Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Lily Sprayberry Realtor #4

Signed, Sealed and Dead

Rate this book
“Golden Girls meets Steel Magnolias!”

LILY SPRAYBERRY SELLS HOMES AND SOLVES CRIMES

USA Today–Bestselling Author: The clock runs out for a Georgia high school coach—and a sleuthing realtor is on the case . . .


As a Southern realtor with big dreams for a family in the future, I know that raising kids is no easy feat. But when it comes to sports, I'm not worried about the risks - it's the parents that are the real threat.

So when my client, the new varsity lacrosse coach at the local high school, turns up dead, I know that the list of suspects is long. As I start to investigate, I realize that the killer could be anyone – and most likely, a member of the PTA.

While the local quirky residents gossip about the murder over sweet tea and scones at Millie’s, I’m determined to get to the bottom of this mystery, I'll stop at nothing to find the killer and bring them to justice. But as the danger mounts and the stakes get higher, I know that I could be benched for good if I'm not careful.

Will I solve the case and make sure justice is served, or will I become the next victim in a deadly game of cat and mouse? Only time will tell.

With a cast of quirky characters, Southern charm, and plenty of suspense, this cozy mystery will keep you guessing until the very end.

Unknown Binding

273 people are currently reading
235 people want to read

About the author

Carolyn Ridder Aspenson

147 books543 followers
USA Today Bestselling Author Carolyn Ridder Aspenson writes cozy mysteries, thrillers, and paranormal women's fiction featuring strong female leads. Her stories shine through her dialogue, which readers have praised for being realistic and compelling.
A multiple number one bestseller on Amazon, her first novel, Unfinished Business, was a five-star Reader's Favorite, a Rone Award finalist, as well as a number one bestseller on both Amazon and Barnes and Noble. In 2021, she introduced readers to detective Rachel Ryder in Damaging Secrets, also a number one bestseller on Amazon. Overkill, the third book in the Rachel Ryder series, was one of Thrillerfix’s best thrillers of 2021.Reviews have praised her work as ‘compelling, and intense,’ and ‘read through the night, edge of your seat thrillers. Carolyn’s most recent Rachel Ryder novel, Deadly Means, has been submitted for an Edgar Award by her publisher, Severn River Publishing.
Prior to publishing, she worked as a journalist in the suburbs of Atlanta where her work appeared in multiple newspapers and magazines. She wrote a monthly featured column in Northside Woman magazine.
Writing is only one of Carolyn's passions. She is an avid dog lover and currently spoils an American Staffordshire terrier boxer mix. She lives in the mountains of North Georgia as an empty nester (who misses her kids terribly but loves having a lower grocery bill) with her husband, a cantankerous cat, and her very spoiled pup.

Connect with Carolyn via carolyn@carolynridderaspenson.com


Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
255 (57%)
4 stars
123 (27%)
3 stars
51 (11%)
2 stars
10 (2%)
1 star
2 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
Profile Image for Cheryl .
2,397 reviews80 followers
June 4, 2021
This is a 3.5 star read.

Profile Image for JoAn.
2,460 reviews1 follower
January 13, 2019
Signed, Sealed and Dead by Carolyn Ridder Aspenson may be the third book in the Lily Sprayberry Realtor series but it's the best one yet.

Lily and Belle are involved in the town's annual yard sale fundraiser for their high school sports teams. Unfortunately, Lily finds the body of the new high school lacrosse coach just before the doors open. Lily is heartbroken because she considered him a friend. I give Lily credit that she really tried to stay out of the investigation this time but her curiosity and need for justice for her friend was too much. I adore Millie who runs the local cafe. I want to go eat a meal and just sit and talk to this southern woman. She is so good at telling it like it is and yet phrasing it in perfect "polite" wording. Oh, and Bonnie and Henrietta are back. I laughed until I almost cried every time they were on the page.

A well-crafted mystery with twists, plenty of suspects, no clear motive for the murder and a scary reveal that made this an afternoon of pure entertainment.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. All of the above opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Emmalynn.
2,938 reviews29 followers
July 17, 2024
good

Athletics, and high school booster moms. When Lily”s client, a new coach in town is murdered, presumably over changes he wanted to make to the athletic program, Lily sets out to find his murderer and in so doing invites the ire of the Lacrosse team moms. Plus Dylan is up for re-election.
Profile Image for Miss W Book Reviews.
1,771 reviews155 followers
January 18, 2019
Signed, Sealed and Dead is the third book in the Lily Sprayberry Realtor series. I dare to say this is my favorite one so far, because they are all SO GOOD!

Lily and Belle are helping out in the towns yard sale fundraiser for the high school sports teams. As Lily's luck would have it, she is the one to discover the body of the new lacrosse coach right before the big event. I have to give Lily credit, she does "try" to stay out of the investigation, but this one is personal as the coach is her friend.

I absolutely LOVE this series and the well developed characters. I love Millie and her cafe. I live in New England and have never been to the "south" but I feel like if I went to her cafe it would be the epitome of southern charm.

The rich, multi woven plot with ever evolving twists and quite the shock at the end left me devouring this book. I cannot wait for the next Lily Sprayberry book to see what her and her friends are up to next!
Profile Image for Monica.
1,107 reviews
January 16, 2019
Another fun adventure with Lily and gang. This town has such great characters and I love how loyal they are to Lily. I love how Dylan let Lily be involved but still protected her. Millie at the cafe really shined in this book. She has a way of telling people off without losing her customers. And the older crowd is as funny as ever while trying to help and protect Lily. So many suspects. So many motives. So many twists. Can't wait for the adventure to continue. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. All of the above opinions are my own.
65 reviews7 followers
January 23, 2019
This is a warm, touching, and often humorous cozy mystery. I am always delighted to spend time with Lily Sprayberry and her friends Belle, Henrietta, and Bonnie. This author's account of small town Southern living is spot on. I loved this book and I highly recommend it!
Profile Image for Sandy.
875 reviews14 followers
March 3, 2020
Lily and Belle are helping with a rummage sale at a local high school when Lily finds a body. Since Lily is sure the wrong person is accused, she sets out to solve the case. This is a complex cozy mystery, with a nice, twisty plot and engaging characters. I’m looking forward to the next book. I received a free copy of this book and chose to make a voluntary, unbiased review.
4,417 reviews43 followers
September 8, 2022
Who killed Carter Trammell and why??? For a spot on the team??? I enjoyed the story and recommend the book.
Profile Image for John A. Sillasen.
358 reviews4 followers
October 14, 2019
For a Ghost Writer, it's a Decent Story

No, Carolyn Ridder Aspenson is John a ghost writer for some other authors, she writes stories with and about ghosts. This isn't that. It is similar to her other tales in that the lead story tellers' a woman, nay, a Southern woman. There's none like a woman from small town in the South. Georgia to be specific. Just like her other, more infamous ghost stories like Angela Panther and Chantilly Adair. Lily Spritzberry doesn't see ghosts or talk to the dead. She sure does find her fair share of dead bodies though. Lily owns a small town real estate company with her bestie, Belle. Yup, pure southern alrighty. Small town girl finds dead bodies in same small town. Oh, and she's dating the small town Sheriff too. Seems there's always a relationship with the law in her stories too. One bestie marries a detective, one dates one and yet the third can't get a relationship started with her local lawman. While there are many similarities there are just as many storyline differences to make reading each series still worth the while.
Profile Image for Judy Johnson.
839 reviews2 followers
September 29, 2020
This book was amazing...definitely delivered what the reader is looking for. A well-written mystery sure to please all cozy lovers and the best part, you don't need to read them in order. Lily is a murder magnet, always seems to come across a dead body, and what I loved most about this book besides the question marks floating around my head related to who did it, was the humor and snarkiness! Definitely worth the read...also a bonus, Lily's boyfriend, the hunky sheriff is part of the sleuthing! Great characters, wonderful plot, overall a must-read for any cozy mystery lover. You'll be hooked and want to go back and read the others! I received a complimentary copy of this book and the opinion expressed here is unsolicited and mine alone.
683 reviews10 followers
February 24, 2020
Fun book!! Lily finds the new lacrosse coach dead and the main suspect seems to be one of the players' fathers. The parents are in an uproar over the sport program being pulled because the school wasn't following procedure by suspending players whose grades were down. The moms of the players seem to have it out for Lily. Lily investigates with some help from her sheriff boyfriend. This was a fun book and I enjoyed seeing the moms riled up and all the Southerness. I really enjoy these characters and the town. Looking forward to the next book and more of Lily and Dylan!!
1,228 reviews11 followers
May 1, 2023
Crazy lacrosse moms are a problem!

As Lily Sprayberry would say, this book is a hot mess! I have so much fun trading the books in this series, full of Southern sass and slightly crazy characters. In this one, the lacrosse moms are the really crazy ones, absolutely out of control trying to see that their sons get college scholarships, TPing Lily’s house and writing nasty things on her driveway! But Sheriff Dylan is a hero, along with Lily’s dog Bo. A wonderfully funny series!
Profile Image for Tari.
3,638 reviews103 followers
July 7, 2024
Oh my gosh I just love those two ladies Henrietta and Bonnie. I’ve got a hunch that someday Lily and Belle are gonna be just like them, barring the swapping who they’re dating thing. Lily and Belle were true to their guys lol.

I hadn’t guessed whodunit and didn’t realize it until the very end. Yay for the Bo pupster too, what a good boy and quick reflexes on Lily’s part to disable the killer. I started out to catch up a bit in this series by reading a couple novellas and the bingeing kinda started lol.
Profile Image for Carole Craddock.
283 reviews3 followers
January 22, 2019
Lily Sprayberry must solve yet another murder, this time of a new friend and she means business!  Her sheriff boyfriend, Dylan, is opening up to her more on his investigations and she cannot be more pleased!  Unfortunately, many of the townspeople are upset with Lily and she must fight them all the way to find out who done it!  This is definitely a hard to put down book, with a very nice ending…of course leaving me wanting to read more of this series!
Profile Image for Jan L.
1,002 reviews22 followers
January 24, 2019
Realtor reality

Sassy southern fun with interest! The dialogue flows to make enjoyable reading and the setting is just perfect, I live in a small town in North Georgia and , bless my heart, I'm pretty sure I've met the people that live in this book! After reading the first book in this series I've looked forward to the next one coming out and they've kept providing entertaining reading!
Profile Image for Micky Cox.
2,317 reviews38 followers
February 25, 2019
Another entertaining foray into the world of southern hospitality, real estate and of course murder! In this installment Lily gets in the cross hairs of a group of mean mom's squad when they go after the Lacrosse coach who happens to be a new friend and client of Lily's. Once again, great characters enhance a well thought out plot with ample twists and turns to keep you guessing. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book!
Profile Image for Roger.
5,608 reviews28 followers
September 25, 2019
Signed, Sealed and Dead (Lily Sprayberry Realtor #3), my third highly enjoyable read from author Carolyn Ridder Aspenson. Well-written & enjoyable, again reminiscent of the early writing of Karin Slaughter. I look forward to reading more in this series & from this author. I own 10 other books by her up next is The Scarecrow Snuff Out (Lily Sprayberry Realtor #1.5). (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).
Profile Image for Monica.
1,530 reviews
January 20, 2020
Well sports are a big thing in the south at least in this book they are. And mama bears are out in full force. Lily does again help solve this murder. She also finds herself in danger. Changes are coming for Lily and bestie. You could read this as a stand alone but it would be more fun to read the first two books. This book is a fun cozy mystery with a little romance and great female relationships.


*I received a free copy of this book via the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.*
23 reviews3 followers
January 31, 2020
Lily is at it again. Poor girl can’t get away from the dead bodies. Love, love this series. Well written, characters are developed, relatable and lovable. We are shown a little more into the personalities of the supporting characters ( such as Millie and Bonnie), which I love, with each book. I had the wrong person pegged for the murder again, which I love in a book. The end was my favorite scene, I was over the moon when I read it.
You don’t want to miss this one!!
693 reviews8 followers
February 1, 2020
Good mystery!

This was my first Lily Sprayberry mystery ,and it will definitely not be my last. This mystery was interesting and engaging from the first few sentences. The characters were realistic, and the plot was well developed. I did find one error, though(namely that the deceased man was listed as both Carter Trammell and Carter Barrett in one of the last chapters). I highly recommend this book to other cozy mystery readers.
Profile Image for Angel Ballard.
771 reviews5 followers
February 21, 2020
What's All The Fuss About?
Some people get really intense over sports. Some people could care less. Then there are those who would kill to get what they want. The world is full of all kinds of people and sometimes the really crazy ones do really crazy things. This time, though, the entire town goes crazy when the high school sports department is shut down and sports are stopped dead in their tracks, literally. A whodunit that will keep you guessing right to the reveal!
338 reviews4 followers
April 30, 2020
There sure is a lot of drama in this southern small town!

I love the southern small-town setting for this series. However, there are always a few bad apples that ruin the bunch. The recurring characters are really what makes this story great. You have to love the antics of the feisty members of the senior citizen population.

An enjoyable and entertaining clean, fun, and easy read. On to book four of the series.
338 reviews4 followers
April 30, 2020
There sure is a lot of drama in this southern small town!

I love the southern small-town setting for this series. However, there are always a few bad apples that ruin the bunch. The recurring characters are really what makes this story great. You have to love the antics of the feisty members of the senior citizen population.

An enjoyable and entertaining clean, fun, and easy read. On to book four of the series.
Profile Image for Cecilia Valetti.
20 reviews
June 14, 2019
Really pleasant and entertaining

I have read a few Lily Sprayberry novels so far and I think that they are really pleasant to read , intriguing, entertaining and that in the end everyone feels part of the community of Bramblett county and learns to love the characters, their strong bonds of friendship, loyalty and funny adventures.
Profile Image for Jessica King.
90 reviews1 follower
July 3, 2019
SUCH A GREAT STORY!!!!

Carolyn Ridder Asperson has created another wonderful Lily Sprayberry story!! The twists and turns grip you from the beginning and don’t let you go until the end!! I literally could not put it down! I highly recommend you pay a visit to Bramblett County SOON!!
1,180 reviews
June 15, 2020
The interpersonal relationship between the characters were outstanding. Bonnie and Henrietta are hilarious. The plots were interesting and had so many twists and turns that you are kept guessing until the very end. The books are full of humor, loving friendship, mystery and suspense. I highly recommend these book set!
Profile Image for Diane.
1,150 reviews
July 26, 2021
This series is fun and I enjoy each book because it does have some twist and turns
as to Who Did It!!! And then we have the lives of the main characters who seem to
have the ups and downs.....I was happy with the ending.....and I won't say...you have
to read it to find out how the ending makes you smile!
Onto the next book and more adventure
Profile Image for Jenny  Zimmerman.
1,663 reviews71 followers
September 4, 2022
Another amazing cozy mystery!! I love these books so much!!!

The characters were awesome!! I love following Lily on her little adventures to find the killer!! And her friends are a hoot to read about too!!!

The storyline is incredible!! I love how the author sets up the plot twists within the story!! We are kept guessing until the very end!! Such a phenomenal read and I highly recommend it!!
12 reviews1 follower
June 13, 2023
I enjoy these characters a lot, but my god, someone needs to proofread these books! Apart from the missing apostrophes, the wrong words used (site instead of sight, vice instead of vise, etc), our poor victim was attributed 2 different surnames IN THE SAME PARAGRAPH! Like I say, I enjoy the books, but so many errors are hard to overlook.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.