5/5 stars: This is the second entry in Lewis' Deadly Deadlines Mystery series which is a Literary Cozy Mystery that takes place in Connecticut and features an obituary writer who finds herself teaming up with her uncle and friends to investigate a homeless man's murder, uncover the identity of the person responsible for a string of arsons and clear her best friend name when he becomes the main suspect. With plenty of twists and turns, Lewis has masterfully crafted a mystery that deftly balances the suspects, clues and red herrings and will leave you pondering the whodunit until the final reveal. Heartfelt and humorous, Lewis' writing and character work are stellar; the characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining incredibly likable. Winter's down-to-earth and it's a joy to catch up with her, her family and friends and the folks of Ridgefield. In particular, I love her Uncle Richard and her elderly neighbor, Horace. Oh and I love seeing her relationship with her detective beau, Kip, moving forward despite their conflicts. And I mustn't neglect to mention Winter's lovable galumph Diva, the Great Pyrenees puppy and Horace's protective Max, the German Shepherd. Additionally, I love the model train room and the meaning behind it. With tact and sensitivity, Lewis touches on some sensitive topics; so take care and CWs. While you could read this as a stand-alone, you'll gain so much more by reading the series from the beginning; so be sure to pick up book one, The Last Word.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

Winter Snow is at it again! She is trying to grow her obituary business, while navigating her relationship with Kip the cop, and dealing with her larger-than-life uncle and neighbor, who are insistent that she needs protecting. Protecting from what? Winter has no clue. Add in her new dog, Diva, her reporter friend, Scoop covering a new story, and there is a lot of action in this one!

Arsons are happening around town, Scoop gets the scoop from a source he won't reveal, so the authorities are looking at him as the arsonist, but Winter knows it's simply not true. In trying to prove his innocence, she gets caught up in another murder mystery when a victim is found after an apparent arson. Wandering Chester, a homeless man around town, is the victim, but there was definitely more to him than meets the eye. Winter is now being followed, her friends are being threatened and she needs to solve the case fast!

We learn a little more about the death of Winter's sister in this story, which helps piece her backstory together even more. She is supposed to have a visit with her sister's twins at Christmas, so it will be interesting if the next mystery revolves around their visit.

I'm just leaving this hanging here, but I hope Winter and Kip can work out their trust issues....

4.8*

I received a free ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are mine.

This is my first book by the author and I cannot wait to read more books by Gerri. The book follows obituary writer Winter whose friend is a main suspect when a homeless man's body is found in a burning building. Thrilling,well written and memorable characters it's a cozy read worth reading.

In the second installment of the Deadly Deadlines mystery series, obituary writer Winter Snow finds herself entangled in her most challenging case yet. When the body of a homeless man is discovered in a burning building, suspicion falls on her best friend—forcing Winter to uncover the truth before it’s too late.

This series offers a delightful blend of humor, compelling characters, and engaging mystery. Fans of cozy mysteries with a touch of wit will find plenty to enjoy. One of the standout elements for me was the unique setting of the funeral parlor, which added both charm and intrigue to the story. Overall, a thoroughly entertaining read.

#GraveWords #NetGalley

Grave Words is a wickedly clever and laugh-out-loud cozy mystery that delivers equal parts twisty suspense, small-town charm, and hilariously relatable chaos. Winter Snow—yes, her name is just the beginning of the fun—is a heroine with grit, snark, and more than her fair share of bad luck. Between her obituary business drying up, a friend falsely accused of arson, and an obituary listing her as dead, she’s one grave mistake away from losing it completely.

The mystery kicks into high gear when Winter is assigned to write an obituary for Chester, a homeless man found in a suspicious fire. But as she quickly discovers, Chester isn’t just another name on paper—he’s the center of a murder investigation that threatens to bury her best friend Scoop under a mountain of circumstantial evidence. The more Winter digs into Chester’s past, the more elusive the truth becomes—and the closer she gets to danger herself.

Grave Words is the perfect read for fans of witty amateur sleuths, murder with a side of mayhem, and small towns where secrets are always on the menu. Fast-paced, fiercely funny, and satisfyingly plotted, this installment in the Winter Snow series proves that sometimes, the best way to survive a murder is to write your way through it.

Grave Words delivers another engaging mystery but it’s wrapped in a narrative that doesn’t quite live up to the first book’s charm.

The core whodunit is enjoyable, with enough twists to keep me invested. I had an inkling of picking the culprit but wasn't quite right. So a big plus for the structure of the mystery. But there were several moments where the story veered off into tangents of details that might’ve added depth to the setting or character world, but instead arrived at the wrong moment, pulling me out of the narrative flow. These interruptions were frequent enough to be distracting.

While I don’t mind common cosy mystery tropes (such as a detective boyfriend, the quirky best friend), they need to be executed with care. In this book, the dynamic between the protagonist and her police detective boyfriend felt off, particularly her irritation with him for not sharing case details. Rather than coming across as justified or playful, her frustration felt oddly immature, even juvenile. A few other character interactions also struck a slightly awkward note, as if the emotional beats hadn’t quite been ironed out.

It’s not a bad book by any means and I will continue with the series but this installment felt less polished. I can see so much growth potential in characters and in the small town cosy elements, the sky is the limit with a series like this. I hope we have more books, because I think this series is unique.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The scene in the funeral parlor made the book for me. Leave it to Winter Snow, yes, that's her name, to wind up hiding from a killer in a funeral parlor. Nope, no more details. You'll just have to read the book. Overall, although I find myself annoyed with Winter much of the times, I found that I liked her better this go-round more than I did in the first installment. Her job certainly isn't ordinary, interviewing surviving family and friends and writing obituaries for the deceased, but she somehow seems to find herself involved in a murder investigation in the process. Her detective boyfriend, Kip, of course tries to warn her off, refusing to share much with her. Winter shows her immaturity by expecting him to ignore police rules and share everything with her, even becoming upset at him for not jeopardizing his job to make her happy. Yet, she rarely hesitates not to share with him.

I admired Winter for caring enough about the seemingly homeless Chester to do a deep dive into his life and background while, at the same time, cringing more than once at her methods. She's admittedly driven by the need to clear her friend Scoop's name as the prime suspect, especially when he winds up in jail. Scoop, the local newspaper reporter, had been investigating a series of arson fires and is a suspect in that as well as the murder of Chester but, as a reporter, feels obliged to protect his sources. Best friend Carla has her back, as do her senior friends Richard and Horace. I liked all of them, even the long suffering Kip. Will Winter's unceasing questioning get her in trouble? You already know the answer to that and, oh, boy, what a load of trouble. I don't want to give away much more of the plot but will add that cemetery plots are involved. More importantly, perhaps, we see growth in Winter as the story progresses.

Bottom line, although still not thoroughly liking Winter, I liked her better this time and see her growth as a good sign. And, oh, I nearly forgot to mention the side story. Again, no details, but it involved Star Wars and collecting. Somehow the two stories merge for the finale. Thanks #CrookedLaneBooks for allowing me this early peek at how life (and writing about death) is going for Winter. I definitely felt her panic in that funeral parlor scene!

So the gangs all back for this second installment of Winter Snow (yes, that is really her name) and her misfit crew of friends and family in Ridgefield, CT. There is also, of course, Diva, the Great Pyrenees puppy from the first installment, that Winter ended up adopting after Diva’s first doggie mama was killed. LOVE DIVA!!! Love Winter too for adopting Diva; Winter is good people in my book!

The book summary lays the primary storyline of Ridgefield’s one and only homeless person, Chester, who died in a fire in the building where the local hangout, Pop’s Place is located. Winter’s BFF, Scoop, the local newspaper reporter, was the last to see Chester alive. So, of course, the police consider him a suspect and the fact that Scoop won’t divulge what he and Chester were talking about makes him an uncooperative suspect. It's also rumored that Chester may not have been who he appeared to be.

There is also a secondary storyline around another obituary that Winter has been asked to write (besides Chester’s obituary) for another Ridgefield resident, Arthur. Arthur is a local collector of toy doll memorabilia, mostly action figures and his inventory is massive with much of it being stored in a local warehouse. It's not long before Winter discovers a connection between Chester and Arthur and begins to suspect that their deaths are not accidental or random.

