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Lord Of The Dead
A woman's body has been found on the moors of Northumberland, brutally murdered and dismembered. Northumbria police enlist the help of unconventional psychologist Jon Atherton, a decision complicated by his personal history with lead investigator, Detective Sergeant Kate Prejean.
As Christmas approaches and pressure mounts on the force, Prejean and Atherton's personal lives begin to unravel as they find themselves the focus of media attention, and that of the killer known only as 'Son of Geb.'
'Lord Of The Dead' is a gripping, startling piece of modern noir fiction.
"A stunning debut. If Thomas Harris was to write a British take on the Nordic-Noir genre, this would be it. Rippon is an exciting new voice in British crime fiction."
(Nathan O'Hagan, author of 'The World Is [Not] A Cold Dead Place')
As Christmas approaches and pressure mounts on the force, Prejean and Atherton's personal lives begin to unravel as they find themselves the focus of media attention, and that of the killer known only as 'Son of Geb.'
'Lord Of The Dead' is a gripping, startling piece of modern noir fiction.
"A stunning debut. If Thomas Harris was to write a British take on the Nordic-Noir genre, this would be it. Rippon is an exciting new voice in British crime fiction."
(Nathan O'Hagan, author of 'The World Is [Not] A Cold Dead Place')
238 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 30, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 27, 2018
Lord of the Dead by Richard Rippon is the first book to be published by new indie publisher Obliterati Press and, I hope, heralds the start of a new crime series.
When a dismembered body is found in Northumberland, psychologist Jon Atherton is enlisted by Northumbria police to assist them in their murder enquiry. With the added complication of an historical affair between Atherton and DS Kate Prejean, the tension quickly mounts in Lord of the Dead.
What I liked about Lord of the Dead is that it is a crime novel that comes from a different perspective rather than that of your usual police procedural. In this case it is the psychologist who is brought on board to provide the police with a profile of the killer. I think we all want to get inside the heads of killers and understands what drives their actions, so the fact that Rippon has taken the psychologist’s perspective ensures that readers will be intrigued and the plot is less formulaic.
Main character Atherton has a few of the characteristics you would expect to see in the detective in a crime novel – his marriage is on the rocks, he spends far too much time at work and he has a propensity to drink to much – but there is something inherently likeable about Rippon’s character. The fact that he has cerebral palsy is interesting and I would love to know why Rippon included this. It’s not something you often see in crime novel and I love the fact that Rippon has done this. It adds another depth to Atherton’s character and yet it never detracts from the part he plays throughout Lord of the Dead. Rippon has created strong, believable characters that you get behind and want to see again after you have finished the book. The characters that surround Atherton each have their unique attributes and they are all perfectly placed and add to the enjoyment of the book.
The pacing in Lord of the Dead is spot on. Rippon’s prose is precise and yet descriptive and he drives the story forward ensuring that you want to keep turning the pages. I found myself gripped from the outset and enjoyed returning to the book following periods in which I had been doing other stuff.
One of the reasons I found myself wanting to return to the book was the unique way in which the killer arranges his victims and the reasoning behind them. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I will say that it was interesting, something I haven’t seen before and clearly closely researched by Rippon.
A great addition to the crime genre, Lord of the Dead is well written, refreshingly different and highly recommended for fans of crime thrillers. Rippon has ended the book in such a way that it suggests Lord of the Dead is the first in a series, and I really hope this is the case.
My thanks to Nathan O'Hagan at Obliterati Press for the copy in exchange for my review.
When a dismembered body is found in Northumberland, psychologist Jon Atherton is enlisted by Northumbria police to assist them in their murder enquiry. With the added complication of an historical affair between Atherton and DS Kate Prejean, the tension quickly mounts in Lord of the Dead.
What I liked about Lord of the Dead is that it is a crime novel that comes from a different perspective rather than that of your usual police procedural. In this case it is the psychologist who is brought on board to provide the police with a profile of the killer. I think we all want to get inside the heads of killers and understands what drives their actions, so the fact that Rippon has taken the psychologist’s perspective ensures that readers will be intrigued and the plot is less formulaic.
Main character Atherton has a few of the characteristics you would expect to see in the detective in a crime novel – his marriage is on the rocks, he spends far too much time at work and he has a propensity to drink to much – but there is something inherently likeable about Rippon’s character. The fact that he has cerebral palsy is interesting and I would love to know why Rippon included this. It’s not something you often see in crime novel and I love the fact that Rippon has done this. It adds another depth to Atherton’s character and yet it never detracts from the part he plays throughout Lord of the Dead. Rippon has created strong, believable characters that you get behind and want to see again after you have finished the book. The characters that surround Atherton each have their unique attributes and they are all perfectly placed and add to the enjoyment of the book.
The pacing in Lord of the Dead is spot on. Rippon’s prose is precise and yet descriptive and he drives the story forward ensuring that you want to keep turning the pages. I found myself gripped from the outset and enjoyed returning to the book following periods in which I had been doing other stuff.
One of the reasons I found myself wanting to return to the book was the unique way in which the killer arranges his victims and the reasoning behind them. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I will say that it was interesting, something I haven’t seen before and clearly closely researched by Rippon.
A great addition to the crime genre, Lord of the Dead is well written, refreshingly different and highly recommended for fans of crime thrillers. Rippon has ended the book in such a way that it suggests Lord of the Dead is the first in a series, and I really hope this is the case.
My thanks to Nathan O'Hagan at Obliterati Press for the copy in exchange for my review.
November 6, 2017
There are no shortage of serial killer novels out there, with many of them clearly aimed at starting a franchise around the lead investigator; so what makes ‘Lord of the Dead’ and psychologist, Jon Atherton stand out?
For me, it comes down to three things; characters, pacing and promise.
In Atherton, author Richard Rippon has taken the tried and tested trope of the flawed protagonist with a self-destructive streak and given it just enough of a tweak to make him different, whilst remaining familiar enough as to stay within the conventions of the genre. The protagonist’s cerebral palsy, rather than feeling like a tacked on gimmick aimed at giving him something to overcome, becomes just another obstacle to be faced as Atherton struggles to balance his personal and professional lives, which in true thriller fashion dramatically impact upon each other.
It is this balance that really works for me as Atherton attempts to hold his family together whilst being forced to work with the woman he had an affair with. Rippon manages to pepper his story with little personal touches that ground the characters and their relationships, helping you feel for their predicaments.
That said, this is still a book about the hunt for a killer, and so we must have a team of determined coppers for Atherton to advise and, of course, butt heads with. Naturally, we spend most time with Atherton’s ex, DS Kate Prejean, who again, thanks to Rippon’s writing, comes across as a strong foil to the hero; listening to his advice, but using her own experience and professionalism to handle the investigation as she sees fit.
The rest of the team, whilst in many ways generic cops that occasionally skirt a bit close to cliche, each manage to have enough about them to remain interesting, with special mention going to forensics expert, Sue Cresswell.
The story itself, rattles along through the 262 pages, but never feels rushed as the body count rises and the chase inevitably becomes more personal.
And so, whilst ‘Lord of the Dead’ doesn’t, for me, make full use of it’s north east UK setting, it does use enough of it to provide a distinct sense of place, and that, along with a strong lead and promising supporting cast, shows the potential in the author and leads me to hope that Jon Atherton will be helping the police with their enquiries for some time to come.
For me, it comes down to three things; characters, pacing and promise.
In Atherton, author Richard Rippon has taken the tried and tested trope of the flawed protagonist with a self-destructive streak and given it just enough of a tweak to make him different, whilst remaining familiar enough as to stay within the conventions of the genre. The protagonist’s cerebral palsy, rather than feeling like a tacked on gimmick aimed at giving him something to overcome, becomes just another obstacle to be faced as Atherton struggles to balance his personal and professional lives, which in true thriller fashion dramatically impact upon each other.
It is this balance that really works for me as Atherton attempts to hold his family together whilst being forced to work with the woman he had an affair with. Rippon manages to pepper his story with little personal touches that ground the characters and their relationships, helping you feel for their predicaments.
That said, this is still a book about the hunt for a killer, and so we must have a team of determined coppers for Atherton to advise and, of course, butt heads with. Naturally, we spend most time with Atherton’s ex, DS Kate Prejean, who again, thanks to Rippon’s writing, comes across as a strong foil to the hero; listening to his advice, but using her own experience and professionalism to handle the investigation as she sees fit.
The rest of the team, whilst in many ways generic cops that occasionally skirt a bit close to cliche, each manage to have enough about them to remain interesting, with special mention going to forensics expert, Sue Cresswell.
The story itself, rattles along through the 262 pages, but never feels rushed as the body count rises and the chase inevitably becomes more personal.
And so, whilst ‘Lord of the Dead’ doesn’t, for me, make full use of it’s north east UK setting, it does use enough of it to provide a distinct sense of place, and that, along with a strong lead and promising supporting cast, shows the potential in the author and leads me to hope that Jon Atherton will be helping the police with their enquiries for some time to come.
March 7, 2018
Lord of the Dead, by Richard Rippon, is a dark crime novel set in the North East of England. Its protagonist is Dr Jon Atherton, a university lecturer and psychologist who freelances for the local police force providing profiles of perpetrators from crime scenes. The story opens when he is called to a particularly gruesome murder. The body of a young woman has been found by a dog walker, carved into bits and left in a field.
