Lucky Stiff by Tonia Brown

REVIEW: Lucky Stiff by Tonia Brown

Before getting down to the business of reviewing Lucky Stiff by Tonia Brown, I must make a few disclosures. I consider Tonia one of “my girls”. She penned the lead-off story in May December Publication’s soon-to-be-released anthology, Eye Witness: Zombie. I am the editor and – for what it’s worth – president of MDP. So, yes, Tonia is one on mine. This may cast shadows on my ability to be impartial. Well…at least to those who don’t know me. However, I wouldn’t feel right posting a review for this book and not admitting that I have ties to the author. Sharing time is over. Let’s talk about Lucky Stiff by Tonia Brown (like Babs and Buster Bunny, “no relation.”)

When I was eighteen, I dated a woman almost twice my age for a while. One night, she brought over an “adult movie” for us to watch. I was eighteen and in the Navy…so I’d seen a few of those movies. This, she insisted, was different. The title was A Dirty Western…It had-gasp! a plot! I know! Crazy.

What am I rambling about? Well, if you didn’t catch the double-entendre in the title…then aren’t you just the sweetest thing. Lucky Stiff is not for the kids. So, let me put that our and be very clear. I’ll hide this from my fifteen-year-old son and hope neither of my daughters ever read it. Hey, I’m a dad, and my little girls are angels. Anybody got a problem with that? But I digress.

This book is nor for the prude. But don’t be confused. It is still a zombie book. Taking the trend of sentient zombies to a new level, Tonia Brown has set the bar for “zombie-themed erotica.” Hey, I didn’t think it could be done either, kids. Yet, Ms. Brown has done something unique and special. If she will forgive my simplistic phrasing here, Lucky Stiff is a PWP; Porno-with-a-Plot.

Tonia has shown the world her Peter. Oh, you are all such cheeky monkies! No, gutter-brain, Peter Lyles. He is the protagonist in what I hope is a series. The story she has offered is funny, sad, happy, sexy, and still manages to be a fine addition to the zombie realm.

Let me sneak in a comment on the technical side. As part of the small-press community, I am aware that many offerings are poorly edited at best in many cases. This is a clean book. (Although President Regan’s name was misspelled…but if that’s the biggest glitch…then I’d say there is little to complain about.) the editing is well above the norm and makes Tonia’s book even more of a gem. It takes away some of the ammo that more prudish types will be firing. However, I don’t think she’ll care a whit for those who treat her book like a piñata. The confidence of Tonia’s writing voice holds true form beginning to end.

Lucky Stiff is fun. Don’t pick it up expecting a gore-fest. Instead, be prepared for a copious amount of ribaldry and well-crafted sex scenes. I know…that doesn’t sound quite right in a zombie book, but Tonia pulls it off. Better still, when the time comes for a good, old-fashioned zombie feeding-frenzy…she nails that as well.

Now, my college writing teacher taught me that praise—when due—is fine. Yet, for a writer to grow, there must be criticism. So, here is mine. I felt the story built to a fantastic climax. However, that denouement felt rushed. It seemed she had taken so much time building to the conclusion that there was a bit of a rush to the last page. Endings are tricky, but I have no doubt that, with this title under her belt, Tonia Brown will only get better.

I can easily recommend this book as a fun read. But, I stress, this is a book with a strong NC-17 rating at the very least. So, if you have an open mind, Lucky Stiff is going to give you a good time.

Available at Amazon