Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Posey lampoons the soullessness of corporate work in her irresistible debut. It's November in Canada, and the offices of the unnamed company Dolores dela Cruz works for are "clenched in the white-knuckled death grip of Christmas season hysteria." Dolores, with her penchant for dressing in black and morbid sense of humor, drags herself to work every day. She perks up when the handsome, mysterious Jake Ripper arrives at her company as an office temp. The two share a deep interest in the crimes of a serial killer known as the Paper Pusher, whose victims have all died from falls off the roofs of downtown office buildings. As the oddball pair develop a budding romance, a major question hangs over their courtship: might Jake be the Paper Pusher? ("Even serial killers get their meet-cute," Dolores muses.) Posey tells the tale in bright, punchy chapters that alternate between Dolores's and Jake's perspectives, and populates their love story with a cast of charming weirdos, including Andrew, Jake's starry-eyed roommate, and Cynthia, an inflexible HR director. Though the mystery plot mostly serves as window dressing for a macabre romance, Posey keeps things fast and funny enough that readers won't mind. It's a wickedly entertaining good time. Agent: Chelsey Emmelhainz, Copps Literary. (Apr.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
DEBUT What happens when a person suspects their gorgeous new coworker is a murderer? Dolores dela Cruz is consistently on the lookout for serial killers, and she thinks Jake Ripper, the new temp at her office, might be one. Jake, on the other hand, finds Dolores refreshing and intriguing and thinks she's the only one who gets him. But when Dolores asks him to help dispose of a body, things get weird. Posey's debut is told from both characters' points of view as they enter a world of banter, creepy vibes, and of course, a dead body, then get caught up in an awkward love situation. The dual perspectives let readers see the inner workings of the characters and their relationship when fate pushes them together. Throughout the novel, there are fun references to classic horror, plus clever chapter titles. The story gets more complicated as it moves along, while the well-written banter between Dolores and Jake is enjoyable. VERDICT A humorously gruesome love story with a murder in the mix.--BreAnn Weeks
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