A Death I Wouldn't Mind Meeting

TITLE: The Coffin Maker (The Coffin Series #1)
AUTHOR: Breeann Allison
PUBLISHER: Curiosity Quills
PUBLISHING DATE: May 1, 2018'

FROM GOODREADS: Twenty-three-year-old Jesse Burns lives a tranquil life as the coffin maker in the enthusiastically eerie town of Gregor’s Hollow. Here, the By the Pricking of My Crumbs Bakery sells deep-fried candy corn year round, and manmade mist swirls through the streets every afternoon at three-thirty. As for the graveyard bells that chime at midnight, and the Victorian portrait that materializes in the hotel guest rooms? Well, no one can account for those but they still look impressive in the brochure.

Few in the town are admired more than the trustworthy, if reclusive, coffin maker. Praised for his intricate carvings and flamboyant artistry, Jesse creates his masterpieces in the workshop that belonged to his father, the previous coffin maker who vanished nine years ago.

Jesse’s isolated routine is disturbed when Death appears on his doorstep one October evening. Wearing a sharply pressed suit and a condescending smile, Death demands eight coffins by Halloween. Jesse is horrified to learn that the coffins are intended for Death’s next eight victims—all of them citizens of Gregor’s Hollow. In exchange for the eight coffins, Death will tell Jesse what happened to his father.

Despite striking the bargain and starting work on the coffins, Jesse vows to save the Eight. But investigating a mystery is challenging in Gregor’s Hollow, the third most-famous Halloween tourist town in America. Home to horror enthusiasts and gothic fanatics alike, the town boasts a daily carnival of macabre spectacles, complete with ghostly sound effects in the streets, slasher chase scenes in the alleys, and a John Carpenter Orchestra in the park. Distinguishing staged horror theatrics from genuinely suspicious activity is impossible enough on an average day. But with the holiday approaching, the tourist season has just begun, forcing Jesse to conduct his detective work amidst the increased chaos of Hitchcock festivals, Edgar Allan Poe pageants, and monster movie reenactments.

Together with an alluring and untrustworthy stranger, he seeks the answer he needs to thwart Death’s plan.

MY THOUGHTS: 

So if I could recommend one book I've read so far this year, I'd have to say it would be "The Coffin Maker." I had such a great time reading this book and I think it will forever be on my "hidden gems" list. The book takes place in the small town of Gregor's Hollow and let me tell you, despite all the quirkiness, this is a town I could probably visit and never leave. Gregor's Hollow is obsessed with all things horror. They advertise their haunted locations and even if some areas aren't really haunted, the residents do their part to make sure it appears so. The library houses only horror, mysteries and thrillers, there are people who sneak out and run fog machines at night to add to the ambiance, and all the shops have names from taken from scary plays. They also have a Poe festival each fall around Halloween and show horror movies on a screen in the park and year-round, plus their regular theater shows horror all year round. One of my favorite locations is The Underlook Hotel (nods to The Shining's Overlook). The owner has twin daughters and every evening they have guests, she makes them reenact the twin scene from the book/movie - blood and all. So Jesse, our main character is 23. Several years ago, his father, the town coffin maker, suddenly left town and Jesse has always wondered what happened to him. After his absence, Jesse took over making the town coffins and is so talented, people request their special-made coffins years before their deaths because each one is a custom piece. One night, Death knocks on Jesse's door and tells him he needs 8 coffins by October 31st - two weeks away. Jesse isn't particularly fond of Death and only agrees to do so because Death promises if he delivers, he will tell him what happened to his father. Jesse vows to stop the deaths of his friends and fellow residents which might be hard because Death will not disclose the victims. In fact, he says he has nothing to do with the deaths, and that a Bringer will be coming to town to take care of that. "The Coffin Maker" strikes me as a cozy mystery wrapped up in a horror story. I loved the plot, the town and the characters. It was a fun read and several times I caught myself laughing out loud. I think Gregor's Hollow would make an awesome TV series and it could be like Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls, except darker, scarier and bloodier. If any of this sounds even remotely interesting, then go pick up this book. There are some hints at romance, but no insta-love and no mush, and honestly, I can't really pin down anything that really bothered me. And as much as I loved Jesse as a character, I loved Death even more! I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. RATING: 5 PAWS