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Saving Gracie
2014 Winner/The Kindle Book Review!
A dead landscaper, a rookie cop, and a boarding house that caters to the mentally ill combine in this traditional small-town mystery. There’s loads of laughter, a touch of suspense, a sweet romance, and a hint of heartbreak. Maybe even a ghost. And a beagle. Did I mention the beagle?
For the reader who delights in the small-town feel of a cozy, but also enjoys a bit of romance, a few cuss words, and heart-wrenching suspense—you must read Saving Gracie.
A dead landscaper, a rookie cop, and a boarding house that caters to the mentally ill combine in this traditional small-town mystery. There’s loads of laughter, a touch of suspense, a sweet romance, and a hint of heartbreak. Maybe even a ghost. And a beagle. Did I mention the beagle?
For the reader who delights in the small-town feel of a cozy, but also enjoys a bit of romance, a few cuss words, and heart-wrenching suspense—you must read Saving Gracie.
ebook
First published March 20, 2014
344 people want to read
About the author
Nancy DeMarco
6 books9 followersRaised in rural New England, Nancy doesn’t mind skinny dipping with bloodsuckers, drinking from snow melt, and outrunning deer flies. She has spent most of her life in the company of horses, working in all aspects of the equine industry. Today, she divides her time between writing, raising fresh vegetables for the deer and woodchucks, chasing guinea fowl out of the neighbors’ yards, and hiking the trails of New Hampshire.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 24, 2015
A book like this deserves nothing but the utmost straightforwardness, and so that is what I will bring you today.
First, a bit about the premise.
Gracie is a 75 year old lady who sees ghosts. Sneaking out of Blue Horizons which is a boarding house for the mentally ill, simply because she wants to take a swim in Echo Lake, she happens upon a insistent ghost that wants Gracie to help prevent a murder. Gracie is at a point in her life where she just doesn’t want to get involved with it. A self-serving choice, of course, but who can blame her—she'll wind up back in the looney bin. So she decides to ignore the ghost. That didn't work out so well.
Consequently, heading to the Police Department Gracie tells Officer Marcel Trudeau all about it. While the Officer thinks she might be a bit crazy (putting it lightly), he opts to investigate anyway. Low and behold Gracie winds up being right. This subsequently leads to what is best described as a small town drama full of twists and turns. The plot is well assembled and very absorbing. I laughed out loud, found myself talking to the characters, and ... well, in general, was highly entertained.
Now my thoughts.
Pros:
1) I really like the cover.
2) This was a very enjoyable read. At times I found myself giggling out loud (although I think I mentioned that already).
3) Character development was definitely there, and done well.
4) I loved Gracie. There was something about her personality—and I can't quite put my finger on what or why—that reminded me of Sophia from Golden Girls. Awkward comparison, I know. But there you have it.
5) The chemistry/relationships between the characters seemed authentic.
Cons:
Truly there were only two things that bugged me about the writing, and it was a couple of things related to the style. Not that this took away from the enjoy-ability of the story, but it is one of my personal pet peeves and it's something that I just cannot get past. This is very much a personal preference thing, but nevertheless is did reflect on my overall score of the book, ergo lowering the rating a tad.
Now, before I say what it is, I suppose I have to explain myself ...
There is this new thing within the writing community—a trend that has taken off like wild fire, and everyone just seems okay with it. As if it was the most natural thing to do when writing. It is this; RUN ON SENTENCES, AS WELL AS THE EXCESSIVE USE OF THE WORD "AND".
IT DRIVES ME CRAZY!
"Saving Gracie" is no exception. Therefore, I found myself having to sit and think ... weigh the options, if you will. Could I truly and fairly penalize the author for this infringement in prose when she was probably just following what she thought was right because everyone else is doing it? Moreover, if I were to base my rating on story line alone it would be a good one, right? Right! However, am I being true to myself if I do not weigh this blatant literary infraction into my score?
So I was left with an option: which is more important, premise or prose (particularly when the prose aren't necessarily "bad" per se)?
It was that question that led to my final verdict. In this particular story, the great plot outweighed the peccadillo in narrative. With that said, I give "Saving Gracie" 4 Stars.
First, a bit about the premise.
Gracie is a 75 year old lady who sees ghosts. Sneaking out of Blue Horizons which is a boarding house for the mentally ill, simply because she wants to take a swim in Echo Lake, she happens upon a insistent ghost that wants Gracie to help prevent a murder. Gracie is at a point in her life where she just doesn’t want to get involved with it. A self-serving choice, of course, but who can blame her—she'll wind up back in the looney bin. So she decides to ignore the ghost. That didn't work out so well.
Consequently, heading to the Police Department Gracie tells Officer Marcel Trudeau all about it. While the Officer thinks she might be a bit crazy (putting it lightly), he opts to investigate anyway. Low and behold Gracie winds up being right. This subsequently leads to what is best described as a small town drama full of twists and turns. The plot is well assembled and very absorbing. I laughed out loud, found myself talking to the characters, and ... well, in general, was highly entertained.
Now my thoughts.
Pros:
1) I really like the cover.
2) This was a very enjoyable read. At times I found myself giggling out loud (although I think I mentioned that already).
3) Character development was definitely there, and done well.
4) I loved Gracie. There was something about her personality—and I can't quite put my finger on what or why—that reminded me of Sophia from Golden Girls. Awkward comparison, I know. But there you have it.
5) The chemistry/relationships between the characters seemed authentic.
Cons:
Truly there were only two things that bugged me about the writing, and it was a couple of things related to the style. Not that this took away from the enjoy-ability of the story, but it is one of my personal pet peeves and it's something that I just cannot get past. This is very much a personal preference thing, but nevertheless is did reflect on my overall score of the book, ergo lowering the rating a tad.
Now, before I say what it is, I suppose I have to explain myself ...
There is this new thing within the writing community—a trend that has taken off like wild fire, and everyone just seems okay with it. As if it was the most natural thing to do when writing. It is this; RUN ON SENTENCES, AS WELL AS THE EXCESSIVE USE OF THE WORD "AND".
IT DRIVES ME CRAZY!
"Saving Gracie" is no exception. Therefore, I found myself having to sit and think ... weigh the options, if you will. Could I truly and fairly penalize the author for this infringement in prose when she was probably just following what she thought was right because everyone else is doing it? Moreover, if I were to base my rating on story line alone it would be a good one, right? Right! However, am I being true to myself if I do not weigh this blatant literary infraction into my score?
So I was left with an option: which is more important, premise or prose (particularly when the prose aren't necessarily "bad" per se)?
It was that question that led to my final verdict. In this particular story, the great plot outweighed the peccadillo in narrative. With that said, I give "Saving Gracie" 4 Stars.
July 16, 2020
***I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review***
THIS BOOK. I HAVE NO WORDS. I REALLY,REALLY LOVED IT! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. GO AND READ IT, EVERYBODY!!!
Saving Gracie was a really awesome read. It touched me emotionally, which not many books can achieve.
Whenever I read a book, it sure stays with me for a long time, but it never has thinking so deeply about it.
The characters are very, very adorable. I loved each and every one of them. And don't even let me start talking about how wonderful Gracie was. I really really wanted to give her a tight hug. And all the other characters, Marcel, Dayna, Molly, Charlotte, Shay, Eric, Scout, and everyone else were also interesting. All their stories also added up nicely to the original story.
The story is written in a very beautiful way. The author sure does a good job playing with your emotions. I know I'm going a bit over-board, but I really loved this book. The plot is awesome. The execution is very well done, and they are very few to no errors.
The narration is shared by two wonderful characters, Gracie and Marcel. In Gracie's story, we learn about her life and how everyone thinks she is mad. Marcel's story is mostly revolving around his love life and solving the case which is the main plot of the story. They both are lovely characters and I adored them.
Gracie is a great character for someone who is more than 70 years old. She is is funny, quirky, and very open-minded. Marcel has so many girl troubles, it is too much funny. Dayna is one hell of a police officer, and so is Marcel. Shay was the only character with whom I couldn't connect really well. Molly was very sweet and honest. Charlotte is the best. Oh, how would we have survived without you, Charlotte!
Overall, I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. Definitely recommended!
THIS BOOK. I HAVE NO WORDS. I REALLY,REALLY LOVED IT! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. GO AND READ IT, EVERYBODY!!!
Saving Gracie was a really awesome read. It touched me emotionally, which not many books can achieve.
Whenever I read a book, it sure stays with me for a long time, but it never has thinking so deeply about it.
The characters are very, very adorable. I loved each and every one of them. And don't even let me start talking about how wonderful Gracie was. I really really wanted to give her a tight hug. And all the other characters, Marcel, Dayna, Molly, Charlotte, Shay, Eric, Scout, and everyone else were also interesting. All their stories also added up nicely to the original story.
The story is written in a very beautiful way. The author sure does a good job playing with your emotions. I know I'm going a bit over-board, but I really loved this book. The plot is awesome. The execution is very well done, and they are very few to no errors.
The narration is shared by two wonderful characters, Gracie and Marcel. In Gracie's story, we learn about her life and how everyone thinks she is mad. Marcel's story is mostly revolving around his love life and solving the case which is the main plot of the story. They both are lovely characters and I adored them.
Gracie is a great character for someone who is more than 70 years old. She is is funny, quirky, and very open-minded. Marcel has so many girl troubles, it is too much funny. Dayna is one hell of a police officer, and so is Marcel. Shay was the only character with whom I couldn't connect really well. Molly was very sweet and honest. Charlotte is the best. Oh, how would we have survived without you, Charlotte!
Overall, I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. Definitely recommended!
April 24, 2015
Saving Gracie was a thoroughly delightful read. Much like a pot luck held by a denizen of quaint, seemingly quiet Coyne Falls, New Hampshire this story is a cobbling together of story elements that serves to satisfy a gamut of literary appetites. The book’s blurb only hints at what lies between the covers of this book. Discovering the myriad layers of this town’s mysteries is only half the fun of the reading.
The book starts out from Gracie’s point of view, introducing us to an elderly woman who defies her age in thinking and physical mobility. She’s also slightly crazy by the wider world’s standards, able to see and speak to the dead, and lives in a group home with a host of other characters with their own mental illnesses and quirks. Gracie also has a history of knowing and/or predicting things she otherwise would have no business knowing so when she brings what she initially thinks is a disembodied head to the local police with a prediction that someone is going to die that night there is mixed reception.
It is the discovery of this purse that leads the book’s other primary character, Marcel Trudeau, a local police officer and skeptical recipient of said purse deep into a mystery that stems years into the past – a mystery that somehow always ends up involving crazy Gracie and the newest ghost haunting her. This time it’s Hannah, a spunky redhead determined to force Gracie into digging up secrets the town would surely have preferred left buried.
Coyne Falls and its residents feel and read entirely genuine, the connections between the characters (primary and otherwise) skillfully revealed through great storytelling. The mysteries eventually solved – some revealed, others tactfully kept under cloak of ignorance – made for unexpected twists and turns. Light-hearted and respectful, Saving Gracie delivers a savory read, netting it the highest rating possible.
The book starts out from Gracie’s point of view, introducing us to an elderly woman who defies her age in thinking and physical mobility. She’s also slightly crazy by the wider world’s standards, able to see and speak to the dead, and lives in a group home with a host of other characters with their own mental illnesses and quirks. Gracie also has a history of knowing and/or predicting things she otherwise would have no business knowing so when she brings what she initially thinks is a disembodied head to the local police with a prediction that someone is going to die that night there is mixed reception.
It is the discovery of this purse that leads the book’s other primary character, Marcel Trudeau, a local police officer and skeptical recipient of said purse deep into a mystery that stems years into the past – a mystery that somehow always ends up involving crazy Gracie and the newest ghost haunting her. This time it’s Hannah, a spunky redhead determined to force Gracie into digging up secrets the town would surely have preferred left buried.
Coyne Falls and its residents feel and read entirely genuine, the connections between the characters (primary and otherwise) skillfully revealed through great storytelling. The mysteries eventually solved – some revealed, others tactfully kept under cloak of ignorance – made for unexpected twists and turns. Light-hearted and respectful, Saving Gracie delivers a savory read, netting it the highest rating possible.
May 3, 2014
Hello again, savvy savers! Today finds us with our second book review of the day, Saving Gracie, by Nancy DeMarco.
Let me begin by saying that this story is truly become one of my favorite stories read of recent past. The books author, Nancy DeMarco, has a true, marvelous, and richly-expressed calling as a storyteller and author. Like in her her first book, Finding Sara, the reader will most certainly empathize most ardently with the struggle-centered methods of its character, character limited in their communities by the perception of their mental disparities. In Saving Gracie, the protagonist, Gracie, an older, established woman, finds her woes tried to the intricate spider webs of living in a home of fragile, mentally unstable relatives. To complicate matter, Gracie also is able to tap into an unknown clairvoyant ability, and her story parallels the take of her homes murderous past, which coincides with her families ravenous mental conditioning. With each passing scene, Gracie's life become more and more entwined within the walls of this home. As the story progresses, and the past of this home and its murderous past is revelas, family members, including Gracie, become suspects of both a crime and the greater perspective of doubt, suspicion, and fear.
