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An Auction Block Mystery #1
Death & the Redheaded Woman
A strange death calls on Wren to be a jewel-seeking sleuth
As someone who appraises and prepares houses for auction, Wren Morgan has seen her share of fixer-uppers. But when she arrives at her newest project, Wren is unprepared to find something she can't easily fix--a naked, dead man.
Soon after her disturbing discovery, Wren meets Death Bogart, a private investigator and surety recovery agent who's looking for the famous missing jewels of the Campbell family. When it becomes clear that there are actually two sets of lost family jewels, Wren and Death team up to solve not only the mystery of the jewels, but also the naked man's murder. With their case growing more and more complex, though, will they be able to catch the killer and bring home the loot?
As someone who appraises and prepares houses for auction, Wren Morgan has seen her share of fixer-uppers. But when she arrives at her newest project, Wren is unprepared to find something she can't easily fix--a naked, dead man.
Soon after her disturbing discovery, Wren meets Death Bogart, a private investigator and surety recovery agent who's looking for the famous missing jewels of the Campbell family. When it becomes clear that there are actually two sets of lost family jewels, Wren and Death team up to solve not only the mystery of the jewels, but also the naked man's murder. With their case growing more and more complex, though, will they be able to catch the killer and bring home the loot?
264 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2015
16 people are currently reading
978 people want to read
About the author
Loretta Ross
6 books167 followersLoretta Ross is a writer and historian who lives and works in rural Missouri. She is an alumna of Cottey College and holds a BA in archaeology from the University of Missouri - Columbia. She has loved mysteries since she first learned to read. Death and the Redheaded Woman will be her first published novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 166 reviews
September 14, 2016
Review written September 12, 2016
3.8 Stars - Much mystery fun and a romantic serial start
Death and the Readheaded Woman is the first in a An Auction Block Mystery Series by, for me, a new author Loretta Ross. — Listened to the 7:19 hours audiobook wonderfully narrated by Amanda Ronconi I knew I like to listening to since earlier.
Death and the Readheaded Woman started with a "bang" as a amusing hilarious tale from first page. No slow or boring parts here. — As much a fun and lighthearted mystery story as a cute romance. A book to laugh and characters to smile with.
**********************************************
Wren Morgan is a (redheaded) auctioneer who is supposed to start cataloging the contents of old Campbell mansion when she finds a naked dead man in the parlor. Not just a very dead naked man, a quite goodlooking (when still living) young man as well.
...The body turns out to be a criminal with ties to a recent jewel heist. A case the PI Death Bogart is trying to solve for the reward from the insurance company. These are not the only missing jewels there are also some more than 150 years old to find.
The hunt and seeking for all those missing jewels (and perhaps also future love?) brings together two very refreshing cute and funny characters.
# Our hero Death (pronounced 'Deeth') is dream-hubby-material (just adorable sëxy manly but sweet). He is a former, now divorced (from a 'bitch'), quite seriously wounded hero home after a time with the US Marine (in Afghanistan). He is broke without a penny and in urgent need of paying cases (..and a better life).
# Wren is a witty lovely "ordinary small town" heroine. I girl who earlier was to be married to a man who later turned out to preferring men more thank women. A beauty with a bit low self esteem. — A book-girl in my style.
# A romance? - There are some smexy talking but not much on page. There a lot of genuine love sparkling and flirting though. ...And we get a nice and good enough HFN end.
# The mystery / crime solving? - Well done! I wasn't sure, but not clueless either, before the end. The suspense was good and the bad guys terrific crazy and evil.
# Other stuff I liked? - The second characters and the whole setup, these corny funny jokes, the all ower plot and this authors style of telling a entertaining story (extremely well fitting for a audiobook).
Planning to return soonish and of course will it be the audiobook edition of #2-Death & the Brewmaster's Widow. A new cozy mystery to solve is always a treat. A great narrator does wonders.
**********************************************
I LIKE - goodfeel, light romance / light mystery, a bit corny...
