Death Will Get You Sober

by Elizabeth Zelvin and Rita Chang-Eppig

Book Overview

On Christmas Day, Bruce Kohler wakes up in detox on the Bowery in New York City. He knows it's time to change his life, but how can he stay sober without dying of boredom? When homeless alcoholics start to die unexpectedly, Bruce is surprised to find he cares enough to want to find out why. Most of them had been down and out for many years, but Bruce's friend Guff was different: a cynical aristocrat with a trust fund and some secrets. Two old friends...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312375891
• ISBN13: 9780312375898
• Release Date: April 2008
• Publisher: Minotaur Books
• Length: 259 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.0" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Reviewed for Midwest Book Review

Bruce Kohler has been in and out of detox centers most of his adult life. On Christmas day, he isn't too surprised to find himself in another center, this one on the Bowery in New York City. Bruce quickly befriends fellow patient Godfrey Kettleworth, III, a man on the outs with his rich family and not too popular with the staff. While in detox, an alcoholic with terminal cancer is found dead in the laundry room and Godfrey dies right before Bruce's eyes. With the help of his lifetime friend Jimmy and Jimmy's girlfriend Barbara, a counselor who has worked at the Bowery before, Bruce begins his own investigation into these two mysterious deaths, which unravels a murderous pattern among detox centers in New York and places his own life in jeopardy. Zelvin's debut novel provides the reader with an insightful peek into the mind and life of an alcoholic trying to stay sober, as well as AA's 12-step program. The characters are intriguing and well-developed, especially alcoholic Bruce who faces a continual battle to refrain from drinking, and Barbara, a codependent counselor with a witty sense of humor. The plot moves at a fast pace with plenty of twists and turns and suspicious characters lurking about, all set within the glorious backdrop of New York City. This entertaining mystery is sure to draw fans anxious to read future books by this talented author.

Great new series

Zelvin manages to create one of those worlds you don't want to leave. Jimmy, Barbara, and Bruce are fun to come home to, so I'm looking forward to the next in the series. But what really impressed me is Zelvin's ability to mix street smarts with therapeutic insights, all with quick and funny dialogue, rich prose, and clever plot twists.

An excellent debut

I just finished Death Will Get You Sober. I live in south Louisiana and enjoyed learning so much about New Yorkers from this book. I, like most people, know people who have a problem with alcohol and/or recovering alcoholics. Zelvin's job as a counselor helping those with the problem gives us an accurate inner look at what alcoholics go through. We care about the people in the story. I look forward to being with them again. Great story. June Shaw

Reviewing: Death Will get You Sober

Waking up in detox is not a new thing for Bruce Kohler. This time around it is Christmas Day and this time it is on the Bowery in New York City. Bruce knows what to do to stay sober. The real trick is making it last and up until now he hasn't been able to despite his friends Jimmy and Barbara. After so many attempts, they know have adopted a hands off approach and are waiting for Bruce to get serious about staying sober. He quickly befriends another inmate Godfrey Brandon Kettleworth the Third who goes by the nicknamed of "God" to the annoyance of some and amusement of others. But, with Bruce he shares that he would prefer to be called Guff. He shares a few other interesting tidbits about his family and his past but not a lot as Guff is a cynical and private person. Bruce and Guff are kindred souls and recognize pieces of themselves in each other and as a result a friendship born of location and circumstances is growing into the real deal. Both are well into their thirty day stretch when, during the middle of the night, Godfrey has some sort of seizure before dying in front of Bruce. His death along with other recent events makes Bruce suspicious that something sinister is going on and it could involve the Bowrey staff. With support and assistance from Jimmy and Barbara, Bruce begins to investigate the issue while battling to change his ways and remain sober. After all, they reason, if he has something to occupy his mind other than contemplating his own life, Bruce might actual make it this time sobriety wise. His sobriety, along with his own life, could easily be considerably shortened if certain people have their way. This debut novel by psychotherapist Elizabeth Zelvin is based in large part on her experiences directing alcohol treatment programs. With an extensive background dealing with issues of alcoholism, addiction, and codependency among others, one could expect a novel full of jargon and information dumping on the subject. One could be very wrong. Instead, what is here is a novel full of rich and complicated characters in a different setting than most novels dealing with the age old problem of murder in their midst. The backdrop is alcoholism and treatment but the main thrust of the novel is murder. Like any novel of any depth at all, the characters have to deal with real life issues at the same time and such is the case here. Instead of jargon filled informational dumping, author Elizabeth Zelvin releases the information piecemeal when warranted. The result is an engrossing and complex tale at a mere 259 pages that provides a glimpse of the real world of detox and chronic addiction. Along with that glimpse, the author skillfully weaves in the primary tale of family, friendship, deceit, murder and the basic idea that craving for something can come in many forms with just a few of them being socially acceptable. Kevin R. Tipple (copyright)2008

Funny and Gripping

"Death Will Get You Sober" had me laughing out loud while I was also holding my breath to find out what would happen to the hero trying to stay sober. The Russian icon sub-plot, the devoted friends of the hero, and the dysfunctional family two members of which are murdered in the course of this gripping debut mystery all had me on the edge of my seat. The "perp" is completely unpredictable, and the details of the NYC setting are vivid. Will this first book become a series? I closed the book wanting more!