Saving Gracie, is awesome in its ability to present a dueled side story, which also giving the reader a glimpse of how a woman realistically deals of the stress of the everyday world, including romance, marriage, mourning, aging, and reclaiming one's life in seemingly desperate, unchanging times. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mysteries that develop throughout the entire book.
Let me begin by saying that this story is truly become one of my favorite stories read of recent past. The books author, Nancy DeMarco, has a true, marvelous, and richly-expressed calling as a storyteller and author. Like in her her first book, Finding Sara, the reader will most certainly empathize most ardently with the struggle-centered methods of its character, character limited in their communities by the perception of their mental disparities. In Saving Gracie, the protagonist, Gracie, an older, established woman, finds her woes tried to the intricate spider webs of living in a home of fragile, mentally unstable relatives. To complicate matter, Gracie also is able to tap into an unknown clairvoyant ability, and her story parallels the take of her homes murderous past, which coincides with her families ravenous mental conditioning. With each passing scene, Gracie's life become more and more entwined within the walls of this home. As the story progresses, and the past of this home and its murderous past is revelas, family members, including Gracie, become suspects of both a crime and the greater perspective of doubt, suspicion, and fear.
Saving Gracie, is awesome in its ability to present a dueled side story, which also giving the reader a glimpse of how a woman realistically deals of the stress of the everyday world, including romance, marriage, mourning, aging, and reclaiming one's life in seemingly desperate, unchanging times. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mysteries that develop throughout the entire book.
December 9, 2014
First of all a big thank you for my copy - which I won via Goodreads. and a special thank you to author Nancy for sending it all the way to Australia.
3.5 stars. Recommended for those that like small town mysteries with quirky characters.
This was slightly outside my usual style of book and I enjoyed it. Gracie is slightly outside the norm of the average heroine, being 75 with a history of mental illness. Gracie sees ghosts when her medication isn't quite right and we are never quite sure if the ghosts are real or not because they do seem to give Gracie information. There is a cast of interesting characters and my particular favourite was Molly, the young lady who runs the boarding house for mentally ill. Molly is particularly likeable with her caring nature and passionate defence of her created family, so I was delighted that
3.5 stars. Recommended for those that like small town mysteries with quirky characters.
This was slightly outside my usual style of book and I enjoyed it. Gracie is slightly outside the norm of the average heroine, being 75 with a history of mental illness. Gracie sees ghosts when her medication isn't quite right and we are never quite sure if the ghosts are real or not because they do seem to give Gracie information. There is a cast of interesting characters and my particular favourite was Molly, the young lady who runs the boarding house for mentally ill. Molly is particularly likeable with her caring nature and passionate defence of her created family, so I was delighted that
September 16, 2014
I’ve known of Nancy DeMarco for a long time. The writing community in southern New Hampshire, where we both live, is small and it’s no surprise that we would have mutual friends and acquaintances. A few weeks ago, I met Nancy in person when we did an old home days event with some other local authors. We spent a fun filled afternoon talking about writing and books and small town life while musicians played on the makeshift stage under the trees and hamburgers were grilled by the neighborhood boy scouts.
As the faux Beatles band geared up to do a rendition of "She Loves Me", I offered Nancy a trade. In the tradition of grade school lunch box exchanges, where you swap your Twinkie for her Twix Bar, I gave her a copy of Blueberry Truth in exchange for Saving Gracie. I got to boast on myself here, I am one shrewd trader, because I got me a heck of a deal.
Saving Gracie was a terrific read right from the get-go, a touch of romance, a dash of suspense, a big dose of funny and a hint of heartbreak all wrapped up between the pages. I adored the title character, Gracie, who is quite literally crazy and outspoken and all out wonderful. I want Marcel, the hero, as my new imaginary boyfriend. He’s warm hearted, sweet as apple pie, and just a tad clumsy. You’d be nuts not to fall for him. The New Hampshire setting is spot on, you can nearly smell the maple syrup. If you like light fiction that is also an engrossing read, this book is for you.
Thanks for the trade, Nancy!
As the faux Beatles band geared up to do a rendition of "She Loves Me", I offered Nancy a trade. In the tradition of grade school lunch box exchanges, where you swap your Twinkie for her Twix Bar, I gave her a copy of Blueberry Truth in exchange for Saving Gracie. I got to boast on myself here, I am one shrewd trader, because I got me a heck of a deal.
Saving Gracie was a terrific read right from the get-go, a touch of romance, a dash of suspense, a big dose of funny and a hint of heartbreak all wrapped up between the pages. I adored the title character, Gracie, who is quite literally crazy and outspoken and all out wonderful. I want Marcel, the hero, as my new imaginary boyfriend. He’s warm hearted, sweet as apple pie, and just a tad clumsy. You’d be nuts not to fall for him. The New Hampshire setting is spot on, you can nearly smell the maple syrup. If you like light fiction that is also an engrossing read, this book is for you.
Thanks for the trade, Nancy!
December 2, 2014
Gracie is an old lady who sees ghosts. She sneaks out of Blue Horizons, a boarding house for the mentally ill, to take a swim in Echo Lake, and comes upon a persistent ghost who wants her help in preventing a murder. Gracie doesn’t want to get involved. If she starts talking to ghosts again it could land her back in the state mental hospital. She plans on ignoring it but the ghost leads her to a head bobbing right there in the lake. Gracie can’t ignore that, so she takes the head to the Coyne Falls police department, and presents it to Officer Marcel Trudeau. Despite the fact that this head ends up being a purse, Marcel doesn’t ignore the crazy old lady. He begins an investigation on the owner of the lost purse. “…while she might not be entirely right in the head, once in a while she seems to know things…”
Gracie ends up being right. There is a murder, but that’s not the only mystery that needs to be solved. The ghost also informs Gracie that the baby she thought she’d miscarried years ago is actually still alive. Gracie, Marcel and a whole cast of colorful small town characters, find themselves facing Coyne Falls’ first murder. In a town where everyone knows everyone, it’s not easy to keep the investigation objective. There’s plenty of mischief, deception, love, lust and ghost activity to keep things entertaining.
...read the rest of this review at UndergroundBookReviews(dot)com
Gracie ends up being right. There is a murder, but that’s not the only mystery that needs to be solved. The ghost also informs Gracie that the baby she thought she’d miscarried years ago is actually still alive. Gracie, Marcel and a whole cast of colorful small town characters, find themselves facing Coyne Falls’ first murder. In a town where everyone knows everyone, it’s not easy to keep the investigation objective. There’s plenty of mischief, deception, love, lust and ghost activity to keep things entertaining.
...read the rest of this review at UndergroundBookReviews(dot)com
April 9, 2014
Saving Gracie by Nancy DeMarco is a great book that has it all. It has 2 great mysteries, suspense, humor, romance, a ghost and a beagle. The mysteries involve a murder and finding a child that was thought to be born stillborn. Suspense is carried on throughout the entire story, with as many twists and turns as a pretzel. Humor is intertwined throughout the story with the mentally challenged housemates and Gracie. Gracie is a character that you can't help but fall in love with. Gracie sees ghosts and has a hard time knowing what is real and what isn't real. I loved the ghost aspect of the story. The characters and the setting are very well written and descriptive and the writing style flows easily. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mysteries that develop throughout the entire book. This is the first book I've read by Nancy DeMarco but it won't be the last. Hopefully she will write many more books because she writes a story that you want to read.
March 24, 2014
Nancy DeMarco has a true gift for making crazy seem normal. In her first book, Finding Sara, the reader empathizes most with the character everyone thinks is nuts. In Saving Gracie, this happens again. Gracie is an older woman, living in a home of mentally ill people. She sees ghosts, and one of them is telling her about a murder. When suspects abound, and Gracie is included, the lovably sweet local police officer hesitates to do his duty and digs himself into a hole. This book has suspense, romance, and humor enough for all.
January 26, 2015
Poignant and skillfully written, Saving Gracie is the story of a seventy-something woman who’s been told all her life she is crazy. But as Gracie’s story begins to unfold, we see that she is anything but. Her courage, resilience, and keen insight brought me to tears many times. The author has a charming way of phrasing things that gave me more than a few giggles, and her characters are so finely sketched that I felt I knew them all. This is one of the best contemporary novels I’ve read in a long time.
June 13, 2014
Full review upcoming on my blog
but a cute book!
but a cute book!
May 26, 2014
Review to come later this week at the blog: www.BearMountainBooks.com!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews