Chop Shop (Bug Man Series #2) [Paperback]

Tim Downs (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2004

Intern forensic pathologist Dr. Riley McKay has noticed irregularities in autopsies at the Allegheny County Coroner's lab. Suspecting foul play, she seeks help from Dr. Nick Polchak, the "bug man" renowned for his ability to solve murders by analyzing the insects on victim's bodies. Nick and Riley uncover a sinister link between the lab's director and PharmaGen, a start-up drug company specializing in genetic research. They also discover that PharmaGen fronts an underground system to procure transplant organs for wealthy clients by finding and murdering matching donors. But PharmaGen learns of their security breach and orders the couple destroyed. While staying a step ahead of PharmaGen assassins, romantic attraction develops between Nick and Riley. But the attraction is complicated by a tragic secret that Riley hides -- a secret closely tied to one member of PharmaGen's operation which propels the novel to its astonishing conclusion.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Romance among the maggots and blowflies? Well, yes, and plenty of hilarity and suspense in this delightful sophomore Bug Man novel from Downs (Shoofly Pie). After physically threatening a college student who falls asleep in his class, entomologist Nick Polchak is put on temporary probation. He meets up with Dr. Riley McKay from the Pennsylvania Allegheny County coroner's office, who is on the trail of something fishy and needs his help analyzing some corpses. A black market in transplant organs has resulted in targeted murders, and PharmaGen's traffic in applied genetic information may be a screen for other dubious dealings. Complicating things is Riley's own well-kept secret about her medical condition. The pacing drags a bit toward the middle, and a contrivance or two move the plot along, but Downs keeps the pages turning with some excellent twists and first-rate humor. He laudably knows how to show rather than tell—a rarity for Christian fiction. Good entomological details add authenticity to the story, and the heavy themes of the pitfalls of a utilitarian approach to ethics and the hazards of judging human value on the basis of social worth are mostly thought provoking instead of preachy. Downs's flair for the unusual—and his notable improvement over his already strong first effort—make him a writer to watch in the faith fiction market.
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About the Author

Tim Downs is a professional speaker and writer and has worked as a nationally syndicated cartoonist for fourteen years. His first book, Finding Common Ground, was awarded the Evangelical Christian Publishing Association's prestigious Gold Medallion Award. He has coauthored two other works of nonfiction with his wife, Joy. Tim and Joy are on the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ and live in Cary, North Carolina, with their three children.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Howard Books; Original edition (July 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582294011
• ISBN-13: 978-1582294018
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #155,795 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Tim Downs is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Indiana University. After graduation in 1976 he created a daily comic strip, Downstown, which was syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate (Doonesbury, Calvin & Hobbes, The Far Side) from 1980 to 1986. His cartooning has appeared in newspapers and magazines worldwide. Tim has written eight novels in the mystery/suspense genre, beginning with Shoofly Pie (2003) and Chop Shop (2004). His third novel, PlagueMaker, was awarded the Christy award as the best CBA mystery/suspense novel of 2006. His fourth novel, Head Game, was released in January of 2007, followed by First the Dead (2008), Less than Dead (2008), Ends of the Earth (2009), and Wonders Never Cease (May 2010). His hobbies include woodworking, design, and writing about himself in the third person. Tim lives in Cary, North Carolina, with his beautiful wife Joy. They have three grown children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Sucks!, August 3, 2004

By 

Eric Wilson "novelist" (Nashville, TN United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Chop Shop (Bug Man Series #2) (Paperback)

Tim Downs has created a fresh, believable character in Nick Polchak. Nick studies bugs. He loves insects. And, with his unusual knowledge, he's able to extract valuable clues from corpses and cow-patties.

Yes, this is some strange stuff. How can you not enjoy such well-done, quirky fiction? The Bug Man, once again, leads us into an urban mystery. This time, a growing corporation gets its hand stuck in the criminal cookie jar. Their altruistic goals become justifications for very naughty organ-harvesting. Although the subject is gruesome, Downs keep a light touch. His characters keep us laughing. Meanwhile, we are faced with serious issues of our modern age.

"Chop Shop" is more than a tale of murder and mayhem, more than a treatise on medical ethics; it is a study in human motivation. Nick's budding romance with Riley clashes with his mother's good intentions and his own disturbed childhood. When the final surprises are brought to light, we're convinced they could happen--even if we wish they didn't.

For those looking for preachy fiction, you've come to the wrong place. The Bug Man gives very faint references to Christianity. On the other hand, the ethics and values here are straight forward and to be admired. This is one of the best mystery series going, bar none. The only problem: we have to wait another year for a third book...and, like one of Polchak's mosquito friends, this sucks!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another winner with more texture than the first..., February 12, 2005

By 

Thomas Duff "Duffbert" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Chop Shop (Bug Man Series #2) (Paperback)

After reading his debut Bug Man novel Shoofly Pie, I knew I had to get ahold of Tim Downs' second (and latest) installment of the Bug Man series - Chop Shop. Once again, Downs pulls off a definite winner, with even more texture than the first.

Dr. Nick Polchak is once again censured from the university for "dissecting" a sleeping student in his class. No matter to him, as it just gives him time to work on his forensic entomology studies... in other words, the effect of bugs on dead bodies. He gets sidetracked when he's approached by Dr. Riley McKay, a budding pathologist in the fellowship study program of a local coroner office. She wants Polchak to offer some opinions on some anomalies she's seeing in the cases of the head pathologist, and she's willing to pay him out of her own pocket to answer the questions. This all leads to the door of a cutting-edge pharmaceutical company looking to manufacture custom genetically tailored medicines. The concept is great, but there appears to be a side business going on involving the black market sale of organ transplants. Polchak and McKay have uncovered a lot of the truth, but they really don't know who to trust to stop it all, or even if they'll survive long enough to get to that point.

Downs' first Polchak novel was very good, but it was really just a vanilla murder mystery. You knew there were some incidents in Polchak's life that had caused him to treat other humans with a fair amount of disdain, but none of that was really revealed. Chop Shop starts to cover some of that ground, as well as introducing some real medical ethics that have varying degrees of right and wrong. You meet Polchak's mother and learn a bit about his childhood that caused his withdrawal. You also see him struggle to come to terms with the affection he feels for McKay and how that can (or should) play out in his life. Polchak now is more than just a quirky intelligent scientist. He's a person with feelings and a history. This bodes well for future installments of the series.

The only bad thing I have to say is this... How much longer do I have to wait for #3???

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bug Man Novel of Great Depth and Insight, May 9, 2010

By 

Gregg Eldred (Avon Lake, OH USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Chop Shop (Bug Man Series #2) (Paperback)

Dr. Nick Polchak is teaching a summer session of General Entomology at North Carolina State University. He is battling for the students' attention as they are battling drowsiness. Unfortunately, one student succumbs to a nap. Nick, quietly gathering the students around the snoozing individual, proceeds to "dissect" the student. The point was made: no sleeping in Dr. Polchak's class. The dean of the department does not see this action in a humorous light and Nick is censured, spending the summer in Pittsburgh where he has the chance to further his research in forensic entomology and perform some community service in a local school.

It is during his outreach program that Nick is discovered by a young pathology fellow, Dr. Riley McKay, who works in the Allegheny County Coroner's Office in Pittsburgh. The coroner, who is her supervising pathologist, is missing some major elements in his exams and reports. Needing a disinterested third party, Dr. McKay turns to Nick and pays him out of her pocket for assistance. As Nick investigates a recent drive-by shooting, he discovers that there is a surgical incision in the victim's back and also the presence of maggots, which indicates a different time of death than reported.

As Riley and Nick continue to investigate, more anomalies appear, which changes their focus from simply unprofessional autopsies to something more sinister. Further, it appears that Nick and Riley are having feelings for each other, which is something for which Nick is not prepared. He relates better to the insect world than to humanity.

As Chop Shop is the second novel in the Bug Man series, author Tim Downs delivers a novel of more refinement. He fleshes out more detail concerning Nick Polchak, his family life and his past. In fact, the readers are treated to the appearance of his Mom, which adds another humorous aspect to the novel while providing details about his childhood and subsequent withdrawal from normal human contact and interaction.

Downs also delves into organ donation, which is currently is in the news as lawmakers are wrestling with the idea of "presumed organ donations," which makes everyone an organ donor unless they opt-out. The ethics and arguments for presumed organ donation are presented in Chop Shop but, I hope, taken to an extreme. It makes for a highly entertaining novel, one that happens to bring current events to another wonderful Bug Man novel.

This is a pivotal novel in the series as Downs continues the adventures of forensic entomologist Nick Polchak but with delivers more detail about the man, provides him with a love interest, which provides insight into Nick's psyche, and centers the action in the hills around Pittsburgh, the Nick's childhood home. Downs also provides enough twists and turns to make this a page turner while enlightening the reader on the inner workings of organ donation. The ending was a complete surprise, although very satisfying.

Chop Shop is a novel not to be missed.

Disclosure:
Obtained from: Library
Payment: Borrowed