Done: "The Morgue and Me" by John C. Ford

Done: The Morgue and Me by John C. Ford, 2009, 9780670010967.

I saw online by Ford on either a blog or the Facebooking Box. That was a reminder I had not yet read any of his novels. This book was on the shelf so I took it.

18-year-old Christopher lives on the West Coast of Michigan. Chris just graduated high school but his summer internship at the local University fell through after he was caught by the police sneaking into the under construction observatory.

Chris instead lands a part-time job at the county morgue that is housed in the local hospital. Chris is intent on being a spy when he grows up and thinks this will teach him... something. I didn't quite understand his teenager reasoning.

While at the morgue a body comes in and the local Sheriff and Medical Examiner are deep in conversation. Chris tries to sneak a look at the corpse but is sent off by the Sheriff. Chris later sneaks into the cooler room, uncovers the body, and discovers bullet holes in corpse's chest. Chris takes lots of photos. Chriss sees the newspaper article declaring the death a suicide. Chris also finds several thousand bucks in cash in the Medical Examiner's desk.

Things happen. Chris wants to find out what happened. Chris contacts the local news reporter who wrote the suicide story and shares information with Hot Young Reporter. Chris's best pal is a drinker and a bookie and dissuades Chris from investigating.

The rest of the story heads into local corruption and local real estate shenanigans. The family of Chris's friends gets involved. Chris deals with the girl who broke his heart a few months ago. Chris is tongue-tied around Hot Young Reporter. Chris acts like a teenager. He is impulsive, optimistic, idealistic, afraid, partially out from under his parents's wings.

This is an easy going story that would comfortably be shelved in a YA section since there is little to no sex and the violence does not get gory. I enjoyed the story.