Review: Chop Shop by Tim Downs

One of the exciting things about moving is that the new library has different books than the old one. My old library did not have a copy of Chop Shop by Tim Downs, but the new one does. And that made me happy! Chop Shop is the second book in the 'Bug Man' series which started with Shoo Fly Pie [my review].

Summary: An autopsy room is where secrets are revealed...or buried.

Young Dr. Riley McKay has worked hard toward her career in pathology-and now she has secured a fellowship at the renowned Allegheny County Coroner's Office in Pittsburgh. But her promising future is threatened when suspicious activities incriminate her supervising pathologist, Dr. Nathan Lassiter. Bungled autopsies, concealed evidence, and unexplained wounds accumulate at an alarming rate. When Riley is ignored by her seniors and threatened by Dr. Lassiter, she turns in desperation to Dr. Nick Polchak, the Bug Man, to help her uncover the truth.

From a handful of tiny maggots, Nick and Riley begin to unearth the facts, and together they discover that these blunders are not accidents but part of a larger evil that threatens their very lives.

My mental picture of Dr. Nick Polchak is quite fun - large, teddy bear type man with the thickest glasses and oddest looking eyes ever. And yet people are drawn to him. I definitely would like to meet him. Okay, maybe I wouldn't want to see all his bug friends, but he would be very interesting to talk with.

The concept of this book is quite easily believable. I won't give it away, but on top of being very intriguing, the book also made me think.

This mystery series is quite 'clean' for the genre. No swearing, sex, etc. Obviously, there is killing. :-) I definitely recommend that folks who enjoy mysteries read these books. I am looking forward to picking up the next in the series - First the Dead.

Rating: 4/5 stars

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