I was in the mood for something funny, not too serious and found Medium Dead. This book was one of those “if you like A then try…” on my Nook. It sounded cute so I got the free sample, read it and immediately bought the full story. Just what I was looking for: fun, interesting characters, underlying mystery and a serious back story, fast plot and great dialogue.
Heroine Brenda has been vegetating since finding her best friend with her husband four – count ’em, four – years ago. Since then she’s watched soap operas, gotten an undemanding job with great hours, lives alone three hours from Mom and older sister Susan, and, oh yes, sees ghosts. She meets a new ghost one morning who warns her to leave NOW or risk her life. Sure enough, in comes a serial murderer-rapist along with his car jacking victim, ineffectual Brian.
Only catch is that Brian is hard to kill. He absorbs bullets, even loses his head, and still keeps after the bad guy. Brenda doesn’t know what’s going on but she gladly helps, improvising right along with Brian. After Brian tells Brenda that he is a Vigilante Demon, here to fight crime. Fun ensues.
A few minor quibbles. I can’t fathom why anyone would claim to be a demon although Brian invents a demon call center staffed by Sanjay for some of the funniest dialogue. The plot has loose ends. If Brian and Brenda stay crime-fighting partners and see Mom and Susan again, I’m not sure how Brian will morph from sexy Fabio the model, doctor and fireman to Brian. And at the end we see Brian is not a demon, just a semi-normal guy with a passion to put the creeps away.
Overall the plot is pure fun, the characters interesting, dialogue witty without a bit of meanness. Brenda and Brian feel like real people – ghosts and shape changing aside – and interact with other real people. The villain is well done and creepy, and at the end we see enough of the other creeps to know there’s plenty of room for a sequel should Dolley choose.
Medium Dead is a fast read. I finished in one evening and got to bed early. Don’t think that it’s written in a juvenile style though. There aren’t a lot of big words or heavy historical allusions but it’s meant for adults.
I recommend Medium Dead. In fact, I just started another Dolley novel, Resonance. Always a happy event to find a new author!
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