Corrine Phinn is back with her second book, Corpse Merch. It's been awhile since she released her first book, Dead Reckoning, so I know that many people are anxious for the second book. I am also one of them. I enjoyed the dark humor in the book and liked the characters, but I wasn't blown away by it like some readers were. I will admit, though, that I was a little taken back by the ending of the second book. I'll explain why that ended up being such a disappointment to me.
The premise of the second book, Corpse Merch, is that Corrine is attempting to clean up her old house following a brutal murder spree that left her dead and her husband (also dead). With her murder victim still alive, she sets about cleaning the house and making it run smoothly once again. Throughout the first few chapters, the plot seems to follow a straight path, with Corrine killing the killer, catching him, saving the day, and then living happily ever after. As the book progresses, however, we start to learn that the plot is much more complex than that. The reader soon discovers that Corrine and her family have been in trouble for quite some time.
The storyline quickly opens up in the present day, as Corrine and her mother are shopping for baby clothes. As they head to the mall, her mother notices something just isn't right. A man walks by with a very large amount of money. He hands Corrine her owed amount, which she promptly ignores. The man then leaves, but not before he tells her about a government research facility where he works. As this information makes its way into the reader's brain, we get further hints and clues as to exactly what is going on.
What we learn about the government lab is a bit odd, so much so that I almost didn't believe it. Firstly, Corrine is found to be in the same building as the dead serial killer, which prompts her to investigate further. Her curiosity about the man's motives for looking for her, fuels her quest to find out more about the corpse husband merchandise. This journey also leads her to the mysterious and morbid merchandise. It seems that since Corrine is connected to the dead serial killer, she is somehow responsible for his gruesome death. This leads Corrine to learn more about the strange man, as well as what is really going on in the merchandise lab.
The majority of the novel is told through Corrine's point of view, and it is a very vivid and detailed depiction of the events that unfold. Throughout the book, Corrine is shown conversing with the other employees at the facility. We also get to know more about the other patrons as they come and go through the building. Through the first few chapters, I wanted to finish the story so I kept reading. However, as the story progressed, I felt that the focus was too much on Corrine's voice and how she was perceived by others. I felt like there needed to be a bit more substance added to the storyline to make it feel more real.
Overall, Corrine is depicted as a hard working, honest female who is smart enough to understand the situation she finds herself in. With the help of the other patrons of the corpse shop, Corrine discovers that she is in way over her head. However, she must maintain her dignity while trying to figure out what has happened to her and why. I don't think that this short story is meant to be a gore-struck roller coaster ride, though. I think that Corrine's story is a stand-alone piece that offers some very good and logical advice about being a smart, honest woman in the workplace.
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