Reaping By Numbers: A Dead-End Job by Nicole Givens Kurtz; Fun and Interesting Take on The Grim Reaper

 Reaping By Numbers: A Dead-End Job by Nicole Givens Kurtz; Fun and Interesting Take on The Grim Reaper 

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: Nicole Givens Kurtz knows how to write mysteries set in unique settings or populated with unique characters. Her novel, Glitches and Stitches is set in the future where AI is so omnipresent that people have a hard time separating the orga from the mecha which complicates a murder investigation. Kill Three Birds is a murder mystery set in a world of anthropomorphic birds. Her latest Reaping By Numbers also has an interesting premise in which a murder is investigated by none other than the Grim Reaper, well a Grim Reaper anyway.

Note, I said a Grim Reaper, as in plural more than one. Kurtz’s take on Reapers is that it is a job like any other. They are mostly human but are led by demons who work for the original Grim Reaper, also known as G. They don't kill people or cause them to die so much as they are there at the point of death and escort them in the transition between life and lifelessness. 

Patrice Williams is one such Reaper. Her reaping skills come naturally because they are inherited from her father who was an excellent Reaper in his day. Her latest assignment puts her right in the middle of a murder investigation, a turf war between various demonic factions, a meddlesome angel, and demonic possession. Patrice has to use all of her skills particularly when her own family is involved, especially her niece, Brianna, whose body inadvertently becomes the vessel of a very angry and violent demon.

In a strange way, Reaping By Numbers is the complete opposite of my previous book, Secrets at The Aviary Inn by Maryann Clarke. Secrets explores an ordinary conflict of a woman researching her family history but gives it some enchanting touches in setting and character that almost makes it seem like a Contemporary Fantasy. Reaping By Numbers takes an otherworldly fantastic situation of reapers guiding people after death and finds a dark humor by exploring the ordinary mundanity of the situation. 

Patrice clocks in and out like everyone else, does her shift, takes her breaks, deals with co-workers and supervisors, some encouraging and others obnoxious, collects her earnings, and goes home. Okay she's dealing with the recently deceased but so do morgue attendants and funeral home workers. What's so strange about that? Alright, her bosses are demons that emerged from the darkest pits of Hell but aren't all of our bosses? Yes, she has to face some very unpleasant encounters with dark magic, soul sucking spirits, wrathful ghosts, and avenging angels but no job is perfect. The benefits are great, particularly when you are alive to enjoy them. 

The way that her family is portrayed is that of a loving supportive foundation but are divided on various issues. Patrice's father is proud that his daughter is following in his footsteps. He is very encouraging as they talk shop though he also sternly warns her about some of the more dangerous aspects of the job. 

Not all of her family is supportive, particularly her religious mother and intrusive sister. Her mother is concerned that her daughter is consorting with demons. Her sister is trying to live a normal life with her pastor husband and children and feels that Patrice's profession could bring unwanted trouble within their family circle. Her worst fears come true when her daughter is possessed by demons.

Brianna's possession is a central plot point in this book. Kurtz conveys the anguish and fear that her family has, particularly Patrice who has to actively remove the demon while dealing with her own guilt and uncertainty about her chosen path. Patrice's dialogue with Brianna is the strongest emotional core especially when the young girl shows some potential to be a Reaper herself. 

Reaping By Numbers conveys a lot of dark humor but a lot of emotions in this book about a woman who considers hanging out with the dead as just another day at work.

New Book Alert: Glitches and Stitches (Death Violation 01) by Nicole Givens Kurtz; Police Procedural Mystery Set in The Future Focuses on Gay Heroes, AI Dependency, and Genetic Engineering

 

New Book Alert: Glitches and Stitches (Death Violation 01) by Nicole Givens Kurtz; Police Procedural Mystery Set in The Future Focuses on Gay Heroes, AI Dependency, and Genetic Engineering

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: If Science Fiction/Mysteries have shown us anything, it's that the future will be just as violent and destructive as the present. Except that there will be crimes involving AI, advanced technology, genetic engineering, cloning, and possibly aliens and interstellar travel (at least the fictional version anyway). The crossover genre shows that the human race will be just as temperamental, avaricious, lustful, rage filled, and violent as ever. They will just have new technology with which to use their schemes.

That's the premise behind Nicole Givens Kurtz's Death Violation and its first book, Glitches and Stitches. As Kurtz did with her previous book, Kill Three Birds, she puts a conventional murder mystery in an unusual setting. Kill Three Birds took place in a world of anthropomorphic birds. Glitches and Stitches is instead set in the future in which technology and AI threaten to overpower the human element.

Inspector Regulators, Fawn Granger and Briscoe "BB" Baker are called in to investigate the death of Dr. Leonard Cho, scientist at the Association of Genetically Engineered Humans. The duo find themselves smack dab in the middle of a case involving illicit genetic engineering and technological dependency. They also have to struggle with their own conflicts to keep this search going.

Kurtz does a good job of creating a suspenseful police procedural mystery and surrounding it with a futuristic science fiction setting. It's not as imaginative a setting as say Eternity in Russ Colchamiro's Angela Hardwicke series but it still has some fascinating touches to remind the Reader that "Yes, this is the future." 

One of the clever things that Kurtz zeroes in on but some SF writers overlook is the use of language and slang terms. In this setting, people aren't "murdered." They had a "death violation." It could be a sign of political correctness or just a change in police terminology. Perhaps, even an intentional reference to how current controversies towards the police force will reconstruct how they behave in the future. It's just one of those things that a masterful speculative fiction author like Kurtz acknowledges.

