Customer Reviews

First the Dead (Bug Man Series #3)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Tim Downs has been off in the corner, quietly, but not safely, creating one of the best characters in modern suspense. Nick Polchak, the Bug Man, has evolved from the Coke-bottle spectacles and reclusive nature of his first appearance into a more physical creature, using witty sarcasm as a natural defense, and putting his insect-loving ways to good use in the face of danger.

This time around (don't forget to read "Shoofly Pie" and "Chop Shop" right away, if you haven't already), the Bug Man finds himself in the swampy mess of New Orleans in the days before and after Hurricane Katrina. Working with DMORT, as a ragtag extension of FEMA, his job is to recover bodies and rescue the living. He's reminded that the living come first on the list of priorities, but that list is challenged by Polchak's discovery of corpses that seem to predate the natural disaster. Could someone be using the catastrophe to cover crimes from the recent past?

Downs does a fantastic job of giving backstory and personality to his lead character, while never slowing the forward progress of the story. He shows great respect for the citizens of New Orleans and those involved in her rebuilding efforts, while never softening his story. Even as the Bug Man works long hours to get to the truth, he is joined by J.T., a young survivor looking for his father, and by Beth, his psychiatrist friend. There is all kinds of room here for romantic development and emotional release for bottled-up Nick Polchak--and, in fact, I hoped Downs would give us a little more of it. On the other hand, this is what keeps the Bug Man so interesting, infuriating, and addictive. Dealing with the destruction of flood waters and breached levees, Polchak continues to keep his own heart dammed.

Last year, I was blown away by the raw beauty of James Lee Burke's "The Tin Roof Blowdown," another Katrina novel. Downs steps to the plate with his own writing, providing a vastly different look and feel that remains true and respectful as well. Some of my favorite Bug Man scenes ever are in this book (imagine a nighttime swim through a flooded house). Though Nick Polchak may still need a heart transplant, I take comfort in the fact he is in the hands of master novelist Tim Downs.

Where were you on August 29th, 2005? If you're anything like the average American, you probably don't remember. We can barely recite what we ate for breakfast this morning, let alone what happened to us on a specific day years ago. But if you're a Gulf state resident, August 29th is a day you probably never will forget.

That late summer Monday was the day Hurricane Katrina, the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history ($81.2 billion) and the sixth strongest Atlantic hurricane ever recorded, made landfall. Almost two thousand people lost their lives from its effects. But did they all die of natural causes? What if someone took advantage of a storm they knew would wreak havoc to dispose of their murdered victims? First The Dead proposes someone did just that--someone who didn't expect forensic entomologist Nick Polchak to volunteer with the DMORT response team.

Dubbed the "Bugman", Nick made his debut in Tim Downs' first novel Shoofly Pie. Readers grew to love the eccentric character with thick glasses who thought of himself more as an insect than a human, and Downs followed up with Chop Shop, the unofficial Book #2 in the series. He even gave Nick a cameo in his non-Bugman book Plague Maker. In First the Dead the Bugman is back in all his quirky glory. Downs has us immediately loving the guy all over again.

As Nick lends his hand in the rescue efforts it isn't long before he starts recovering dead bodies, much to his superiors' dismay. Their motto is "first the living", and it's very much against orders for Nick to bring the bodies in before the rescues are completed. Surprise, surprise--he does it anyway. After all, as a forensic entomologist it's his job to examine bugs, namely the maggots infesting human remains. Through the larvae of ordinary (and sometimes not so ordinary) flies he can accurately pinpoint a time of death, and often the location of the death. Some of the bodies he finds in Hurricane Katrina's aftermath obviously met their demise from the hurricane. Others cause Nick to speculate foul play. It's something else his superiors' don't want to hear.

The buggish details in this novel are not for the squeamish. Nick is fond of sharing the often grotesque particulars of his profession with his uninitiated acquaintances, and the descriptions could turn the stomachs of some readers. Others (myself included) will find the facts delightfully intriguing because they're disgusting. Who knew a body in water decomposes in six stages and doesn't float until it bloats in the second stage?

The banter between Nick and supporting character Dr. Beth Woodbridge, a psychiatrist who may or may not be attracted to Nick, is the highlight of the First the Dead reading experience. Some of the dead-pan one liners Nick delivers are hilarious. These lighter moments give us a reprieve between the darker scenes featuring the villain. More a suspense than a mystery, you might be able to guess the bad guy early on. But that could've been the way Downs planned it. By knowing, or at least suspecting, you're constantly worried for Nick and his companions.

As in his previous works, Downs has done his homework, and we experience his research on every page. Except for Chapter 4's somewhat dull DMORT briefing (even Nick was bored during the meeting), Downs weaves his facts and figures seamlessly into the narrative. Even that scene was probably intended to give us a glimpse into exactly what goes on during one of these gatherings.

In some ways First the Dead presents a softer and gentler Nick Polchak. Early on he becomes the impromptu guardian of a young boy searching for his missing father, and it's in these exchanges we realize perhaps, just maybe, Nick has a heart after all. The spiritual take-away is limited to Nick's sense of honor and duty (as in the previous Bugman novels), but there's nothing a Christian would find offensive. Violence is kept mostly off-stage, or at least not described for shock value. The goriest moments come from the bugs and clinical examination of bodies, not the murders.

For anyone who didn't realize the utter devastation Hurricane Katrina caused to not only New Orleans but also the surrounding area, First the Dead will be an eye-opener. It could be Tim Downs' strongest book yet. With a setting that hits close to home and loveable characters to root for, it'll keep you rapt.

--Reviewed by C.J. Darlington for TitleTrakk

When you think of a novel that attempts to deal with a sensitive matter such as Hurricane Katrina, you either sink or swim. No other way around it. Either you put it together well, or you leave it alone! Tim Downs chose to take it on, and he pulled it off quite well. Especially concerning our favorite entomologist, Bug Man, Nick Polchak. So, how does he do that? Does he actually make smart-mouth Nick seem human for once? Yeah, you could say that! Ok, we've seen Nick's version of humanity once or twice but...NEVER MIND, JUST READ THE REVIEW AND READ THE BOOK!!

Welcome to the heart of a wet and murky, downright dirty and disgusting, New Orleans. You are in the heart of where the hurricane hit. Nick is part of DMORT Team, which basically means you might find some human remains somewhere along the line. But wait! Did that just say that Nick is part of a team? Yeah, Team Nick Polchak, at your service, and he's doing things HIS way! Yep, there's no "I" in "team," but there is an "I" in Nick. Two big eyes behind a big pair of glasses that seeks to find dead bodies, not the ones who are actually living. Nick smells a rat, a big stinky rat that's been around before Katrina did her stuff. And certain people out there don't want Nick going there, especially with dead bodies. And a certain gorgeous psychiatrist is going out of her way to look out for Nick's best interest, and that's a good thing. Are there unexpected surprises? Oh yeah. Are some of them actually good? You might say that some of these surprises are actually quite special.

Prepare yourself for a great "Bug Man" book, the third one in this crazy, wacked out series. Is there the question that Tim Downs might have overstepped his bounderies? I don't think so. He goes to great lengths to assure us that those involved in the rescue missions of Hurrican Katrina have the utmost respect. Those in authority in that mess deserve some praise for doing all they could.

A great job was done by Tim Downs. I think he'll stay on my list of authors that I really enjoy reading!

Nick Polchak, labeled "Bug Man" by casual acquaintances and "trouble" by those who know him well, ends up in New Orleans to help in the wake of Katrina. Nick's all-time worst nemesis, Beth, is there as well. Beth is a psychologist who has grown to look at Nick like he looks at bugs...with tremendous fascination. Nick finds trouble on day one and continues throughout the book. He also collects fascinating characters including a young boy.

Though the Bug Man series is published by a Christian book publisher there is very little religion or God talk at all. Anyone who loves intriguing story lines, quirky characters and forensics should check into them. Downs has created one of my favorite fictional characters and infuses his stories with fascinating details that make the end come too soon. I'm going to purchase Tim's additional books as well. He's just too good a story teller to pass up anything he's written.

Downs always writes a creative story and his protagonist, Nick Polchak, is a highly amusing and odd character! This particular book also gave me an education about what Katrina rescue operations were like...that alone made for great reading, as I really learned alot of interesting info. Incredible book, don't miss it!

Spoiler Alert!

FIRST THE DEAD by TIM DOWNS is the third book in the bug man series. Nick Polchak is the bug man, a forensic entomologist. He is part of the DMORT, Disaster Mortuary Response Team.

One day DMORT gets a disaster alert, hurricane Katrina is going to hit Louisiana. Usually there primary objective is to gather bodies so that they can identify them and inform there families, but this time they are sent to rescue survivors. Nick has never been very good with authorities and following the rules, so he and his friend Jerry go looking for bodies.

While trying to find bodies they come across a kid with very good eyesight, and they take him along but the kid, J.T., makes Nick promise to help him find his father. Soon J.T. spots something that catches Nick's attention, floating body. He explains to J.T. that if a boy is floating that means that the person has been dead for a long time. Nick sees something else interesting about the body; it looks as if the person was murdered.

When he takes it back to the DMORT base Denny, the leader of the DMORT, he gets in trouble and a warning to stop bringing in bodies. But that doesn't stop Nick. He soon brings in more bodies and Denny calls in the head of the DEA Turlock. Nick gets yet another warning, but is given the permission to tag the bodies instead of taking them. Nick follows that but then he finds another murdered body and instead of bringing them to the DMORT, he puts it in the bottom floor of an "abandoned" hospital. Little did Nick know that the hospital wasn't abandon and the body is soon discovered. Someone is called in and them traces the body back to Nick. Soon Jerry goes missing and so does J.T. Then Nick is almost murdered. Then deny finally has had it with Nick and he is kicked of the team, but he never goes home. With the help of Beth, his ex-girlfriend, he soon finds out who is after him.

This is the best book I have read in a long time. This combines mystery, comedy, thriller, and suspense all in one book. Normally I always read the first book in the series first, but this time I didn't have to. This book explains itself nicely.

