Dirt Nap by Carolyn Elizabeth is the second book in the Corey Curtis and Thayer Reynolds romantic thriller series.
Even though Corey Curtis is still dealing with the awful side effects of a snooping operation that went terribly wrong, she has bounced back and she is off desk duty and she’s back to business as usual at the morgue. Just a few hours after she sawed the cast off her arm, Corey’s former mentor asked her to participate in a body recovery. When Corey thought her life couldn’t get any more complicated than it already was she soon realized how out of control it could become. Corey found herself covered in dirt and rotting human remains and now she’s saddled with a questionable death that is way too close to her personal life for comfort.
Corey and Thayer’s relationship has soared to a higher level of intimacy but this new case brings out the best and worst in Corey’s personality and Thayer is frustrated beyond measure because she has to find a way to handle a disturbing situation at work without rocking the boat too much. Corey’s spontaneous nature has her rushing along a perilous path with trouble following her every step of the way.
Thayer is Corey’s safe haven and her endless supply of love and support keeps Corey grounded but when the investigation is almost completed, a couple of nasty surprises pop up and threaten everything that is dear to Corey’s heart.
Will Corey and Thayer’s relationship crumble under the weight of a dangerous and demanding case and Thayer’s distressing work issues?
The Characters
Corey Curtis is an Autopsy Services Coordinator at the Jackson City Memorial Hospital. She has been lucky (some people would say that it was just plain bad luck on her part) to be chosen to work on an unusual case with her former mentor, Dr. Audrey Marsh.
Dr. Thayer Reynolds works in the Emergency Department at the Jackson City Memorial Hospital and her hands are full with training a couple of arrogant final year residents.
I don’t think I can fully explain my love for Corey and Thayer in this review but I’ll give it a shot… I didn’t think I could love these two dynamic and fun-loving women more than I already do but this story has proved me wrong. Carolyn Elizabeth gave me the rare opportunity to tag along with two of my favorite fictional wives and I had a front row seat to their personal growth and the way their relationship has grown stronger despite the challenges they faced. To me, Corey and Thayer are perfect in every sense of the word because they complement each other so well and they are always willing to go the extra mile for each other and their beloved friends. Those are some of the reasons why I adore these wonderful women so much!
The Writing Style
I must admit that this is the second time that I was blown away this author’s captivating writing style. She has really outdone herself with this story because she gave me a riveting romantic thriller that has so many entertaining and laugh-out-loud moments embedded within it and this story kept me glued to my kindle and hungry for more priceless wisecracks from Corey and Thayer. Even though this story was mostly told through Corey’s point of view, it was still very easy for me to understand and relate to Thayer’s deepest thoughts and emotions. I have definitely become a huge fan of Carolyn Elizabeth’s writing and from now on I’m going to be stalking her website for new releases!
The Pros
Oh wow, I’ve got tons of respect for anyone who does forensic anthropology and anyone involved in the field of pathology because I’ll tell you right here and now that I think Corey’s got a lot of ovaries for participating in a body recovery, especially since the body was already in a bad state. I’ve learned so much about DNA preservation and identification through Corey’s eyes and I am convinced now more than ever that my 8 to 4, number-crunching desk job isn’t so bad after all!
The Cons
Why wasn’t this story longer? I just finished reading the book and I miss Corey and Thayer already.
The Conclusion
I am a huge fan of romantic thrillers and this story hit all the right spots for me because there were real-life social issues, heartbreaking situations and kindle gripping moments that made me pull off an epic, all-night reading marathon that had me guzzling coffee like water the next day at work. Even though Carolyn Elizabeth did a wonderful job of filling in some of the details and facts from her first book, I would strongly advise you to read Gallows Humor before you read this story so that you would get to know more about these lovely characters.
Excerpt from Dirt Nap by Carolyn Elizabeth
Corey jumped out fast and slammed the door in a futile effort to keep the air in the truck clean. Her eyes watered and she coughed at the overpowering miasma of human decomposition. Her eyes tracked to the house, an old rundown double-wide with busted screens, mold on the siding, and a roof she was certain leaked in at least three places.
At the front of the house, to the right of rickety wooden porch steps, a section of rotting latticework had been pulled out and set aside revealing the entrance to a crawlspace beneath the house. The mouth of the pit was completely dark but the drone of the flies was so loud she could hear it from where she stood, and there was a cloud of flies at the entrance buzzing in and out.
“Corey.” Audrey Marsh’s voice was smoker’s rough as she pinched out her cigarette and pocketed the butt. “It’s good to see you.” She pulled Corey into a much stronger hug than her size suggested.
“Dr. Marsh, how are you?”
“Corey, I’m not going to tell you again about calling me Audrey. How long has it been since you were my student? Ten years? We’re colleagues.”
“Twelve.”
“Damn that makes me feel old.” Audrey sighed and lit another cigarette as she eyed her former student. “Are you up for this? Cin told me everything.”
“I’m much better Dr. Mar—um, Audrey,” Corey stammered, trying out her first name. “I’ve been cleared for work.”
Audrey nodded and took a long drag. “I wanted to come see you in the hospital but I was at conferences all summer. I only just got back before Webster and the police started blowing up my phone. I haven’t even unpacked.”
“It’s okay. Cin told me you were out of the country, and besides, I wasn’t very good company for a while.”
“Hmm.” Audrey took a long drag. “I heard you made a friend over the summer?”
Corey couldn’t help the grin that split her face at the mention of Thayer.
Audrey laughed and gripped her arms. “Love looks good on you, my young friend.” She took a final drag before pinching it out, her expression turning serious. “I’m glad you’re here today.”
Corey grimaced, acutely aware that they were chatting in very close proximity to an unidentified and rapidly decomposing body they were tasked with extricating from a very dark, very hot, and very small resting place. “I was pretty excited until I opened the car door.”
“I’ve done an awful lot of recoveries in my time, and you never really get used to it, but even I think this one will be rough.” Her eyes trained on the opening to the crawlspace.
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Series
The Corey Curtis and Thayer Reynolds romantic thriller series
Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 9781642471021
Publisher: Bella Books
Carolyn Elizabeth online
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