I never chose death—death chose me.Now I choose change.Kaah Maah had been the reaper for over a millennia. The mundane repetition of collecting souls night after night from an ever-increasing population was beginning to grind on him. Kaah had witnessed an ocean of unique faces, all confronted with their final moments on earth. Though different in appearance they all showed one final emotion—fear.… final emotion—fear.
Kaah wanted a change. He craved quiet serenity, where he could perfect his yoga poses while listening to his favorite singer Michael Bublè. Kaah wanted nothing more than to retire and become a ‘no one special’ in a ‘nowhere special’ town.
When strange things began happening in Deadend, Ohio, the question had to be asked.
You might be able to take the reaper away from death, but can you ever actually take death away from the reaper?
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This is the first book I’ve read by Dzintra Sullivan and it was such a pleasure. I went into this not knowing what to expect but absolutely loved the story line, the characters, the suspense, and the story telling. Sullivan did a fantastic job at creating a believable and lovable cast of characters – I especially enjoyed the relationship between Kaah and Rork. I look forward to reading more by this author and plan to start her newest release tonight. This book is perfect for those who love cozy mysteries or suspense.
Ok, so bear with me here…
Once Upon A Death was – for me at least – the written equivalent of a Studio Ghibli movie.
Now, let me explain that statement.
I love a Disney movie. But those movies have a kind of formula which works, and works because that formula is familiar. The first time I watched a Studio Ghibli movie, I was blown away by how animation could be presented in such a whimsical and quirky way.
Once Upon A Death, takes that familiar figure of the Grim Reaper and flips the script on him in a likewise whimsical and quirky way. And I loved it!!
What if the Reaper wasn’t the spectre of death, here to claim your life. What if instead he was a benevolent being who arrived at the moment of your death to help transition your soul?
And what if instead of being a skeletal figure of terror, he was instead a buff dude – by day at least – who practiced yoga and loved easy listening music?
And what if he retired to a sleepy little town and tried to get a normal job in order to try and fit in?
Kaah – as the Reaper goes by in the book – has been around for a long time and he knows a lot about the world. But…he doesn’t know how to live in it. How to relate to people. Much of the joy of the read is following Kaah as he acts like a Klingon out of water!! (The way Sullivan’s written him, reminds me of Worf from Star Trek…but I digress!)
The book is packed with interesting characters that I hope we learn more about as this series of books progresses, and the Town of Deadend itself holds some mysterious secrets!
Sullivan also writes in a kind of laid back style, which I loved. It’s a gentle read. There’s this whimsical nature – which I mentioned earlier – to her description of the town and it’s goings on. From old school diners to Apple-bobbing contests and town committees and crocheting groups. On the one hand it’s kind of surreal to see the Reaper (and his assistant Rork) in these situations, but I simply found it adorably…whimsical! Lol
I won’t say anymore, just encourage you to go give it a whirl. I’ve already ordered the second book in the series, so I’m all in for the adventure!
(Actual rating: 4.5 stars)
Once Upon a Death was a delightful read by a new to me author!
I started this book with no expectations. I didn’t know if it was going to be scary, funny, or anything in between, and even now that I’ve finished it I’m hard pressed to label it with a genre. It’s an intriguing murder mystery story filled with elements of romance and the supernatural, and I loved every bit of it.
Kaah, the ex-reaper, is such a fun character. I was instantly drawn into him and Rork’s story, and I found it hard to put down. My only small complaint was that the ending came too fast! I wanted more, but I’m excited to see the series continues and I’ll be reading more by this author soon!
I love the humour In this book. Kaah Maah is The Reaper but after harvesting souls for over a millennia he decides retirement is in order, when Kaah moves to the small town of Dead End things are not what they seem!
A highly enjoyable and different murder mystery where the Reaper has never looked so good.
When the Reaper retired to Descend he thinks it’s permanent. Then he becomes a detective to solve a mystery. Dzintra Sullivan is a story teller unlike no one else. She comes up with the most unexpected ideas. I love them!!
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I love science fiction, so even though this story is way out there on left field, the Death Ripper moving to a small town is definitely fun. His sidekick, a Demon is a real character, and very funny. If you like way out stories this one will be a good read for you, I really enjoyed it.
What a fantastic book! It was so fun to imagine the Grim Reaper listening to Michael Buble!! Hilarious. I had to read the 2nd one as well!!!
Who thought retirement would be so fraught with danger?
When the Grim Reaper decides to call it a day, he and his faithful seneschal, Roark, look forward to the quiet life in Deadend, but soon find themselves embroiled in a mystery which threatens their new found tranquility. Will Kaah find the killer? Will the sheriff discover Kaah’s true identity? And why are do so many supernaturals pop up in the sleepy suburb?
If you are after a page turner, Once upon a death is for you. Dzintra Sullivan has created a rolicking fun-filled start to what might just become your latest series crush; the characters will delight you and although there are a few hiccups along the way, you’ll ride the waves with each of them to the surprise culmination.
Not since Hercules Poirot has a cozy male detctive been so engaging.
I instantly fell into this story, the characters and plot had me completely enthralled and captivated. Finally a ‘who done it’ that had me guessing the whole time.
I’m a huge fan of this author and had wondered if going from her previous books ( PRN RomCom) to a cozy, would lack her usual comedic genius! Nope she nailed it… completely! This author really has a knack for epic one liners.
Awesome characters, wonderful storyline and extremely entertaining to say the least.
Definitely on my favourite and highly recommend list.
Absolutely lough out loud fun read, don’t miss this book!
Kind of inane, silly plot
Enjoyed the book Good for a quick light read.
Really a fun read. I enjoyed it. Great for a relaxing afternoon at the pool.
Fun book that’s a quick read. Characters are believable and you care about them. The book was well written and has the elements of a good story.
Cute. So now I know Reapers can retire…. Nope, never knew that! Learn something new each and every day!
Oh Kaah Maah you Bublé loving reaper. You really are trying to be Sherlock Holmes with your investigation skills in Deadend.
So Kaah retires from being the reaper and ends up in the small town of Deadend with his assistant Rork. To blend in with the community he ends up working at the local funeral home, seems he can’t get away from death especially when a dead body falls at his feet every night.
This book has twist and turns I never saw coming but still the fun side we’ve come to love with Dzintra Sullivan’s writing. Such a great book I can’t wait to see what happens with Kaah and the town folk of Deadend next.
A very different pace with this cozy mystery but a fabulous story and it just shows how versatile this author is with her writing.
Kaah Maah, aka the Reaper, and his assistant Rork, who is a jelly baby eating hobgoblin, retire to Deadend, Ohio where they start a new chapter in their lives. A new job, new friends, experiences…including being involved in a murder mystery..and a new life in general.
Once again this author has treated her readers to some outstanding expressions and descriptions, for example when describing Kaah’s shirt…’a crisp white shirt that clung to his muscles like a damsel to her hero’. As well the humour in the story is on point, the fun banter between characters, sarcasm included, the innuendos and the actions that take place put a smile on your face or make you laugh out loud.
There are some extremely clever ties in this story to real life situations, I’m not going to give anything away but I do want to applaud this author for her inventiveness that is very believable. As well the emotions flowed and yes, I admit, a tear or two did escape in certain scenes.especially the chapel one it’s the garden of flowers but then even the reaper was drained in that one.
Great characters that are easy to relate to, even Kaah, and likeable to boot. Rork is a gem of a character and deserves special mention. The Deadend women are mostly pips, I say mostly because Susan..well yeah not so much.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story and it did keep me guessing about who and why.