The stunning debut thriller by bestselling author Dominic Piper, Kiss Me When I’m Dead introduces the enigmatic, London-based private investigator Daniel Beckett.When Beckett is offered double his usual fee to track down Viola Raleigh, the missing daughter of a billionaire arms dealer, he has no reason to believe the assignment is not as it seems.But his investigation is hindered as he discovers … hindered as he discovers he’s being stalked by a professional surveillance team. As he learns more about Viola’s life as a drug addict and high-class call girl, he starts to realise that his wealthy client has been economical with the truth.
It isn’t long before Beckett himself is in danger, but his adversaries quickly discover that they are dealing with a formidable opponent with a far more sinister background than they might ever have imagined.
Two more Daniel Beckett mysteries, Death is the New Black and Femme Fatale, are also available on Amazon.
Dominic Piper is an author living in London.
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A character like Daniel Beckett—savvy detective, martial arts expert, ladies’ man extraordinaire (he can name almost any perfume with a single whiff)—is like catnip to me. With his confidential narration of his latest case, the reader is treated to an acerbic take on his new client—a wealthy eccentric desperately looking for his twenty-something daughter whom he suspects is still a heroin addict and high-end prostitute. Though Daniel finds the man and his hired goons quirky and more than a little tedious, the money on offer is too tempting to pass up. He accepts the job and begins the dive into the seamiest side of London life.
Daniel must be very good looking, for every woman he comes across is mesmerized by him. He would have to beat them off with a stick if he wasn’t such a soft touch himself. With all he has going on with the Raleigh case, he still finds time for appreciating the fairer sex the way they apparently need to be appreciated. Balancing his ever-growing list of lady friends is almost as precarious a task as sidestepping the felonious thugs intent on doing him harm.
Dominic Piper’s sense of humor is in turns subtle and outlandish. I found myself laughing at scenes that should’ve made my hair stand on end. He walks the fine line between madcap and gallows humor, always catching it just right. In some ways, Daniel’s a bit like the earlier James Bond—dashing, handsome, highly trained in the defensive arts, undisputed babe magnet. But he’s more human than that. He genuinely loves women. His only problem is he could never imagine having to choose just one.
I was hooked from the first page and loved almost every word of this book. There’s one tiny detail I wish I hadn’t read, but everything else was just pure, unadulterated fun. Looking forward to reading more by this very talented writer.
Dominic Piper has achieved the impossible. Historically, I’ve refused to read books written in first-person POV. But Kiss Me When I’m Dead grabbed my attention and held on until I settled into its rhythm and pace. I’m not a fan of violence, either, but Piper does an excellent job of keeping it not-too-blatantly in your face. The main character, Daniel Beckett, is mysterious, edgy, and deadly, with a past that is only hinted at. The storyline is peopled with well-drawn characters, both sinister and not-so, and the ending will stay with you long after you’re done. I’ll be reading more of Piper’s series.
I’m ashamed to say I borrowed this book through Kindle Unlimited in October 2018 and just got around to reading it. I’m ashamed, but I’m also kind of glad. If I’d read it back in 2018, I would have also read all the subsequent books in the series by now. Instead, I still have them to look forward to.
Talk about a storyline that grabs you and doesn’t let you go! The main character, Daniel Beckett, is a private investigator hired by an elderly and wealthy arms dealer to find his estranged daughter, a young woman who is an addict and a prostitute. His investigation leads him to some truly awful places and reveals some surprising twists.
Characters are what make a book for me, and Dominic Piper has invented a fantastic group of them. Daniel Beckett is not only a very able investigator, he’s witty in both his thoughts and speech, which really made the book for me. More than once, I smiled or laughed out loud. He’s apparently very attractive since he ends up in a lot of beds during the course of the book. All the sex is offstage, however, which I think was a lot more effective than if it had been described.
That said, don’t make the mistake of thinking this book is for the faint of heart. Dominic Piper’s villains are straight from the bowels of Hell, and the descriptions of what some of them have done to women—well, just be warned. You don’t actually have to “see” most of it, but the descriptions are bad enough.
I also loved the mystery that Piper leaves surrounding Daniel Beckett. By the time the story is finished, the reader knows that he’s attractive, that he genuinely likes and respects women, that he has a hero’s sense of right and wrong, that he is witty and doesn’t take himself too seriously, and that he’s tough as nails and a hell of a fighter, but the reader doesn’t really know where he came from or what his background is—and that’s just the way he wants it. I loved that.
Only thing that bothered me a bit is how he can punch the lights out of people repeatedly—to the point of breaking a jaw—yet his hands never seem to get damaged or even give him pain. I can live with that, though. Our TV heroes do it all the time, too, and Daniel Beckett is tougher than any of them! Ah, if only men like Daniel Beckett existed in real life! 🙂
A fast-paced mystery that is devilishly funny!
In this first book of the Daniel Beckett series, the London-based private investigator reluctantly takes on a missing-persons case. Delving into the world of high-priced sex-workers in the age of social media and the Internet, P.I. Beckett learns the intimate workings of current industry practices, almost making a case for legalization.
Beckett dives right in, possessing sleuthing skills from some as yet unknown prior career to crack the case as efficiently as possible. He has a flair for sniffing out clues, not missing a thing, from the scent of L’Air du Temps, to wiggle dresses. It is soon clear that the devastatingly witty P.I. has a way with the ladies, all of whom are world-class beauties.
The writing is smart and easy, with splendid vocabulary, and a British accent. Only one observation, in a deviation from traditional novels, the author uses present tense, even mixing tenses in several sections. This was either a decision taken after initial publishing with possibly some missed edits in the new edition. Or perhaps it’s a writing technique to make the first-person narrator sound genuine, which personally I find jarring.
Nonetheless, the fast-paced story is highly entertaining and satisfying, with masterful twists and turns and plenty to savor until I have time to crack open book two of the series!
I poured myself a cheeky red and jumped into the world of PI Daniel Beckett. I have to say I was glad I did. We find the every so charismatic Daniel Beckett taking on a missing person case, which although appears to be straightforward, is anything but. He has the ability to read people and situations for what they really are and that’s a good thing as he finds himself embroiled in murder, mystery, and mayhem. All the characters in this book are engaging and when you realise what’s happening, it’s a real ‘what the??? moment. I have to say that I did chuckle at some of the one-liners and inner monologue. We are left not really knowing who this man is, who like the song would say, can f***, fight, ride a bike, wheel a barrow….., but I guess we find out a little more in Death is the New Black and Femme Fatale. It’s witty and well written and I’d be happy to share a glass of red in a little wine bar off Soho anytime if Daniel Beckett is buying.