Dying Echo

Grim Reaper Mystery #4

by Judy Clemens

It's been years since Casey Maldonado visited her hometown. The only reason she's returning now is to get her brother Ricky out of jail, where he's been arrested for the murder of his girlfriend Alicia McManus. Casey believes in her brother's innocence, but proving that to the cops is a different thing altogether, especially since she has her own murder warrant to worry about. Even more frightening is Casey's confrontation with her personal demons―the home she shared with her late husband and son, the resentment of her mother, and even the presence of Eric, who wants to be more than just a friend. As Casey and her ever-present companion Death investigate, it becomes clear Alicia was not who she claimed to be. Instead of a solid history, she left only questions when she died. Where did she come from? What secrets did she know? And, most importantly, who were the three people she spoke of when Death carried her away? Casey must sort the truth from the elaborate fiction of Alicia's life in order to clear Ricky's name, but as she reveals the woman's secrets, Casey begins to see just how alike their lives appear. Is Casey destined to an existence as empty and dark as Alicia's? Or can she overcome the tragedy of her past and move forward into a life worth living?

Genres: Mystery, Fantasy, Paranormal, Fiction, Audiobook

310 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2012

About the author

Judy Clemens is the author of LEAVE TOMORROW BEHIND, the newest book in the Anthony and Agatha-nominated Stella Crown mysteries. She also writes the Grim Reaper mysteries, and wrote LOST SONS, which is a stand-alone.

She lives in the beautiful state of Ohio with her family.

Reviews

[Leslie aka StoreyBook Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, even though I had not read any of the first three books.

This book has been sitting on my shelf since 2012. I don't know why I didn't read it then, but am glad I finally did. While I didn't quite understand Death's role, I liked the snarkiness. It added some depth to the story. Because I didn't know the backstory from the first three books, it took some time to cobble together Casey's story and why Death was there. I had my suspicions, but it took a while for it to be confirmed.

The mystery was intriguing, and I liked how they went about solving it. I was confused by the ending, and will have to see what is in book 5 and if that clears up my questions.

[Elizabeth (Stuffed Shelves) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dying Echo A Grim Reaper Mystery
by Judy Clemons

What is the book about?

Alicia McManus has been murdered and they suspect it was her boyfriend Ricky. While everyone who knows Ricky, knows he couldn't have done such a thing. Ricky's sister, Casey thinks she can help solve the mystery of what happened to Alicia and save her brother from spending his life in prison for a murder he did not commit. With a little help from her friend Death she finds out information that she cannot share with the police because she has no explanation on how she had obtained the information, so she is in search of backing the truth up with hard evidence to put the murders behind bars and free her brother.

What did I think of the book?

Casey sounds like a modern day Nancy Drew which I thought was awesome. You'd think after dozens of Nancy Drew novels that the theme would get old but it isn't! Mystery solving is so fun to read and with a bad ass like Casey who seems to be able to accomplish anything she puts her mind to in order to help her brother, despite the own pain and agony she deals with every day.

[Georgiana Huizenga · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and the way Casey has developed, finally allowing herself to be open to a relationship with Eric. I have liked this series quite a bit, but I have to admit that I miss Stella Crown. I hope that Judy eventually does another Stella book.

[Melliane · Rating 4 out of 5]

My English review

Mon avis en Français

I confess I was immediately intrigued by the synopsis as soon as I read it. It’s always interesting I think to have Death presented as a real character in a story. I only saw that in the Kalayna Price books and I was very curious to know how it would be this time with this new protagonist. Plus, I love to follow a great investigation and this one is really perfect!

I didn’t know this series or this author before and I was sure that this one was the first in the saga… Well I was wrong, but I think I’m getting used to that. It finally wasn’t a problem at all and it was easy to get into the story. It’s also why I’m now curious about the other novels. I wonder what we can learn and if one features the meeting between Casey and Eric.

In this book, Casey comes back at home to prove the innocence of her brother who is accused of murdering his girlfriend. But I have to say that this event had turned his life upside down and he doesn’t even want to defend himself. However, our heroine is determined to not give up and to know the answers to her questions. With the help of Death, she will discover little by little the truth about this young woman: Alicia that nobody really knew about. With Death who can tell her what she needs, it’s finally not so difficult. The only problem? She can’t even talk to the Police as she is afraid they think she is crazy. And when Eric comes and wants to help her, she can’t send him back at home. A story that will turn upside down our heroine physically and emotionally. It’s true I didn’t expect the complexity of the plot and Judy Clemens had a lot of wonderful ideas about it. This investigation was fascinating and we can really know the last word at the end of the book. We can only be sad about the events, if only one person would have said something… their life would have been totally different.

What can I say about the characters? Casey is a woman hunted by the memory of the dead and it’s this same thing that will prevent her to have a real life, far from her ghosts. The presence of Death doesn’t help to surpass her trauma. I however really enjoyed his nature; he is at the forefront of technology, always helping Casey as he can, giving advice about what she should do. It was nice to meet him.

But I think I also really liked Eric. This young man never gets upset and I was impressed by his determination to stay with Casey, especially given the treatment she inflicts. But he remains stoic throughout the book, trying to understand and make her accept that they could have a relationship. It was always interesting to follow them both, to see how they interacted together. A real pleasure!

This fourth volume was very pleasant to discover, I am curious to know more about the adventures of Casey and to see what will happen to her relationship, whether with Eric or even Death.

[Shy The WidowMaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review will be on my blog on September 14th.

This was a new mystery for me but I love a good mystery with paranormal aspects and this one delivered. It had everything you could want in a mystery with a kick butt lead heroine in the form of Casey. Casey was a great character. She was headstrong,brave and not to mention a black belt so she could definitely defend herself. Although under all that Casey had a vulnerable side and I found myself so drawn to her character. I was amazed that she was still moving on and holding herself together well after the tragedy that she has had to deal with. Casey is back in her hometown because her brother Ricky has been accused of murdering his girlfriend and she is out to prove his innocence.




Along for the ride to help Casey is Death as in the Grim Reaper and Eric an old friend. The Grim Reaper was another one of my favorite characters in this book. The author gave him such a human side and he was so snarky it was so cute. I also loved how addicted and amazed he was with technology. It was so funny watching all the things he was getting used to playing around with. It truly was like watching the new technology through a kid's eye. I liked that he was seen as more than just the Grim Reaper and more like an actual person. I have to say that Eric grew on me just because of his ability to still stick by Casey even with all she was throwing his way. I loved that he was ok with all her baggage and wanted to stick it through with her. He was such a cutie and one of the few people that could hold his own against her.




As Casey got further into the mystery she learned that their was a really old mystery at work. I loved Casey's sharp wit and the way she could put clues together easily. She was really good at uncovering the mystery with the help of Death and Eric. I liked the concept of why Death hung around her too and how she was comfortable with him being around. I hope to see Casey and Eric's relationship progress to and turn into something wonderful. They have the potential to be so much more.




Overall this was a good mystery story. The author did a good job in making the characters have so much depth and be more than just one dimensional characters. She gave them lots of back story and made you really want to know more about them. I laughed so hard at a few of the things Death said and the author did a great job of making him more relate able. I think the author had a well developed plot and I now need to go back and start at the beginning of this series to learn more about Casey because I am in love with her character. I also loved that the author created such a great story that read like a standalone book. I highly recommend this to my mystery lovers out there.

[Heidi | Paper Safari Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 4th book in this series and after reading this one I think I am going to go back and read the others. Casey is a broken woman, her husband and young son were killed in a car accident that Casey barely escaped. But escape she did and she has been torturing herself ever since, begging for death, who is now her traveling companion, literally. The grim reaper travels with Casey helping her with information that she needs, and nudging her toward life. He is fun, quirky and has a killer sense of humor.

Casey returns to her hometown when she finds out her brother has been charged with the murder of his girlfriend. As she digs into the case she discovers that the girlfriend is not who she seems to be, in fact no one seems to know who she really is, with the exception of Death. Since she can't go to the police with information obtained from a supernatural being she sets out to uncover evidence that she can use. Along the way she is aided by a man she met in the last book who wants more from Casey than she is ready to give.

This book left me wanting more. Casey is so emotionally wrecked that you can feel her pain ooze off the pages, and Death give a great levity to the whole book. He always has a quick witty remark or snarky comment to make. He is fascinated by electronics and is constantly creating mobile phones and ipads to occupy himself. I believe he wants Casey to move on and learn to live again but also will miss her if she decides to embrace life once more. This is definitely a series to keep your eye on.

[TrixieB · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this last book was not as good as the rest. Too quick a wrap up. People treating her badly and she just takes it. But I'd still recommend it if you've read the first three.

[Ken Finlay · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Dying Echo”, fourth in the 'Grim Reaper Mystery' series, sees Casey returning home after her brother is arrested for the murder of his girlfriend.
Casey is positive he didn't do it and Death, her nearly constant companion, for once comes up with some helpful information to back up her belief.
Take Death out of it (and, increasingly, I wish the author would) and what you have is a very traditional detective novel.
I've kept reading the series in part because there are hints that Casey and Death are not just strangers in the night - he wants something from her, or maybe she is his link to something he has never experienced before?
There is one odd moment when it actually appears that an explanation is in the offing but it goes nowhere.
I'll finish the series - just one more book to go - but I'm finding it increasingly frustrating.
I need answers!
3 Stars.

[David Abbott · Rating 4 out of 5]

The narrative holds your attention. I have thousands of audiobooks. I stop listening to many after the first half hour but this held my attention. The is amongst the greatest talents a writer can have.

[Ryan Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited that Casey was coming back home. But the mystery that ensued wasn’t that different from the others, despite her monumental decision to return. Don’t get me wrong—it was still an entertaining mystery with some interesting character development, but I was surprisingly underwhelmed.

[Terri · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wish Ms Clemens would continue the Stella Crown mysteries.

[Kathy O’Neal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent continuation of Casey's action- filled adventures!

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: Dying Echo: A Grim Reaper Mystery

Author: Judy Clemens

Series: Grim Reaper Mystery

Series Number: Four

Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press

Genre: Paranormal Mystery

Blurb: Casey’s brother Ricky sits in jail after being arrested for the brutal murder of his girlfriend. Casey believes in her brother’s innocence, but proving that to the cops is a different thing altogether.(via Judy Clemens’ website: http://www.judyclemens.com/grimreaper...)

Review: My feelings on this book are kind of complicated. I do think it was a good book. I do think that it was fairly written. However, I also think that I went in with the wrong mind set for what type of book this would be, and was therefore, slightly disappointed. I went in thinking this would be something similar to Urban Fantasy(think Mercy Thompson, Chess Putnam, Kate Daniels, etc.). I thought I would’ve been reading something like that.

This wasn’t. The paranormal element in this is, in my opinion, small. Death, the Grim Reaper, is present but he really isn’t her partner. He’s more like a comic relief element or something to drop off little tidbits of information the character wouldn’t have been able to find most likely on her own. While there were times when he was laugh out loud funny, it occasionally got a little tiring or it seemed strange because the main character, Casey, is so saddened/depressed. However, it wasn’t anything that I would take away from the book.

The one thing that kind of got to me is that the characters kind of made a huge leap in thought earlier in the story. And while it was later proved and even stated that it was a huge leap in thought, it still kind of didn’t sit with me the right way. I kind of had to keep reading a little bit before both of those statements were made. While I know that this is a Paranormal Mystery; still, that seemed a little strange to me. That was just my opinion though.

The story does drag on a little in some places and it got a little tough at times to get through. However, it wasn’t really that bad. If you’re a fan of the genre or you just kind of want to read “something different”, it’s definitely something to try out.

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

Link on Book Blog: http://musingaboutbooks.tumblr.com/po...

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dying Echo
by Judy Clemens

Poisoned Pen Press

August 2012


"Who were the three people she spoke of when Death carried her away?"


It was quiet that fall evening when Alicia McManus left her waitressing job at The Slope and walked home. She was tired and thoughtful and lonely. She was also nervous.

In the distance she could see the Colorado mountains and the ski lifts at the brightly lit resorts and the real restaurants. But in her mind she was thinking it was time to leave town ... after all, she had stayed in this town longer than she had been anywhere else in the past twenty years. She had messed up and now she wasn't safe. And neither were those around her.

Like her boss and her landlord, and Ricky. Especially Ricky.

By the end of the first chapter we know that Alicia isn't her real name, she had made seventeen dollar and thirty-three cents in tips, it was a Thursday and a good night for company. But in the end she couldn't outrun her tragic past.

When Ricky is arrested his sister Casey Maldonado and her ever present companion Death show up to prove his innocence ... no small feat given her past and her own open murder warrant to worry about. Casey must sort the truth from the elaborate fiction of Alicia's life in order to clear Ricky's name, but as Casey investigates the woman's secrets it becomes clear just how alike their lives appear. Can Casey save her brother and herself?

The author has chosen a unique idea for the series (This is #4 in the Grim Reaper - paranormal - Series) and it is apparent that she is an experienced storyteller. I suspect fans of Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse (Southern Vampire Series) will enjoy this one.





A note from Annette Rogers* -


Dear Reader,

What I like most about Casey Maldonado in Judy Clemens' Dying Echo is that she's unsparing and tough. Casey's often compared to Lee child's Jack Reacher because they both walk the earth fixing problems, solving crimes, and physically fighting to get their point across. They're our solitary knights, traveling the mean streets of mystery.

Reacher has the edge of military experience, confidence, training, and intimidating physique. Casey's edge is less obvious. She's spent years on the run, trying to escape grief and loss from a deadly accident, tempering her body and mind by isolating herself socially....


* Annette Rogers is the Acquisitions Editor at Poisoned Pen Press.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since reading the first book in the Grim Reaper series, "Embrace the Grim Reaper," I am really pleased that I continued with the series as it's improved greatly since then. Like "Flowers From the Grave," "Dying Echo" is truly an engaging and intriguing read. Judy Clemens ("Clemens") has done a terrific job with the protagonist, Casey Maldonado ("Casey"), as she's given us a more in-depth look and feel to the character. We've been given the opportunity to witness who Casey really is, and truly see what she's been thru, as well as how much she's grown since Book 1. Even though Casey is still a little gruff around the edges, I love how smart, strong, and courageous she is. She kicks ass like no one else. Makes me wish I had that talent. Clemens reintroduces Eric from Book 1 to help Casey solve the new murder mystery; which in turn gives us a better look at who Eric is. With him by her side, we see all the positive affects he has on her as she slowly starts to come around to not only the idea of having Eric in her life, but also to face her demons head-on by staying put instead of running away again. You can't help but love how great these two are together because as hard as Casey denies it, Eric is really good for her. I can't wait to see which direction their relationship will go. Rounding out the group, we cannot forget Death, a character that truly entertains the reader. Death, Casey's sidekick, comes across as a comic relief type character with all his facetious and sarcastic comments. He also comes across like a "wise one" as Death always has Casey questioning her thoughts and behaviours, and the course of direction she takes at every turn. Watching Death master the iPad, providing commentary on the new age of technology is quite entertaining if not humourous at times, especially since Casey is the only one who can hear (and see) Death. It's because of all these characteristics that at times while reading I forgot who Death really was - that he wasn't a living, breathing human being.

I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy paranormal-mystery novels that are both entertaining and intriguing. I look forward to reading the next book in the series (hope there is one).

[Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always enjoy another of the Grim Reaper series by Judy Clemens. I think her characters are well developed and the plot interesting and suspensful. Casey is a young woman who had lost her family in a terrible crash years earlier and struggles to live with the guilt and pain of this castastrophic event. She has distanced herself from her family, friends, and basically life itself. She roams across the country, hitching a ride from anyone, and her only constant companion and sidekick, Death. She doesn't fear Death, and has begged him to take her at one time or another, and the dialog between the two is quite amusing. Death, unseen to most people who fear him, usually has a hand in helping her see what others cannot when it comes to solving murders. In Dying Echo, she has a new companion in Eric, and he is interested in more than friendship, and tries to bring her away from her life of pain, sorrow, and Death, and possibly give love another chance as well as help prove her brother innocent of murder.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only disappointing part of this book is that it seems to be the last of the series. That is too bad, as I really enjoyed reading about Cassey, her friends and family, and how she was growing and changing in her recovery from her losses.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series and this one was so enjoyable because Casey was able to go home. I was afraid of death in the first books but came to understand him and lost my fear. I hope this isn't the last book in the series.

[Dorsi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an entertaining fun read. My favorite character was Death, the grim reaper. I like how the author gave his character a good sense of humor. 3 1/2 stars for me. It was narrated by Tavia Gilbert who did a pretty good job. 4 stars for the narration.

[Miki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the first two books in the series. (Number three was also a little blah.)

[Serena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome until the very end....grrrr

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book did not grab my interest. The plot was too cumbersome. I found the main character, Casey, unlikable.

[Rachel Gilbertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really love this series

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm sorry to reach the end of this series - I enjoyed Casey and her journey. It does kind of bother me that she seems to miss Death now that she has found someone new to care about.

[Gina Guesby Mays · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really, really enjoyed this! I want to know more! What happens after the end? What happens with Death? I just - want more!