Morgue Drawer Next Door

Pascha #2

by Jutta Profijt

Life and death are not so black and white at the city morgue in Cologne, Germany. There, Dr. Martin Gänsewein spends his days autopsying dead bodies—and conversing with a ghost named Pascha. They are an odd couple, to be sure: a shy, scrupulous forensic pathologist and a gregarious former car thief whose murder Martin reluctantly helped solve in Morgue Drawer Four.

As the second installment of Jutta Profijt’s popular series opens, a recently convalesced Martin returns to work anxious for a little peace and quiet and hoping that Pascha has finally gone into the light. Not only is the doctor out of luck, but the morgue soon welcomes Marlene, the spirit of a nun killed in the fire that ravaged her medieval convent and home.

Though disappointed that his new sidekick isn’t a leggy blonde, Pascha empathizes with the recently deceased holy sister—and suspects the fire that claimed her life was no accident. The ghosts are determined to uncover the truth, but they can’t do it without Martin’s help. Together with Martin’s girlfriend Birgit, the trio embarks upon a madcap (and frequently hilarious) adventure that will enchant readers from beginning to end.

Genres: Mystery, Paranormal, Crime, Fiction, German Literature, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy

296 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Jutta Profijt is a crime novelist and translator.

Author photo (c)Doris Seffern, used with permission.

Reviews

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Morgue Drawer Next Door (Pascha #2) by Jutta Profijt continues the craziness with the autopsy doctor and the ghost! In this book, Pasha gets Martin involved in finding out what happened when a nun died in a fire at the convent. The reason Pasha knows there was foul play because he can see and talk to the dead nun. This book gets really exciting. The nuns have a secret. Someone is trying to scare the nuns. Martin's boss thinks he is going crazy and there is tons of snarky comments to giggle about from Pasha! Great fun!

[Toralf Saffer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Die Fortsetzung der Kühlfach Reihe

Pascha, der Geist eines Autoknackers, hat es nicht "ins Licht" geschafft und schwirrt weiter auf Erden herum. Nur einer kann ihn hören - der etwas spießige Rechtsmediziner Martin Gänsewein, welcher sich gerade von seinem ersten "Ermittlungseinsatz" mit Pascha erholt. Da ihn dies fast das Leben gekostet hatte, verbringt er jetzt viel Zeit mit technischen Basteleien zur Geisterabwehr. Pascha hat jedoch eine neue Bekannte, den Geist der Nonne Marlene, welche kürzlich bei einem Brand im Kloster starb. Für Pascha ist alles klar - das war ein Anschlag und der muss aufgeklärt werden - ob Martin will oder nicht.
Und so startet das ungleiche Trio, verstärkt durch Martins Freundin Birgit und Freund Gregor von der Kripo, in ein neues Abenteuer.
Wie schon im ersten Teil steckt jede Menge Komik in der Geschichte, allein Paschas Sprache bringt einen immer wieder zum Lachen. Und auch der Fall hat seine Spannung und birgt die ein oder andere Überraschung. Somit gelang es Jutta Profijt wieder ein kurzweiliges und amüsantes Lesevergnügen zu schreiben, welches auch schon die Vorfreude auf den nächsten Teil der Reihe weckt.

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review can also be viewed by clicking this link.

Book Info: Genre: Paranormal Thriller
Reading Level: Adult
Expected publication: book available 7/17/12

My Thoughts: I adored the first book in this series, Morgue Drawer Four (my review for that book can be seen here on my blog Now is Gone.), and was so excited to receive and read this second book in the series (which is slowly being translated and made available in the USA). Like the first book, this one is filled with amusing moments, starting right with the prologue, and continuing through the entire text. How about a quote to give you an idea about Pascha’s delightful “voice” in this book?

The most popular game [in the hospital] is Cholesterol Canasta, where the plague patients, vivisection victims, and ambulant biohazard bags try to one-up each other with their hellish blood panels and urine tests. For a long time, the undisputed winner was a two-hundred-and-fifty-kilo diabetic with renal insufficiency, fatty liver disease, and food poisoning. The only infection he didn’t have was HIV...

By the way, 250 kilos is roughly equivalent to 400 lbs, for those who, like me, are metrically challenged.

Or how about this sterling example of a German poly-word used to describe an espresso maker with all the accoutrements built in? Espressobohnenmühlenmilchschäumerkaffeetassenvorglühvollautomat, to which I say Gesundheit!

Then there this is this amusing comment by Pascha: It was time for her to finally get that all of that sanctimonious drivel is just the opiate of the masses. Ha, even I was educated enough to know that quote. From Gandhi.

Also, Pascha’s constant self-conscious meta-comments about his editor really amused me, since I am, myself, an editor. I really enjoyed Pascha and Sister Marlene’s interactions – the unrepentant car thief and the nun. His explanation as to why stealing cars is good for the economy really cracked me up, as did this little interaction: Marlene’s praise went down like a cold beer after a greasy burger. She could sense this. “You’re not at all as bad as you pretend,” she said. Careful... Now she was talking crap, that much was clear. I needed to change the topic.

The book also dealt with more serious issues, such as that of prostitution and the abuse of, and danger to, the women who provide that service, usually by their procurers. Prostitution is legal in Germany, and Sister Marlene made a point that I think makes a lot of sense:

It is a service that, as a devout Christian, I disapprove of. If I believed that prostitution could be done away with, I would fight for that. But that’s completely implausible.

Her point was put this way: How do prostitutes make their living? From their customer. If there were no customers, there would be no prostitution. There are estimates that up to twenty percent (sic) of the adult male population has made use of sexual services. Sister Marlene is part of an order of nuns that specifically relate themselves to Mary Magdalene, so her ideas and attitude are not quite as surprising as they could be. I think it makes a lot of sense – the fact that prostitution is illegal in the USA is a ridiculous and hypocritical situation; the women who provide these services deserve the same sort of protection under the law as any person that works to provide a service. Also, as Pascha says, As long as women withhold sex as an instrument of power, there will be [prostitutes]. (alternate wording to avoid ToS issues on Amazon when posting this review). I think Sister Marlene said it best:

Prostitution is indispensable in a society like ours. Even useful, because it prevents sexual violence [like rape] against women under certain circumstances. That’s why it’s one-sided and thus completely misguided to ostracize the women but not their customers.

All very good points, and ones that I hope someday will be taken to heart all around the world.

I had a pretty good idea as to “whodunit,” and I was right, but untangling the web was delightful. I particularly enjoyed how Pascha and Sister Marlene messed with the villain in crazy-making style. Beautifully done and very fun.

There are a few more books in this series already published in Germany, from my understanding, and I will definitely be watching for more books about Pascha and Martin from the delightful and entertaining Ms. Profijt. You should be too, if you enjoy forensic mysteries and ghost stories! Highly recommended.

Disclosure: I received a free ARC galley paperback copy of this book from the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review. This review can also be seen on my blog, Now is Gone, part of blogspot.

Synopsis: Life and death are not so black and white at the city morgue in Cologne, Germany. There, Dr. Martin Gänsewein spends his days autopsying dead bodies—and conversing with a ghost named Pascha. They are an odd couple, to be sure: a shy, scrupulous forensic pathologist and a gregarious former car thief whose murder Martin reluctantly helped solve in Morgue Drawer Four .

As the second installment of Jutta Profijt’s popular series opens, a recently convalesced Martin returns to work anxious for a little peace and quiet and hoping that Pascha has finally gone into the light. Not only is the doctor out of luck, but the morgue soon welcomes Marlene, the spirit of a nun killed in the fire that ravaged her medieval convent and home.

Though disappointed that his new sidekick isn’t a leggy blonde, Pascha empathizes with the recently deceased holy sister—and suspects the fire that claimed her life was no accident. The ghosts are determined to uncover the truth, but they can’t do it without Martin’s help. Together with Martin’s girlfriend Birgit, the trio embarks upon a madcap (and frequently hilarious) adventure that will enchant readers from beginning to end.

[Emmalynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun at time crude and had me rolling my eyes because yeah a guy wrote it so the women were sometime caricatures with the obligatory big boobs though at least some had “brains”

[Amy Corwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

After having done a bunch of reviews and reading hundreds of other reviews, I've come to the conclusion that the reading experience is an intensely personal thing. What one person likes, another may loathe. So I try not to let my own subjectivity get too out of hand.

But I really, really loved this book, just like I loved its predecessor. The translator did an absolutely fantastic job and has a dry, sarcastic wit that is hard to resist. It comes across perfectly as Pascha, the dead car thief's own voice.

So, on to the book. This is at once a police procedural along the lines of the old TV series, Quincy, where a medical examiner winds up solving crimes, albeit unwillingly, when pushed along by his friendly neighborhood ghost. I don't typically like ghost stories where the ghost is another, very human, character except for being dead. So I've been nervous about that aspect, but the author pulls it off beautifully. Sorry, I'm rambling. Anyway, Pascha is a car thief who died and returns as a ghost while his body is in the hands of the medical examiner, Martin Gansewein, in the first book. In this book, although Martin, with the help of Pascha, has solved the crime of who killed Pascha, Pascha is still hanging around and when a nun dies in a mysterious fire at a local convent, Pascha finds himself in the company of another ghost, the nun.

