Dead on Demand [Kindle Edition]

Sean Campbell (Author), Daniel Campbell (Author), Melanie Mitchell (Editor)

Book Description

He had the perfect life. Now he'll kill to get it back.                  

A career man, Edwin Murphy has always put more effort into his work than his family. Everything changes for Edwin when his wife files for divorce. On the brink of losing his home, his job and his little girl, Edwin orchestrates an intricate plan to eliminate his wife and regain his former lifestyle.

The police are baffled when bodies begin to appear all over London with no apparent connection between them. Inspector David Morton must think outside the box as he investigates the deadly web of deceit behind the murders.

(Approximately 80,000 words. Not suitable for children due to violent themes.)

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Originally from Hampshire in England, Sean and Dan are brothers who first wrote Dead on Demand as a challenge to see if they could successfully write a crime novel without killing each other.
Sean trained as a barrister while Dan recently finished compulsory education. They are both big fans of crime drama, and this eye for forensic details is reflected in their work.
When Dan isn't plotting elaborate murders, he enjoys gourmet cooking, and hopes to become a Michelin starred chef one day.
Sean and Dan are currently working on the sequel to Dead on Demand which will be released in late 2012.

Product Details

• File Size: 374 KB
• Print Length: 351 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1477593144
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: De Minimis; 2.1 edition (September 16, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0080FCR2G
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #361,809 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Dead Good! May 11, 2012

By L K Jay

Format:Kindle Edition

There are lots of reasons I like this novel. For a start, it has the word 'dead' in it which means that it is either a crime novel or it has ghosts in it. It's the former, so I'm happy. What makes this novel interesting is that it was written, edited and produced in just 90 days, which is three months in old money.

It tells the story of Edwin Murphy, who is having a really bad day. He's lost his job, his wife and stands to lose his daughter and he decides to take action. Chief Inspector David Morton heads the team to investigate a series of seemingly unrelated deaths, a chase to find the truth ensues and it's a gripping read to the end.

This is a crime thriller in the vein of 'Strangers on a Train' only with a modern twist. This isn't a whodunnit but a how-and-canhegetawaywithit and you won't be able to put your Kindle down until you find out. This is a real page turner with lots of twists and turns and the Chief Inspector is a character that I really hope appears again as his character is built upon nicely and I hope, set up to start a series of novels.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars AMAZING FOR A DEBUT NOVEL!! May 8, 2012

By Cinta Garcia Rosa

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

When I first heard about a novel that was going to be written in a maximum of 90 days, I thought that I definitely would need to read that book. My curiosity is huge, especially if the mystery and suspense deal with books. For those people who may think that a novel written in 2 months must be very bad and not worthy of reading I say, you are all wrong. Sean and Daniel Campbell have proved that it is possible to write a very clever, thrilling, and gripping thriller in such a short notice. Written by two different writers, you don't notice the change of writer. The language and style used are professional and very accurate for the kind of novel chosen. The story flows so easily that it is impossible to put the book down. I read it in 3 days (or 3 nights).

About the plot, it is quite original and clever. The main protagonist, Edwin Murphy, has the kind of perfect life that everybody could dream, till he discovers his wife wants to divorce him and leave the country with their daughter. He will plan a very complex plan to kill his wife and, in that way, recover the control of his life. But becoming a murderer is not that easy, and that's how his plan becomes more and more complicated. Is it possible to be a serial killer in the distance? How can the police, with David Morton on the lead, discover what is going on in the streets of London, where they are finding more and more dead bodies? Read this book and follow the steps the police follows to try to solve the mystery.

Lots of different characters in this novel, but every one of them has a very well developed personality, so you feel them quite real. You can pity them, be angry at them, and even take sides. This book will take you in a gripping journey throughout the darkest side of London and its inhabitants.

Highly recommendable. The perfect read for every occasion.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Overall August 16, 2012

By MesBah Uddin

Format:Paperback

Overall, a good book but may not suit the squeamish or overly sensitive. DCI Morton is a man on a mission. Corpses without killers make for a compelling and taut storyline that propels the reader through London's underbelly warts and all. No excruciating detail is spared as the victims are killed, concealed and subsequently dissected in the name of justice.

Positives:
Well written, engaging and casual in tone.
Very fast paced.
Great main characters. We get to see the inner workings of some despicable human beings.
Excellent research on forensics, police procedure and legal process.
Inventive murders that don't read like a typical murder mystery.
Very original. The murder swap thing has been done (the Ancient Greeks beat the authors to this one) but the execution of that premise is sublimely unique.
Crisp dialogue with some good regional variations lightly done.
Technical detail dealt with in a simple manner.
Print cover detailing is exquisite.

Cons:
A few too many characters. Some of this is the nature of the book as characters must be sacrificed to shunt the plot forward.
The pace could leave some a little confused. Each section is dissectible alone, but the overarching story is mind bogglingly complex, and I don't like Fenton/ Morton being two names as they are too similar for me.
It's an adult book. The description does say so to be fair, but it contains moderate swearing, violence and some sex crime.
I didn't like the Italian accent on one minor character, a little too clichéd.
Subtle religious undercurrents; One murderer struggles with faith, and the detectives own faith is mentioned. This isn't mentioned in the description.
Some characters haven't been fully realised yet which I assume is because this is book #1 in a series. This leaves the reader wanting more Morton.

Buy this if: You like gritty crime, are a fan of authors like Peter James or love a page turner.
Don't buy this if: You dislike religious subtext, don't like graphic descriptions or find novels with violence and sex crimes unpalatable.