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Mallory Caine, Zombie-at-Law #1
Pay Me in Flesh
Hungry For Justice-And Brains
Meet Mallory Caine. Attorney at law. Zombie at large. She's not like those "Living Dead" losers you see in the movies. She doesn't slobber, drool, or lurch-she's smart, stylish, and sexy. Sure, she's a zombie and a lawyer but, hey, a girl's got to eat. When Mallory's not in the courtroom, going head to head with her ex-boyfriend, killer-prosecutor Aaron Argula, she's in the seedy streets of Hollywood, hunting brain after brain. That is, until some psycho starts hunting zombie after zombie. . .
The Defense Never Rests-In Peace
The undead are decapitated, a letter "Z" carved in their flesh. Mallory doesn't want to lose her head, but she's worried. Like a lot of lawyers in L.A., she doesn't have a soul-a side effect of being a zombie, not a defense attorney. If Mallory dies before she gets her soul back, she goes straight to hell. No appeals. Objection overruled. If the killer isn't stopped, it's case closed for zombies everywhere. But Mallory is an undying champion of justice. And she won't go down-without a bite. . .
Meet Mallory Caine. Attorney at law. Zombie at large. She's not like those "Living Dead" losers you see in the movies. She doesn't slobber, drool, or lurch-she's smart, stylish, and sexy. Sure, she's a zombie and a lawyer but, hey, a girl's got to eat. When Mallory's not in the courtroom, going head to head with her ex-boyfriend, killer-prosecutor Aaron Argula, she's in the seedy streets of Hollywood, hunting brain after brain. That is, until some psycho starts hunting zombie after zombie. . .
The Defense Never Rests-In Peace
The undead are decapitated, a letter "Z" carved in their flesh. Mallory doesn't want to lose her head, but she's worried. Like a lot of lawyers in L.A., she doesn't have a soul-a side effect of being a zombie, not a defense attorney. If Mallory dies before she gets her soul back, she goes straight to hell. No appeals. Objection overruled. If the killer isn't stopped, it's case closed for zombies everywhere. But Mallory is an undying champion of justice. And she won't go down-without a bite. . .
321 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
13 people are currently reading
274 people want to read
About the author
K. Bennett
4 books5 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Pseudonym of James Scott Bell.
Pseudonym of James Scott Bell.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
November 2, 2011
I know this doesn't sound like Christian fiction, but it is. K. Bennett is a pseudonym for James Scott Bell. The story is about a zombie lawyer defending a vampire in a murder case. It gets weirder.
It was kind of a fun read--Jim Bell has a good sense of humor, and he keeps it clean, which I appreciate. However, I did not appreciate bad theology--demons are not the spirits of evil people after they die--nor did I appreciate the lecture about the second day of Genesis. It's germaine to the story, but it could have been done better. Also, since non-believers will be reading this book, theories about the second day of Genesis should not be presented as Gospel.
Apparently, Jim Bell used a new editor because there were some things that were not up to his usual high standards. Since he has an extremely popular book on fiction writing, I hope that the next books in the series show definite improvement in the editing department.
I will probably read the next book in the series, but if the quality is as disappointing as this one, I won't be reading any more.
It was kind of a fun read--Jim Bell has a good sense of humor, and he keeps it clean, which I appreciate. However, I did not appreciate bad theology--demons are not the spirits of evil people after they die--nor did I appreciate the lecture about the second day of Genesis. It's germaine to the story, but it could have been done better. Also, since non-believers will be reading this book, theories about the second day of Genesis should not be presented as Gospel.
Apparently, Jim Bell used a new editor because there were some things that were not up to his usual high standards. Since he has an extremely popular book on fiction writing, I hope that the next books in the series show definite improvement in the editing department.
I will probably read the next book in the series, but if the quality is as disappointing as this one, I won't be reading any more.
March 5, 2023
This is literally, and not figuratively, the stupidest thing I’ve ever read. But god damn was it fun. The parts where it got hella preachy about God and Christianity were annoying. And how the hell does nobody recognize her with a wig when she is moonlighting as a prostitute to get brains. Her being a high functioning zombie was an interesting twist. The amount of typos though? INSANE for a trad published book. I don’t know if I want to finish the series… I kinda do? Bc it’s so stupid and fun. But I don’t bc it’s super preachy at times.
August 26, 2011
PAY ME IN FLESH: MALLORY CAINE, ZOMBIE AT LAW
By K. Bennett
Pinnacle Fiction (paperback) (also available in e-book)
August 2011
Book Review by Linda S. Brown
With so many witty one-liners, the reader of PAY ME IN FLESH: MALLORY CAINE, ZOMBIE AT LAW might easily be distracted from the storyline while snickering at the jokes. A review could quite easily be comprised simply of some of those snappy jokes. For example, Mallory’s philosophy: "Making people squirm on the witness stand is one of the things I do best. I like to practice it in the outside world, too." But that review would not do the book justice: there is a story here, and it is a well-crafted zombie/vampire/murder mystery. Trying to untangle the story without giving too much away is the tricky part.
Mallory Caine is an attorney in Los Angeles. She is sexy, smart, aggressive – and dead. She is a zombie. She spends her days defending her clients, some of whom deserve it, some not so much; she spends her nights working the streets (no, not that kind of “work,” although she does get to know a lot of streetwalkers), looking for food (zombies don’t just drop into the local grocers for a freshly harvested brain, after all), trying to discover who murdered her, turned her into a zombie – and why. And what is the source of the Voice in her head? What is it trying to tell her?
When the police call her to a familiar address, Mallory discovers they are trying to arrest a friend of hers, Traci Ann. Traci Ann is a prostitute wanted for murder of a cop. As it happens, she is also a vampire. But Traci Ann’s grandmother is determined to prevent the police from taking her out of the house – after all, everyone knows a vamp can’t go out in the daylight.
To further complicate matters, Mallory has a larger number of adversaries than the average attorney: she must do courtroom battle with her very attractive, very attentive ex-boyfriend, prosecutor Aaron Argula. Who knew zombies had sex drives? Mallory certainly has one, and must fight off appetites of varying sorts whenever she encounters Aaron -- which is often, since he’s prosecuting the case of the murdered cop. Mallory must also fight off a mysterious hooded man who trails around after her, wielding a sword, evidently intent upon beheading her. And she seems to be pursued by a large flock of birds, including a particularly menacing owl.
And then there’s the question of Faith... It’s not every day one encounters a zombie seeking answers from God and comfort from priests. It’s probably even less frequent that the afore-mentioned priests turn into screaming demons. And yet this is Mallory’s life. Or death. Or whatever.
But perhaps the most entertaining feature about Mallory is her interview technique when hunting food (i.e. fresh brain). Her first question for her prey is “Where did you go to school?” She figures if she’s going to eat brain, she’d like it to be relatively intelligent. She has her standards: “Drug dealers are not always the best source of brains, but they’re a step up from the users.”
And, of course, because this is a story set in Los Angeles, home of Hollywood with all its glory and grit, there is a fading movie star and her faithful bodyguard, in a big, beautiful mansion on a hill. And because this is a mystery novel, nothing in that castle is as it seems…
So, Mallory Caine, Zombie at Law, has her hands full (not least of which is making sure she takes enough shark cartilage to keep her hands attached to her arms). PAY ME IN FLESH: MALLORY CAINE, ZOMBIE AT LAW is a unique, entertaining beginning to what promises to be a unique, entertaining series. Read it on a plane or bus – you’ll snicker, you’ll laugh, and your neighbor will most likely uneasily squirm away from you…
By K. Bennett
Pinnacle Fiction (paperback) (also available in e-book)
August 2011
Book Review by Linda S. Brown
With so many witty one-liners, the reader of PAY ME IN FLESH: MALLORY CAINE, ZOMBIE AT LAW might easily be distracted from the storyline while snickering at the jokes. A review could quite easily be comprised simply of some of those snappy jokes. For example, Mallory’s philosophy: "Making people squirm on the witness stand is one of the things I do best. I like to practice it in the outside world, too." But that review would not do the book justice: there is a story here, and it is a well-crafted zombie/vampire/murder mystery. Trying to untangle the story without giving too much away is the tricky part.
Mallory Caine is an attorney in Los Angeles. She is sexy, smart, aggressive – and dead. She is a zombie. She spends her days defending her clients, some of whom deserve it, some not so much; she spends her nights working the streets (no, not that kind of “work,” although she does get to know a lot of streetwalkers), looking for food (zombies don’t just drop into the local grocers for a freshly harvested brain, after all), trying to discover who murdered her, turned her into a zombie – and why. And what is the source of the Voice in her head? What is it trying to tell her?
When the police call her to a familiar address, Mallory discovers they are trying to arrest a friend of hers, Traci Ann. Traci Ann is a prostitute wanted for murder of a cop. As it happens, she is also a vampire. But Traci Ann’s grandmother is determined to prevent the police from taking her out of the house – after all, everyone knows a vamp can’t go out in the daylight.
To further complicate matters, Mallory has a larger number of adversaries than the average attorney: she must do courtroom battle with her very attractive, very attentive ex-boyfriend, prosecutor Aaron Argula. Who knew zombies had sex drives? Mallory certainly has one, and must fight off appetites of varying sorts whenever she encounters Aaron -- which is often, since he’s prosecuting the case of the murdered cop. Mallory must also fight off a mysterious hooded man who trails around after her, wielding a sword, evidently intent upon beheading her. And she seems to be pursued by a large flock of birds, including a particularly menacing owl.
And then there’s the question of Faith... It’s not every day one encounters a zombie seeking answers from God and comfort from priests. It’s probably even less frequent that the afore-mentioned priests turn into screaming demons. And yet this is Mallory’s life. Or death. Or whatever.
But perhaps the most entertaining feature about Mallory is her interview technique when hunting food (i.e. fresh brain). Her first question for her prey is “Where did you go to school?” She figures if she’s going to eat brain, she’d like it to be relatively intelligent. She has her standards: “Drug dealers are not always the best source of brains, but they’re a step up from the users.”
And, of course, because this is a story set in Los Angeles, home of Hollywood with all its glory and grit, there is a fading movie star and her faithful bodyguard, in a big, beautiful mansion on a hill. And because this is a mystery novel, nothing in that castle is as it seems…
So, Mallory Caine, Zombie at Law, has her hands full (not least of which is making sure she takes enough shark cartilage to keep her hands attached to her arms). PAY ME IN FLESH: MALLORY CAINE, ZOMBIE AT LAW is a unique, entertaining beginning to what promises to be a unique, entertaining series. Read it on a plane or bus – you’ll snicker, you’ll laugh, and your neighbor will most likely uneasily squirm away from you…
August 1, 2011
This urban fantasy novel, Pay Me In Flesh, brings legal thrillers to a whole new dimension. In novelist K. Bennett’s debut horror novel, defense attorney Mallory Caine must defend a shape-shifting client accused of murdering an LA cop. Witty, hard-fighting Caine—facing off with her handsome hunk of an ex-boyfriend, prosecutor Aaron Argula— seems to be the only person in the entire city of Los Angeles who believes her client is innocent. She must battle unnatural and almost insurmountable odds to save her client while staving off her own unnatural appetites to eat human flesh. Caine lives among the undead, a sexy vampire struggling against the forces of evil and the voices within her own head as she tries to understand how she came to be. Though some might argue with the theological assumptions found in this novel, they cannot argue against a world in which there seems to be a battle between good and evil—in whatever manifestations these forces choose to do battle—as Pay Me In Flesh unfolds.
The grim and the gritty is liberally seasoned with humor as Bennett introduces readers to a parade of hilarious characters. For example, meet Nikolas Papadoukis, the world’s shortest insurance investigator who believes he’s a human barometer and desires to be Cain’s criminal investigator—for money. Or how about Lolita Maria Sofia Consuelo Hidalgo, dubbed LoGo, who owns the Smoke’n Joke business below where Cain rents her law office. Even Caine provides a little humor, as she eyes a judge trying to make sexual advances and ponders what he might taste like, or climbs into her bright-yellow convertible bug, nicknamed Geraldine, to fight LA traffic. Humor is liberally sprinkled to lighten an otherwise very dark story.
Dark forces seem to be gathering above this city of angels where Caine seems to be drawn to fulfill a purpose that even she is not clear about. Demons, devils and the undead mingle with the living in this fast-paced, always shifting novel. Don’t get too comfortable when you start reading because everything you thought about justice, law and order, and crime may change before the last page. Word of warning! Don’t take anything for granted! It could be a deadly mistake.
Bennett has creatively pushed the limits of believability in this novel to the point that many readers will soon become fans—they just won’t be able to resist Bennett’s imaginative mind. I would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys urban fantasy and legal thrillers.
I was provided a free copy of this novel, but this did not sway my opinion. A great story filled with entertaining characters. Enjoy!
The grim and the gritty is liberally seasoned with humor as Bennett introduces readers to a parade of hilarious characters. For example, meet Nikolas Papadoukis, the world’s shortest insurance investigator who believes he’s a human barometer and desires to be Cain’s criminal investigator—for money. Or how about Lolita Maria Sofia Consuelo Hidalgo, dubbed LoGo, who owns the Smoke’n Joke business below where Cain rents her law office. Even Caine provides a little humor, as she eyes a judge trying to make sexual advances and ponders what he might taste like, or climbs into her bright-yellow convertible bug, nicknamed Geraldine, to fight LA traffic. Humor is liberally sprinkled to lighten an otherwise very dark story.
Dark forces seem to be gathering above this city of angels where Caine seems to be drawn to fulfill a purpose that even she is not clear about. Demons, devils and the undead mingle with the living in this fast-paced, always shifting novel. Don’t get too comfortable when you start reading because everything you thought about justice, law and order, and crime may change before the last page. Word of warning! Don’t take anything for granted! It could be a deadly mistake.
Bennett has creatively pushed the limits of believability in this novel to the point that many readers will soon become fans—they just won’t be able to resist Bennett’s imaginative mind. I would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys urban fantasy and legal thrillers.
I was provided a free copy of this novel, but this did not sway my opinion. A great story filled with entertaining characters. Enjoy!
April 5, 2012
3 1/2 Stars
Update: I have since learned that the error-filled ebook that I received, may be just a fluke. This may or may not be the case, as I can not really say for sure. I also have to mention that K. Bennett is actually a pen name for James Scott Bell, who is a very nice man btw. That might also explain why I found the romance subplot rather weak. For those who know me, know that I try to avoid reading male authored books at all cost, because they are usually quite inept with creating good romantic tension. My prejudice of course.
I can't say I recommend this book. The story and pace were decent enough, but I couldn't help but feel as if it was trying way too hard to be clever (Though I could be in just an irritable mood). The humor that it was obviously shooting for was also a miss for me. What truly put the last nail in the coffin were the staggering amount of grammatical mistakes and typos I found in this eBook. I mean it is off the charts staggering. It was such a painful struggle to continue reading this book, that I ended up requesting my first eBook refund from Amazon.
The writing is average to good, which is made up of mostly short and poorly constructed sentences. A few grammatical mistakes usually don't bother me, since I'm really not a stickler, but this eBook is littered with them. It's very distracting when you have to constantly reread sentences because the grammar is so bad that you don't get the meaning the first time through.
In summary, I really wanted like this book, and generally I did. But the inexcusable amount of mistakes kept me from enjoying what was already an interesting story. For those that are dead-set on giving this book a go, I suggest checking out a paper copy, not the eBook.
Beware of the other glowing reviews, as I seem to currently have the only Verified Purchase on Amazon. For those looking for a light & good humored Zombie read, I recommend My Life as A White Trash Zombie.
***
Hungry For Justice - And Brains": Meet Mallory Caine. Attorney at law. Zombie at large. She's not like those "Living Dead" losers you see in the movies. She doesn't slobber, drool, or lurch - she's smart, stylish, and sexy. Sure, she's a zombie and a lawyer but, hey, a girl's got to eat. When Mallory's not in the courtroom, going head to head with her ex-boyfriend, killer-prosecutor Aaron Argula, she's in the seedy streets of Hollywood, hunting brain after brain. That is, until some psycho starts hunting zombie after zombie...
Update: I have since learned that the error-filled ebook that I received, may be just a fluke. This may or may not be the case, as I can not really say for sure. I also have to mention that K. Bennett is actually a pen name for James Scott Bell, who is a very nice man btw. That might also explain why I found the romance subplot rather weak. For those who know me, know that I try to avoid reading male authored books at all cost, because they are usually quite inept with creating good romantic tension. My prejudice of course.
I can't say I recommend this book. The story and pace were decent enough, but I couldn't help but feel as if it was trying way too hard to be clever (Though I could be in just an irritable mood). The humor that it was obviously shooting for was also a miss for me. What truly put the last nail in the coffin were the staggering amount of grammatical mistakes and typos I found in this eBook. I mean it is off the charts staggering. It was such a painful struggle to continue reading this book, that I ended up requesting my first eBook refund from Amazon.
The writing is average to good, which is made up of mostly short and poorly constructed sentences. A few grammatical mistakes usually don't bother me, since I'm really not a stickler, but this eBook is littered with them. It's very distracting when you have to constantly reread sentences because the grammar is so bad that you don't get the meaning the first time through.
In summary, I really wanted like this book, and generally I did. But the inexcusable amount of mistakes kept me from enjoying what was already an interesting story. For those that are dead-set on giving this book a go, I suggest checking out a paper copy, not the eBook.
Beware of the other glowing reviews, as I seem to currently have the only Verified Purchase on Amazon. For those looking for a light & good humored Zombie read, I recommend My Life as A White Trash Zombie.
***
Hungry For Justice - And Brains": Meet Mallory Caine. Attorney at law. Zombie at large. She's not like those "Living Dead" losers you see in the movies. She doesn't slobber, drool, or lurch - she's smart, stylish, and sexy. Sure, she's a zombie and a lawyer but, hey, a girl's got to eat. When Mallory's not in the courtroom, going head to head with her ex-boyfriend, killer-prosecutor Aaron Argula, she's in the seedy streets of Hollywood, hunting brain after brain. That is, until some psycho starts hunting zombie after zombie...
April 18, 2018
Mallory Caine is a lawyer in L.A. and she also happens to be a highly functioning zombie. Not stumbling around randomly eating anyone who gets in her way, but a fully functioning lawyer who happens to eat brains after work to survive.
Mallory takes a case of a young vampire that has been accused of killing a cop, but Mallory knows she is innocent as it was Mallory that ate his brains. Now she has to prove the vampire is innocent without getting herself caught.
This was a fun easy read with some decent characters. Not what I would have expected from a zombie book.
Mallory takes a case of a young vampire that has been accused of killing a cop, but Mallory knows she is innocent as it was Mallory that ate his brains. Now she has to prove the vampire is innocent without getting herself caught.
This was a fun easy read with some decent characters. Not what I would have expected from a zombie book.
August 31, 2013
This book was a lot of fun, a snarky, brave heroine (who happens to be a murderous, brain eating zombie, but she can't help it) struggles to survive as a lawyer in Los Angeles, where some very strange things start happening, many of them centered around her. A nice adventure.
August 22, 2011
Fast-paced, paranormal legal thriller. Lots of fun. Zombie lawyer ends up defending a vampire client. Lots to love in this book!
June 16, 2013
Read it in one day! Loved it: loved the humor, the pace, the subject(s) -- much more than I thought I would. Can't wait to read the other two; gonna gobble them up.
Read
April 27, 2024I'm choosing to only leave a review and not using the star rating system.
Over the past period, I've been experimenting some in books I choose to read. One shift is looking for more books with humor. I don't think I've every chosen to read/watch any zombie books or movies in the past. But I was willing to try a "humorous zombie-lawyer book." The synopsis at Goodreads and Amazon said: "[Mallory's] not like those 'Living Dead' losers you see in the movies. She doesn't slobber, drool, or lurch - she's smart, stylish, and sexy. Sure, she's a zombie and a lawyer but, hey, a girl's got to eat." It didn't say anything about other paranormal elements. However, there turned out to be more of that than I would have liked.
Mallory spends most of her time doing things regular people do. But, since she was made a zombie a year ago, she can only be nourished by human flesh (especially brains.) At night, she pretends to be a sex worker and then eats the man's brains. One night, the man turns out to be both a cop and a serial killer who tries to kill her. Because he's a cop, after eating his brain, she sets his car on fire on a hill in an area with few houses. In coming days, she's hired to defend another woman who has been arrested for killing him. There is fake evidence against the woman, included a supposed witness from the house closest to the hill. The woman charged with the killing turns out to be a vampire. A visit to the house to talk to the "witness" reveals supernatural activity. There's a priest going around the city trying to behead zombies, vampires, demons, etc. with a sword. There are owls that swoop around for evil purposes. There's talk of a million year long conflict between God and Satan... I did find humor in the book, but I don't really want this much supernatural / occult / biblical battle in my reading.
(I was also disappointed that Mallory didn't challenge the false witness over claiming to identify the defendant at such a distance in the dark of night. The witness had described seeing the defendant *before* the car was set on fire, so that wasn't a source of light.)
Over the past period, I've been experimenting some in books I choose to read. One shift is looking for more books with humor. I don't think I've every chosen to read/watch any zombie books or movies in the past. But I was willing to try a "humorous zombie-lawyer book." The synopsis at Goodreads and Amazon said: "[Mallory's] not like those 'Living Dead' losers you see in the movies. She doesn't slobber, drool, or lurch - she's smart, stylish, and sexy. Sure, she's a zombie and a lawyer but, hey, a girl's got to eat." It didn't say anything about other paranormal elements. However, there turned out to be more of that than I would have liked.
Mallory spends most of her time doing things regular people do. But, since she was made a zombie a year ago, she can only be nourished by human flesh (especially brains.) At night, she pretends to be a sex worker and then eats the man's brains. One night, the man turns out to be both a cop and a serial killer who tries to kill her. Because he's a cop, after eating his brain, she sets his car on fire on a hill in an area with few houses. In coming days, she's hired to defend another woman who has been arrested for killing him. There is fake evidence against the woman, included a supposed witness from the house closest to the hill. The woman charged with the killing turns out to be a vampire. A visit to the house to talk to the "witness" reveals supernatural activity. There's a priest going around the city trying to behead zombies, vampires, demons, etc. with a sword. There are owls that swoop around for evil purposes. There's talk of a million year long conflict between God and Satan... I did find humor in the book, but I don't really want this much supernatural / occult / biblical battle in my reading.
(I was also disappointed that Mallory didn't challenge the false witness over claiming to identify the defendant at such a distance in the dark of night. The witness had described seeing the defendant *before* the car was set on fire, so that wasn't a source of light.)
June 3, 2017
Vampires, Zombies and Lawyers! Oh My!
K. Bennett, a/k/a James Scott Bell, has a knack of getting the reader hooked, pulled along and thrown into the mix. He shows this in my book "Pay Me in Flesh."
Mallory Caine, Attorney (and Zombie) at Law, has her hands full. Still trying to figure out who killed her then brought her back from the dead, decides to take on proclaimed vampire Traci Ann Johnson's murder charges. And to top it off, her long lost father appears and is charged in the murder of an undercover police officer. When Mallory gets hungry and upset, she turns into her alter ego, Amanda the prostitute, and goes on the hunt for people with an educated brain.
She goes head-to-head with her ex-boyfriend, Aaron Argula, with Traci's case, but things take an evil turn and twist, and all hell breaks loose...
literally...
Bennett/Bell has a flair of mixing a murder mystery with vampirism and zombism. the plot/story line is beautifully done and holds the reader spellbound. The plot has a subplot which involves Mallory in trying to figure out who was behind her so-called "murder," but she never figures it out. Hopefully Bennett/Bell leaves this open for a sequel.
The characters are enjoyable. Aaron, Mallory, Traci, Etta and others are all well developed and believable. The dialogue between them, especially between Aaron and Mallory, is filled with enough quips and sarcasm, I wonder if Bennett/Bell was in my house before writing this excellent novel.
Now the only question that I need to pose is this: Could the story be just as good if Mallory was NOT a zombie? Could Mallory's character stand up by itself? I believe it could. But would "Pay Me in Flesh" be just as good?
For those that want a quick, summer read, "Pay Me in Flesh" is the book for you.
K. Bennett, a/k/a James Scott Bell, has a knack of getting the reader hooked, pulled along and thrown into the mix. He shows this in my book "Pay Me in Flesh."
Mallory Caine, Attorney (and Zombie) at Law, has her hands full. Still trying to figure out who killed her then brought her back from the dead, decides to take on proclaimed vampire Traci Ann Johnson's murder charges. And to top it off, her long lost father appears and is charged in the murder of an undercover police officer. When Mallory gets hungry and upset, she turns into her alter ego, Amanda the prostitute, and goes on the hunt for people with an educated brain.
She goes head-to-head with her ex-boyfriend, Aaron Argula, with Traci's case, but things take an evil turn and twist, and all hell breaks loose...
literally...
Bennett/Bell has a flair of mixing a murder mystery with vampirism and zombism. the plot/story line is beautifully done and holds the reader spellbound. The plot has a subplot which involves Mallory in trying to figure out who was behind her so-called "murder," but she never figures it out. Hopefully Bennett/Bell leaves this open for a sequel.
The characters are enjoyable. Aaron, Mallory, Traci, Etta and others are all well developed and believable. The dialogue between them, especially between Aaron and Mallory, is filled with enough quips and sarcasm, I wonder if Bennett/Bell was in my house before writing this excellent novel.
Now the only question that I need to pose is this: Could the story be just as good if Mallory was NOT a zombie? Could Mallory's character stand up by itself? I believe it could. But would "Pay Me in Flesh" be just as good?
For those that want a quick, summer read, "Pay Me in Flesh" is the book for you.
October 5, 2018
Hysterical and touching. The poor heroine had no idea why she is a zombie.
Read
February 4, 2020love zombies? love law? this is the book for you! I was captured from the beginning and was very satisfied with the story. Need to read the other book(s) in the series.
April 21, 2013
I've heard a lot of bad jokes about lawyers through the years, especially from lawyers themselves. It's a profession that gets a lot of attention if not always a lot of respect. In all the iterations of the 21st century zombie craze, it seems logical that someone would write a book about a zombie lawyer. Not a lawyer who defends zombies, but who is a zombie herself. Meet Mallory Caine, zombie at law.
Now, in this version of zombies, apparently she doesn't look like a zombie. When we first meet her, she is being held in contempt by a judge. As they discuss the matter in his chambers, he makes a very aggressive pass at her. She shows a lot of restraint, not eating him then and there. She threatens to blow the whistle on him but he tells her everyone will think she made it up. He sends her to lockup to cool off.
She's bailed out by her ex-boyfriend, prosecuting attorney Aaron Argula, who conveniently shows up and wants to get back with her. She would be interested except for this little personality flaw she's develop, namely the taste for human brains. Plus, he dumped her back in the day so things still need to get smoothed out.
Mallory has a crummy office across from a dubious P.I. She defends many a dubious client, some of whom do not pay, especially when she doesn't win the case. But a deal's a deal, and like Shylock, she eventually gets her pound of flesh from the occasional deadbeat client. Mallory's other source of nourishment is dressing up as a hooker and leading men off to their doom in quiet areas of town. One such fellow happens to be an undercover cop. She doesn't know it at the time. In a nice twist, she defends the girl who is accused of killing the cop. That girl is a fellow streetwalker Mallory knows. And, she's a vampire! The prosecuting attorney is of course Aaron, who has nothing special about him aside from his devastating good looks and his super-smart (and probably super-delicious) brains.
The story may seem a bit hectic and have lots of elements thrown in, but that is it's charm. Mallory tells her story in a first-person narration with the kind of patter used by the likes of Sam Spade or Mike Hammer. A lot of humor lightens what could have been a ponderous book. She has moral dilemmas about eating people and troubles with her past (what mysterious thing happened at her birth, how did she become a zombie, and who is trying to pull her strings?) which makes the story interesting and her sympathetic.
The book reads a bit like a pilot of a TV show, setting up lots of ongoing story lines but resolving few of them. The main trial comes to a conclusion but other mysteries are left for sequels. So far, two other books have been written, The Year of Eating Dangerously and I Ate the Sheriff. I'll be reading (and reviewing) these in due course, since I enjoyed this one.
I would give it 3.5 stars if the system let me, but the book is fun enough to round up rather than round down!
Now, in this version of zombies, apparently she doesn't look like a zombie. When we first meet her, she is being held in contempt by a judge. As they discuss the matter in his chambers, he makes a very aggressive pass at her. She shows a lot of restraint, not eating him then and there. She threatens to blow the whistle on him but he tells her everyone will think she made it up. He sends her to lockup to cool off.
She's bailed out by her ex-boyfriend, prosecuting attorney Aaron Argula, who conveniently shows up and wants to get back with her. She would be interested except for this little personality flaw she's develop, namely the taste for human brains. Plus, he dumped her back in the day so things still need to get smoothed out.
Mallory has a crummy office across from a dubious P.I. She defends many a dubious client, some of whom do not pay, especially when she doesn't win the case. But a deal's a deal, and like Shylock, she eventually gets her pound of flesh from the occasional deadbeat client. Mallory's other source of nourishment is dressing up as a hooker and leading men off to their doom in quiet areas of town. One such fellow happens to be an undercover cop. She doesn't know it at the time. In a nice twist, she defends the girl who is accused of killing the cop. That girl is a fellow streetwalker Mallory knows. And, she's a vampire! The prosecuting attorney is of course Aaron, who has nothing special about him aside from his devastating good looks and his super-smart (and probably super-delicious) brains.
The story may seem a bit hectic and have lots of elements thrown in, but that is it's charm. Mallory tells her story in a first-person narration with the kind of patter used by the likes of Sam Spade or Mike Hammer. A lot of humor lightens what could have been a ponderous book. She has moral dilemmas about eating people and troubles with her past (what mysterious thing happened at her birth, how did she become a zombie, and who is trying to pull her strings?) which makes the story interesting and her sympathetic.
The book reads a bit like a pilot of a TV show, setting up lots of ongoing story lines but resolving few of them. The main trial comes to a conclusion but other mysteries are left for sequels. So far, two other books have been written, The Year of Eating Dangerously and I Ate the Sheriff. I'll be reading (and reviewing) these in due course, since I enjoyed this one.
I would give it 3.5 stars if the system let me, but the book is fun enough to round up rather than round down!
June 19, 2012
Mallory Caine is not your typical defense attorney. She’s a zombie with an appetite for justice…and brains. When her client, a vampire prostitute named Traci Ann is charged with the murder of a corrupt police officer, Mallory takes the case without a second thought. Even though few of her clients are innocent, Mallory knows that Traci Ann didn’t kill the cop…because she did. To complicate matters, she has to go head to head in a courtroom battle with a very attractive ex-boyfriend who whets her appetite in more ways than one. Then there’s the mysterious sword-wielding zombie killer intent on beheading her along with the rest of her kind. If Mallory dies before she gets her soul back, she goes straight to hell. But she’s not going down without a bite.
I fully expected to hate this book because, as you all probably know by now, I am not a fan of zombies. But Mallory isn’t your typical zombie. She doesn’t slobber, drool, or lurch – she’s smart, stylish, and sexy. She has standards. Her first question for potential prey is “Where did you go to school?” The way she sees it, if she’s going to eat brain, she’d like it to be relatively intelligent. You can’t help but root for her. After all, she never asked to become a zombie, and she hates having to kill to live.
Though I enjoyed this book immensely, I did have a couple of issues with it. One was the cumbersome plot. Bennett left a number of loose threads that will no doubt, be tied up in the rest of the books in the series. Mallory’s sarcastic voice, while hilarious, interrupts the narrative flow in some places. It was just too much. But my main issue with this book is that I didn’t connect with the protagonist emotionally. Of course, this might be due to the brain-noshing scenes, but I think it’s more than that. I never felt that she was in any danger, not even when the zombie killer trapped her in an alley.
Despite all of this, I could not put this book down. It’s laugh-out-loud funny, and Bennett keeps the pace moving and throws in enough twists and turns to keep you up all night.
Favorite Line/Image:
A young couple was just emerging from a Lexus in the parking lot.
“LAPD!” I said. “I need your car!”
The guy, looking like some South Bay arm candy, laughed. The girl shook her head.
“I know, that never works,” I said. “But watch out for the guy with the sword.”
South Bay looked behind him and screamed. The girl screamed.
The guy with the sword screamed.
I was the only one with the decency not to make a girlie noise.
Bottom Line: An entertaining romp. Highly recommended.
I fully expected to hate this book because, as you all probably know by now, I am not a fan of zombies. But Mallory isn’t your typical zombie. She doesn’t slobber, drool, or lurch – she’s smart, stylish, and sexy. She has standards. Her first question for potential prey is “Where did you go to school?” The way she sees it, if she’s going to eat brain, she’d like it to be relatively intelligent. You can’t help but root for her. After all, she never asked to become a zombie, and she hates having to kill to live.
Though I enjoyed this book immensely, I did have a couple of issues with it. One was the cumbersome plot. Bennett left a number of loose threads that will no doubt, be tied up in the rest of the books in the series. Mallory’s sarcastic voice, while hilarious, interrupts the narrative flow in some places. It was just too much. But my main issue with this book is that I didn’t connect with the protagonist emotionally. Of course, this might be due to the brain-noshing scenes, but I think it’s more than that. I never felt that she was in any danger, not even when the zombie killer trapped her in an alley.
Despite all of this, I could not put this book down. It’s laugh-out-loud funny, and Bennett keeps the pace moving and throws in enough twists and turns to keep you up all night.
Favorite Line/Image:
A young couple was just emerging from a Lexus in the parking lot.
“LAPD!” I said. “I need your car!”
The guy, looking like some South Bay arm candy, laughed. The girl shook her head.
“I know, that never works,” I said. “But watch out for the guy with the sword.”
South Bay looked behind him and screamed. The girl screamed.
The guy with the sword screamed.
I was the only one with the decency not to make a girlie noise.
Bottom Line: An entertaining romp. Highly recommended.
November 16, 2012
L.A Law. Zombie Style.
I've been gaining a larger appreciation of the zombie genre lately. I saw the name of this book and was intrigued. When I read the description I was scratching my head. 'A lawyer by day that goes on the hunt for brains at night? How can THAT work??'
Well it works..and it works well!
Mallory Caine is just your every day lawyer. Defending her clients to the best of her ability, her in court skills rivaled only by her unquenchable hunger for human flesh. Brains in particular. See, Mallory was killed a year ago but that didn't last very long. Now she finds herself in a case where she has to defend an friend of hers who's accused of killing a cop. Oh yeah, the friend claims to be a vampire. But hey, the undead have to stick up for each other right? One other thing, there's a crazed zombie killer with a sword that's trying to lop her head off...and lots of owls too...
Mallory is a fantastic character. She loves her job, loves LA, but she loathes what she's become. Always present is her moral dilemma. She doesn't want to kill to live but she has to. It's not that she's afraid to just call it quits and be over with the nightmare her life has become. She's strong. What she's afraid of is being confined to hades for eternity. She feels that if she dies before she can reclaim her soul from the one who reanimated her that's exactly what's going to happen. Yes, a zombie with a heart.
Even the secondary characters are fantastic, from her ex boyfriend Aaron who happens to be the prosecutor for the case in which Mallory is defense council, to the rat-like Nick, her neighbor and wannnabe private detective.
Part urban fantasy, part courtroom drama, all fun, this book entertains from the get go with laugh out loud dialogue and great character moments. Even though the protagonist is an undead zombie (she takes great steps to look like a living breathing person) Mallory is an entirely human character who loves and dreams and is doing the best with what she's given.
A great balance of humor, action, drama and horror. In a way this book reminds me of Kim Harrison's Hollows series in that supernatural beings are coming to light and won't be ignored..it's light and serious all at the same time. Very interesting and original idea that's executed in great style.
Can't recommend this one highly enough. And as luck would have it the second installment comes out next week. Can't wait!
I've been gaining a larger appreciation of the zombie genre lately. I saw the name of this book and was intrigued. When I read the description I was scratching my head. 'A lawyer by day that goes on the hunt for brains at night? How can THAT work??'
Well it works..and it works well!
Mallory Caine is just your every day lawyer. Defending her clients to the best of her ability, her in court skills rivaled only by her unquenchable hunger for human flesh. Brains in particular. See, Mallory was killed a year ago but that didn't last very long. Now she finds herself in a case where she has to defend an friend of hers who's accused of killing a cop. Oh yeah, the friend claims to be a vampire. But hey, the undead have to stick up for each other right? One other thing, there's a crazed zombie killer with a sword that's trying to lop her head off...and lots of owls too...
Mallory is a fantastic character. She loves her job, loves LA, but she loathes what she's become. Always present is her moral dilemma. She doesn't want to kill to live but she has to. It's not that she's afraid to just call it quits and be over with the nightmare her life has become. She's strong. What she's afraid of is being confined to hades for eternity. She feels that if she dies before she can reclaim her soul from the one who reanimated her that's exactly what's going to happen. Yes, a zombie with a heart.
Even the secondary characters are fantastic, from her ex boyfriend Aaron who happens to be the prosecutor for the case in which Mallory is defense council, to the rat-like Nick, her neighbor and wannnabe private detective.
Part urban fantasy, part courtroom drama, all fun, this book entertains from the get go with laugh out loud dialogue and great character moments. Even though the protagonist is an undead zombie (she takes great steps to look like a living breathing person) Mallory is an entirely human character who loves and dreams and is doing the best with what she's given.
A great balance of humor, action, drama and horror. In a way this book reminds me of Kim Harrison's Hollows series in that supernatural beings are coming to light and won't be ignored..it's light and serious all at the same time. Very interesting and original idea that's executed in great style.
Can't recommend this one highly enough. And as luck would have it the second installment comes out next week. Can't wait!
April 8, 2012
You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2012/04/...
This one surprised me, in a totally good way! I imagined a quick, fun, read, and it was, but there was also some unexpected depth that caught me off guard. Mallory Caine is an L.A. defense attorney, and she’s also a zombie. Not of the shambling kind, though. Turns out, someone shot Mallory, but what should have killed her, didn��t, and she found herself one of the walking dead, forced to eat brains to survive. Mallory does this by posing as street walker Amanda on her feeding nights, and using her trusty hook to procure what she needs to live. Mallory doesn’t take this lightly, though. In fact, she loathes herself every time she does it, and she hopes to find her killer, get her soul back, and hopefully return to one of the living. As an author, I would imagine that getting your audience to love a character that must kill people in such a gruesome manner would be a challenge, but this author is more than up to it!
In this first installment, Mallory must defend a young vampire prostitute accused of killing a cop. Mallory knows without a shadow of a doubt that she didn’t do it, but proving it will be a challenge, especially when the prosecution is her former love, Aaron Argula, who wants Mallory back. It also doesn’t help that someone is killing the area zombies. With swords. And Mallory might be next.
Like I said, this was such a fun read, combining court drama with supernatural hijinks involving vampires, shape shifters, epic battles of good and evil, and of course, zombies. Mallory is smart, sarcastic, and one kick ass lawyer, and I zipped through this one with a quickness. I’m really looking forward to diving into the 2nd book, The Year of Eating Dangerously!
This one surprised me, in a totally good way! I imagined a quick, fun, read, and it was, but there was also some unexpected depth that caught me off guard. Mallory Caine is an L.A. defense attorney, and she’s also a zombie. Not of the shambling kind, though. Turns out, someone shot Mallory, but what should have killed her, didn��t, and she found herself one of the walking dead, forced to eat brains to survive. Mallory does this by posing as street walker Amanda on her feeding nights, and using her trusty hook to procure what she needs to live. Mallory doesn’t take this lightly, though. In fact, she loathes herself every time she does it, and she hopes to find her killer, get her soul back, and hopefully return to one of the living. As an author, I would imagine that getting your audience to love a character that must kill people in such a gruesome manner would be a challenge, but this author is more than up to it!
In this first installment, Mallory must defend a young vampire prostitute accused of killing a cop. Mallory knows without a shadow of a doubt that she didn’t do it, but proving it will be a challenge, especially when the prosecution is her former love, Aaron Argula, who wants Mallory back. It also doesn’t help that someone is killing the area zombies. With swords. And Mallory might be next.
Like I said, this was such a fun read, combining court drama with supernatural hijinks involving vampires, shape shifters, epic battles of good and evil, and of course, zombies. Mallory is smart, sarcastic, and one kick ass lawyer, and I zipped through this one with a quickness. I’m really looking forward to diving into the 2nd book, The Year of Eating Dangerously!
August 2, 2011
Here we have Mallory Caine, attorney at law, who also happens to be a zombie. She’s not your typical rotting, drooling, walking-like-Frankenstein zombie, though—no one seems to know she’s a zombie at all. And her ex-boyfriend is hitting on her, so she must not smell like a zombie.
Her client is accused of murder. But Mallory knows her client—who happens to be a vampire—didn’t do it. So it’s off to court, where Mallory defends a vampire. Meanwhile, she is trying to find out who tried to kill her, who made her a zombie, and whether or not she can get her soul back.
I SO didn’t know what to expect with this book. It was very different. At first I laughed, because it was funny. The voice of this zombie lawyer was great fun. But then she had to eat. And—as I do in all zombie movies—I wanted to look away. *shudder* Because that grosses me out. And it was weird for the hero to be killing people. But I pressed on and came to some hysterical courtroom antics as Mallory takes her case before the judge and has to argue for a fair trial for her vampire client, including only going to court at night, since vampires can’t see the sun.
I got a bit grouchy with the bit about Adam’s “first” wife, because that’s not in any bible I’ve ever read. But neither are zombies, so I stuck with it. And as the mystery started to unfold, and due to the wonderful writing and quirky characters, I was hooked.
This book is weird. It’s not for everyone. But I enjoyed it to the last page. If you love books about lawyers and trials… and if you love zombie stories… you MUST give this book a read. And if you’re not sure—like I wasn’t (because I don’t love zombie stories), try the sample chapter and see what you think. You just might be surprised.
Her client is accused of murder. But Mallory knows her client—who happens to be a vampire—didn’t do it. So it’s off to court, where Mallory defends a vampire. Meanwhile, she is trying to find out who tried to kill her, who made her a zombie, and whether or not she can get her soul back.
I SO didn’t know what to expect with this book. It was very different. At first I laughed, because it was funny. The voice of this zombie lawyer was great fun. But then she had to eat. And—as I do in all zombie movies—I wanted to look away. *shudder* Because that grosses me out. And it was weird for the hero to be killing people. But I pressed on and came to some hysterical courtroom antics as Mallory takes her case before the judge and has to argue for a fair trial for her vampire client, including only going to court at night, since vampires can’t see the sun.
I got a bit grouchy with the bit about Adam’s “first” wife, because that’s not in any bible I’ve ever read. But neither are zombies, so I stuck with it. And as the mystery started to unfold, and due to the wonderful writing and quirky characters, I was hooked.
This book is weird. It’s not for everyone. But I enjoyed it to the last page. If you love books about lawyers and trials… and if you love zombie stories… you MUST give this book a read. And if you’re not sure—like I wasn’t (because I don’t love zombie stories), try the sample chapter and see what you think. You just might be surprised.
November 22, 2015
I'm not even sure where to start with this book. First, K. Bennett is a pen name of James Scott Bell, a lawyer and writer. I always question when writers do this, it confuses me. He's published under K. Bennett and James Scott Bell. Why not stick to one name?
Anyway, this is not supposed to be about the author specifically, but about his book, a paranormal legal thriller. A hybrid book. The legal side of this book I have no offense with, he's a lawyer it reads a bit like a light-hearted John Grisham sometimes.
But the paranormal bit about zombies, just keeps getting weirder.
It starts off with the zombie lawyer, Mallory Caine. We know this going into the book so it's not a shock that there are other zombies hanging around and people who would want them eternally dead. Yes? From there, the rest just turns more and more...well unrealistic. Not that zombies happen in real life, but the beginning of the book makes that kind of play and then towards the middle sort of goes "Nope! Fooled you!"
The ending is abrupt, washes over all the major plot lines, and doesn't really answer any of the big questions proposed at the beginning of the book. I suppose this is a trilogy, and I do like Mallory Caine, but I don't want to be disappointed by another non-ending ending.
Also, the fact that Mallory Caine is so beautiful that two different men pursue her relentlessly even though she's forcefully said no multiple times is a pet peeve of mine. Blechk. That's bordering on stalking/rape culture which I definitely have strong feelings against.
I purchased this book at The Dollar Tree, so I guess I got my money's worth.
Anyway, this is not supposed to be about the author specifically, but about his book, a paranormal legal thriller. A hybrid book. The legal side of this book I have no offense with, he's a lawyer it reads a bit like a light-hearted John Grisham sometimes.
But the paranormal bit about zombies, just keeps getting weirder.
It starts off with the zombie lawyer, Mallory Caine. We know this going into the book so it's not a shock that there are other zombies hanging around and people who would want them eternally dead. Yes? From there, the rest just turns more and more...well unrealistic. Not that zombies happen in real life, but the beginning of the book makes that kind of play and then towards the middle sort of goes "Nope! Fooled you!"
The ending is abrupt, washes over all the major plot lines, and doesn't really answer any of the big questions proposed at the beginning of the book. I suppose this is a trilogy, and I do like Mallory Caine, but I don't want to be disappointed by another non-ending ending.
