Nick of Time – Tim Downs

© 2011, Thomas Nelson, Nashville

Writer, speaker, and cartoonist, Tim Downs’ Bug Man is back.

This time Nick Polchak is getting married . . . if he doesn’t get cold feet. Nick is getting married . . . if he doesn’t get killed first. Nick is getting married . . . if he doesn’t get his fiancée killed first.

Sick of wedding plans, and with the wedding less than a week away, Nick decides to travel to Philadelphia for a meeting of the Vidocq Society—an elite group of forensic specialists from every field that meets once a month and helps solve cold cases—only cold cases (at least two years without any new clues), and only murder cases (lost your cat? Don’t come to Vidocq).

Upon arrival at the meeting, Nick discovers the friend who lured him there with the promise of a really tough case has been murdered. The evidence points him to the Poconos and an old murder by neglect case. When his fiancée doesn’t hear from him at the promised time—two nights in a row—she heads to the Poconos to find him.

Fans of Bug Man novels will recognize the sarcastic obstinacy of our hero as he does everything to avoid endearing himself to any and all law enforcement officers along the way, including old friends like FBI agent Nathan Donovan (who is pegged to stand with Nick as best man).

The writing, as always, is fast-paced and action-packed—even at the boutique shop of the wedding planner (Weddings ‘n’ Such—where Nick wants more wedding and less such). If you want to meet the bride and attend the wedding, you’ll have to grab a copy of the book and read it. For background, you’ll want to read earlier Bug Man novels, especially Ends of the Earth. In the meantime, I’ll give Downs another five out of five reading glasses for another excellent diversion.

—Benjamin Potter, May 12, 2011

[Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”]

Less than Dead – Tim Downs

© 2008, Thomas Nelson, Nashville

It is no secret that I am a Tim Downs fan. I’ve read all of the novels that he has produced since introducing the Bug Man, Nick Polchak, in Shoo Fly Pie in 2003. I find his writing to be witty, thoughtful, suspenseful, and engaging . . . all good qualities for a mystery writer.

The Bug Man series follows forensic entomologist Nick Polchak as he hires out to a variety of national organizations as a consultant when he’s not working as a professor at NC State. The tedium of learning all about blow-flies in their variety and in their desire to seek out fresh dead bodies has been one of the drawbacks to the series. There are only so many ways to tell how insects seek out and destroy dead bodies before it gets boring.

In Less than Dead Downs has found a way to circumvent that tedium by introducing something new, the cadaver dog! Nick is working with the FBI on a case of uncovered graveyard during construction excavation. Why is the FBI on this case? Two of the uncovered graves have bodies buried above the original inhabitant of the old graves – with the probability of more. The construction project is for a new mall and tourism center near the town of Endor, Virginia. The search dog that the FBI has engaged seems to be having a difficult time finding any graves besides the four unearthed by the excavation crew. So Nick decides to find the Witch of Endor. Alena Savard turns out to be no witch at all, just a very talented dog trainer with an even more talented cadaver dog.

Between them they discover other bodies, most of the “upper berth” occupants of the graves are between 20 and 50 years old, one is 200 years old, and they all share the same DNA ancestry.

This is by far the best of the Bug Man novels with all the intrigue of FBI, presidential politics and small town superstition wrapped up together. The characters are well-rounded and the plot moves quickly from page to page. Just try to put this one down. 5 out of 5 reading glasses.

—Benjamin Potter, May 22, 2009