Backstabber

Hitchcock Sewell #5

by Tim Cockey

He's suave, he's sexy, he's cool . . . and he's an undertaker. Hitchcock Sewell is back in one of the funniest and most fast-paced novels yet, in Tim Cockey's celebrated award-winning series.

A man has been murdered in his kitchen. And the apparent killer wants Hitch to scoop up the body and take it away . . . before the police have arrived. Meanwhile, across town, Hitch smells a rat--maybe two--in the nursing home where an old friend of his has taken up residence. With his matchless wit and uncommon ability to dig out the truth, Hitch is once again up to his old tricks . . . and mystery readers couldn't be happier.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Humor

368 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2004

About the author

aka Richard Hawke

Tim Cockey is the author of the award-winning “Hitch” series: The Hearse You Came In On, Hearse of a Different Color, Hearse Case Scenario, and Murder in the Hearse Degree. He has been a story analyst for many major film and television companies, including American Playhouse, ABC, and Hallmark Entertainment. He grew up in Baltimore and now lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una historia de intriga con un protagonista divertido que hace que sea el libro sea diferente a otros del mismo estilo.

[That70sheidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Hitchcock. I liked the characters, I liked the story, I did NOT like the plot twists. About the time I thought the book should be wrapping up nicely I discovered I was only halfway through the book (audiobook version).

Instead we go on a Hail Mary of a wild goose chase and of course in the end it all works out, but... REALLY? Tim, REALLY?

By the time we got a summary of all the characters that the police interviewed at the end of the book, I was struggling to remember half their purpose to the story. What could have been a simple "I know this is what happened, but how can I prove it?" gripper turned into a deeply confusing Gordian knot of approximately seven plots.

Which is why I had to rate it a 3. Everything was nice, and well written, and amusing and touching, but the whole crazy point of it all turned me off.

I will have to see if there are more Hitchcock books and see if they all end up that way. Would be a shame.

[Paul McBride · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another from the TBR pile, fair mystery, easily 100 pages too long, the author isn’t as funny as he thinks he is. Alright if you have some time to kill.
Maybe it helps if you start at the beginning of the series.

[Scott Gundaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have officially read the whole series. The story line was very good. The main character Hitchcock Sewell has a tendency to drift off topic and at times I want to say focus please. But all in all the books have been very good and very insightful.

[Brenda Haven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just as much fun as all the other books in this series. Sad that this was the last one.

[Jerry King · Rating 3 out of 5]

2004

[Susan Olivo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining, as usual.

[Anne Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely the weakest of the series.

[John R Urry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book along with the main character grow on you as the story rolls on .
Entertaining if not a bit tangled in spots .....

[Cody Lynch · Rating 4 out of 5]

A humorous murder mystery

[Vince Waechter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was disappointed. So many characters to keep track that I wish I had started a cheat sheet at the beginning of the book. A little confusing with so many threads unraveling.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read. Enjoy his humor.

[Ron Courter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinda sad this is the last one. But I can see that the series just ran out of steam. Still, Hitchcock was a fun protagonist…

[Johnny · Rating 2 out of 5]

If one is looking for verisimilitude in its descriptions of mortuary and funeral home management, Tim Cockey’s series that began with The Hearse You Came In On isn’t an improvement over the television series, Six Feet Under (and that show had its share of unethical moments in terms of funeral home management). At one point in Backstabber, Aunt Billie tells protagonist Hitchcock Sewell that they are out of formaldehyde. Now, formaldehyde may be used solo in science labs these days, but most embalmers use a mixture of formaldehyde, methanol, and ethanol to do their work. At another point in the story, a woman has been left out in the elements and rigor mortis has set in. Apparently, the surviving family thinks it’s cute and has her embalmed to sit in a chair at her own wake. Admittedly, rigor can last up to circa 84 hours at times, but one cannot really imagine a mortician embalming a sitting woman. Of course, there is that old story about people stealing the corpse of John Barrymore and sitting him in his favorite chair in Errol Flynn’s living room. But that, of course, was done without the approval of the mortuary.

So, if you’re looking for realism (like a certain sibling of mine), Backstabber isn’t for you. If you like lots of humor, smart-aleck dialogue that would have worked for Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade (as well as working in this modern context), and an intriguing mystery with a bizarre cast of characters, you’d probably enjoy it. In spite of the occasional jarring aspects of the undertaker/detective, I personally enjoy these silly little romps. This particular mystery begins with an acquaintance of the undertaker trying to get Hitchcock to remove the body of a deceased husband before it is necessary to have a police investigation. Then, even when our “hero” refuses to perpetrate such a felony, the undertaker/amateur detective finds himself still under suspicion.

The mystery itself is full of enough red herrings to have a fish fry for an entire police department. The widow was apparently hot enough to have a host of lovers. The in-laws aren’t exactly supportive of the widow’s vulnerable position. There are potentially disgruntled recipients of a large foundation’s receipts and there is a mysterious counterpoint to the main crime in the activities of a local nursing home. You can sift through more suspects in this novel than mosquitoes on a hot summer night in Georgia.

Without spoiling the mystery, I can honestly say that the murderer is logical and that the suspect does not come out of thin air as in vintage Agatha Christie. However, the circumstances are not quite as straightforward as one might have expected. The best part of this novel is that it shows the consequences of the crime upon the survivors in a realistic way – anger, grief, patronizing relationships, resentment, and irrational actions. For me, the series is still worth reading.

