The Embalmer

A Steve Jobz Thriller, Volume 1

By: Vincent Zandri

Narrated by: Andrew B. Wehrlen

Length: 5 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

You might think that a guy with the name of Steve Jobz would be one lucky man. That he'd be rich and have the world at his fingertips. But instead, Jobz is barely making ends meet at the New York State Department of Unemployment Insurance Fraud. A former cop who was forced to retire early after shooting a young man of color during a convenience store holdup, Jobz has since resigned himself to wasting away his days in a four-by-four cubicle inside an office space that's more boring than watching the paint dry. But when his overbearing boss calls him in on a job that the Albany Police Department is heading up, Jobz has a chance to get out of the office for a while. But what he doesn't realize is that he's about to come face to face with a serial killer who embalms his victims alive. What he is also about to face down, is his own worst nightmare come true when that serial killer turns out not to be a stranger.

©2017 Vincent Zandri (P)2017 Vincent Zandri

Thrilling!!!

The Ebalmer is my first read from Vincent Zandri and I was not dissapointed. This was a great who-done-it told from multiple perspectives. It allowed the reader to understand the thoughts and actions of the characters. Narrator Andrew Wehrlen did a great job bringing the story to life with distinct character voices that were easy to understand and follow. I am looking forward to more from this Author & Narrator!!

A creepy serial killer!

Where does The Embalmer rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. I've read probably thousands and this one is up there in one of my favorite crime books now!

What other book might you compare The Embalmer to and why?

I would compare it to Konraths Jack Daniels series. It has the grit of hardened detectives with the Greyson's addition of a psychopathic and dangerous serial killer.

Which scene was your favorite?

I always love the opening scenes of books, they give a broad statement as to what I will be reading. In this case the witness who found the dead lady while he was jogging in the park was my favorite. The fact that he touched her and was honest enough to consider asking her out on a date not knowing she was dead set the stage for a great book.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The whole book did! Knowing these things like unemployment scans are real. I think the one thing that moved me was when the man came home to his morbidly obese wife. The feelings of sadness and disgust was very real.

The Embalmer is not What He Seems to be

Great narration of an exciting, suspenseful mystery. Steve Jobz works for an insurance fraud company but is drawn into something far more sinister.

unexpectedly delightful!!!

I really enjoyed this thriller! What I wasn't expecting was to laugh so much. I absolutely loved Steve Jobz! Narration was fantastic and really brought this character to life! I can't wait to listen to more in this series!

**I received a complementary copy of this audio in exchange for an honest review**

Enjoyable murder mystery

I enjoyed this story, but had a hard time with the narration, not that it was poor but I believe it was the same narrator for the Chase Baker series and I had trouble separating the two initially. Once it got going though it became it's own entity. A very good mystery, so Steve Jobz (poor guy) bumbles through his job dealing with unemployment/disability claims. As an ex cop he is happy to go through the motions until a detective searches him out to help with a case. Women are being embalmed alive and posed as dolls for discovery. Believing there is a link between the killer and disability claims he has Jobz join the investigation. I enjoy Vincent Zandri and am interested to see where the series goes. I will probably head off to buy the next one to see what kind of shenanigans Jobz gets up to. I received a free review copy of this book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

A Good read

Would you listen to The Embalmer again? Why?

Yes I would - it's entertaining and a good listen.

What other book might you compare The Embalmer to and why?

It's very similar to the "Keeper Marconi" series = also written by Zandri.
It's in a simpler / older style, I always think "gumshoe" style.

What about Andrew B. Wehrlen’s performance did you like?

Good performance, Andrew kept the book moving along , he His style fits Zandri's writing style perfectly.

Any additional comments?

I received a free copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

A book well worth the time to read/listen, good entertainment.

Good story, witty dialogue!

Meet Steve Jobz, no relation, a somewhat down on his luck former N.Y. City policeman who was forced to retire after a politically charged shooting. He now works in a cubicle for the N.Y. State Dept. of Unemployment Insurance Fraud. Jobz, everyone calls him Jobz, gets an opportunity to help out a police detective on a serial murder case. The killer transfuses his still living victims with embalming fluid, and then poses them in casual positions outdoors. The whack-o considers them works of art by bringing the dead back to life. We follow Jobz as he uses his former investigative skills to identify and track down the killer. Kind of reminds me of the Dick Moonlight P.I. series. Pretty good story, witty dialogue with decent characters.

Zandri does it again with an entertaining listen

The Embalmer by Vincent Zandri is a fun, fast paced book. Steve Jobz and his partner are on the case of The Embalmer, a crazed killer that actually embalms his victims while they're still alive, which is terrifying, if you really think about it. There's a lot of fun banter back and forth between Steve and his partner, with a lot of references to the fact that Steve's name is Steve Jobz. Without giving away any spoilers, I'll just say that it's a fun listen!

Andrew Wehrlen did a good job with the narration, as always. I occasionally got confused a bit because I occasionally thought I was still listening to Steve and realized that it was the Embalmer. Their voices were a bit similar. Wehrlan still does a good job with the narration though. He's easy to understand and his cadence is really good and he adds the perfect amount of emotion where needed. I would have no problem listening to his performances again in the future. I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher for an honest review.

Thrilling Procedural with Humor

Steve Jobz...that's Jobz with a "z"...works for the New York Department of Unemployment in the fraud department. An ex-police officer who was kicked off the force for shooting a teen committing a robbery, he is often tormented by his past. Enter, the Embalmer, a mortician murderer who embalms his victims alive and poses them like dolls in natural settings. The local police detective seeks out Jobz to help him use the resources of the unemployment records to find this creepy mortician. With humor, thrills and obsessive love in the mix, Jobz and colleagues seek the killer. When Jobz meets him face to face it becomes a race against time. A thoroughly enjoyable ride!

Andrew Wehrlen did a terrific job narrating the story. Each character was well defined and he captured Jobz dry humor perfectly.

I look forward to future books in this series as well as other series in Zandri's universe.

**I received a free copy of the audiobook in exchange for my own unbiased review.**

An Enjoyable Detective Thriller

4.5 out of 5 stars

The Embalmer is a story about a killer on the loose. The only person who can help catch him has a job at the New York State Department of Unemployment Insurance Fraud. Okay, he also used to be a police officer — but he might be just the guy for the job. And did I mention that his name is Steve Jobz? Don’t bring it up to him though, it’s a touchy subject.

I love a good detective thriller and The Embalmer was just that. There was a lot of action, a lot of great dialogue (especially between Steve and Miller), and a really (really) messed up serial killer.

Did I mention that the killer is messed up? This book is sticking with me. I keep seeing scenes that Zandri wrote out and that Wehrlen described in the audiobook that just won’t let go. That’s a sign of a well-written book.

The Embalmer has a lot going for it, as mentioned above. But as someone who lived through someone who had dementia and Alzheimers — I thought that Zandri’s description of that disease was spot on. It hit a little too close to home for me through some parts.

Jobz himself might be one of my favorite recent characters I’ve read. Especially for detective/thriller novels. He had just the right kind of humor that really made me laugh out loud (literally). It reminded me slightly of old noir titles, especially the ones that didn’t take themselves too seriously.

Overall, I thought that The Embalmer was a great start to a series. A great read that I think people will really enjoy.

Add in the narration by Andrew B Wehrlen and you’ve got gold. Wehrlen gave the perfect narration for this book — allowing Zandri’s words to flow exactly the way I think he wanted them. Wehrlen brought to life the Jobz character and I hope that he will continue to narrate more books in this series.

I received a free copy of this book. It has not affected my review of my opinion.

If you enjoyed this review, please vote for it! Every vote helps. If you'd like to see more books like this please check out BriansBookBlog DOT com.