Atherton suffers from cerebral palsy which affects his mobility. He is married with a daughter but is in counselling following an affair with a colleague he worked alongside on a previous case. His wife is unhappy when he is once again asked to team up with the woman, DS Kate Prejean.
Prejean and Atherton start their investigations by visiting the scene of a previous murder in which another young woman was found in pieces. Their fear is that they may now be dealing with a serial killer, and as time passes this proves to be the case. To find him (apparently it is always a him) they need to work out the motive and how victims are selected. Other than their similar looks the dead woman appear to have nothing to link them.
The police team must deal with the modern trials of crime fighting: an invasive press; social media sharing; a PR department whose budget is the only one not to suffer recent cuts to funding. Added to this it becomes clear that an insider is leaking sensitive information. As further bodies are discovered a need for results leads to an ill advised and disastrous attempt at an arrest.
There are elements typical of the genre: Atherton drinks heavily and struggles to be a decent husband; Prejean is conventionally beautiful and emotionally defensive; there are sexual undercurrents and objectification, a lack of detached professionalism; a woman of colour is underrated. The plot arc, however, is strong enough to belie any accusation of being overly formulaic. Tension is retained without feeling overdone and the prose remains engaging.
I found the forensics lead, Sue Cresswell, a more interesting character than Prejean. Even Atherton’s wife, despite her depression, appeared stronger than this supposedly capable senior investigator. Amongst the men DC Rogers felt somewhat underplayed. Given the large cast I wondered if some were introduced with a view to development in potential sequels.
This is a competently written crime novel, British noir with some intriguing reasoning. A strong addition to a popular genre. For fans of crime fiction it is well worth reading.
My copy of this book was provided gratis by the publisher, Obliterati Press.
Atherton suffers from cerebral palsy which affects his mobility. He is married with a daughter but is in counselling following an affair with a colleague he worked alongside on a previous case. His wife is unhappy when he is once again asked to team up with the woman, DS Kate Prejean.
Prejean and Atherton start their investigations by visiting the scene of a previous murder in which another young woman was found in pieces. Their fear is that they may now be dealing with a serial killer, and as time passes this proves to be the case. To find him (apparently it is always a him) they need to work out the motive and how victims are selected. Other than their similar looks the dead woman appear to have nothing to link them.
The police team must deal with the modern trials of crime fighting: an invasive press; social media sharing; a PR department whose budget is the only one not to suffer recent cuts to funding. Added to this it becomes clear that an insider is leaking sensitive information. As further bodies are discovered a need for results leads to an ill advised and disastrous attempt at an arrest.
There are elements typical of the genre: Atherton drinks heavily and struggles to be a decent husband; Prejean is conventionally beautiful and emotionally defensive; there are sexual undercurrents and objectification, a lack of detached professionalism; a woman of colour is underrated. The plot arc, however, is strong enough to belie any accusation of being overly formulaic. Tension is retained without feeling overdone and the prose remains engaging.
I found the forensics lead, Sue Cresswell, a more interesting character than Prejean. Even Atherton’s wife, despite her depression, appeared stronger than this supposedly capable senior investigator. Amongst the men DC Rogers felt somewhat underplayed. Given the large cast I wondered if some were introduced with a view to development in potential sequels.
This is a competently written crime novel, British noir with some intriguing reasoning. A strong addition to a popular genre. For fans of crime fiction it is well worth reading.
My copy of this book was provided gratis by the publisher, Obliterati Press.
November 15, 2017
Lord of the Dead is a mesmerizing thriller, which I found near impossible to put down. Rippon is an economical writer who doesn't waste his words with too much back story and unnecessary details, yet somehow manages to say twice as much in half the time than the likes of Jo Nesbo. The brutal serial killer, who calls himself Son of Geb, is one of the creepier villains I have encountered, but what makes the story for me is the flawed, but likable protagonist Jon Atherton, a university psychologist, assigned to help the police on the case, who has demons of his own, including a complicated relationship with lead detective Kate Prejean, who happens to be his ex-lover.
May 11, 2018
Vera meets Wire in the Blood. You can't help being reminded of Vera when reading a police procedural set in Northumbria but this is both a bit gorier and weirder. Keeps you guessing and turning the pages.
November 6, 2017
Highly recommend this great read. I got totally caught up in the plot and characters so I'm very much looking forward to the sequel!
January 7, 2018
I started to have nightmares around Chapter 16. This is a good thing, I promise you. Well-executed stories about brutal killings have the tendency to bubble up in the midnight hours. And this story was very well-executed. Mr. Rippon did not waste a single word in this tale, and he was able to bring to life our protagonists, as well as the supporting cast, while keeping a quick pace. Much appreciated. Looking forward to more stories staring Atherton and (hopefully) Prejean.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews