I loved this book. It did take me a while to get into it, but that often happens to me when I start a book. It's probably because I am still in the last book with my head, and it just takes a while to acclimatise. But once I was properly into the story, I could not put it down. The characters are quirky, the protagonist is more or less fearless, and the story is exciting. I also enjoyed the setting and all the dogs in the book. Combined with all the baking and cooking going on, Grave Words really did tick all the cozy mystery boxes. The only thing I did not like about this book was the cover...
I would like to thank the publisher Crooked Lane Books for providing me with a copy through NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback.

This took me a while to get into. I started it and put it down for a bit. You really need to read the first book, I feel, b/c otherwise it felt like I was jumping into a storyline that was several books in. The main characters relationship with her boyfriend was a bit annoying. But anytime a cop dates a nosy citizen, it always feels like the nosy citizen is always pushing boundaries. So their relationship feels very tense and I didn’t really enjoy it. The main character herself, Winter, was a bit more likeable.

I’m not sure if I like this series enough to read anymore of the books, but I think if I read the first book and got a better feel for the series, I’d know for sure. So if you’re considering reading this book and haven’t checked out the first one, I’d start there. I think the flow will be much better for the storyline if they are read in order, unlike most cozy mysteries.

*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*

I need to know what went on in the authors mind when writing this😭 it was super unexpected and I loved it! Can’t wait for everyone to read it

3.5 stars. I don’t read a lot of cozy mysteries, but I enjoyed this one! I haven’t read the first one from the series so this was my first read of this author’s. The ending felt a bit rushed. I also like when the bad guy is someone you care about, so I wish it had been someone who played a larger part of the story. But this was a quick, fun read!

**ARC review. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read it early.

Winter Snow is an obituary writer. One day she wakes to find that she actually has her own obituary in the newspaper and not knowing how it got there. Trying to understand this, she is finally faced with another tragic event that involves her best friend Scoop a journalist, he boyfriend Kip, a cop and the loss of a homeless man named Chester.
Chester dies in a fire in a popular bar and grill. Winter tries to find all the information she can about her deceased. She begins to realize that Chester seemingly has no background until leads send her to a family members house. Was he homeless. Did her really have money and family that cared for him. He is elusive and as Winter befind to leaven the truths, she realizes nothing she knows to be true is not
I felt this book an easy read and I enjoyed it. I also felt the characters were relatable. I loved Winters older friends Horace and Richard who are the friends you want to have on your side.
Mysteries reveal themselves about this small town and there are twists and turns that keep the story interesting.

"Grave Words (Deadly Deadlines Mystery #2)" by Gerri Lewis almost seems further into the series than just a second book. The main character, Winter Snow, is established in a newish relationship and has a fairly well of career writing obituaries and Legacy stories. I know she keeps saying she's trying to get established in her career but she seems to have fairly steady work and that seems established to me. This one also has a touch of Halloween in the last few chapters.

The mystery part is around a mysterious homeless man that dies in a fire. Winter starts being involved when she's asked to write an obituary up for the man. Then, when she asks her cop boyfriend for some information to fill out the obituary (like the victim's last name) he tells her to not work on that particular one just yet. So, being this is a cozy mystery after all, she just has to investigate to find out what's really happening.

I enjoy this series a lot and I want to keep reading the book. That being said, I am struggling a little with writing the review. Winter Snow writes obituaries. Her best friend is Scoop, and investigative journalist. Her boyfriend is a police officer who arrests Scoop after there are a rash of arsons in which he seemed to have a little too much knowledge of. During one of those arsons, a local homeless man, Chester is found dead. Winter is asked to write an obituary for him by her friend and local mortician.

Weird things start happening when Winter starts looking in to Chester and his background. She is tailed by a black SUV, another dead body is found and random bears start showing up. It felt a little disjointed. That being said, I stil enjoyed the characters and I look forward to future books!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Grave Words

I recently had the opportunity to read an ARC of Grave Words by Gerri Lewis, and I was immediately captivated. This thrilling mystery follows Winter Snow, an obituary writer who finds herself drawn into a dangerous investigation when her best friend Scoop is implicated in a series of arsons.

As Winter delves deeper into the case, she uncovers a web of secrets and lies that threaten to expose the town's darkest secrets. The pressure mounts as Winter races against time to clear Scoop's name, all while facing her own personal demons and confronting the realities of mortality.

Lewis masterfully weaves together a chilling mystery with a touch of dark humor, creating a compelling and unforgettable story. Grave Words is a must-read for fans of cozy mysteries with a darker edge.

Rating: ★★★★☆

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Obituary writer Winter Snow has plenty of problems aplenty and no idea how to solve them. A series of fires has claimed the life of a popular Ridgefield resident,  she’s writing the obituary, while her best friend is the main suspect in the arson and murder cases Winter’s boyfriend Kip is investigating. Meanwhile Uncle Richard is cooking up a storm every day, which only happens when he’s struggling with something and Winter finds herself in danger as she tries to clear her friend, find a killer, and try to help her beloved uncle.

Book two in Gerri Lewis's new series is another enjoyable, humorous, and tense visit to Ridgefield, Connecticut. The storyline was excellent and gradually revealed its secrets after a fair few red herrings all of which made for a very satisfying read.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Crooked Lane Books, but the opinions expressed are my own. I thoroughly enjoyed this and happily recommend it.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this book!

Not for me, if you enjoy boring and childlike characters, a basic plot, and reading something that requires 0 effort, go for it.
The FMC seems like a spoiled brat, who puts herself in danger because she's too stubborn to listen to anyone.
The plot is very basic, and to be honest, by the halfway mark, I didn't even care anymore.
The "romance" adds nothing to this book (only makes it more annoying)!
Maybe I missed something, but I'm pretty sure the arsonist name wasn't even mentioned in the storyline until it was discovered!
The only shady character was, you guess it, the culprit.
So yes nothing else much to say!

There is also an orthographic error on page 250/256
"...how did you figure it out?
How could I no?." (I believe is meant to be how could i not?)

I enjoyed the first book in this series, but book 2 falls a little short to me. I found myself straggling along, noting that while a lot of things happen in this book, I didn't feel very invested in it. The whole accidentally published obituary and several other plot elements just felt like a lot of churning that didn't really amount to anything meaningful, as far as the mystery. Maybe I was just not in the right frame of mind for this one--I really did like book 1. I guess we'll see what book 3 brings us!

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This second book about Winter Snow is even more enjoyable than the first. Winter’s job as an obituary writer is unusual and provides much fodder for the mysteries she finds herself embroiled in. Supporting characters are quirky and fun. Looking forward to the next in the series.

Fun and fast reading experience with interesting characters who you hope to meet again in future novels. The lead character has a unique job (writing obituaries for those who want their life or a loved ones life noted and remembered) which sort of dovetails with her best job of mortuary assistant .

This was such a good book. I absolutely enjoyed it and look forward to reading other books by this author in the future. Great writing and wonderful storyline.

Grave Words by Gerri Lewis is the second book about obituary writer Winter Snow. While trying to find the name of a homeless man killed in an arson fire, Winter becomes involved in murder and mayhem and an obituary that lists her as dead! The characters are believable and interesting and the storyline engaging. I have not read the first book but will definitely try it and look forward to another..

Winter is asked to write an obituary for a local unhoused man who was murdered. While tracking down his identity, she becomes aware of another untimely death, there are some arsons, she's followed by a mysterious SUV, and there's a bear. Unfortunately, after reading this book I'm still not entirely sure what some of these things had to do with each other.

The first book in this series was so polished I couldn't believe that it was the author's first book. While The Last Word was long, it was tightly written and kept me interested throughout. The characters were well-developed and felt so real. This one was even longer but not nearly so polished or tightly written. There seemed to be some meandering, for example in the first half of the book were multiple bear sightings that seemed like they would be significant and then we just never see the bear again. There were some odd things like her purse being used to prop something open and then being tangled in the hinges, which were probably 4-5 feet away from where the purse would have been used to prop the thing open. The purse was so tangled the strap had to be cut, but the next day she's carrying that same bag. They also have firefighters who have never been to a fire before because smoke detectors and sprinkler systems have made fires obsolete? Um, no. The firefighters stay at a fire all night watching for afterglow (which did make me laugh, afterglow happens after sex, a fire restarting after it's been put out is a rekindle, firefighters would probably be more likely to stick around watching for afterglow LOL!) The villain was practically slapping us in the face the entire book, there was a twist that redeemed it a bit but I was disappointed to find that the villain was the villain.

Overall, this book just didn't hold my attention like the first one did. The mystery was too complex and some parts of it seem to be left unresolved. Generally I'm fine with if there's some sort of story arc between books, but I don't think that was the case here. Some books leave me wishing the author had asked me to edit for them and this was one of those books. The series is so promising, I absolutely love the setting and the characters are great. Definitely this is a series that I will continue to read but this book did not live up to its potential.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Winter Snow a Living Legacy and Obituary writer working for the local funeral home and freelance since the paper she worked for went out. She also has this huge Great Pyrenees puppy who is the best comic relief. The cast of characters in a little convoluted and the storyline is fairly steady with intriguing twists and nutsy red herrings.

This is the second book in the series but I don’t feel like I missed anything by not reading book 1 first. I liked this story, but it felt a bit all over the place, and there were some parts I had a difficult time reading. This is a struggle for an ADHD reader!!

Gerri Lewis has written an exceptional story full of suspense and plot twists questioning every characters' genuity throughout, making this a very inquisitve read. Once the reader has grasped the characters' roles, it becomes one that you cant put down because youre intrigued to get to the next plot twist! Winter Snow, ex journalist and now professional obituary writer lives in her uncle, Richard's lake side cottage in a small town. She is dating local police officer Kip. When it becomes apparent that there's someone on an arson spree, Winter starts digging and makes her start doubting those close to her - including her best friends Carla who works in the local funeral home and Scoop, the local journalist. Then there are two deaths that happen in close proximity of each other and assumptions are made that they are connected with the fire. Threats start to fly around and Scoop is rattled as he has a source that is divulging details that the police have not released but hes not ready to reveal his source which then makes him look extremely guilty. Kip tells Winter to stop digging for her own safety. Of course she does the opposite putting her own and Carla's lives in danger. This book definitely highlights people are not as they always seem. Coming June 2025. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 #arcreading #gerrilewisauthor #crookedlanebooks #crookedlanebookspublishing

I so love the main character and her job as an obituary writer! It is very unique among the "cozy careers" mystery writers use. The secondary characters are also a blast. I hope we see more from author Gerri Lewis.

Book two in the series. Wnen Winter, an obituary writer, starts to look into what happened with her latest subject it gets interesting. From the cover I expected a bit more of a cozy mystery, but still though, I enjoyed this one and would recommend.