Hanging out in a cemetery isn’t every girl’s idea of a good time, but for Paislee Grimes, the dead can be the best company.Raised in the sleepy Connecticut town of Pine Grove by an undertaker and a coroner, Paislee has seen more than her fair share of death, and she’s right at home amid the morbid and macabre.She’s happy enough to spend her last months before college cobbling together a history … college cobbling together a history of the place she loves most and studying the lives of the people buried in her backyard, but when the body of a classmate turns up face down in the lake, it’s Paislee’s time to shine.
Armed with a fierce drive and a gift for forensic anthropology, Paislee dives headfirst into the biggest shock Pine Grove has ever seen.
Suddenly everyone is a suspect—friends, love interests, even the mayor. And in a community as tight-knit as hers, no one wants to believe the killer could be one of their own.
But where there’s a murder, there’s a murderer, and with more questions than answers, it’s beginning to look like Paislee is the only one who can connect the dots.
more
Actually…this is quite a good who dun it, l was interested thru the first half and totally committed thru the remainder. It was cleverly done and l didn’t guess the culprits identity. In audiobook form it was nicely narrated. loved the cemetery.
Recommended clean mystery suitable for teenage to old age.
I really enjoyed this book. I liked the family in this book and all of their quirkiness they add to the story. I love mysteries but with this one having comical parts made it all the way better. The conclusion of who the murderer was so fun to watch it unfold. A great listen to pass the time.
I received this book for free. I am voluntarily posting this review and all opinions expressed herein are my own.
This is a very captivating YA cozy mystery. The MC Paislee is a teenager who likes to hang out in cemeteries talking to the dead [no ghosts, just headstones]; has a father who is a medical examiner and a mother who is a funeral director [they own a funeral parlor] ; has a penchant for her town’s history and forensics; on occasion, helps her father investigate death cases; loves to read; and loves forensic anthropology. Paislee and her family were really likeable, relatable in their interactions and very quirky. On top of that, Paislee has all of the other issues of a typical teenager – college applications/acceptance, romance/dating, and getting her recommendation letter from the mayor. Overall, all of the characters in this story were well-drawn and interesting. I enjoyed the mystery – with several red herrings. But, most of all, I just enjoyed spending time with this oddball group of characters.
The narrator, Carrie Coello, made the story a fun listen.
ya-only-means-no-gratuitous-erotica, amateur-sleuth, murder-investigation, family-dynamics, friendship, small-town, small-business, law-enforcement
Paislee is nearly eighteen and lives in a small town with her siblings where her mom runs the family business (funeral director) and dad is the Medical Examiner and she wants a career in forensic anthropology. She also has the habit of communing with nature in the cemetery, works with the mayor’s office on historical records and has an uncanny gift for forensic facial reconstruction from skulls. There is a very well done mystery complete with twists, red herrings, and excellently well drawn characters which I enjoyed, but I really geeked out on the forensics and the info on early photography and tintypes.
Carrie Coello was inspired as narrator!
I won this audiobook in a giveaway!
This review is for the audio book.
I really like this book. I think it was the unusual plot line that made it so captivating. I was worried that the story was going to be a bit weird or sci-fi which isn’t my normal choice of genre but it sound interesting so I gave it a go. Glad I did I enjoyed it and not a ghost in sight- the main character just liked the quiet of the graveyard and while there talked to the grave stones. I bit quirky (as the she didn’t even know them) but somehow it worked for the character, who was fun and likeable. I liked her home life and could understand why she liked the cemetery so much. There was a number of characters and suspects so it kept it interesting and a number of them had unusual names. I will definitely be looking out for the next book in the series.
Paislee has had a crush on her best friend since grade school but after a stolen kiss she decides she would rather keep him as a friend than risk losing him altogether. But letting him down gently isn’t easy and the very next morning the mayor is at the door in listing her and her father’s helps because a body has been found. In the very spot that Paislee said good bye to Elgort. It is only after arriving at the scene that she learns it isn’t her friend but it is someone she went to school with and someone had murdered him. The only clue they uncover is a note with connections to the founders of the town. With all the time and research she was put in learning about the town the mayor wants her to find out more about the name on the note and more importantly find the grave in case it has connections to the murdered boy. The mayor also in list Gage (paislee best girl Paul’s brother) to find the grave first with his drone. Will the two pitted against each other be able to work together and find the grave or more importantly find a killer?
I liked the narrator and thought she spoke clearly and had fun with the characters, I also liked the odd accent she had to use.
All round a fun quirky book that I really enjoyed.