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London Bones #1
The Secret Dead
Vivia Brisk knows about the dead. She should. She's died enough times.
Vivia is a hag, one of the last of her race, and can die, visit the underworld, and return at will. She loves her job helping London's most vulnerable supernaturals, even if her colleague Malcolm drives her round the bend on a daily basis.
Then Malcolm is outed as a zombie, and along with his teenage son, flees the police. When Malcolm is captured, he is only able to pass on one message before his dead brain degrades completely: 'He killed me.'
When the police find decades-old corpses hidden near Malcolm's home, Vivia begins to realise Malcolm's still-missing son is in a lot more danger than from just a possible zompocalypse...
Vivia is a hag, one of the last of her race, and can die, visit the underworld, and return at will. She loves her job helping London's most vulnerable supernaturals, even if her colleague Malcolm drives her round the bend on a daily basis.
Then Malcolm is outed as a zombie, and along with his teenage son, flees the police. When Malcolm is captured, he is only able to pass on one message before his dead brain degrades completely: 'He killed me.'
When the police find decades-old corpses hidden near Malcolm's home, Vivia begins to realise Malcolm's still-missing son is in a lot more danger than from just a possible zompocalypse...
327 pages, ebook
First published April 10, 2014
69 people are currently reading
613 people want to read
About the author
S.W. Fairbrother
11 books28 followersI am an avid reader whose love of stories and daydreaming couldn't help but spill over into writing. I read almost every genre, but have a special love of fantasy and science fiction. My debut novel, The Secret Dead, was published on 11 April 2014.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
May 19, 2021
The Secret Dead
(London Bones #1)
by S.W. Fairbrother
Wow! What a gem of a book! This has zombies in it and I told myself I had sworn off zombies after about the 800th book but this is nothing like any zombie book I have ever read! The main character is a hag! A real hag! Warts, ugly, death witch. She knows she isn't pretty. She knows she is down right ugly but she performs a service for the cops. In this world, zombies, fairies, shifters, ogres, and such are all real. Vivia, the hag, can go to the underworld and talk with the dead. A real benefit for cops.
This is a mystery in a mystery. But there are layers of other things going on too! The plot is no cosy here! This is one very detailed, well thoughtout extraordinary plan with so many twists and turns! It's amazing! I wasn't sure what I would get going into this book but I was extremely pleased!
Plenty of clues, imaginative fantasy, so unique is the style that I fell in love with it right away! The characters jump right out. There is lots of humor, which I love in a book, but also suspense.
This book kept me guessing about several things up to the very end! I like that I don't know the ending before it gets there! Can't wait to read another by this author!
(London Bones #1)
by S.W. Fairbrother
Wow! What a gem of a book! This has zombies in it and I told myself I had sworn off zombies after about the 800th book but this is nothing like any zombie book I have ever read! The main character is a hag! A real hag! Warts, ugly, death witch. She knows she isn't pretty. She knows she is down right ugly but she performs a service for the cops. In this world, zombies, fairies, shifters, ogres, and such are all real. Vivia, the hag, can go to the underworld and talk with the dead. A real benefit for cops.
This is a mystery in a mystery. But there are layers of other things going on too! The plot is no cosy here! This is one very detailed, well thoughtout extraordinary plan with so many twists and turns! It's amazing! I wasn't sure what I would get going into this book but I was extremely pleased!
Plenty of clues, imaginative fantasy, so unique is the style that I fell in love with it right away! The characters jump right out. There is lots of humor, which I love in a book, but also suspense.
This book kept me guessing about several things up to the very end! I like that I don't know the ending before it gets there! Can't wait to read another by this author!
October 9, 2014
After so many chick-lits, a paranormal novel really sounds so refreshing!
All thanks to the author, S.W.Fairbrother for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is about Vivia, a death hag living in the modern London, who has the ability to die to visit the 'other-side' or rather say underworld, and then return to her present form (How cool that sounds!) She's on a roll to save the world when she finds out that her nosy colleague, Malcolm has turned into a zombie, and eventually Malcolm's son goes missing. Vivia works for a very minimal wage and simultaneously she supports her own family (sounds like some everyday crisis!!)
The author has managed to make this book pretty interesting, filled with strange, colorful and highly imaginative characters like boys who can fly, zombies with their very own police procedural and many other such amazing characters which is definitely the USP of the book. Read it to find it out by yourself.
This book deserves a 5star rating for the author's imaginations. These imaginations are quite unlikely very relatable to the readers. The narration of the whole novel is very beautiful, meaning won't drag you even for a single second. Grab this eBook to get a slice of this paranormal world!!
All thanks to the author, S.W.Fairbrother for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is about Vivia, a death hag living in the modern London, who has the ability to die to visit the 'other-side' or rather say underworld, and then return to her present form (How cool that sounds!) She's on a roll to save the world when she finds out that her nosy colleague, Malcolm has turned into a zombie, and eventually Malcolm's son goes missing. Vivia works for a very minimal wage and simultaneously she supports her own family (sounds like some everyday crisis!!)
The author has managed to make this book pretty interesting, filled with strange, colorful and highly imaginative characters like boys who can fly, zombies with their very own police procedural and many other such amazing characters which is definitely the USP of the book. Read it to find it out by yourself.
This book deserves a 5star rating for the author's imaginations. These imaginations are quite unlikely very relatable to the readers. The narration of the whole novel is very beautiful, meaning won't drag you even for a single second. Grab this eBook to get a slice of this paranormal world!!
July 25, 2014
Vivia is a Hag, born with the ability to die and pass into the underworld (not very magical) and come back (most certainly magical). It has also gifted her with an ancient and, thankfully, absent mother and a sadly harmed sister who she now has to look after
She works for a charity her step father dubs “citizens advice for the supernatural” which is accurate – everyone needs help navigating the legal and bureaucratic mazes of Britain, the hated supernaturals are definitely no exception.
Then one of her colleagues becomes a zombie – and goes on the run. A zombie apocalypse is terrifying enough to lock down the city and Vivia steps up to find her co-worker and his son, going places where the police (and past antipathy with the supernatural) cannot; and uncovering secrets that have been buried a long time.
The first thing I have to praise about this book is the world – an alternate magical London with all kinds of monsters and magic lurking around the corners. But it’s not just a magical London, it’s not just a magical London with overt supernatural; but a London with a MUNDANE supernatural.
This is a London where our protagonist, a Hag, has to take the tube. This is a London where shapeshifters sue for housing discrimination and trolls have to fill out unemployment forms. This is a supernatural London with a department in charge of cleaning up magical leakages. This is a London that deals with zombie outbreaks with police and special forces and lockdowns (which people ignore, of course) and where the zombie virus can be caught as an STD.
It’s a world where the supernatural is part of the mundane, in part if is gritty simply because of the mundanity of it. Not because it’s super grim dark – but because it’s every bit as grim as our reality is – and that’s “grim” not “grimdark”. It isn’t hyper awful with film noir-esque monologues about how terrible everyone is – it’s grim in the sense that the every day can be grim. The grind of daily life, of working a thankless job for an underfunded charity protecting the rights of a much despised group. It’s not easy, there are difficult decisions to be made – and it’s all so very mundane.
And when you can make werehamsters, people with wings and a weresnake orphanage mundane, that takes some extremely good writing.