Also, the fact that Mallory Caine is so beautiful that two different men pursue her relentlessly even though she's forcefully said no multiple times is a pet peeve of mine. Blechk. That's bordering on stalking/rape culture which I definitely have strong feelings against.
I purchased this book at The Dollar Tree, so I guess I got my money's worth.
April 20, 2012
Despite its somewhat masculine title, "Pay Me in Flesh" features a female protagonist, Mallory Caine, who has found herself in an undead predicament...namely her undeath. As a zombie and a legal counsel for a friend framed for murder, Mallory's defense strategy involves bringing the her friend's own vampiric nature into the public eye. In doing so, Mallory finds herself navigating a changing and ever-growing supernatural landscape of gods, demons, an omnipresent Voice in her head that tries to control her, and a corrupt legal system. As in real life, the lines between good and bad are muddy. Aaron, her ex, is a prosecutor who perfectly fulfills Edward Burkes's famous quote: "In order for evil to flourish, all that is required is for good men to do nothing." Mallory herself has to eat human brains to survive. What's a girl to do?
I'm not a big fan of religion in supernatural/fantasy literature. However, the copious religious references and dialogue in "Pay Me in Flesh" never descends into cliche, preachiness, or black and white thinking. K. Bennet leaves his characters plenty of room for strategy and choice, thus mirroring the complexities of real life dilemmas. Mallory Caine is fun, gutsy, and smart. She is perfect for the job as she uses her skills as a trial lawyer in her dealings with the supernatural community...when a punch in the gut or a knee to the balls doesn't work out, that is.
Other characters, notably Nick and Harry, will surprise the reader with a depth beyond their initial appearance.
I'm not a big fan of religion in supernatural/fantasy literature. However, the copious religious references and dialogue in "Pay Me in Flesh" never descends into cliche, preachiness, or black and white thinking. K. Bennet leaves his characters plenty of room for strategy and choice, thus mirroring the complexities of real life dilemmas. Mallory Caine is fun, gutsy, and smart. She is perfect for the job as she uses her skills as a trial lawyer in her dealings with the supernatural community...when a punch in the gut or a knee to the balls doesn't work out, that is.
Other characters, notably Nick and Harry, will surprise the reader with a depth beyond their initial appearance.
September 5, 2014
I LOVE LOVE LOOOOVE THIS SERIES (trilogy) :D It's about a defense lawyer named Mallory Caine, who is killed and then reanimated as a zombie. She's sassy and snarky and has to be a hooker on the side to make ends meet (as in to get her meals...brains). There's demons, ghosts, and so much more! The way one of my friends put it as is "a book where the author crammed every awesome thing into". I read this series a bit oddly, I found the second book at the library so I read it and loved it. Bought the third book, loved it. And finally this past summer I got the ebook of the first book and read it. Also my first ebook novel I've read so yay me! In my opinion, I love the second and third books just a litttttle bit more, but the first book is still really good. The story might be about the supernatural but it is also relate-able. Mallory wanted to find romance, get married, become a mom, and she is upset with herself that this cannot happen anymore (since she wants to eat everyone). She is also very hard on herself about the fact that even though she isn't religious she doesn't want her soul to go to Hell. She basically is at a standstill with God since she wants her soul back and she believes he's not helping her. There is also a voice inside her head that will not go away unless she sings the Hawaii Five O theme song. Pay Me In Flesh opens the readers to the world and the situation that Mallory has to deal with. So naturally there are a bit of descriptions.
**I'll stop here so I don't get ahead of myself and spoil the series... JUST READ IT >< GO DO IT :D
**I'll stop here so I don't get ahead of myself and spoil the series... JUST READ IT >< GO DO IT :D
January 27, 2012
great surprise....
"Hungry For Justice - And Brains": Meet Mallory Caine. Attorney at law. Zombie at large. She's not like those "Living Dead" losers you see in the movies. She doesn't slobber, drool, or lurch - she's smart, stylish, and sexy. Sure, she's a zombie and a lawyer but, hey, a girl's got to eat. When Mallory's not in the courtroom, going head to head with her ex-boyfriend, killer-prosecutor Aaron Argula, she's in the seedy streets of Hollywood, hunting brain after brain. That is, until some psycho starts hunting zombie after zombie..."The Defense Never Rests - In Peace": The undead are decapitated, a letter "Z" carved in their flesh. Mallory doesn't want to lose her head, but she's worried. Like many lawyers in L.A., she doesn't have a soul - a side effect of being a zombie, not a defence attorney. If Mallory dies before she gets her soul back, she goes straight to hell. No appeals. Objection overruled. If the killer isn't stopped, it's case closed for zombies everywhere. But Mallory is an undying champion of justice, and she won't go down - without a bite... (From AMAZON.COM)
..... D didn't know what to expect, but it turned out to be a great quick read.
hopefully just the 1st in a series!
"Hungry For Justice - And Brains": Meet Mallory Caine. Attorney at law. Zombie at large. She's not like those "Living Dead" losers you see in the movies. She doesn't slobber, drool, or lurch - she's smart, stylish, and sexy. Sure, she's a zombie and a lawyer but, hey, a girl's got to eat. When Mallory's not in the courtroom, going head to head with her ex-boyfriend, killer-prosecutor Aaron Argula, she's in the seedy streets of Hollywood, hunting brain after brain. That is, until some psycho starts hunting zombie after zombie..."The Defense Never Rests - In Peace": The undead are decapitated, a letter "Z" carved in their flesh. Mallory doesn't want to lose her head, but she's worried. Like many lawyers in L.A., she doesn't have a soul - a side effect of being a zombie, not a defence attorney. If Mallory dies before she gets her soul back, she goes straight to hell. No appeals. Objection overruled. If the killer isn't stopped, it's case closed for zombies everywhere. But Mallory is an undying champion of justice, and she won't go down - without a bite... (From AMAZON.COM)
..... D didn't know what to expect, but it turned out to be a great quick read.
hopefully just the 1st in a series!
Read
August 24, 2011Fast paced, action packed and snort-out-loud funny…
…probably the funniest adult novel I’ve read—ever!
Mallory Caine, attorney-at-law, woke up in the morgue—as a zombie. Now she just has to keep her skin from falling off, figure out whose mind-controlling voice is in her head, stop the sword-wielding nutjob who has her in his sights, and avoid eternity in hell. Oh, and then there’s the little challenge of procuring an occasional cranium of brain soup. Ivy League educated, please.
Neither Zombie Legal Thriller nor Horror does justice in describing this book. Sure, it’s chock-full of all manner of creatures of the night, centers on crime and corruption, and there are some descriptive passages (though IMO none are gratuitous or… overkill) but it’s the delightfully-unabashed, twisted sense of humor that makes PAY ME IN FLESH a total stand-out and an unputdownable read. Highly recommended.
arc provided by publisher
…probably the funniest adult novel I’ve read—ever!
Mallory Caine, attorney-at-law, woke up in the morgue—as a zombie. Now she just has to keep her skin from falling off, figure out whose mind-controlling voice is in her head, stop the sword-wielding nutjob who has her in his sights, and avoid eternity in hell. Oh, and then there’s the little challenge of procuring an occasional cranium of brain soup. Ivy League educated, please.
Neither Zombie Legal Thriller nor Horror does justice in describing this book. Sure, it’s chock-full of all manner of creatures of the night, centers on crime and corruption, and there are some descriptive passages (though IMO none are gratuitous or… overkill) but it’s the delightfully-unabashed, twisted sense of humor that makes PAY ME IN FLESH a total stand-out and an unputdownable read. Highly recommended.
arc provided by publisher
May 9, 2012
Until I read "Pay Me In Flesh," my only knowledge of zombies was from watching the movie, "Shaun of the Dead" and I laughed through the whole thing.
What I didn't do was laugh through this book. "Pay Me In Flesh" is about a lawyer in Los Angeles who finds, after being shot, that she was brought back from the dead and is now a zombie, or undead. While defending a vampire on a murder charge, she searches for the person who turned her into a zombie.
The end of the book left a lot of unresolved issues, enough that I assume there will be a sequel. The story was very well written, but I would expect no less from this author, who is an excellent writer. I did find a few typos in the text, but not so many that it distracted my reading.
I asked myself if I would read another zombie book and my answer is maybe. If there is a sequel, I will likely read it, but I doubt I would add another zombie book to my library.
What I didn't do was laugh through this book. "Pay Me In Flesh" is about a lawyer in Los Angeles who finds, after being shot, that she was brought back from the dead and is now a zombie, or undead. While defending a vampire on a murder charge, she searches for the person who turned her into a zombie.
The end of the book left a lot of unresolved issues, enough that I assume there will be a sequel. The story was very well written, but I would expect no less from this author, who is an excellent writer. I did find a few typos in the text, but not so many that it distracted my reading.
I asked myself if I would read another zombie book and my answer is maybe. If there is a sequel, I will likely read it, but I doubt I would add another zombie book to my library.
August 13, 2011
Reminded me a lot of early David E Kelley, back when he did less proselytising and more snappy banter to build characters. I'm not giving anything away by saying there's a lot more to this than just a zombie lawyer: there's more zombies, vampires, potential werewolves and a hint of higher powers using our world like a giant chessboard. Had a very noir sense to the writing, very terse, very quick-paced. There was plenty of room for schmaltz and drippy romance but Bennett thankfully avoided that except to establish boundaries for the protagonists. The main character becomes quite philosophical at times, and I should warn that general theology is brought into question as a major plot thread. I had no problem with either plot thread and actually found it quite refreshing.
I cannot wait for the next installment.
I cannot wait for the next installment.
July 19, 2012
This book ended up not being what I expected, which didn't turn out badly, just not what I expected. OK, so it is about a zombie lawyer, and the description makes it sound almost like a spoof. I know, who would ever think that a zombie lawyer book would be anything but excruciatingly earnest, right? In any case, as I started reading I found the book to be darker and more serious than I had expected. There were certainly moments of levity, but even those seemed to have a bit of an edge to them. The author has managed to take what is, at face value, a preposterous premise, and has written a very good book. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in The Year of Eating Dangerously.
August 24, 2013
AN EXCELLENT BOOK I MUST SAY!!!
MALLORY CAINE IS AN ATTORNEY-AT-LAW WHO FINDS HERSELF REPRESENTING A YOUNG FEMALE VAMPIRE IN A MURDER TRIAL. BUT, THAT IS NOT THE BEST PART!!! A YEAR AGO, MALLORY CAINE WAS MURDERED & BROUGHT BACK FROM THE DEAD!!! YOU GUESSED IT FOLKS!!! MALLORY CAINE IS A ZOMBIE!!!
NOT ONLY IS SHE TRYING TO PROVE THAT THIS YOUNG VAMPIRE DID NOT COMMIT MURDER, BUT MALLORY ALSO IS TRYING TO KEEP HERSELF & OTHER ZOMBIES ALIKE ALIVE! WELL SORT OF ALIVE, WELL OKAY MAYBE UN-DEAD ALIVE? ANYWAY MALLORY MUST FIND OUT WHO "OWNS" HER SOUL SO TO SPEAK, BEFORE SHE CAN REALLY DIE. OTHERWISE, HER SOUL GOES TO HELL. SO, FIGHTING OFF EVIL, PLUS KEEPING INNOCENT PEOPLE SAFE SURE MAKES A ZOMBIE MIGHTY HUNGRY!!!
A FUN, CLEAN & A MUST READ BOOK FOR ANYONE!!! "PAY ME IN FLESH" BY K. BENNETT THE 1st OF THE "MALLORY CAINE, ZOMBIE AT LAW" SERIES
MALLORY CAINE IS AN ATTORNEY-AT-LAW WHO FINDS HERSELF REPRESENTING A YOUNG FEMALE VAMPIRE IN A MURDER TRIAL. BUT, THAT IS NOT THE BEST PART!!! A YEAR AGO, MALLORY CAINE WAS MURDERED & BROUGHT BACK FROM THE DEAD!!! YOU GUESSED IT FOLKS!!! MALLORY CAINE IS A ZOMBIE!!!
NOT ONLY IS SHE TRYING TO PROVE THAT THIS YOUNG VAMPIRE DID NOT COMMIT MURDER, BUT MALLORY ALSO IS TRYING TO KEEP HERSELF & OTHER ZOMBIES ALIKE ALIVE! WELL SORT OF ALIVE, WELL OKAY MAYBE UN-DEAD ALIVE? ANYWAY MALLORY MUST FIND OUT WHO "OWNS" HER SOUL SO TO SPEAK, BEFORE SHE CAN REALLY DIE. OTHERWISE, HER SOUL GOES TO HELL. SO, FIGHTING OFF EVIL, PLUS KEEPING INNOCENT PEOPLE SAFE SURE MAKES A ZOMBIE MIGHTY HUNGRY!!!
A FUN, CLEAN & A MUST READ BOOK FOR ANYONE!!! "PAY ME IN FLESH" BY K. BENNETT THE 1st OF THE "MALLORY CAINE, ZOMBIE AT LAW" SERIES
July 3, 2012
3.5 stars. This started out so well. Mallory is a criminal defense attorney and a zombie, which is a very funny premise. Being a zombie hasn't cut into her social life or her professional life much. She just needs to kill people and eat the brains, of course. From this great start, it slipped at lot by the end, with relationship and family complications that seemed to bog the story down and be setting up a series and taking it all too seriously. It seemed like Bennett began a kind of satirical send-up of lawyers and zombies and all that, and maybe then got drawn into the idea of a series. When your protagonist is a murderous cannibal, it's daunting to get readers invested in that person's long term well-being. Or maybe that's just me. It's an amusing book, overall.
November 18, 2012
An awesome beginning to a series. Mallory Caine is an awesome protagonist even if she can be found regularly walking the streets, waiting for her next brain fix. Because, as a zombie, she can't live without brain. The fact that she's a lawyer is quite comical because truthfully, many would assume most lawyer are undead.
I had so many questions after reading this book that I jumped right into the sequel -- so I could find out more about what's happening in Mallory's world. L.A. is basically being taken over by the supernatural, and really, who is surprised with all the weirdos living in the entertainment city.
If you're in the mood for something different, funny and sometimes gory, this book is for you.
I had so many questions after reading this book that I jumped right into the sequel -- so I could find out more about what's happening in Mallory's world. L.A. is basically being taken over by the supernatural, and really, who is surprised with all the weirdos living in the entertainment city.
If you're in the mood for something different, funny and sometimes gory, this book is for you.
February 12, 2012
Surprisingly enjoyable fast & good read. I admit I was skeptical when I picked the book up - the zombie lawyer hook sounded a bit too cutesy.
But Bennett/James Scott Bell managed to make what could have been a flat idea and turned into something that is almost smart and certainly worth a beach read.
While the bigger plot story that is woven in is certain fine, and sets the whole thing up nicely for a multi-book sequel, it might have actually worked better to break it up over (at least) the first and second book. The reveal started coming off as a very long slow religious education lesson that slowed down the last part of the book.
But Bennett/James Scott Bell managed to make what could have been a flat idea and turned into something that is almost smart and certainly worth a beach read.
While the bigger plot story that is woven in is certain fine, and sets the whole thing up nicely for a multi-book sequel, it might have actually worked better to break it up over (at least) the first and second book. The reveal started coming off as a very long slow religious education lesson that slowed down the last part of the book.
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