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The Delingpole Mysteries #1
The Necessary Deaths
Award winner in the 2017 FAPA President’s Awards for Adult Suspense and Thrillers.
A young man. Unconscious in a hospital bed. His life is in the balance from a drugs overdose.
Attempted suicide or attempted murder?
British lawyer Dominic Delingpole investigates, with the help of his larger than life partner Jonathan McFadden.
Compromising photographs of senior politicians and business chiefs are discovered.
Is the young man a blackmailer?
Dominic and Jonathan uncover a conspiracy reaches into the highest levels of government and powerful corporations.
Three people are murdered, and Dominic and Jonathan struggle for their very survival in this gripping thriller.
A young man. Unconscious in a hospital bed. His life is in the balance from a drugs overdose.
Attempted suicide or attempted murder?
British lawyer Dominic Delingpole investigates, with the help of his larger than life partner Jonathan McFadden.
Compromising photographs of senior politicians and business chiefs are discovered.
Is the young man a blackmailer?
Dominic and Jonathan uncover a conspiracy reaches into the highest levels of government and powerful corporations.
Three people are murdered, and Dominic and Jonathan struggle for their very survival in this gripping thriller.
200 pages, ebook
First published November 1, 2016
46 people are currently reading
149 people want to read
About the author
David C. Dawson
9 books71 followersMen in love, men in jeopardy.
David C. Dawson is an award-winning writer of page-turner thrillers with a gay theme and the occasional romance.
His latest novel A Death At His Majesty's was published inb April 2024. It's the third in the Simon Sampson Mysteries series. The second in the series, A Death in Berlin, was shortlisted for a Mystery and Thriller LAMMY.
His debut novel, The Necessary Deaths, won bronze for Best Mystery & Suspense in the FAPA chairman's award. It became the first in the Dominic Delingpole series. The other two books are The Deadly Lies and A Foreign Affair.
His first mystery romance For the Love of Luke was published in October 2018 followed by Heroes in Love.
David lives in London with his boyfriend and ageing motorbike.
You can read his blog here: http://bit.ly/DavidCDawsonblog
In his spare time, David tours Europe on his ageing Triumph motorbike and sings with the London Gay Men’s Chorus.
David C. Dawson is an award-winning writer of page-turner thrillers with a gay theme and the occasional romance.
His latest novel A Death At His Majesty's was published inb April 2024. It's the third in the Simon Sampson Mysteries series. The second in the series, A Death in Berlin, was shortlisted for a Mystery and Thriller LAMMY.
His debut novel, The Necessary Deaths, won bronze for Best Mystery & Suspense in the FAPA chairman's award. It became the first in the Dominic Delingpole series. The other two books are The Deadly Lies and A Foreign Affair.
His first mystery romance For the Love of Luke was published in October 2018 followed by Heroes in Love.
David lives in London with his boyfriend and ageing motorbike.
You can read his blog here: http://bit.ly/DavidCDawsonblog
In his spare time, David tours Europe on his ageing Triumph motorbike and sings with the London Gay Men’s Chorus.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
October 20, 2016
It is always easier to post a negative review for a book that everyone praises. Not that I LIKE to stand out among others, but because readers won’t stop buying it, doesn’t matter what I say. To do the same for a debut novel feels like bullying.
However, an honest review is an honest review, and I have to confess that I struggled with this book.
The blurb sounded promising. I was 100% sure, it was my kind of book:
- A new gay mystery series with British lawyer? YES!
- A lawyer and an opera singer as a couple? What an interesting constellation! YES!
- A scandal involving well-known politicians and business chiefs? OH YES!
- A conspiracy that reaches in the highest levels of government and powerful corporations? YES!YES!
And after finishing it, I don’t know what to say about this novel. It was not THAT bad. If you like a lot of comic-like actions, you can probably enjoy it. But it didn't work for me. It is one of those books that I’d prefer to watch than to read.
A short insight into the story:
When Simon, the only child of Mrs. Gregory, a friendly neighbor of Dominic Delingpole, has been taken to hospital after a drug overdose, police has no doubts that it was attempted suicide. The health condition of a young man is very critical: he is in coma since his roommate has found him. A poor woman has to go to Brighton, where her son has studied journalism at the local university, and where he is hospitalized, as soon as possible. Dominic, as a good neighbor in charge, suggests her a drive. For him it is though a win-win situation. He feels sympathy for a single mother and wants honesty to help, but at the same time he uses a chance to see his boyfriend of two years Jonathan, who lives in Brighton and with whom he has a long-distance relationship. On the way to Brighton Dominic learns that Simon has never taken any drugs, that he is not a typ to commit a suicide, and that his mother not a bit believes in the suicide theory of the police. Dominic doesn’t take her declarations too seriously first, but after talking with John, a boyfriend of Simon as well as with other roommates, who all are firmly convinced that it couldn’t be an overdose, but that someone tried to kill Simon, his doubts in the suicide theory raises. And the story picks up the pace.
The author will deliver almost everything that an average conspiracy thriller can give you. Only THIS everything is not very credible and real, but rather comic-like, and partly very childish.
But it is not my biggest problem though, I read much more illogical books, that I liked nevertheless.
My main issue were the characters, who I didn't warm up with. I didn't feel them, I was indifferent.
Besides:
a) There were just too many of them.
b) They were too stereotypical. In spite of their variety too boring to admire.
c) Unfortunately Dominic Delingpolem, a main character, a title holder, was too fade and too uninteresting for me to want to know him better. I don’t also understand why this mystery series has his name in the title. At least in the first book, he was not someone who made an investigation, he was not even a silent observer, he was either a placeholder or a victim ( for a change)
The writing style felt dry and sterile, and I had a feeling as if I was reading an article in a magazine. Later I found out that the author is award-winning journalist and documentary maker.
I’m sure he makes a great reports and interesting documentaries, but with his lawyer's series he could be hardly a second Michael Nava .
P.S I really like the cover.
September 2, 2020
3.5 stars. The Necessary Deaths is a wild mismash of suspense, political corruption, secret societies, mysterious deaths and near-deaths, opera singers, lawyers, pesky crime-solving students and black hat hackers. Readers will either hang on and enjoy the crazy adventure, or decide this book is just not for them.
Personally, I hung on until the end and rather liked The Necessary Deaths despite feeling at points that the plot was just too convoluted and the cast of characters was too numerous. The plot is almost too hard to describe other than to say it begins with a supposed suicide attempt by a journalist student and involves his flatmates trying to figure out what happened to him, as well as lawyer Dominic Delinpole who is hired by the student's mother and brings his partner, Jonathan and a number of friends and acquaintances that also band together to discover the truth. Looking solely at the plot and pacing, the story kept me entertained and consumed with solving the case until the very exciting ending.
Where The Necessary Deaths lost points for me is character development. I didn't feel the chemistry between Dominic and Jonathan, and they were each too lightly developed to really get a sense of their personalities. The same was true of the students (Si, John, Gemma and Jay) and Miles, Harrison, Steve, Pat, Samanatha, Christophe, etc. There was just so much manpower needed to fuel the plot that there was no time to flesh out any of these characters. But since this is the first in a series, I'm hoping we'll get more in-depth details about these characters in future books.
I would recommend The Necessary Deaths to anyone looking for a action-packed read, but can understand how this book is not everyone's cup of tea.
I received an ARC of this book from DSP Publications in exchange for an honest review.
Visit my blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
Personally, I hung on until the end and rather liked The Necessary Deaths despite feeling at points that the plot was just too convoluted and the cast of characters was too numerous. The plot is almost too hard to describe other than to say it begins with a supposed suicide attempt by a journalist student and involves his flatmates trying to figure out what happened to him, as well as lawyer Dominic Delinpole who is hired by the student's mother and brings his partner, Jonathan and a number of friends and acquaintances that also band together to discover the truth. Looking solely at the plot and pacing, the story kept me entertained and consumed with solving the case until the very exciting ending.
Where The Necessary Deaths lost points for me is character development. I didn't feel the chemistry between Dominic and Jonathan, and they were each too lightly developed to really get a sense of their personalities. The same was true of the students (Si, John, Gemma and Jay) and Miles, Harrison, Steve, Pat, Samanatha, Christophe, etc. There was just so much manpower needed to fuel the plot that there was no time to flesh out any of these characters. But since this is the first in a series, I'm hoping we'll get more in-depth details about these characters in future books.
I would recommend The Necessary Deaths to anyone looking for a action-packed read, but can understand how this book is not everyone's cup of tea.
I received an ARC of this book from DSP Publications in exchange for an honest review.
Visit my blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
October 25, 2016
I love mysteries and I can’t pass out on any of them and I was seriously hoping that this one is going to be a win for me. Alas*sighs* The blurb of this book sounded very promising indeed but at the end, I could not get myself to give it more than 2.5 stars. The plot was not that strong and I had a hard time liking the main MC of the book. This story is supposed to have a relationship but I did not see the connection or trust between the couple. As for the villains, they were ruthless, yes but still could not induce the sense of fear or the danger in me. Their cause was outlandish and I had a real hard time believing it.
When Simon Gregory is hospitalized after his suicide attempt, lawyer Dominic Delingpole is roped into the case while helping Simon’s mother, his neighbor. Dominic is not sure if it is at all a suicide attempt. After talking with his housemates, Dominic’s instinct says that Simon could have been a victim of a murder attempt. When evidence comes out that Simon is hiding sensitive images in his room it raises the question whether he was blackmailing someone. With Dominic’s apartment getting broken into and faceless people following him and his partner, Jonathan, he has no doubt that Simon is part of a big conspiracy and no one is safe anymore until the bad guys are caught.
Why I did not like about the book?
1. Dominic is a lawyer so he knows that it’s not done to keep facts from the police in an ongoing investigation but he deliberately withholds vital information even when people starts dying.
2. Dominic in no way has been portrayed as a strong or able character or investigator what with him trying to ogle every guy he comes in contact with. As he learns more facts about the case and finds out the sensitive and dangerous nature behind it, he does nothing to keep his boyfriend or friends safe. He involves everyone in it without ever thinking about their safety.
3. Dominic was not the investigator per say. He just stumbles on it and then does nothing to solve it. His lack of action is just not what I would like to see from a principal character in a mystery novel.
4. As for the other characters, there were too many of them. It was a little too convenient that John, Simon’s boyfriend knows a surveillance guy who can hack phones, encrypt them and generally act as the computer guy in their “amateur” team.
5. The villains are so deadly and ruthless that they can eliminate anyone but fail to retrieve Dominic’s phone after they kidnap him*shakes head* Wow! even a total amateur would find that stupid. Also when they try to kill Simon for the first time, they do not attempt to retrieve the evidence first. I mean how much of an idiot are they??? (The bag was sitting right under Simon’s bed. It was not even in any bank vault or a safe*eye roll*)
6. As for Simon, there was no clear explanation as to how he gets involved with the evidence in the first place. His housemates were stupidly brave enough to not panic and go to the police even after they find that someone is trying to kill their friend. That’s just not how normal student s behaves or any innocent bystander for that matter.
7. Lastly, Jonathan. That guy thought he could flirt his way through a dangerous/deadly situation. I did not like him as a investigator or a serious romantic partner.
I could not connect with the characters and found the plot uninteresting. The twists and turns were movie-like where appropriate people are conveniently present any time there are any problems. And I was totally flabbergasted with the total lack of police involvement. The MCs were not MI6 that they could handle everything yet they still do not feel the need to alert the police about such a huge conspiracy.
The writing style is not that exciting. There were twists and turns in the plot but the author could not instill the appropriate reaction in me. There was everything in the story that you would generally hope to see in a mystery novel but the author could not make the end product exciting or believable enough. None of the characters felt real or authentic. I was really very disappointed with this book.
When Simon Gregory is hospitalized after his suicide attempt, lawyer Dominic Delingpole is roped into the case while helping Simon’s mother, his neighbor. Dominic is not sure if it is at all a suicide attempt. After talking with his housemates, Dominic’s instinct says that Simon could have been a victim of a murder attempt. When evidence comes out that Simon is hiding sensitive images in his room it raises the question whether he was blackmailing someone. With Dominic’s apartment getting broken into and faceless people following him and his partner, Jonathan, he has no doubt that Simon is part of a big conspiracy and no one is safe anymore until the bad guys are caught.
Why I did not like about the book?
1. Dominic is a lawyer so he knows that it’s not done to keep facts from the police in an ongoing investigation but he deliberately withholds vital information even when people starts dying.
2. Dominic in no way has been portrayed as a strong or able character or investigator what with him trying to ogle every guy he comes in contact with. As he learns more facts about the case and finds out the sensitive and dangerous nature behind it, he does nothing to keep his boyfriend or friends safe. He involves everyone in it without ever thinking about their safety.
3. Dominic was not the investigator per say. He just stumbles on it and then does nothing to solve it. His lack of action is just not what I would like to see from a principal character in a mystery novel.
4. As for the other characters, there were too many of them. It was a little too convenient that John, Simon’s boyfriend knows a surveillance guy who can hack phones, encrypt them and generally act as the computer guy in their “amateur” team.
5. The villains are so deadly and ruthless that they can eliminate anyone but fail to retrieve Dominic’s phone after they kidnap him*shakes head* Wow! even a total amateur would find that stupid. Also when they try to kill Simon for the first time, they do not attempt to retrieve the evidence first. I mean how much of an idiot are they??? (The bag was sitting right under Simon’s bed. It was not even in any bank vault or a safe*eye roll*)
6. As for Simon, there was no clear explanation as to how he gets involved with the evidence in the first place. His housemates were stupidly brave enough to not panic and go to the police even after they find that someone is trying to kill their friend. That’s just not how normal student s behaves or any innocent bystander for that matter.
7. Lastly, Jonathan. That guy thought he could flirt his way through a dangerous/deadly situation. I did not like him as a investigator or a serious romantic partner.
I could not connect with the characters and found the plot uninteresting. The twists and turns were movie-like where appropriate people are conveniently present any time there are any problems. And I was totally flabbergasted with the total lack of police involvement. The MCs were not MI6 that they could handle everything yet they still do not feel the need to alert the police about such a huge conspiracy.
The writing style is not that exciting. There were twists and turns in the plot but the author could not instill the appropriate reaction in me. There was everything in the story that you would generally hope to see in a mystery novel but the author could not make the end product exciting or believable enough. None of the characters felt real or authentic. I was really very disappointed with this book.
August 31, 2020
** 3.25 stars **
So, this is absolutely new author to me, so I was going in blind here. There were things that I really enjoyed in this book but also were things that sooo didn't work for me. In a nutshell this is a low angst, no steam, mild suspense, good mystery amateur sleuthing story set up in England. I loved the setting, the sights and dialogue filled with a bit of British slang. The mystery was rather good especially considering the fact that this book was told from multiple POVs. Different voices added to the intensity of the case and made it more fun to get to the conclusion. I loved secondary characters, their own shenanigans and interrelationships. The story was very easy to get into and read.
The MCs were hard to like and relate to. This was most unromantic romantic suspense that I have ever read. Both men are in an open relationship. *sigh* All the wandering eyes and casual mentions of one-night stands (nothing on page thank goodness) were hard for me to swallow. I do not read books with open relationships, and here it was sprung on me without warning. I tried to get past it and mostly, when not mentioned, I was able to enjoy the story. There was no sweet or steamy moments. The relationship was so by the way, so casual that if Dominic and Jonathan didn't claim they were together I would have never guessed. I like more romance and may I say passion mixed with growing devotion even from an established couple. Since they committed to each other in the end, I hope the next book might be different. *silent begging* By themselves both MCs were quite likable.
I have never read a book with amateur sleuthing where neither MCs were connected in some way to LEOs, so it was a bit different, even hilarious at times. Yes, inclusion of light-hearted humor also made this book a decent read for me. All in all, if not for the non romance and open relationship, the book was an intriguing mix of criminal, financial and political games that I thoroughly enjoyed figuring out. Copy received for my honest and unbiased review
So, this is absolutely new author to me, so I was going in blind here. There were things that I really enjoyed in this book but also were things that sooo didn't work for me. In a nutshell this is a low angst, no steam, mild suspense, good mystery amateur sleuthing story set up in England. I loved the setting, the sights and dialogue filled with a bit of British slang. The mystery was rather good especially considering the fact that this book was told from multiple POVs. Different voices added to the intensity of the case and made it more fun to get to the conclusion. I loved secondary characters, their own shenanigans and interrelationships. The story was very easy to get into and read.
The MCs were hard to like and relate to. This was most unromantic romantic suspense that I have ever read. Both men are in an open relationship. *sigh* All the wandering eyes and casual mentions of one-night stands (nothing on page thank goodness) were hard for me to swallow. I do not read books with open relationships, and here it was sprung on me without warning. I tried to get past it and mostly, when not mentioned, I was able to enjoy the story. There was no sweet or steamy moments. The relationship was so by the way, so casual that if Dominic and Jonathan didn't claim they were together I would have never guessed. I like more romance and may I say passion mixed with growing devotion even from an established couple. Since they committed to each other in the end, I hope the next book might be different. *silent begging* By themselves both MCs were quite likable.
I have never read a book with amateur sleuthing where neither MCs were connected in some way to LEOs, so it was a bit different, even hilarious at times. Yes, inclusion of light-hearted humor also made this book a decent read for me. All in all, if not for the non romance and open relationship, the book was an intriguing mix of criminal, financial and political games that I thoroughly enjoyed figuring out. Copy received for my honest and unbiased review
December 15, 2019
Set mostly in Brighton, England, this is a fascinating murder mystery, character study, and an intriguing look at what happens when young people get involved in drugs – and not just the recreational kind. In fact, the young journalism student who prompts the investigation into his attempted suicide - or murder? - is only the beginning of a trail leading to a conspiracy worthy of a thriller. The main character investigating the situation and uncovering a lot of the clues is not a detective, but a lawyer who wants to help out his neighbor, the student’s mother. I love “amateur” detectives like that and thoroughly enjoyed finding out more about Dominic and his quirky lover, Jonathan. But the mystery and dark goings-on at the center of this novel thrilled me in equal measure. As far as I am concerned, ‘The Necessary Deaths’ is a very successful blend of human interest and captivating, modern-day action adventure with political and international business conspiracies to keep me glued to the pages.
Please find my full review of the second edition on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Please find my full review of the second edition on Rainbow Book Reviews.
April 13, 2020
A complimentary audio was provided in exchange for an honest review.
Wow! There is a lot going on in this story and it was hard to keep track of who was who, where they were, and what they were supposed to be doing. I own the ebook and will be going through it to clear up some things that I didn't understand.
