Book review: "Morgue Drawer for Rent" by Jutta Profijt

Morgue Drawer for Rent review
Author: Jutta Profijt
5 out of 5 stars

Book Info: Genre: Thriller/Suspense w/ paranormal elements (ghost)
Reading Level: Adult
Book Available December 2012
Recommended for: Fans of mysteries/thrillers/suspense who don’t mind a touch of supernatural and a whole lot of humor

Disclosure: I received a free paperback ARC/uncorrected proof from the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis from the Back of the book: Life was peaceful for coroner Martin Gänswein – until the unfortunate day he met Pascha, the foulmouthed ghost whose body once inhabited morgue drawer number four. Now an unwilling participant in solving the murders of those who pass through his morgue, Martin wishes more than ever that he could turn off his talent for communicating with the dead. Unfortunately for him, such things are easier said than done, and when organs begin to disappear from corpses buried in the local cemetery, Martin and Pascha are pulled into their most dangerous case yet.

My Thoughts: This is the third book in this highly entertaining series. I have read the first two books in this series, “Morgue Drawer Four” and “Morgue Drawer Next Door” and those reviews can be found here (first book read in March, 2012) and here (second book read in June, 2012) (where HTML formatting and linking are supported – if you cannot see the formatting or links, please go to my blog, Now is Gone, as that is where this can best be viewed). I have to say that I’ve loved this series so far and am very excited that they continue to translate and release this wonderful stories into the US.

Like previous books in this series, I spent a lot of time whilst reading the book laughing, snorting, and otherwise expressing amusement. Pascha continues to amuse with his attitude, asides, and hilarious voice. His mention of the fact that only posers would spell poser poseur, for instance, had me rolling. As did his attitude toward the temporary displacement of the forensic staff: “And of course it would be kind of a hassle if he realized only after he was back at the office that he’d accidentally stuck someone’s eyeball into his pocket, because then he’d have to get back into his car or take the train over and return the eyeball to its rightful owner.” And his opinion on dramadies: “...definitely dramadies [are out], too. To me, if the writer can’t make up his mind if he’s doing drama or comedy, then he should switch to making paper airplanes until he know what he wants.” Not to mention his descriptions of Philip “Piggy Bank” Forch as “loafering” from place to place – reading it frequently led to gales of laughter.

I can certainly relate to having a boss that is more concerned with how to save a few pennies than in making the work environment a bearable one, and Forch is a particularly egregious bureaucrat.

The main problem in this book is the theft of body parts, and even whole bodies, from the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Cologne, where Martin and his coworkers try to do their job through the obstructive maneuvering of Piggy Bank Forch. A side plot involving Birgit and Martin looking for a new apartment, and Pascha falling in love, keep the pace moving along without bogging down.

I would recommend reading this as a series; while you could read each individual book as a standalone, you get more of the story, more of the personality, and just more by reading it as part of the series. I believe the fourth book in this series is slated to be translated into English and released sometime in 2013, but I don’t know for certain. I do know that I’ll be watching for it, and will definitely be grabbing it first chance I get. If you enjoy your thrillers with a touch of the supernatural and a whole lot of humor, you won’t want to miss these books.