A stiff read

The Working Stiff – Rachel Caine

I have not read any of Rachel Caine’s work before but a few people had been complimentary of her previous works and I thought why not give it a go.

The story is about Bryn Davis, who recently discharged from the armed forces decides on a career in the mortuary business. Unfortunately for Bryn her new boss is running a racket where he brings the dearly beloved back to life and then charges a fortune for the ongoing need for daily medication. Not only does Bryn discover the secret, winds up as a living corpse, she becomes embroiled in a fight for her own survival between three other major players. The only people she can trust are the dog, Patrick McCallister and Joe Fideli. That is pretty much the nuts and bolts of the story and then you can throw in some mystery, adventure and romance.

I liked the world that has been created and the twist the author has used it was something different. Yet what did not work was the lead character Bryn, she was just insipid for the first three quarters of the book. I mean things just kept happening to her and she was completely unable to protect herself. All she seemed to do was think about reaching for the gun, think about kicking the guy, think about hiding and so it went on. I mean she is meant to have some kind of military training but she could not defend herself if a soggy piece of toast was thrown at her! Look I do not want some kind of kick arse, save the world female character who is invincible but if you give her skills, let her demonstrate them at some point.  The relationship between Bryn and Patrick really struggled with any emotional connection. It was hard to figure out just why she liked him and it seemed to be built on we are arguing therefore we must end up loving each other.

This was not a novel that worked for me as I struggled to find any connection to the characters and it might seem harsh but I actually thought Liam and the dog where the two most interesting.  Maybe the series will pick up and be better but this was not for me.

For more on Rachel's works check out her website.