I Am Already Dead

by David Whish-Wilson

" Trainee private investigator Lee Southern finds himself drawn into a web of danger and deceit as he investigates a series of bribery attempts targeting a wealthy entrepreneur. Under the expert tutelage of retiring PI Frank Swann, Lee uses all of his developing skills, instincts and cunning to get to the heart of a sordid mystery. As Lee delves deeper into the case and questions the intentions of those he's working for, he finds himself the target of increasingly ominous threats and several attempts on his life.

David Whish-Wilson' s I Am Already Dead is a gripping and high-paced noir novel. This will keep fans of True West on the edge of their seat.

"

Genres: Mystery, Crime

322 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 3, 2023

About the author

David Whish-Wilson is the author of eleven novels and three creative non-fiction books. He was born in Newcastle, NSW but raised in Singapore, Victoria and WA. He left Australia aged eighteen to live for a decade in Europe, Africa and Asia, where he worked as a barman, actor, streetseller, petty criminal, labourer, exterminator, factory worker, gardener, clerk, travel agent, teacher and drug trial guinea pig.

David is the author of four novels in the Frank Swann crime series and two in the Lee Southern series, two of which have been shortlisted for Ned Kelly Awards. David wrote the Perth book in the NewSouth Books city series, which was shortlisted for a WA Premier’s Book Award. His latest novel, Cutler, was shortlisted for a WA Premier's Book Award and the BAD Sydney Danger Award.

He currently lives in Fremantle, WA, with his partner and three kids, and teaches creative writing at Curtin University

Reviews

[Damo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Am Already Dead is the second book to feature private investigator Lee Southern. The book picks up from where True West left off and, it turns out, that not only is Lee very young but he’s street smart and has a definite presence about him. The background behind how and why he’s the man he is today is explained in the rugged True West which took place when he was a raw 17 year old.

Southern is backed/mentored by the soon to retire PI, Frank Swann (Line of Sight, etc. I’d recommend these books to anyone who enjoys gritty hardboiled Aussie crime fiction). While he depends on him to put in a good word for him when picking up jobs, he’s virtually independent of the former hard man of Perth.

Southern is hired to investigate the extortion of a local businessman by a syndicate who hold explicit photos of his young daughter. The photos were taken as part of a previous abduction and chasing down the low-lifes who now hold copies of them drags him and us into the sordid world of paedophilia.

Now, Lee Southern is an extremely interesting character who boasts a number of strings to his bow. When he’s not doing his private investigator gig he also works as a bouncer at a reasonably seedy nightclub. But it’s the care and attention to detail he gives to restoring classic cars in his spare time and coaching boxing for disadvantaged kids at a local gym that gives us a significant peek at his true nature.

It’s the businessman’s fixer who makes contact with Southern each time a new person of interest is identified. They meet, he gets a file, they move on. In the file are details of a man who has a copy of the photo. Southern’s job is to retrieve the photo without the subject becoming aware.

It’s only when a couple of warning shots are fired across Lee’s bow that his seemingly simple job becomes a little more complicated. Shots are fired over his head from a high-powered rifle and then his car is blown up. Lee thought he was conducting a well-conceived mission and had covered his tracks perfectly. It appears things weren’t as well covered up as he first thought.

I Am Dead Already is a tough, no-nonsense crime novel that benefits from two very important factors that ensure it’s a winner. A smart, pragmatic lead character who comes up with thoughtful ways of approaching difficult problems and a brisk, always evolving plot that never gets caught up in meaningless faff that might otherwise distract.

I’m sure I’m not the only one but I couldn’t help but be reminded of Peter Temple’s Jack Irish. The painstaking hours of work Southern puts into his classic car finishing is very reminiscent of Irish working in the cabinetmakers. In both cases the hours spent are used to mull over problems in the case and speak to their approach to investigating a case too.

This is a dark and edgy West Aussie thriller that reinforces David Whish-Wilson’s grip on the modern hardboiled crime novel. There is a richness to the setting descriptions and a delightful spareness to the dialogue which crackles with intensity. It all unfolds without a beat being missed while still delivering a helluva scintillating ending.

[Dave Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Whish-Wilson gets better with every book. This is a cracker crime read so authentic that you can smell the polyfiller used by his main character Lee. Crime fiction has always produced popular female and male authors but in recent times in Aus fiction our fellow female writers have been on a charge, so it was good to hear an authentic male voice singing strongly off the page. But it's not 'blokey' so whatever your sex if you haven't given W-W a try before, you should.

[John Cooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second in Whish-Wilson's Lee Southern series set in Fremantle during the early 90s when the Rose Hotel was still serving middies of beer, not dermal fillers from one of its professional suites. Southern is a complex and moody young tough man with a good heart who divides his time between solving crime, working as a bouncer, and restoring classic cars while most of us are sleeping. As per usual, Wish-Wilson's dialogue is tight, pared-back, and clever in a way that never feels forced. There are shades of Peter Temple here, especially in the scenes where Lee is alone in the night restoring bodywork to a mirror finish. This novel barrels along like a vintage Valiant with a head full of steam. A cracking read.

[Madalene · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read - nice to hear about Frank Swann and his PI in training, Lee Southern.
As I’m in Western Australia, location of the story made it that much more enjoyable.

[Madelaine Dickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book - I think it's David's finest work yet. A page-turner: thought-provoking, fast, frightening, fabulous. Lee Southern is a brilliant character and I can't wait to see what kind of trouble he finds himself in next!

[Dymocks Indooroopilly]

The second TRUE WEST novel is here! Follow Lee Southern in another fabulous gritty Australian noir title as he digs deeper into a burgeoning blackmail mystery. You’ll be on the edge of your seat with these twists and turns!

[Book Clubber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is gritty and edgy Australian noir at its best. Set in Western Australia when mobile phones and the internet were fresh on the scene, its high-stakes plot immerses the reader in a dark world of greed, corruption, blackmail and crime. Loyalties are divided and trust is tested as a training private investigator is brought in by a wealthy entrepreneur to retrieve photos that were taken of his daughter when she was abducted as a child that are being used to bribe him. That private investigator is Lee Southern, a likeable character we’d all want in our corner. He’s brave, tough, worldly and charismatic. A good-hearted ‘bad boy’. And only 23 years old! When I read that, my first thought was that it didn’t feel believable. My second thought was that perhaps this character was being pegged for a long-running series of books. I was on the money. Turns out this is the second book in this new series and he was just 17 in the first book, which I’m now eager to read.

Between his jobs as a bouncer, a panel beater and a private investigator, Southern has a lot going on. This tripped me up once or twice in the beginning as I tried to keep track of the different characters and their connection to him while the story was building.

Crime thrillers are best served pacy and intense with explosive finales. Tick! Tick! Tick! The ending left me breathless with its fast and furious plot twists and bombshells. As an Aussie reader, I enjoyed the nineties scene setting and the big personalities, especially the kick-ass women.

Southern’s set of unique skills and fascinating background make him an exciting protagonist. One I’ll happily follow into future adventures.

[Jay Dwight · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Enjoyable read.

Set in Perth, the story follows private investigator in training Lee Southern.

Lee is called in to retrieve compromising photos for wealthy entrepreneur Paul Enright. The photos are of Enright's young daughters, so we're in the murky world of paedophiles.

Plenty of surprising turns along the path of the narrative.

[Joy Norman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I m aware of a lot of places that are talked about. It’s interesting however not enough for me to read any more of his books. The amount of characters is confusing at times I’m glad I’ve read it as read his first book true west.

[Nora Nora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent book.
There are a lot of characters though and I could not keep track of all of them, maybe the author is planning a series?

[Sherryl Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this although (for once) I did guess what was really going on.

[Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

with a 1/2
Another good fast engrossing read by this engaging author.
A many thanks for a book that was kept at 300pp !

[E · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Osman Raidhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the first half of the story a little boring and slow, however it picks up and ends on a great twist.

[Libby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half stars

[Louise Obbes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very dark ,not lightened by any humour.
The setting in Perth at that era was well done. I remember it well as I lived through it

[Anneb]

That was a beaut.

[Tim Bolland]

Thoroughly enjoyed, as someone who clubbed in Northbridge in the 90s the early chapters bought a real nostalgia. The plot was great. Lee makes foe a great lead character.