I should say that I know Tim, and that he is as witty and likeable in real life as his writing is. This is the first in his series of comedy thrillers focusing on a Baltimore undertaker named Hitchcock Sewell. The tone is light, funny, and clever. There is no Chandleresque darkness here (altho there is plenty of sarcastic wit) and one gets the feeling that the story line is just an excuse to have some fun and entertain the reader.I will just quickly go over the plot - Hitch is drawn into a mystery when a sexy woman comes into his funeral parlor looking to arrange a funeral for herself. The next day the corpse of a woman with the same name is brout in - but it is not the same person. He is drawn into a relationship with a sexy detective named Kate Zabriskie who is investigating the murder of this woman, and this leads to more complications. There is a lot about Hitch's romances with Kate and with his ex-wife, whom he still sees.Here are a couple of examples of Tim's funnier stuff that are worth remembering:"I had a funeral slotted for the morning. The Webster funeral. Though when I got to my office, the paperwork on my desk said it was the Weber funeral. It was a typo. God, I hoped the gravestone was right. There is nothing you can do with a misspelled headstone that reads "Weber" except keep it to the side and wait to see if anyone named Weber kicks and drops. Though it dawned on me that I could call up a guy I used to know named Weber and see if he had any interest. We used to be good friends, but we had a falling out some years back over something small and petty. I don't suppose a phone call from me offering him a misspelled headstone with his name on it would do much to thaw the ice between us.""Simons had been reading the news off the TelePrompTer to the citizens of Baltimore for nearly twenty years. He was only in his late fifties, but he had apparently been suffering some health problems in recent months. Also, there was the issue of Simons's recent face-lift (undertaken over the protests of station management), which in conjunction with his trademark cowlick had suddenly - literally overnight - given him the appearance of a ventriloquist's dummy. The public's discomfort was showing in the ratings, which had been flaking away ever since Simon's varnished new face made its appearance. Mimi Wigg, on the other hand, was younger by thirty years and her skin was still supple. Small looking on television, in person she was downright puny. Her shoulders were about the width you'd pull your dental floss. Her hair - which looked to be the heaviest part of her body - was a sort of cranberry-blackberry concoction. . . . Her huge fake smile was one of her other big assets. She was thrashing Hitch with it mercilessly as he kissed up to her over by the news van."If you enjoy writing like that, you will probably enjoy this.
The firt Hitchcock Sewell mysteries. Being an undertaker does have its moments. Hitch finds himself at the center of a political and criminal situation without even trying. The style of the writer is easy going, first person point of view that draws you into the story quickly. It's the whole aren't the secondary zany and fun and did I say zany and colorful enough for you, that finally got on my nerves. From the loose ex-wife, to the colorful barflies, to the ex-college crazy friend, it never ever stops. It slowed down the story and created to much noise but I'll read the second one to see if it gets better because in the end I liked Hitch.
Do You like book The Hearse You Came In On (2001)?
The first novel by Cockey, and it shows. The mystery is a little too obvious, and the scaffolding he is working from visible around the edges. I guessed the mystery a little too early, and even predicted the plot twist.Still, good enough, and having read his third novel first I could see the sprouts that would flower into the better third novel.Interesting packaging note. The book is 434 pages long, but ends on p. 412. The final 20+ pages are a couple of tease chapters for his second novel. Probably good insurance for a first novel in the crowded mystery genre, but a bit insecure. He'll laugh about it later in his career.
—Todd Stockslager
This book had a lot of promise. Unfortunately, for me, the book did not deliver half of what it could have. First, the good. There are some quirky and interesting characters in the book that are worth exploring. Julia, the hero's ex-wife, who lives a bohemian lifestyle.Gil, the local director of the community theater group, who is constantly giving new interpretations to classic plays like "Our Town."When the story revolves around the relationship with the ex and the putting on of the play it of
—David
"Le croque-mort a la vie dure" est le premier tome d'une série qui met en scène Hitchcock Sewell. Hitch est croque-mort. Il mène une vie tranquille au salon funéraire qu'il partage avec sa tante, jusqu'au jour où une jeune femme débarque en tenue de tennis lors d'une veillée mortuaire. Celle-ci lui demande d'organiser son propre enterrement.Interloqué, il souhaite retrouver la femme en question. C'est ainsi que débute sa fraiche carrière de détective, embarqué contre son gré dans des histoires de meurtres et de soif de pouvoir.Ce bouquin est ma première incursion dans le petit monde d'Hitchcock Sewell. Et c'est un voyage bien sympathique. L'auteur écrit avec une certaine dose d'humour, souvent noir.Le style est simple et dynamique. Le lecteur est promené de rebondissement en rebondissement. On ne s'ennuie pas. L'intrigue est bien ficelée, mêlant habilement les multiples personnages rencontrés. Ce premier tome m'a donné envie de continuer à découvrir les aventures de ce Croque-mort. J'ai dévoré les 400 pages assez rapidement.Je lui donne une bonne note de 3,75 étoiles, entre le bon et le très bon!Je vous invite à découvrir l'univers un peu spécial de Tim Cockey!Points policier, 401 pages, 2005
—Valeriane
