Romance among the maggots and blowflies? Well, yes, and plenty of hilarity and suspense in this delightful sophomore Bug Man novel from Downs (Shoofly Pie
). After physically threatening a college student who falls asleep in his class, entomologist Nick Polchak is put on temporary probation. He meets up with Dr. Riley McKay from the Pennsylvania Allegheny County coroner's office, who is on the trail of something fishy and needs his help analyzing some corpses. A black market in transplant organs has resulted in targeted murders, and PharmaGen's traffic in applied genetic information may be a screen for other dubious dealings. Complicating things is Riley's own well-kept secret about her medical condition. The pacing drags a bit toward the middle, and a contrivance or two move the plot along, but Downs keeps the pages turning with some excellent twists and first-rate humor. He laudably knows how to show rather than tell—a rarity for Christian fiction. Good entomological details add authenticity to the story, and the heavy themes of the pitfalls of a utilitarian approach to ethics and the hazards of judging human value on the basis of social worth are mostly thought provoking instead of preachy. Downs's flair for the unusual—and his notable improvement over his already strong first effort—make him a writer to watch in the faith fiction market. (July 20)
