Griefed

Lexy Cooper Mystery #3

by Christa Charter

Haters gonna hate. That’s what Lexy Cooper, Xenon Community Manager, tells herself when a hacker friend sends her a link to IHateLexyXenon.com, a site dedicated to unflattering Lexy stories, pics, and video stills. But when photos taken from inside Xenon headquarters begin appearing on the site, it’s clear that someone is keeping an eye on Lexy—someone with a grudge. Meanwhile, Detective Mike Malick works a suicide case with more questions than answers. Why did Fletcher Gray hang himself in the garage of his upscale Gunshy Ridge home, and why did he seemingly set up a neighbor to find him a few hours later? What does the beautiful widow know that she’s not telling? And will Malick’s career survive the outcome? Griefed follows Lexy and Malick from Redmond, Washington to Roswell, New Mexico as they unravel their latest mystery—or mysteries—and discover more answers than either of them bargained for.

Genres: Mystery

217 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 26, 2014

About the author

Christa Charter worked in the video game industry for two decades including eight years as community manager/website editor/video hostess "trixie360" for Microsoft's Xbox Live before writing books full time. She is the author of "Schooled," "Pwned," "I Saw Lexy Kissing Santa," "Griefed," "The Sleepless Nanny," "B.Y.O.P.: Be Your Own Publisher," and a Detective Malick spin-off, "Summer Wind." The fourth full-length Lexy novel, "Glitched," released March 31, 2015 is available on Amazon. Christa is currently writing Mike Malick #2. Follow her NSFW tweets @trixie360.

Reviews

[Kiki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Griefing: In online gaming, someone who takes pleasure in creating grief for an opponent via various "cheap" tactics.

This series keeps getting better and better and the third book in the Lexy Cooper series won't disappoint! I always appreciate a book that can seamlessly put together two story lines without feeling like you are reading two different books. From page one my emotions were tossed all over the place as I kept switching alliances as the scenes progressed. I went from Team Ash to Team Nate to Team Lexy to Team Malik with a lot of squirming, heart palpitations, envy, that melty feeling you get when a guy actually does something sweet, to raw raw girl power. ALL OVER THE PLACE! If you get to the last page of this book and you haven't LOL'd, awwww'd, hmmmpphhh'd, shook your head at Lexy's actions, or cried out 'are you freakin' kidding me?' Then you are probably an android.

Lexy continues to to do all the wrong things in all the right ways. The new characters are fun (I know I am going to love Firebird because she has awesome hair and an awesome name). Christa has mentioned that she is going to write some spin-off novels featuring Malick and I can say I am not opposed to that at all! He has definitely built up enough character to hold up on his own!

Read the first two in the series, or read this one first. Read this because your name was in it from the Indiegogo campaign (or a friends). However you read it, it is a good time and you will be eagerly awaiting the next in the series!

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Griefed immediately wrapped its dark embrace around me and wouldn't let me leave until I read the last word. By then, I was completely drained from the high speed chase of emotions: happy, joy, relief, annoyance, frustration, surprise, conflict, anger, sadness, shock, and disbelief. Yet again, Christa upped her storytelling expertise and knew exactly how to make me love, loathe, root or cry for her characters.

As in previous books, Christa made me laugh in the first pages and subsequently during the Furby conversation, the wiener video, and the flying cell phone. She made Mike hotter than ever. Lexy was even more Lexyish. And of course, there was the usual murder, mystery, and music. I believe this was Christa's best book yet. I am already jonesing for the next book as bad as Lexy wants Nate, minus the drama. :)

Christa provided me a pre-released copy of Griefed to review. I STRONGLY encourage you all to buy your own copy when it is released on February 28th. Please buy this, support a fantastic author and be sure to let her know what you think of the book. In the meantime, I shall go into withdrawal waiting for Christa's next book.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I started reading this, I put myself on a Lexy limit -- I was only allowed to read so much each day. Given how I devoured the other Lexy novels, I wanted to slow down so I could appreciate it even more.

I'm glad I did this because this is definitely Charter's strongest novel yet. The writing in this book is tight and I feel like the characters are allowed the opportunity to shine on its pages. One of the things I have always loved about Lexy is that she feels like a real person. Her flaws are as real as her positive qualities. She makes mistakes, yet I find myself cheering for her because she feels like a friend. Granted, it's a friend who makes bad decisions, but a friend nevertheless. This trend continues in Griefed.

What really got me was the end of this book. Without any spoilers, I felt like I had been punched in the stomach. By this I mean that I actually felt a physical reaction to what happened. To me, this is a sign of excellent writing.

I can't recommend this book highly enough.