The magical world is also, as can be guessed, unusual. Shapeshifters come in all kinds of shapes and sizes for all kinds of creatures. We have weresnakes where their snake form is based on the cultural consciousness of the area (so in England largely cobras and giant pythons because that is what we picture when we think “snake”). We have a variety of ghosts in their various afterlives – it’s a really fascinating underworld with some truly excellent concepts – like the ghost who eats constantly in their afterlife because they were starved to death and they’re desperately trying to deal with the trauma of that death. It’s just one element of interesting complexity this world often hints towards – like the ethical conflict over what to do with the zombies; without human flesh they degenerate and rot, a terrible fate. But their bite spreads zombiedom – hence zombie apocalypse and the utter terror . At one time zombies were burned to death which sounds horrific but is also seen as preferable to the rotting alternative – leading to the fascinating conflict of crematoria staff being arrested for burning zombies – when the zombies themselves have sought them out. There’s a lot of conflict around zombies because they are an apocalyptic force – but they’re also victims with lots of difficult moments like family members being subject to arrest for hiding the fact a relative is a zombie.
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She works for a charity her step father dubs “citizens advice for the supernatural” which is accurate – everyone needs help navigating the legal and bureaucratic mazes of Britain, the hated supernaturals are definitely no exception.
Then one of her colleagues becomes a zombie – and goes on the run. A zombie apocalypse is terrifying enough to lock down the city and Vivia steps up to find her co-worker and his son, going places where the police (and past antipathy with the supernatural) cannot; and uncovering secrets that have been buried a long time.
The first thing I have to praise about this book is the world – an alternate magical London with all kinds of monsters and magic lurking around the corners. But it’s not just a magical London, it’s not just a magical London with overt supernatural; but a London with a MUNDANE supernatural.
This is a London where our protagonist, a Hag, has to take the tube. This is a London where shapeshifters sue for housing discrimination and trolls have to fill out unemployment forms. This is a supernatural London with a department in charge of cleaning up magical leakages. This is a London that deals with zombie outbreaks with police and special forces and lockdowns (which people ignore, of course) and where the zombie virus can be caught as an STD.
It’s a world where the supernatural is part of the mundane, in part if is gritty simply because of the mundanity of it. Not because it’s super grim dark – but because it’s every bit as grim as our reality is – and that’s “grim” not “grimdark”. It isn’t hyper awful with film noir-esque monologues about how terrible everyone is – it’s grim in the sense that the every day can be grim. The grind of daily life, of working a thankless job for an underfunded charity protecting the rights of a much despised group. It’s not easy, there are difficult decisions to be made – and it’s all so very mundane.
And when you can make werehamsters, people with wings and a weresnake orphanage mundane, that takes some extremely good writing.
The magical world is also, as can be guessed, unusual. Shapeshifters come in all kinds of shapes and sizes for all kinds of creatures. We have weresnakes where their snake form is based on the cultural consciousness of the area (so in England largely cobras and giant pythons because that is what we picture when we think “snake”). We have a variety of ghosts in their various afterlives – it’s a really fascinating underworld with some truly excellent concepts – like the ghost who eats constantly in their afterlife because they were starved to death and they’re desperately trying to deal with the trauma of that death. It’s just one element of interesting complexity this world often hints towards – like the ethical conflict over what to do with the zombies; without human flesh they degenerate and rot, a terrible fate. But their bite spreads zombiedom – hence zombie apocalypse and the utter terror . At one time zombies were burned to death which sounds horrific but is also seen as preferable to the rotting alternative – leading to the fascinating conflict of crematoria staff being arrested for burning zombies – when the zombies themselves have sought them out. There’s a lot of conflict around zombies because they are an apocalyptic force – but they’re also victims with lots of difficult moments like family members being subject to arrest for hiding the fact a relative is a zombie.
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March 20, 2015
You can find this review and more on my blog
Did I mention that I love discovering new exciting series to read? It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, because I know that I still have several more books to spend exploring this new world. The Secret Dead is one of those books. It's the first one in the London Bones series and it's a very strong beginning of what promises to be an excellent series.
SW Fairbrother has created a very complex world where the supernatural has coexisted with the "natural" for centuries (or maybe even from the beginning, it's not quite clear). So everybody considers this as a natural order of things, even though conflicts still arise between different factions. There are laws and regulations in place to facilitate interactions between normal people and supernatural people, though some are better enforced then others.
And of course, there is the small matter of the necroambulation virus that turns people into flesh-hungry zombies after they die. 98% of those who contract it (either via a bite from a zombie or via sexual contact, like an STD) die within 24 hours, then they reanimate and unless they keep consuming human flesh, they slowly lose their mind and become nothing but rotting shambling corpses. The other 2% survive and become carriers and live the rest of their lives knowing that they will turn zombie as soon as they die. There is no cure.
What I like about this new take on zombies is that in this world this virus has existed for generations, and society has tried (and often discarded) several different ways of dealing with it, including burning their newly zombified neighbors in their homes along with all their families. This option was later discarded for being too barbaric. Now the zombies are just thrown into a huge underground pit to rot in the dark, which isn't a much better solution, one might argue…
Anyway, this whole situation creates a wonderfully complex world that I absolutely loved exploring. And I also loved the protagonist because she is so not the typical female heroine that we so often see in this genre. Vivia Brisk is a hag, a death witch who can travel the world of the dead at will. Problem is, her body dies every time she does that, so she comes back to a more or less advanced state of decomposition, depending on how much time she spent in the Underworld. And even without that unfortunate side effect of her abilities, she is no beauty even in the best of days.
But despite of that, she is a very engaging character that I enjoyed following. Despite a rather gloomy family situation and not particularly sunny future prospects, she never feels sorry for herself, never whines or moans or wallows in self-pity. She goes on with her life, trying to do her best with the cards she's been dealt, and I can't help but respect her for that…
My only complaint, and the reason this book got 4 stars instead of 5, is that the ending feels rushed. After a slow and steady build-up of the rest of the book, everything is sort of jammed in the last 20 pages or so. And it ends in a huge cliffhanger. But I didn't even mind the cliffhanger that much because I am getting the next book in the series anyway.
So in case you haven't yet noticed from the glowing review above, yes, I definitely recommend this book. Buy it, read it, enjoy it!
Did I mention that I love discovering new exciting series to read? It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, because I know that I still have several more books to spend exploring this new world. The Secret Dead is one of those books. It's the first one in the London Bones series and it's a very strong beginning of what promises to be an excellent series.
SW Fairbrother has created a very complex world where the supernatural has coexisted with the "natural" for centuries (or maybe even from the beginning, it's not quite clear). So everybody considers this as a natural order of things, even though conflicts still arise between different factions. There are laws and regulations in place to facilitate interactions between normal people and supernatural people, though some are better enforced then others.
And of course, there is the small matter of the necroambulation virus that turns people into flesh-hungry zombies after they die. 98% of those who contract it (either via a bite from a zombie or via sexual contact, like an STD) die within 24 hours, then they reanimate and unless they keep consuming human flesh, they slowly lose their mind and become nothing but rotting shambling corpses. The other 2% survive and become carriers and live the rest of their lives knowing that they will turn zombie as soon as they die. There is no cure.
What I like about this new take on zombies is that in this world this virus has existed for generations, and society has tried (and often discarded) several different ways of dealing with it, including burning their newly zombified neighbors in their homes along with all their families. This option was later discarded for being too barbaric. Now the zombies are just thrown into a huge underground pit to rot in the dark, which isn't a much better solution, one might argue…
Anyway, this whole situation creates a wonderfully complex world that I absolutely loved exploring. And I also loved the protagonist because she is so not the typical female heroine that we so often see in this genre. Vivia Brisk is a hag, a death witch who can travel the world of the dead at will. Problem is, her body dies every time she does that, so she comes back to a more or less advanced state of decomposition, depending on how much time she spent in the Underworld. And even without that unfortunate side effect of her abilities, she is no beauty even in the best of days.
But despite of that, she is a very engaging character that I enjoyed following. Despite a rather gloomy family situation and not particularly sunny future prospects, she never feels sorry for herself, never whines or moans or wallows in self-pity. She goes on with her life, trying to do her best with the cards she's been dealt, and I can't help but respect her for that…
My only complaint, and the reason this book got 4 stars instead of 5, is that the ending feels rushed. After a slow and steady build-up of the rest of the book, everything is sort of jammed in the last 20 pages or so. And it ends in a huge cliffhanger. But I didn't even mind the cliffhanger that much because I am getting the next book in the series anyway.
So in case you haven't yet noticed from the glowing review above, yes, I definitely recommend this book. Buy it, read it, enjoy it!
January 11, 2016
This book was such a wonderful surprise for me. The intrigue had me gripped, and of course I enjoyed the paranormal nature of it. There's a lot to keep track of, since not only is it a mystery, but there are two worlds and any number of non-humans to recall. So if you're looking for an easy read, this isn't the book for you, but if you're in the mood for schemes, magic, solid characters, and twists, have at it!
The writing was engaging and well done. There was just the right amount of description, and everything felt very real. The author must have spent a lot of time making sure that she had a grip on how everything in the world would work, from how things would smell to how one would feel after coming back from the dead. I can't say much about typos and things like that because it's written in England with their grammar and spelling, so I'm not always sure what might be an error and what might be a simple difference of rules. I admit that at times the difference did throw me, but I just held on and enjoyed the ride. The ONLY complaint I had is that it ends on kind of a cliff hanger. The main story is more or less wound up, but there's still a very big sort of side issue that needs to be resolved. Lucky for us, book two is now available! Since book one is free (as of this posting, and also back when I downloaded it), I have no qualms about spending $4.99 on the continuation.
My favorite (other) thing about The Secret Dead is that our heroine is a Hag. She's not pretty. In so many books, the girl doesn't think she's pretty, but of course ever man she walks by thinks she's the most amazing 'thing' he's ever seen. We've had enough of that, ladies and gentlemen. This Hag is truly not pretty, but she cares about people, she uses her brain, and she's making the world a better place. I love it! Plus, she can die and come back repeatedly. Tell me that's not cool.
Sexual Content: There's a character who's crass, but he doesn't have much face time and we're not supposed to like him anyway.
Language: I forgot to take notes, but I'll just say that I don't remember any bad language. There were probably a few minor instances.
Violence: We have zombies, murder, and the underworld. So yeah, some violence, but I wouldn't say it's really graphic.
Overall Plot/Message: Wonderful mystery entrenched in an urban fantasy London, with a fantastic lead character who lives a life of service and adventure. 5 stars.
Rawhitebooksandmoredotweeblydotcome.
The writing was engaging and well done. There was just the right amount of description, and everything felt very real. The author must have spent a lot of time making sure that she had a grip on how everything in the world would work, from how things would smell to how one would feel after coming back from the dead. I can't say much about typos and things like that because it's written in England with their grammar and spelling, so I'm not always sure what might be an error and what might be a simple difference of rules. I admit that at times the difference did throw me, but I just held on and enjoyed the ride. The ONLY complaint I had is that it ends on kind of a cliff hanger. The main story is more or less wound up, but there's still a very big sort of side issue that needs to be resolved. Lucky for us, book two is now available! Since book one is free (as of this posting, and also back when I downloaded it), I have no qualms about spending $4.99 on the continuation.
My favorite (other) thing about The Secret Dead is that our heroine is a Hag. She's not pretty. In so many books, the girl doesn't think she's pretty, but of course ever man she walks by thinks she's the most amazing 'thing' he's ever seen. We've had enough of that, ladies and gentlemen. This Hag is truly not pretty, but she cares about people, she uses her brain, and she's making the world a better place. I love it! Plus, she can die and come back repeatedly. Tell me that's not cool.
Sexual Content: There's a character who's crass, but he doesn't have much face time and we're not supposed to like him anyway.
Language: I forgot to take notes, but I'll just say that I don't remember any bad language. There were probably a few minor instances.
Violence: We have zombies, murder, and the underworld. So yeah, some violence, but I wouldn't say it's really graphic.
Overall Plot/Message: Wonderful mystery entrenched in an urban fantasy London, with a fantastic lead character who lives a life of service and adventure. 5 stars.
Rawhitebooksandmoredotweeblydotcome.
March 10, 2015
An original and well written take on urban fantasy.
Things I liked:
- Loved that Vivia was ugly! Lead females are always pretty if not super beautiful, this was so refreshing to me!
- I liked the realness of dealing with Siggy's personal care
- The Pit: what a great idea, really dark, won't look at Battersea Powerstation in the same way again!
- The originality of the ideas was mixed with familiar elements which made this easy to read but very interesting
- Soul magic, a disturbing idea
- Well written, didn't trip me up, not even once!
Reservations
- None, really. I suppose I could comment that it was quite dark and if you're squeamish, you might struggle with some bits. But I liked these things about it so not really reservations at all.
Things I liked:
- Loved that Vivia was ugly! Lead females are always pretty if not super beautiful, this was so refreshing to me!
- I liked the realness of dealing with Siggy's personal care
- The Pit: what a great idea, really dark, won't look at Battersea Powerstation in the same way again!
- The originality of the ideas was mixed with familiar elements which made this easy to read but very interesting
- Soul magic, a disturbing idea
- Well written, didn't trip me up, not even once!
Reservations
- None, really. I suppose I could comment that it was quite dark and if you're squeamish, you might struggle with some bits. But I liked these things about it so not really reservations at all.
May 1, 2018
Quite an interesting reading
I took me a moment before I started to enjoy the storyline. And I was surprised to find actually a character who is not a beauty, like Vivia. It makes the story quite unique. I never read a storyline like this one. There are quite a lot of characters, so you need to stay focused that you understand what's going on.
The Author gives a good detailed description on the creatures as well for the construction in a world of none humans. They have their own politics and laws. The storyline is well written with lot's of information. I liked the characters , speech and the monologues and some even seems to have a nice side but most of the characters are quite cold, or better it lacked on details when a person like Annie cried, they were no emotional descriptions to it. I would have liked more emphasis on the emotional part for some characters like for Vivia, she and her sister had not great childhood, sure she suffered from it, but you can't feel it when she thinks about it. I guess the only person who showed emotions is Malcolm. And I felt sorry for him. The funny part was Viv's sister Sigrid, I quite liked her. The end was a bit weird. But over a good read.
I took me a moment before I started to enjoy the storyline. And I was surprised to find actually a character who is not a beauty, like Vivia. It makes the story quite unique. I never read a storyline like this one. There are quite a lot of characters, so you need to stay focused that you understand what's going on.
The Author gives a good detailed description on the creatures as well for the construction in a world of none humans. They have their own politics and laws. The storyline is well written with lot's of information. I liked the characters , speech and the monologues and some even seems to have a nice side but most of the characters are quite cold, or better it lacked on details when a person like Annie cried, they were no emotional descriptions to it. I would have liked more emphasis on the emotional part for some characters like for Vivia, she and her sister had not great childhood, sure she suffered from it, but you can't feel it when she thinks about it. I guess the only person who showed emotions is Malcolm. And I felt sorry for him. The funny part was Viv's sister Sigrid, I quite liked her. The end was a bit weird. But over a good read.
June 13, 2019
Really awesome story
Great take on the afterlife cool characters and a great mystery all rolled into one.