Kip, a detective for the Ridgefield Police Dept as well as Winter’s BF, knows more than he is letting on and doesn’t want Winter anywhere near this investigation and basically orders her to stay away from it. Of course, Winter doesn’t, which leads to her getting caught up in some pretty scary scenes and is now on the radar of a possible murderer. All of which leads to some really scary and intense scenes for Winter and her friend, Carla, who works at the local funeral home.

The continued character development of Winter and her friends and family was well done. I really hope to see more of Carla, who is a great character. The pacing was steady and didn't drag too much. The family drama between Winter and Uncle Richard was confusing, but I'm sure there is more to come on that subject. The storyline and writing was engaging and pretty standard for a cozy mystery. I'm looking at an overall rating of 3.9 that I will be rounding up to a 4star review. I want to thank NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #CrookedLaneBooks #GraveWords

Grave Words: A Deadly Deadline Mystery by Gerri Lewis is a captivating cozy mystery that strikes the perfect balance between charm and suspense. Set in a quaint small town, the story follows a likable protagonist as she unravels a puzzling mystery with plenty of twists. Lewis creates an inviting atmosphere, filled with quirky characters and a well-paced plot that keeps you turning the pages. (I received an advance reader copy and all opinions are my own.) With just the right amount of intrigue and warmth, it's an enjoyable read for cozy mystery lovers looking for a fun escape.

Thank you Crooked Lane Books/ Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I do really appreciate it.

Winter Snow has had it, with her best friend Scoop involved in a string of arsons, her business in a drought, and obituary listing herself as deceased, her life is heating up and everything is going crazy. As she trying to figure what happening she receives a new assignment. An obituary for Chester; a homeless man found in a burning building. Winter promises the local funeral home manager that she will have the obituary by the deadline. She however is failing to get Chester's last name, and where he came from. When everyone realizes that Chester was murdered and the fire was set to cover it up, all fingers are immediately pointed towards Scoop. Scoop is a person of interest for arsons and but he is also the last person to see Chester alive.

Winter is more determined than ever to figure out the twists and turns of the case to be able to clear Scoop's name. It puts her on a deadly deadline to solve the murder.

The book itself was just okay, I felt like there was not anything special about it. The romance was also just kind of boring and didn't really add anything to the plot. I felt like the main character was just being stubborn and trying to get everyone to worry about her. I do usually enjoy cozy mysteries, but this one didn't' really grab my attention. I am just going to say it, we couldn't have come up with something better than Winter Snow. I feel like there are a lot of better names out there. I also just didn't feel betqween winter and the guy she was romantically with, it felt like they were just friends and nothing more. Also the way he talked to her sometimes made me want to jump into the book and throw him, like dude we can be nicer to her. This book took me awhile to get through, I could have DNF'D it but I wanted to see who would murder this nice homeless man. I think I also hit a brick eall while trying to read this book.

Nothing about this book stood out at me, or grabbed my attention. I think I wanted to read this book because of the dog on the cover. That's what made me want to read this book. I am a sucker for dogs.

There are better cozy books out there. Read the little blurb about it and if it sounds good to you pick this book up and give it a shot. Happy Reading!!!!

I have to say I didn't know how I would feel about a cozy mystery series in which the MFC is an obituary writer but as a genealogy nerd who loves mysteries I enjoyed the first one in the series and I ended up loving the second one. Can't wait to see what mystery the third book brings.

My rating:
3.0 stars
My opinion:
I enjoyed this book a lot. The concept was really nicely done. I felt some scenes were too detailed for me. Some details are important but it would jump from dialogue to details about what is around Winter, our main character. The pace of the story was enjoyable to read, it wasn't too fast paced but had major events going. I felt the ending was a little rushed based on how much detail there was with the beginning of the book. Overall, it was a enjoyable cozy read for the fall time.

I enjoyed this book mostly. There are some quirky, interesting characters, I think the side characters are more interesting than the main. I do feel the cop, Kip, is a bit stereotypical and the whole uncle, neighbor attitude of we’re not going to tell you anything because you can’t take care of yourself is annoying. Lots of lack of trust all around. #GraveWords #NetGalley

Grave Words is the second book in the Deadly Deadlines cozy mystery series by Gerri Lewis. Winter Snow's most recent assessment is to write the obituary for Chester, an unhoused man that recently died in a burning building. The fire is linked to a number of recent arsons. Almost immediately the police begin stalling by refusing to give any details about Chester, even his last name. Winter starts to investigate and soon realizes there is more to Chester's story. Winter is drawn further into the case when her friend and local newspaper writer, Scoop, is implicated in the arson investigation.

I am always looking for new cozy mystery series and found a great one here. When I noticed this was the second book in the series I decided to go ahead and read the first book. I don't think that is absolutely necessary to understand the story but I really enjoyed The Last Word so I do recommend it. Winter Snow is a great lead. I love that she is an obituary writer. It is such an interesting and perfect profession for the main character in a cozy mystery to have. Winter has an entertaining community surrounding her. I especially enjoyed getting to know Scoop more. I also like the direction Winter and Kip are heading in their relationship. The mystery was interesting and had some good twists. I can't wait to see what comes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was happy to go back to Ridgefield, CT, and visit with Winter, Uncle Richard, Scoop, Carla, and Kip. I will admit to being prejudiced as I live in Connecticut and love the small-time vibe in this series. In this adventure, Scoop seems to have an in on the fires that are being started in town. Unfortunately, he might know too much, and when the third fire yields a body, things are definitely going to get hot. With Scoop protecting his source and Winter trying to find answers as she is asked to write the obituary for the homeless man found in the third fire, can they figure out who is setting the fires and who wanted Chester dead? While I love the setting and characters, this book was a little more convoluted than it had to be. Too many secrets, lack of trust, and undefined characters pulled in at the end. Hopefully, the next entry will be a little more smoothed out. Thanks to #Netgally, #CrookedLaneBooks, and the author for an opportunity to read. #GraveWords #DeadlyDeadlineMysteries #GerriWoods #bookreview #bookideas #retiredreader

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of GRAVE WORDS (Book 2 of the Deadly Deadlines mystery series) by Gerri Lewis in exchange for an honest review. Winter Snow wakes up dead, at least, according to the local paper, and then everyone wants a favor. The actual death of a local homeless man, known only as Chester, and a recent spate of arsons are at the root of most of the requested favors. Winter’s agreement to find out Chester’s last name and to write his obituary doesn’t seem like it should cause all of the trouble that ensues. Further, Winter’s reporter-friend Scoop has become the primary person of interest in both the arsons, and Winter’s boyfriend has become an obstacle both to Winter’s business and to her clearing Scoop’s name. Can Winter, her business, her friendship with Scoop, and her romantic relationship all survive the situation?

I did not read the first book in the series, but I had no problems keeping characters or relationships straight. I recommend this book to fans of cozy murder mysteries featuring small communities where everything and everyone is interconnected.

#GraveWords #NetGalley

Grave Words, the second book in the Deadly Deadline Mystery series by Gerri Lewis, is an intriguing mystery with plenty of suspects to keep you turning the page to the very end.
Main character Winter continues to find herself in untenable situations, and the ways she escapes them are entertaining. She finds herself continuously at odds with her police detective boyfriend, putting the future of their relationship in question for upcoming books.
I did find that this book got bogged down in details that went far beyond what I was interested in reading, and I ended up just scanning pages in a row to get back to the action.
I received an ARC of #GraveWords from #NetGalley and #CrookedLaneBooks.

I enjoyed this book. Winter a obituary writter is asked to write one for the towns homeless man who was murdered. She must solve who he is and keep her friend from being arrested.

It was a fun, cozy mystery read! I enjoyed the author's writing and it is perfect for Halloween read! I loved the suspense and hillarious moments described throughout the book! Definitely recommending and reading more from the author!

The author did a great job presenting this whodunit with a comfortable tone making it easy to follow along. I liked how this storyline played out with a solid mystery that kept me both in suspense and intrigued throughout. Every time Winter uncovered secrets and misdeeds, the story intensified, and I could not put the book down until all was said and done. When I thought I had a handle on who was doing what to whom, the author changed direction all to enhance the story being told. Overall, this was an enjoyable read.