Shoofly Pie (Bug Man Series #1) [Paperback]

Tim Downs (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2003

Forensic entomologist Nick Polchak (a.k.a. the Bug Man) is hired by thirty-year-old Kathryn Guilford, who is terrified of bugs, to solve her friend's death. When Polchak stumbles into the mystery of how Kathryn's husband was killed years earlier, the action kicks into high gear -- and Polchak finds himself on the run with his client from someone who will do anything to keep a secret.

This fast-paced murder mystery is more than the typical "Christian fiction;"it is good clean fun -- on a thrill ride. Biblical values are implicit rather than explicit, and its fascinating elements provoke thought on a conscience, consequences, and world-views. But mostly, this book is a sizzler of a story that will not let you go.

Editorial Reviews

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: 384 pages
• Publisher: Howard Books; Original edition (July 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582293082
• ISBN-13: 978-1582293080
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #306,496 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

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Polchak: The Bug Stalker, January 10, 2005

By 

C. T. Mikesell (near Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shoofly Pie (Bug Man Series #1) (Paperback)

Shoofly Pie is a very enjoyable book. Set in rural Holcomb County, North Carolina, where Nick Polchak expects to keep himself out of trouble, the novel sets up nothing but for our hero and his client, Kathryn Guilford. With an ever-increasing body count and bugs swarming everywhere, Polchak and Guilford must find a way to expose a killer before they wind up as just so much Shoofly Pie, themselves.

The pacing of the novel is fast and the dialogue is frequently funny yet still believable. The scientific elements are presented convincingly without weighing down the story with technical details - how accurate they are, I don't know, but it all sounds pretty plausible when you're reading along. Downs runs into some trouble keeping his POVs fixed; when telling things from Kathryn's perspective, for instance, he will often use technical insect names or forensic jargon she herself wouldn't know. Sometimes he'll include a description of something down a hallway that the POV character couldn't see. Minor points, but they keep the book from getting a five-star rating.

Very little Christianity gets presented in the book; it's limited primarily to the presence of an elderly preacher who conducts a couple funerals. He's treated sympathetically (an exception from the way a secular book would likely portray him), but he never preaches a sermon of Christ-oriented salvation (an exception from most evangelical novels). The net result is a message that Christians are okay folks, no need to run and hide when they come around. There's little in the book to offend - no sex, no swearing and "on-screen" violence is limited to a couple fistfights - but Downs doesn't go to the Pollyanna extreme, either.

If you're a fan of any of the CSI programs on television, you'll likely enjoy Shoofly Pie. A few scenes carry descriptions as gooshy as the graphic CSI animations, so if those creep you out - or if you're insectophobic - you might want to give this novel a pass. Otherwise, get ready for an experience unlike anything you've had before. Shoofly Pie is well-worth reading.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A New Species in the Christian Market!, October 8, 2003

By 

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

This review is from: Shoofly Pie (Bug Man Series #1) (Paperback)

With a quirky title and an edgy cover, this book snagged my eye. Twenty pages into it, you know that this mystery is far different than anything else in the Christian fiction market...maggots in a cadaver's eyesockets, bugs crawling everywhere, and lead characters that make you squirm and laugh in the same paragraph. Yeah, this book is its own new species.

I loved every minute. I looked forward to each new chapter. The mystery itself is handled well, particularly in its inclusion of entomology (study of bugs...oooh). The main surprises don't come from the mystery, so much as from the characters themselves. These people think and do things that don't always make sense--kind of like real people! You can't help but love (or despise) the people herein. The Bug Man, in particular, is one of the more colorful leads I've come across in a while.

Read this book if you love a twisting, and twisted, tale. Read it if you like imperfect yet likeable characters, with hints of romance on the side. Don't come expecting a spiritual hammer to hit you over the head--there's no preaching here. But if you believe that God works in subtle ways to change people from within, you'll get the point.

Oh. And watch out for the end, it's got quite a bite. Or should I say, sting?

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Can't Wait for the Movie, October 29, 2003

By 

Marajen Denman (Raleigh, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shoofly Pie (Bug Man Series #1) (Paperback)

I would not normally read a book about "bugs" ... but being familiar with Tim Down's communication gifts, I just had to read it. I picked it up to read while I was on vacation this past week-end and once I began, I couldn't put it down ... I even stood at the kitchen counter and read while I was waiting for my bread to toast at breakfast ... lunch ... and dinner. It had that kind of "holding power."

The writing is clever, intelligent, humorous, and suspenseful and the words are so visual that the whole time I was reading I was picturing the book as I would a movie. This would be a great novel to adapt for the Silver Screen. Definitely in the same league with Grisham.

As a result of reading "Shoofly Pie," I am not as freaked out by bees ... not as fond of macaroni and cheese ... and already looking forward to the next "bug man" mystery(smile)!!!