This time around, while Pascha again forces Martin to help him solve the murder, Pascha gets to see first-hand the evolution of the dead nun's ghost until she reaches a point where she too can leave behind her mortal coils and go on to the next phase of life. It was interesting to watch Pascha inner turmoil and growing realization and concern about why he's earth-bound and stuck prodding Martin into solving murders.

This is one of those series that either works for you, or doesn't. What surprises me is that so many reviewers have given this book much lower ratings than I would ever give it. I loved the characters, and I particularly loved Pascha. And that's why I prefaced this review the way I did. This book worked for me. A lot of the books I particularly despise get high marks and even perfect marks from other reviewers. This has led me to the conclusion that I have dramatically different views than 99% of the world. I don't find kind and gentle characters to be compelling for me. I find the sarcastic, the slightly mean, the broken, the weird, the stern, the frankly often unlikable characters to be the ones who grab my attention. Not that these characters are like that, but Pascha is sarcastic and perhaps a bit mean at times, but I find that interesting. He held my attention and made me laugh, and he did it while engaged in solving a mystery, so for me, that was just perfect.

I loved this book. That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.
(And I just hope there's another one and that the author pays absolutely no attention to the other reviews because I'm terrified she'll change it to be more "main stream." A kinder, gentler Pascha. If she does, then I'll lose interest and I really don't want to do that.)

[Cathy Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read the first book in this series, Morgue Drawer Four, I wondered just how long this premise would be able to last. After all, pairing the ghost of a poorly educated, outgoing young car thief with a highly educated, introverted and meticulous medical examiner does sound gimmicky. I'm happy to say that the premise is alive and well in this second book. The author keeps her idea fresh by changing it up a little. Martin is pretty much kept in the background, although he is at the heart of a running joke about his ghost-busting inventions. Instead, Martin's girlfriend Birgit has a much bigger part in the action-- and she plays her role well.

Of course, the biggest change is bringing in a nun to pair with the irreverent Pascha. Marlene is such a polar opposite to the young man that it's fun to watch them get used to each other and finally begin to work together. While Martin remains a rather static character, Pascha does not. From being in the presence of people with much stronger morals and much more education than he's used to, readers can see how his language changes, how he thinks things through, and how his natural inclinations for compassion and doing what's right are growing stronger. It seems as though Pascha has to earn his wings before he can step into the light.

One scene in Morgue Drawer Next Door did not work for me. Pascha, Marlene, and Martin's girlfriend Birgit have gone off to try to catch a killer while Martin stays at home to work on an invention. I won't go into detail about the scene, but Martin's behavior just does not ring true to his character.

On the other hand, Pascha and Marlene find themselves in a situation that's familiar to crime fiction readers: they know whom the killer is, but there's no proof and a very real chance that the person will go free. However, these two crime fighters have a few tools unavailable to us mortals, and how they set about to force the murderer to confess is absolutely hilarious.

Jutta Profijt is proving to be a writer who can think outside the box-- and one who can make me laugh out loud as I read her books. I'm definitely looking forward to continuing with this series.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first book in this series so was very pleased to get the chance to read the second book. I was keen to see how the relationship between coroner Martin and ghost Pascha developed. In this book Martin is still recovering from the events in book one and Pascha is feeling bored. Then there is a fire in a convent and a nun, Marlene, is killed, her body is brought to Martin's morgue and Pascha discovers that Marlene's ghost is hanging around. With suspicions that Marlene's death was not an accident Pascha and Martin begin to investigate the fire with the help of Marlene and Martin's girlfriend Birgit. They discover a host of characters, including the other nuns, members of the Allotment Gardeners' Club, the contractor restoring the convent and a rabble rousing politician. As they investigate they discover that they each have secrets, but who would want to kill a nun? This book is a good read and I recommend it, though I would advise reading the first book in the series to get the best from the story.

[Tara · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay, that's enough of this series. Everything about these books--writing, plot, characterization--is so over-simple and pedestrian, it's unbearable. The people are one-dimensional, the whodunit is practically telegraphed from page one, and the language is completely without style. Honestly, if it weren't for the hero's occasional references to late night porn, ladies' knockers, and auto-eroticism, I'd swear this was a reading primer written for schoolkids.

Disappointing, because I really wanted to like these books, and I could almost see how this series might have been a winner.

[Ikarus]

Der erste Teil hat mir eindeutig viel besser gefallen. Der Krimi ist nicht schlecht geschrieben, aber der Hauptcharakter fängt an zu nerven.

[Anna-Lena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicht ganz so famos wie Teil 1, aber trotzdem ein toller Band. :)

[Debra Omiatek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ghost Crime Solver Does it Again

Pascha and Dr Martin solve another crime. Marlene dies in a fire at the Convent and subsequently encounters Pascha. They form an odd relationship but then determine that the fire at the Convent that killed 2 nuns was an arson. Their investigation leads to a number of suspects. Enlisting the aid of Dr Martin and his girlfriend Brigit they ultimately uncover the guilty person. The intriguing part of the story are their ghostly efforts to get the criminal to confess. The plot is good. The characters are developed and catch your attention. Pascha seems to find ways to continue to interact with the world despite his lack of a body. His continued attempts to bond with Dr Martin are endearing and sometimes sad. It's an intriguing and refreshing mystery series with the ghost. I would highly recommend it.

[Sherron L Pace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laughingly I read these murder mysteries

These are the most fun I have had reading in a very long time. They are interesting entertaining and a joy to read.
I would suggest that anyone who likes to read, read this series.

[Gloria-Jean Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love It!

This was so enjoyable. Having lived in Germany; and almost becoming a Nun — and was a Lab Tech in the military. Loved the storyline and the characters. Can’t wait to read the next one. So good I brought the series.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent series, great characters, funny and off the beaten track.

[Shelby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picking up

The addition of new characters and pascha’s evolution made this book better than the previous one. I look forward to more poltergeist activity.

[George Polansky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining. Like the growth of the characters.

[Lois Gaudard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a fun read.

For a light entertaining read, this is the series for you. I am finding myself starting to fall half in love with Sasha, the friendly ghost.

[Robert Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very entertaining got the whole series of the Morgue Drawer books on the third one now a light read with humor some crude language may upset some not me

[Netti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Falls möglich, noch nerviger und alberner als das erste Buch. Das ist eher etwas für Sitcom-Gucker als für Krimi-Leser, finde ich.

[Linda Downey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rather silly but the books always make me laugh.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of internal dialogue of the main character, but still a good read. Very interesting ending.

[Joy]

Better than the first book but not something that blew me away.

[Megan Stonebraker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the second installment

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the premise of this series, but I wish Pascha, the ghost narrator, wasn's such a sexist brat. I'm actually surprised that a female author would make that kind of character the MC.

[Paul Close · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light, cute, and fun, despite the ghosts. Some laugh out loud moments, especially when the ghosts are harassing the villain.

[Cockneylen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable read. I felt it took a little while to get going, but was worth it. Liked it, but not over the moon about it.

[Lisi · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Jutta Profijts Buch „Im Kühlfach nebenan“ treffen wir erneut auf den Geist Pascha, dessen Seele noch immer auf der Erde herumhängt, obwohl er eigentlich schon begraben ist und mittlerweile den Weg in den Himmel oder die Hölle gefunden haben sollte. Pascha bekommt Gesellschaft von Marlene, einer Ordenschwester, die bei einem ungeklärten Klosterbrand ihren Tod gefunden hat und noch nicht in den Himmel aufgestiegen ist. Gemeinsam mit Dr. Martin Gänsewein und dessen Freundin Birgit stürzen sich die beiden Geister in die Ermittlung und versuchen in Erfahrung zu bringen wer den Brand gelegt hat, der 2 Opfer forderte.
Pascha ist wieder da und diesmal bekommt er Unterstützung von Marlene bei den Ermittlungen. Bei der Aufklärung des Falles ist er auch diesmal wieder auf Hilfe von irdischer Seite angewiesen, in diesem Fall von Martin und Birgit. Doch Martin hat ganz andere Sachen im Kopf, er will erstens seine Zeit viel lieber mit Birgit verbringen und zweitens halten ihn die Kollegen ohnehin schon für komplett durchgeknallt. Doch Pascha ist auch diesmal wieder sehr hartnäckig und so stürzen sie sich erneut in die Ermittlungen…
Dieses Buch ist eine gelungene Fortsetzung von „Kühlfach 4“. Besonders gut gefallen hat mir der Wandel den Pascha vollzieht, Marlene bringt ihn dazu seine Lebensweise zu überdenken. Er ist nicht mehr so aufmüpfig wie zu Beginn, kann schon zugeben, dass er nicht immer im Recht ist und gestattet Martin auch ein bisschen mehr Privatsphäre.
Mir hat auch gut das Ansprechen von aktuellen Themen gefallen, wie die Prostitution und die EU-Subventionen, besonders aber die Auseinandersetzung mit dem Glauben und den Pennern auf den Straßen. Die Autorin hat diese Verknüpfungen sehr gut gemeistert.
Marlene und Pascha wachsen einem richtig ans Herz und ich muss persönlich sagen, dass ich sehr traurig war, als dieses Buch aus war. Ich freue mich sehr auf den dritten Teil, da er sicher wieder interessant und lustig wird.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC/Mystery: This book is a German to English translation and book three of the morgue drawer series. After reading Dragon Tattoo, I've been interested in authors from other countries simply because I'm tired of the same ole plots. This is a ghost story, but it is different.
First, I had to look up the name Pascha because it sounds feminine, and in most cases it is. However this Pascha is a male ghost. The only person this ex-car thief can communicate with is the nerdish coroner, Martin. Unlike most talking ghost stories, Martin and Pascha can talk through thoughts. I liked that aspect because there was none of the supposed comedic "communication" that has been done so many times. The author does a good job of balancing what is said, and how, with who "knows" about Martin's spiritual friend.
In the middle of an asbestos move, Martin's boss is replaced by the bean counter that is nicknamed "Piggy Bank". The book is done in the first person of the snappy and rude Pascha. After body parts, and bodies, start to disappear, Martin starts to implode over the investigation.
The first half of the book is slowish at points. Over time, you understand what happened in the first two books. The second half is a lot better. It's a faster pace in which Pascha tries to solve the case.
One good point of reading book three without the other two books: I have a feeling Pascha was even more egotistical and obnoxious in before this book. Yes, his character grows in this one too. However, I can't imagine how Martin was before. He seems a little to static.
The translator did a good job and the writing is done well. I do think that Pascha's gender needed to be explained earlier.

[Pam Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the sequel to Morgue Drawer Four and it continues the story more or less straight away. It introduces another spirit to the partnership of Pascha and Martin and there is a brand new murder/mystery to get stuck into.

It's not quite as in-depth as the first installment, and there were more plot holes and unresolved strands to it, but it is still a massively engaging story. Martin continues to unravel as a consequence of his communicative ability with Pascha, but he amusingly tries to fight back with some electronic wizardry to try and keep him out. Unfortunately, he succeeds at blocking Pascha just at the point where he needs to hear him and it has almost devastating consequences.

As thought provoking books go it's not really that great, but it does throw up some debate points that get you thinking about the bigger picture, which is a good thing as far as I can see. For example, did you know that in Germany prostitution has been legalised? There is a conversation between Pascha and Martin about it, along the lines of "what happens if they all decide to go on strike, or sue the government for work related injuries if they get an STD??". It also throws up the question of just what is a soul or spirit? And what's this "light" that you're supposed to go to when you die??

The story in this one is less about the ghosts than the first one and is more about corruption and greed of the big boys at the expense of a convent.

Good story and a nice light read for the summer. I've pre-ordered the next one and am looking forward to it coming out in a couple of weeks or so.

[I_love_books · Rating 5 out of 5]

... und es geht eben doch - die Fusion Humor meets Krimi ist dank der Autorin Jutta Profijt wieder einmal geglückt:
Pascha is back - naja, er ist immer noch da, sollte ich wohl eher sagen. Nachdem er im Grunde seinem Freund Dr. Martin Gänsewein davor bewahrt hat zu sterben, hätte man annehmen können, dass Pascha endlich den Weg ins Licht findet. Jedoch wird Martin seinen persönlichen "Hausgeist" wohl nicht so schnell los. Und im Buch "Im Kühlfach nebenan" bekommt Pascha urplötzlich geist(l)iche Unterstützung von der kürzlich verstorbenen Ordensschwester Marlene, die - wie man sich sicherlich an zehn Fingern abzählen kann - ermordet wurde. Martin ist kaum wieder fit und arbeitet wieder in der Pathologie und schon soll er einen Mordfall aufklären, der offiziell gar keiner ist.
Es beginnt eine spannende Suche nach der Wahrheit - welche irgendwo zwischen dem Kloster und dem Rotlichtmilieu liegt. Die Dialoge und Charaktere sind immer noch witzig und interessant, deswegen freue ich mich jetzt schon auf den dritten Teil der "Pascha-Reihe".