Shoo Fly Pie by Tim Downs

I just love what I would call 'Forensic mysteries' - authors like Patricia Cornwall (at least her early ones) or Kathy Reichs (and CSI!). I found another one - Tim Downs! The first of his 'Bug Man' series, Shoo Fly Pie is a very fun, action-filled mystery thriller.

Description:
Forensic entomologist Nick Polchak (a.k.a. the Bug Man) is hired by thirty-year-old Kathryn Guilford, who is terrified of bugs, to solve her friend's death. When Polchak stumbles into the mystery of how Kathryn's husband was killed years earlier, the action kicks into high gear -- and Polchak finds himself on the run with his client from someone who will do anything to keep a secret.

I kept chuckling at the descriptions of Nick, the Bug Man. He's got glasses as thick as two coke bottles, his eyes never are going the same direction, and he has so disconnected with human beings that he considers himself a different species. While he's a little abrupt and tactless at times, the fact that he cares about people even when he really doesn't want to comes shining through the story.

An aside: when looking up the Shoo Fly Pie on LT and Amazon, I see that it's classified as Christian fiction. I have no idea why it's classified that other than it is a pretty 'clean' murder mystery - by that I mean, there's not any sex or wildly strange parts of it. But nowhere does it even mention church or Christ or anything. I realize that the real lives of Christians don't mention church or Christ in every aspect, but it struck me as odd to label this book as such. Why not just label it as a mystery and be done with it? Anyway! Now back to the review...

I thoroughly enjoyed Shoo Fly Pie and am excited to read the second in the series, Chop Shop, soon. I don't remember where I saw the recommendation for this book, but I did just read a good review on J.Kaye's blog about the third book in the series, First the Dead. So we'll give them credit! LOL

Rating: 4/5 stars