Definitely loved this story did have a open ending but not really a cliffhanger depending on how you look at it.
Definitely recommend this
Great take on the afterlife cool characters and a great mystery all rolled into one.
Definitely loved this story did have a open ending but not really a cliffhanger depending on how you look at it.
Definitely recommend this
December 5, 2017
Wonderful!!!
Loved this read....recommended to friends. Nice change from what I've been reading. I enjoyed this book immensely. Please give it a read!
Loved this read....recommended to friends. Nice change from what I've been reading. I enjoyed this book immensely. Please give it a read!
August 23, 2018
Sad to say that I did not finish this book. Maybe someday I'll get back to it, but it's not my usual genre.
July 16, 2014
At first glimpse, this book is almost a spitting image of any of the Dresden Files, only with a female protagonist. You have a rich urban fantasy setting filled to the brim with weird things passing themselves off as people, you have a mystery involving some sort of supernatural creature (a zombie, as it happens), and you have a main character who is human... but not quite. Our protagonist, like Harry, has extra baggage back at home, enough to keep her almost dirt poor. The character in question is on police retainer but also has a day job, and while Vivia Brisk works for a non-profit in England instead of a wizard PI in Chicago, the book instantly has a very similar mood and tone.
Then the differences begin to set in, and by and large, these differences are interesting and well-handled by the author. Instead of supernatural creatures operating under the radar of normal folk, they're fully integrated into society. Something nasty has happened to New Zealand, the London police have a unit specifically designed to deal with folks who are set to go full-on ravenous flesh-eating zombie (though they appear to have pretty awful aim), a colony of winged people live up near Scotland on a remote island, and there are activist groups for various different creatures persecuted by the mainstream society (though the sheer number of non-humans in the book leaves the reader wondering where all the normal folk are...)
There are werecreatures, skinchangers, winged, zombies, mages, normal humans looking to enhance themselves cybernetically, and a whole host of other cool beings running around London, and then there's Vivia herself: a hag. With the ability to step beyond the veil and into the land of the dead, Vivia is a prime candidate to help the police in their investigations, especially one in which a zombie is airlifted off the scene of the crime by his winged bastard son, and several desiccated bodies are found near the zombie's house.
From here the mystery deepens, until it's impossible to tell exactly what the mystery is, which is where the book takes a turn for the worse: the cast of characters begins to fill to the brim, then overflow. Taking into account that Vivia could find someone's shade in the land of the dead, and that those people have unreal copies of other people in their death-world dreamscapes, and you have a book that is over saturated with characters that are alive, not alive, not real, hiding something, presumed dead, and possibly the bad guy. By around the sixty or seventy percent mark, the cast of characters has grown so large that it's impossible to keep track of them without a notepad or several family trees.
This is really unfortunate, because there's a great writer here, one who has the capacity to keep things moving and keep the readers guessing. Unfortunately, the author is either well ahead of the reader, or isn't actually sure how the book should end. Even at the end, when the finale rushes off to a bizarre and brutal conclusion, I couldn't be sure what the original crime was all about in the first place.
While I will confess to being a lover of urban fantasy, and while Vivia seems like the perfect character to get involved with homocides and supernatural-related crimes, I can't recommend this book as a mystery. Readers are cautioned to have a notebook ready, for clues and genealogies.
AIA's 4 star rating includes books that would probably be picked up by a mainstream publisher, and the writer's smooth transitions and interesting dialogue/characters place it very close to the mark, but the plot itself is bursting at the seams with characters (alive and dead, real and non), so much so that it's impossible to keep track. AIA's 3 star rating is books we'd recommend as a good read, but which might need some work. The Secret Dead falls into the latter category.
Then the differences begin to set in, and by and large, these differences are interesting and well-handled by the author. Instead of supernatural creatures operating under the radar of normal folk, they're fully integrated into society. Something nasty has happened to New Zealand, the London police have a unit specifically designed to deal with folks who are set to go full-on ravenous flesh-eating zombie (though they appear to have pretty awful aim), a colony of winged people live up near Scotland on a remote island, and there are activist groups for various different creatures persecuted by the mainstream society (though the sheer number of non-humans in the book leaves the reader wondering where all the normal folk are...)
There are werecreatures, skinchangers, winged, zombies, mages, normal humans looking to enhance themselves cybernetically, and a whole host of other cool beings running around London, and then there's Vivia herself: a hag. With the ability to step beyond the veil and into the land of the dead, Vivia is a prime candidate to help the police in their investigations, especially one in which a zombie is airlifted off the scene of the crime by his winged bastard son, and several desiccated bodies are found near the zombie's house.
From here the mystery deepens, until it's impossible to tell exactly what the mystery is, which is where the book takes a turn for the worse: the cast of characters begins to fill to the brim, then overflow. Taking into account that Vivia could find someone's shade in the land of the dead, and that those people have unreal copies of other people in their death-world dreamscapes, and you have a book that is over saturated with characters that are alive, not alive, not real, hiding something, presumed dead, and possibly the bad guy. By around the sixty or seventy percent mark, the cast of characters has grown so large that it's impossible to keep track of them without a notepad or several family trees.
This is really unfortunate, because there's a great writer here, one who has the capacity to keep things moving and keep the readers guessing. Unfortunately, the author is either well ahead of the reader, or isn't actually sure how the book should end. Even at the end, when the finale rushes off to a bizarre and brutal conclusion, I couldn't be sure what the original crime was all about in the first place.
While I will confess to being a lover of urban fantasy, and while Vivia seems like the perfect character to get involved with homocides and supernatural-related crimes, I can't recommend this book as a mystery. Readers are cautioned to have a notebook ready, for clues and genealogies.
AIA's 4 star rating includes books that would probably be picked up by a mainstream publisher, and the writer's smooth transitions and interesting dialogue/characters place it very close to the mark, but the plot itself is bursting at the seams with characters (alive and dead, real and non), so much so that it's impossible to keep track. AIA's 3 star rating is books we'd recommend as a good read, but which might need some work. The Secret Dead falls into the latter category.
May 12, 2014
‘
‘London is built on the bones of its dead.’
Vivia should know, she is a death hag who can die and cross over to the underworld at will. She can also recognize the undead, even when they appear perfectly normal. Both skills are invaluable as Vivia lives in a modern-day, alternate version of London, where magic is real and zombies rate their own branch of Scotland Yard.
Vivia works for a charity that works to ensure the rights of the many-varied and colorful assortment of non-humans that populate this world, she also does consulting work for the police on the side.
It is very hard to pigeon-hole this book and that’s one of the many things I found utterly delightful about it. Part detective novel, part alternate reality/magic realism, part impending zombie apocalypse thriller and 100% unique.
In the interest of full disclosure, the author had put out an open read and review request on Goodreads, offering a free copy in return for an honest review. I saw the request, but when I checked out the book and sample on Amazon, it intrigued me enough I just bought in on my own at the full price, as I like to support indie authors when possible. And I am so glad I did!
I don’t want to give too much away, as you really need to experience this fascinatingly complex, but easily assimilated world with its fully-fleshed (or not!) characters for yourself. I was kept guessing throughout and being a reader who routinely figures out the ending far in advance, that was wonderfully refreshing.
There is very little to criticize here; one or two grammatical errors, a tad of character confusion(there is such a large cast, that seems inevitable, tho) and towards the end, there was one resolution that seemed unlikely, but not inconceivable. The writing does not come off as a first-time effort at all, the plot twists are subtle and skillful, the character building detailed and believable and the background reveal slow and mesmerizing. I was left drop-jawed more than once. I am so glad the 2nd book is supposed to be out in winter, I definitely want to visit this world again and find out where Vivia goes from here.
If you are tired of clichés and done to death plots, I cannot recommend this fresh and original book enough!
‘London is built on the bones of its dead.’
Vivia should know, she is a death hag who can die and cross over to the underworld at will. She can also recognize the undead, even when they appear perfectly normal. Both skills are invaluable as Vivia lives in a modern-day, alternate version of London, where magic is real and zombies rate their own branch of Scotland Yard.
Vivia works for a charity that works to ensure the rights of the many-varied and colorful assortment of non-humans that populate this world, she also does consulting work for the police on the side.
It is very hard to pigeon-hole this book and that’s one of the many things I found utterly delightful about it. Part detective novel, part alternate reality/magic realism, part impending zombie apocalypse thriller and 100% unique.
In the interest of full disclosure, the author had put out an open read and review request on Goodreads, offering a free copy in return for an honest review. I saw the request, but when I checked out the book and sample on Amazon, it intrigued me enough I just bought in on my own at the full price, as I like to support indie authors when possible. And I am so glad I did!
I don’t want to give too much away, as you really need to experience this fascinatingly complex, but easily assimilated world with its fully-fleshed (or not!) characters for yourself. I was kept guessing throughout and being a reader who routinely figures out the ending far in advance, that was wonderfully refreshing.
There is very little to criticize here; one or two grammatical errors, a tad of character confusion(there is such a large cast, that seems inevitable, tho) and towards the end, there was one resolution that seemed unlikely, but not inconceivable. The writing does not come off as a first-time effort at all, the plot twists are subtle and skillful, the character building detailed and believable and the background reveal slow and mesmerizing. I was left drop-jawed more than once. I am so glad the 2nd book is supposed to be out in winter, I definitely want to visit this world again and find out where Vivia goes from here.
If you are tired of clichés and done to death plots, I cannot recommend this fresh and original book enough!
June 1, 2014
Full review at http://thebookshelfgargoyle.wordpress... (June 4)
I received a digital copy of this book for review from the author.
Ten Second Synopsis:
Hag Vivia must unravel the mystery of her zombified colleague before things really get out of hand.
I was pleasantly surprised by the complexity of the mystery that Fairbrother has created here. The story seems to unfold in layers, as Viv discovers new information about people she thought she knew well. Then there’s Viv’s personal struggles with earning enough money to keep herself, her (immortal) step-father and her disabled sister in housing and food. And underlying this is a very tightly written world that believably incorporates humans, a whole range of non-humans and part-humans, as well as undead humans.
I found the zombie theme a fresh new touch to the more traditional urban fantasy elements and I was surprised that it actually worked really well and gave the story an interesting twist. My favourite thing about the zombie threat in this particular book is that it was given a historical basis – the zombifying virus is one that has been present in the population for generations and therefore societies have developed to manage outbreaks and those that are carriers of it. Because Fairbrother has integrated the zompocalypse theme in a historical way, it doesn’t have that over-used vibe that can come across in other novels.
If you enjoy the sort of crime investigation/magicality mash-up in Ben Aaronovitch’s novels, this might be a good choice for you. The mystery element is pretty complex, involving lots of different characters and backstories, and the world building is solid and believable. I’m not sure whether Fairbrother plans to turn this into a series, but it was pleasantly satisfying to see an ending that wrapped up the events of the book, but left the characters with some options. There’s also plenty of lighter moments sprinkled amongst the death and unsightliness, so really, this book should appeal to a wide group of readers.
I received a digital copy of this book for review from the author.
Ten Second Synopsis:
Hag Vivia must unravel the mystery of her zombified colleague before things really get out of hand.
I was pleasantly surprised by the complexity of the mystery that Fairbrother has created here. The story seems to unfold in layers, as Viv discovers new information about people she thought she knew well. Then there’s Viv’s personal struggles with earning enough money to keep herself, her (immortal) step-father and her disabled sister in housing and food. And underlying this is a very tightly written world that believably incorporates humans, a whole range of non-humans and part-humans, as well as undead humans.
I found the zombie theme a fresh new touch to the more traditional urban fantasy elements and I was surprised that it actually worked really well and gave the story an interesting twist. My favourite thing about the zombie threat in this particular book is that it was given a historical basis – the zombifying virus is one that has been present in the population for generations and therefore societies have developed to manage outbreaks and those that are carriers of it. Because Fairbrother has integrated the zompocalypse theme in a historical way, it doesn’t have that over-used vibe that can come across in other novels.
If you enjoy the sort of crime investigation/magicality mash-up in Ben Aaronovitch’s novels, this might be a good choice for you. The mystery element is pretty complex, involving lots of different characters and backstories, and the world building is solid and believable. I’m not sure whether Fairbrother plans to turn this into a series, but it was pleasantly satisfying to see an ending that wrapped up the events of the book, but left the characters with some options. There’s also plenty of lighter moments sprinkled amongst the death and unsightliness, so really, this book should appeal to a wide group of readers.
September 29, 2014
I received a copy of this book from Librarything in exchange for an honest review. While the cop and murder investigation is not a genre I'm big on, the idea of the paranormal in an otherwise overdone scenario is not something I could resist.It sounds original and it is a well done paranormal/murder mystery novel if you ask me.
The Secret Dead follows the hag Vivia Brisk. Vivia being a hag can go to the Underworld and check out how people died. On the night before Malcom died he called Vivia in the middle of the night but didn’t get a chance to tell her what was up. The next day he was dead and a zombie. When trying to get Malcolm out of the house before he could hurt anyone his winged son Ben grabbed him and flew away with him. Now the risk of a zombie apocalypse is at hand, but things could get a lot more complicated then that.
The best part about the novel is the paranormal aspect, there are hags, zombies, fairy's, various people who can shift into specific animals, and I suspect that before this series is over we will be meeting a whole lot more of these not so friendly creature. There are also a lot of trips to the underworld where Viva meets harpies and spirits who don't know they're dead. The author even goes as far as to add bigots in the mix who are against non-humans and there are many fronts who are for certain rights that are taken from people because they pose a danger to society, the main one discussed in the novel is Zombie Rights. It's all a very well rounded part of the book.
The book did not always hold my interest sometimes I would find myself wandering, and checking to see how much of the novel was left. This didn’t happen very often however.It happened mostly when Vivia got into the intricacy's of police work.
Vivia is a very interesting character with an even better past, at least to read about. Her mother is a very old hag who is powerful, the two have a difficult history and when you read the novel you'll find that you don’t like her either. Then there is Vivia's sister who's soul is backwards because of Vivia. There's a lot of other things but those were the juiciest tid-bits that I can tell you.
The Secret Dead follows the hag Vivia Brisk. Vivia being a hag can go to the Underworld and check out how people died. On the night before Malcom died he called Vivia in the middle of the night but didn’t get a chance to tell her what was up. The next day he was dead and a zombie. When trying to get Malcolm out of the house before he could hurt anyone his winged son Ben grabbed him and flew away with him. Now the risk of a zombie apocalypse is at hand, but things could get a lot more complicated then that.
The best part about the novel is the paranormal aspect, there are hags, zombies, fairy's, various people who can shift into specific animals, and I suspect that before this series is over we will be meeting a whole lot more of these not so friendly creature. There are also a lot of trips to the underworld where Viva meets harpies and spirits who don't know they're dead. The author even goes as far as to add bigots in the mix who are against non-humans and there are many fronts who are for certain rights that are taken from people because they pose a danger to society, the main one discussed in the novel is Zombie Rights. It's all a very well rounded part of the book.
The book did not always hold my interest sometimes I would find myself wandering, and checking to see how much of the novel was left. This didn’t happen very often however.It happened mostly when Vivia got into the intricacy's of police work.
Vivia is a very interesting character with an even better past, at least to read about. Her mother is a very old hag who is powerful, the two have a difficult history and when you read the novel you'll find that you don’t like her either. Then there is Vivia's sister who's soul is backwards because of Vivia. There's a lot of other things but those were the juiciest tid-bits that I can tell you.
May 16, 2014
This book is absolutely AMAZING. In the saturated paranormal field, it is a bit difficult to come up with something completely new, but Fairbrother managed it. Well written, with a fantastic cast of characters, The Secret Dead takes place in an alternate of our world, with shifters, witches, fae, and all sorts of other creatures exist. Vivia Brisk is the main character and a death hag- definitely not you picture perfect heroine, but there she is, warts and all (literally).
In a case which, I admit, is somewhat confusing, Vivia assist the police in searching for her now zombified ex-coworker and his missing son. Things become more and more confusing.complicated once old secrets come to light, but Vivia bravely wanders through it all, Never mind that she really doesn’t know how to be a death hag, or the limits and extent of her powers. Brisk’s character isn’t a superhero, she’s just a girl (who happens to be able to die and come back to life) barely scrapping by, taking care of her invalid sister, never aging step-father, and ignoring her mothers corpse in the attic.
I can’t even say enough good things about this book. It’s not perfect, but it is such a unique and different story, I feel like giving it less than four stars would be short-changing it. If you are looking for a good paranormal mystery, one where you won’t be able to guess on page three who-dun-it, this should be in your “to read” pile. I can’t recommend this book enough! Please, do yourself a favor, and buy this book. Fair warning though: it ends with a huge cliffhanger. When you are finished, you can join me in a letter writing campaign to Fairbrother so that she hurries up and publishes the next book!
1/5 flames for hotness...please visit sslyblog.wordpress.com for more reviews and other fun content!
In a case which, I admit, is somewhat confusing, Vivia assist the police in searching for her now zombified ex-coworker and his missing son. Things become more and more confusing.complicated once old secrets come to light, but Vivia bravely wanders through it all, Never mind that she really doesn’t know how to be a death hag, or the limits and extent of her powers. Brisk’s character isn’t a superhero, she’s just a girl (who happens to be able to die and come back to life) barely scrapping by, taking care of her invalid sister, never aging step-father, and ignoring her mothers corpse in the attic.
I can’t even say enough good things about this book. It’s not perfect, but it is such a unique and different story, I feel like giving it less than four stars would be short-changing it. If you are looking for a good paranormal mystery, one where you won’t be able to guess on page three who-dun-it, this should be in your “to read” pile. I can’t recommend this book enough! Please, do yourself a favor, and buy this book. Fair warning though: it ends with a huge cliffhanger. When you are finished, you can join me in a letter writing campaign to Fairbrother so that she hurries up and publishes the next book!
1/5 flames for hotness...please visit sslyblog.wordpress.com for more reviews and other fun content!
February 8, 2015
'The Secret Dead' is a mystery novel set in the 21st century. The main character is a social worker. She is also a death hag and everyone knows it. This imaginative novel places the readers in an alternative London where, until the 60's, it was legal to burn zombies in their houses. Vivia Brisk (the hag) works for the Lipscombe Trust, a charity created to help vulnerable supernaturals (shapeshifters, winged people, etc). She is called as consultant by the police to help on a case where the new zombie to catch is her womanizing colleague Malcolm.
'The Secret Dead' is realism and grittiness with a risk of zompocalypse. It takes the readers all over London, including the Battersea Power Station that has been put to good use, while Vivia tries to locate Malcolm and his teenage son. There are details of her private life sprinkled here and there, and details of her visits to her sister in the land of the dead. I especially enjoyed the harpies and how what happened to Vivia during her routine deaths affected her when she was back to life.
'The Secret Dead' is a captivating trip with characters you look forward to see again or wonder about even when you're not keen on them. Our anti-heroine herself has secrets begging to be unraveled and resolved. It is skilled storytelling with a touch of complexity. The ending is a cliffhanger, which -while twisted- gives the main character the opportunity to sit down and consider her options. The sequel, 'A Murder of Crones', is at hand and calling to be read, too.
'The Secret Dead' is realism and grittiness with a risk of zompocalypse. It takes the readers all over London, including the Battersea Power Station that has been put to good use, while Vivia tries to locate Malcolm and his teenage son. There are details of her private life sprinkled here and there, and details of her visits to her sister in the land of the dead. I especially enjoyed the harpies and how what happened to Vivia during her routine deaths affected her when she was back to life.
'The Secret Dead' is a captivating trip with characters you look forward to see again or wonder about even when you're not keen on them. Our anti-heroine herself has secrets begging to be unraveled and resolved. It is skilled storytelling with a touch of complexity. The ending is a cliffhanger, which -while twisted- gives the main character the opportunity to sit down and consider her options. The sequel, 'A Murder of Crones', is at hand and calling to be read, too.
October 29, 2016
Vivia Brisk is my new favorite UF heroine
Things to like about Vivia Brisk:
1. She's smart -- someone who actually bothers to come up with a plan before tackling a nest of the undead.
2. She's single -- for once a UF heroine who isn't obsessed with the various numerous love interests that seem practically mandatory.
3. She helps at-risk children. She's not a cop or PI, but something more akin to a social worker.
4. She's also a caregiver for her seriously disabled sister (also known as a God-damned everyday hero).
5. Finally, she's a death hag, one of the coolest ideas I've come across for a non-human protagonist in a long time. Her powers are interesting, well-defined, and very thematic. Vivia Brisk doesn't cast curses or fireballs, or read minds or charm others with her ethereal beauty. She's ugly (comes with the "hag" gig), and she dies. She dies a lot.
This is the urban fantasy heroine that I have searched YEARS for -- someone complex and flawed, as sensible as she is smart. This is no Sookie Stackhouse, Rachel Morgan, or other disappointing female lead. For me, Vivia has the potential to be another Harry Dresden (or at least, good enough to stand on the same shelf with him). And as a huge Dresden fan, I don't say that lightly.
Oh, and the rest of the book is great, too; snappy, sensible murder mystery, and first-rate world-building. The ending was a little rushed, and could be considered a mild cliffhanger, but don't let that stop you from picking this up.
Seriously, go read this now!
Things to like about Vivia Brisk:
1. She's smart -- someone who actually bothers to come up with a plan before tackling a nest of the undead.
2. She's single -- for once a UF heroine who isn't obsessed with the various numerous love interests that seem practically mandatory.
3. She helps at-risk children. She's not a cop or PI, but something more akin to a social worker.
4. She's also a caregiver for her seriously disabled sister (also known as a God-damned everyday hero).
5. Finally, she's a death hag, one of the coolest ideas I've come across for a non-human protagonist in a long time. Her powers are interesting, well-defined, and very thematic. Vivia Brisk doesn't cast curses or fireballs, or read minds or charm others with her ethereal beauty. She's ugly (comes with the "hag" gig), and she dies. She dies a lot.
This is the urban fantasy heroine that I have searched YEARS for -- someone complex and flawed, as sensible as she is smart. This is no Sookie Stackhouse, Rachel Morgan, or other disappointing female lead. For me, Vivia has the potential to be another Harry Dresden (or at least, good enough to stand on the same shelf with him). And as a huge Dresden fan, I don't say that lightly.
Oh, and the rest of the book is great, too; snappy, sensible murder mystery, and first-rate world-building. The ending was a little rushed, and could be considered a mild cliffhanger, but don't let that stop you from picking this up.
Seriously, go read this now!
August 3, 2016
The Secret Dead by S.W. Fairbrother is one of the more unique books I’ve read in a long while. Vivia Brisk is a death hag, and she can ‘die’ to visit the underworld and come back to life. It’s complicated, painful, and rare. We meet a cast of strange characters from the death hag to the sleazy human male, to the winged boy, to various zombies and shapeshifters.
Fairbrother does an excellent job creating a very real yet very paranormal world. Zombies have their own police division and shapeshifers/wereanimals are on the police force. There are legal liaisons for non-humans and a whole separate colony for the winged humans. Yet everything is weaved seamlessly into the story in a very understandable manner.
Vivia, our main character, moves back and forth between the world of the living and the world of the dead. She’s a particular character, because of her talent. I also like that the author hasn’t made her particularly beautiful. She’s a very real person with very real problems, including her family. She works for minimal wages at a job she likes helping other non-humans. Vivia is relatable.
As she moves into the chaotic situation surrounding her co-worker’s transition to the Undead, Vivia is dealing with her family problems, her co-worker’s family problems, and a case of magical soul sucking all at once. Her world is going down the drain really fast, and she’s moving back and forth between living and dead way too often for her skinny frame.
Fairbrother does an excellent job creating a very real yet very paranormal world. Zombies have their own police division and shapeshifers/wereanimals are on the police force. There are legal liaisons for non-humans and a whole separate colony for the winged humans. Yet everything is weaved seamlessly into the story in a very understandable manner.
Vivia, our main character, moves back and forth between the world of the living and the world of the dead. She’s a particular character, because of her talent. I also like that the author hasn’t made her particularly beautiful. She’s a very real person with very real problems, including her family. She works for minimal wages at a job she likes helping other non-humans. Vivia is relatable.
As she moves into the chaotic situation surrounding her co-worker’s transition to the Undead, Vivia is dealing with her family problems, her co-worker’s family problems, and a case of magical soul sucking all at once. Her world is going down the drain really fast, and she’s moving back and forth between living and dead way too often for her skinny frame.
June 5, 2014
Vivia Brisk is a hag: a death witch. She works for the Lipscombe Trust, an ancient company that gives advice and help to supernatural creatures. She has an annoying coworker named Malcolm. When Malcolm dies, he'll be a zombie.
Malcolm dies (mysteriously).
By law zombies have to be dealt with quickly and locked up before they eat and infect all of London. But Malcolm is rescued by his teenage son, Ben, who is one of the "winged ones", and no one can find them.
It's up to Vivia to use her death senses to find him before London turns into Zombieland. But with corpses in Malcolm's backyard, an undead stepfather, a "dead" hag mother and the shell of her dead sister (not to mention the annoying cat-shifter she has to work with), Vivia is in for a deadly time!
I'm not usually a fan of zombie stories (with the exception of Darren Shan's Zom-B series). But SW Fairbrother's The Secret Dead is so much more than a zombie tale.
It's a story about Vivia, who has more problems than the average hag. There's a sense of personal failurein that she can't bring her sister back properly and never visits her in the underworld.
There's also a great deal of mystery. How did Malcolm die? What's going on with the ghosts in his house? Why was there human meat in his refrigerator?
This novella works in many ways: horror, dark humor and mystery. Fans of all genres will eat this up (get it? haha) and beg for more.
Great crossover story. Will definitely reread over again!
5/5--genre-bending!
Malcolm dies (mysteriously).
By law zombies have to be dealt with quickly and locked up before they eat and infect all of London. But Malcolm is rescued by his teenage son, Ben, who is one of the "winged ones", and no one can find them.
It's up to Vivia to use her death senses to find him before London turns into Zombieland. But with corpses in Malcolm's backyard, an undead stepfather, a "dead" hag mother and the shell of her dead sister (not to mention the annoying cat-shifter she has to work with), Vivia is in for a deadly time!
I'm not usually a fan of zombie stories (with the exception of Darren Shan's Zom-B series). But SW Fairbrother's The Secret Dead is so much more than a zombie tale.
It's a story about Vivia, who has more problems than the average hag. There's a sense of personal failurein that she can't bring her sister back properly and never visits her in the underworld.
There's also a great deal of mystery. How did Malcolm die? What's going on with the ghosts in his house? Why was there human meat in his refrigerator?
This novella works in many ways: horror, dark humor and mystery. Fans of all genres will eat this up (get it? haha) and beg for more.
Great crossover story. Will definitely reread over again!
5/5--genre-bending!
April 9, 2015
This story is unique in the characters and the authors ability to describe sometimes the indescribable. Characters in this story range from zombies to shape shifting cats who take on the personality of the animals they shift into. But the most unique character is the main character- she is a hag, aka death witch. She isn't pretty. In fact she resembles the dead in many characteristics. It isn't often you encounter a main character as anything but beautiful, attractive, or at least easy on the eyes.
The main character consults with the necroambulism team where she often returns to the dead to help figure out if someone was killed recently, who they were, and help solve the crime. While she is in the underworld, the things she encounters are easily found in nightmares. The depth of the main character was surprising. To say she has had a rough life is an understatement. Even after everything she went threw, the ending of the book left me sad and contemplating how unfair things sometimes turn out. But I don't want you to get to discouraged, the author leaves some hope for the main character in what will hopefully be a sequel.
The author does an excellence job describing the weird, scary if not disturbing, and ugly side of things. The story the author created is a dark mystery. Just when you think it couldn't get more bazar, the author creates a scene that could have come out of the twilight zone or a Steven king book. This is a very well written book!
The main character consults with the necroambulism team where she often returns to the dead to help figure out if someone was killed recently, who they were, and help solve the crime. While she is in the underworld, the things she encounters are easily found in nightmares. The depth of the main character was surprising. To say she has had a rough life is an understatement. Even after everything she went threw, the ending of the book left me sad and contemplating how unfair things sometimes turn out. But I don't want you to get to discouraged, the author leaves some hope for the main character in what will hopefully be a sequel.
The author does an excellence job describing the weird, scary if not disturbing, and ugly side of things. The story the author created is a dark mystery. Just when you think it couldn't get more bazar, the author creates a scene that could have come out of the twilight zone or a Steven king book. This is a very well written book!
April 27, 2014
I love novels mixing the paranormal with the police procedural, and 'The Secret Dead' is abundant on both fronts. Vivia is a hag in modern day London trying to figure out 1) why her uncouth colleague, Malcolm, has turned into a zombie, and 2) how to find and save his missing son. Most interestingly, Vivia isn't the kind of heroine we're used to in paranormal books -- there are no Anita Blake-esque romantic romps or love triangles. Vivia is a young woman struggling to survive and support her unconventional family, plain and simple. The problem is, she has to keep dying to figure out the tangled puzzle of Malcolm's past and his equally unconventional family. And that's the least of her problems...
Read it for the plot, which is zippy and interesting, and takes you on paths you didn't expect to go. Read it for the colorful characters: boys who can fly, ancient ghosts, women who morph into snakes. Or read it for the very real story of a young woman trying her best to survive a dark past, make amends, and save the world.
SW Fairbrother is an assured writer, and I look forward to reading more.of her novels.
Read it for the plot, which is zippy and interesting, and takes you on paths you didn't expect to go. Read it for the colorful characters: boys who can fly, ancient ghosts, women who morph into snakes. Or read it for the very real story of a young woman trying her best to survive a dark past, make amends, and save the world.
SW Fairbrother is an assured writer, and I look forward to reading more.of her novels.
June 3, 2014
Vivia Brisk is a death hag. That alone had me interested in the story. Viv works for something like social service/legal aid for the non-humans. She is ugly and she knows it. I was waiting for her to feel sorry for herself and whine but nope, she is very comfortable in who she is and loves her work.
Being a death hag she consults with the police department on...death. When her co-worker ends up dead, Viv is called in to help but she helps to much and ends up in trouble herself.
The Secret Dead is a paranormal mystery and it is not a stand alone. I don't read a lot of zombie books but this book was so much more. There is no romance but I did want more of the back story on Viv's ex-boyfriend. I'm curious to know who or what dates a death hag? I thought Fairbrother did a good job with world building both for London and the underworld. Meeting the characters and seeing the possibilities of new characters and species was also unique but it make sense that EVERYTHING could be were or a shifter instead of just the predators like most other stories. I look forward to reading the next installment, poor Viv.
(I was given this book in exchange for an honest review).
Being a death hag she consults with the police department on...death. When her co-worker ends up dead, Viv is called in to help but she helps to much and ends up in trouble herself.
The Secret Dead is a paranormal mystery and it is not a stand alone. I don't read a lot of zombie books but this book was so much more. There is no romance but I did want more of the back story on Viv's ex-boyfriend. I'm curious to know who or what dates a death hag? I thought Fairbrother did a good job with world building both for London and the underworld. Meeting the characters and seeing the possibilities of new characters and species was also unique but it make sense that EVERYTHING could be were or a shifter instead of just the predators like most other stories. I look forward to reading the next installment, poor Viv.
(I was given this book in exchange for an honest review).
April 28, 2015
It took me a little while to get into this story and become used to the very unique, fantastical world this author has created, a world where non-humans live amongst humans. I liked the main character, Vivia, who is a death hag, warts and all. But since Vivia could return to the land of the dead and meet shades of those living, it was hard to keep track of who was dead and who wasn’t and to follow the mystery. And while I liked the humor that the author included, at times it almost made the book a bit cartoonish though it certainly has its dark moments.
There were some touching moments though and as I mentioned, I really did like Vivia and her efforts to try to live as normal life as she could. The author has an amazing imagination and this book is quite a creative endeavor. It ends on a cliff hanger so if you enjoy it, be prepared to read the next book “A Murder of Crones”.
I won this book in a LibraryThing member giveaway and was asked to give an honest review.
There were some touching moments though and as I mentioned, I really did like Vivia and her efforts to try to live as normal life as she could. The author has an amazing imagination and this book is quite a creative endeavor. It ends on a cliff hanger so if you enjoy it, be prepared to read the next book “A Murder of Crones”.
I won this book in a LibraryThing member giveaway and was asked to give an honest review.
May 13, 2014
The Secret Dead (by S.W. Fairbrother)
Vivia Brisk is a Hag a "death witch", her job as a consultant helping supernaturals. When Malclom her partner is zombified and goes missing along with his fourteen year old son Ben, she is on a mission to find him before the police do.
A very original story line, with a cast of interesting creatures (characters). Vivia is very likable, she is not the ordinary beautiful heroin, she is a hag, skinny, flawed (physically). Yet she full of spunk even under her dire circumstances. She is always dying and falling apart, Literally. Malcolm was also very interesting and likable. I loved the creativity of the characters, and the story. I strongly recommend to those who love fantasy and mystery stories.
Vivia Brisk is a Hag a "death witch", her job as a consultant helping supernaturals. When Malclom her partner is zombified and goes missing along with his fourteen year old son Ben, she is on a mission to find him before the police do.
A very original story line, with a cast of interesting creatures (characters). Vivia is very likable, she is not the ordinary beautiful heroin, she is a hag, skinny, flawed (physically). Yet she full of spunk even under her dire circumstances. She is always dying and falling apart, Literally. Malcolm was also very interesting and likable. I loved the creativity of the characters, and the story. I strongly recommend to those who love fantasy and mystery stories.
January 1, 2017
I absolutely love this book!
It's incredibly rare for me to give five stars, particularly to a book from a small publishing house. Small publishers don't often have the resources ie editing staff, or clout to help refine an author's ideas into a fine creative work. SW Fairbrother delivers!
The ending, has been criticised somewhat fairly as having a cliffhanger. Fortunately the e-book edition that I received has the first two chapters of the next story included and does a fine job of cleaning up any loose ends. For me, this was a fresh and refreshing story that I have been delighted to recommend to many friends.
It's incredibly rare for me to give five stars, particularly to a book from a small publishing house. Small publishers don't often have the resources ie editing staff, or clout to help refine an author's ideas into a fine creative work. SW Fairbrother delivers!
The ending, has been criticised somewhat fairly as having a cliffhanger. Fortunately the e-book edition that I received has the first two chapters of the next story included and does a fine job of cleaning up any loose ends. For me, this was a fresh and refreshing story that I have been delighted to recommend to many friends.
June 2, 2014
This is a fantastic twist on the plethora of zombie novels out there. [SW Fairbrother] did a great job describing the life of a hag in [The Secret Dead]. The "non-humans" have rights in London. Witches, shape shifter's, ware's, and many others. Of course there are those against these "different" people. Their rights must be defended while protecting everyone. Except zombies, because they might cause the end of the world.
A well written. The pace of the story kept me engaged. I really likes the Hogwarts reference.
A well written. The pace of the story kept me engaged. I really likes the Hogwarts reference.
July 20, 2014
Quite an interesting paranormal mystery.
The characters in this book are what make it different from others in the genre. There are shifters of different sorts which makes things a bit more interesting than just werewolves. Vivi,the main character is easy to relate to in my opinion. Her family isn't "traditional" and she has her share of problems. The world building is nicely done and the story moves at a good pace. Nicely done!!
The characters in this book are what make it different from others in the genre. There are shifters of different sorts which makes things a bit more interesting than just werewolves. Vivi,the main character is easy to relate to in my opinion. Her family isn't "traditional" and she has her share of problems. The world building is nicely done and the story moves at a good pace. Nicely done!!
July 25, 2016
Things I liked:
Main character wasn't necessarily pretty. In fact, she was quite ugly!
The book reminded me of Dresden Files, but with a female protagonist.
Nice pace and intriguing story line. I liked the interweaving of human/non-human elements.
Things I didn't like:
I still don't quite understand why the antagonist did what he did. Motive seems a bit muddy or even nonexistent to me.
Being left with a cliffhanger.
Main character wasn't necessarily pretty. In fact, she was quite ugly!
The book reminded me of Dresden Files, but with a female protagonist.
Nice pace and intriguing story line. I liked the interweaving of human/non-human elements.
Things I didn't like:
I still don't quite understand why the antagonist did what he did. Motive seems a bit muddy or even nonexistent to me.
Being left with a cliffhanger.
February 27, 2016
Unique...
I haven't read any other story even remotely similar to this one. I am not sure how I feel about it. I didn't care much for any of the characters and I think that was part of the problem. Lot's of different types of creatures/people but all were self absorbed and none could be trusted.
I haven't read any other story even remotely similar to this one. I am not sure how I feel about it. I didn't care much for any of the characters and I think that was part of the problem. Lot's of different types of creatures/people but all were self absorbed and none could be trusted.
June 6, 2014
Rather a grim book with another take on the man and mutant relationship with a strong central character and plenty of dead / undead action and a major mystery to solve. Interesting read if it's your genre.
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