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Full Slab Dead
EM Kaplan, author
When snarky food critic, Josie Tucker, heads to Austin, Texas, to wax philosophical about the local barbecue joints, she stumbles on to a decades' old missing person case. With the help of a local reporter, a Goth ghost hunter, and a Bunco-playing transvestite, she tries to unravel the heart-tugging, hidden history before the whole place goes up in smoke.
Quarter Finalist
Plot/Idea: 9 out of 10
Originality: 9 out of 10
Prose: 10 out of 10
Character/Execution: 10 out of 10
Overall: 9.50 out of 10
Assessment:
Plot: The fourth title in Kaplan's Josie Tucker series is a stylish and gutsy mystery that offers humor, ghosts, and Texas BBQ. Kaplan's story flows seamlessly between eccentric characters and atmospheric Austin haunts.
Prose: Kaplan writes in polished prose with a note of bluesy lyricism, striking a sure-footed balance between humor and poignancy.
Originality: Through smart writing and an excellent command of character development, Kaplan delivers a story that is fresh, surprising, and suspenseful.
Character Development: The author excels at creating a cast of immediately compelling characters that, however amusing or unconventional, never slip into caricatures.
Date Submitted: July 17, 2017
