Dark Undertakings

By Rebecca Tope

Book Overview

Fifty-five-year-old Jim Lapsford makes an unusually healthy-looking corpse. A life-long devotee of vitamin pills and herbal remedies, it seems almost ironic that he has succumbed to a heart attack. But his GP is convinced that this is the case. Trainee undertaker Drew Slocombe isn't so sure. As an ex-nurse, Drew is convinced that there is enough conflicting medical evidence to merit a coroner's inquest. And then there's Jim's personal life: in addition to a long suffering wife, two sons and a grieving terrier, Jim appears to have left behind a series of scorned mistresses. Even so, Drew may have plenty of suspects but he has no proof. And Jim's cremation is days away...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0749040181
• ISBN13: 9780749040185
• Release Date: May 2012
• Publisher: Allison & Busby
• Length: 510 Pages
• Weight: 0.63 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 4.3" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Clever plotting

Fifty-five-year-old Jim Lapsford was in perfect health. He had not seen a doctor since 1986 until he went last week to see Dr. Lloyd for a bum knee. Now Jim is dead with Dr. Lloyd insisting, without any examination, Jim died from a heart attackOnly an undertake trainee for a month, Drew Slocombe feels something is wrong with the way Dr. Lloyd handles the death, especially someone as healthy as Jim apparently was. Drew begins to wonder if a homicide has occurred. Drew is unable to ignore his hunch because he carries guilt from what happened to a child at his previous job at a hospital. He investigates his feeling that a clever individual killed Jim even knowing it could cost him his latest position.Once readers accept Drew's need to investigate against the policy of his employer and the expert opinion of a doctor, fans will find the story line quite an exciting amateur sleuth tale. Drew is a wonderful caring person and his spouse Karen is an ideal individual to help the audience understand the hero. The plot is clever as Rebecca Tope keeps the embalming fluid to a minimum and the suspense to a maximum in what is a unique undertaking.Harriet Klausner