As for the story and what I was able to understand and follow, it was exciting! From the blurb you know a young man (John) is in the hospital. But why? On the surface things look cut and dry, but things are not what they seem. Dominic, along with John's friends, and Dom's lover, all join forces to figure out who would want to hurt John, and why they are still trying to kill him.
I love a good mystery and once a certain plot was introduced I thought I understood what was going on. And I was sort of right, but not in the way I imagined. It was so much more involved! The cast of good guys verse bad guys is long and like I said before, hard to keep organized and I can't remember their names. But they love John and are putting their life on the line to save him and stop the bad guys.
Mixed in with this drama is the relationship of Dominic and his partner, Jonathan. I don't know if I like Jonathan, exactly. He isn't one for monogamy, which hey, who am I to judge between consenting adults? It's just clear Dom isn't in favor of sleeping with other people and would prefer if he and Johnathan were exclusive. By the end, after all the events of the story, Jonathan does acknowledge his depth of love for Dom, not that they didn't know this before but it pushes Jonathan to realize he needs to do more for Dom. I don't know if Jonathan will never stray again, but they are getting married! Not a spoiler, book 2 blurb tells you they are husbands.
I DO look forward to book 2 for sure.
The narration was really good! It's kind of scary to try a book narrated by the author, but this worked out great! The author is the best person to know how he wants his characters to react and sound and emote. I would certainly listen to his narration again and highly recommend it.
Note, I felt like I was dropped in the middle of a series with this one, as if I should know who Dom and J are, all about their relationship and feelings. I do love established couples, and I did feel their connection, but it took a while.
Overall I give this 4 stars. It is a very complex story with a large cast of characters and I felt like I needed a cheat sheet. :)
Narration 5 stars!
Wow! There is a lot going on in this story and it was hard to keep track of who was who, where they were, and what they were supposed to be doing. I own the ebook and will be going through it to clear up some things that I didn't understand.
As for the story and what I was able to understand and follow, it was exciting! From the blurb you know a young man (John) is in the hospital. But why? On the surface things look cut and dry, but things are not what they seem. Dominic, along with John's friends, and Dom's lover, all join forces to figure out who would want to hurt John, and why they are still trying to kill him.
I love a good mystery and once a certain plot was introduced I thought I understood what was going on. And I was sort of right, but not in the way I imagined. It was so much more involved! The cast of good guys verse bad guys is long and like I said before, hard to keep organized and I can't remember their names. But they love John and are putting their life on the line to save him and stop the bad guys.
Mixed in with this drama is the relationship of Dominic and his partner, Jonathan. I don't know if I like Jonathan, exactly. He isn't one for monogamy, which hey, who am I to judge between consenting adults? It's just clear Dom isn't in favor of sleeping with other people and would prefer if he and Johnathan were exclusive. By the end, after all the events of the story, Jonathan does acknowledge his depth of love for Dom, not that they didn't know this before but it pushes Jonathan to realize he needs to do more for Dom. I don't know if Jonathan will never stray again, but they are getting married! Not a spoiler, book 2 blurb tells you they are husbands.
I DO look forward to book 2 for sure.
The narration was really good! It's kind of scary to try a book narrated by the author, but this worked out great! The author is the best person to know how he wants his characters to react and sound and emote. I would certainly listen to his narration again and highly recommend it.
Note, I felt like I was dropped in the middle of a series with this one, as if I should know who Dom and J are, all about their relationship and feelings. I do love established couples, and I did feel their connection, but it took a while.
Overall I give this 4 stars. It is a very complex story with a large cast of characters and I felt like I needed a cheat sheet. :)
Narration 5 stars!
April 9, 2020
Audiobook reviewed on April 6, 2020
Interesting. Intriguing. Ingenious
The Necessary Deaths: 1
The Delingpole Mysteries
By: David C. Dawson
Narrated by: David C. Dawson
I am glad I took the chance and listened to The Necessary Deaths as I enjoyed the interesting plotline, twists, mystery and banter of this tale.
David C. Dawson did a good job narrating the story he wrote . He is new , to me , as an author and narrator.
Overall: 4 stars
Performance: 4 stars
Story 4 stars
#Audible #ListenedOn2020 #BooksILike #GRR #DavidCDawson #TheNecessaryDeaths #KindleFire #Amazon
Interesting. Intriguing. Ingenious
The Necessary Deaths: 1
The Delingpole Mysteries
By: David C. Dawson
Narrated by: David C. Dawson
I am glad I took the chance and listened to The Necessary Deaths as I enjoyed the interesting plotline, twists, mystery and banter of this tale.
David C. Dawson did a good job narrating the story he wrote . He is new , to me , as an author and narrator.
Overall: 4 stars
Performance: 4 stars
Story 4 stars
#Audible #ListenedOn2020 #BooksILike #GRR #DavidCDawson #TheNecessaryDeaths #KindleFire #Amazon
December 10, 2016
The Necessary Deaths (Delingpole Mysteries #1)
David C. Dawson
Dreamspinner Press, 2016
Cover by L.C. Chase
ISBN: 9781634774512
Four stars
“The Necessary Deaths” is a well written, literate, and highly suspenseful novel about corporate and political shenanigans at the highest levels. It kept me on the edge of my seat, and thereby allowed me to lose sight of some significant plot holes. I enjoyed it with an asterisk (*), which means that throughout the book I had my qualms. I wasn’t sure I was going to be happy with it until I was done, and even then it left me a bit unsettled. In retrospect, the book rather feels like a set-up for the series of which it purports to be the first installment. The complicated mystery narrative stands on its own, but it is the main characters that caused as much anxiety as the story arc.
Dominic Delingpole is a small-town lawyer near Oxford, while his lover of several years, Jonathan McFadden, is a landscaper and sometime opera singer from Brighton. Both men are in their late thirties and while Dominic is closeted, Jonathan is very out and flirtatious. Because (it seems) their relationship is long distance (a bit over 100 miles, I checked) Jonathan refuses to be exclusive, which not only makes Dominic feel jealousy, but also feel guilty for feeling jealous. Both Dominic and Jonathan are intriguing characters, but I wanted to understand their motivations more. I believe that the author’s intention was to bring the men’s relationship to some sort of resolution by the end of the book, but the way he did it left me rather more confused than I was at the beginning. These boys (yes, because they could both be my sons) need to sit down and have a good talk.
The mystery that drags Dominic and Jonathan into an increasingly ugly mess involves a University of Brighton undergraduate named Simon Gregory who appears to have attempted suicide. Simon’s mother Samantha lives in Dominic’s elegant little apartment house, and it is Simon’s hospitalization that brings him to his lover’s bailiwick in Brighton. There he meets Simon’s housemates, including his college boyfriend, John Fraser. Everybody behaves badly except Simon’s mother Samantha, and I felt bad about her being stuck with a bunch of goofballs who kept making wrong choices and leaving her (quite unknowingly) in steadily more trouble.
The nefarious goings-on are marvelously lurid and implausible, and I won’t even touch on details so as not to spoil anything. The author shifts viewpoints multiple times, which would have worked better had it been more consistently applied. I found that the ending seemed weirdly rushed. I expected more definitive information and details about the resolution of the mystery; but the author suddenly shifted to an equally hurried realignment of Dominic and Jonathan’s relationship. This was all very romantic, but as it happened without any sort of ongoing dialogue between Dominic and Jonathan, it felt rather like it came out of the blue.
I think I want to read the next book when it comes out; then I’ll be able to decide how I feel about the first one.
David C. Dawson
Dreamspinner Press, 2016
Cover by L.C. Chase
ISBN: 9781634774512
Four stars
“The Necessary Deaths” is a well written, literate, and highly suspenseful novel about corporate and political shenanigans at the highest levels. It kept me on the edge of my seat, and thereby allowed me to lose sight of some significant plot holes. I enjoyed it with an asterisk (*), which means that throughout the book I had my qualms. I wasn’t sure I was going to be happy with it until I was done, and even then it left me a bit unsettled. In retrospect, the book rather feels like a set-up for the series of which it purports to be the first installment. The complicated mystery narrative stands on its own, but it is the main characters that caused as much anxiety as the story arc.
Dominic Delingpole is a small-town lawyer near Oxford, while his lover of several years, Jonathan McFadden, is a landscaper and sometime opera singer from Brighton. Both men are in their late thirties and while Dominic is closeted, Jonathan is very out and flirtatious. Because (it seems) their relationship is long distance (a bit over 100 miles, I checked) Jonathan refuses to be exclusive, which not only makes Dominic feel jealousy, but also feel guilty for feeling jealous. Both Dominic and Jonathan are intriguing characters, but I wanted to understand their motivations more. I believe that the author’s intention was to bring the men’s relationship to some sort of resolution by the end of the book, but the way he did it left me rather more confused than I was at the beginning. These boys (yes, because they could both be my sons) need to sit down and have a good talk.
The mystery that drags Dominic and Jonathan into an increasingly ugly mess involves a University of Brighton undergraduate named Simon Gregory who appears to have attempted suicide. Simon’s mother Samantha lives in Dominic’s elegant little apartment house, and it is Simon’s hospitalization that brings him to his lover’s bailiwick in Brighton. There he meets Simon’s housemates, including his college boyfriend, John Fraser. Everybody behaves badly except Simon’s mother Samantha, and I felt bad about her being stuck with a bunch of goofballs who kept making wrong choices and leaving her (quite unknowingly) in steadily more trouble.
