4 out of 4 stars
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The Embalmer: A Steve Jobz Thriller by Vincent Zandri is a fast-paced thriller that will keep you glued to your seat. Steve Jobz was a cop, but because of an unfortunate situation he found himself in, he currently works in a 4 x 4 cubicle at the Unemployment Insurance Fraud Investigation Agency, barely making ends meet. Henry, short for Henrietta, is his quick-witted boss who keeps him on his toes and lends him out to the Albany Police Department for a special assignment. Co-worker Herman tells people he and Steve are best buds, but Steve thinks he’s weird. Lu goes along with whatever Herman says.
There is a psychopath on the loose in the city of Albany who picks his prey from dating sites, drugs them, embalms them while they are still alive, and then rapes them. So far, four women, that the police know of, have met this gruesome fate. Detective Nick Miller contacts Steve and asks him to help with the investigation to locate this murderer. He wants Steve to narrow down possible suspects using his Agency’s database. As the police are closing in on this maniac, Steve becomes entangled in his web.
Mr. Zandri writes in an engaging manner using some humorous phrases. “I might not be the smartest M & M in the bag, or the most colorful” and “Hold the phone and reign in the horses” are two that gave me a good chuckle. Conversely, his description of the Embalmer’s lair is unsettling.
This book was edited and proofed fairly well, which I greatly appreciate. That makes it so much easier to become invested in a story. I am rating this 4 out of 4 stars. I like this author’s writing style, his quirky sense of humor, and how he rounds out his characters. I didn’t like that the story was fairly easy to figure out about halfway through, and there was one scenario that was not finalized: that of the undertaker that Miller and Steve checked out.
Although The Embalmer: A Steve Jobz Thriller is a bit gruesome, I would recommend it to people who appreciate exciting, suspense-filled, well-written stories, to anyone who loves a good murder mystery, and to those who like to see good happening to decent people. I would not recommend it to kids because of the idea of embalming someone while they are alive.
Steve was a good cop caught in a bad situation. Someone is looking out for him, though. As his confidence returns and his relationship with Detective Miller grows, his life not only comes full circle, but branches into something even better. Read through to the end as the ending is heartwarming.
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The Embalmer
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