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Working Stiff: A Revivalist Novel
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Working Stiff: A Revivalist Novel
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Working Stiff: A Revivalist Novel
Audiobook12 hours

Working Stiff: A Revivalist Novel

Written by Rachel Caine

Narrated by Julia Whelan

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

Bryn Davis was killed on the job after discovering her bosses were selling a drug designed to resurrect the dead. Now, revived by that same drug, she becomes an undead soldier in a corporate war to take down the very pharmaceutical company responsible for her new condition...

LanguageEnglish
Release dateAug 2, 2011
ISBN9781101540237
Unavailable
Working Stiff: A Revivalist Novel
Author

Rachel Caine

Rachel Caine is the New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Amazon Charts bestselling author of more than fifty novels, including Wolfhunter River, Killman Creek, and Stillhouse Lake in the Stillhouse Lake series; the New York Times bestselling Morganville Vampires series; and the Great Library young adult series. She has written suspense, mystery, paranormal suspense, urban fantasy, science fiction, and paranormal young adult fiction. Rachel lives and works in Fort Worth, Texas, with her husband, artist/actor/comic historian R. Cat Conrad, in a gently creepy house full of books. For more information, visit www.rachelcaine.com.

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Reviews for Working Stiff

Rating: 3.8636363636363638 out of 5 stars
4/5

22 ratings20 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A new zombie (life-impaired) series from the author of the "Weather Warden" series. I always enjoy Rachel Caine's writing; her conversations between characters never seem forced or too "exposition-y," even when they are giving lots of background information.
    Lots of mysterious cabals, like in the Weather Warden series, and some cabals behind the cabals. One character seems straight from The Lone Gunmen profiles on the X-Files- I can hear his voice with Dean Hanglund's Langly tones behind it.
    Good intro to the universe, plot twists, shady backgrounds, and a bulldog named Mr. French.
    Hope our local library has Book Two.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I'm a big fan of Rachel Caine, especially in her beginning books. I loved the Weather Warden series at the beginning and same thing with Morganville Vamps, after a while I stopped loving them as much but still thought they were great reads and enjoyable. So when I found out she had a new series coming out I was super excited. I love the beginnings (lets face it when a series that you like ends you kind of dread reading that last chapter). As stated in the previous book review, I am trying to open myself up more to genre as a whole including the zombie/horror subgenre. I bought this book after I already started Strange Angels, and figured this would be the perfect follow up, if anyone could make me enjoy a book about zombies, it would be Rachel Caine. The thing I love about paranormal books is that the author really gets to make the rules. I can't tell you how many times I have picked up a book about vampires and found that they all kind of have the same general idea but the differences in one authors version of a vampire to another is sometimes drastic. So as far as zombies go, I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I love Caine's interpretation of it. Bryn being a zombie never really grossed me out the way zombies in general do, and she didn't gross me out because Caine didn't make her some creepy crawly thing that goes bump in the night. Instead Bryn is still the same person she always was, just with a daily injection to maintain her in "living" status, along with a couple other surprises about her condition that go along with the plot. Even so, Bryn is just a person, her thoughts and feelings are the same as they were before she was murdered and brought back to life.Another thing I like about the book is it "big bad" if you will is totally believable especially this day in age. There is a pharmaceutical company out to cure cancer and instead "cures" death (as long as you get your daily injection that is). While companies like these are responsible for most if not all of the drug advancements out there, it's easy to see them as the bad guy because let's face it they are all about the profit margin. And the company in Caine's book takes that concept to the extreme, image what a company could do or control with a drug like this and you have a slight idea of how this book goes. In the end the bad guys in any book or story are all about getting power, and this book is no different. What makes this interesting for me though is that I can believe a company like this could be a bad guy in the world I live in. In most paranormal fantasy books I can't imagine a rogue werewolf faction showing up in my community and wrecking havoc. Making the bad guy believable in the real world was great and intriguing.As for the characters for the most part I liked them, particularly the main characters. Bryn is trying to find her way in a situation that can only be described as F-ed up, and suddenly she has to handlers if you will to keep her together, alive, and on the right path. Joe is much more likable right from the start, he's as open as her can be and friendly, he puts Bryn at ease which in turn allowed me to get to know Bryn better as I was reading. Patrick on the other hand is more stand offish, there is clearly more going on with him than meets the eye, and while some insight is given as the book progresses, I have a feeling that a lot more will be revealed as the series goes on. Thankfully the book isn't all serious, or completely go go go, in fact there were some amusing moments in there where the characters felt more real and in a way became more dynamic because of that. This was particularly true in one scene with Patrick and his "butler", Liam, joking about how he was Alfred, and how Liam would be willing to search the lower levels to see if there was a Batcave somewhere.In the end I was very pleased with this book. The novel didn't end on some huge unsatisfying cliff hanger, but left it open enough for the reader to have an idea of where the next in the series was going to start. I'm looking forward for the next book to come out.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    It's hard to decide what to think when it comes to a book with pretty great idea, but stops there. I spent the whole book waiting for that something on the next page that would push it past that line.