[Sonic Alpha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Xenonline community manager Lexy Cooper returns in a thrilling conclusion to Christa Charter’s Videogame Mysteries trilogy (or should that be saga? I’m looking at you, book 2.5).

Griefed, set a few months after the last major instalment, follows Lexy’s life in the run up the the launch of Xenon’s new console, the Aether. Meanwhile a parallel story follows Detective Mike Malick, as he digs in to the apparent suicide of a former Google employee.

As with previous entries in to Lexy’s life, nothing ever seems to be perfect for long. When new website “IHateLexyXenon” enters the fray, Lexy’s life once again begins a downward spiral. Faced with an ever increasing hate campaign, and the possibility that someone in her life could be helping to feed the flames, it’s all Lexy can do to stay on top of her work at Xenon, while getting to the bottom of her own little mystery.

For the first time in the series, Lexy’s focus isn’t on the dead body presented at the start of the novel. It’s all centered around the ever expanding catastrophe that is her life. Mike Malick finally takes center stage, as he and his team dig in to the circumstances surrounding their suicide victim.

The dual plots weave brilliantly between each other, and as things go from bad to worse they fail to get caught up in a tangled mess. The longest Lexy Cooper novel so far (FINALLY!!!!), it’s clear to see that Christa has become as comfortable in the Lexyverse as her fans have.

Word count aside, it’s also pleasing to see how Christa’s writing skills have progressed and improved as the series has continued. There’s definite maturity and fluidity in there now, like when all the kinks have been ironed out of a tv show, and the actors have finally found their feet. Everyone seems to have a background, a depth, an impact on the world; even if it’s just a random throwaway character.

I also loved the various shout-outs to the gaming community in general. From websites, to bloggers, to gamers, there were enough there that even the most casual of gamers would recognise someone.

In conclusion, it’s really hard for me to level a solid criticism at Griefed. It was filled with moments that genuinely made me laugh out loud (so much so, that my cat has started to question my sanity), and a few moments that made my flip off the world in triumph. There were also some sections that left me so conflicted that I had to retreat to a dark room, and listen to some really depressing music.

Wait, that’s it! My ONLY criticism, Griefed made me emo!

Joking aside, if you’re a fan of the Lexy Cooper series, then you should definitely fire up your Kindle and let Lexy once again sit in your lap. Laugh, cry, mentally high five the author, all while secretly wishing you were Mike Malick your favourite character.

You owe it to yourself to make your Kindle a little bit sexier; purchase Griefed today.

[Dennis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rant: Apparently I missed Lexy's age being stated at the very beginning of the first book and read it under the assumption that she was about 20. I wish I'd never discovered the truth. She's actually almost 30 (stings worse than "29", doesn't it?), and that came as a huge shock to me in book 2. Her whole behavior suggested a young, quick-tempered girl with extremely good looks (look at the cover, dammit), and she is even smart at most things (besides relationships). At 30 this charm brutally falls apart. Malick is telling her to never get married — wise man. Now, I get it that it's all part of the character, but the character was unlikable. And no matter how well she's fleshed out or however many details are sprinkled onto her, she's still an aunty acting like she's 1.5 times younger than she is. Yikes.

Compared to the previous 2.5 books, this was better — and worse at the same time. The characters have come alive (in case of Malick and his crew — for the better, in case of Lexy — read above), as they are pictured with more detail and touch, but the story now has 2 simultaneous mysteries in it — both pretty weak.

The answer to the Lexy's mystery became obvious about half of the book in. That is not suspenseful. Clearly, Griefed is intended for adults, and as such, I was expecting it to be a bit less transparent. Violator was the only hacker whom Lexy didn't know personally, whom we know to be able to easily hack into Xenon security and alter stuff there. The fact that he's the stalker was bloody obvious as soon as we knew one of the shots was taken from a security camera inside the Xenon building.

As for the Mike's case, well... a debt-ridden guy with a gambling addiction has a wife. The wife will get loads of money from the guy's life insurance if he's found dead. Normally, the guy would fake his death and kill the wife, so as not to share the money and get rid of the debt. Seems too simple, right? Well, that's what is actually is.

Looking on the bright side, now that the characters are fully established, the Mike Malick spin-off must be an absolute pile of awesomeness.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another solidly good read in the Lexy Cooper mystery series. As with the previous books in this series, there's a murder to solve - but unlike the previous books, Lexy isn't completely in the middle of this one. The detective work is mostly led by His Hunkiness, Uncle Mike Malick of the Redmond PD (possibly a segue into the Detective Mike spinoff Charter plans to publish next?), and just when you think you've got it all figured out whodunnit, the story twists and turns and leads you around more curves. Speaking of curves - a secondary plot follows Sexy Lexy as a dangerous and annoying stalker wreaks havoc on her life, which, incidentally, veers off track when former-flame Nate makes a re-emergence. In the end, the mysteries are solved, but it's not necessarily Happily Ever After for Lexy.