3.8 Stars - Much mystery fun and a romantic serial start
Death and the Readheaded Woman is the first in a An Auction Block Mystery Series by, for me, a new author Loretta Ross. — Listened to the 7:19 hours audiobook wonderfully narrated by Amanda Ronconi I knew I like to listening to since earlier.
Death and the Readheaded Woman started with a "bang" as a amusing hilarious tale from first page. No slow or boring parts here. — As much a fun and lighthearted mystery story as a cute romance. A book to laugh and characters to smile with.
**********************************************
Wren Morgan is a (redheaded) auctioneer who is supposed to start cataloging the contents of old Campbell mansion when she finds a naked dead man in the parlor. Not just a very dead naked man, a quite goodlooking (when still living) young man as well.
...The body turns out to be a criminal with ties to a recent jewel heist. A case the PI Death Bogart is trying to solve for the reward from the insurance company. These are not the only missing jewels there are also some more than 150 years old to find.
The hunt and seeking for all those missing jewels (and perhaps also future love?) brings together two very refreshing cute and funny characters.
# Our hero Death (pronounced 'Deeth') is dream-hubby-material (just adorable sëxy manly but sweet). He is a former, now divorced (from a 'bitch'), quite seriously wounded hero home after a time with the US Marine (in Afghanistan). He is broke without a penny and in urgent need of paying cases (..and a better life).
# Wren is a witty lovely "ordinary small town" heroine. I girl who earlier was to be married to a man who later turned out to preferring men more thank women. A beauty with a bit low self esteem. — A book-girl in my style.
# A romance? - There are some smexy talking but not much on page. There a lot of genuine love sparkling and flirting though. ...And we get a nice and good enough HFN end.
# The mystery / crime solving? - Well done! I wasn't sure, but not clueless either, before the end. The suspense was good and the bad guys terrific crazy and evil.
# Other stuff I liked? - The second characters and the whole setup, these corny funny jokes, the all ower plot and this authors style of telling a entertaining story (extremely well fitting for a audiobook).
Planning to return soonish and of course will it be the audiobook edition of #2-Death & the Brewmaster's Widow. A new cozy mystery to solve is always a treat. A great narrator does wonders.
**********************************************
I LIKE - goodfeel, light romance / light mystery, a bit corny...
February 18, 2015
Death (pronounced 'Deeth') is a bounty hunter and private investigator who's down on his luck. After his ex-wife left him penniless and homeless he finds himself living out of his car. To top it all off, his lungs were severely damaged after an IED destroyed the humvee he was riding in while on a deployment and now any physical activity can leaving him gasping for breath.
Wren is an auctioneer and appraiser working on a deceased estate to catalogue everything for sale. Unfortunately one of the first things she finds in the house is a naked dead man.
When Death learns who the dead man was he immediately sees an opportunity to track down some stolen jewellery and collect a tidy reward. He joins forces with Wren and they begin their search. But one of the bandits also wants his payday and he's none too happy to have them in the picture.
Death and the Redheaded Woman is a complete hoot. The minute Wren used an atlatl (spear thrower) against the bad guys I was hooked. Well actually I was hooked before then but that just sealed the deal. The writing style reminds me a little of Molly Harper with its clever banter and very funny moments.
If there is a downside, I don't think it ended well...well actually it ended quite well and then an epilogue was tacked on which didn't really work for me. But that's a small thing and honestly hardly worth mentioning.
Wren is an auctioneer and appraiser working on a deceased estate to catalogue everything for sale. Unfortunately one of the first things she finds in the house is a naked dead man.
When Death learns who the dead man was he immediately sees an opportunity to track down some stolen jewellery and collect a tidy reward. He joins forces with Wren and they begin their search. But one of the bandits also wants his payday and he's none too happy to have them in the picture.
Death and the Redheaded Woman is a complete hoot. The minute Wren used an atlatl (spear thrower) against the bad guys I was hooked. Well actually I was hooked before then but that just sealed the deal. The writing style reminds me a little of Molly Harper with its clever banter and very funny moments.
If there is a downside, I don't think it ended well...well actually it ended quite well and then an epilogue was tacked on which didn't really work for me. But that's a small thing and honestly hardly worth mentioning.
February 8, 2015
Dollycas’s Thoughts
This book is just amazing! When a book starts out with
He was gorgeous and he was naked but, unfortunately, he was dead.
you sit up and pay attention because you have not idea where this story is going to take you. But I quickly knew this was going to be an extremely entertaining read.
Wren Morgan is an assistant auctioneer. She arrived at the Campbell Victorian to start an inventory of the oldest house in the county for an upcoming auction. Barely in the door she finds the dead body, something tells her this auction won’t be taking place anytime soon.
Death (Dee-th) “it’s a family name” Bogart, a private eye/bounty hunter has just arrived in town chasing down a bail jumper. Death is also a veteran, who had to leave the military for health reasons. The government is taking its good sweet time processing his military benefits so he is presently living in his Jeep Grand Cherokee. He arrives at the police station to drop off his detainee and sees Wren across the room and is immediately captivated.
The relationship that has begun between Death and Wren was a pleasure to read as they quickly grew comfortable with each other. Death has been through so much and Wren opens her heart to him. Like many war vets he not only has a physical disability, he also suffers with PTSD. His self esteem is pretty darn low and he has a hard time accepting help. Wren knows to tread lightly and allow Death to share things with her at his own pace. She too has a bit of drama in her past and he knows she needs someone to help her get on with her life and someone she can trust. Ross was written both characters in a way that you become engaged into their lives and what they are feeling pretty rapidly.
The main mystery plot of the story is excellent. We are not only following clues to solve a murder but there are some valuable items that have gone missing and there may be a tie in to some objects that disappeared back during the Civil War. The “aha moment” was absolutely priceless and something I never saw coming.
Loretta Ross has a fantastic sense of humor and liberally injects into this story. I was smiling and giggling throughout.
The author also knows how to tempt us readers. As this story wraps up she give us just a bit of a tease of the next Auction Block Mystery.
To learn this is Loretta Ross’ debut novel just blows my mind. I don’t need an appraisal to tell you this is an author we need to watch! She is going places! I am completely SOLD!!
February 7, 2018
A gorgeous, naked, dead man made his appearance in the first sentence. His erection (the result of gravity on settling blood, we're told) makes an appearance in the first few pages. Our Heroine gets mocked for having had a sexual liaison with said corpse by the town jerk, in front of our Hero. Heroine and Hero have eyes for one another, but no confidence, of course.
In true "bros before hos" fashion, when Hero asks Heroine's True and Loyal Friend about the cause of the mocking, True Friend refuses to tell a stranger the story. Until Hero shows his matching military service tattoo, and then all bets are off.
The embarrassing back story? Heroine's fiance came out as gay, at their wedding rehearsal dinner, in a dress. When she laughed because she thought it was a joke, groom cried.
S0 - in this day and age: what gay man gets engaged? Is he so in the closet that he gets to the wedding rehearsal dinner before doing anything about it - and then wears a dress?
And- Hero, in his first ever sentence with Heroine, references this: "You seriously didn't know he was gay? You couldn't tell by the way he kissed? Or made love?"
Really? That's your ice breaker? And apparently, the only reason a man would wait until getting married to have sex is because he is gay.
All that in the first 28 pages. Don't ask about the rest. I didn't bother.
In true "bros before hos" fashion, when Hero asks Heroine's True and Loyal Friend about the cause of the mocking, True Friend refuses to tell a stranger the story. Until Hero shows his matching military service tattoo, and then all bets are off.
The embarrassing back story? Heroine's fiance came out as gay, at their wedding rehearsal dinner, in a dress. When she laughed because she thought it was a joke, groom cried.
S0 - in this day and age: what gay man gets engaged? Is he so in the closet that he gets to the wedding rehearsal dinner before doing anything about it - and then wears a dress?
And- Hero, in his first ever sentence with Heroine, references this: "You seriously didn't know he was gay? You couldn't tell by the way he kissed? Or made love?"
Really? That's your ice breaker? And apparently, the only reason a man would wait until getting married to have sex is because he is gay.
All that in the first 28 pages. Don't ask about the rest. I didn't bother.
September 3, 2015
I picked up this book because it was Audible's book of the day and narrated by Amanda Ronconi. Amanda happens to be one of my favorite narrators so I took a chance on this author. And I am so glad I did.
Death, pronounced like DEEth is an ex-Marine. He was recently honorable discharged, almost died, his brother recently passed away, his wife cheated on him, and he sometimes has a hard time breathing. Now he's basically living out of his Jeep and making money as a bounty hunter/private eye.
The redheaded woman, Wren, works for an auction house and upon arriving at a house to catalog inventory she discovers a dead body. A naked dead body. The dead man is somehow related to Death's investigation for some stolen jewels but there are two lots of those, and of course there are some sparks flying between the two. Sometimes there are even bullets flying in between the two, but luckily no one was hurt.
So the Death and Wren are trying to figure out where all the stolen jewels are, someone is out to get them, and there is some delightful banter going on back and forth between all the characters involved.
I can't wait for the next book in this series!
Death, pronounced like DEEth is an ex-Marine. He was recently honorable discharged, almost died, his brother recently passed away, his wife cheated on him, and he sometimes has a hard time breathing. Now he's basically living out of his Jeep and making money as a bounty hunter/private eye.
The redheaded woman, Wren, works for an auction house and upon arriving at a house to catalog inventory she discovers a dead body. A naked dead body. The dead man is somehow related to Death's investigation for some stolen jewels but there are two lots of those, and of course there are some sparks flying between the two. Sometimes there are even bullets flying in between the two, but luckily no one was hurt.
So the Death and Wren are trying to figure out where all the stolen jewels are, someone is out to get them, and there is some delightful banter going on back and forth between all the characters involved.
I can't wait for the next book in this series!
February 2, 2015
Review originally published at The Bookwyrm's Hoard.
If you’re like me, you read the title Death and the Redheaded Woman and immediately thought “death”, as in dying. Well, yes, of course; and the book does indeed leap out of the starting gate with Wren’s discovery of a naked man at the bottom of a staircase. But “Death” also stands for Death Bogart, the other main character in this engaging new series. In his case, as in Lord Peter Death Bredon Wimsey’s before him, Death is a family name, and rhymes with “teeth.” (Good luck reading it that way; it takes practice.)
I wasn’t expecting Death to become not only a main character equal to Wren, but the dominant puzzle-solver, yet the partnership works well. Wren is coming off a broken engagement; Death is a veteran of the Afghanistan war, with both PTSD and a physical disability – both of which author Loretta Ross handles well and believably. They are both flawed but likeable characters, and I hope their relationship continues to develop as the series goes on.
I also wasn’t expecting the amount of humor the author infuses into the story, without ever losing the edge of suspense. Somehow she manages to make the villain(s) frightening and laughable at the same time. And she completely snowed me on the murderer for a while. I went with the obvious “unobvious suspect”, thinking I was dealing with a typical cozy-style mystery, and even after several developments, I continued to think that person was involved – until events proved otherwise. Kudos to Ms. Ross; I’m not usually that easy to fool!
The book starts with a figurative bang, and it ends that way, too, with a bombshell that I suspect presages the focus of the second book. It’s not a cliffhanger ending; everything from the current mystery is sorted out. Rather, it’s like those epilogues that end with “To be continued…”, a built-in teaser for the next book.
Death and the Redheaded Woman fits my definition of a cozy, yet it’s a bit grittier and more realistic than many cozies. And while the series is called the Auction Block Mysteries, and the auction theme is prevalent – Wren is an assistant auctioneer, after all, and the mystery centers around a mansion she is prepping for an auction sale – the theme never feels contrived or forced, as in some cozy series. The book certainly doesn’t read like a debut novel, but it is. Altogether, I found Death and the Redheaded Woman a breath of fresh air, and I’m eagerly awaiting the next book.
FTC disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are entirely my own.
