How the Dead Live - Softcover

Raymond, Derek

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1852427981 ISBN 13: 9781852427986

Publisher: Serpent's Tail, 2008

Synopsis

“A sulphurous mixture of ferocious violence and high-fl own philosophy.”—Prospect

The third novel in the acclaimed Factory crime series sees Derek Raymond’s nameless detective leave London for a remote village, where he’s meant to be investigating the disappearance of a local doctor’s wife.

A fitting successor to classic noir writers such as Jim Thompson and David Goodis, with an introduction by Will Self. High-profile fans include Ian Rankin and James Sallis.

Robin Cook was born in 1931. He reinvented himself as Derek Raymond and died in London in 1994.

About this title

About the Author:

Derek Raymond was born Robin Cook in 1931. The son of a textile magnate, he dropped out of public school aged sixteen and spent much of his early career among criminals. The Factory series followed his early novels, The Crust on Its Uppers and A State of Denmark. He died in London in 1994. Will Self is an author, media commentator and journalist. He 'borrowed' the title, How the Dead Live, from Derek Raymond for his 2000 novel. His latest novel is The Book of Dave.

From Publishers Weekly:

Starred Review. First published in the U.K. in 1986, this powerful and mesmerizing novel should gain new U.S. fans for Raymond (1931–1994), known in Europe as one of the masters of British noir. The unnamed narrator, a dogged Scotland Yarder with a gift for antagonizing his superiors, travels to Wiltshire to resolve a bizarre missing-persons case. Though Marianne Mardy, a popular local figure, hasn't been seen for some time, her physician husband, William, hasn't reported her missing. The police are strangely uninterested in making any effort to locate the woman, and the narrator soon uncovers evidence of official corruption. After an initial interview with William, who lives a reclusive existence in a massive, crumbling mansion, the detective gets a glimmer of what really happened to Mrs. Mardy, only to find himself struggling to reconcile the truth with what his personal sense of justice requires. With spare, often lyrical prose, Raymond digs beneath society's civilized veneer to expose the inner rot. (May)
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About this edition

• Publisher: Serpent's Tail
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 1852427981
• ISBN 13: 9781852427986
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 213