Soho Dead

Soho #1

by Greg Keen

Kenny Gabriel is three years away from turning sixty, has forty-three quid in the bank and is occasionally employed to find people who would rather not be found. Broke, clientless and depressed, he knows things can’t get much worse. Then he’s summoned to the office of London media magnate Frank Parr, whose daughter, Harry, is missing—and there’s ten grand on the table to get her back.

It’s a lot of money, and God knows Kenny needs the cash. But he and Frank have a history he’d rather not revisit. Kenny worked for him in the seventies, when Frank was the head of a Soho magazine empire and owner of an infamous nightclub. And Kenny might still be working for Frank now—if he hadn’t witnessed his boss brutally torturing another employee.

Kenny suspects taking this job is a mistake, and he’s probably right. Because while he may be done with the past, the past is far from done with him.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Murder Mystery

334 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 1, 2017

About the author

As well as being a crime writer, Greg Keen is an independent media trainer.

Greg got his first proper job in Soho and has pretty much worked there ever since. This made it an ideal setting for his novel Soho Dead winner of the CWA Debut Dagger in 2015. Greg lives in North London. You can reach him at: info@gka.demon.co.uk.

Soho Dead introduces Kenny Gabriel, a down at heel skip tracer trying to turn his life round. When Kenny receives a summons from his previous employer, media magnate Frank Parr, his initial reaction is to turn the job down.

But the money is good and Kenny needs a break. How hard can it be to locate Frank's wayward daughter, Harry, who has been missing less than a week?

Unfortunately for him, the past has a way of repeating itself. Sooner than he could ever have imagined, Kenny's life must either change or end.

Find out more about Greg and the Soho series at www.gregkeen.co.uk

Reviews

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great murder mystery

Soho Dead is a British murder mystery with lots of clues, suspects, little mini plots, and interesting characters. I haven't read any by this author before and was glad I picked this book up.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a Kindle First (free!) read, and I was pleasantly surprised!

In traditional Private Investigator style, Kenny Gabriel is kind of a sad sack. He's a skip tracer, middle aged and just scraping by financially, and not the best at maintaining a good relationship with the woman he sees. But he's likable and non-violent. Those last two qualities can't be said about the company he kept in his youth, who have come back asking him to do some investigation.

I really enjoyed the colorful writing and dialog style. It transported me to some dark and seedy joints in Soho London.

Fun read, I'd read another by this author.

[Patiscynical · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing

A twisted tale of murder and revenge, told by Kenny Gabriel, a very low-rent private detective.
Kenny is approached by a former employer, Frank Parr, to find his missing daughter. This offer came out of the blue for Kenny, as he and Frank hadn't parted on the best of terms.
This is not a fast-paced thriller, it's more a thoughtful and slow building mystery.
Also, since it's based in Soho, it uses many unfamiliar British slang terms. I think it's amusing how many reviewers call that undesirable. I mean seriously, wouldn't it be ridiculous to use American slang?
Anyway, it was very well written, full of red herrings, (British slang?) and thoroughly enjoyable.
Results: a very good read, unless you object to a British author using British slang in a book based in Britain.

[Joe Stamber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Any regular reader of British crime/mystery fiction will have met Kenny Gabriel before. Middle-aged, down-at-heel, led a colourful life but never got anywhere, and a fully qualified geezer. These protagonists are usually fun to spend time with, and Kenny is no exception. With little money and plenty of time on his hands, he is roped into a bit of detective work for an old gangster who is now playing at being legit. Naturally, it turns out to be a giant size can of worms and leads Kenny from one scrape into another. It's a dark tale in places, but often tongue in cheek, and with all the action and plenty of wisecracks it's a fast paced and cracking read. All good stuff.

[Kirsty ❤️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quite liked this tale of a plodding skip tracer that ends up investigating the disappearance of the daughter of his former employer - a porn baron trying to buy into the news publishing industry. Kenny has a number of suspects, none of who cover themselves in glory to be honest. I don't think there's anyone I really took to apart from Kenny and that was more because I felt sorry for him. He doesn't have a lot going for him.

ed the style of the writing - a British noire vibe. It did keep me guessing. Any one of the suspects really could have committed the crimes and there are a few twists as well to keep you guessing. I would've liked a few more personable characters. Steph is ok but unless something happens in book 2 has moved away and out of the storylines. I don't think Kenny is likeable enough to carry a series without having some other decent positive characters joining in.
Overall I liked it, i read it quickly but not sure I want to read any more.

[Steve Holden · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Kindle First series is meant to be a gamble. You receive a pick each month out of just a few, and most of the time, I know nothing of the authors or stories. I love books, and free books put right on my device seems awesome to me. I've had some good luck, and have been pleasantly surprised in discovering some great authors and new areas for me. Unfortunately, this one struck out for me. I don't like giving a bad review, but this one was a chore for me.

Plot line and synopsis sounded great. There were some intriguing parts that kept me moving forward, but in the end, a book shouldn't take this long for me. For my taste, this one just didn't get me invested enough. The story is enticing, but for me, there was no connection made to the main character and the excitement this genre is supposed to build upon to find out the mystery.

This will be the last Soho book I give a try, but I know as a reader, I'll be eagerly checking the options August 1 for more free selections!

[Kerry · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't really enjoy this book was a very slow read I just didn't really care about the characters but I gave it chance after chance and couldn't bring myself to not finish the book so I did finish it eventually

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Soho Dead" is a contemporary noir with a likable, if flawed, lead character named Kenny Gabriel. Kenny is in his late 50s and is scraping by working for a collection agent chasing down scofflaws. One day he gets a call from an old employer, Frank Parr, a shady character who has become a successful media mogul. Frank hires him to find his daughter who has gone missing. Kenny quickly discovers that he is in way over his head.

Written in the first person, "Soho Dead" takes the reader into some of the sordid back alleys of present day London. It is written in the witty, hard-boiled style of the masters, Chandler and Hammett. I found it an enjoyable read and a worthy addition to the genre.

I switched back and forth from ebook to audio book. The audio book was read by the wonderful Simon Vance one of my favorite readers in the Audible line-up. Cheers.

[Jo Jenner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED this book.
It is gritty but Kenny, although a little dodgy, does have morals and wants to help. He is basically a lonely man who has a special lady in his life but no real purpose. he gets dragged back into the life he used to lead in the 80's in soho when he is asked by ex villain and now successful business man Frank Parr to find his missing daughter.
I was so wrapped up in the story I almost forgot we were looking for a killer and when the reveal came I really didn't see it coming.
The story is all written in the first person and it is a really Phillip Marlow moves to Soho.
This author is added to my list as one to look out for and I'll be down loading the second book in this series without a doubt.

[Susan R. Lundine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story

I enjoyed this crime novel. The character development was good, the pacing was good. It did have quite a few British phrases and words I didn't understand and couldn't find on Google. But overall it was very enjoyable.

[Don Gorman · Rating 2 out of 5]

(2 1/2). Kenny Gabriel make this work. I usually avoid foreign based mystery/thrillers but I had a freebie e book here and I was on the road. Kenny engages us from page one and is a very able protagonist on a reasonably paced, somewhat interesting voyage. A little violence here, sort of sex there and a fair amount of drinking all the time. Pretty good stuff, I may have to venture to round 2.

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such great characters that you easily get swept into the story but the punch line was a bit lacking...

[Vicki Watts · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book with a few little twists and turns. Not sure what the main character will do next but I guess that’s the hook to get you to read the sequel.

[Allie Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a nice read. The ending I was not expecting. The twist and turns were alright. I will sure be reading the others in the series. I learned a lot of new English slang also

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book lives and breathes.

I could hear the accents, see the scenery, and smell the stale beer and whisky stained floors of the pub. Suspenseful, solid ending, left me thinking about my own future.

I highly recommend!

[Kathrin · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I think that this was good entertainment, it strikes me as the usual formula for crime novels around a down on his luck investigator who is too stuck in his situation to ever change it, no matter what better options come along his way. Nevertheless it's a worthwhile whodunit with snappy inner dialogue.

[Dave Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable, easy to breeze through and inoffensive when it comes to the genre.

I picked this up specifically because of the scattered bad reviews based upon sexual content and Americans complaining that they somehow couldn't understand it.

It's worth a read and those people are hilarious.

[Tony · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Philip Marlowe Lived in London

If Chandler Lived in London, he'd have written stories like this. If you like the hard-boiled private detective genre, this is one you won't be able to put down.

American readers will need to get past the heavy London street slang, which made the story more enjoyable for me.

Hope Mr. Keen becomes as prolific as another of my favorite British authors, Lee Child. Maybe the BBC will produce a Kenny Gabriel TV series someday, I'd be a fan.

[Therin Knite · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this was my pick from June's Kindle First options...

And I thought it was all right.

The book had an intriguing murder mystery that wasn't easy to unravel and kept me guessing right up until the climax. The protagonist, Kenny, was a reasonably competent investigator, and all the moves he made throughout the book made sense and were generally intelligent decisions.

But I had a few issues that kept me from rating the book higher.

First and foremost, having Kenny as the protagonist makes for a fairly depressing story. He's a lonely man heading into retirement age with no meaningful relationships or retirement funds saved up, and his personal issues drag down what is already a sad story—one where literally nothing gets any happier at the end.

Secondly, I didn't like how, in the end, Kenny ended up being pretty ineffectual in the grand scheme of things. I don't like it when the main character ends up on the sidelines, when things merely happen to them instead of them actively engaging in the conflict.

Third, there were a few specific events that got glossed over during the wrap-up at the end instead of being addressed as they should have been, and on top of that, the ending actually felt pretty rushed to me. Once second, something really significant is happening to Kenny, and if feels like another story arc is about to start, and the the next second, we're at the climax and that last twist is basically thrown in the trash.

So, overall, I thought this book was okay, but I probably won't be reading any other books in this series, simply because there are several mystery/crime series I would much prefer to read over this.

[Miss Dizzy Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved Kenny, again my sense of humour and also a great thriller, so glad I've got the next 2 in the series.

[Rayni · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a very, very slow read. I kept putting the book down because I could not get into the idea of the "Soho Scene." In the author's hands "Soho" was almost another character, which would have been okay, except that this character's only characteristic was its perversion. Although I admit to being a bit older and less likely to jump on the newest, kinkiest trend bandwagon, I was a bit more than surprised by the author's gratuitous and strange portrayals of life in Soho. I think I more or less gave up on the book when the main character visited a Soho club to get information about the crime he was investigating. When the owner, who relied on an oxygen tank for life support and was apparently dying of some terminal illness, decided she would give him information only if he took part in some strange oxygen deprivation ritual. I suppose this would have been okay if there had been even the simplest reason for the behavior. Or if the behavior and the ritual advance the plot or character development. But, again, there was nothing in the scene that did either. In fact, the entire scene could have been removed from the book with little or no change in the plot details or the outcome. Another problem I had was that Kenny, the private investigator, seemed to meet only people who were large, intimidating, psychopathic sadists. No one was simply a normal, everyday person.

But I might have made it through those parts without too many complaints--but in the end, I was totally put off by Kenny's relationship with his "girlfriend." Again, it seemed to serve no purpose, other than to give him a reason to move from Soho.

All of this would have been forgiven if there had been an underlying plot worthy of my time and effort. But, as far as I could tell, and I must admit I spent much of the time I was reading the book trying to forget it, the only plot was that Kenny was investigating for a man he hated and knew to be an unsavory and despicable character. The only real question was when Kenny would connect the rather obvious dots in the puzzle.