I adore Charter's writing style. She's got a fantastically descriptive way of telling a story that makes it all seem so real. You can just imagine the characters acting and speaking the way she writes them to. I am continually amused at her wit and humor, and I admire how she's created Lexy's no-bullshit attitude and personality, even though I'm sure some of it is just for show :) I also really enjoyed how she was able to keep the various storylines intertwined without either one getting confusing or boring, and her attention to detail is always fab (you can tell she has firsthand knowledge about many things in the story, and that she did her research on many other aspects).

The one thing I disliked about the story was the lack of Ash and the presence of Nate, but that's just because I personally liked (lusted after?) Ash and hated Nate. Without giving any spoilers, I'll just say that we've all been there, and sometimes we just don't make the most logical decisions, or the decisions that others think are the best for us. C'est la vie.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed Griefed, and am looking forward to reading the Detective Malick book when it's released!

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sit down and strap yourself in for this ride! No. that isn't a sexual euphemism, though you may certainly feel the need for a cigarette after you turn the final page in this latest Lexy Cooper mystery.

It's certainly not easy being Lexy Cooper. Not only is she a woman trying to make her way and mark in a predominantly testosterone laden field, but she's found herself in the midst of multiple murders on the Xenon campus and surrounding area. While this time Lexy is lucky enough to not be directly involved in solving the murder, she does lend her strengths and talent to assist her uncle Mike when she can. As if that was not bad enough, a new web site, IHateLexyXenon.com, devoted to mocking and publicly humiliating Lexy has popped up on the Internet. It's no wonder Lexy is on edge as all this is happening during the Next Gen console launch as Xenon promotes and releases its latest and greatest console to the masses.

Without giving anything major away in the book, this was easily my favorite in the series so far. The story has matured a great deal and the characters have really been fleshed out over the course of three books. The location and setting feels familiar, even though I've never visited that part of the country. Each character has their own motivations and persona that lend well to the story and aren't just flat, filler characters for the sake of having a character. I'm really looking forward to each book that Christa Charter releases in the Lexy series, and am excited for an Uncle Mike spin-off novel.

All in all... even a week after finishing the book, I'm still reeling from the final chapters where everything came to a head and will no doubt have forever changed Lexy. After everything that's happened to her so far, Lexy definitely deserves to have something go her way.

Bring on Lexy Cooper #4!

[Nicky Nunney · Rating 3 out of 5]

CW: vomiting

This was good but I didn't enjoy it as much as previous novels. Probably because of Lexy's behaviour. I can't believe she cheated on Ash with Nate!

I was shocked that Viol8r was the hacker too. It didn't seem like he gave a reason for everything he did.

I enjoyed Mike's section of the book though, I always find him fun to read about and the relationship he had with Beth was interesting to read about and I was curious how Beth fitted into the story.

Hopefully I'll enjoy the next book more. I hope Lexy will change her ways but I'm not holding my breath 😂

[Mindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charter upholds her reputation as a writer who can hit you with a one two punch and still leave you yearning for more. And oh, do I want more Lexy. More Mike. More Charter in general.
I don't do story recaps, because I feel like you should read the book, but here are some character recaps for you.
Lexy Cooper would like to think that she really doesn't care what anyone thinks of her, but she does. She may be irreverent and irrepressible, but she does have her limits. Times when she just needs to hide from the judgment the world seems eager to heap on her shoulders. Sometimes you want to slap her up side her head and ask her what she's thinking, other times you just want to hug her and make it all better.
That combination of woman and child is fairly common. Either we all know someone like that or perhaps we are someone like that. And that may be why we love this delightfully (and sometimes tragically) flawed heroine.
I must admit, I have a crush on Detective Mike Malick. He's got a strong moral code (for him, unsolved cases stack up like rotten pancakes, never going away), and a need to solve his cases that goes bone deep. Outside of work, he's a little bit like James Bond. A womanizer who makes no promises and doesn't pretend to be anything else. He's handsome, driven and charismatic.
Once again, Charter has crafted a novel that grabbed hold of me from the first paragraph and left me wanting more. Her eye for detail and her descriptive talent really makes me feel like I know the characters.

[Zombie0721 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent edition to the Lexy Cooper series. If you have read the other stories then you already know your in for a treat. If you haven't I strongly recommend starting with the first as there are several ongoing stories wrapped up in this book.
Christa Charter has grown as a writer as well relying less heavily on explicit sex and more on growing her character into a realistic person with real feelings.
This is another cracking read and if your into video games there are plenty of cool references. The best of which was the inclusion of the much missed Knuckles Dawson. Having an appearance by such a loved and sadly gone gamer was a lovely thing.
So if you want a fast fun page turner look no further than Griefed.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

As good as the others...

Christa has done it again. I loved it just as much as the first two books in the series.

You experience a wide range of emotions in this book and it keeps you guessing until the end. I had my moments of hate because of being Team Ash and then ended up switching to Team Lexy and then to Team Mike and back to Team Lexy. So many wonderful characters you want to side with and sometimes you just can't pick.

If you haven't read these you need to, they are so much fun to read and provide enough for everyone to enjoy. Mystery, murder, love and so much more. Even if you have no interest in the gaming world, who cares this series is a wonderful read.

Great job Christa. Can't wait to see what else you have in stored for your readers/fans.

[Jamie Puleo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A series I never thought I could love, but I do...It's not for everyone, but if you enjoy mysteries and know a little about the video game world, these are an entertaining, fast read. I felt like this one had two separate story lines, and I wish they were a bit more connected, but maybe Christa was preparing for Mike to branch off into his own series? As I was reading the final chapter, I could tell it was going to end with a cliff-hanger, and I hate having to wait for the next one! It was also super cool to see my husband's name in the book, not once, but three times!!!

[Eric Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another 5 star book from one of my favorite new authors. The storylines with these books just keep you guessing who has done it and why. Once again Christa has brought her characters to life and has told a story that is so believable because she has lived through most of it herself. All, I can say is keep Lexy coming (pun intended) and I will keep on reading!! Thank you again for a great read Christa!

[Chris Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was up until 1:30AM finishing off this book. I could not put it down. I figured out the twist in one of the mysteries in the book, but loved the ride. I think this is my favorite book of the three and really opens the door to further adventures (which I hear WILL be coming). I dig that Lexy is not Nancy Drew, she has some major problems in her life, but that makes her supporting cast so very important (and I'm still wishing for more Det. Yi, she rocks!)

[Anita Yancey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 3rd. book in the series, but still works as a stand alone. It has two main characters, Lexy Cooper and Mike Malick. Lexy works for Xenon as community manger which deals with online gaming, and Mike Malick who is a detective. The story is full of murder and mayhem that will keeping you guessing, and you won't be able to put it down. My only regret is that I haven't read the first two books in the series.

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like the previous Lexy Cooper books, there's two almost independent stories in Griefed - a Mike Malick murder mystery and Lexy's private life.

The murder mystery is interesting, but the highlight for me is Lexy's plot. It deals with the kind of sexual harassment that is far too common in the videogame world. It's handled very well (although I did catch on to the culprit pretty early) and in my opinion, this is the strongest of the first four Lexy books.

[Snow Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sex, murder, and videogames. While Lexy isn't directly involved in the murder investigation this time, she's still in way over her head, splitting her attention between a Lexy-hating website, videogame console launch, and lovers. Her world is turned upside-down and it may take a few books to put everything right again, so I hope to see many more books from the author.

[Melinda Hickel (Smith) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third installment of the Lexy Cooper mysteries was a fun, but intense ride! More scandal, murder, and sex surtound Xenon's community manager. It's all fun and games until... Well, read it for yourself. Blame it on Roswell.

[Susanne Winterhawk · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! This is a good mystery for not just gamers but for everyone who likes a good twisty read. I'm impressed by how the series developed from Schooled through Pwnd, to Griefed. Looking forward to the spin-off of the Mike Mallick mysteries.

[Caedy Eries · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now that I have read this through a second time...I am still wholely in love with this series. The twists and turns still had me on edge and god damn it if it didn't make me cry again. Another well done job by Christa Charter.

[Karsyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ugh. I thought she'd finally be done with Nate with him moving. And really, Malick complains about her when he's just as bad.

Loved the story/mystery, disliked everything Lexy and Mike did. They really are pretty deplorable people. But the stories are fun.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christa's best book yet! I could NOT put this one down. Great plot twists, interesting characters, especially that clown at the airport, and a heart-pounding finish.

[Kendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Lexy, flaws and all! This is definitely my favorite of the series. I couldn't put it down!

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

More struggles from the Xenon sex goddess; some good and others not so good. It was nice to share another bit of time with Lexy and uncle Mike. Now I need more!

[Cj · Rating 5 out of 5]

Next please.
I need more now.

[Yvonne Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story with some nice twists. Characters become even more likable, and the plot development deepens. Nice read and good information about the video gaming industry, but it is the Mike Malik detective work that really pulls the story along.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the book series but.....

I have read all of them I wished Lexy would have grown more as a person. The story itself was good but was disappointed with the characters.

[Cori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow