Chop Shop

Rating:
Summary: Another winner with more texture than the first...
Review: After reading his debut Bug Man novel Shoofly Pie, I knew I had to get ahold of Tim Downs' second (and latest) installment of the Bug Man series - Chop Shop. Once again, Downs pulls off a definite winner, with even more texture than the first.

Dr. Nick Polchak is once again censured from the university for "dissecting" a sleeping student in his class. No matter to him, as it just gives him time to work on his forensic entomology studies... in other words, the effect of bugs on dead bodies. He gets sidetracked when he's approached by Dr. Riley McKay, a budding pathologist in the fellowship study program of a local coroner office. She wants Polchak to offer some opinions on some anomalies she's seeing in the cases of the head pathologist, and she's willing to pay him out of her own pocket to answer the questions. This all leads to the door of a cutting-edge pharmaceutical company looking to manufacture custom genetically tailored medicines. The concept is great, but there appears to be a side business going on involving the black market sale of organ transplants. Polchak and McKay have uncovered a lot of the truth, but they really don't know who to trust to stop it all, or even if they'll survive long enough to get to that point.

Downs' first Polchak novel was very good, but it was really just a vanilla murder mystery. You knew there were some incidents in Polchak's life that had caused him to treat other humans with a fair amount of disdain, but none of that was really revealed. Chop Shop starts to cover some of that ground, as well as introducing some real medical ethics that have varying degrees of right and wrong. You meet Polchak's mother and learn a bit about his childhood that caused his withdrawal. You also see him struggle to come to terms with the affection he feels for McKay and how that can (or should) play out in his life. Polchak now is more than just a quirky intelligent scientist. He's a person with feelings and a history. This bodes well for future installments of the series.

The only bad thing I have to say is this... How much longer do I have to wait for #3???

Rating:
Summary: flies on walls tell all!
Review: Rebeccasreads recommends BUG MAN2: CHOP SHOP as a lively & informative mystery about corporate doctors intent on securing a steady supply of body parts, & a young pathologist troubled by the autopsies her supervisor is making her sign-off on.

Dr. McKay finds Nick Pollack, the Bug Man of SHOO FLY PIE, in his greenhouse, & shows him some juicy maggots she's extracted from the latest corpse to cross her table. Together they set out on a trail of clues that will lead them to a firey & fatal finale.

Tim Downs has a hilarious way with words, poking fun of the pomposity of academia & financial tycoons, all the while spinning a gripping yarn. & if the ending, the real ending, leaves a bit to be desired, well, isn't that just like life?

Rating:
Summary: Blowflies and maggots and death, oh my!
Review: This is fresh fiction at its best! Tim Downs' original approach to storytelling keeps you reading well past your bedtime. His "Bug Man" Dr. Polchak is the most unique individual you could ever hope to meet. While the "guts" of the story can be incredibly revolting, the humor is so "laugh out loud" funny that you just can't resist another peek through the microscope to see what you will find. Five stars just isn't enough to truly rate this story. My ONLY complaint is the wait for the next book in this series! Please hurry!

Rating:
Summary: This Sucks!
Review: Tim Downs has created a fresh, believable character in Nick Polchak. Nick studies bugs. He loves insects. And, with his unusual knowledge, he's able to extract valuable clues from corpses and cow-patties.

Yes, this is some strange stuff. How can you not enjoy such well-done, quirky fiction? The Bug Man, once again, leads us into an urban mystery. This time, a growing corporation gets its hand stuck in the criminal cookie jar. Their altruistic goals become justifications for very naughty organ-harvesting. Although the subject is gruesome, Downs keep a light touch. His characters keep us laughing. Meanwhile, we are faced with serious issues of our modern age.

"Chop Shop" is more than a tale of murder and mayhem, more than a treatise on medical ethics; it is a study in human motivation. Nick's budding romance with Riley clashes with his mother's good intentions and his own disturbed childhood. When the final surprises are brought to light, we're convinced they could happen--even if we wish they didn't.

For those looking for preachy fiction, you've come to the wrong place. The Bug Man gives very faint references to Christianity. On the other hand, the ethics and values here are straight forward and to be admired. This is one of the best mystery series going, bar none. The only problem: we have to wait another year for a third book...and, like one of Polchak's mosquito friends, this sucks!

Rating:
Summary: Downs Does it Again!!!
Review: What can I say? It was hard for me to imagine Tim Downs could top the first Bug Man novel, "Shoofly Pie" that had me alternatingly laughing and biting my nails the entire time I read it. But, he has done it again. This time he managed to interject, with the humor, mystery and forensic detail of the previous novel, a quirky, but definite, romance and some poignantly soul-searching ethical questions about the value of human life. How on earth does he do it? I'm not sure, but I hope he continues to do it again and again for a long time. Two thumbs WAY UP!!!