First call. In a funeral home, it means a death has occurred and it is the family’s first contact with the funeral director.Public health officials call regional funeral directors together for a meeting. An influenza pandemic is sweeping the country. Funeral director Jennifer Spencer is appointed Area Coordinator, working with military, bereavement personnel and public health officials to manage … to manage the morgue at an arena in Niagara Falls.
One of her staff is murdered. The killer makes a second attempt.
As influenza claims more and more lives, overwhelmed personnel succumb to exhaustion, grief and illness. Jennifer and her staff struggle to push through the crushing workload caused by the pandemic’s deadly rampage.
Everyone has a breaking point and Jennifer is no exception.
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The ‘Spencer Funeral Home Niagara Cozy Mystery’ series never fails to surprise, entertain, and sadden me. Janice J. Richardson’s tales about a funeral home in Canada near Niagara Falls are heartwarming and educational, but above that, they are beautifully told. I thoroughly enjoyed this last one, and I’m hoping it won’t be the last one… though I fear it is as the author is working on other books at the moment. Let’s focus on all the positive things rather than worry about whether there might not be another one.
Jennifer Spencer runs two funeral homes, and the winter season has been brutal. A flu epidemic has settled in the area, and residents and town officials fear it could be as bad as the Spanish Influenza from the early 20th century. Morgues and hospitals have run out of bed space. Doctors and coroners are overworked. The military has been called in, and a special task force has been created. Jennifer’s named to a high-ranking position as a coordinator among all the local funeral homes. In the end, 5% of the population dies. I tell you this now, not as a spoiler, but as a warning. Not all supporting cast members we’ve come to adore in the four books will make it out alive.
Richardson broke my heart a few times. I completely understand it from a writer’s perspective. From a reader’s, I was torn. It absolutely made sense and was the right thing to do; I recognize that much. Therefore… I must say… I loved how much it impacted me. Kudos to Richardson for creating such wonderful characters I don’t want to say goodbye to. That said, it wasn’t all just about the flu epidemic. We also followed up a bit on the killer who got away with murder in the last book, and revisited some oldies from prior books who resurfaced in unexpected ways.
The best thing I can say about these books is how well-written and balanced they are. Richardson has taken something that could be painful and awkward, then turned it into a beautiful story of caring for the dead. I never thought I’d want to read about a funeral home (okay, well, I am interested in that stuff) and its daily operations, but this is such an intriguing concept in a book. To watch our morticians suffer through loss, to grieve with the families… it’s truly a unique setting.
The mysteries are generally very light, so if you’re looking for a hardcore whodunit, this isn’t what you will get. I’m good with that, as there is a fine balance to letting the cops work the murder case in these books. Jennifer provides info to them, doesn’t seek out the killer herself. It usually falls in her lap, or she just picks up on something… then lets the professionals handle it. I like that style too, and given the writing style and character development, it’s a perfect fit for this series.
What a great ride! I’m hoping for more but thrilled to have experienced these four. All easy-to-read within 3 hours each, and in the end, I feel like I learned and grew a lot. Thank you.