D.E.D Dead

Alby Murdoch #1

by Geoffrey McGeachin

In D-E-D Dead!, Geoff McGeachin's riotous adventure thriller, Alby Murdoch - international photographer and Australian special agent – ducks bullets and bombs from Bondi to Bali and back as he attempts to unravel a lethal web of high-level dodgy dealings . . .

From the moment Alby drops his gun on a St Kilda tram he knows he's in for a bad day. Then his partner Harry is gunned down in a Double Bay coffee shop. By lunchtime Alby realises someone wants him dead – and they want him dead now.

All Alby wants is some pasta, a good bottle of wine and to know more about the mysterious Grace Goodluck . . . long dark hair, legs up to there, and piercing slate-grey eyes...sniper's eyes. But he also has to figure out who shot Harry and who wants him dead. And why.

Unfortunately for Alby, the answer lies over the razor wire and past the anti-personnel mines protecting Bitter Springs, a top-secret US military facility deep in the central Australian desert. Now that can really ruin your day . . .

Genres: Audiobook, Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Espionage, Australia

283 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

After a career as a world-travelling photographer and then photo-educator, Melbourne born Geoffrey McGeachin eventually settled in Sydney’s Bondi Beach where he decided one day to sit down and see if he had a book in him.

His first novel, the award winning Fat, Fifty and Fu*ked! (definitely not an autobiography) was published by Penguin and followed by three tongue-in-check spy novels featuring photographer/secret agent Alby Murdoch: D-E-D Dead, Sensitive New Age Spy, and Dead & Kicking.

In 2010 Geoffrey wrote the first of the Charlie Berlin trilogy, The Diggers Rest Hotel; followed by Blackwattle Creek and St Kilda Blues. The series, set in 1947, 1957 and 1967, earned him two prestigious Ned Kelly Awards (2011 and 2013) for Best Australian Crime Fiction.

In 2023 Clan Destine republished Fat, Fifty and Fu*ked!, praised by iconic author Kerri Greenwood as, ‘hilariously funny,’ adding, ‘this wonderful book . . . is a hymn of joyful praise for this Big, Brown Land. If you love Australia as it actually is, warts and all, then you will love this book.’

In 2025 McGeachin’s laconic larrikin photographer/spy Alby Murdoch is back in action with Clan Destine’s republication of D-E-D Dead, Sensitive New Age Spy, and Dead & Kicking.

Geoffrey now lives on the gorgeous NSW central coast.

Reviews

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

A funny, irreverent and well written Australian spy/thriller spoof by Geoff McGeachin. The central character, Alby Murdoch is a talented photographer for Worldpix, a legitimate profit-making photographic enterprise. This in turn provides an excellent cover for Alby's real job, as a spy for the Directorate for Extra-territorial Defence (D-E-D) - another Australian government funded security acronym.

Alby is likeable, laconic and amusing in a 'laugh out loud' kind of way. He and his partner Harry have been assigned their regular gig updating records for Australian security on the secret US base in central Australia called Bitter Springs. A mundane task that Alby palms off to Harry to settle an old bet. However the mundane quickly becomes highly dangerous. Harry is terminated, Alby and his fellow passengers narrowly escape being blown-up on a Hong Kong bound plane, and Alby becomes aware that he has a bounty on his head and is wanted dead or alive.

Fortuitously, Alby hooks up with a gorgeous but enigmatic female US agent called Grace Goodluck (as you do). Grace also seemingly appears to be on the run, and together they escape to Bali to reassess (and get to know each other better). After hitching a boatride back to Australia with a dodgy couple of retirees and wiping out some pirates along the way, Alby heads for outback Australia and Bitter Springs, where he knows he will find some answers.

I have to admit that I started out reading this book without any great expectations. I generally like my crime fiction tough and gritty and I thought the spy spoof had already been done to death by Austin Powers amongst others, however I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. McGeachin's writing is clever, quick witted and highly amusing. He took me on a journey where the destination was hidden and infused with hi-jinx along the way. Amidst the humour, I wanted to know what Harry had uncovered? Who was Grace Goodluck and what were her motives? Why Alby was wanted dead or alive? And what exactly was going on at Bitter Springs?

If you like your espionage interspersed with mayhem and humour, then you won't be disappointed by this book. An entertaining and intriguing read that will definitely put a smile on your face.

[Tyson Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I've already read this I will leave the original review below. While I enjoyed the book a second time, I didn't enjoy it as much as when I originally read it. That is partly because I noticed more things that troubled me slightly about the writing, and found the novel less humorous. While the latter could just have been my current mood, the former was related to how female characters were described. I understand that this is meant to be a Bond-esque spy novel with Aussie larrikin traits, but it still came off as a little misogynistic.

Although, now having read more of McGeachin's books, I did appreciate more of the in world references to other books in his oeuvre.

I read the sequel to this book last year - DED and Kicking - and loved it. It was fast paced, humorous and tickled my inner Aussie. Geoff really knows how to set up a quick read thriller.

I read the last book in roughly an afternoon and that is roughly how long this one took to read as well. Even at 300 pages it literally flew past. Very enjoyable Sunday afternoon read.

One thing that should be noted though is that Geoff loves Australia and Asia, is not big on politicians and America. He writes with as much Aussie vernacular as possible, which is less prevalent here than in his other novel. This can be off-putting to some readers, but it is worth embracing for a fun read.

[Claire Gilmour · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great book between books! Loved the Aussie-isms in this fast-paced, spy thriller. Not quite James Bond but a lot more quirks and plenty of laughs along the way! 3.5 stars.

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and quite funny. I wanted to start reading Australian authors, so I started here. I hope this is the beginning of a happy reading road.

[lyny · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first in a somewhat humourous spy series, featuring Alby Murdoch as an Australian secret agent hiding behind a very successful cover business as an adventure photographer for which he has won awards (and apparently this is also the case for the author!) Lots of wry observations along the way about Australia, Bali and other places, and I could see this being made into a very successful television series, with someone like Richard Roxburgh or Sam Neill. This story starts off when Alby is being sent by his spy boss to get some background photos in Hong Kong, but he is called off the flight before it takes off from Sydney, and finds his mate has been killed in an apparent crime shoot out in a Double Bay coffee shop. He soon discovers his mate was in fact the intended target, and that it was a professional hit, and he himself is in serious danger – not to mention that his mate had been lured there by a phone call apparently from him setting up the meeting. He also runs into and links forces with an attractive and very adept woman, who seems to be military trained and probably working for the CIA. Their adventures take them to Bali, then via some interesting yachties back to Perth and into the outback to find out what is really happening at a CIA base that it appears Alby’s mate had found something suspicious on. It’s a book that works very well for audio listening – moves smartly, lots of jokes, even though some of them are very predictable in the macho guy linking up with sexy and even more accomplished woman mode. (McGeachin has also written another series featuring the detective Charlie Berlin, and much more serious in style.)

[Jeremy Simmonds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listening to this as an Audiobook was very helpful. I got through it quickly.

I enjoyed it as an action adventure type of book and it left me asking questions about this happening here in Australia. I will say that I didn’t find a whole hell of a lot humourous, hence the slightly lower rating. It does have that classic Australian deadpan and sarcasm that you might consider humour and it did lighten the novel. Geoff McGeachin did a good deal of research and I’m sure travel when it came to this book. Look forward to reading or listening to the next.

[Catsalive · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really enjoyable spy thriller spoof. Alby Murdoch is funny & irreverent, & not above laughing at himself.

Alby works for Worldpix, a world photographic company which is a front for D-E-D, Directorate for Extra-territorial Defence in Australia - a super-secret spy outfit that is fully self-funded by it's photographic sales!! - obviously a fairy tale. Alby's mate's been killed & now they're after him, & he has no idea why.

A fast-paced, wild ride, & the food sounded fabulous. Made even better by Peter Hosking's reading. Great fun. I'll be reading the other 2 in the series. Very different from McGeachin's Charlie Berlin series which I loved.

[Kevin Lanahan · Rating 2 out of 5]

A so-so spy story, with a little too much attention to the main female character's physical assets. It seemed like it was trying to be a nebbish Australian James Bond.

The reader, though, had an Aussie-casual clipped style that made it fun to listen to.

[Dion Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a light fun read.

The main character is like a cross between Anthony Bourdain (from various food & travel shows) James Bond and Crocodile Dundee.

If you want a bit of Aussie spy fun, that is not too serious, than this series if for you.

[Derelict Space Sheep · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather mis-marketed as a sexy thriller, whereas McGeachin devotes most of the runabout spy plot to taking leisurely snapshots of Australian and Balinese culture, which he does well. The characterisation mostly works, too, but the humour is jarring in its stylised flippancy.

3.5★

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had this marked to read years ago. When I ran across it at my library, I grabbed it and gave it a listen. I enjoyed the story and presentation. Give it a try.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny, eccentric and hilariously written. Geoffrey McGeachin writes a great detective story where you are left guessing the whole way through.

[Dianne Vandenhurk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Looking forward to reading more in this series

[Sri Gopalan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite funny, fast paced, and I always love plots set in Sydney. A few plot holes, but then who cares, it's fiction.

[Karen Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

light weight. funny. bit too shoot em up. still prefer his later work on charlie berlin books. not bad though.

[Ian Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rattling good yarn, sprinkled with lots of laughs. Reminiscent of Mark Abernethy and his Australian intelligence agent Alan McQueen.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A “ripper” Aussie spy yarn with more than a few laugh-out-loud moments - don’t take it too seriously! Audio version excellent! 👍

[Susan Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly entertaining!

[Linda Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened as audio book driving down To Katherine and back... a really good fun read/listen.

[Hermien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining pages turner.

[Nadine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Completely fun romper of a spy thriller with oodles of humour and sarcasm as befits the Aussie world view.

[Diane Parsons · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the Australianness of this tale and its delivery in the first person. Very entertaining and clever. Alby and grace are spies

[Vaughan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read. Pleasantly surprised to encounter some characters from an earlier book that wasn't part of this series. Looking forward to book 2.

[Gavan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rattling good yarn & an entertaining read. Feels a bit like a Roger Moore "James Bond" movie - quite light & jokey while everything is going on around him.

[Kathleen Hagen]

D-E-D Dead, by Geoffrey McGeachin, A-minus. Narrated by Peter Hosking, produced by Bolinda Publishing, downloaded from audible.com.

This is one of those books with a wonderfully sharp wit and dark humor, and Hosking reads it very well. Albie is a photographer who works for an Australian company DED. He produces world-famous photographs which he can sell to the Likes of National Geographic, but this company’s real purpose is to ferret out private information of use to the government. He and his friend, Harry, had been requested by the American government to vet their personnel at Hidden Springs, an American encampment hidden deep in the Australian desert. But he is pulled off a plane by government security, and his luggage, set to the side, explodes. Had he been where he was supposed to be, he would have been 10,000 feet in the air and the whole plane would have blown up. His friend, Harry, is shot down while waiting in a coffee shop for Albie per a phone message which Albie never sent. Harry had found something troubling at Hidden Springs. Anyone he told about it started turning up dead, and people were going to a great deal of trouble to find and kill Albie. And then there was a mysterious beautiful woman, who might or might not be a CIA agent, who kept showing up where he was. This was a wonderful book. A glimpse of the humor that just cracked me up: Albie finally gets it on with Grace, the woman mentioned above. Afterward he says to us, not Grace: “The sex was wonderful. But then it always is. I’m a bloke. We’re lucky that way.” I don’t usually like espionage thrillers but I’ll probably read more of this author’s books.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know if it's because I listened to this audio straight after Fat Fifty and Fcked, but it felt very formulaic, weirdly paced, and some over-sexualisation of a female character really let it hover to 1.5 stars. It didn't have the engaging narrative or character development of FF&F. Only finished it because I wanted to see if it got better and how the characters came back into the story. Nice interlude with characters from FF&F.

[Lyn Richards · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It was a good paced storyline. I loved the fact that the author provided the reader with an update of the characters Faith and Martin from his novel, fat, fifty and f**ked.....very clever.

In this story Alby predictably bumbles his way from one crazy situation to the next, which just adds to his likability.

It was a fun read..

[Don · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my second of Geoff McGeachin's books and it's was as entertaining as the first. An appreciation of Australian humor and our laconic attitude to life is a necessity if you chose to read this. As for me, I can't wait to read/listen to McGeachin's next offering.

It would also be remiss of me not to mention Peter Hosking who read this edition of D-E-D dead for Bolinda Audio.

[Marti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining. Guys would probably get more out of this than I did. Lots of references to specific types of guns, bombs, airplane engines, machinery that were kind of wasted on me but it was a fun-to-read modern spy novel.

[Charmaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the Bolinda Audio Book on a long car journey and laughed out loud so often at the dry wit and quirky remarks that my husband was feeling left out! Thoroughly enjoyed the crazy story line and the narrator was engrossing. Another good job Bolinda.