The Dead Hand of Dominique: Compelling new thriller ticks all the boxes for fans of Guy Richie
...and Fargo.
The Dead Hand of Dominique finds Essex rogue Steven Masonnar rating his search for his boss’s missing girlfriend, Dominique. His discovery of a severed hand in Mickey Finn’s old fridge acts as the catalyst to a series of encounters with people that live on the margins, as well as those thriving in the rarefied air of privilege, all of whom have something in common – a piece of the jigsaw that helps Steven in his quest to discover the truth.
Immediately the reader is drawn to Marlowe’s antihero protagonist and this newly published thriller’s dark and villainous plots and subplots.
With its characters coming from a world where people do whatever it takes to meet their needs and wants, the author’s skilful wordsmithing has delivered a page turner that reflects many of the social issues that have influenced people over the last few years.
A stand-out must-read for devotees of left of field characterisation and black comedic moments as evidenced in films such as In Bruges, Seven Psychopath’s, and Three Billboards, Simon Marlowe is unquestionably an author with a very bright future.
The author says:
“At the time of writing, I was reading the war and post war era fiction of Grahame Greene, Eric Ambler and Patrick Hamilton. I was impressed by the quiet radicalism of their novels such as: The Ministry of Fear, The Mask of Dimitrios, Journey into Fear, and Hangover Square; their skill in avoiding didacticism, and their ability to use their own fevered age for compelling narrative, leaving the reader with the option of interpreting broader themes and issues as well as being thoroughly entertained. It was that dual purpose I believe they intended, and which in my ever so humble offering I have tried to encapsulate.”
Synopsis:
Steven Mason, a young career villain, needs to find his boss’s girlfriend Dominique. Straightaway, he knows things are not going to be easy when he finds a dead hand in Mickey Finn’s old fridge.
So begins a series of encounters: St Mary with a limp wrist; Dominique’s husband Texas – a semi-retired gigolo; his vicious brother Greg; rent boys; a psychiatrist and a corrupt detective.
As Steven realises he’s uncovering a bitter dispute between two gangs, so division and betrayal make him hunter and hunted. He will need to decide whom he can trust, torn between his loyalties and his attraction to his friend’s girlfriend … not to mention what the outcome will be with a caged parrot.
Published by Cranthorpe Millner Publishers on 23rd November 2021, The Dead Hand of Dominique is available in Kindle format (£1.99) to pre-order on Amazon. It is also available to pre-order in paperback (£8.99) from the publishers, Foyles and at Waterstones.
