A review by blafferty
He Died With His Eyes Open by Derek Raymond

5.0

This is a strange book. It starts off as procedural, then bit by bit the case devolves into obsession. The writing is beautiful, the dialogue snaps, and I really like the manner of the main character - I didn't realize he didn't have a name until I saw that someone had mentioned it on a thread. For a moment I thought, no, I know his name. It's... But of course I didn't. It's pretty amazing that an author can create a well-drawn character like that and not only never mention his name, but not make it obvious. It's also very unusual how we get to know the victim. Just as for the detective, you start to feel that Charlie is alive, and still a functioning character. At first I thought it would be a trick to get information out, but it really, really wasn't.
The book has everything I look for in noir: gritty city, dire characters, independent detective, human weakness. On the other hand, it is completely different than any other detective books I've read. I'll be looking for more!