Review by jcoad -- The Embalmer by Vincent Zandri

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jcoad
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Review by jcoad -- The Embalmer by Vincent Zandri

Post by jcoad »

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Embalmer" by Vincent Zandri.]
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4 out of 4 stars
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That beautiful woman can’t take her eyes off me. I’m almost beside her. She is gorgeous. I would not get your hopes up. Everything is not as it appears in The Embalmer by Vincent Zandri. This is a light-hearted police thriller that will keep you turning the pages.

Multiple embalmed women staged in various poses, have been found across the city. Detective Miller has been tasked with finding the killer. There is a reason to believe the killer is unemployed. He enlists Steve Jobz, an employee in the fraudulent unemployment claims office, to assist with research. Steve is a former policeman and jumps at the chance to do police work again. The decision would change his life if he didn’t lose it in the bargain.

He quickly finds himself involved way beyond simple research. He is participating in autopsies and interviewing witnesses. Despite their efforts, the bodies keep coming. Little do they know, they have the killer rattled. Tragedy suddenly strikes close to home, and Steve realizes the culprit is closer than he ever imagined. A rip-roaring finish finds Jobz struggling to avoid becoming the latest human mannequin. An unorthodox rescue sets the characters up nicely to continue their adventures in future books.

I did have to adjust my perspective of reality for this book. Why would a serial killer only have one detective searching for him? The police tactics and investigative process employed by Miller were not realistic. Steve had too much access to information and active participation in the investigation for a common citizen. Why would he need to see an autopsy of a victim?

Regardless of reality, this book was fun. The dialogue was sarcastic and witty. Steve had some great exchanges with his boss. The “Steve Jobz” jokes never got old. The story was well paced and kept you engaged. I enjoyed the glimpses into the mind of the killer. I found his story disturbing and fascinating. The characters grew and evolved as the story progressed. There was a nice twist at the end that tied Jobz and Miller together.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. The book made me laugh. I didn’t want to stop reading. There isn’t anything else I want out of a book. I will be reading the next book in this series. The lack of realism was annoying, but not enough to drop a star. The book is for adults. It contains crude language and adult situations. Lovers of light-hearted, thriller stories will devour this book. This is not a book for romance or fantasy fans.

******
The Embalmer
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Allyseria
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Post by Allyseria »

Thank you for your review. Having only one detective searching for a serial killer is unbelievable. But if I can ignore that, it sounds like a great book :)
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Post by CommMayo »

This sounds like a fun novel to immerse yourself in...once you suspend reality, of course! I'm happy to hear it had a healthy does of humor to offset the gruesome nature of the crimes.
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Post by EvaDar »

I am impressed that you were so able to get beyond the reality-based issues and just enjoy the book. I usually have a pretty high need for realism and think I would be more tripped up by that. I do like dark humor and it sound like there is plenty of that, here. Thanks for the fun review!
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Post by Bianka Walter »

I suppose when we read, we have to take a step back from what is realistic if we want to enjoy the stories. I agree though, one cop and one citizen is a little TOO unrealistic to catch a serial killer. I'm glad the book was good enough to look past that :)
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Post by Julie Green »

I think you're spot on that sometimes the best reference for a book is that you couldn't stop reading... I will add this one to my shelves!
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Post by Debjani Ghosh »

Great review! I too read and reviewed this book. Just like you, I also enjoyed the Steve Jobz jokes and the witty dialogues but I was able to deduce the killer early into the book which dampened the thrill for me.
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Shrabastee Chakraborty
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Post by Shrabastee Chakraborty »

Good to know your take on the book! I am glad that someone mentioned the "unorthodox rescue team". Honestly, Miller was pretty much fighting alone (except for Jobz, of course), that is certainly odd. Thanks for the review!
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Post by Helen_Combe »

Great review and you’ve sold it to me. It’s exactly my kind of book, sarcastic, witty and lots of murders.
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Post by Dolor »

A crime thriller matched with humor could've been a great plot, but the lack of realism had turned me off. I wonder why it did not take away a point from your rating. Thanks for your honest review.
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Post by jcoad »

Helen_Combe wrote: 24 Sep 2018, 07:36 Great review and you’ve sold it to me. It’s exactly my kind of book, sarcastic, witty and lots of murders.
He has some great exchanges with his boss. Just a fun book!
jcoad
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Post by jcoad »

Dolor wrote: 24 Sep 2018, 20:02 A crime thriller matched with humor could've been a great plot, but the lack of realism had turned me off. I wonder why it did not take away a point from your rating. Thanks for your honest review.
I kept the 4 stars as I felt anyone would enjoy this book. It isn't set-up to be this intense police thriller so the lack of real police tactics isn't a huge factor.
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Bonnie Shelby
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Post by Bonnie Shelby »

The unrealistic qualities you mentioned are a little disappointing, but the fact that you think the witty dialogue and the engaging plot makes up for it, makes me want to try it. Thanks for your review :)
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Post by Oulababe »

Sounds like a very interesting murder mystery. It's sick that the killer embalms women while they're still alive. Jobz has a lot of investigating to do.
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Post by 1ditzyrn »

Great review! I love a book with great dialogue as it helps me get lost in the story. The fact that you did not want to stop reading is an excellent indication that I should read this book. Thanks for your review!
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