If you’re like me, you read the title Death and the Redheaded Woman and immediately thought “death”, as in dying. Well, yes, of course; and the book does indeed leap out of the starting gate with Wren’s discovery of a naked man at the bottom of a staircase. But “Death” also stands for Death Bogart, the other main character in this engaging new series. In his case, as in Lord Peter Death Bredon Wimsey’s before him, Death is a family name, and rhymes with “teeth.” (Good luck reading it that way; it takes practice.)
I wasn’t expecting Death to become not only a main character equal to Wren, but the dominant puzzle-solver, yet the partnership works well. Wren is coming off a broken engagement; Death is a veteran of the Afghanistan war, with both PTSD and a physical disability – both of which author Loretta Ross handles well and believably. They are both flawed but likeable characters, and I hope their relationship continues to develop as the series goes on.
I also wasn’t expecting the amount of humor the author infuses into the story, without ever losing the edge of suspense. Somehow she manages to make the villain(s) frightening and laughable at the same time. And she completely snowed me on the murderer for a while. I went with the obvious “unobvious suspect”, thinking I was dealing with a typical cozy-style mystery, and even after several developments, I continued to think that person was involved – until events proved otherwise. Kudos to Ms. Ross; I’m not usually that easy to fool!
The book starts with a figurative bang, and it ends that way, too, with a bombshell that I suspect presages the focus of the second book. It’s not a cliffhanger ending; everything from the current mystery is sorted out. Rather, it’s like those epilogues that end with “To be continued…”, a built-in teaser for the next book.
Death and the Redheaded Woman fits my definition of a cozy, yet it’s a bit grittier and more realistic than many cozies. And while the series is called the Auction Block Mysteries, and the auction theme is prevalent – Wren is an assistant auctioneer, after all, and the mystery centers around a mansion she is prepping for an auction sale – the theme never feels contrived or forced, as in some cozy series. The book certainly doesn’t read like a debut novel, but it is. Altogether, I found Death and the Redheaded Woman a breath of fresh air, and I’m eagerly awaiting the next book.
FTC disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are entirely my own.
March 21, 2015
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 2.0 of 5
It's only been in the last year or so that I've really begun to read mysteries. I've read some really spectacular mysteries lately and have gotten excited each time I begin a new one, hoping I'll be swept away in some beguiling mystery. Death and the Redheaded Woman looked very promising, with a title that hinted at sex (if you just say the words "the red-headed woman" out loud, it sounds sexy!) and a premise that I could see as being perfect for snooping around -- our protagonist is someone who works on estate auctions.
Unfortunately, this isn't quite what we get.
Instead we have something that is a cross between a cheap Harlequin romance, a mystery, and junior high joke book. I couldn't help but highlight a number of passages that illustrate these things.
Wren works for an auction company and when she goes to a home to prepare an appraisal of the items, she discovers a dead body on the stairs in the house. A naked male dead body. After that, Wren is the recipient of a serious of jokes that struck me as infantile (“So, you finally get a guy naked and he’s dead! And he was still warmer than your last boyfriend!”), and she tends to respond in kind (“Yeah, he was gorgeous,” Wren agreed. “Plus, he was naked. Really too bad about the whole being dead thing...."). At one point she refers to him as the Naked Dead Guy with an erection. And we're only 15 pages in to the book when Wren and a friend have this conversation:
Yes...I'm rolling my eyes at this point, but I stuck with the book. This kind of conversation will continue throughout much of the book.
Death is a bounty hunter and his name is pronounced "Deeth." He's kind of on the skids, living out of his car after his wife left him, and he's waiting for some bounty money to come in. He's a former Marine who was injured by an exploding IED while he was deployed. Author Loretta Ross tries to make the most of this, playing on the idea of a marine as a strong, macho protector, and yet because Wren is the 'star' of this romance, Death needs a strong woman to look after him.
Wren and Death banter about sex quite a bit and I kept imaging the kids at my local junior high. One moment I highlighted in the book is included just to make a small penis joke.
I don't mind sex in books. I quite enjoy it, but the sex here is so tepid and teasing - but not teasing as in promising something good later. It never matured, but was stuck in the style of pre-teen humor. I was waiting for a chorus of "that's what she said" (which thankfully did not come).
