A fresh take on zombies. No eating of brains occurs in this book. My first impressions of this book were that it was different from most of the urban fantasy books I’ve read. Different, in a good way. Working Stiff is a completely new take on zombies, a far more sinister take than the usual fare. The premise seems straight out of those medical conspiracy thrillers with Big Pharma as the evil bad guys. Paranoid, secretive characters and evil henchmen round out the cast. A large pharmaceutical company inadvertently develops a drug that reanimates corpses. Returne must be administered daily or the person decomposes rapidly. And yes, the drug is really expensive. The book starts off with our heroine Bryn Davis’ first day of work at her new job at a funeral home. Bryn experiences the absolute worst first day of work ever and ends up dead…and revived. Apparently the funeral home was a black market point of sale for the drug. Bryn is put to work to find the source.So begins an exciting, action packed thriller. Bryn works with the James Bond-like Joe Fidelis, husband and father of three and contractor to Patrick McCallister. Patrick is the head of security for Pharmadene, the drug company.It was hard to connect with Bryn. She seemed a little stilted and mechanical. Perhaps it was her recent military exposure in Iraq, I’m not sure. I did enjoy Joe and Patrick as her handlers. Patrick had a rather interesting background that involved a “stately Wayne Manor” complete with an Alfred-like character, Liam. I loved Manny and Pansy and I wish that they had more time in the story.If you are looking for something different for your zombie reading pleasure, try Working Stiff. This is book 1 of the series. The expected publication date of book 2 Two Weeks’ Notice is August 7, 2012. I can’t wait!Review posted on Badass Book ReviewsUpdate May 23, 2012 - Working Stiff is now on the Badass Book Reviews' Best Badass Zombie Books List. Check it out!Update 11/16/12 - For fans of Manny and Pansy, check out [b:Devil's Bargain|15983835|Devil's Bargain (Red Letter Days #1)|Rachel Caine|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347383211s/15983835.jpg|580677] - There's a reason for Manny's paranoia.