Another sample of Kurtz's attention to detail is the apparent change in social structure. Neither Fawn nor BB are interested in each other because they are both gay. BB is in a committed relationship in which his husband is worried about his dangerous job.

Fawn has massive PTSD and is considering relocating to the Southwest, but this case and a new relationship with an EMT restores her desire for justice and search for love.

Currently, the LGBT community are faced with various controversies such as their rights being scaled back by many bigoted Republicans, Evangelicals, and Conservatives. Because the present is so awful, it is nice in Kurtz's futuristic world that not much is made of Fawn and BB's sexualities.

In the future of Glitches and Stitches, when future generations can be created in ways besides procreation, Conservatives can't even use that excuse to prohibit rights. So, Fawn and BB are seen like any other hard-working cop that is faced with a dangerous job with little time for a social life though they try.

Of course in a science fiction world, many themes that come across are the overabundance of technology and whether we are in danger of losing our humanity. Glitches and Stitches is no exception.

Fawn and BB investigate some genetic engineering that could change humans and for the worse. It's a scary thought to imagine that someone else could change another's DNA or genetic code without their knowledge or consent (or if they give consent without being told all of the options and pros and cons towards such actions so they can make real informed choices).

This book also discusses how AI is used as an option for even the most basic of needs like sexual pleasure. In fact there are hints that there is an android prostitute ring in which horny AI lovers can satisfy their carnal pleasures without human contact. It says something that even the most basic needs like sex need a technological instead of human interaction in Glitches and Stitches. In this book, humans have even lost the opportunity to become close together physically. 

It's not a perfect futuristic world that Kurtz writes in her book. But like all murder mysteries, there will always be people like Fawn and BB who care about justice, fairness, protecting the innocent, and caring for those around them.  

New Book Alert: Kill Three Birds A Kingdom of Aves Mystery by Nicole Givens Kurtz; Murder Mystery That's For The Birds

 New Book Alert: Kill Three Birds A Kingdom of Aves Mystery by Nicole Givens Kurtz; Murder Mystery That's For The Birds

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: Just when I thought that I read every type of murder mystery that has been written, along comes someone like Nicole Givens Kurtz who flies high with a very imaginative and mysterious tale that is definitely for the birds. That's because Kurtz's novel Kill Three Birds, the first of her Kingdom of Aves series is about a colony of anthropomorphic birds or shape shifting humans with birdlike abilities. (It's made ambiguous whether the characters are birds or humans. The cover says one thing but the book implies something else). Either way this book is one that is filled to the beak with a great imagination and world building that surrounds an engaging plot.

Hawk Prentice Tasifa is called to investigate a young woman's murder. Gretchen Finch, a member of one of the oldest and most revered families in the Gould community was found beaten to death. Even though Gretchen came from a seemingly religious family that worshipped the Goddess, she had a wild mischievous side and was said to have taken a crow for a lover. (Not approved of by her family.) As with all murder mysteries Hawk Prentice has to use her talents (which in the case includes sharp eye sight, high flying ability, hunting talents, a devotion to a Goddess figure, and talons that you do not want to be caught by) to ask questions, get stalked by suspects, and get out into and out of dangerous situations before she finds the perpetrator who committed this fowl crime.

One thing to make clear: Despite this featuring talking animal characters, this is not a book for the kids. There are violent graphic moments and sexual situations are discussed. There is a lot of talk about cults, subjugation of women, double standards, and some borderline incestuous moments within some members of Gretchen's family. 

Unlike say The Voyages of Gethsarade by M.G. Claybrook which masquerades as a children's book but is deeper and really written for adults, Kill Three Birds is definitely for adults. It is no more a book for kids than Animal Farm or Maus (two books  in which Kill Three Birds shares a great deal in common, including using animal characters as an allegory for humanity's more violent and domineering tendencies).This is a murder mystery set in a fantasy world in which characters have bird like qualities but are extremely violent, backstabbing, tyrannical, and cruel. Ages 13 and up would be the best Readers for this type of book.

That being said, Kurtz's world building is beyond impressive. It is fascinating how many details that she captures with her avian characters to make them believable as both birds and fleshed out characters. She clearly studied how birds interact, their mannerisms, family dynamics, mating rituals, and abilities to make a complete picture.

Kurtz however is not necessarily bound to nature's rules when portraying her characters. Some of their behavior is by choice and not necessarily animal instinct. This is shown with how she flip flops the notion of birds that are considered predators and those that are considered prey. 

While some fit known stereotypes such as Balthazar Dove, a literal dove of peace who is a priest, others do not. The most heroic charracter is Hawk Prentice, a bird that is known to attack and feast upon smaller animals. No mention is made of her natural predatory characteristics and most seem to trust that she will get the job done. In fact her relentless hunting skills and sharp eyesight, a talent that many hawks possess, are particularly helpful in her career as a,l law enforcement officer.

By that same token, many of the more suspicious characters are smaller birds, ones that are usually thought of as domesticated innocent creatures. Some behave in a very sinister clannish nature and are suspicious of outsiders. Others are hiding secrets that hinder the investigation (that is until they either turn stool pigeons or sing like canaries). Like all good murder mysteries, Kurtz distorts what we believe about innocence and guilt and subverts our expectations in surprising ways.

Kill Three Birds is a brilliant cross genre of murder mystery and fantasy. It is certainly a feather in Nicole Givens Kurtz's cap of imaginative excellent writing.