Working Stiffs (Book Review)

Book: Working Stiffs Year: 2012 Publisher: Necro Publications Author: Lucy Leitner Language: English Chapters: N/A Pages: 248 Type: Novel

Publisher’s Summary: Working Stiffs is a hilarious, action-packed tale of survival in the fast-paced world of pharmaceuticals. Something has gone horribly wrong in the Pro-Well Pharmaceuticals factory and ex-meth dealer Marshall Owens, the company’s owner and drug genius, must keep the surrounding Pittsburgh area from finding out. Unfortunately, the undead assembly line workers have other plans. The infection spreads and chaos reigns supreme as the surviving Pro-Well employees battle their way through offices with whatever weapons they can scrounge from the supply closet. They must get outside. But they don’t know that The General is out there amassing a shambling, rotting army of Pittsburgh’s finest. Will the employees make it? Will two repulsive workers find love in a janitor’s closet? How many office workers can one man take down with the blade of a paper cutter and some staplers? Will Marshall Owens go back to selling meth? And most important of all, will Pro-Well’s stock value plummet? Find out all the answers in this brilliant new horror/comedy novel reminiscent of style of Christopher Moore.

Review: I am going to start this review with my perception of the plot for Working Stiffs; a previous drug-lord named Marshall Owens is the CEO of a Pittsburgh Pharmaceutical company. He creates chemicals that zombiefies or sickens lowlifes in society like the homeless, whores and addicts so he can put them to work at the drug company on the assembly line so he can get out of paying the employees.

These drugs turn the unsuspecting lower rung of society into grotesque gray-looking creatures with rotting teeth and scabbed skin desiring flesh. These working zombies so to speak get chained up and must perform daily duties in the factory in return for human meat that they desperately want. But there is a twist when “The General” doesn’t get turned into a walking dead, somehow escaping the drugs power…and he bands the affected together for a little payback on the money-hungry Mr. Owens.

Working Stiffs has tons of action and very descriptive brutality which I admired. There is blood, guts, gore and body parts all over this book. The author painted an extremely vivid picture in my mind that worked flawlessly. On the downside, it was tough to comprehend on certain occasions; there were many characters to follow while trying to picture in my mind the time allotments that were given instead of chapter breakdowns. Additionally, there were some comedic elements that frankly didn’t work. I never felt a chuckle coming on, moreover I think it was unneeded and took me a touch out of it.

An extra tidbit is that Working Stiffs is a part of a 5 horror book collection of new authors, and if you desire more scary books to read late at night take a peek at; Revelations, Red Town Lost, Last Stand On Zombie Island, Crogian and of course this zombie-comedy novel, Working Stiffs which will be a moderate recommendation by me. I am not particularly a huge fan of zombies but it did have plenty of moments to keep my mind wandering.

The book is available to buy at Amazon on Paperback for $15.95 or you can get the E-Book or Kindle Edition for a mere $4.99. On a side note; there was a limited supply of autographed, hard-bound books available for Working Stiffs, but it’s sold out already, I can see why because zombie lovers will be titillated with this one.  My ratings, suggestions and links are below.

[amzn_product_inline asin=’193906502X’]

Reviewer: Dark Goddess Date: 10/05/2012 Rating: 5.5/10 Suggestion: Paperback: Avoid Suggestion: E-Book: Buy