fiction, Fantasy

198 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Duane Swierczynski is an American crime writer who has written a number of non-fiction books, novels and also writes for comic books.

Reviews

[Still · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another outstanding thriller by Duane Swierczynski .
Originally published in 2004, it's a two-fisted tale of a soul collector and investigator out to take on the criminal organization he knows as the Association in the American Bicentennial year 1976.

Our hero, Del Farmer is not only a soul collector but he's also a soul jumper. He can stare into your eyes and steal your soul from you. Your body becomes his "ride" and he rules what he rides. Meanwhile, you'll be stowed away in Farmer's "Brain Hotel" where you can hang out with bartender Tom in the "Brain Hotel" lounge and drink "Brain Gin" and "Brain Scotch".
Or you can slip into the big screen theater and watch the world through the eyes of Del Farmer-as-you or any mainstream movie you can recall released prior to 1976.
Look, this entire thing is so Philip K. Dickian it's ridiculous as hell and ridiculously great fun as well.

I thought I owned all of Duane Swierczynski's novels until I read a recent review by Goodreads friend Josh. Had to order a copy.

Recommended!

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Secret Dead Men is a humorous headcase of hard-boiled crime fiction which contains just as much funny business as it does killing business.

There's toilet humor, hostile takeovers (not even pets are safe), dames, and mysteries from the future which largely remain unexplained and unaccounted. All elements combine to make for an enjoyable out of body reading experience which, once you get over the disorientation and complexities associated with each of the characters, is a fun ride to the finish line.

Certainly one of the more ambitious and diverse books written by Duane Swierczynski; equally creative as it is captivating.

My rating: 5 stars. Just as much fun, if not moreso, the second time 'round.

[Gram · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was fine with this book until the last 50 pages when the plot seemed to go haywire. It's a mystery thriller like no other since it involves a private eye, Del Farmer, who collects souls. Inside Del is his "Brain Hotel" where a dozen or so of the souls he's collected are stored. Not your usual private eye story I think you'll agree.

A former investigative reporter, Del has set out to destroy his nemesis which he has named "The Association". Del was working on exposing said association when he was murdered and his soul was "collected" by Robert who coached Del in the collecting of souls before Del went out on his own.

For most of the 190 pages, this is a great tale, but the last few chapters confused the hell out of me. I was going to give it 2 stars but added the extra one because the author isn't afraid to break the barriers of your average mystery/thriller.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting that out of all of Duane Swierczynski's books, I read his first one last. And it was a fun read, a mash-up of private eye noir, metaphysical rationalism, and revenge-killing thriller.
Looking forward to the author's new books!

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I stumbled on this book in the library a detective story with some fantasy. A man in search of justice while also collecting souls for information, keeping these souls nicely cared for in his mind. As the search continues he is somehow deceived and made to look at his situation in a whole different perspective. I was entertained but it wasn’t an amazing story it had a steady pace of mystery but after a while things got weird. Way weirder than I thought and couldn’t understand if it was real or not. Because I don’t feel like it needed to be added and kinda messed up the story for me. Overall a good palate cleanser of something new for me.

[Weldon Burge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Swierczynski never fails to impress me with his clever, twisty plots and fascinating characters. Secret Dead Men is no exception. While keeping track of the many characters was difficult at times, the complexity made the story that much more interesting. As usual, the action keeps you flipping pages.

[Paul Eckert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Del Farmer was an investigative reporter. He's dead now, but that doesn't stop him from trying to get vengeance on the elusive crime organization responsible for his death. He was absorbed into the mind of someone who has the ability to collect souls after their physical body has died, and now that person has given him control of the body he inhabited. Now Del maintains his own "Brain Hotel," a collection of souls he has picked up over time to help him bring down the Association.

This is not your typical hardboiled crime plot, and that's part of what makes it so much fun. Swierczynski doesn't waste time having his narrator explain how all the supernatural elements in Secret Dead Men work. He just admits he has no idea how it works, and he gets back to the story.

Secret Dead Men has everything that you'd want in a crime novel - turncoats, double agents, backstabbing, tough-as-nails detectives - but this time they're all contained within one person. Add in a not-so-suave investigative reporter, a being that exists outside time and space, and all the soul/body swapping you could ask for, and you've got Secret Dead Men.

For a book to really be compelling, it needs to bring the reader inside a new world. The idea of Del's Brain Hotel and the soul swapping is what made the difference in this story. The plot is compelling as well - though Del's main motivation gets dropped rather quickly, though luckily it's explained why later in the story.

Secret Dead Men is a unique blend of supernatural powers, hardboiled crime, and humor. Swierczynski is never one to take his story too seriously, and that's what keeps his stories fun. There is an implicit B-movie absurdness in everything he writes, but B-movie material in the hands of a skilled writer makes for a lot of fun.

[zxvasdf · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can tell it's the author's first book, but you can't help but be drawn in. It's one of these books that are almost clumsy, but the sheer amount of imagination holds you on.

I want, no, NEED a brain hotel. This innovation allows the protagonist to store the souls he collects. Inside the brain hotel, anything is possible, limited by each soul's imagination. They are allowed to craft their own reality in their quarters, with the expectation that they will contribute with information whenever the proprietor of the hotel, in this case, Del Farmer, calls upon them.

Kinda like Inception, only with dead bodies. It gets really crazy near the end, and the coincidences that abound are resolved into a strange mess that only Swierczynski could dream up. A genuine and enjoyable read that showcases the beginning of one of the literary world's rising stars.

[Rob Kitchin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Secret Dead Men was Swierczynski’s debut novel. Its start is somewhat ponderous and hesitant, the prose a little flat, before picking up. My suspicion is that there was no easy way to open the story given the concept at its core. Swierczynski has one hell of an imagination and taking a novice and immersing her/him in the world as he’s conceived it, and to believe and go along with that world, takes a lot of skill. He manages to pull it off and after the first two dozen pages the story is zipping along. The jumping between bodies, false identities and double crossing demands a certain attention to the plot, but it’s well worth it. Secret Dead Men is a blast of a read and the most imaginatively conceived crime novel I’ve read in ages, possibly ever. The story twists and turns its way toward a dramatic conclusion. A complete head-wrecker of a novel. Wonderful stuff.

[LJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

SECRET DEAD MEN (Soul Catcher-Philadelphia-Cont) – VG
Duane Swierczynski – 1st mystery
PointBlank, 2005- Hardcover
Del Farmer is a detective with a difference. He solves crimes by collecting souls and keeping them in the Brain Hotel within him. While he is trying to track down and destroy The Association, one of his souls, Brad, demands Del find the killer of Brad's wife first. But Del has the most trouble when trying to solve a crime becomes a struggle for control from within.
*** This is a book that is different, fun, and unusual. I found having a little trouble keeping track of the characters at times, but enjoyed the writing, mix of characters and unique concept behind it all. A very enjoyable read.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Secret Dead Men was a fun, pulpy read, and maybe the anti-Fallen (the movie starring Denzel Washington & John Goodman). I have some questions on what was fueling this, but like the characters perhaps I don't want to delve too far into it.

[Joel Krause · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, fast and unexpected. Amazing.

[S S · Rating 3 out of 5]

A crime fiction novel that definitely met the expectation for 'crime' but fell a bit short of the 'humor' that it seemed like would be present (based on the 'back of book' blurbs and very many somewhat misleading internet/phone app ads that I kept coming across). And, towards the end, when things should come together - this story sort of takes the opposite route, with things going absolutely haywire and us changing bodies so quickly that you almost walk away with reading-induced whiplash. That's not to say the storylines don't wrap up - they do. But after numerous chapters of backstory and build-up, it feels like one of those movies where they realized "oh crap, we only have 5 minutes left to wrap up all the storylines" and so thinks just come at you at breakneck speed.

From a low-power view, it's a fascinating premise. Our protagonist collects souls of the recently deceased (mostly); however, he's also a detective looking to find and put an end to 'The Association,' which apparently put an end to his original life. A lot of this isn't really explored or explained - why his soul was collected; why (and how) some folks can collect souls of others; why he is able to get by only collecting some souls (especially when so many people are dying); why it is possible to soul switch with other living folks. Towards the end, I guess there is a bit of explanation about why he thought this 'Brad Larsen' character's soul was "the answer" for all his The Association-related questions, but honestly, that's in the midst of like "5 bodies in 5 pages," so your brain is such a mess that it is hard to keep track of it all. And the final reveal of The Association just seems to come-and-go as if it is a ho-hum thing and not the entire premise that was making this character, and this story, go.

The soul/body jumping and the collecting (and return) of souls from non-dead bodies are hectic, but even more hectic is how quickly the story just jumps to another gear of absurdity. There's little progress made this entire time towards the whole The Association storyline - just some background references to him trying to study his notes but drawing blanks - as we instead focus on a couple of other subplots (that obviously all tie together at the end). Until the end, when suddenly everything is happening. All at once. All over the place. Then you throw in an unstuck-in-time soul, various people who are not who they say they are, and even some sort of soul-containing android?, and it just becomes a lot. A story that needed more pages and words than it got, at a bare minimum.

The really fascinating concept is the brain hotel - something like Sherlock's mental palace, but if the palace had a bunch of hotel rooms that held the literal souls of people. People who can occasionally "drive" the body, if so permitted; people whose souls our protagonist has collected because he thinks they'll help him get closer to his ultimate goal of finding The Association (whom he thinks is behind his death). I guess it's maybe something Identity-like (that movie from way back when), and it ends up being too good to be true as things progress towards the conclusion. But it is a fascinating concept.

While I did mostly enjoy the absolute creativity that comes with this story and the crime fiction - especially the thought that must've gone into plotting this all out and making sure it mostly makes sense - and how ridiculous it could've been to keep everything straight (especially when the soul jumping begins), I think the ending just became too much and, as a result, came off a bit flat. The motivations don't necessarily become muddled, but they're at least a bit foggy and you're left wondering why a lot of this (all of this?) happened. I mean, maybe it is all just "you reap what you sow" or something to the effect of Del manifesting everything that happens by essentially putting things into motion himself (without even realizing it), but it just felt a bit disjointed at the end.

[Michael Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was Duane’s very first novel, first published in 2004, but I didn’t discover it until after I had read a couple of his early noir crime novels, Revolver and The Wheelman, which hooked me on his idiosyncratic style. Secret Dead Men is very different from his later work; organized crime but the structure of the story is strongly science fictional, and he pulls off the genre-bending very successfully. This new 20th anniversary edition has been reworked and heavily reedited in the light of two decades of subsequent writing experience, and the narrative is much smoother that I remember.

The protagonist, if you can call him that, is Del Farmer, and he’s literally a dead man walking. Five years Ago, he was an investigative journalist working a story about a criminal organization based in Las Vegas, but the people was looking into took it poorly an ha him blown up. Now he’s a collector of other souls and he’s still investigating the Bad Guys, but now he’s also out for revenge.

The souls he collects are from other very recently deceased people, preferably those with special knowledge and talents that can aid him in his quest. He learned how to do all this from the guy who originally collected him, by the way. There are apparently quite a few soul collectors around. His little crowd of guests “guests” live in a mental construct inside his own mind -- the Brain Hotel, as he calls it, and he tries to treat the well. (It helps if you think of “soul” and “mind” as the same thing.) Of course, he has a physical body, too, but it’s only borrowed and he can jump to another person’s body by looking into their eyes.

So, Del has been a this for a while now and he’s not making much headway in collecting the intelligence he needs to identify who was behind his own murder. But things get even more complicated. He’s ben masquerading as an FBI agent and he takes the soul of another agent, who turns out to be a different sort of soul, existing outside of linear time, therefore very powerful and impossible for Del to control. And he has his own agenda.

It’s all highly original, especially for a first novel, and Duane has a knack for snarky observations and commentary, I recommend all the novels he’s written, actually, a couple which have been nominated for Edgars. (I’ll pass on his superhero graphic fiction, though,) Oh, and don’t forget to read the Author’s Note at the end. This is an author who always has a last surprise to throw at you.

[Darius Ostrowski · Rating 2 out of 5]

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!

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

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.

[Heather Warner · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 stars*. Very interesting take on the hard-boiled detective murder mystery novel. This book is fast-paced and full of humor and a bit of philosophy as Detective Del Farmer tries to figure out what is going on and how to get to the group that he thinks is responsible for his predicament. It does get a bit convoluted in the last third or so of the story and the ending was confusing in my opinion. But overall it is an entertaining read! No one does the “weird humorous hard-boiled detective” better than Duane Swierczynski!

(From the book blurb): “Detective Del Farmer is investigating a murder. But the usual suspects are all in his head. "Believe in nothing, believe in Hell, believe in the Brain Hotel... Secret Dead Men is the most inventive, uplifting, hilarious, moving novel since Catcher in the Rye" -- Ken Bruen. 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 longtime nemesis, The Association. Of course, Farmer is sadly mistaken. Larsen isn't offering up the goods. 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.”

[Opal Edgar · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Titan Books for a copy of Secret Dead Men.

This is a republished & reedited version of Secret Dead Men, Duane Swierczynski’s first novel, and it takes place inside the head of Del Farmer…mostly. Del Farmer is a type of detective, but he collects souls in his so-called ‘Brain Hotel.’ He’s been trying to take down his nemesis, The Association, and he believes his most recent soul-collection is the key to destruction.

This was entertaining! Del being able to jump around living peoples’ heads was very interesting, and this story was simply unique. I think my favorite part about this whole reading experience was Duane’s writing style. This book doesn’t take itself too seriously, y’know? Del was written to have this dry, witty humor, and it really worked for this story!

Agreeing with other reviews, the plot definitely gets a little crazy at the end of book, but that makes it a bit more fun.

This is a good read for anyone who’s into crime-solving and paranormal activities.

[Willie Gillis · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 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.

[Phillip · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

[Joy · Rating 1 out of 5]

for such a,short book.it dragged and was horrible .

The idea,was different and could of been funny. why i took it from the library .all the " reviews" saying its" hilarious "

Bit its not .
Not hilarious
Not funny
Not even a chuckle.
Nkt even data humor.

Just way too many characters real or alias
Drags
More depressing and annoying

Oh and I can't stand Del ...he's not the good guy like scribbler wants you to think as he destroys / steals bodies of innocent peope not involved

[Steven Lawrence Zeitzew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Relentless

Inventive, a new type of relentless adventure from the always relentless and clever Duane Swierczynski. Usually his heroes seem impossible to kill, now being killed doesn’t stop them. Hang on and enjoy the ride

[Matt Daneman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like The Maltese Falcon, this is better enjoyed if the reader doesn't actually care about the plot.

[Lynsey Grant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book was funny in places but got lost a bit towards the end.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 really enjoyed it but the ending was all over the place

[Ayomikun · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really good premise and the first three quarters or so of the book was very enjoyable good but the ending was... alot. Not a bad read though.

[Kaden Fletcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really really good premise. Kind of hard to remember everything, definitely worth a second read

[Rosee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last few chapters really picked up- would be a fire movie I think the visuals might be useful

[Jayme Mowery · Rating 3 out of 5]

the writing in this was fun and the mystery angle was interesting until the 3rd act when everything kinda came apart at the seams and got Confusing.