”…an engaging and page turning romp that you won’t want to miss. The protagonist is thoroughly likable, even as she offends practically everyone she meets with her winning personality. A fun, satisfying read with plenty of twists, turns, and surprises.” ~Reader’s FirstSidelined by an on the job injury, veteran paranormal investigator Maureen Keslyn reluctantly accepts an assignment at Shadow … assignment at Shadow Valley Manor, an upscale retirement facility where someone–or something–is picking off residents and staff at a grisly clip. With her resources dwindling one death at a time and unnatural forces on the loose, Maureen’s experience fighting the supernatural provides her only hope to destroy a clever and powerful evil before everybody in the manor–and the town–winds up dead. Together with a ragtag team that includes the local sheriff, the undertaker’s daughter, and the facility cook whose knife skills in the kitchen could prove deadly out of it–Maureen is on a mission to bring rest to the weary, and peace to the dead…
”Delightfully dark humor . . . Supernatural thrills and a fast-paced, complex plot . . . One of the best and most unique series I’ve read in a very long time” ~Susan Spann, author of The Shinobi Mysteries).
“What do you get when you cross a supernatural thriller with a cozy mystery, set it in a nursing home, and top it off with a geriatric vampire? A deliciously spine-tingling read full of original characters and biting wit you don’t want to miss, that’s what!” —Linda Grimes, author of the Ciel Halligan series
“A fun mystery with an amazing main character I loved. Very much recommended.” —Alex Hughes, author of the Mindspace Investigations Series
“Creepy suspense, insidious evil, and things that go bump in the night infuse this story with thrills and chills all the way to a terrifying ending.” –Nancy J. Cohen, author of The Bad Hair Mysteries
“A smart and tenacious band of heroes–led by one kick-ass heroine . . . An engaging, sizzling start to a new series.” —Tammy Kaehler, award-winning author of the Kate Reilly Mystery Series
“Paranormal thrills, a feisty middle-aged heroine, and a tantalizing mystery set in a creepy rest home . . . Clever, fast-paced, and fun.” —Lisa Alber, author of Kilmoon and Whispers in the Mist.
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Dead Before Dying is about a paranormal investigation, at a retirement home, led by an older injured FBI agent who specializes in perpetrators of the weird kind.
Maureen has just been released from the hospital when her handler tosses another job in her lap. Move into the Shadow Valley Manor, a retirement home for the old, and figure out who or what is killing off the elderly patients.
With a lot of odd characters, a sexy older Sheriff, weird teenager and vet who suffers from PTSD, this story is a constant twisty path until the end. I can’t wait to read the next book!
This was a great paranormal suspense mystery. I loved that the heroine was an over-forty middle-aged woman that could kick some butt, which made her very relatable to me since I’m over forty. The story was full of twists and turns and kept you guessing until the very end. Definitely worth checking out.
This series is great. So enjoying it. Love the fact the main character is older (like me)!
I really enjoyed this book. It took me a little bit of time to get into it, but once I did I was hooked. I’m looking forward to reading more books in this series. I thought Maureen was a hoot, and she is also extremely intelligent. This story was super original!
I LOVED this book! Think Supernatural meets X-Files. If you were ever a fan of either show, you will love this book too! It’s a supernatural mystery tied together with a quirky kind of humor.
I can’t believe I’ve had this book for awhile and I’m just now getting to read it. This is a new author to me but is fast becoming a favorite. This has a lot of action and suspense and it keeps you glued to your seat. I can’t wait to read more by this author.
Good evening, my fellow Book Dragons. I hope the start of this new week has not been too hectic. Our Gem this evening is meant to take your mind off your pains in the neck…for awhile. It isn’t your normal Gem. It’s a bullet..not your average bullet. It’s made of silver. And it’s part of a kit. I don’t have the rest of the pieces. I know there were stakes, a mallet, a type of salt sprayer, something that looked like a insect repellant spray gun and a few other things.. this is all I was able to get of the collection. But isn’t it fine? The craftsmanship is A1! Nothing sloppy here. Very professional. Someone cared about the quality of their work on this one. That someone is Gem Maker Kerry Schafer and this is her work “Dead Before Dying”.
This is the tale of Maureen Keslyn. She’s a “Consultant” for the F.B.I. Very special. Not many people do what Maureen does. As far as she knows, there are only three. Herself, a young man named Abel and a man a bit older than her. The creme de la creme: Phil Evers. Her old boss, The Man, the Big Enchilada of what her specialty is. And it is a very special specialty, indeed.
Maureen has been hurt very, very badly on her last assignment. The book opens with her being released from the hospital be a very young, and very condescending doctor. She’s not yet 60, but he’s acting like she’s 80 and she’s not happy. She’s capable, she is efficient, she’s exceptionally good at what she does, even if she does have an unhealed wound in her stomach and a leg with more pins in it than a paper donkey at a five year old’s birthday party. She leaves the hospital with Abel. He takes her home, but there is another woman already living there with her husband. Apparently husband expected to be a widower and Maureen’s tenacity for living messed up his plans.
Abel tells her Phil has a job for her. A small job, nothing to taxing. To go undercover in a nursing home. She’s not happy. A nursing home? For heaven’s sake. She’s not 80. But considering her home situation, she has no place to go. She needs something. She relents. But Shadow Valley isn’t going to be very restful, is going to be more taxing than she dreamed and instead of tea and cookies and naps she’s going to need that silver bullet I showed you … and a whole lot more. Crucifix anyone?
I have already told you more than I wanted to, but there really was no other way to do it.
I have never read a book like this and I loved it. I was wishing for more when it was finished. Schafer has taken the Murder Mystery and Horror and turned them on the heads. This is sheer genius! Her characters are masterful. Her descriptions of time, place, who, what, when and why will leave you reminding yourself to take a breath or two. After a few pages, you will no longer be reading, you will be seeing. I saw what was going on. I stood there listening to conversations, holding objects in my claws, wiping spittle and blood from my covers, letting my tea get cold. Kerry Schafer, look up your history, my dear, somewhere, somehow, in some deep, dark branch of your family tree Mr. Stoker is hiding along with Mr. Poe and I am pretty sure I heard Shirley Jackson giggling up there in the thickness of those leaves. Yes, it has to be Shirley.
Do yourself a favor, and soon. Get “Dead Before Dying”. I am very happy I had the honor to read this book. I hope there is a sequel. I hope there are many sequels. Maureen Keslyn is no spring chicken, but there is a lot of life in the old girl yet!
Until tomorrow, I remain, your humble Book Dragon, Drakon T. Longwitten
I won a copy of this book in a drawing.
If Sue Grafton and Laurell K. Hamilton got together to write a murder mystery this would the that book! Schafer grabbed my attention with this book and kept it to the very end. I also loved all the twists and turns.
I met the most colorful cast of characters while reading Kerry Schafer’s “Dead Before Dying”, and it was so exciting!
This was a paranormal murder mystery unlike any other! It was set in a Nursing Home called “Shadow Valley Manor”, where FBI Agent Maureen Keslyn works both diligently and humorously to solve a crime. I appreciated Maureen because she was in her 50’s! It was cool to have an older kick-a&& heroine!
Other stories are told about each elderly paranormal being living there; and I was (dare I say) enamored with the story of the 90 year old vampire. I also love how the cat warns Maureen of ghoulish things in the night! (And me…Yes, I was known to jump while reading!..lol)
There is this overall sense of creepiness, which I thought Schafer wrote wonderfully. I was totally drawn in because this story is intriguing, enticing, dark, and smoldering with the sense of need to know!!
I moved urgently through the story because I always had to know what was around the next corner!!
I highly recommend Kerry Schafer! She is so very talented at this paranormal mystery stuff! Wow! Her audible was fabulous, too!
I received a copy of this book on audible from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.
4.5 Stars
This was a fantastic paranormal book and unlike any others I’ve read. I can’t wait to read the next installment!
Now this is the type of book I can sink my teeth into .. haha , Really enjoyed a tough , witty , heroine in Maureen a FBI free agent .She gets pulled into a job when her old friend assigns her to seek out what is going on in the Manor he has purchased. Many murders unexplained , including her friend , Maureen has to figure out what’s going on before everyone living in the manor perish! Paranormal, suspense , some laugh out loud moments . perfect for fans of this genre!
This book seemed to be to be a cross between Mrs. Pollifax mysteries and Kay Hooper’s paranormal series. Combining the supernatural with extraordinary sleuthing abilities, Maureen has come to Shadow Valley Manor to recuperate and ends up in the midst of people dropping dead, literally. The wit was knife-sharp and the plot was certainly original. I must say that I am not a big fan of paranormal books, but this one was quite different and engaging because of the quick pace and the quirky characters. Fans of mysteries will enjoy this very unusual start to a new series.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
I thought that this was really good. I decided to read this book on impulse. I hadn’t heard of it before but I thought that it sounds like it would be worth a try. And I was right. I was pulled into the story from the very beginning and it held my interest until the very end. I am so glad that I made the decision to pick up this book.
At the start of the book, Maureen is checking herself out of the hospital and she honestly isn’t in the best shape. To make matters worse, when she gets home her husband has moved someone else in and wants to end their marriage. I wondered how this middle-aged woman who was still recovering from a pretty severe injury would handle a new case but I had nothing to worry about.
Maureen works for a special department within the FBI that deals with paranormal issues. An old friend and co-worker wants her help at the retirement home he just bought so she moves in. Let’s just say that Maureen doesn’t quite fit in with the rest of the residents. Of course, the residents are a quirky group of individuals led by a pretty uptight manager.
The action started in this book early on and it never let go. I loved the fact that since there were paranormal elements to the story anything could happen and sometimes did. I thought that the mystery was really well done and I wasn’t quite sure who was responsible for everything until it was revealed. I thought that the mystery was pretty complex and I liked the fact that everything was wrapped up nicely by the end of the book.
Teri Clark Linden did a great job with the narration of this story. I thought that the really did a great job with the various character voices and was able to add a lot of life to the story. She has a very pleasant voice which is easy to listen to for hours at a time. Her reading only added to my enjoyment of this story.
I would recommend this book to fans of paranormal mysteries. I thought that this was a very well done story filled with fantastic characters and some interesting paranormal elements. I wouldn’t hesitate to read more of this fun series!
I received a review copy of this audiobook from the author/narrator via Audiobook Boom and have voluntarily left this review.
Dead Before Dying is an eerie and suspenseful paranormal mystery that will keep you hooked and wondering until the very end.
I have to admit this is not my normal style of book, but it sounded great and it did not disappoint. I found there to be parts that scared me, others that made me laugh and some that kept me thinking.
I will definitely be looking into more books from this series.
If you enjoy audiobooks I highly recommend this one as the narrator does a wonderful job!