    After four years as a soldier, Bryn takes a job as a funeral director and experiences the worse first day in anyone's life. The back-room macabre business of Fairview Mortuary turns out to be deadly for its new funeral director.
    All throughout the book I felt sorry for Bryn. It doesn't help the book's case that she is beaten (and I'm not talking slapped) at least twice. Strangely, that part is the same one that makes me like something. You see, Bryn was an ordinary soldier, she didn't have any advanced military training.
    There are a couple of true tlsl moments though. When someone is after you and at one point even threatens your dog, you don't ask your sister to walk your dog alone.

    Working Stiff is the first book in Revivalist trilogy and as such it introduces the main theme. Someone is reviving people and they need a special drug to stay alive. What is convenient in all that is that except for the drug they need, those people don't have any other problems. Dogs don't act weird around them, they are hard to hurt, they can enjoy food, drink and sex. I guess it wouldn't be an attractive story otherwise.
    Then again, there is one true horror moment in the book that gives you a clear picture what exactly happens to those that are left without the drug too long. Being buried alive won't be the first on the list of 'worst ways to die' anymore. If the story went in that direction, it would be more interesting. Which brings me to my main issue with this book. It couldn't decide what it's going to be. Parts are horrific and parts are just plain urban fantasy (and not even a good one).

    I don't know when or if I am going to continue to the next book. Not much in Working Stiff except for the rare horror elements makes me want to read further.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A fun book with Rachel Caine's likable characters and healthy relationships.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Ex-soldier Bryn Davis is starting her new job as a funeral director when she has a very bad case of "wrong place at the wrong time." Killed, then revived by a corporate agent and his company's miracle drug, Bryn gets to stay alive, via daily injection of this drug, as long as she's useful to them. Bryn's zombification is almost an afterthought, something that she thinks about and that can be used against her, but for the most part the talents she had as a soldier are the talents she uses to save the day and keep herself alive.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Bryn Davis was honorably discharged from the military after 4 years in Iraq and now seeks employment with funeral home. It may not be glamorous, but the work is steady and she's good it. Then she discovers her boss might be a drug dealer after hours. Turns out that he is reviving people from the dead with a drug called Returne and then charging those people exorbitant fees to continue the treatment that keeps them alive. Bryn tries to escape, but her boss kills her. She's then revived by Pharmadene, the pharmaceutical company that created the drug, to find out where the leak in their company is. Unfortunately, if she doesn't complete her task, they see no value in keeping her alive. Can Bryn figure it out in time? Will they even keep her alive if she completes the task?I found this book in a used bookstore and thought I'd give it a try. I'm glad I did because Bryn is an amazing character. She faces impossible situations and works through them. She's strong, yet human and still feels emotion. I can't help put root for her even though her situation is pretty bleak. I did wish her military training would have been utilized more because she was quite passive at times when I was infuriated and wanted to punch other characters in the face. The zombies are pretty much like people on borrowed time. If they are not administered Returne, they will slowly and painfully decompose while alive over the course of about 5 days. They are very resilient and can withstand a lot of damage, especially if more Returne is administered.I had a few problems with the book. There were so many squicky issues and villains that it was a pretty bleak read. Here are our villains: the funeral director who extorts grieving families, the gross mortician who sexually harasses and tortures women, and Pharmadene the company who puts their own profits over lives. The good guys are few and far between. I don't mind depressing books, but this is marketed as an urban fantasy romance that doesn't really deliver on that. The romance is lacking as well. The situation is so bleak with all these bad guys and the lead character, despite being pretty awesome, has next to no autonomy. I literally would not have been surprised if she decided to kill herself. Working Stiff is well written, but had a lot of problems. I might try to continue the series, but I hope it gets less super depressing.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    great storyline very original and really keeps you guessing all the way along, can't wait to start book 2
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I'm a big fan of Rachel Caine, especially in her beginning books. I loved the Weather Warden series at the beginning and same thing with Morganville Vamps, after a while I stopped loving them as much but still thought they were great reads and enjoyable. So when I found out she had a new series coming out I was super excited. I love the beginnings (lets face it when a series that you like ends you kind of dread reading that last chapter). As stated in the previous book review, I am trying to open myself up more to genre as a whole including the zombie/horror subgenre. I bought this book after I already started Strange Angels, and figured this would be the perfect follow up, if anyone could make me enjoy a book about zombies, it would be Rachel Caine. The thing I love about paranormal books is that the author really gets to make the rules. I can't tell you how many times I have picked up a book about vampires and found that they all kind of have the same general idea but the differences in one authors version of a vampire to another is sometimes drastic. So as far as zombies go, I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I love Caine's interpretation of it. Bryn being a zombie never really grossed me out the way zombies in general do, and she didn't gross me out because Caine didn't make her some creepy crawly thing that goes bump in the night. Instead Bryn is still the same person she always was, just with a daily injection to maintain her in "living" status, along with a couple other surprises about her condition that go along with the plot. Even so, Bryn is just a person, her thoughts and feelings are the same as they were before she was murdered and brought back to life.Another thing I like about the book is it "big bad" if you will is totally believable especially this day in age. There is a pharmaceutical company out to cure cancer and instead "cures" death (as long as you get your daily injection that is). While companies like these are responsible for most if not all of the drug advancements out there, it's easy to see them as the bad guy because let's face it they are all about the profit margin. And the company in Caine's book takes that concept to the extreme, image what a company could do or control with a drug like this and you have a slight idea of how this book goes. In the end the bad guys in any book or story are all about getting power, and this book is no different. What makes this interesting for me though is that I can believe a company like this could be a bad guy in the world I live in. In most paranormal fantasy books I can't imagine a rogue werewolf faction showing up in my community and wrecking havoc. Making the bad guy believable in the real world was great and intriguing.As for the characters for the most part I liked them, particularly the main characters. Bryn is trying to find her way in a situation that can only be described as F-ed up, and suddenly she has to handlers if you will to keep her together, alive, and on the right path. Joe is much more likable right from the start, he's as open as her can be and friendly, he puts Bryn at ease which in turn allowed me to get to know Bryn better as I was reading. Patrick on the other hand is more stand offish, there is clearly more going on with him than meets the eye, and while some insight is given as the book progresses, I have a feeling that a lot more will be revealed as the series goes on. Thankfully the book isn't all serious, or completely go go go, in fact there were some amusing moments in there where the characters felt more real and in a way became more dynamic because of that. This was particularly true in one scene with Patrick and his "butler", Liam, joking about how he was Alfred, and how Liam would be willing to search the lower levels to see if there was a Batcave somewhere.In the end I was very pleased with this book. The novel didn't end on some huge unsatisfying cliff hanger, but left it open enough for the reader to have an idea of where the next in the series was going to start. I'm looking forward for the next book to come out.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Read/Listened for Fun (Audible/Kindle/Paper Copy)Overall Rating: 4.00Story Rating: 3.75Character Rating: 4.25Audio Rating: 3.75First Thought when Finished: Wicked, Dark, and just a bit funny! I really enjoyed Working Stiff!Story Thoughts: I am a fan of zombies in all shapes and forms: Scary, Mindless, Thinking, Snarky, Scary, and Functioning. If the story frames the "zombie" lore well, I can totally buy it. Working Stiff manages to make me believe that we can revive the dead and they can survive on something other brains. The strongest part of this story though was the mystery. I was really caught up in the tracking, planning, and taking down of the baddie.Character Thoughts: I LOVED Bryn! She was a great combo of snark, realism, and flippant enough to roll with the punches. The fact that she had an armed forces background helped sell the other parts of her character that made her kick-ass. The boys were great too! While I not quite on board with the romance (which to me was very secondary in Working Stiff-as it should have been), I see myself jumping on that train in book 2! All around great character development and introductions.Audio Thought: Narrated By Julia Whelan / Length: 12 hrs and 7 mins Overall I think Julia did a wonderful job with the narration. It took about 3 hours for me to really click the characters with her "sound" but after that it was totally enjoyable. I expect that my audio rating will be higher for book 2.Final Thoughts: I found a new to me series that I will totally enjoy, I think!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Recently returned from a tour of duty in the middle east, Bryn Davis is ready to get on with her new career at Fairview Mortuary. Unfortunately for her, her new boss is a drug dealer - he's peddling Returne', a new designer drug that's guaranteed to make you look as young as you are right now, forever. Only one small requirement: you have to be dead.With vampires, werewolves and things that go bump in the night all having their day, it was only a matter of time before zombies went from gray and brain-craving to sexy and stiletto wearing. A series with promise.

