Dyson Devereux works in the Burials and Cemeteries department in his local council. Dyson is intelligent, incisive and informed. He is also a sociopath. Dyson’s contempt for the bureaucracy and banality of his workplace provides ample refuge for his mordant wit. But the prevalence of Essex Cherubs adorning the headstones of Newton New Cemetery is starting to get on his nerves.
When an opportunity presents itself will Dyson seize his chance and find freedom, or is his destiny to be a life of toil in Burials and Cemeteries?
Brutal, bleak and darkly comical, Necropolis is a savage indictment of the politically correct, health and safety obsessed world in which we live.
*****
Review
The main protagonist of this book is a well thought out, twisted and dark individual, the story is told in the first person narrative by Dyson Deveraux, who is a psychopath, someone who microanalyses everything, extremely clever, witty and manipulative. The way in which the author has so expertly portrayed the inner workings of the mind of Deveraux make you question the authors own state of mind.
Dyson on the outside is leading your average mundane work life but when seen through the eyes of a psychopath makes the mundane all that more interesting. He cares very little for people, throughout the books he regularly forgets the names of people, and people are nothing more than pawns that are there to get him where he wants to be. I wouldn’t say he is likable but I do envy his drive and calculated way at making things go in his favour.
The story at times is fast paced, those parts which could be described as slow are enjoyable due to the dark humour and the way the author describes situations through Dyson’s eyes. The plot is original and unpredictable, yet not too farfetched making it highly believable. Dialogue throughout contains wit and the intelligence of the author shines through.
Dyson is a damaged man with a troubled past, mentally scarred from the treatment suffered when he was young; he uses his charm and intelligence to get what he wants.
Portman has written a brilliant book which surprised the hell out of me, extremely enjoyable, thought provoking, shocking and at times disturbing. Necropolis is a highly recommended read.
I currently reside in London, the city of my birth. Having finished my schooling I studied for a B.A. in Theology at Kings College London, a subject that I chose out of interest rather than any religious persuasion. I also have an M.A. in Sport and Leisure Management from London Metropolitan University.
My working life has included being employed in academic research and the sports industry, where I spent several years at a Premier League Football club. I have also traveled extensively, living and working in both Sydney and Tokyo.
My second book, Necropolis, is a Transgressive work of dark humorous fiction about a psychopath, who works for the Burials and Cemeteries department in his local council.
My first novel, Charles Middleworth, is a humorous tale of the unexpected about an an actuary named Adrian, who has his banal and predictable existence turned upside down by sinister forces that he can neither understand nor control.
Besides writing, editing and promoting my work I enjoy reading a wide variety of books, reviews of which can be found in the review section of my blog and on Goodreads. My other interests include sport, social media and the outdoors.
Guy was also kind enough to answer a few questions I had for him once I finished the book.
1. What inspired you to write Necropolis?
I have always been fascinated by psychopaths/sociopaths and satire. Necropolis seemed like the perfect platform to combine these two interests. A Burials and Cemeteries department in a local council was an ideal environment for a black comedy that would appeal to readers with a mordant wit, at least this was my reasoning behind the idea for Necropolis.
2. Was it difficult to imagine the world from the perspective of a psychopath?
No, it was rather easy to imagine the world from the perspective of a psychopath, but perhaps I shouldn't be admitting that.
3. Can we expect to see more of Dyson?
That is a difficult question to answer Martin. I don't have any immediate plans to write a sequel, but it is possible that I will feel quite differently about the matter in a few years time.
You can find and contact Guy here: