Book Review: Deadly Undertakings by Gregg Luke

Title: Deadly Undertakings
Author: Gregg Luke
Enjoyment Rating: ***
Whitney Finalist
This book would be rated: PG (violence)

The life expectancy for centenarians is pretty short, so it's not surprising when they die. What is surprising is when they're murdered. So when detective Josh Logan and his girlfriend, Rebekah Smith (the assistant to the state medical examiner), start working a case involving a serial killer going after people with AB blood over the age of 100, they know they've run into a unique situation, one that could end up endangering their own lives.

I've been pretty tough on Gregg Luke's books in the past, but Deadly Undertakings is probably the most interesting and cohesive of his books that I've read. The premise of the story is interesting, and he does a great job capturing Salt Lake City in the book, and of making the medical examiner's office come to life.

However, I feel that the characters in Deadly Undertakings don't feel consistent. Although Rebekah and Josh have been dating for several years, they don't seem like they're really in love. And it's more than just the fact that they both have issues in their past they're trying to work through. She's constantly on him for his food choices and his cleaning and decorating, and it feels like they might not be good for each other. Luke always reveals his villain early on in his novels, and this one felt like a stock baddie. In fact, he reminded me a lot of the bumbling Hal Stewart in Megamind, a poor fool who turns to evil. But the least consistent characters were the second baddie and someone who turned out to be good, both moves felt underdeveloped and came out of the blue to me.

I read the book in less than 24 hours (I'm on a schedule-- trying to read a book every day before we get Eli), and I'm not sure that I would have felt the impetus to push on if I hadn't been on the clock. Nevertheless, it's an interesting read.