The Undertaker (edition 2011)

There is a fine line between something being so farfetched it is simply ludicrous and something being so farfetched that it’s utterly compelling in a ‘But what if that really were to happen?!’ way. When you have a story that begins with a – noticeably living! – man reading his own obituary, it could go either way. Peter Talbott is aware of the obituary – there’s a reason he was presumed dead and buried. What he doesn’t expect is to be presented with an obituary for his wife, detailing her death in a car accident when he knows that she died from something completely different. When a little research uncovers several similar obituaries all linked by the same funeral parlour/director, Peter Talbott just can’t let it go, even though the consequences could change – or end – his life.

As with many masters of the thriller genre, Brown (no relation!) has taken an unusual and far-reaching premise and twisted it into an adept thriller. Yes, there are elements ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous but instead of being dragged under by these elements, The Undertaker seems to use them to simply propel the story further.

The true mastery of The Undertaker lies in the two central characters, Pete and Sandy. A grieving computer programmer and his quirky sort-of-but not-quite girlfriend may not seem like the most obvious heroes. Indeed Brown writes them up as ordinary characters, thrown into an extraordinary world and yet still managing to remain ordinary and, at times, almost comically banal. They gripe and bicker one minute, yet get caught up in the tension of sexual chemistry the next. It should make you wring your hands and say ‘For goodness sake – your lives are at risk’. Instead, these characters feel very real, very human and are very very fun. This is a thriller – it shouldn’t be full of smiles and quirks – but it is and it works.

If you’re a fan of thrillers, it’s definitely worth giving this one a try. The unexpected smiles and twists of humour are an added – and welcome – bonus. ( )

I was excited to be asked to review an e-book copy of The Undertaker by the author himself, Mr. Bill Brown. I was sold on its genre: mystery, action, and thriller. It was a pretty easy read, and I could have finished it in a few days had I the time to do so. As it were, I was asked to review this book back in August and have only had the time to finish it recently. Yeah, seriously. Blame school.What initially struck me about the book was the narration style. I loved it! The main protagonist, Pete Talbott, comes across as every bit a wisecracking, first-person narrator, complete with the kind of snappy one-liners that one might hear in a film noir voiceover. And Mr. Talbott is no pushover, either. When a mysterious and intimidating stranger shoves a gun into Talbott’s face and shows him his own obituary, Talbott decides to take matters into his own hands, and investigate what seems to be his own funeral.The pace moves along at a nice clip from there. One of the things that I greatly appreciated about Mr. Brown’s writing is that he makes his main character very likable, with the right amount of wits and brains to understand the situation. Instead of sitting back and letting fate have his way with him, Pete uses his brain and tries to fight back. I hate it when characters have no idea what’s going on or how to anticipate the next move of their opponent, even though the next course of action is very clear to the reader. Luckily, Pete has none of that quality, which makes following his journey much more exciting. Not to mention, it gives the reader a sense of vindication and satisfaction every time Pete puts two and two together, or manages to get the jump on the bad guy.I had a few problems with the novel, mainly the development between Pete and the young woman he encounters along the way, Sandy. I don’t know if it was the way we were first introduced to Pete at the start of the book: a man still grieving the loss of his first wife; however, his sudden attraction for her felt quite a bit rushed and left me feeling a bit apathetic about the pairing. The mannerisms and speech of the characters threw me off a bit as well, particularly the use of some outdated phrases that I associate with a crowd older than the protagonist and his sidekick/lover are supposed to be. While the prose was clunky at times and the development between Pete and Sandy a bit rushed, the thriller aspects were superb. I think that if Mr. Brown had developed this further and let the romance take the backburner on this one, I would have enjoyed the story a whole lot more. I gave this book 3.5 stars, but rounded it up to 4 for Goodreads. ( )

The Undertaker by William F. Brown was a fast-paced and thrilling read. I was hooked from the very beginning, when Peter Talbott, a software engineer living in Boston, still grieving from the loss of his wife, is questioned by Gino Parini about an obituary featuring his and his wife's names in an Indiana newspaper.

Pete believes it to be a bizarre misunderstanding but he's angry that his wife's name is mentioned so he decides to ignore advice from Gino Parini to drop it. What does he do next? He heads to Indiana to attend his own funeral to see what he can find out, of course!

I mean, what's not to love in a plot like this? His trip to the Funeral Home was electric, and the book was simply unputdownable at this point. (It was an e-book, so perhaps what I really mean is that I couldn't bring myself to switch the power button off).

The tension and action just keep on building, however in many thrillers, often the main character makes ridiculous choices that make you groan out loud, "no", or "don't do that." I was pleasantly surprised to find this wasn't the case here.

