"We speak for the dead to protect the living."

Speak For The Dead by murder mystery thriller author Amy Rector is book 2 in the Dominican Archives Mystery series and a standalone with emphasis on different characters than the first.

Dr. Cate Spencer is asked to step in to verify a suicide death at the Dominican Archives but what she finds and the demands of the victim's best friend lead her to conclude that this is an attempt to "mask a murder by suicide."

As Cate is thwarted in her investigation by her bosses and colleagues she is slowly unraveling under the pressure of grieving for her dead brother, her father's advanced dementia, and a losing battle with her drinking, smoking and insomnia. Once again, narrator Senn Annis brings an uncanny vulnerability to a flawed character. Though flawed it doesn't mean she is wrong. She will speak the truth, her truth, for the dead.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from Dreamscape Media via #NetGalley for fair and honest reviews. All opinions are my own.

Speak for the Dead was my first Amy Tector book, despite being the second in the Dominion Archives Mysteries. Dr. Cate Spencer is a very flawed coroner that is called to the scene of a supposed suicide at a nitrate facility. As she further investigates the scene and begins looking into the case, she discovers a convoluted conspiracy.

I did not like this book or the narration at all. The narration was rather flat, which other reviewers have mentioned, and I severely disliked Cate. I’m not sure if I had read the first book in the series if I would have liked Cate and been more invested in this book. Cate is just horrible. She is an emotionally unstable alcoholic, that according to people in the books is a hero and good person (?), which I do not see at all. She is so dysfunctional and just not likable.

I’m not sure if things are different in Canada versus in the US, but Cate would never be investigating a death in the US. The entire plot just seemed over the top and unrealistic. That said, the mystery and how it ended was alright.

Overall, this book was just not for me. If you can get past some of the things that I mentioned above then you will probably appreciate this mystery. Reading the other reviews, I am in the minority of disliking it so much.

Even if I had not read #1 of the Dominion Archives Mysteries I really could enjoy this book. We meet Cate, a coroner in Canada. When she is called to an obvious suicide she hesitates and decides to dig deeper into this woman's life to try understand why she would do this.
Could it be the tragic news of her brother's death or her drinking?
Cate is not flawless and that is it what made her so likeable for me!
The story might start a bit slow but has a fast paced ending.
The narration by Senn Annis rounded up the listening experience!
Thank you #NetGalley #Dreamscape Media for this audiobook

**please note due to low rating I will not be leaving a public review for this book as I have not paid for it.**

Narrated by Senn Annis ⭐⭐ 2.5

Story by Amy Tector ⭐⭐ 2

The cover is brilliant and if I was scrolling through the kindle store or audible this is definitely a book I would click on.... However ( and I am really sorry about how means this sounds) I am not sure If the narrator is an amateur and let the book down or if the authors writing is amateur and the narrator was doing the best she could with what she had, but either way I really didn't enjoy this book. The characters all felt so immature and unlikeable.

Really sorry for such a negative review.

This was a great listen. Good narration that was pleasant and faded into the background of the story itself, which is perfection in my mind. The story drew me in and presented characters with real, human flaws, rather than the "perfect" portrayal so many authors try to create.

This was my first book by this author and narrator and I really enjoyed the plot and the narration. I did find that it dragged a bit in the middle and there was maybe excess plot points but overall I really enjoyed the location. The concept of Canadian coroner is relatively new to me, apart from the tv series so I really enjoyed learning more and more.

I loved the ending and cant wait to read more.

i was given an advance copy by the publishers and netgalley but the review is entirely my own.

When Ottawa coroner Cate Spencer responds to a supposed suicide at the Dominion Archives nitrate film storage facility she is pressured to quickly rule the death a suicide and close the case. However, there are some things about the scene that don’t make sense and she suspects that this death might actually be a murder. Care refuses to give in to demands to label the death a suicide and during the investigation uncovers a seventy-year-old mystery with a deadly outcome.

I had hard time connecting to the story and characters in this book. There were parts of the story that were interesting and suspenseful but overall it fell flat for me. The synopsis felt a bit misleading as it played up certain aspects of the story that didn’t end up being very important to the overall story. There were some parts of the story that didn’t feel fully developed and should have been explored more. The ending was very surprising but the secrets revealed were underwhelming. I’m sure that fans of this series will find this chapter of Cate Spencer’s story interesting but it wasn’t for me.

This story was interesting. Good character and plot development. This story keeps you guessing until the end. I do not like this narrator, however. This is the second book from Tector that has used her and her inflections are difficult to listen to.

