Rating: 
Summary: Too wordy
Review: . . . for it was he, after all, who said "Easy reading is damned hard writing!"Enter Tim Cockey and his alter-ego, funeral dirctor Hitchcock Sewell, the product of said "damned hard writing." Sewell's character, his narrative voice, the ever-so-slightly offcenter and otherwise cockeyed denizens of Sewell's immediate environment . . . all of these factors are the product of an author's devotion to Hawthorne's dictum. The result is superbly seductive: Cockey needn't throw in a mystery to keep his reader hooked! Sewell Hitchcock -- "Hitch," to those of us who have come to know and love him -- is quite possibly the most well-adjusted protagonist to come down the literary pike in many a year. Had he been created 40 years earlier, for example, it would be child's play to imagine him as Cary Grant (think 'Arsenic and Old Lace,' for example) as he maneuvers his way through this novel. Kudos to author Cockey. At the same time, it must be admitted, if you turn to this book expecting a hard-edged, nail-biting, "how-the-hell-is-he-ever-gonna-get-himself-out-of-this-scrape" page-turner, you're likely to be disappointed. Too much of the action takes place "off-page," or "off-camera" (if you're of that generation) for this to qualify as a 'can't put it down' thriller. This would qualify as a disappointment, were it not for the fact that Hitch and the rest of the characters (and their 'tangential-to-the-plot'activities) keep the book rolling merrily along. This is the first in what appears to be a series of books (catch-phrase, "The Hearse . . .") which will keep readers lining up for some time to come. I've already got my place in that line staked out; don't even thing about cutting in ahead of me!
Rating: 
Summary: Nathaniel Hawthorne Would Be Proud . . .
Review: . . . for it was he, after all, who said "Easy reading is damned hard writing!" Enter Tim Cockey and his alter-ego, funeral dirctor Hitchcock Sewell, the product of said "damned hard writing." Sewell's character, his narrative voice, the ever-so-slightly offcenter and otherwise cockeyed denizens of Sewell's immediate environment . . . all of these factors are the product of an author's devotion to Hawthorne's dictum. The result is superbly seductive: Cockey needn't throw in a mystery to keep his reader hooked! Sewell Hitchcock -- "Hitch," to those of us who have come to know and love him -- is quite possibly the most well-adjusted protagonist to come down the literary pike in many a year. Had he been created 40 years earlier, for example, it would be child's play to imagine him as Cary Grant (think 'Arsenic and Old Lace,' for example) as he maneuvers his way through this novel. Kudos to author Cockey. At the same time, it must be admitted, if you turn to this book expecting a hard-edged, nail-biting, "how-the-hell-is-he-ever-gonna-get-himself-out-of-this-scrape" page-turner, you're likely to be disappointed. Too much of the action takes place "off-page," or "off-camera" (if you're of that generation) for this to qualify as a 'can't put it down' thriller. This would qualify as a disappointment, were it not for the fact that Hitch and the rest of the characters (and their 'tangential-to-the-plot'activities) keep the book rolling merrily along. This is the first in what appears to be a series of books (catch-phrase, "The Hearse . . .") which will keep readers lining up for some time to come. I've already got my place in that line staked out; don't even thing about cutting in ahead of me!
Rating: 
Summary: Take Hitch to the beach...
Review: ...and find out who's "supple as an oyster". It took a charming undertaker with a wry sense of humor to turn me into a murder mystery reader. You will love Hitchcock Sewell, you'll visit "virtual Baltimore", and you'll come away with a few wisecracking lines that will woo any "Kate" you may encounter! Have more fun at the beach...take Hitch with you! I can't wait for book #2!!!
Rating:
Summary: Funniest Murder Mystery ever read!
Review: A great book. The lead character, an undertaker, has a great sense of humor. This book kept me laughing, even through the murders.
Rating: 
Summary: The Hearse You Came In On
Review: A page turner from the first paragraph. Interesting concept in that the main character, Hitchcock Sewell, is the blandest of all the other characters in the book. He is the absolute perfect foil for his zany ex-wife, the complicated female detective, the ruthless politcal candidate, the ever pushy old school chum, his wry ex-inlaw local tavern owners, to name but a few. The fact that Hitch and his aunt own a funeral home doesn't really play a major part in the storyline except for the mention of a few oddball wakes and funerals here and there and it is used as the venue for the 2 main characters to meet and begin the mystery. Snappy dialogue and fast pace makes for a good solid read. Will definitely buy Cockey's next book.
Rating:
Summary: Amusing and entertaining
Review: Bought this book on a whim (and because of an Amazon.com recommendation). The premise of a funeral director who was in to investigating crimes sounded quirky enough to be interesting and the title suggested a sense of humour that I might appreciate. As it turns out this is quite a funny book, largely due to the characters and their interrelationships. Not being from Baltimore (which is the setting for the book) there may well have been other jokes that I missed, although I knew what was being said in some of the very snide references to Maine. Certainly, Tim Cockey has a wry sense of humour and makes good use of it in Hitchcock Sewell. The murder mystery at the centre of the plot is also quite engaging and complex and managed to keep its secrets till the end. However the denouement itself felt a bit rushed and almost a means of resolving a relationship between two of the characters. Having said that, this book was lots of fun and easy to read (I knocked it off in two days with very little actual reading time). I am more than likely to read the other books featuring Hitchcock Sewell. It wouldn't surprise me to see a film script being made from this one.
Rating:
Summary: Jolly good fun!
Review: Browsing through the bookstore as I am apt to do on a weekend, I was attracted to this book by its clever title and the cute little hearses on the cover. THE HEARSE YOU CAME IN ON is a highly entertaining and hilariously funny mystery, reminiscent of the best screwball comedies of the 30's. In a genre that seems to be cluttered by tortured, angst-ridden protagonists, Hitchcock Sewell is a truly original and refreshing change. He's young, handsome (if he does say so himself) and an undertaker! With its likeable characters, razor sharp wit and snappy dialogue, THE HEARSE YOU CAME IN ON draws you in from the first sentence and keeps you turning pages. I look forward to many more books featuring undertaker/sleuth Hitchcock Sewell!
Rating:
Summary: Most enjoyable
Review: Effortless, good-humored prose; well-developed, quirky characters; and a malodorous whiff of politics make for a very entertaining book. I've already bought Hearse of a Different Color and look forward to more of Cockey's tales in the life of a young undertaker. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Hitchcock's Hearse: A great Undertaking
Review: For mystery buffs who are looking for something different, here's a suspense/detective yarn with a sprinkling of laughs - even a corpse by the name of Sprinkle. Lots of zany, wonderful characters, and I'm still wondering if Carol, and ex-Maine saloon owner, is still holed up in the Fells Point hotel, ready to make another appearance in Cockey's sequel. Yep, I recommend this book for a lighter respite from all the novels about serial killers.
Rating:
Summary: Great Expectations
Review: Great title and a great first line - two elements that I always look for in a book. Mr. Cockey certainly set me up for what I thought would be a knock-out read with this initial one-two combo. Unfortunately, I found this novel an uneven effort that left me wanting for more. I've given "Hearse" 3 stars because, even though I think it failed to deliver on what could have been a really solid work, Mr. Cockey shows some flashes of inspiration and real talent. He is especially good at establishing a real rapport between Hitch and the reader. However, he proceeds to undo some of this good work by having Hitch behave in a most naive manner at certain key moments - readers who've completed the novel will know what I mean. Without giving anything away, Hitch's worldly-wise, smart-mouthed attitude found in the first-person narrative is conspicuously absent when he is confronted with the grim realities of what he's stumbled onto. Perhaps my opinion is clouded by the fact that I'm not a big fan of the amateur sleuth. It just seems to me that Hitch does a bit too much of the "hitching" and not enough of the "sleuthing". Still, despite what I perceive to be flaws in this debut effort, most readers will probably find this quite an enjoyable early-summer read.
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