The Hearse Case Scenario - Hardcover

Cockey, Tim

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0786867116 ISBN 13: 9780786867110

Publisher: Hyperion, 2002

Synopsis

"An undertaker-detective you'll really dig" (People) -- Hitchcock Sewell is once again cruising for trouble.

It's no wonder that Publishers Weekly raved about Tim Cockey's second novel, Hearse of a Different Color, calling it "highly entertaining and well written" in a starred review. Or that Janet Evanovich called his first book, The Hearse You Came In On, "a fun and frantic ride." Cockey's irresistible hero, Hitchcock Sewell, is fast establishing himself as the most charming -- and good-looking -- undertaker ever to solve a mystery and get beat up in the process.

Cockey's new novel finds Hitch up to his ears in murders, and the latest clues point to a Baltimore nightclub. Following his nose, Hitch uncovers a host of nefarious goings-on as well as some downright strange characters, including a felonious artist, a Miles Davis wanna-be, an Ida Lupino look-alike, and one very irritated dance instructor. Put them all together, throw in a bag full of cash and an incriminating Polaroid, and you have another surefire, humor-laced hit from one of the freshest voices writing in the mystery world today.

About this title

About the Author

Tim Cockey has been a story analyst for many major film and television companies, including ABC and Hallmark Entertainment. He grew up in Baltimore and now lives in New York City.

Reviews

In Cockey's third well-paced, unpredictable hearse novel (after 2001's Hearse of a Different Color), Hitchcock Sewell, Baltimore's wisecracking mortician/sleuth, sets out to exonerate his hapless childhood friend, Lucy, accused of murdering her low-life boyfriend, Shrimp Martin. Sure, Lucy shot him, but she wasn't the one who killed him. Hitch's search begins with Shrimp's nightclub and the cast of characters who worked there the captivating, no-nonsense singer; the jazz trumpeter who speaks in circles; and the contemptuous bartender with a hidden agenda. When Arthur, Shrimp's stepbrother and the club's photographer, goes missing, Hitch cajoles the hangdog private detective who's looking for Arthur into helping him find Shrimp's real killer. Together they stumble onto an elaborate gambling scheme, an unorthodox and very one-sided business partnership and the details of the year-old murder of an all-American college girl (whose body was found at Shrimp's club). Although there are a few too many pointless asides with Hitch's bouncy ex-wife, Julia (who, we are constantly reminded, is very sexy), some of the other characters are so endearing you'll want to buy them a round of beer and crab cakes. Pervading the book is Cockey's humor, which at times veers toward the cornball but never without knowing that it's going there. This quirky book is sure to delight existing fans and send new readers in search of the first two in the series. (Feb. 6)Forecast: With a six-city hearse driving tour, a teaser chapter in the mass market edition of Hearse of a Different Color (Feb.) and a well-designed promotional site at TimCockey.com, expect this one to build further momentum for this offbeat series.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

It was always a funny premise--Who wouldn't laugh at the idea of an undertaker-sleuth?--but you had to wonder if it could really work as a series. It's time for the doubters to admit they were wrong. Cockey's third Hearse novel starring undertaker Hitchcock Sewell is just as fresh and funny as its predecessors, and the appeal of the series--smart-mouthed hero; vivid, fully developed supporting cast; terrific sense of place (blue-collar Baltimore)--transcends the novelty of its premise. This time Hitch is helping out an old friend accused of murder (a plot staple for amateur-sleuth novels). Hitch and his ex-wife, Julia, don't believe for a minute that Lucy Taylor, a pal from the old neighborhood, killed nightclub owner Shrimp Martin, but they aren't surprised that Lucy, the original bad-luck girl, has landed in another scrape. More murders follow as Hitch jumps from jazz clubs to jail cells, cracking wise all the way. Cockey effectively grounds Hitch's high jinks in the real world, placing his hero squarely in the comic-realistic tradition of Lawrence Block's Bernie Rhodenbarr and Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum. Bill Ott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Series sleuth Hitchcock Sewell wants to help his longtime friend, a prime suspect in the death of a nightclub owner, but she has disappeared along with Hitch's still lovable ex-wife. His search covers much of Baltimore and beyond. A delightful series.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Hyperion
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0786867116
• ISBN 13: 9780786867110
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 338