Tim Downs delivers yet another fascinating tale filled with mystery, gun toting locals, the raw power of nature, and that charming Bug Man who has no luck in love. It's probably a mite unfair of me to compare this work to some of Downs's other books, yet I feel that some of his other novels have stronger plots. (Chop Shop, Plague Maker) Still, Downs has a gift and wields it well. We could probably read about Polchak visiting a nursing home and get painful stitches in our sides from laughing too hard.

As usual, the plot twists are as believable as they are unforeseeable. Even if you do figure out the book before the last chapter, it's still interesting to see it all come together in a fitting end. The new female lead in Polchak's life drama is a shrink of all things and she holds her own in terms of page space and sheer wit. The kid's interesting too, not Polchak interesting, but he's got some backbone and life to him.

I'd give it 4.5 stars if I could. It's short of perfect, but a worthwhile read and a lovely distraction.

Quirky novelist Tim Downs pens a compelling work of fiction in his third Bug Man novel, FIRST THE DEAD, featuring the unconventional protagonist Nick Polchack.

Downs uses the looming specter of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 as the time and setting for his novel. Anticipating bedlam in Louisiana, the Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team (a real-life organization) has been activated, and Nick, a forensic entomologist and professor, is ready to go and volunteer his assistance. His task, however, turns out to be rescuing the living rather than autopsying the dead.

In true Polchak fashion, Nick rebels and insists on recovering a few dead bodies that appear to be the victims of foul play rather than storm casualties. Immediately he is at odds with his supervisor and, especially, law enforcement officers who seemingly have their own reasons for wanting the bodies to be attributed to drowning rather than to murder. An edgy loner and local police officer out rescuing hurricane victims, shootings and nefarious doings deep in the bayou --- complete with thrashing, hungry alligators --- keep the tension simmering throughout.

The pace is quick and the storyline intriguing. Besides these two important ingredients, Downs does some more intensive character development with Nick in this novel, letting us see deeper into his psyche. One of the strongest interactions is between Nick and a young African-American adolescent refugee, J.T., who cracks Nick's tough exterior and invites him to care in a way he hasn't allowed himself to do in the past. Throughout the book, the author touches on love (and things that keep us from loving fully), racial prejudice, addiction and the single-minded passions that drive some individuals.

Downs carefully parcels out his suspense in the right amounts, offering just enough facts to hold readers' interest but saving some surprises for the very last pages. The romantic tension with his arch-nemesis (and sometime-flame) Elizabeth "Beth" Woodbridge offers lighter notes throughout, as well as additional insights into Nick's character. Those readers looking for strong faith themes won't find them here, although there is a compelling good versus evil theme and redemption in the closing pages.

If you're not familiar with the Bug Man novels, I have one piece of advice: Don't read them while eating. Downs's graphic description of corpses, bloated and maggot-ridden, tends to be forensically interesting but appetite depressing. I found myself skimming a few of the most graphic paragraphs and, at one point, putting away my cheese and crackers.

If you haven't read Downs's earlier novels featuring the intrepid bug man (SHOEFLY PIE and CHOP SHOP), I would recommend doing so before tackling this one. FIRST THE DEAD can be read as a stand-alone, but you'll find it a richer story having familiarized yourself with books one and two.

Downs's novel places readers squarely in the center of a natural disaster while offering ideas about love, ethics and vocation. The interesting forensic information gives this story an edge over other books in the genre, and his plot twists will keep readers engrossed until the last paragraph. Hopefully we'll see another Bug Man novel soon.

--- Reviewed by Cindy Crosby

When reading a novel that's based in real-life I like to learn something along with being entertained. Tim Downs does just that in "First the Dead". He was able to bring the disaster of Hurricane Katrina into the forefront and opened my eyes to things I never thought of before. What about hiding a murder in the wake of the storm and how does one go about catching the perpetrator of the crime? It takes someone like Nick Polchak "The Bug Man" with his unending perseverance to unravel the plot. This is my third Bug Man book and I think the series is excellent. "First the Dead" is the best one so far. Again, as with all the Bug Man books it's not for the squeamish but as the plot unravels it becomes a real page-turner and the uncomfortable aspects of the book take a backseat. The storyline is so unpredictable it'll keep you guessing right to the end.

As for the "Christian" aspect of the novel there's not much there. In principle the story has a good message and there's no offensive language or sex scenes and the line between good and evil is clearly drawn. It does however have some gory scenes that, if it was a movie, I wouldn't watch.

Do yourself a favor and get this book. In fact buy all the Bug Man books. You won't be sorry. Tim Downs has proven himself once again to be one of the best authors of fiction today.

1 Star = Pathetic
2 Stars = Fair
3 Stars = Good
4 Stars = Excellent
5 Stars = Life changing

A really good read. Strange maybe,that a book about the bugs we draw when we die is fun to read. I appreciated that Downs does not use sex or excessive violence to sell his books. My! he does not even use bad language and yet I enjoyed this book very much and having read all of his books they keep getting better. He writes a good story with real life situations but never rubs your nose in an attempt to make the book, "Christian.

john acuff
country lawyer
johnacuff@frontier.net