The nefarious goings-on are marvelously lurid and implausible, and I won’t even touch on details so as not to spoil anything. The author shifts viewpoints multiple times, which would have worked better had it been more consistently applied. I found that the ending seemed weirdly rushed. I expected more definitive information and details about the resolution of the mystery; but the author suddenly shifted to an equally hurried realignment of Dominic and Jonathan’s relationship. This was all very romantic, but as it happened without any sort of ongoing dialogue between Dominic and Jonathan, it felt rather like it came out of the blue.
I think I want to read the next book when it comes out; then I’ll be able to decide how I feel about the first one.
November 1, 2016
Mystery/Thriller is my favorite genre, especially when it’s LGBTQ+, but I have to admit I was a bit disappointed in this story. The writing was technically fine, but the structure of the plot wasn’t my favorite. That being said, not everyone is going to have the same opinion, and I did enjoy the secondary characters; they were fun and a breath of fresh air.
Dominic, our protagonist, seemed to be your ‘every man’ character, but I found him rather stuffy. He’s a lawyer, and though he has a boyfriend, Jonathan, they are in the closet to a majority of the public. In order to cope with that, Jonathan insisted they have an open relationship. I have nothing against open relationships, but it’s clear Dominic isn’t comfortable with the arrangement, and he’s not comfortable with being out. The resentment he harbors colors his character unfavorably, and by the end, I felt there wasn’t enough development to justify how big of a piece that played in the story.
Jonathan was entertaining: fun, loud, loving, and open. But at times it did feel as if he was rubbing his attraction to other men in Dominic’s face. Part of me felt he did this because he was trying to get Dominic to come out of his shell, and I sincerely hoped Dominic would take the hint and loosen up, but I’m not certain that’s how it all worked out. Most of Jonathan’s antics simply made he and Dominic seem like a horrible match for each other, and I didn’t at all buy their kiss-and-make-up moments.
One of the great parts of this book was actually Simon, the journalism student in a coma. Discovering what Simon had been up to before the attempt on his life was by far the most enjoyable part of this book for me. First Dominic gets a story of who Simon is and what his motivations were from his mother, which differs greatly from the story he then gets from Simon’s friends. As Dominic is piecing Simon’s life together, new details paint an even more grim and befuddling picture than the first hints. Simon had obviously stumbled onto something insidious, and because of Dominic’s inquiries, Dominic’s life then becomes threatened as well. Dominic finds himself taking up the mantle of investigation in a brilliant fashion, and if the story had been more focused on pulling Simon’s life apart like an onion, I would have been over the moon.
The many viewpoints bogged down the story, and of all of them, the antagonist’s viewpoint was especially tedious. Halfway through the book there was a plot twist concerning the antagonist’s viewpoint that I won’t discuss in detail, but if I hadn’t been required to read the rest of the story in order to write a review, I probably would have put the book down. It wasn’t believable, and it cheapened the story by making the antagonist into too much of a James Bond villain. By the end, the tone was completely thrown off.
This wasn’t a complete win for me, but there were a few good parts. I would read another of the author’s works.
Reviewed by Ben for The Novel Approach Reviews
Dominic, our protagonist, seemed to be your ‘every man’ character, but I found him rather stuffy. He’s a lawyer, and though he has a boyfriend, Jonathan, they are in the closet to a majority of the public. In order to cope with that, Jonathan insisted they have an open relationship. I have nothing against open relationships, but it’s clear Dominic isn’t comfortable with the arrangement, and he’s not comfortable with being out. The resentment he harbors colors his character unfavorably, and by the end, I felt there wasn’t enough development to justify how big of a piece that played in the story.
Jonathan was entertaining: fun, loud, loving, and open. But at times it did feel as if he was rubbing his attraction to other men in Dominic’s face. Part of me felt he did this because he was trying to get Dominic to come out of his shell, and I sincerely hoped Dominic would take the hint and loosen up, but I’m not certain that’s how it all worked out. Most of Jonathan’s antics simply made he and Dominic seem like a horrible match for each other, and I didn’t at all buy their kiss-and-make-up moments.
One of the great parts of this book was actually Simon, the journalism student in a coma. Discovering what Simon had been up to before the attempt on his life was by far the most enjoyable part of this book for me. First Dominic gets a story of who Simon is and what his motivations were from his mother, which differs greatly from the story he then gets from Simon’s friends. As Dominic is piecing Simon’s life together, new details paint an even more grim and befuddling picture than the first hints. Simon had obviously stumbled onto something insidious, and because of Dominic’s inquiries, Dominic’s life then becomes threatened as well. Dominic finds himself taking up the mantle of investigation in a brilliant fashion, and if the story had been more focused on pulling Simon’s life apart like an onion, I would have been over the moon.
The many viewpoints bogged down the story, and of all of them, the antagonist’s viewpoint was especially tedious. Halfway through the book there was a plot twist concerning the antagonist’s viewpoint that I won’t discuss in detail, but if I hadn’t been required to read the rest of the story in order to write a review, I probably would have put the book down. It wasn’t believable, and it cheapened the story by making the antagonist into too much of a James Bond villain. By the end, the tone was completely thrown off.
This wasn’t a complete win for me, but there were a few good parts. I would read another of the author’s works.
Reviewed by Ben for The Novel Approach Reviews
July 3, 2017
***3.25 stars***
I am bit torn with this book. On one hand I really enjoyed the mystery/suspense part of the story for the most part. On the other hand, I wasn’t a big fan of the relationship between Dominic and Jonathan. Not because of the thought of open monogamy, which I will discuss below, but because IMO it isn’t believable.
The author did a good job with the plots/subplots and the twists that came about. I honestly felt while I was reading this book the movie of this book was playing out in my head. There are many characters, different locations and scene changes depending on the character and what they are doing at the time or where they're located. I quite enjoyed this aspect of the book and I have to admit the main conflict of the book was very moviesque. I even liked all the characters that are introduced. They really worked well together even though they were all seemingly thrown together by fate.
Dominic doesn’t have a lot to do with the gathering the clues or even solving the case. He is more like the figurehead of the group that everyone goes to for support and direction. There is Jonathan the comic relief, Steve the techie “Q” part of the group, Jay and Pat the muscle, Miles researcher/brain and finally John and Simon the investigators.
What I didn’t really like about the book was the relationship between Jonathan and Dominic. I honestly sensed that they were more of a FWB than anything else. I do not for one moment think they belong together even with little background we were given of Dominic’s past and how he's raised. I got the impression that Dominic was more invested into the relationship than Jonathan; despite Dominic not being totally out and proud. Even with Dominic’s life in peril, Jonathan was still flirting and noticing other men. It’s mentioned that Jonathan thought of their relationship as an open monogamy, and I could have gotten behind this train of thought if it seemed that Dominic wanted it as well. I got the impression that Dominic felt that he could not do any better. Afraid that if he did speak up he would lose Jonathan.
One other thing that is still bothering me, unless I missed it somewhere, is what happened to all the "bad guys"? Am I to assume that they're arrested and waiting for their day in court? Or did they flee and on the run? Hmmmmmmmmm.......Nevertheless, I do look forward to the next book in the series to see what other mysteries Dominic and his band of merry misfits stumble-upon. I will just need to look past the relationship/romance aspect of Dominic and Jonathan; unless this aspect improves.
I am one of many reviewers at Gay Book Reviews and can be found here: http://gaybook.reviews/author/steph/
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I am bit torn with this book. On one hand I really enjoyed the mystery/suspense part of the story for the most part. On the other hand, I wasn’t a big fan of the relationship between Dominic and Jonathan. Not because of the thought of open monogamy, which I will discuss below, but because IMO it isn’t believable.
The author did a good job with the plots/subplots and the twists that came about. I honestly felt while I was reading this book the movie of this book was playing out in my head. There are many characters, different locations and scene changes depending on the character and what they are doing at the time or where they're located. I quite enjoyed this aspect of the book and I have to admit the main conflict of the book was very moviesque. I even liked all the characters that are introduced. They really worked well together even though they were all seemingly thrown together by fate.
Dominic doesn’t have a lot to do with the gathering the clues or even solving the case. He is more like the figurehead of the group that everyone goes to for support and direction. There is Jonathan the comic relief, Steve the techie “Q” part of the group, Jay and Pat the muscle, Miles researcher/brain and finally John and Simon the investigators.
What I didn’t really like about the book was the relationship between Jonathan and Dominic. I honestly sensed that they were more of a FWB than anything else. I do not for one moment think they belong together even with little background we were given of Dominic’s past and how he's raised. I got the impression that Dominic was more invested into the relationship than Jonathan; despite Dominic not being totally out and proud. Even with Dominic’s life in peril, Jonathan was still flirting and noticing other men. It’s mentioned that Jonathan thought of their relationship as an open monogamy, and I could have gotten behind this train of thought if it seemed that Dominic wanted it as well. I got the impression that Dominic felt that he could not do any better. Afraid that if he did speak up he would lose Jonathan.
One other thing that is still bothering me, unless I missed it somewhere, is what happened to all the "bad guys"? Am I to assume that they're arrested and waiting for their day in court? Or did they flee and on the run? Hmmmmmmmmm.......Nevertheless, I do look forward to the next book in the series to see what other mysteries Dominic and his band of merry misfits stumble-upon. I will just need to look past the relationship/romance aspect of Dominic and Jonathan; unless this aspect improves.
I am one of many reviewers at Gay Book Reviews and can be found here: http://gaybook.reviews/author/steph/
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Read
February 4, 2017
DNF @29%
I didn't make it far at all. I had issues from the very beginning of the story. I didn't understand Dominic's train of thought at all. Why? Most amateur sleuths have a reason for sleuthing. They are noisy for one, but they kinda are involved in it one way or another. You had every right to walk away, not for nothing it wasn't working in the beginning. My 30% I was done. I didn't like Jonathan at all, the roommates were iffy. The circumstances just wasn't clear enough for me. I would have liked to continue on but I couldn't make myself read another word.
September 29, 2019
3.5 stars
I’d already bought this from Dreamspinner a while back, hopefully when they were still actually paying all their authors.
Fairly engaging but pretty confusing with a plethora of characters and hopping from POV to POV including one of the villains. Dominic and Jonathon aren’t very deeply drawn and their relationship is important to the narrative but in no way the focus. Not a romance at all but there is sort of a happy, although quite abrupt ending. It’s fairly action packed, more conspiracy and suspense than actual mystery.
I’d already bought this from Dreamspinner a while back, hopefully when they were still actually paying all their authors.
Fairly engaging but pretty confusing with a plethora of characters and hopping from POV to POV including one of the villains. Dominic and Jonathon aren’t very deeply drawn and their relationship is important to the narrative but in no way the focus. Not a romance at all but there is sort of a happy, although quite abrupt ending. It’s fairly action packed, more conspiracy and suspense than actual mystery.
November 2, 2016
I found this story delightful, which I guess could be considered odd for a murder mystery, but I think this was more about the suspense and action/adventure--like a James Bond. Indeed, there were points where I was stomach-knottingly worried. The characters were quirky and likeable in a way that engaged me, and it seemed reasonable to me how Dominic got involved and then remained the driving force behind the investigation (I can get annoyed by civilians not involving law enforcement when they should).
The romantic elements were just that, elements, and very light. Personally, I found it refreshing (coming from a hard-core romance reader!) that Dominic and Jonathan had a practical arrangement, and the touch of conflict between that and their feelings for each other was another thing that worked for me... inexplicably, maybe, given the amount of looking/flirting, but still worked nonetheless.
So all-in-all, this unexpectedly really hit the spot when I was in the mood for something fun and readable--enough for me to break my usual pattern of only reviewing books that rile me. :) I hope there are more mysteries to come in this series!
The romantic elements were just that, elements, and very light. Personally, I found it refreshing (coming from a hard-core romance reader!) that Dominic and Jonathan had a practical arrangement, and the touch of conflict between that and their feelings for each other was another thing that worked for me... inexplicably, maybe, given the amount of looking/flirting, but still worked nonetheless.
So all-in-all, this unexpectedly really hit the spot when I was in the mood for something fun and readable--enough for me to break my usual pattern of only reviewing books that rile me. :) I hope there are more mysteries to come in this series!
November 1, 2016
Can a death be necessary? Well if it is part of a damn good read then it might appear so. I was lucky enough to get a pre publication copy of this book via a friend and have read it not once but twice! It is a book rich with character, location, twist and turns and I couldn't put it down.
Some may be critical that the main character Dominic Delingpole is gay and that there is a gay element to the book. That's a bit like saying Temperance Brennan shouldn't be a woman! It's irrelevant. Dominic is a great front man surrounded by a plethora of both light and dark characters.
I won't go into 'spoilers' as that's not what this is for. But I will be looking at Brighton with new eyes and I look forward to the next one
Some may be critical that the main character Dominic Delingpole is gay and that there is a gay element to the book. That's a bit like saying Temperance Brennan shouldn't be a woman! It's irrelevant. Dominic is a great front man surrounded by a plethora of both light and dark characters.
I won't go into 'spoilers' as that's not what this is for. But I will be looking at Brighton with new eyes and I look forward to the next one
May 5, 2018
Nothing like a damn good murder mystery to get the blood going. This is another new author for me and I am hooked. Betrayals, espionage, dirty politicians, assholes thinking they can change people from being gay, and murders galore. And at the middle, an attorney who's trying to help a bunch of college kids get to the bottom of it all and all are WAY in over their heads.
Dominic gets woke up late on night by sounds outside his apartment door. He opens the door to finds police standing over the body of his upstairs neighbor. Fortunately, she had just fainted but the same could not be said for her son. He’s in the hospital for a suicide attempt. When his neighbor, Samantha, hires him to find out what's going on, it's discovered that it definitely wasn't suicide as she suspected, but a murder attempt. And things are getting hot. Simon is fighting for his life in the hospital, his boyfriend, John, is discovering evidence that makes him question Simon, and them and their friends are finding out there's a huge conspiracy going on involving government officials and big corporations, that is leaving a trail of bodies. Including one of their friends. Dominic enlists the help of his eccentric boyfriend Jonathan, and find the line of dirtiness goes up very high. They must get to the bottom of things before Simon's life gets attempted on for a 3rd time and the rest of them along with him.
This book has one hell of a cast of characters. And for all the good guys, I feel so bad for them. They have gotten themselves in a mess and are playing a very dangerous game. While trying to find their way out, some are killed or almost killed. Dominic is roped in when he finds his neighbor fainted on the lobby floor of his apartment building. She was told her son attempted suicide. Knowing that isn't possible, she gets Dominic to help find out what is going on. Once they start digging, man, it's like every man for himself almost. Everyone is trying to survive. Nobody knows who to trust. Samantha learns she doesn't know as much about her son as she thought. Including that he has a boyfriend. John is finding pictures that include Simon in some weird scenes. He don't know who is blackmailing who or if at all. A roommate and friend ends up dead for trying to help. Dominic and his boyfriend almost lose each other and people keep trying to kill Simon. I mean, damn. That's some heavy stuff going on. And you can't put the book down. Each page is filled with something happening. I was biting my lip constantly about what was going to happen to whom.
I don't think you guys will be disappointed with this one. Especially if you love a good murder mystery. I loved it and can't wait to jump into book 2.
http://lovebytesreviews.com
Dominic gets woke up late on night by sounds outside his apartment door. He opens the door to finds police standing over the body of his upstairs neighbor. Fortunately, she had just fainted but the same could not be said for her son. He’s in the hospital for a suicide attempt. When his neighbor, Samantha, hires him to find out what's going on, it's discovered that it definitely wasn't suicide as she suspected, but a murder attempt. And things are getting hot. Simon is fighting for his life in the hospital, his boyfriend, John, is discovering evidence that makes him question Simon, and them and their friends are finding out there's a huge conspiracy going on involving government officials and big corporations, that is leaving a trail of bodies. Including one of their friends. Dominic enlists the help of his eccentric boyfriend Jonathan, and find the line of dirtiness goes up very high. They must get to the bottom of things before Simon's life gets attempted on for a 3rd time and the rest of them along with him.
This book has one hell of a cast of characters. And for all the good guys, I feel so bad for them. They have gotten themselves in a mess and are playing a very dangerous game. While trying to find their way out, some are killed or almost killed. Dominic is roped in when he finds his neighbor fainted on the lobby floor of his apartment building. She was told her son attempted suicide. Knowing that isn't possible, she gets Dominic to help find out what is going on. Once they start digging, man, it's like every man for himself almost. Everyone is trying to survive. Nobody knows who to trust. Samantha learns she doesn't know as much about her son as she thought. Including that he has a boyfriend. John is finding pictures that include Simon in some weird scenes. He don't know who is blackmailing who or if at all. A roommate and friend ends up dead for trying to help. Dominic and his boyfriend almost lose each other and people keep trying to kill Simon. I mean, damn. That's some heavy stuff going on. And you can't put the book down. Each page is filled with something happening. I was biting my lip constantly about what was going to happen to whom.
I don't think you guys will be disappointed with this one. Especially if you love a good murder mystery. I loved it and can't wait to jump into book 2.
http://lovebytesreviews.com
November 20, 2016
***3.5 Stars***
The Necessary Deaths is a mystery and a romance. Sometimes these clash and sometimes they don't. This book there was a lot of push and pull with that.
The relationship part of this story features Dominic and Jonathan. Now, in my opinion O felt Dominic and Jonathan really didn't connect for me perfectly. Yes, them being a closeted couple and in an open relationship could have been what bugged me but I'm not totally sure. It wasn't a horrible pairing, just felt off. I did like Jonathan though. He was my favorite of the couple.
I will tell you this is a bit of a crazy ride. But I'll encourage you to stick with it. This isn't a flawless mystery. There's some holes in the plot. There is an overabundance or characters and that is a bit overwhelming. Secondary character wise I liked Simon for sure. He wins that award.
It's an outlandish story but it's action packed and that is what really keeps the story going. You have to step away from the "This all comes together and makes sense," mentality. Do that and you'll be quite entertained.
This is the first of a series and I hope we ca develop more connections to some of the characters and even see more of others that didn't get a lot of page time.
The Necessary Deaths is a mystery and a romance. Sometimes these clash and sometimes they don't. This book there was a lot of push and pull with that.
The relationship part of this story features Dominic and Jonathan. Now, in my opinion O felt Dominic and Jonathan really didn't connect for me perfectly. Yes, them being a closeted couple and in an open relationship could have been what bugged me but I'm not totally sure. It wasn't a horrible pairing, just felt off. I did like Jonathan though. He was my favorite of the couple.
I will tell you this is a bit of a crazy ride. But I'll encourage you to stick with it. This isn't a flawless mystery. There's some holes in the plot. There is an overabundance or characters and that is a bit overwhelming. Secondary character wise I liked Simon for sure. He wins that award.
It's an outlandish story but it's action packed and that is what really keeps the story going. You have to step away from the "This all comes together and makes sense," mentality. Do that and you'll be quite entertained.
This is the first of a series and I hope we ca develop more connections to some of the characters and even see more of others that didn't get a lot of page time.
October 30, 2016
I'm fairly new to this kind of genre - I'm a massive fan of thrillers and crime. But I've only read a few thrillers with gay characters at the heart of them.
I can tell you, it's a brilliant read. A couple of the reviews I've seen on here say they can picture the film of this book. So can I. It leaps off the page at you. The way the stories of the different characters interweave is straight out of a screenplay.
I really like the two main characters, Dominic and Jonathan. They're pretty flawed, not perfect, which makes them real. based on bitter personal experience, I can say their relationship must be rooted in truth!
The story has got lots of twists and turns and the reveal of what's really happening at the end was a real page turner for me.
I'd not come across this publisher before, but I've started rummaging through their website now. I hope the next one in this Dominic Delingpole series isn't going to be too long coming.
Great cover too.
I was offered this book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
I can tell you, it's a brilliant read. A couple of the reviews I've seen on here say they can picture the film of this book. So can I. It leaps off the page at you. The way the stories of the different characters interweave is straight out of a screenplay.
I really like the two main characters, Dominic and Jonathan. They're pretty flawed, not perfect, which makes them real. based on bitter personal experience, I can say their relationship must be rooted in truth!
The story has got lots of twists and turns and the reveal of what's really happening at the end was a real page turner for me.
I'd not come across this publisher before, but I've started rummaging through their website now. I hope the next one in this Dominic Delingpole series isn't going to be too long coming.
Great cover too.
I was offered this book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
November 3, 2016
Great Debut Novel!
I'm a big fan of the Gay Mystery-Thriller-Suspense genre and what I enjoyed most about this novel is how different it was from other books ; I think it's all in the tone of the writing. There's a great bunch of characters, many twists and turns, it never stops! Dominic and Jonathan are poles apart and that's what makes the couple interesting. For me The Necessary Deaths read a lot like a suspense movie! It was really fun to read!
I'm looking forward to the next adventure!
February 1, 2019
I quite enjoyed this one. I wasn’t sure what to expect going from the blurb (as I couldn’t figure out why a lawyer and an opera singer would be solving a mystery), but I was definitely entertained and it kept me reading. I liked Dominic’s internal monologue and I found him easy to identify with, while Johnathan had me smiling throughout. I was lucky enough to meet the author at our local book club meeting to discuss his book. He was really lovely and he seemed interested in hearing the differing opinions we had. It was fascinating to hear him talk about his process and his other books too.
November 8, 2017
Book – The Necessary Deaths (The Delingpole Mysteries #1)
Author – David C. Dawson
Star rating - ★★★★★
No. of Pages – 200
Cover – Great!
POV – 3rd person, multi-POV
Would I read it again – Yes!
Genre – LGBT, Contemporary, Mystery, British
Wow! This is my first foray into David C. Dawson's work and I loved it! It was a brilliantly paced mystery with some high octane edge-of-your-seat action rounding off a really well plotted story.
Told through various POV's the story lets us see everything as it unfolds, from the first page where it all kicks off, to the last page where it is all laid to rest. The main POV is for Dominic, the man the series is named after, as he's the primary investigator of the crime. There are also small POV's given for Gemma, John, Samantha, and of course, Dominic's partner, Jonathan. These are all necessary, because they all reveal a little something more than what we knew before. And, surprisingly enough, though the entire story revolves around Simon and what he knows, he's in the hospital and either in a coma or unaware of what's going on, so he can never give his own POV about the events taking place, which makes it all the more intriguing.
The writing was right up my alley. There was a really nice, steady pace to the whole thing through the first half, which kicked into high gear at the halfway mark, when things began to reach a head. There was a nice suffusion of light, British humour and idiosyncrasies that I loved seeing. It's been a long time since I read a book that takes place in Britain, with British characters, that actually did it justice and this one did. It made me feel right at home, right down to the 'weird Scottish accent'.
When it comes to the characters, there wasn't one I didn't love. Except the bad guys, obviously. Dominic was practical but passionate and brilliant in his deductions, a little out of his element in places, which was great to see. Jonathan was exuberant and artistic, but had a softer side, too. I found the minor characters to have a really great level of depth that made them each relatable, interesting and pivotal to the story in their own way. My favourites were John, Jay, Harrington and Steve, though I definitely think we'll be seeing Miles again, too. Even the bad guys had depth, purpose and character.
There were well paced and thought out drips of background information given throughout the story, offered both when it was most appropriate and when it meant something to the plot. Right alongside the intrigue and the great characterisation, there wasn't anything about the writing that I didn't love.
Reading this just took me back to the good old fashioned Miss Marple and Midsomer Murders plots – there are a good few characters being killed off, but it's not frantic, with one every chapter, and it's not exaggerated or comical. The story unfolds at a nice slow pace, at first, with secrets and lies being revealed at well plotted increments, giving the characters time to think about what they mean, what they might add up to, and to discover more. Then, with careful crafting, it's all brought together into one big reveal. By the time it kicks into high gear at 70%, all the pieces are there, they just have to be put together and made sense of.
I can't wait to read book 2 and hope there are more books in the series. I'd love to see Steve and his techno-capabilities stick around, as well as Harrison, Miles and maybe even Pat Pecs.
~
Favourite Quotes
“He thought for a moment, then went on, “Right. We need the place surrounded. Preferably by men with guns. Big guns. What are your connections like with the armed response unit at Thames Valley Police?”
Steve laughed. “You must be kidding. I do security-camera installations. I’m not fucking Jason Bourne.””
“Never trust a copper with a Tom Selleck mustache. Especially a British copper.””
Author – David C. Dawson
Star rating - ★★★★★
No. of Pages – 200
Cover – Great!
POV – 3rd person, multi-POV
Would I read it again – Yes!
Genre – LGBT, Contemporary, Mystery, British
Wow! This is my first foray into David C. Dawson's work and I loved it! It was a brilliantly paced mystery with some high octane edge-of-your-seat action rounding off a really well plotted story.
Told through various POV's the story lets us see everything as it unfolds, from the first page where it all kicks off, to the last page where it is all laid to rest. The main POV is for Dominic, the man the series is named after, as he's the primary investigator of the crime. There are also small POV's given for Gemma, John, Samantha, and of course, Dominic's partner, Jonathan. These are all necessary, because they all reveal a little something more than what we knew before. And, surprisingly enough, though the entire story revolves around Simon and what he knows, he's in the hospital and either in a coma or unaware of what's going on, so he can never give his own POV about the events taking place, which makes it all the more intriguing.
The writing was right up my alley. There was a really nice, steady pace to the whole thing through the first half, which kicked into high gear at the halfway mark, when things began to reach a head. There was a nice suffusion of light, British humour and idiosyncrasies that I loved seeing. It's been a long time since I read a book that takes place in Britain, with British characters, that actually did it justice and this one did. It made me feel right at home, right down to the 'weird Scottish accent'.
When it comes to the characters, there wasn't one I didn't love. Except the bad guys, obviously. Dominic was practical but passionate and brilliant in his deductions, a little out of his element in places, which was great to see. Jonathan was exuberant and artistic, but had a softer side, too. I found the minor characters to have a really great level of depth that made them each relatable, interesting and pivotal to the story in their own way. My favourites were John, Jay, Harrington and Steve, though I definitely think we'll be seeing Miles again, too. Even the bad guys had depth, purpose and character.
There were well paced and thought out drips of background information given throughout the story, offered both when it was most appropriate and when it meant something to the plot. Right alongside the intrigue and the great characterisation, there wasn't anything about the writing that I didn't love.
Reading this just took me back to the good old fashioned Miss Marple and Midsomer Murders plots – there are a good few characters being killed off, but it's not frantic, with one every chapter, and it's not exaggerated or comical. The story unfolds at a nice slow pace, at first, with secrets and lies being revealed at well plotted increments, giving the characters time to think about what they mean, what they might add up to, and to discover more. Then, with careful crafting, it's all brought together into one big reveal. By the time it kicks into high gear at 70%, all the pieces are there, they just have to be put together and made sense of.
I can't wait to read book 2 and hope there are more books in the series. I'd love to see Steve and his techno-capabilities stick around, as well as Harrison, Miles and maybe even Pat Pecs.
~
Favourite Quotes
“He thought for a moment, then went on, “Right. We need the place surrounded. Preferably by men with guns. Big guns. What are your connections like with the armed response unit at Thames Valley Police?”
Steve laughed. “You must be kidding. I do security-camera installations. I’m not fucking Jason Bourne.””
“Never trust a copper with a Tom Selleck mustache. Especially a British copper.””
April 9, 2020
The Necessary Deaths
MMy Thoughts and Review:
This is my second read by Dawson, and it took me by surprise in the most delightful way. The last book I read was a gentle romance inside a romance, and it glided along like a gentle brook over sand and warm pebbles. The Necessary Deaths was more like a white water rafting adventure that you knew was going to end in a free fall down a waterfall's edge.
A Lawyer, Dominic is awoken in the night by a noise outside his door. When he goes to investigate, his neighbor, Samantha, is being roused from an unconscious state on the floor by a police officer. Another officer informs him she passed out after receiving news her son attempted suicide while away at college.
From there the story is like a swirling dervish of mystery and intrigue. Dominic finds himself turned amateur private-eye as he and his long-distance partner, Jonathon, try to unravel the mystery surrounding the young man in a coma in the hospital. His mother and his roommates do not believe he has attempted to kill himself. They feel something more sinister has happened, and as small pieces of the large puzzle start to come into Dominic's possession, he begins to question things too. He feels he can't trust anyone, but is that reality or is he slipping into paranoia...why are the coma patient's (Simon) friends being followed by police and other unknown people.
So much is happening and Dominic is falling into this rabbit hole right along with Simon and his friends. Dominic and Jonathon are not prepared for this, so when people start being murdered, and people in high political places start playing a role, Dominic thinks this could be the end.
Let me just add, I am a HUGE fan of BBC and ACORN mystery and crime dramas and dramedies. So this story ticked every one of my happy boxes! I loved that David narrated the book himself. He did a smashing job! I loved every bit of the mystery and political intrigue. Even the "baddies" in their own bigoted and hypocritical way were good at being bad.
I thought Jonathan was the perfect (sometimes a little too perfect) balance to Dominic. Jonathan and Dominic have a poly/ open relationship. They love each other, but because of distance, they keep things open between them, Jonathan more so than Dominic. I loved the mother Samantha and her dedication to Si. She knew without a doubt her son was innocent, and she fought like a momma bear. As a momma bear myself, I could completely relate to her character.
I felt Dawson did an amazing job portraying the "humanness" in his characters. Dominic made mistake after mistake, because he was a lawyer, not a detective, even if his heart was in the right place. The roommates tried with all their might to do the right thing, but they were still kids battling experts who had years of experience in murder and deception. It came off as real, awkward interactions would. No superheroes, just everyday people fighting for justice. I loved that!
For anyone who loves a good mystery or crime drama filled with flawed characters working together to make right what should have never been labeled "wrong," you will enjoy this audio-book.
The Story: 4.50🌟
The Narration: 4.50🌟
Sharonica Stars: 4.50🌟
I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook from GRR in exchange for a review.☔
MMy Thoughts and Review:
This is my second read by Dawson, and it took me by surprise in the most delightful way. The last book I read was a gentle romance inside a romance, and it glided along like a gentle brook over sand and warm pebbles. The Necessary Deaths was more like a white water rafting adventure that you knew was going to end in a free fall down a waterfall's edge.
A Lawyer, Dominic is awoken in the night by a noise outside his door. When he goes to investigate, his neighbor, Samantha, is being roused from an unconscious state on the floor by a police officer. Another officer informs him she passed out after receiving news her son attempted suicide while away at college.
From there the story is like a swirling dervish of mystery and intrigue. Dominic finds himself turned amateur private-eye as he and his long-distance partner, Jonathon, try to unravel the mystery surrounding the young man in a coma in the hospital. His mother and his roommates do not believe he has attempted to kill himself. They feel something more sinister has happened, and as small pieces of the large puzzle start to come into Dominic's possession, he begins to question things too. He feels he can't trust anyone, but is that reality or is he slipping into paranoia...why are the coma patient's (Simon) friends being followed by police and other unknown people.
So much is happening and Dominic is falling into this rabbit hole right along with Simon and his friends. Dominic and Jonathon are not prepared for this, so when people start being murdered, and people in high political places start playing a role, Dominic thinks this could be the end.
Let me just add, I am a HUGE fan of BBC and ACORN mystery and crime dramas and dramedies. So this story ticked every one of my happy boxes! I loved that David narrated the book himself. He did a smashing job! I loved every bit of the mystery and political intrigue. Even the "baddies" in their own bigoted and hypocritical way were good at being bad.
I thought Jonathan was the perfect (sometimes a little too perfect) balance to Dominic. Jonathan and Dominic have a poly/ open relationship. They love each other, but because of distance, they keep things open between them, Jonathan more so than Dominic. I loved the mother Samantha and her dedication to Si. She knew without a doubt her son was innocent, and she fought like a momma bear. As a momma bear myself, I could completely relate to her character.
I felt Dawson did an amazing job portraying the "humanness" in his characters. Dominic made mistake after mistake, because he was a lawyer, not a detective, even if his heart was in the right place. The roommates tried with all their might to do the right thing, but they were still kids battling experts who had years of experience in murder and deception. It came off as real, awkward interactions would. No superheroes, just everyday people fighting for justice. I loved that!
For anyone who loves a good mystery or crime drama filled with flawed characters working together to make right what should have never been labeled "wrong," you will enjoy this audio-book.
The Story: 4.50🌟
The Narration: 4.50🌟
Sharonica Stars: 4.50🌟
I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook from GRR in exchange for a review.☔
June 28, 2023
I was very tempted to do 3 stars, because it was more like 3.5, but, God did I enjoy this! I started this for my bookclub at work for pride month, so I was going in blind, no expectations set, but this was very entertaining! The descriptions of almost every male on any scene are a BIT too thirsty for my taste, and EVERYONE seemed to have toned and thick arms, but it was done in a fun way that kept me hooked. I must add the audiobook was read by the author and I think he did and amazing job at it, and the main reason I went with 4 stars. I may even go into the next book of the series on my own.
April 9, 2020
I wanted to get into this story so hard, but it just didn't capture my attention like I'd hoped. Honestly, the boyfriend, Jonathan, made me so mad during the entire story. He was constantly seeking attention from anyone and everyone.
I thought the author did a brilliant job with the narration! I absolutely would love to hear him narrate more!
I thought the author did a brilliant job with the narration! I absolutely would love to hear him narrate more!
March 30, 2020
DNF. Not a big fan of open relationships, at least a one sided relationship. In my opinion it is cheating.
September 8, 2020
this was an exciting story... action packed.. fast paced.. mysterious.. fun.. cool characters... good writing.. i cant wait to see what happens next!
December 13, 2016
Review can be read at It's About The Book
3.5 stars
Dominic is a lawyer from London who is thrust into his neighbors drama. Her son is in a coma in another town and the circumstances as to why aren’t clear. It happens to be the same town Dominic’s somewhat secret lover Jonathan lives. So he offers to give her a ride as he’d like to visit Jonathan anyway. He becomes intrigued by what really happened to her son. All the stories seem to be conflicting. She asks him for legal help and he agrees. What starts out as a probably OD turns out to be a murder mystery. One that nobody seems to be safe from.
I liked this story. Necessary Deaths is a thriller and murder mystery with gay main and secondary characters. There’s a romantic relationship between Dominic and Jonathan but the sex is fade to black. While they’re cute and romantic together this is not a romance. Their relationship may not be for everyone. Dominic isn’t out to the world at the beginning of the book. More because he’s kept his private life hidden for so long that it’s more habit to do it now than anything else. He’s also not sure of taking the next step with Jonathan. Jonathan expressed from the beginning he likes to look and be with other men on occasion. It makes Dominic both jealous and turned on at times. I liked how subtle this struggle within Dominic is. It creates a tension that the overall love story was lacking since both men are open about their affection for each other. I’m not usually a fan of this type of relationship in my stories personally but this one worked for me. Jonathan added a lot of levity and spark to an otherwise monotone and serious book.
There’s a large cast of intriguing characters that keep the story moving and the plot twisted. I had no problem keeping up with them all. There are multiple POV changes throughout the book. I think part of what’s different and charming is that Dominic doesn’t really solve the mystery. It’s kind of a group effort between new and old friends mostly by stumbling upon things with hints found here and there. The major point is they can’t ask the one person who knows everything because he’s in a coma. I did think the ending was a bit far fetched but it made for an interesting read. It for sure made me hate the baddies! There was also no real resolution to what happens to the baddies on the list either. Maybe it’s coming in the subsequent book? There’s so much political intrigue it just seems that handing over the list wouldn’t necessarily mean all those caught will be punished right away. I’ll definitely be reading the next one to find out.
Necessary Deaths is a thriller and murder mystery with gay main and secondary characters. There’s a romantic relationship between Dominic and Jonathan but the sex is fade to black.
3.5 stars
Dominic is a lawyer from London who is thrust into his neighbors drama. Her son is in a coma in another town and the circumstances as to why aren’t clear. It happens to be the same town Dominic’s somewhat secret lover Jonathan lives. So he offers to give her a ride as he’d like to visit Jonathan anyway. He becomes intrigued by what really happened to her son. All the stories seem to be conflicting. She asks him for legal help and he agrees. What starts out as a probably OD turns out to be a murder mystery. One that nobody seems to be safe from.
I liked this story. Necessary Deaths is a thriller and murder mystery with gay main and secondary characters. There’s a romantic relationship between Dominic and Jonathan but the sex is fade to black. While they’re cute and romantic together this is not a romance. Their relationship may not be for everyone. Dominic isn’t out to the world at the beginning of the book. More because he’s kept his private life hidden for so long that it’s more habit to do it now than anything else. He’s also not sure of taking the next step with Jonathan. Jonathan expressed from the beginning he likes to look and be with other men on occasion. It makes Dominic both jealous and turned on at times. I liked how subtle this struggle within Dominic is. It creates a tension that the overall love story was lacking since both men are open about their affection for each other. I’m not usually a fan of this type of relationship in my stories personally but this one worked for me. Jonathan added a lot of levity and spark to an otherwise monotone and serious book.
There’s a large cast of intriguing characters that keep the story moving and the plot twisted. I had no problem keeping up with them all. There are multiple POV changes throughout the book. I think part of what’s different and charming is that Dominic doesn’t really solve the mystery. It’s kind of a group effort between new and old friends mostly by stumbling upon things with hints found here and there. The major point is they can’t ask the one person who knows everything because he’s in a coma. I did think the ending was a bit far fetched but it made for an interesting read. It for sure made me hate the baddies! There was also no real resolution to what happens to the baddies on the list either. Maybe it’s coming in the subsequent book? There’s so much political intrigue it just seems that handing over the list wouldn’t necessarily mean all those caught will be punished right away. I’ll definitely be reading the next one to find out.
Necessary Deaths is a thriller and murder mystery with gay main and secondary characters. There’s a romantic relationship between Dominic and Jonathan but the sex is fade to black.
Read
December 8, 2016When a young student journalist apparently tries to commit suicide, his mother enlists her neighbour, lawyer Dominic Delingpole, to investigate what lies behind his drugs overdose. Delingpole and his flamboyant partner, gardener and opera singer Jonathan McFadden, soon uncover a conspiracy that may extend to the furthest reaches of the British establishment.
I have been wracking my brains to decide where The Necessary Deaths fits in the spectrum of Crime Fiction. It is certainly not a gritty police procedural, in the style of Ian Rankin or Val McDiarmid. But nor is it the cosy crime of Agatha Raisin or Midsummer Murders. I've decided Dominic Delingpole may be the modern successor to Albert Campion, the detective created by Margery Allingham – the least known and most underrated crime queen from Britain’s golden age of detective fiction.
Like Campion, Delingpole is an accidental detective - neither a policeman, nor a PI nor a forensic professional. While Campion operated in pre- and post-War London, in a world of slightly down-at-heel aristocracy and East End eccentrics, Delingpole’s world is the 21st Century gay scene, as experienced by a middle class professional. Within that world, Dawson, like Allingham, delivers a plot that has its bizarre moments, but not one that stretches credulity to breaking point. And Delingpole’s sweet, sexy, romantic relationship with his Jonathan mirrors Campion’s surprisingly modern love affair with his beloved Amanda.
The Necessary Deaths is rooted in London, Brighton and the Chiltern Hills. Its American publisher has, for the most part, let it remain quintessentially British, but here and there they have found it necessary to ‘explain’ English terms. So mobiles become cell phones and the M25 is described as a freeway. It's mostly done with a light touch, but it can be a little disconcerting for a British reader.
It’s also firmly rooted in the gay community. Gay characters are a confident majority, not a marginalised minority. And male bodies, not female that are appreciatively checked out.
In defiance of the stereotype of the detective as a loner with a troubled past, The Necessary Deaths delivers a warm picture of friendship and love. There is real jeopardy here, but also an ending that is sure to make you smile.
I have been wracking my brains to decide where The Necessary Deaths fits in the spectrum of Crime Fiction. It is certainly not a gritty police procedural, in the style of Ian Rankin or Val McDiarmid. But nor is it the cosy crime of Agatha Raisin or Midsummer Murders. I've decided Dominic Delingpole may be the modern successor to Albert Campion, the detective created by Margery Allingham – the least known and most underrated crime queen from Britain’s golden age of detective fiction.
Like Campion, Delingpole is an accidental detective - neither a policeman, nor a PI nor a forensic professional. While Campion operated in pre- and post-War London, in a world of slightly down-at-heel aristocracy and East End eccentrics, Delingpole’s world is the 21st Century gay scene, as experienced by a middle class professional. Within that world, Dawson, like Allingham, delivers a plot that has its bizarre moments, but not one that stretches credulity to breaking point. And Delingpole’s sweet, sexy, romantic relationship with his Jonathan mirrors Campion’s surprisingly modern love affair with his beloved Amanda.
The Necessary Deaths is rooted in London, Brighton and the Chiltern Hills. Its American publisher has, for the most part, let it remain quintessentially British, but here and there they have found it necessary to ‘explain’ English terms. So mobiles become cell phones and the M25 is described as a freeway. It's mostly done with a light touch, but it can be a little disconcerting for a British reader.
It’s also firmly rooted in the gay community. Gay characters are a confident majority, not a marginalised minority. And male bodies, not female that are appreciatively checked out.
In defiance of the stereotype of the detective as a loner with a troubled past, The Necessary Deaths delivers a warm picture of friendship and love. There is real jeopardy here, but also an ending that is sure to make you smile.
February 22, 2017
The title of the book didn’t quite show itself until later on… but it definitely fit the bill. The Necessary Deaths was suspense and thriller from… well, almost the beginning. When we meet Dominic, he’s presented as a boring lawyer in a long distance relationship, going about his day when he hears a commotion outside of his apartment. On the floor, his neighbor has fainted and is being treated by EMS, only to learn that his neighbor’s son is in the hospital following a suicide attempt and his mom needs to get there. It just so happens, and lucky for all of us, that it’s in the same town where his lover lives!
As the investigation unfolds, we learn more about Dominic and his boyfriend Jonathan – and it was definitely not as expected. While Dominic’s character started out quite dry, he developed and grew into an interesting and smart man throughout, with a keen penchant for finding (and following) clues. Unfortunately, the relationship between him and Jonathan, while unique and I don’t have any issues with that, fell flat – over and over again. This story is written with the focus on the suspense, not love or characters. I think I was 70 pages or so in before I even know WHO the love interest was.
Overall, it was a fun and quick read, especially if you like figuring out a who done it – with some twists and turns that got better as the story unfolded. I will say though, that if you love a super strong mystery (as in, not having a clue as to who the bad guys are), this will let you down a little – as I was able to figure it out early on. Also, if you’re into lots of love and sex, skip this one as there is definitely not a “traditional” M/M love story included, until perhaps the end.
Review Copy of The Necessary Deaths provided by DSP Publications for an honest review.
Reviewed by Mel from Alpha Book Club
As the investigation unfolds, we learn more about Dominic and his boyfriend Jonathan – and it was definitely not as expected. While Dominic’s character started out quite dry, he developed and grew into an interesting and smart man throughout, with a keen penchant for finding (and following) clues. Unfortunately, the relationship between him and Jonathan, while unique and I don’t have any issues with that, fell flat – over and over again. This story is written with the focus on the suspense, not love or characters. I think I was 70 pages or so in before I even know WHO the love interest was.
Overall, it was a fun and quick read, especially if you like figuring out a who done it – with some twists and turns that got better as the story unfolded. I will say though, that if you love a super strong mystery (as in, not having a clue as to who the bad guys are), this will let you down a little – as I was able to figure it out early on. Also, if you’re into lots of love and sex, skip this one as there is definitely not a “traditional” M/M love story included, until perhaps the end.
Review Copy of The Necessary Deaths provided by DSP Publications for an honest review.
Reviewed by Mel from Alpha Book Club
December 15, 2019
Set mostly in Brighton, England, this is a fascinating murder mystery, character study, and an intriguing look at what happens when young people get involved in drugs – and not just the recreational kind. In fact, the young journalism student who prompts the investigation into his attempted suicide - or murder? - is only the beginning of a trail leading to a conspiracy worthy of a thriller. The main character investigating the situation and uncovering a lot of the clues is not a detective, but a lawyer who wants to help out his neighbor, the student’s mother. I love “amateur” detectives like that and thoroughly enjoyed finding out more about Dominic and his quirky lover, Jonathan. But the mystery and dark goings-on at the center of this novel thrilled me in equal measure. As far as I am concerned, ‘The Necessary Deaths’ is a very successful blend of human interest and captivating, modern-day action adventure with political and international business conspiracies to keep me glued to the pages.
Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
October 1, 2019
This one was fun. The mystery really pulled me in and had me not wanting to put the book down. Part of that was that there was quite a lot going on with various strings of the story taking place at the same time, so I needed to focus to keep up.
There were a few things that made me frown, though, because it just didn’t make sense for someone to behave like that (“I don’t need to hack my boyfriend’s computer. I know his PW. It’s ‘xxxxx’”(not a direct quote)).
Even if your BF shared his PW with you, you would just log on and find the info you need. You would not share that PW with everyone else in the room).
Still, these minor incidents were drowned out by my overall enjoyment of the story.
The mystery is more prominent than the romance in this book. But we still got some insight to the relationship between Dominic and Jonathan. They grew closer through the events of the story and the ending was just perfect. And quite funny :)
There were a few things that made me frown, though, because it just didn’t make sense for someone to behave like that (“I don’t need to hack my boyfriend’s computer. I know his PW. It’s ‘xxxxx’”(not a direct quote)).
Even if your BF shared his PW with you, you would just log on and find the info you need. You would not share that PW with everyone else in the room).
Still, these minor incidents were drowned out by my overall enjoyment of the story.
The mystery is more prominent than the romance in this book. But we still got some insight to the relationship between Dominic and Jonathan. They grew closer through the events of the story and the ending was just perfect. And quite funny :)
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