And, of course, there was the last scene in which the perpetrator confessed. The scene, like most in the book, was filled with unnecessary violence. More important, it was completely devoid of any connection to any world, or any inhabitants in any world, I know now or will ever know. That is being kind. The author seemed to decide that the only way we could be satisfied with this tale of crazy, was to witness the ultimate crazy. The entire scene left me with one huge, insurmountable, nagging question. The first was why the perpetrator brought poor Kenny to the scene of the confession. There did not seem to be a reason that made sense, or even one that did not. Of course, for the author, the reason was so that he could end the "story." The rest of us would have preferred something much more reasonable.

All in all, I should have stopped reading this somewhere around one-third through. I did not do so because I find it almost impossible to stop reading a book. I have done so only once or twice in my life. I should have made an exception for this one.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kenny Gabriel is 57-years-old (for the record it's not the new, hip, "fifty is the new thirty" kind of thing - Kenny just got old). His best friend died a week ago, he's got forty-three quid in the bank, he's a former journalist turned low-rent private detective except he's actually more of a skip tracer. Kenny is not at the cutting edge of his profession. Some might go so far as to say that Kenny is barely competent at what he does... Kenny doesn't really care.

During this time of mourning Kenny is approached by someone from the distant past. When Kenny knew Frank Parr almost forty years ago he was a smut-peddler, he ran clubs, girls, and had begun publishing certain "gentlemen's magazines". The past they shared was not an entirely good one - they parted on less than pleasant terms. Parr has long since gone legit, he is now the seventy-ninth richest person in Britain and his grown daughter, Harriett (who prefers to be called Harry), is missing. He wants Kenny to track her down. Kenny. Who is old, tired, barely competent, and has less than fifty quid to his name.

Since the fee is enormous - and he can really use it - Kenny accepts the job without giving it too much thought. Actually, he gives it considerable thought... after he's already accepted the j0b. Why would someone with Parr's kind of money and influence hire Kenny? Parr says it's because he knows Kenny can keep his mouth shut and be discreet. Fair enough. And so the game begins...

Soho Dead is a gritty, noir crime story. There are some interesting twists and turns, Kenny Gabriel is a great character of the low-rent, barely getting by private detective variety. The world created by author Greg Keen rings true for the situation. Most all the characters are well drawn and interesting. Well done! I look forward to the follow-up book.

I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys darker crime fiction. It's not a thrill a minute but the story unrolls at a decent pace and there should be enough action and intrigue to satisfy most readers.

Soho Dead contains violence, explicit sexual situations, and adult language. While not the most dark or troubling story ever written it is most definitely not for the faint of heart.

***Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this title

[Peter Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kenny Gabriel is an alcoholic who is pushing sixty with forty-five quid to his name. His best friend has died, his favorite bar is closing, and he sponges off his brother. He makes a spotty living investigating skip-traces for an obese, chiseling agoraphobic. He is not exactly the ideal lead character for a mystery.

Kenny is brought in to investigate the disappearance of the daughter of an old employer, Frank Parr. Kenny had worked for Frank's bar in Soho forty years before. Along with owning a bar Frank had a side-business of pornography, which he had parlayed into a publishing empire. Now, Frank is about to purchase one of the leading newspapers in London, and he wants his old employee, now a skip-tracer, to do a quiet job.

Author Greg Keen does a terrific job of laying out the clues, following Kenny through the investigation, misdirecting Kenny when necessary, and, yet, providing a logical and satisfying conclusion. I liked Keen's descriptions of Soho and London; Kenny remembers the old squalid, run down Soho before it started to gentrify, and he obviously preferred that Soho, when he was young and life was an adventure.

Keen also does a solid job of bringing to life his criminal and quasi-criminal characters. Frank Parr is a businessman, but a businessman from old Soho, which meant that he was on the shady side of the law. I really enjoyed Parr's chauffeur, Farrelly, a tough bastard with a marvelous way of conjugating the nouns "c*nt" and "c*ck." I foresee that we will see Farrelly in future installments.

This story was a self-contained story. There are some loose threads, e.g., will he go to Manchester? (I assume not, since the future installments are entitled "the Soho Series.")

[Sharathkumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kenny is a skip-tracer (fancy word for a detective). He was summoned by his previous employer Fran Parr to find his missing daughter, Harry Parr. Now, Kenny is on a witch hunt. Will he able to find her?. That's the story about.
I was intrigued by the protagonist of the novel, Kenny. I was hoping, he would be fit muscular ready-to-take-on-anyone kind of guy. Either his ability to remember things or his curious instincts or both make him a typical detective. He would have faced situation most effectively( a situation which requires muscle power) if he was not old.
One thing which I find odd was Kenny is not a very discreet person. He tells people the whole story what he has found out to one who threatens him or nearer to him. Secrecy is not his cup of coffee.
But I was not entirely disappointed, as Kenny turns out to be three years away from hitting sixty years of age with a spectacular sense of humor. He is like a wine, tastes better with age
His some of the humorous lines take you on a fun ride.
"Check out the knicker drawers and medicine cabinets of half of the country and you'll find something designed to quicken, thicken or the lengthen the sexual experience."
"These days, leaving your financial information unshredded is one remove tattooing your bank details across your forehead."
The way in which author describes a particular evidence means to readers is very useful.
 The author does not use some fancy adjectives at each and every page. The writing is crisp and brilliant. The characters are nicely woven into the plot and each chapter keeps your interest in the story.

Overall, it was a wonderfully written novel, I would love to read upcoming series.

[Susan Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Princess Fuzzypants here:
In between cozies and animal books, we like novels with hard boiled, cynical, darkly humorous heroes. Kenny is one such protagonist . He has seen better days although he never soared to halcyon heights. He earns his keep by finding deadbeats. It is not glamorous but it pays the bills- barely..
Then he gets a call from someone from his deep dark past. The man's daughter has disappeared and he wants Kenny to find her on the quiet. He is a media tycoon who is on the verge of a huge merger. Did his daughter scarper off on her own accord or is there something more nefarious at work. When Kenny finds her body, it becomes clear that it is murder. But who is the murderer and why? She had numerous skeletons in her own closet as does her father and her brother and her ex-husband and ex-lovers. Her public persona is quite different to her personal one and as Kenny peels back all the layers, it becomes less clear as to the perp.
It is a tight, suspenseful story with well defined characters who are easy to visualize. I consider that a mark of a good writer when the reader can "cast" the parts and "see" the character. It also describes Soho well. Soho is a character in the story, both the gritty Soho my Momma remembers from the 1970's to the more gentrified Soho of today. Not only does Soho provide the atmosphere, it plays a pivotal part in the story.
I give this five purrs and two paws up.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Keen crafts an interesting story that did draw me in, but I found some of the characters to have confusing motivations. In particular the main character's romantic relationship arc struck me as uncompelling and confusing in its transition from the beginning to the end. While it may fit the broader story Keen wants to tell with Kenny Gabriel, it left me disliking the character intensely by the end.

I also found the villain(s) to be troublesome and somewhat cartoonish. There were some unexplored potential here, including a hint a domestic abuse which seemed glossed over or only included to add intrigue to the plot but was then left undeveloped and unresolved. This could have been much better handled in a more empowering way for the purported victim.

On the plot itself, I did find myself curious as to the events leading up to the mystery presented and wanted to find out more. The scenery and location descriptions were interesting and helped draw me in, but a lack of knowledge of London's geography and the surrounding region left me a little confused about the settings at times. It also felt like some of the history made an attempt to draw on real life situations over the past few decades but that didn't connect fully as I wasn't aware of them.

I would tentatively recommend this as a "beach read" as long as you're willing to view even the protagonist with some measure of distaste. This book is on my list to read once and likely never again.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this as my Member selection June 1 and am thrilled that I did. This is the kind of book that I like best, gritty, bloody, and set in London. Kenny is the kind of detectives or investigator that this genre is littered with but he is also sad. He is pushing 60, lives in his brother's place, has a sometimes friend with benefits, but has just lost his best friend. His friend died. So, the story starts out with Kenny's depression over the death and the anti-depressants provided by his therapist. Of course, he doesn't take the pills but chooses to drink Monarch instead. When he is contacted by a former employer of 30+ years ago to investigate his missing daughter, he takes the job. Frank is not someone you turn down and Frank's 'guard-dog' is even less easy to ignore. The story proceeds with Kenny looking for the missing daughter, and the gritty places this leads Kenny into. It is a terrific book BUT be ready for lots of violence, profanity, and generally the kinds of activities you might expect from an authentically written murder story. You'll be surprised at how good this book is. Can't wait for the next book and for more by Greg Keen. I mostly listened to this book in Audible narrated by Simon Vance. Audible brings the books alive and Simon Vance is one of the best narrators.

[Laura B · Rating 2 out of 5]

The genre of murder mysteries is not what I usually read, but I picked this book from a selection of Prime Firsts one month (where you get one book a month for free from a small selection of titles) because nothing else appealed to me, and it took me several months to decide to even bother reading it. I only read it because I wanted something different, and it didn’t disappoint in that aspect.

The novel is about Kenny who is a skip-tracer but was hired by an old acquaintance to do some private detective work in finding his daughter, and then finding out who killed her. The setting was in London, and because of this the novel is full of British vernacular; which I’m familiar with some of it, but there was several instances of the jargon that I just did not understand so I just moved on, which made it a slower read for me.

IMHO, everything the author wanted to accomplish in this book could just have easily been done in a novella. To me, it seemed to drag in the middle and some of the descriptions were just too long and I skipped over those and didn’t miss a thing.

I don’t think I’ll be reading another murder mystery in a long time. If you really like murder mysteries set in London, then this might be for you. It was just okay for me.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read from this author and I enjoyed it very much. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a good job of differentiating all the voices for the various characters.

Kenny is a skip tracer and down on his luck. His old boss, media magnate Frank Parr, contacts him and hires him to find his daughter, Harry, who has been missing for a few days. It isn't the first time she has disappeared and Frank doesn't want to involve the police as he is trying to buy another paper and feels it may be bad publicity.

When Kenny finds Harry dead, and most likely murdered a day later, he thinks that his involvement is over and the police will now take over. But Frank wants Kenny to keep investigating the murder outside of the police.

The story did keep me guessing and I thought I knew whodunit a couple of times, but then I was wrong. Even when I finally figured it out, I didn't figure out the reason. I also liked that the author didn't make the killer some obscure character who hardly had anything to do with the story in order to keep everyone guessing. It just seemed that several people had a motive to kill Harry. I will definitely check out more from this author.

[Bobbi Jo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I either got this book for cheaps or for free. It wasn't horrible and it wasn't awesome. It just was. The whodoneitism is ok. The vocabulary is unreal. I couldn't even look up all of the words and terms the author used that I didn't recognize because they seem to be very very British and I didn't care enough. I probably maybe could have found them all but there's no guarantee.
Frank and Farelly could have had their own book and I think I would have had more feels. The MC is depressed, which I get, but he's also completely apathetic to everything going on in his life. The woman he's not-dating is in not-love with him and at her preference they don't talk about their not-relationship and not-feelings. Then she wants him to move in with her in the country and he doesn't answer her and she's uber defensive and says 'well i guess that's that. have a nice life, asshole' which implies she doesn't think he's actually into it anyway and etc. I don't know. Not a terrible book but I could live without reading anything more about these people since I still feel no things for them.
Meh.
Probably an acceptable .. beach..? read?.. that's a thing, right? Not offensive, not totally boring, and you don't mind putting it down when your friends show up.