There is a 'girl' in The Undertaker, and a little romance, however don't fret, she isn't a ditzy, blonde bombshell. Author William Brown manages to strike a really good balance between avoiding the usual stereotypes, and also steering clear of the unbelievable sexy Lara Croft style character.

The plot was cleverly layered and always swiftly moving, engaging and entertaining. Thoroughly recommended for all readers who enjoy thrillers, suspense, mystery and crime novels. ( )

William Brown is one of my new favorite suspense thriller authors! Yep. That's right. I am now happy to say that Mr. Brown is among the authors that instantly suck me into a story that takes me on a fast paced, chills and thrills roller coaster ride. And, his characters totally ROCK!

Pete Talbot. Wow. What a character. He just lost his wife and is still getting over the fact she's not there anymore. So, what happens when he's minding his own business, and then all of a sudden, his forced to look at his wife's obit...printed in the CURRENT paper? But, worse....what's he to do when he finds HIS obit next to hers? This plot line, and Pete's character, were both absolutely FANTABULOUS! I can't imagine what I would have done if I had seen MY obit! I'd have passed out, I'm sure.

So, now Pete is on a serious hunt to find out WHY his obit is in the paper, and why someone would dishonor his wife. As he digs deeper to get to the truth, he meets another who's the victim of a phony obit: Sandy Kasmarek. She adds the PERFECT amount of sassy-ness to this already rocking good suspense novel! She's a witty character who Pete can't seem to get away from...even if he tried. She's determined to make him see her as more than just a means to finding the truth! But, will Pete be able to leave his wife's memory behind, and move on to a sassy, witty new woman? And will he find out the truth before he attends his own funeral for real....INSIDE the pinebox?

Watching Pete and Sandy, well, I just knew I wouldn't be able to put this book down. The chases, the mafia, the FBI....all of it made this novel into an un-put-down-able novel that I will be reading again and again. The fact that when I sat down to read it, I had it finished in literally one day, well, that should tell you how rockin' good this greatastic novel is! DEFINITELY a 5 Book worthy thrilling suspense read and I highly suggest you get this for yourself, or any other suspense lover you know! I can't wait to go back and read more of Mr. Brown's work. ( )

William F Brown gets the combination of fast paced action, danger, humour and romance just right in The Undertaker. Peter Talbott finds himself embroiled in a murderous conspiracy when he investigates a suspicious obituary that names he and his late wife as the unfortunate deceased buried in Ohio. What begins as a personal crusade to protect his wife's name spirals into a cat and mouse chase across the country when Peter discovers the shady links between a lawyer, town Sheriff, funeral home and medical clinic. The only way to save his own life is to prove that Tinkerton and his associates, which include the mob, have been murdering and burying citizens under fake names in Columbus. On the run, the way he inadvertently involves Sandy, a victims ex wife, in his escapade and receives a surprising assistance from a gold chain wearing mob assassin. With no real idea whom they can trust, Peter and Sandy can only hope that someone can help before they end up in lonely graves under a strangers tombstone.
The Undertaker is a well plotted thriller that involves political intrigue, organised crime and multiple murders. Almost from the beginning the story races ahead at break neck speed as the protagonists are chased across America by some very determined villains. I really enjoyed the action but what made this so readable for me was the author's sense of humour that he infuses his characters with.
Peter Talbott isn't a traditional action hero - he is a computer geek who has spent the better part of the three years since his wife's death from cancer, empty and alone. His bitterness leads him to take chances when most people would simply cut and run. Despite the physical nature of the novel, it's Peter's smarts more than his brawn that propels him out of the situations he finds himself in. He is a cavalier rather than brave but also quick thinking and resourceful.
Sandy is similar which is why the two make a good pair. Their banter is fun and the chemistry between the two a nice touch. I especially enjoyed that of the leads, Sandy, with a black belt in karate, is the one who was the more physically capable of the two.
The villains are suitably sociopathic - power hungry, corrupt officials and mobsters. The author successfully creates believable motivations and understandable pathos. Brown keeps the tension high by ensuring his characters are never sure who is one what side. I really enjoyed Gino who is both villian and friend.
I only had two minor complaints about the story. The first is the Prologue where the tenses aren't quite right, confusing me momentarily. The second involves Peter's search at the library where a computer whiz doesn't once use a computer for information on what he is looking for. Neither issues were enough to quash my enjoyment of the novel but they stood out to me.
This book is another example of independently published writing that deserves an audience. The Undertaker is an entertaining and exciting action thriller that I really enjoyed. ( )