Nine Fine Deaths: Even when you know who the killer is, you won't know who the killer is.

5 Star Review

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Editorial Book Review:

By SM Harrison

Nine Fine Deaths, a cerebral and visceral thriller by Simon Mills, redefines the boundaries of crime fiction. Mills' narrative is a complex labyrinth of motives, secrets, and revelations that demands the reader's undivided attention, delivered with razor-sharp storytelling and daring psychological depth. It is both mesmerizing and chilling.

Mills's prose is adroitly balanced between lyrical and brisk, which maintains a high level of tension while simultaneously facilitating the development of incisive characters and the creation of an immersive world. The pacing is meticulously managed, transitioning between sequences that are fueled by adrenaline and moments of quiet introspection. Detective Madeline Bradley is a force of nature—intellectually unrelenting, emotionally volatile, brilliant, and flawed. Injecting both vitality and unpredictability into the novel's moral and psychological fabric, her voice is laced with grit and wit.

At the heart of the book is the theme of perception—the slippery nature of truth and the masks people wear. This ambiguity is expertly handled by Mills. Readers are informed of the killer's identity at the outset; however, the genuine suspense is not in the identity of the perpetrator, but rather in the reasons, methods, and implications of gaining insight into an individual's most sinister intentions. Mills is able to investigate more profound existential questions regarding trauma, identity, control, and the moral grey areas that define both victims and perpetrators as a result of this inversion of genre conventions.

The intellectual impact of Nine Fine Deaths is profound. It prompts readers to consider how justice functions in a world where clarity is elusive and people are never entirely what they seem. Emotionally, the book stirs discomfort, empathy, and awe—often in the same chapter. It makes no promises of clean resolution but offers instead a meditation on obsession, redemption, and the fragile veneer of order we cling to in the face of chaos.

Simon Mills demonstrates an unflinching commitment to craft and concept. Nine Fine Deaths is not simply a whodunit; it is a who-are-we story—unfolding with the intelligence of a chess match and the force of a thriller. Every twist lands with purpose. Every silence speaks. This is a novel that doesn’t just challenge readers—it dares them to look deeper, think harder, and question everything they think they know about crime, motive, and truth.

About the Author

Simon Mills

Simon Mills is a versatile and passionate writer. In addition, he is also a skilled and successful entrepreneur with over thirty years of business experience. Born in Perth Western Australia in 1967 he studied at the Conservatorium of Music in New South Wales and went on to become a piano tuner - restorer, tour with many successful rock bands and to co-host a radio show called Friday Live which became nationally syndicated. Mills founded London Music Group ("LMG") with business partner Wazza Bray in 1990 and grew that company to the number one commercial music production house in the country, winning award after award and culminating in the world's best jingle award. In 2005, with several successful startups completed, Simon moved from Australia to New York City with his wife and three children. Simon grew LMG digital Media in the US to attract customers as significant as Hyatt, AIG, BBDO, CBS, Starbucks, Pepsi, The Economist, and many more. 

As a writer, Simon's current focus is on books for children. Mostly because he still considers himself one.