The Ungrateful Dead: Prequel to The Zen Man

by Colleen Collins

When a dead body shows up at a coroner’s conference, Rick Levine — a former, fallen-from-grace defense attorney and current private eye — investigates the murder with help from his new girlfriend Laura, making this a date she’ll never forget!

“I loved The Zen Man and really had fun catching Rick and Laura’s first case in the prequel, The Ungrateful Dead. These novels have everything I love in a mystery: smart dialogue, a flawed hero, a little romance and a great plot. Murder at a coroner’s conference? What could be more fun!” ~ Nancy Warren USA Today Bestselling Author of The Toni Diamond mysteries

“…Fantastic read, wonderful characters, and told with a dry humor that really serves to compliment the story, Colleen Collins’ has delivered another gem with the “The Ungrateful Dead”. I highly recommend it!” ~ 5 Star Amazon Review

In 2008, I wrote a mystery short story, The Ungrateful Dead, based on two characters, Rick Levine (a private investigator) and Laura Fitzhugh (his girlfriend), who spend their first romantic weekend together at a coroner’s conference. I can guess what you’re thinking: “Is she kidding?  A romantic weekend at a coroner’s conference?” I happen to know this is possible because, as the saying goes, I’ve been there and done that.

During the decade that my husband and I ran a private detective agency in Denver, Colorado, we were invited several times by our state coroner association to give presentations at their annual conferences. Both times, the association treated us to a lovely hotel room, paid for our meals, and more. Just like Rick and Laura in The Ungrateful Dead, we made romantic weekends out of hanging out with a lot of coroners.

But unlike Rick and Laura, we didn’t end up investigating a murder at the conference!