The series finale? Nick is getting married! The loner entomologist finally asked Alena to marry him; and with four days to go before the wedding he takes off out of town for his monthly club meeting with other forensic specialists. At the meeting his close friend never shows up who requested him to be there. Nick goes to locate him & finds blowflies swarming in the window at his house and the smell of a dead body. Clashing with the police detective, Nick pursues the investigation into his friend's death that puts him in the cross hairs of a former FBI agent, an old case, and puzzling question on why he isn't heading home for his wedding. Meanwhile, Alena wonders if Nick really wants to get married and if she really wants to marry him. ( )

2. Sinopsis: Faltan días para la boda y Nick está aborreciendo cada minuto de los preparativos. Una solicitud de ayuda de su amigo Pete Boudreau relacionada con un caso que éste está investigando le da la oportunidad que necesita para quitarse de enmedio. Contra la voluntad de Alena, Nick conduce hasta Filadelfia para encontrarse con su amigo pero, cuando llega, descubre que Pete ha sido asesinado y, fiel a su estilo, empieza a seguir el rastro de las pruebas en lugar de regresar a casa. A medida que pasan los días y no recibe noticias de Nick, la preocupación y la inseguridad hacen mella en Alena. ¿Se ha echado Nick atrás? ¿Podría estar huyendo de ella? ¿O le ha pasado algo? Hasta que, cansada de torturarse con preguntas sin respuesta, decide coger el toro por los cuernos y emprende camino hacia Filadelfia acompañada de tres de sus perros dispuesta a averiguar la verdad. Durante todo el resto del libro, Nick busca al asesino mientras Alena busca a Nick.

3. Valoracion: Como los demás, el libro es sumamente entretenido, ágil y divertido. Los diálogos son ingeniosos, el humor es inteligente y los personajes responden a lo que hemos llegado a conocer y a querer. Con la ventaja adicional de que en esta ningún animal muere o resulta herido. Pero la trama no es la mejor. Una broma que implica a varios agentes del FBI, un sheriff, un científico y la policía de Filadelfia, todos ellos haciendo alegre uso de sus credenciales, sus armas oficiales y las celdas de sus comisarias e incurriendo probablemente en varios delitos parece demasiado elaborada para ser creíble. Y, ya que aquí se acaba la serie, hubiera preferido otro final. Entiendo que eso de que hacerle pagar a Nick su desconsiderada actuacion y avergonzar a todos los irresponsables participantes en la payasada de la despedida de soltero es de justicia poética pero deja la historia como inconclusa.

GREAT series. Perfect ending...although I didn't really like it. ( )

Nick of Time by Tim Downs
Thomas Nelson – May 17, 2011
Timdowns.net
Facebook: Yes

Nick is going to be married, Saturday-if he solves the murder of a close and old friend and if he can stay alive that long. And if his fiancé doesn’t kill him first. An old friend contacts Nick and asks for his assistance in a cold case that his friend is very close to solving. Nick takes off to help his friend a week before he’s supposed to get married. In the true fashion of the previous Bug Man adventures, nothing is as it seems.

*For those who have not read Ends of the Earth, I will not reveal the name of Nick’s fiancé.*
Yes, I am completely biased and I only feel that I should I put that out there before I tell you what I think of this book. I love Tim Downs’ books and always find myself completely surprised when reading his books. I love the Bug Man himself, Nick. But more than that just when you think you know him and he won’t surprise, you find out something new about him. There are only a couple of Bug Man novels I haven’t gotten to, and they are sitting on my shelf waiting on my review list to shrink.
But being completely biased, I am not sure if I can truly capture my enthusiasm for this book completely, I am not sure if I can complete convey how fantastically happy this book made me. It took me a minute to get to this book, but when I started I couldn’t put it down. I don’t think it’s even possible to get enough of Nick and his adventures. No matter what they have in common (they always deal with solving some kind of crime) there’s always enough new and good stuff, that you can’t possible get tired of the Bug Man.
I am not a bug person, I don’t like them and to be honest when I see them I am more likely to kill them. But it is grossly fascinating how much information can be gathered from the simple presence (or absence) of a particular species of insects.
This story has it all. A woman who go to the ends of the earth to find out the truth from the man that she loves and even willing to face the fact that he may have changed his mind about the wedding and her. One man who will risk it all for the sake of helping an old friend solve a long forgotten cold case. A best friend who will go to great lengths to show a soon-to-be groom the truth he’s running. Action and mystery to keep you engaged and turning the pages. Finally, an end that you never saw coming.

No Bug Man novel would be the same without the side characters that you have gotten to know better over time. They help add humor and insight into Nick and his fiancé.

Rating: Thoroughly enjoyable read.
Recommendation: You definitely need to add this to your collection if you’re already a Tim Downs fan, and if not, what are you waiting for?

A free copy of this book was given to me in exchange for my honest review. Thanks to Booksneeze.
Always Shine,
Starr K. ( )

Nick Polchak isn’t so much a confirmed bachelor, then one who has been confirmed by his friends that it would take a miracle for him to get married. You see he’s a little peculiar; he doesn’t really like humans as much as he likes bugs. As a forensic entomologist, he is more comfortable watching maggots on a dead body, than planning a wedding with his fiancé, Alena Savard. Fortunately Alena, who trains dogs, some who find cadavers, is a perfect match for him so it looks like marriage maybe in his future. There is one problem, Nick wants to go out of town for a meeting and their wedding is on Saturday.

This laugh out loud, funny, creepy murder mystery is another 5 star winner for Tim Downs. I have read 3 of his books and loved each one. If you are married, or even thinking about it, then read this book, it’s a sarcastic study on the quirks between men and women. To understand Nick Polchak, aka the Bug Man, you may want to read some of the earlier books, but this one can stand alone. If you like the TV program Bones, then you’ll love Tim’s books. I read this through the Amazon Vine program and was thrilled to read a favorite author’s new release. ( )