The Body in the Hole by Jonathan B. Zeitlin

April 13, 2020

The Body in the Hole by Jonathan B. Zeitlin

The Body in the Hole by Jonathan B. Zeitlin
Published: December 2017
Publisher: Indie
Genre: Cozy mystery, humor
Pages: 407
Available: ebook, paperback

Sex: 💗 None, thank God, the visuals would have killed me
Violence: 😧Minimal

Reviewer's Note: I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Author Bio: Jonathan is an experienced federal law enforcement officer who uses his time as a former cop and former prosecutor to write compelling and realistic crime and mystery fiction.

The plot in brief: (no spoilers) Yvgeny is an Undertaker in a small rural Georgia town. He's unusual to say the least. His speech is formal, his clothes Victorian, his hobbies bizarre. Alfred, his deaf and odoriferous grave digger finds a body in an open grave. Yvgeny, who has a distinct lack of respect for law enforcement, removes the body and gives it a Sherlock Holmes inspection before notifying the Sheriff that he is in possession of a headless corpse. The cops return Yvgeny's lack of respect and he takes it upon himself to solve the mystery of the body in the hole.

The Writing: The book is very well written and edited. The fast pace story spiels from the page. It's easy to scare readers, to make them cry, to make them care, but it is damn hard to make them laugh. I mean really laugh, belly laugh, laugh out loud. Zeitlin nails it. His humor has a bite to it, it's not silly slapstick. Zeitlin revels in the absurdity of the human experience.

The Characters: You'd be hard pressed to find a more unappealing cast of characters than the nutters that inhabit this story. From vain unlikable Yvgeny, his overbearing mother, preening police, and a host of misfits and oddballs, the competition is stiff. You might be tempted to dismiss this absurd gang but they work, so stick with them and by the end of the book you'll be a believer.

Overall: Confession: I hated this book for the first 5-10 pages. I thought there was no way I was gonna enjoy it. But I have a three chapter rule for reviews and I pressed on. I'm glad I did. Once I got into the story I found it really, really funny. It's a mixture of Wes Anderson, Monty Python and Mr. Bean. It's snarky and satirical and it is not the least bit politically correct. I loved the zaniness of the plot, the smart-aleck dialogue, the disgusting habits of the characters and their penchant for carnival sideshow vehicles and uniforms. The characters embrace their own personal crazy, like a dog rolling in poo and loving it.

This type of humor is not for everyone. If you recoil in horror at the 'R' word, be warned. If you describe yourself as someone with a 'warped sense of humor', this book might be right up your alley.

I give this book 4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