In Lucky Stiff by Tonia Brown – Peter, our hero, is kind of a loser. Dying during a spring break drug overdose, as losers sometimes do, his panicked and not-too bright friends bring him to a backwoods Voodoo Mistress, who then resurrects him into the world’s first undead super-gigolo. Will our hero ever find true love? Will the secret to his success be discovered? With an erection that lasts WAY longer than four hours, will he ever get to the doctor…?

When I think of interesting literary combinations (Techno-thriller, paranormal romance, steam punk mixed with anything else), two things I would never have thought about putting together are the words EROTIC and the word ZOMBIE. To my admittedly juvenile brain, the idea of an Erotic Zombie novel conjures up slapstick imagery of body parts falling off at highly inopportune, yet highly hilarious moments. I can’t help it. Sue me.

So, when I picked up a copy of Tonia Brown’s “Lucky Stiff” (One of the greatest and totally apropos titles ever), I wasn’t sure what to make of it. I knew Tonia Brown from her work in the Steam punk genre, and I knew her to be a deft and capable storyteller but, come on, an erotic zombie novel? Seriously? I was not expecting much.

You know what? It works.

Tonia Brown, to her credit, has created a tale that is touching, funny, emotional and gripping all in one. Make no mistake. This isn’t your mother’s zombie story. Peter, the story’s protagonist, isn’t a typical rip-your-guts-out ghoul; instead, feeding off the power generated by female orgasms. There is a certain whimsy in Brown’s narrative, told with a decidedly feminist hue, but it’s subtle and never gets preachy. This is simply a story of a guy who learns how to be a man. He’s just not a part of the living anymore. Peter is an affable guy. Someone who everybody has known once in their life. You want him to succeed, and his journey is fun to tag along with, so big kudos to Tonia Brown for taking a combination that could have been ungodly bad, and making something pleasant and ultimately life-affirming out of it. I enjoyed the hell out of this book. There. I admitted it.

Any wet spots on this otherwise clean bed? Well, sort of. I would have liked to have seen the envelope pushed just a bit more. There was opportunity to really get down and dirty, and at times, it felt like something you’d see at midnight on Cinemax. That’s really all. “Lucky Stiff” is a well-written tale that totally exceeded my expectations. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this to someone looking for a different kind of zombie story.

Available at Amazon