Bob @ Beauty in Ruins

What do you do when modern pharmaceuticals have all but cured death, and your entire livelihood revolves around . . . well, death? Well, if your`re a couple of guys working in a funeral home, you bide your time, listen to old Beatles tunes, and take on a side-job as serial killers. I mean, who can blame them, right?

That`s the basic concept here, and it`s just as weird and inappropriate as you might expect. Max and Bligh are an odd couple to drive a novel, but they`re right at home here. This is a very dark comedy, almost surreal at times, with Mob bosses, teenage girls, widowed old women, and some rather inept FBI agents rounding out the cast. For a debut novel, this is a strong one, somehow managing to find that awkward, tough balance between alienating and amusing your readers. Yeah, I groaned out loud more than a few times, but I laughed out loud twice as often.

This is a witty, satiric tale, and one with some deep thoughts buried amid the chaos. Malloy understands what kind of questions he`s raised for the reader regarding life, death, and the widening gap between the two, and he demonstrates that in the motivations of heroes and killers alike. Expect the worst, enjoy the best, and give yourself permission to be inappropriate alongside the boys.


Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins