Necropolis

By: Michael Dempsey

Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins

In a world where death is a thing of the past, how far would you go to solve your own murder?

NYPD detective Paul Donner and his wife, Elise, were killed in a hold-up gone wrong. Fifty years later, Donner is back: revived courtesy of the Shift. Supposedly the unintended side-effect of a botched biological terrorist attack and carried by a ubiquitous retrovirus, the Shift jump-starts dead DNA and throws the life cycle into reverse, so reborns like Donner must cope with the fact that they are not only slowly youthing toward a new childhood, but have become New York's most hated minority.

With New York quarantined beneath a geodesic blister, government and basic services have been outsourced by a private security corporation named Surazal. Reborns and infected norms alike struggle in a counterclockwise world, where everybody gets younger. You can see Elvis every night at Radio City Music Hall, and nobody has any hope of ever seeing the outside world. Lost in a sea of nostalgia, New York becomes an inwardly focused schizophrenic culture of alienation and loss.

In this backwards-looking culture, where only some of the dead have returned, Donner is haunted by revivers guilt, and becomes obsessed with finding out who killed him and his non-returning wife. Little does he know that strange forces have already begun tracking him. Donner isn't the only one obsessed with the past.

©2011 Michael Dempsey (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Sci-Fi Noir that keeps unfolding new layers

Really enjoyed this book. It starts out as a simple crime procedural murder with a twist... the man is investigating his own murder. The tension builds as he keeps uncovering new layers behind the event that brought him and so many others back to life. Held my attention and drew me in. Great mashup of styles and genres.

enjoyable

Very nice, escapist story. Enjoyed a lot. The narrator was OK, but some of his dialects were a little difficult for him. The story was good too, although the front end could use some tightening. But overall, certainly worth a credit.

Prescient. Raymond Chandler meets the pandemic.

A a dramatic, entertaining, page-turner of a whodunnit.

Though written in 2011, this book aptly walks us through the issues humanity faces in 2024. Dempsey anticipated the bio-lab becoming a greater and more present threat to humanity than the atomic bomb, and cleverly illustrates one of the many ways that threat might manifest. You might call it, "Chandler meets Asimov and the pandemic".

Whether you've left the matrix or not, this is still a good read. If you have taken that red pill, you'll marvel at how author Dempsey hit the nail on the head back in 2011; --and if you haven't, you'll still find a taut, well-crafted detective story; -- and who knows? --you may find food for thought.

'Necropolis' Rocked My World

Any additional comments?

Mr. Dempsey sucked me in and didn't let go until the very end..... 'Necropolis' stands out, by far, from the rest in the genre. It inspired me to actually rate my first book here on audible.com, after having been an active member since 2000 - I've listened to A LOT of books.

Trust me, you won't regret spending the credits!

Original- may prove to be one of my favories!!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This novel had a little of everything for me. Mystery, sci-fi, gumshoe detective and a good plot. Even if you are not a sci-fi fan, I believe you would still enjoy this story.

What did you like best about this story?

I loved the main character who is the police detective who is killed in the beginning of the novel and is reborn as a "Reeb" which is now the most hated minority in NYC known in the future at Necropolis. The story revolves around these "reborn" people who come back after death and age in the opposite direction by youthing out of existance. Very original premise with a large congolomerate run by the female villian who is behind the entire process.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Highly recommended. Mr. Dempsey paints a excellent picture of the future in 50 years from now along with many references to current day which helps make the story more believable. It will keep you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens next.

Not a zombie story

Would you listen to Necropolis again? Why?

I'll take the question to be "would you listen to the story knowing what you do now?". Probably. Although the main theme was pretty interesting, the story took a few turns that were so far-fetched that they derailed the momentum. Wish I could give examples without killing the suspense.

Would you be willing to try another book from Michael Dempsey? Why or why not?

Yes, but I would look more closely at the story before purchasing.

Which character – as performed by Kevin T. Collins – was your favorite?

Donner. Who else comes close?

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No

Good performance but story somewhat topsy turvy

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No, I wouldn't. Although the narrator did an excellent job, which is probably why I finished the listen, the story is topsy turvy and far-fetched even for a sci-fi novel.

What could Michael Dempsey have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

In my opinion he should have left this whole reborn, re-reborn stuff aside and maybe set it up as "memory-loss" or hibernation story, would probably have turned out more believable.

What about Kevin T. Collins’s performance did you like?

I really enjoyed the performance and that the narrator gave so much soul into the different characters. They became very real for me during the listen.

Great premise, o.k. story, overdramatic narrator

I won't reveal anything you wouldn't get from the dust jacket - the premise is a not too distant future New York City, quarantined because it's experiencing an epidemic where the dead return to life. No magic. Corpses regenerate and begin aging backward until a second death occurs - cause unknown but assumed to have a scientific explanation.

The result is a New York City with all manner of renaissances. People from different time periods congregating in certain parts of town. Zoot suits and fedoras along side sci-fi outfits. Great potential for a noir detective story.

The story is just that, and it isn't bad. But I got nothing from character development. Also, the first person narration was histrionic. If you wind up getting the book after reading this review, leave a review of your own and let me know if I'm crazy, or if the narrator's default tone was "tremulous on the verge of collapse"....uses it all over the place. If I worked with someone like this, I'd be asking HR to move my desk for fear he might break down crying at any second.

Zombie Twist

Where does Necropolis rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This story is very much a unique tale.

What other book might you compare Necropolis to and why?

This book reminded me of Elantris by Brandon Sanderson in as much as they share a "Dead Rising" theme. Although Necropolis is set on Earth.

Have you listened to any of Kevin T. Collins’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I really enjoyed this Narrator. He did a wonderful job with the story.

Well done

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. Well done

What was one of the most memorable moments of Necropolis?

The sequences wherein Donner's memory starts to return.

Have you listened to any of Kevin T. Collins’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

First time

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Donner realizes his love for Maggie