Dead Mann Running (Hessius Mann Novels) [Mass Market Paperback]

Who and what is Hessius Mann?

Imagine that Raymond Chandler decided to write a detective novel (The Big Half-Sleep?) but Phillip Marlowe was dead and had been reanimated. Imagine that the process by which he was reanimated left that detective with physical, mental and emotional impediments that affected his ability to act, think, feel and otherwise do his job. Imagine that the story was set at a time and in an environment in which a good segment of the population was "dead" like the detective (Petrucha refers to these reanimated dead as "chakz," and they are the second-class citizens of this world) but another segment of the population was still "alive" and that these two segments were, for the most part, at odds with each other. And, finally, imagine that the case in which the detective was embroiled went to the very heart of of his and the world's predicament.

Or, perhaps, imagine that Philip K. Dick decided to pen a SF novel in which he attempted a variation on one of his more significant themes - what it is and means to be "human" - and instead posed the question as what it is and means to be "alive."

There are some authors of genre fiction, like Chandler and Dick, who transcend the genres in which they write and who craft finely tuned and entertining stories that, when examined and peeled back, reveal layers of meaning and examine deep philosophical questions. Stefan Petrucha is such an author and Dead Mann Running is such a novel.

Title: Dead Mann Running
Author: Stefan Petrucha
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 978-0-451-46474-3

Some zombies just cannot move on with their lives. In Stefan Petrucha's second in the Hessius Mann novel series, "Dead Mann Running," the dark, dry tale of zombies blending with us live humans continues, but this time on a somewhat humanistic note.

This three hundred and thirty nine page paperback book is smaller than the normal size so can be easily hid inside a backpack, toted in a back pocket or tucked under a pillow for safe keeping, away from prying, covetous eyes. With using two of the main profanities freely and bizarre descriptions of body parts from the afterlife, the peculiar topics covered may not be acceptable for preteen age or younger, unless, of course, they are cussing zombies themselves or appear to be.

Without knowing all the gory details of Petrucha's first novel, "Dead Mann Walking," the reader can easily put together the facts in this written in first person tome: past police detective Hess Mann has been executed yet is somewhat alive, has been accused of killing his wife, and is now living haphazardly in the city as a chakz who pathetically still tries to solve police cases. When a live human arm complete with fingers knocks at his door to deliver a briefcase and immediately several rogue groups are trying to confiscate it, Mann and his assistant try to figure out what the two precious vials inside the case really contain and who are their owners.

With his body deteriorating, bones broken yet super-glued together and mind afraid to go feral at any moment, Mann has to deal with his old boss who had slept with his wife and still hates him, a raggedy who is more a ninja than a disfigured young girl, a painted-up zombie newscaster whose supervisor has a niche to help the decaying needy, a charismatic chakz evangelist who communicates to his followers virally by cellphone and a sadistic female scientist who has more than a simple interest in testing her patients. From going into depressing chakz camps, surreal science labs, watched office buildings and a mental asylum, the weary but determine detective tries to solve his past memories of his father, the current deteriorating problems of being a zombie and the fractured future of all mankind.

If you thought you knew everything about how a zombie lives and lasts but want a page turner with bone-snapping twists and turns, this emotional, passionate and very twisted read about zombies verses lifebloods should do the mortal trick.

This is such a great series! It's not something I would have ever picked up on my own but once I started reading the first book I was completely hooked.
This book is different for many reasons, but number one is that the main character is a zombie. No, these aren't of the brain eating variety. In this world they (the government or whoever) can bring people back for various reasons, one is if someone has been proven innocent after they have been given the death penalty. Once they are brought back they have diminished brain activity, rot can set in causing loss of body parts, muscle, skin, etc. They have to work hard to keep their brain working well. Hessius Mann has a better working brain than most, but he still has trouble with his memory. His body is also not in the best shape ever either. Walking or running far just doesn't work so well for him. While he may not be the typical guy for the job, he does a surprisingly good job at it. He has a sense of right and wrong and wants to protect the people, dead and alive.
This book isn't as freaky as the first was and wasn't scary really, but it had plenty of gross bits. There are a lot of nasty zombies (called chakz) with missing parts, but there is a part with some experimentation that would make about anyone cringe.
This had pretty much constant action with very little down time. It was easy to keep reading and hard to put down.
This is what I call a guy UF. Oh plenty of girls will like it, I certainly do, but its light on the romance (pretty nonexistant) and heavy on action and gore. I think there are plenty of UF books that work for men and women, but some men are preferring a more manly book without the romance. I think this would fit that category.I wouldn't recommend this for YA readers unless you've already ventured into adult horror.