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Bug Man
Shoofly Pie & Chop Shop: 2 Bugman Novels in 1
In 2003, the Shoofly Pie introduced an intriguing and unique forensic entomologist Nick Polchak. So popular did Polchak become that author Tim Downs has now published five Bug Man novels. And now for the first the first two Bug Man novels under one cover.
Shoofly Pie
Within minutes of a murder, the first fly arrives at the scene. Soon there are hundreds, then thousands, and each one knows the victim's story...
Thirty-year-old Kathryn Guilford turns to Dr. Nick Polchak, the Bug Man, to help her learn the truth about the apparent suicide of her longtime friend and onetime suitor. Polchak introduces her to a mysterious world of blood-seeking flies and flesh-eating beetles. But there's a problem...
Kathryn Guilford has a pathological fear of insects.
Now she must confront her darkest fears to unearth a decade-long conspiracy that threatens to turn her entire world upside down.
Chop Shop
Young Dr. Riley McKay has worked hard toward her career in pathology. But her promising future is threatened when suspicious activities -- bungled autopsies, concealed evidence, and unexplained wounds -- incriminate her supervising pathologist at the Allegheny County Coroner's Office in Pittsburgh, Dr. Nathan Lassiter. When Riley is ignored by her seniors and threatened by Dr. Lassiter, she turns in desperation to Dr. Nick Polchak, the Bug Man, to help her uncover the truth.
From a handful of tiny maggots, Nick and Riley begin to unearth the facts...
The flies on the wall can talk.
Forensic entomologist Nick Polchak is listening.
Shoofly Pie
Within minutes of a murder, the first fly arrives at the scene. Soon there are hundreds, then thousands, and each one knows the victim's story...
Thirty-year-old Kathryn Guilford turns to Dr. Nick Polchak, the Bug Man, to help her learn the truth about the apparent suicide of her longtime friend and onetime suitor. Polchak introduces her to a mysterious world of blood-seeking flies and flesh-eating beetles. But there's a problem...
Kathryn Guilford has a pathological fear of insects.
Now she must confront her darkest fears to unearth a decade-long conspiracy that threatens to turn her entire world upside down.
Chop Shop
Young Dr. Riley McKay has worked hard toward her career in pathology. But her promising future is threatened when suspicious activities -- bungled autopsies, concealed evidence, and unexplained wounds -- incriminate her supervising pathologist at the Allegheny County Coroner's Office in Pittsburgh, Dr. Nathan Lassiter. When Riley is ignored by her seniors and threatened by Dr. Lassiter, she turns in desperation to Dr. Nick Polchak, the Bug Man, to help her uncover the truth.
From a handful of tiny maggots, Nick and Riley begin to unearth the facts...
The flies on the wall can talk.
Forensic entomologist Nick Polchak is listening.
- GenresMystery
581 pages, Paperback
First published September 21, 2009
36 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
About the author
Tim Downs
47 books272 followersTim Downs is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Indiana University. After graduation in 1976 he created a comic strip, Downstown, which was syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate (Calvin & Hobbes, Doonesbury, The Far Side) from 1980 to 1986. His cartooning has appeared in more than a hundred daily newspapers worldwide. Tim has written seven mystery/suspense novels: Shoofly Pie, Chop Shop, PlagueMaker, Head Game, First the Dead, Less than Dead, and Ends of the Earth. PlagueMaker was awarded the Christy Award for the best CBA mystery/suspense novel of 2006, and Less than Dead was a finalist for the 2009 Christian Book Award in suspense fiction. Tim lives in Cary, North Carolina, with his wife Joy. They have three grown children.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 20, 2018
I really like the combo of bug science and mystery thriller. Not really “Christian” fiction, but clean and no language. 👍🏼❤️
August 29, 2011
Great fun to read. Bug man adds lots of interesting facts about forensic entomology. Keep reading the rest in the series.
December 28, 2022
An interesting read
The best thing about this book was it's ending. This is not a disparaging comment on the rest of the book as it was quite good and held my attention throughout! I just found the ending particularly original and interesting. I do recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good murder mystery story.
The best thing about this book was it's ending. This is not a disparaging comment on the rest of the book as it was quite good and held my attention throughout! I just found the ending particularly original and interesting. I do recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good murder mystery story.
February 4, 2017
Great author, the Bugman series are the best! The characters are funny and interesting. Great murder mystery books, also a bit gross, which I like. I wish Tim Downs was still writing books, he's a great writer.
October 7, 2024
Great clean murder mysteries
Well written who dunnit; quirky characters,some poetic license, well done prose and a couple of surprise twists at the end with 0 sex or yucky language.
Well written who dunnit; quirky characters,some poetic license, well done prose and a couple of surprise twists at the end with 0 sex or yucky language.
April 12, 2018
Liked Shoofly Pie better than Chop Shop but both very enjoyable
June 3, 2019
Forensic entomology with a touch of humor.
April 28, 2014
Shoofly Pie
I love the Bugman. This is my second time reading Shoofly Pie. I don't read many books more than once so that's saying a lot.
Bugman Nick Polchak may be intelligent but has nary a clue when it comes to people skills; He's a social misfit and with the thick eyeglasses he dons, resembles the creatures he studies more than he does humans.
In Shoofly Pie we meet Kathryn Guilford for the first time as she meets Nick for the first time. A long-time friend of hers has died and the authorities are claiming suicide. Against all odds, Kathryn believes differently however. She elicits Nick's help in discovering the truth.
The bumbling bugman is easy to like as is his research assistant Teddy. As Nick's working with his insects, he's explaining how time of a person's death can be determined by bugs' life cycles.
This book is proof that a 5-star rating can be achieved without bad language, sexual scenes, or sexual references. - 5 stars
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Chop Shop
Unlawful means of human organ procurement makes for interesting reading. It certainly can cause one to wonder how often and where it goes on today. This book may also be the catalyst to cause one to consider whether the individual has the right to his/her own organs after death or should those organs now belong to the community to benefit those in need.
Chop Shop starts off well enough but I lost interest along the way. I'm still wondering how Nick was able to keep his eyeglasses on after he capsized the boat. Hmm… - 3 stars
I love the Bugman. This is my second time reading Shoofly Pie. I don't read many books more than once so that's saying a lot.
Bugman Nick Polchak may be intelligent but has nary a clue when it comes to people skills; He's a social misfit and with the thick eyeglasses he dons, resembles the creatures he studies more than he does humans.
In Shoofly Pie we meet Kathryn Guilford for the first time as she meets Nick for the first time. A long-time friend of hers has died and the authorities are claiming suicide. Against all odds, Kathryn believes differently however. She elicits Nick's help in discovering the truth.
The bumbling bugman is easy to like as is his research assistant Teddy. As Nick's working with his insects, he's explaining how time of a person's death can be determined by bugs' life cycles.
This book is proof that a 5-star rating can be achieved without bad language, sexual scenes, or sexual references. - 5 stars
__________________________________________
Chop Shop
Unlawful means of human organ procurement makes for interesting reading. It certainly can cause one to wonder how often and where it goes on today. This book may also be the catalyst to cause one to consider whether the individual has the right to his/her own organs after death or should those organs now belong to the community to benefit those in need.
Chop Shop starts off well enough but I lost interest along the way. I'm still wondering how Nick was able to keep his eyeglasses on after he capsized the boat. Hmm… - 3 stars
February 27, 2016
Kudos to the Bug Man
I love Nick's character, and the dialogue is really witty. It DOES seem rather dangerous to be his friend though. These were good enough that I want to read the next one.
I love Nick's character, and the dialogue is really witty. It DOES seem rather dangerous to be his friend though. These were good enough that I want to read the next one.
May 20, 2009
This is the first of several books with "the Bugman" as main character and crime solver. The story falls into the mystery category with humor thrown in. Very enjoyable.
October 30, 2014
I liked Shoo Fly better than Chop Shop
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews