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The Body in the Hole: Book One of the Undertaker Series
Obnoxious, morally ambiguous protagonist? Check!Murder that needs solving? Check!Bungling amateur detective? Cops with no sense of humor? Yes, this story has it all!It’s Agatha Christie meets Inspector Clouseau in this darkly comedic murder mystery. Pick up a copy and find out who cracks the case first.
407 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 17, 2017
39 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan B. Zeitlin
5 books1 followerJonathan is an experienced federal law enforcement officer who uses his time as a former cop and former prosecutor to write compelling and realistic crime and mystery fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 3, 2021
An amusing cozy read.
April 13, 2020
The Body in the Hole by Jonathan B. Zeitlin
Published: December 2017
Publisher: Indie
Genre: Cozy mystery, humor
Pages: 407
Available: ebook, paperback
Sex: 💗 None, thank God, the visuals would have killed me
Violence: 😧Minimal
Reviewer's Note: I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Author Bio: Jonathan is an experienced federal law enforcement officer who uses his time as a former cop and former prosecutor to write compelling and realistic crime and mystery fiction.
The plot in brief: (no spoilers) Yvgeny is an Undertaker in a small rural Georgia town. He's unusual to say the least. His speech is formal, his clothes Victorian, his hobbies bizarre. Alfred, his deaf and odoriferous grave digger finds a body in an open grave. Yvgeny, who has a distinct lack of respect for law enforcement, removes the body and gives it a Sherlock Holmes inspection before notifying the Sheriff that he is in possession of a headless corpse. The cops return Yvgeny's lack of respect and he takes it upon himself to solve the mystery of the body in the hole.
The Writing: The book is very well written and edited. The fast pace story spiels from the page. It's easy to scare readers, to make them cry, to make them care, but it is damn hard to make them laugh. I mean really laugh, belly laugh, laugh out loud. Zeitlin nails it. His humor has a bite to it, it's not silly slapstick. Zeitlin revels in the absurdity of the human experience.
The Characters: You'd be hard pressed to find a more unappealing cast of characters than the nutters that inhabit this story. From vain unlikable Yvgeny, his overbearing mother, preening police, and a host of misfits and oddballs, the competition is stiff. You might be tempted to dismiss this absurd gang but they work, so stick with them and by the end of the book you'll be a believer.
Overall: Confession: I hated this book for the first 5-10 pages. I thought there was no way I was gonna enjoy it. But I have a three chapter rule for reviews and I pressed on. I'm glad I did. Once I got into the story I found it really, really funny. It's a mixture of Wes Anderson, Monty Python and Mr. Bean. It's snarky and satirical and it is not the least bit politically correct. I loved the zaniness of the plot, the smart-aleck dialogue, the disgusting habits of the characters and their penchant for carnival sideshow vehicles and uniforms. The characters embrace their own personal crazy, like a dog rolling in poo and loving it.
This type of humor is not for everyone. If you recoil in horror at the 'R' word, be warned. If you describe yourself as someone with a 'warped sense of humor', this book might be right up your alley.
I give this book 4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Published: December 2017
Publisher: Indie
Genre: Cozy mystery, humor
Pages: 407
Available: ebook, paperback
Sex: 💗 None, thank God, the visuals would have killed me
Violence: 😧Minimal
Reviewer's Note: I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Author Bio: Jonathan is an experienced federal law enforcement officer who uses his time as a former cop and former prosecutor to write compelling and realistic crime and mystery fiction.
The plot in brief: (no spoilers) Yvgeny is an Undertaker in a small rural Georgia town. He's unusual to say the least. His speech is formal, his clothes Victorian, his hobbies bizarre. Alfred, his deaf and odoriferous grave digger finds a body in an open grave. Yvgeny, who has a distinct lack of respect for law enforcement, removes the body and gives it a Sherlock Holmes inspection before notifying the Sheriff that he is in possession of a headless corpse. The cops return Yvgeny's lack of respect and he takes it upon himself to solve the mystery of the body in the hole.
The Writing: The book is very well written and edited. The fast pace story spiels from the page. It's easy to scare readers, to make them cry, to make them care, but it is damn hard to make them laugh. I mean really laugh, belly laugh, laugh out loud. Zeitlin nails it. His humor has a bite to it, it's not silly slapstick. Zeitlin revels in the absurdity of the human experience.
The Characters: You'd be hard pressed to find a more unappealing cast of characters than the nutters that inhabit this story. From vain unlikable Yvgeny, his overbearing mother, preening police, and a host of misfits and oddballs, the competition is stiff. You might be tempted to dismiss this absurd gang but they work, so stick with them and by the end of the book you'll be a believer.
Overall: Confession: I hated this book for the first 5-10 pages. I thought there was no way I was gonna enjoy it. But I have a three chapter rule for reviews and I pressed on. I'm glad I did. Once I got into the story I found it really, really funny. It's a mixture of Wes Anderson, Monty Python and Mr. Bean. It's snarky and satirical and it is not the least bit politically correct. I loved the zaniness of the plot, the smart-aleck dialogue, the disgusting habits of the characters and their penchant for carnival sideshow vehicles and uniforms. The characters embrace their own personal crazy, like a dog rolling in poo and loving it.
