Grave Words by Gerri Lewis is the second book in the Deadly Deadlines Mystery series. I enjoyed this book, but did find some of the actions the characters took to be a little hard to believe and certainly outrageous. I don’t want to spoil the book, but several people in the book did things that would make me question whether I wanted them in my life or not. I also find the idea of an obituary writer to be a little far fetched. It doesn’t seem like a career that would allow a young, single person to make enough money to live off of. The mystery was well constructed and I would read another book in the series in the hopes the characters would develop and become more realistic.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to review this book. All opinions are my own.

WOW !!!!!! What a book ! I had the absolute joy of receiving an advanced reader copy of this book, and I devoured it in two days, had work not gotten in the way I would have had it read in a single reading. Winter Snow is back and she has another case that needs to be solved, as well as get her friend Scoop off the hook for a crime she is positive he did not commit.
Scoop is not only her friend, but also a reporter and he has been investigating two fires which we deemed arson. Because he has details that only the arsonist would know, he is under suspicion . A good reporter never reveals their sources and Scoop follows that rule , in doing so he ends up being arrested. When a local homeless man, Chester ends up dead at the scene of one of the fires , Winter against her police officer Kip's warning , throws herself into the investigation.
This book had me from the very first chapter and I had no clue who the killer was until the very end. Gerri Lewis is the master of red herrings and has an amazing talent of weaving a story that keeps you guessing until the very end. To say I loved this book , does not even begin to describe how this book made me feel. The bags under my eyes from staying up well past my bedtime, telling myself, just one more chapter, then I'll go to bed are proof enough.
Thank you to Crooked Lane publishers, Gerri Lewis the author and net galley for selecting me to receive the advanced reader copy. This was a very easy 5 star rating , I only wish I could give more than 5 stars, because in my opinion it deserves so many more.

Cute, light, cozy read, perfect for a fall day with a warm drink and a sweet pet nearby, Fun and airy.

An obituary writer cozy is a premise I had yet to read. It looks like I need to go back and read the first one because I loved it!!!! This will be a trope I will have to be on the look out for. The author made such loveable characters and a fun background. I cant wait to read more from this world.

An obituary writer, Winter Snow is trying to find the name of the homeless man killed in an arson fire. Good characters. Complex mystery. Great setting. Thanks #Netgalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

The story was just as cute as the cover! They say don’t judge a book by its cover…. It’s safe to do so with this one!

Obituary writer Winter Snow is struggling with her latest assignment. A local homeless man known only as Chester is found dead in a burning building. When Winter delves into Chester’s past, she hits a brick wall. She can’t find out his last name, where he came from, or his next of kin. The detective in charge of the case—who also happens to be Winter’s boyfriend—warns her that there is a lot more to Chester’s death than she knows and that she needs to stay out of it. But with one of her best friends accused of setting the fire that ultimately killed Chester, Winter must do something to figure out who Chester really was, find his killer, and clear her friend’s name.

I really struggled to get into GRAVE WORDS. There was a lot going on throughout the novel, and it was hard to stay focused when the plot kept jumping around. There was a lot of unnecessary description about some points that had no bearing on the plot, and an almost total lack of description when it came to certain crucial points.

While reading this book I was getting lost in the characters. I loved the funeral home when the girls were trapped in the double coffin and couldn't put the book down once it came to that part. However I struggled up until then due to all the different characters.

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.