[Jerry B · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the final installment in "Tim Cockey's" 5-book "Hearse" series before our author turned his attention to some newer novels under the name Richard Hawke. As with the other four (one of which we have yet to read), mortician Hitchcock Sewell is the protagonist, freed by his aunt Billie, who primarily runs the funeral parlor, to be a man about town – Baltimore, to be specific. In his free time, Hitch mostly turns his attention to solving crimes that seem to appear unsolicited upon his doorstep, sometimes literally! In this one, a high school buddy "Sisco" Fontaine calls Hitch in the wee hours, asking him to come remove the murdered body of his girlfriend's (Polly Weisheit) husband. Hitch does go over, but after meeting the girlfriend and seeing her husband quite dead of a knife to the back, he exits, assuring them they must call the police. Then, in turn, Sisco gets jailed for the deed, then Hitch is a suspect, then Polly, and then a guy that delivered the dead man’s eulogy, who apparently was also courting the attractive widow Polly. Meanwhile, Hitch gets involved with some skullduggery at a nursing home, and wonders if somehow the prevalence of dead bodies around town is all related. In the end, of course, we all find out.

These light-hearted mysteries are full of puns and wisecracks, so obviously are not meant to be serious thrillers. This plot was indeed a somewhat more complicated tale than its predecessors, yet Hitch has time to keep a fine eye on the ladies, including new amour Angela, the widow, and even the widow’s adult daughter. As usual, while Cockey sets a pretty low bar on intrigue, there is plenty to entertain in this last entry of an amusing set.

[Todd Stockslager · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cockey brings back Baltimore undertaker Hitchcock Sewell for his fifth turn as an accidental private investigator. His listening and observation skills honed in dealing with the recently-dead and recently-bereaved provide him with an ability and aptitude for curiosity that well suits him for his amateur pursuit. Cockey does a good job using his place settings; Maryland natives will instantly recognize the Baltimore checkpoints like the Inner Harbor and Fells Point, while those who are familiar with the western part of the state will appreciate his references to Cumberland, Frostburg, and Sewell's Alma mater Frostburg University (where my wife also graduated many years ago!).

While this story weaves together parallel threads involving a cheating wife, her husband's murder, problems in the extended family, and the death of a nursing home resident whom Sewell remembers from his college days, Cockey's stories are really about the characters. And he doesn't disappoint this time out. Sewell is his likable self, his hot ex-wife Julia helps drive the story, and Aunt Billy (the reliable brains of the operation) keeps the funeral home operating while Sewell is investigating, and gently nudges him toward the truth with subtle hints (and bscuits).

[Rieta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't overly thrilled with the hero of this book. My husband enjoys his books and passed this on to me. I found it frustrating. Why do you set up a guy like he's the smart guy but then give him lots of clues which he blows off? At the end he's processing a death and pondering how money and jealousy played a part in the needless death blowing off the fact that he had been specifically asked for help and he blew the lady off? Also when he does all the listening and people just tell him stuff which ultimately leads to resolution why then does the police yell at him? Not entirely plausible to me.

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never really read any "murder mystery" books so I can't say I love them or hate them. THis one I really enjoyed. I like Tim Cockey's writing style, it was very easy to get into and the main character was very likeable. He is an undertaker and the mystery just sort of falls into his lap and so do the clues to solve the case. There is a twist in the end to weave the cases together that I didn't see coming. I was pleasantly surprised by this book. He has a series of books starring the main character which I am now going to check out.

[Maurean · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been a long time fan of this series, having first 'discovered' it in our local library, several years ago. Other than perhaps Janet Evanovich, no other author can make murder such a laughing matter! This was just as good as the rest of the series, altho, my favorite remains to be the first book, "The Hearse You Came In On". If you are a mystery fan, or just enjoy a good chuckle while you read, I highly recommend this series. And, if you ARE Tim Cockey: please, please write more!

[Writerlibrarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the last Hithcock Sewell book that Cockey wrote so far. It felt a bit "réchauffé" for me. Recycled. The magic is not there completely, neither are the lovable, strange characters that live in that universe. Maybe it's because there was a noticeable lack of Julia in that book. She's only there for an handful of scenes and even then she's only there as background. The plot is okay, a little ordinary for Sewell even.

The series ends on a whipper which is a little sad.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

#5 in the Hitchcock Sewell series.

Hitchcock Sewell, Baltimore undertaker, is called to a murder site by an old acquaintance. Hitch refuses to spirit the body away, and his friend is arrested for stabbing the husband of his mistress. Meanwhile Hitch becomes suspicious of a series of deaths at an old age home and has an affair with one his friend's backup singers.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining, lightweight stuff. One of the characters went to my college and the description is close enough to make me wonder if the author and I might have crossed paths, although with a last name like that I think I would have remembered making fun of him.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fifth and last of his Hitchcock Sewell series. The ever helpful eligible bachelor undertaker, with his witty dialouge, is again ready to help someone he's known since high school, clear his name of murder. This series is good for some chuckles, if you need something lighter to read.

[Mary Z : ) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh. I agree with another reviewer who commented that the plot twists were numerous and unnecessary, not to mention confusing. I was listening to the story as an audiobook, too. I might give this author another try. Or not.

[Cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my least favorite Hitchcock book, and it was still decent. The first ones were better though.

[Kristie · Rating 5 out of 5]

No body makes murder funnier, except maybe Janet Evanovich...but this guy is a close second.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that this is the last one in the series thus far. Although it was good it was not as strong as the earlier books in the series. Sure hope there are more to come

[Lora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this awhile ago. I enjoy his books especially since they take place in my hometown.

[Carly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was pleasingly intricate for my tastes as far as the Hitchcock Books go.

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the last book in this series. I do hope there will be more since I love Hitch.