This was book 2 in The Dominion Archives Series but can be read as a stand-alone. This is a unique twist to your typical thriller with a coroner, Dr. Cate Spencer, doing the investigating instead of your typical cop. Unwilling to rule a recent death a suicide, Cate begins to investigate as she suspects there is more to meet the eye, it could be a murder that goes deeper than anyone thinks. I found this unique and fun to listen to, I liked the narrator and that we got to see deeper in who Cate is as a person and her life before the investigation too. This didn't blow me away as the best ever thriller, but overall it was a nice quick read and I would recommend.

GR: Colleen Chi-Girl
Bookshelves: Contemporary; Mystery; Fiction; Audio; Women-Centered
Rating: 4 STRONG STARS
Speak for the Dead, The Dominion Archives Mysteries #2: by Amy Tector
Audiobook; Pub Date: 14 Mar 2023; by Dreamscape Media

Publisher's Blurb: It's a steamy summer Ottawa day when Cate is called out to the nitrate facility to investigate an apparent suicide. The eerie building is filled with deteriorating nitrate film that could literally spontaneously combust. When Cate's life is threatened by a stray spark, she suspects that the suicide might be murder. Despite pressure from the police to pronounce on cause quickly, Cate is bloody-minded enough to keep investigating. Whether she's looking for answers because of her dedication to justice, or as a distraction from the grief she feels over her (BELOVED) brother's recent death, her inquiries plunge her into a world of military secrets, contentious Indigenous protests, and a seventy-year-old mystery with deadly implications.

I really enjoyed this smooth and smartly written novel, which I read on audiobook. I enjoyed the narrator as she fit well with the character (important, duh) and the current time. She kept me engaged and sometimes on the edge of my seat based on Amy Tector's writing abilities. She is clever, savvy, and raises the bar on intellectual interest and banter. Can't wait to read more by this author.

WOW.....Just pulled this up about the author: Amy Tector has spent more than 20 years plumbing the secrets squirrelled away in archives - whether it's uncovering a whale's ear (true story) in a box of old photographs, or working for the United Nations' International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague, she has been privy to hidden records and extraordinary secrets. She now works at Canada’s national archives, Library and Archives Canada and is adjunct professor at the University of Ottawa and a sessional instructor at Carleton University. Amy has a PhD in English literature from the Universite Libre de Bruxelles and now lives in Ottawa, Canada with a daughter named Violet, a husband named Andrew and a dog named Daffodil.

Speak for the dead - Amy Tector

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC copy of this outstanding mystery.

This novel's main character is Ottawa's coroner Dr Cate Spencer, who determines a victim's cause of death. As the novel opens Cate struggles to find support for her suspicion that what was staged as a suicide by hanging (a very rare suicide method for women) was actually a suicide.

The main character is well-rounded and multidimensional, we learn of numerous aspects of her life, from her struggles (and emotional wounds) through childhood as well as her personal battle with quitting both smoking as well as alcohol.

Even though Dr. Spencer obvious isn't a homicide detective, the series this novel most readily brings to mind is Lynda LaPlante's Prime Suspect's Jane Tennison, albeit a more light-hearted version, and if I was an author I would certainly view that as a badge of honor.

I look forward to more from this series, and I hope she continues with the Kate Spenser character.

In the book Speak for the Dead, author Amy Tector writes about Ottawa coroner Dr Cate Spencer who is called out on a stormy night to an alleged suicide. While the police detectives are pressuring her to rule the death a suicide, something seems off to Tector. But the deeper she digs into the case, the more out of control her scotch drinking becomes and the more her own grief at her brother death threatens to overwhelm her. Can she find the truth before more people die? Or will she be consumed by it all and lose everything?
This was an intriguing story that kept you guessing till the end. The audio-book narration was very good. I would recommend this book. I received a copy of this audio-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is second in Amy's 🇨🇦 Dominion Archives series but I would say the books stand alone overall. Or maybe my memory just isn't the best 🙈 There is some overlap but I happily read this without remembering all the details from the other book and the characters are different too.

This one held my attention no problem and I eagerly anticipate the next in the series as this left things a bit open-ended. I enjoyed a few characters more than others, which was intentionally done, I believe, but overall I found the plot thrilling and had no idea "whodunit" throughout so win-win for me. The Canadian-ness was enjoyable, as always.

Quick Summary: A mystery/thriller packed with simple complexities

My Review: Speak for the Dead by Amy Tector was book two in The Dominion Archives Mysteries.

About the Book: Dr. Cate Spencer is being chased. She is being pursued by her own personal demons. She is haunted by pain. She is struggling with sobriety. She has endured loss on multiple levels. She is estranged, of sorts, from her father. Add to that, someone seems to be after her.

As the attending coroner in Ottowa, Cate is driven to help solve the mysterious death of a young female. Dr. Spencer will do all she can to determine whether the young woman's death was a suicide or a murder. Will she be able to solve her case before a killer targets her?

My Final Say: This book was so different than what I was expecting. I genuinely liked it. I loved the messy imperfection that came with the protagonist. She was doing her very best just to survive from day to day. Moment to moment, she sought clarity and peace. She longed to be free from her troubled existence. She was looking for direction. Her history was marked with incredible hardships, and she tried to cope as best as she could. She literally made me think of someone striving to keep their head above the water. I totally understood her chaotic disorder; it made her more appealing as a character.

The killer and the intrigue surrounding the killer was old school legit. What a fantastic twist!

Rating: 4.5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Status/Level: R

Thanks to the author, to Dreamscape Media, and to NetGalley, who provided a digital ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

* A Goodreads review has been posted.

This was book 2 in The Dominion Archives Series but can be read as a stand-alone. I haven’t read book 1 but had no problem whatsoever. The author introduces the characters as if they are new to the story so no background is needed. The thing I liked most about this book is the new and interesting story line. A lot of mysteries that I’ve read follow a similar story and this was unlike anything else I’ve read. The outcome of the book wasn’t predictable and I was surprised to find out who the killer was. I listened to the audiobook version of this story and the narrator did an awesome job of bringing the characters to life. All in all it was a great read.

This book, Speak for the Dead, starts off with a bang reeling me in right away. The plot of Dr. Cate Spencer, a coroner, investigating what looks to be a suicide by a young woman and coming up against all sorts of obstacles had me listening at every extra second I had. Cate has some personal issues (hot mess) she is working through as well as not staying in her own lane career wise. I love this feisty, never give up character!
I will definitely continue to read this series as more books come out. Although this is the 2nd book in the series, it can be read as a stand alone book as I read it without any prior knowledge and had no problem.
The reader for this audio book did a beautiful job, had an easy to listen to tone and paced the book in a very enjoyable way. Thank you NetGalley for this audiobook arc!

Speak for the Dead
Pub date 3.14.23
★ ★ ★ ★

Cate is an Ottawa coroner and finds herself on the scene of what appears to be a straight forward suicide. However, her gut tells her there is a more sinister cause to the young woman’s death. Upon following her senses she begins to unravel a mystery in the small town that reveals not only that the young woman was murdered, but also a government coverup to help keep money in the pockets of the rich. Cate soon finds herself in deep pursuit of the truth, but will her past and her drinking prevent her from finding the truth? Will she be able to get justice for the innocent lives lost?

This book was the second in the Dominion Archives Mystery series. Although I have not read the first I was able to listen to this and not feel as though I was missing something from the previous storyline. I enjoyed this mystery and the story being told from Cate’s point of view. I liked the different conflicting emotions she dealt with throughout the story that gave her character more personality and had me hoping for her to succeed. The supporting characters were also well written. I enjoyed the narrator voice and she did a good job performing the different characters. I also liked how the narrators voice kept me interested in the audiobook from start to finish. I enjoyed the books ending as the author kept the answers to who was behind all these terrible events until the last few chapters and I didn’t see the answers coming. The story and mystery was well wrapped up in the epilogue and gave me as the reader closure with the story. I gave the book 4 stars because I felt there were a lot of characters and separating storylines to keep track of. This excess of characters and timelines to follow also made some parts of the story seem to drag on longer than necessary. Over all this was a great mystery read. I look forward to going back and reading the first book in this series and if there will be a 3rd that will also be added to my TBR list!

Dr. Cate Spencer is a coroner working with the Ottawa police on a death in the area. She is being pressured into declaring it suicide, while in her heart she believes it is a homicide.

The part of the story that involved the investigation was pretty decent. There were good details and the investigation kept moving forward at a good pace. However, there were so many other aspects going on that I couldn't tell what was important to the story. She smokes too much, she drinks too much, she's worried about trying to get her brother's body back from Africa, she has a difficult relationship with her father, etc. Will any of this be important to the investigation or not?

Also, I listened to the audiobook and was not impressed with the narrator. Her voice was monotone and had little expression to it. She didn't keep me very engaged in the story and didn't excite me in the tense moments.

I wish this could've been a more positive review, but I just wasn't impressed with either the story or audiobook aspects.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I’m loving this author! This is book 2 in the series, but you don’t need to have read book 1 to jump into this novel.

There is a lot going on here but it works! Highly entertaining and a couple of twists. I loved it. The Native American aspect was a nice surprise, as I’ve recently read two books that also feature their culture.

I listed to the audio book and I feel I would have liked it even more if I read it myself. The narrators voice was a bit dull … robotic … and I found myself disengaging. I had to replay many chapters. (I listen to a lot of audio books and usually don’t zone out as much as I did with this one.)

I just could not get into this book. I didn’t particularly enjoy the main character even though I thought she was interesting. I really wanted to like and connect with this one and I think there was a lot of potential but u fortunately it just didn’t do it for me.