You have to start with The New York Times really -

"Kevin Wignall's subversively appealing debut novel, PEOPLE DIE"...

"a coolly ironic, mordantly funny postmodern mystery story".

Marilyn Stasio, on my Christmas card list.

The Big Issue (UK) reviewer seemed to equate the book with global capitalism (of course he did), ending his review with this excellent barb:

"Fun, in a heartless, soulless, multinational death corporation kinda way."

I probably took it as more of a compliment than was intended, but hey, what can I say?
I love it.

The Face was kind enough to give the book a great review, a quote from which has been used in a lot of the UK marketing:

"Terse and spooky, People Die is that most remarkable of things: a killer-thriller with humour and heart."

Tony Baker's review in the Adelaide Advertiser (AUS) was a good laugh and ended on the line -

"People Die (like skittles) is Englishman Wignall's first novel and if he can keep up this printed film noir style, a major new talent has arrived in the genre."

Publishers Weekly (US) -

"Crisp, lean prose with assault rifle impact zips the reader across international borders and delineates quirky, engaging characters. The plot is worthy of the best British spymasters, making Wignall an author to watch."

Nice.

In a long and amusing review in the Las Vegas Mercury, John Ziebell discussed, America's terrible summer movies, The Simpsons and Tom Clancy, but on the subject at hand, said-

"When I got home I read the first chapter--twice--and then didn't set the thing down until I turned the last page at something like 1:45 a.m. This was a very good sign..... People Die is both a good thriller and a good book, a combination that occurs far less frequently than it should, and that's plenty to recommend it."

Likewise, Justin Kincaid in The Weekly Planet -

"People Die is the story of JJ, a twentysomething professional hit man who's as smooth as a fudge sundae and twice as cold. More people die in the first half of this book than in all three Evil Dead movies put together, and the best part is -- JJ is the good guy."

And the sublime Sarah Broadhurst in The Bookseller (UK) -

"This stunning read was an unexpected delight for me. I was assuming it to be a fast-paced, violent killer-thriller, which is what it is, but it is also a novel of conscience and an interesting insight into a killer's mind. A professional hitman discovers there is a contract out on him. He must find who wants him dead, and why, pretty quickly. Basic stuff, but in this exceptional first novel it transcends the genre and should appeal to all."

Thanks also to The Boston Globe -

"The action sequences are terse and commanding, the writing is often elegiac, and the dialogue intriguing. This is a fine debut.".....

The St Petersburg Times -

"Kevin Wignall kicks in contemporary coolness, detachment and humor." .....

The Philadelphia Inquirer -

"With JJ, this new British writer has created a unique and intriguing character."...

As well as the Daily Mail, The Scotsman, The Independent and all the other papers and websites that have given the book good reviews...

With a special mention to Al Nettles at Square Books in Oxford, MS, for the review he gave on their website.

The only negative reviews appeared on (thankfully) obscure websites, the best of which was an Australian crime website in which the reviewer compared the experience of reading PEOPLE DIE to that of reading ZEN AND THE ART OF MOTORCYCLE MAINTENANCE -

"waiting for something to happen".

Hmmm, maybe he has a point!