This type of humor is not for everyone. If you recoil in horror at the 'R' word, be warned. If you describe yourself as someone with a 'warped sense of humor', this book might be right up your alley.
I give this book 4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
March 6, 2018
I enjoyed this book very much. It grabbed me from the first page and had plenty of twists and turns to keep me interested throughout the book. I can't wait to read the next book(s) in the series!
December 30, 2018
I loved it! Of course, I wrote it, so what do you expect?
June 30, 2024
At first, I didn’t think I was going to like it, but after the first couple of chapters, I was hooked. I had to know who did it. The characters were well developed and their personality was consistent throughout. I believe mid to older teens would enjoy reading or listening to the book. There may be some cultural references they’d not be familiar with because of their age, but gives them an opportunity to have discussions with older adults. The humor is a little quirky, but still makes you laugh. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the audiobook. Paul L. Coffey on audio is amazing.
May 14, 2019
Twists and turns
Although mystery is not my typical read I was pulled into the story and all the possible suspects. The main character is almost too much to believe until you start to believe and want to know what happens next. I found this book humorous and a fun read. Others will enjoy.
Although mystery is not my typical read I was pulled into the story and all the possible suspects. The main character is almost too much to believe until you start to believe and want to know what happens next. I found this book humorous and a fun read. Others will enjoy.
October 19, 2022
Full disclosure - I was provided an advanced reader’s copy of this book by the authors but have voluntarily provided a review. All opinions are my own.
A delightfully cringy cozy mystery
Somewhere in Middle Georgia a local undertaker is preparing for a funeral. One in a line of many upcoming events, Ygveny wants everything to be perfect to send off his client. But when his gravedigger discovers that there is already a body in the hole that is not Mr. Dunlap he rises to the challenge. Of course, the police are called, but Geny does not want them to stand in the way of business. After handing over select evidence including a headless, handless body he also sets out to attempt to solve what appears to be a murder. But in following his leads, Geny winds up in the most unlikely of places. Even with the cops’ stern warning to not interfere it’s personal for the amateur sleuth as he is determined to crack the case before the local law enforcement.
The Body in The Hole is the first in The Undertaker Series of books by author Jonathan Zeitlin and this was by far one of the more bizarre and entertaining cozy mysteries I have read in a long time. Beginning with Ygveny, the local undertaker who is very into his part, complete with Victorian garb and mannerisms he almost reminded me of a short, benevolent “Tall Man” of Phantasm lore. But that is not where Geny’s eccentricities stop as he is also a Sherlockian and an amateur taxidermist (I mean it makes sense, right?).. and he is completely smitten with Brianna, the granddaughter of one of his long standing “residents”. To me Yvgeny is like the goth guy who is a little weird on the outside but a totally sentimental softie once you get to know him. But Geny isn’t the only eccentric person in his town, in fact, I would wager to say most of the residents are a few screws short of a hardware store, but honestly that is what makes Zeitlin’s story work so well. With every character from the major players to the bit parts larger than life, The Body in the Hole had me howling with laughter one minute and gasping in utter shock and borderline disgust the next. Zeitlin’s brand of crazies is right up my alley, and I loved every second of this book. As of this writing, I have already purchased book two in the series and hope to return to Middle Georgia for more antics from Yvgeny and the rest sooner rather than later.
If you like your mysteries light, but also have dark sense of humor, I would strongly recommend this book.
A delightfully cringy cozy mystery
Somewhere in Middle Georgia a local undertaker is preparing for a funeral. One in a line of many upcoming events, Ygveny wants everything to be perfect to send off his client. But when his gravedigger discovers that there is already a body in the hole that is not Mr. Dunlap he rises to the challenge. Of course, the police are called, but Geny does not want them to stand in the way of business. After handing over select evidence including a headless, handless body he also sets out to attempt to solve what appears to be a murder. But in following his leads, Geny winds up in the most unlikely of places. Even with the cops’ stern warning to not interfere it’s personal for the amateur sleuth as he is determined to crack the case before the local law enforcement.
The Body in The Hole is the first in The Undertaker Series of books by author Jonathan Zeitlin and this was by far one of the more bizarre and entertaining cozy mysteries I have read in a long time. Beginning with Ygveny, the local undertaker who is very into his part, complete with Victorian garb and mannerisms he almost reminded me of a short, benevolent “Tall Man” of Phantasm lore. But that is not where Geny’s eccentricities stop as he is also a Sherlockian and an amateur taxidermist (I mean it makes sense, right?).. and he is completely smitten with Brianna, the granddaughter of one of his long standing “residents”. To me Yvgeny is like the goth guy who is a little weird on the outside but a totally sentimental softie once you get to know him. But Geny isn’t the only eccentric person in his town, in fact, I would wager to say most of the residents are a few screws short of a hardware store, but honestly that is what makes Zeitlin’s story work so well. With every character from the major players to the bit parts larger than life, The Body in the Hole had me howling with laughter one minute and gasping in utter shock and borderline disgust the next. Zeitlin’s brand of crazies is right up my alley, and I loved every second of this book. As of this writing, I have already purchased book two in the series and hope to return to Middle Georgia for more antics from Yvgeny and the rest sooner rather than later.
If you like your mysteries light, but also have dark sense of humor, I would strongly recommend this book.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews