Review by daydreaming reader -- The Embalmer

[daydreaming reader]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Embalmer" by Vincent Zandri.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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Sometimes cops screw up big time and get away scot-free. Steve Jobz is not one of those cops though. Yes, you read that right, Steve Jobz, but not the Steve Jobs. This Steve Jobz does not have the IQ or money that comes with the name. Instead, this Steve Jobz, a former cop, barely wins his battle against boredom at his day job at the Unemployment Insurance Fraud Investigations Agency. Further, his social life involves spending some evenings drinking with his boss. Then one day, Detective Miller waltz into his life and makes Steve an offer. Detective Miller is working a case involving a serial killer who exsanguinates women and fills them with embalming fluid. Can Steve Jobz offer valuable information to Detective Miller? Will he help find the killer before his next victim? How can he?

CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform published The Embalmer a Steve Jobz Thriller by Vincent Zandri, on 13 July 2017. The book contains 372 pages divided into 36 chapters. The story is from Steve’s point of view, first-person narrative. Based on the tagline this is the first of a series.

This fast-paced book flows well. Nothing feels rushed, and the language is simple. The plot is simple, and the reader can figure out who the culprit about very early on. Therefore, the intrigue is really about how the police capture the culprit.

This book did not contain much character development. Generally, the characters are relatable. Despite this, I did not feel any attachment towards any of the characters. Certain parts of the plot seemed to be lacking. I do not want to give away too much of the book, but considering the danger the culprit posed, the police should have acted immediately after figuring out who it was.

Additionally, I found that referring to the victims as girls, was confusing. When I read girl, I imagined a female, who is generally under the age of 18. I can stretch my imagination to include females in their early twenties. Thus, when I read that the victim was in her forties, and then described as a girl in another part, I became confused about whether it was the same character. I, however, understood the use of the term girl instead of woman by the culprit, since it was an element of his psychosis.

There are several errors in the book, but they do not distract from the reading experience.

I wanted to rate The Embalmer 3 stars, as this book is a good quick read. However, on second thought, I found that there were areas of the plot that were inconsistent or didn't seem logical. Therefore, my official rating for The Embalmer by Vicent Zandri is 2 out of 4 stars.

I would recommend this book to adults who want a fast, entertaining read, as well as those who enjoy reading crime, mystery, detective books.

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The Embalmer
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Like daydreaming reader's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Debjani Ghosh]

I agree with you that this is a fast-paced read but like you, I was also able to deduce the killer early into the book. This killed the curiosity for me. I agree with you that the thrill of this book is in the chase rather than discovering the killer. Thanks for the review!

[jcoad]

I agree you had to take this book with a grain of salt, but overall I thought it was pretty fun. I enjoyed the dialogue between Steve and his boss and also the glimpses in the life of the killer. I think it was meant to be light and fun and it pulled that off. Thanks for the review!

[JR Mercier]

This sounds like a suitably gruesome read. I might just pick it up. The term girl also makes me think of a young woman and I would probably also have gotten super confused. Thank you for the great review!

[Allyseria]

I love that his name is similar to Steve Jobs. It sounds like a comedic book. Is it?

I like that it's a fast-paced book. It's a shame that there were elements of the plot that were inconsistent and illogical.

[k2rugman]

I also read and reviewed this book. I agree with a lot of your analysis. I also didn't think there was much character development and it seemed like three of the main characters had the same sarcastic personality.