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book surprised me from page one, Bryn's careful, quiet personality is so winning and fierce I was captivated. I love that she has a life and a job history prior to working at the funeral home, it made her all the more human and interesting. As much as I was interested in Bryn as an individual, the world in which she moved was captivating. So many familiar themes of immortality, loss and vulnerability were woven into this most delicate balancing act of rebirth. This book felt so much more like vampirism from a foot-soldier's perspective than a zombie story, Bryn's continued existence relies on an organization that is rotten to it's core. Anyone who has ever wondered if they could survive the collapse of society without prescriptions will relate to this book, Bryn has a daily death sentence hovering over her... and yet, even as she lives, she's caught in the perfect stasis that is immortality. No going forward and fear of falling back into darkness.

    Bryn and her world were so interesting to me, it was easy for the friendships and love interest to get lost in the shuffle. They were there, they were sweet and sexy and dangerous by turns, but I was more fascinated watching Bryn adapt to the changes in her life than anything else. As I put down this first book, I'm still emotionally invested enough to worry about these characters even when they're "out of the room," I can't wait to pick up book two.

    Full review to follow.

    Sexual content: Kissing; references to sex, necrophilia, and sexual assault.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Working Stiff
    4.5 Stars

    I'm not really a fan of Zombies but Caine's version is unique and compelling. The plot is excellent with numerous unpredictable twists and turns and the heroine comes across as very real despite her circumstances.

    The books deals with some interesting concepts, such as the idea of death as a business and the types of people involved in the funeral industry. It also offers a criticism of the cold, corporate entity willing to do anything for the bottom line and a government more interested in a cover up than justice.

    Bryn is a likable heroine, which is important as the entire story is told from her 3rd person limited point of view. She is intelligent and resourceful although the inconsistency between her military training and the fact that she is constantly getting beaten up and knocked unconscious is often very jarring.

    The love interest isn't immediately obvious and I will keep his identity a secret so as not to ruin the effect. However, once their attraction becomes clear, Bryn's relationship with the mysterious and enigmatic hero builds slowly but surely, and is quite satisfying overall (once you get past the slightly icky necrophilia issue).

    The secondary characters, from the revolting morgue attendant to the high powered, cold hearted business executive to the obsessive-compulsive paranoid genius and is cute sidekick, are all well developed and contribute to the fascinating world Caine has introduced.

    In sum, my first foray into Rachel Caine's writing has been a unadulterated success and I look forward to continuing both this series and looking into some of her others.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    On her first day on the job as a funeral director, Bryn Davis discovers that her employer is able to revive the dead for a price. This discovery results in Bryn's untimely demise, but never fear. She is revived by the company that makes the revival drug in hopes that she can help them find the leak in their company. This was a fun book. It took me a while to warm up the Bryn but I like the premise and found that she grew on me. The other characters are fun and interesting. I also like that there are no vampires, or anything like that. OK, zombies, but pretty normal zombies. The only thing going for Bryn is that she can heal from almost anything. It was nice for a change. I definitely want to read the nex book to see where this is going.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Bryn Davis left the army and became a funeral director. The idea of helping people with their dead appealed to her. It's people she sometimes has problems with. The job with Fairview Mortuary isn't bad until she discovers that her bosses have a sideline and that sideline is a killer.Dying is a big enough problem, the corporation who developed the drug are a much bigger problem. She has to work out how to stay alive and how to keep the corporation from getting too much power.Bryn was a believable character and I liked Patrick and Reily. I also really liked that Reily was married and his marriage was stable, instead of the usual two men dilemma prevalent in paranormal fiction at the moment. I enjoyed this one, it's a different twist on the story. Another zombie story that I didn't hate this year... I'm looking forward to more about this series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Quick & Dirty:Zombies that aren’t only about the brains… The Review: This is not your everyday zombie novel. Zombie novels, by traditional definition, don’t usually include trying to save a zombie, rather everyone is trying their hardest to kill all of them and avoid becoming one themselves. And there is usually a disease or mutation or some other way that zombie-ism is communicable. And, lets not forget the whole appetite for brains, or flesh or whatever… In Rachel Caine’s Revivalist series, however, tradition has been given the metaphorical middle finger salute. I will tackle the basics….modern day zombies in these novels do not eat brains. They do not wander around aimlessly, arms in front and you can’t catch their condition. In fact, these guys and gals are just like you and me. Creepily so. In fact, you could be dating one right now and you might not even notice. Eek! And if they miss a few doses of their “special medication”, eek turns into Ewwwww!! But I digress… Bryn Davis is an Iraqi war veteran who has just taken a job as a funeral director at a local mortuary. She, at first is excited (though who could be excited about that job?) and pleased with the position. A shame that it pretty much only lasts 12 hours. This poor girl had to have the crappiest first day on the job of anyone I have read about or even known. Not too often you hear about a friend having a girl commit suicide in the bathroom, the place exploding and, oh yeah, dying on the first day. But, alas poor Bryn suffers greatly at the hands of her new employer when she stumbles upon his basement side business. It appears the dastardly Mr. Fairview has been able to get his hands on some of the drug that returns one’s life signs and he is selling it to people desperate to hold on to their loved ones. When he finds Bryn has been snooping around he has her killed. After the attack, Bryn wakes up a whole new person. Well, not so much a whole new person, more of the same person with a whole new set of rules, and friends, and medical necessities. Bryn is now a zombie….well a revived human anyway. And in order to keep the supply of her new (quoting the book here) “permanent portable life support” she has to start yet another new job. This time, the makers of the wonder drug that brings people back from the dead want to know how Bryn’s ex-employer found out about the drug, and exactly who was selling it to him. So, in a rather short time, Bryn has acquired a new life, a new business, new friends and co-workers, oh and this neat superhuman healing ability. And all of these things take her on one heck of a journey fraught with danger and despair. And doesn’t that sound like I just ripped it off the cover of spy novel? Danger, that reaches out and touches even the members of her family, I’m afraid. And I’m also afraid I’ll have to tell you that not everything is tied up with a cute little bow at the end. This storyline…conceptually, I think it’s fascinating. The idea that a drug for cancer could end up bringing back people from the dead is awesome. Imagine if it had existed when Kennedy was shot, or MLK or John Lennon. What would the world look like today? Anyway, I still gotta give you a big *shudder* at the love story bit. Ick. Cause, I mean, Bryn is technically dead. Nothing in her is going on its own, not her heart, lungs, nothing. But barring the necrophilia, Bryn’s words not mine, a good story, a great idea, and so I liked it. I did. You should try it out. I’ve never read any of her other books, but you should definitely give this one a shot.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Whoa. What a super-depressing story. If you thought vampire-angst was bad, wait till you read this new series from Rachel Caine. This girl needs some happy, stat!
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    A stiff read indeed!
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    I was really looking forward to this book. I’d read quite a few pre-release reviews that were very positive and the description is totally up my alley. On release day, I rushed out and picked up a copy. That was a mistake because I hated this book.I try to always find something positive about a book I disliked and generally it is not that hard, but I have to say that it is a struggle for me to come up with anything positive about this book. The best I can do is say that the premise of a drug company creating a drug that resurrects people is entertaining and fairly original. But that’s all I’ve got.So, what didn’t I like? Bryn, for starters. She was just not a likeable character. She was very rigid and uninteresting. She wasn’t a particularly strong character. She seemed to be falling to pieces every few pages, and I just don’t enjoy that. Along with Bryn, the supporting characters were not great. They were flat and very stereotypical.The plot was convoluted. It’s paranormal; it’s corporate espionage; it’s zombies; it’s organized crime…it’s crap is what it is. It was a hodgepodge of ridiculousness. And the ridiculous plot just drug on and on and on.I have a general rule that I do not judge an entire series by the first book in that series. If I did that, I wouldn’t be reading some of my absolute favorite series today. However, I am going to break that rule for this book. It was so bad and I see no redeeming qualities in this book that would warrant me spending my time on it.If you feel compelled to read this book, get it from the library. I would strong advise just skipping it altogether.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I was caught off guard by how much different this book felt than the other works I've read by Rachel Caine. It is much bleaker, darker, etc. Many other fantasy and urban fantasy novels deal with the theme of death but it just feels so realistic as presented here in "Working Stiff". The jist of the story: Bryn Davis is a new employee at a funeral home. Suddenly she is wrapped up in all kinds of craziness which leads to her death. Soon she re-awakens from her deceased state to find out she has been injected with Returne, a drug that literally brings a corpse back from the dead. The trick is that she needs a shot each and everyday or bad things start to happen to her body. There is an underground market for Returne where people will spend unlimited amounts of money to keep their loved ones alive. There is also some nefarious evildoings going on within the company that produces Returne. Bryn will be kept on the drug as long as she continues to be useful to the makers or Returne. Along the way Bryne meets a large cast of characters who want to help or hurt her. Many of these characters provide the best parts of this story. One of Ms. Caine's best writing skills is her ability to create characters that feel real...they have realistic reactions and motivations. This book also contains several gory and farily graphic scenes which aren't always the easiest to handle so be forwarned before starting this book. I personally really enjoyed "Working Stiff". I don't think it ever had a dull lag and I read the book over just a couple of sittings. I also think that future installments may not be quite as bleak as this one. Death is a dark subject and for this particular tale to be told I prefer it handled this way than to be made light of. I am glad I read this book and I plan to read any future installments but I understand where others aren't as impressed with it. It truly is a huge departure for the author.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    So far I have largely avoided the trend for all things zombie and perhaps that's why I overlooked the imminent release of Working Stiff, the first in a brand new series named Revivalist by Rachel Caine. I was a huge fan of her Weather Warden series so when I ran across the description of this novel I put aside my natural aversion to shambling mindless brain eaters and added it to my TBR. I figured that Caine might be the author to change my mind and convince me zombies had a place on my reading list.Bryn is ex military and starting her civilian life as a funeral director. I like what we learn about her, she is smart, considered and strong but Bryn's first day does not go well. A teenage girl mourning her father commits suicide in the bathroom, the morgue attendant attempts to molest her, a gunman is roaming the halls and then she is murdered by her boss when she stumbles upon his nasty secret, an illicit trade in a drug called Returne that reanimates a deceased person and can keep them alive indefinitely as long as they continue to inject it. Hoping that Bryn can answer some questions, Patrick McCallister authorises the use of Returne to revive her and Bryn discovers she is now a pawn in the corrupt machinery of Pharmadene, the developer of the drug.The actual idea of this drug is almost too horrifying to contemplate, and Caine instigates some twists that make it a particularly terrifying prospect. Unless Bryn receives her daily dose, for example, her body will begin to deteriorate while her mind will remain intact. Caine's description of the process isn't too graphic but my imagination shudders at the idea of slipping skin and leaking fluids. Really though, it's the emotional implications of Bryn's new status which gives her character an edge. Caine is quite brutal in exposing the issues Bryn now has to struggle with including the loss of her identity and ability to make life choices. Bryn is constantly under pressure, and the result is a raw, gritty intensity that provides depth to her character.McCallister is the rich, mysterious, Alpha hero with all the appeal that implies but the developing romance is slightly awkward, after all Bryn is technically dead and McCallister is an ordinary human. If you can get past the connotation of necrophilia, then the partnership is actually fairly standard for the genre. Patrick is a little too dominant for my tastes but Caine does hint at emotional depths that I am sure will be revealed as the series progresses.To be honest, zombies still creep me out but Rachel Caine has convinced me that Working Stiff is the start of an entertaining and exciting new series. This is a fast paced, action packed story with a strong premise and interesting characters and I am sure its going to quickly find a fan base amongst urban fantasy readers looking for something a little different. I'm looking forward to the next one already.