One of my favourite things as a reader is discovering new (to me) authors. Another is when a debut novel is so good it’s hard to believe it’s a debut. I got both with this book.
Corey Curtis doesn’t fluster easily. She’s very good at her job as an Autopsy Services Coordinator at Jackson City Memorial Hospital and spends most of her free time working out and fighting at the local women MMA club. The residents at the hospital have nicknamed her the Valkyrie and it could be worse. Then she meets the new Emergency Department fellow, Thayer Reynolds, and suddenly her brain seems to act on its own. The attraction is obviously mutual and Corey can’t wait to see what will come of it. But when her report on the death of a construction worker shows it might not be as straightforward as the police think, all hell breaks loose.
Everything works: the (light) mystery, the way the budding romance keeps getting derailed, the technical aspects of Corey’s job… I liked both main characters immediately and enjoyed their interactions a lot. The secondary characters are excellent too, and I know I say that often but I’m really looking forward to seeing them all again. Gallows Humor was released last spring and I couldn’t read it at the time, but the sequel, Dirt Nap, will come out in January 2020 (soon!) and I’ll be on the lookout for that one.
Jude in the Stars 