Review: The Bastard Mummy injects some lighthearted fun into the world of River City
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 29, 2011
"The Bastard Mummy" is a really fun museum caper story set in Frank Zafiro's River City universe.  River City is a slightly fictionalized version of Spokane, Washington where some of the names have been changed to protect the innocent.  The real Spokane has its share of interesting criminals, but they can't hold a candle to Zafiro's Russian mobsters and quirky small-time crooks.The real Spokane has a museum, but they've probably never dealt with anything like the premise of Zafiro's story."The Bastard Mummy" is something of a change of pace for River City Police Department Major Crimes Detectives Finch and Elias.  Usually, their cases are more grounded in reality, but this story finds them (much to their chagrin) having to deal with a lighthearted whodunit that's kind of like something you might see in a USA series such as "White Collar" or "Psych."  First-time Zafiro readers and seasoned fans alike should appreciate the banter between the two leads and all the fun twists and turns of the story.If you enjoy "The Bastard Mummy", the next logical step is to buy the short story anthology "Dead Even."  "The Bastard Mummy" is one of several Finch and Elias tales in the collection.  This story stands on its own, but it will seem even better once you understand how it fits into River City continuity.