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Book Review
Reviewed: 27 October 2024

Grave Words

by: Gerri Lewis

Deadly Deadlines Mystery - Book 2

  • Rating: full starfull starfull starfull starstar outline (4/5)

Who would have thought being an obituary writer could be so dangerous?

Almost exactly a year ago, I found myself up all night reading Book 1 - The Last Word. I completed this, Book 2, in one sitting except I had intended to read a couple of chapters with my morning coffee and put it down until bedtime.  That did not happen, I could not put it down.

This story about Winter Snow (love the name) a Living Legacy and Obituary writer poking into the lives of those she is writing about, is in the middle of arsons and murders in this one.

It was a slow burn that picked up nicely. This story is set in current times, post-pandemic with YouTube Reels and AI references, even a nod to Air Tags. It was nice to see them woven into a story without being forced.

I liked that Winter owned up to her mistakes. She’s had some significant losses in her relatively young life that her uncle and father figure Richard, thinks helps her do her job so well. 

Poor Kip, boyfriend to Winter and police detective who is stuck between a rock and hard place, trying to do his job and keep Winter safe. Their relationship has some growing pains and they seemed to come through them ok.

Horace and Richard, to have people who care about you so much is a blessing.

Scoop, wow, what a time he had of things. To be a person of interest in the arsons and murder - yikes!  He wants to cooperate with the police but how can he reveal his source if he wants to continue his career as a journalist.

There are wonderful characters and relationships that are not perfect but relatable. Winter’s thoughts tend to wander but she does come back and as she takes you along for the ride, it seems like she is inviting you to help solve with her. 

A heady mystery that I could not put down until the end.

Thank you to #NetGalley  and #CrookedLaneBooks  for the opportunity to do an early read and share my thoughts on the story. 

Happy Reading!

Release Date: 10-June-2025
Female Sleuth, NetGalley

Plot Summary

In the second installment of the Deadly Deadlines mysteries, obituary writer Winter Snow faces her biggest challenge yet when the body of a homeless man is found in a burning building and her best friend is the main suspect; perfect for fans of Eva Gates and Kate Carlisle.

Winter Snow has had it! With her business in a death drought, her best friend Scoop implicated in a string of arsons, and an obituary listing Winter herself as deceased, her life is heating up. But just as she’s trying to cool things down, she receives her newest assignment: an obituary for Chester, a homeless man found in a burning building.

Promising the local funeral home manager that she will have the obituary by the deadline, Winter is stonewalled at every turn, failing to discover Chester’s last name, or where he came from. When it is discovered that Chester was murdered and that the fire was set to cover it up, all fingers immediately point to Scoop. Not only is Scoop a person of interest in the arsons, he was also the last person to see Chester alive.

As more nails are pounded into Scoop’s coffin, Winter’s uncle Richard hopes to help by inviting the notorious town gossips, The Nosy Parkers, to a neighborhood food fest. Unfortunately, the breadcrumbs they toss set murder in motion.

More determined than ever, Winter must figure out the twists and turns of the case to clear Scoop’s name, putting her on a deadly deadline to solve the murder and avoid meeting the same grave consequences.