NetGalley: Funeral Daze by Dorian Box
Publisher: Friction Press
Published: 7/15/2023
Pages: 364
Genre: humor/mystery
Review: netgalley
SUMMER 2000. When down-and-out surfer and former lottery winner Danny Teakwell was framed for a grisly murder, he got help from a family of wacky morticians that included seven-year-old embalming expert Jessica Jewell (Psycho-Tropics ). Five years later, the tables are turned when Jessica shows up, alone and desperate, seeking shelter. Her parents suddenly sold their family funeral home and vanished.
Danny’s not in a good place. Grieving the recent death of his wife, he’s let life crumble. He reluctantly agrees to take the girl in for one night, but the willful twelve-year-old convinces him to join her investigation to find her parents and get back their funeral home. The trail leads into a ghastly criminal enterprise of corpses, caskets, and killers. As the bond between the unlikely pair grows, it becomes unclear who’s saving who and which one is really running the show.
Hilarious and heartwarming mystery and suspense with a walloping conclusion, Dorian Box brings his unique blend of darkness and light to life in this zany joyride through the Sunshine State.
Danny’s not in a good place. Grieving the recent death of his wife, he’s let life crumble. He reluctantly agrees to take the girl in for one night, but the willful twelve-year-old convinces him to join her investigation to find her parents and get back their funeral home. The trail leads into a ghastly criminal enterprise of corpses, caskets, and killers. As the bond between the unlikely pair grows, it becomes unclear who’s saving who and which one is really running the show.
Hilarious and heartwarming mystery and suspense with a walloping conclusion, Dorian Box brings his unique blend of darkness and light to life in this zany joyride through the Sunshine State.
So after reading the blurb, I was intrigued, but it just felt bizarre in a way. Jessica's family owns a funeral home, and when something weird happens, she runs to Danny. Someone she seems to know from before, and with his help, she finds out what really happened to make her family attempt to sell the funeral home that has been in her family for years. Jessica wants answers, and with her strong-willed mind, she will get them, even if it puts her in danger. The relationship between her and Danny seems odd, and I find it weird how she has attached herself to him. It is sorta like she has imprinted on him or something. It seems there is a first book where they know each other, so maybe I need to read book one before this one to understand their relationship. Some of the situations seemed sorta unreal, but it was funny. I never thought about a funeral home involved in crime, which was funny. Not sure it was my favorite book, but it was enjoyable.
DORIAN BOX is the pen name for Andrew McClurg, a former law school professor and the author or coauthor of seven nonfiction books, including an Amazon Editors’ Favorite Book of the Year.
In fiction, he likes to combine dark themes with heart, hope, and humor. His novels have received indie book awards/honors from Publishers Weekly, Writer’s Digest, IndieReader, BestThrillers.com, Feathered Quill, Readers’ Favorite, and the National Indie Excellence Awards.
As an academic, he won numerous awards for both teaching and research and wrote thousands, possibly millions, of scholarly footnotes. He’s been interviewed as a legal expert by National Public Radio, the PBS Newshour, the New York Times, and many other sources.
McClurg (or maybe it was Box) spent the previous decade living out his childhood rockstar fantasies singing and playing in Memphis cover bands.
This story ticks so many boxes (or indeed caskets) I will definitely read it. Love a good character-driven horror story with funny bits - Geraldine Comiskey (Dublin)
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