Fortunately the sex, good or bad, is a sideline, and there's still a mystery to solve. The mystery, not only of the naked dead man, but of some very antique jewelry that Death believes may be in the house that is about to be sold. The solving of the mysteries is well handled and well-plotted, but too often it seemed as though there was no movement toward the solving of any of the mysteries.
One thing that bothers me a great deal in any writing, but perhaps particularly so in mysteries, is the telling of something from the past (this usually begins with someone saying "remember") and the leaping to conclusions which are accepted without investigation. This book pushes both of these buttons on me and I can show you both in one simple passage:
We are approaching the denouement and we have a "remember" and a "probably she forgot" followed by "okay." That's a lot of happenstance for solving a mystery!
Looking for a good book? Too much giddy pre-teen styled sex humor and the leaping to conclusions over-shadow what might be an interesting mystery in Death and the Redheaded Woman.
¹All quotes from an advance reader's copy and may not precisely reflect the published copy.
I received an electronic copy of this book from the publisher, though Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
It's only been in the last year or so that I've really begun to read mysteries. I've read some really spectacular mysteries lately and have gotten excited each time I begin a new one, hoping I'll be swept away in some beguiling mystery. Death and the Redheaded Woman looked very promising, with a title that hinted at sex (if you just say the words "the red-headed woman" out loud, it sounds sexy!) and a premise that I could see as being perfect for snooping around -- our protagonist is someone who works on estate auctions.
Unfortunately, this isn't quite what we get.
Instead we have something that is a cross between a cheap Harlequin romance, a mystery, and junior high joke book. I couldn't help but highlight a number of passages that illustrate these things.
Wren works for an auction company and when she goes to a home to prepare an appraisal of the items, she discovers a dead body on the stairs in the house. A naked male dead body. After that, Wren is the recipient of a serious of jokes that struck me as infantile (“So, you finally get a guy naked and he’s dead! And he was still warmer than your last boyfriend!”), and she tends to respond in kind (“Yeah, he was gorgeous,” Wren agreed. “Plus, he was naked. Really too bad about the whole being dead thing...."). At one point she refers to him as the Naked Dead Guy with an erection. And we're only 15 pages in to the book when Wren and a friend have this conversation:
“So, was Death The Bounty Hunter as gorgeous as Naked Dead Guy?”
“Oh, more gorgeous! Magnitudes more gorgeous. And he was living. But, unfortunately, he was dressed.”
“There’s just no such thing as a perfect man,” Leona said wisely.¹
Yes...I'm rolling my eyes at this point, but I stuck with the book. This kind of conversation will continue throughout much of the book.
Death is a bounty hunter and his name is pronounced "Deeth." He's kind of on the skids, living out of his car after his wife left him, and he's waiting for some bounty money to come in. He's a former Marine who was injured by an exploding IED while he was deployed. Author Loretta Ross tries to make the most of this, playing on the idea of a marine as a strong, macho protector, and yet because Wren is the 'star' of this romance, Death needs a strong woman to look after him.
Wren and Death banter about sex quite a bit and I kept imaging the kids at my local junior high. One moment I highlighted in the book is included just to make a small penis joke.
“...You drive like a little old lady.”
“How do you think they get to be little old ladies?”
“Cute. Well, I’m gonna be a little old man by the time we get anywhere.”
She shot him a sly, sideways glance. “So, you’re saying that you’re a little man?”
“Oh, no!” He raised his hand and wagged a finger at her as she cackled at him. “You did not even go there.”¹
I don't mind sex in books. I quite enjoy it, but the sex here is so tepid and teasing - but not teasing as in promising something good later. It never matured, but was stuck in the style of pre-teen humor. I was waiting for a chorus of "that's what she said" (which thankfully did not come).
Fortunately the sex, good or bad, is a sideline, and there's still a mystery to solve. The mystery, not only of the naked dead man, but of some very antique jewelry that Death believes may be in the house that is about to be sold. The solving of the mysteries is well handled and well-plotted, but too often it seemed as though there was no movement toward the solving of any of the mysteries.
One thing that bothers me a great deal in any writing, but perhaps particularly so in mysteries, is the telling of something from the past (this usually begins with someone saying "remember") and the leaping to conclusions which are accepted without investigation. This book pushes both of these buttons on me and I can show you both in one simple passage:
“Wouldn’t jewelers have been sent descriptions of the stolen jewels and asked to look out for them?”
“Yeah, but remember, the robbery had been a couple of years before that, so it wouldn’t have been fresh in his mind. And this wasn’t just some random person bringing valuable jewels to him for appraisal. This was one of his oldest and most trusted clients. Probably she said she must have just forgotten buying them or something and he passed it off as senility setting in.”
“Okay.”¹
We are approaching the denouement and we have a "remember" and a "probably she forgot" followed by "okay." That's a lot of happenstance for solving a mystery!
Looking for a good book? Too much giddy pre-teen styled sex humor and the leaping to conclusions over-shadow what might be an interesting mystery in Death and the Redheaded Woman.
¹All quotes from an advance reader's copy and may not precisely reflect the published copy.
I received an electronic copy of this book from the publisher, though Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
May 15, 2017
Some tales lend themselves perfectly to audio and DEATH AND THE REDHEADED WOMAN narrated by the lovely Amanda Ronconi was just such a story. I devoured all seven hours and nineteen minutes of this in a single day. I laughed, swooned and was caught up in the search for hidden treasure.
Wren Morgan is cataloging the Campell estate when she discovers a naked dead man. Death Bogart a former Marine, recently discharged after suffering injuries in Afganasitain. Recover has left him divorced, broke and beginning a new career. He possesses both a private-eye and bounty hunter license and has taken on his first case. Death is looking for stolen jewels to catch a murderer, and it leads him to the Campbell mansion.
Wren and Death (gads I love his name, pronounced Deeth) end up working together. Things get complicated between them. Things like kisses and break-ins.
I loved the cast of characters particularly Wren and Death. Wren is bright and sweet. She is the total girl next store. The one who makes you soup when your sick and water your plants. She was level-headed, often said what she thought and tried to salvage things. Death was scrumptious, clever and quite the detective. I honestly expected Wren to be the one to pick up clues and solve things, but Death is the total package.
The mystery was clever and kept me guessing until almost the very end. It felt plausible, and I liked that both mysteries were solved. Ross did a great job creating suspense and suspicion with plenty of evil villains to loathe and point fingers at.
The romance was light, with a smidgeon of heat and plenty of laughter. Their connection and interactions felt genuine and had me smiling.
Secondary characters and the town all added to the tale from progress with the storyline to humor. Ross gave us a real sense of the town and people allowing the reader to take part in the story.
This was my first experience with narrator Amanda Ronconi, and I found her to be delightful to the ears. She handled both male and female voices seamlessly and captured Wren and Death.
Audio provided by the publisher. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer
Wren Morgan is cataloging the Campell estate when she discovers a naked dead man. Death Bogart a former Marine, recently discharged after suffering injuries in Afganasitain. Recover has left him divorced, broke and beginning a new career. He possesses both a private-eye and bounty hunter license and has taken on his first case. Death is looking for stolen jewels to catch a murderer, and it leads him to the Campbell mansion.
Wren and Death (gads I love his name, pronounced Deeth) end up working together. Things get complicated between them. Things like kisses and break-ins.
I loved the cast of characters particularly Wren and Death. Wren is bright and sweet. She is the total girl next store. The one who makes you soup when your sick and water your plants. She was level-headed, often said what she thought and tried to salvage things. Death was scrumptious, clever and quite the detective. I honestly expected Wren to be the one to pick up clues and solve things, but Death is the total package.
The mystery was clever and kept me guessing until almost the very end. It felt plausible, and I liked that both mysteries were solved. Ross did a great job creating suspense and suspicion with plenty of evil villains to loathe and point fingers at.
The romance was light, with a smidgeon of heat and plenty of laughter. Their connection and interactions felt genuine and had me smiling.
Secondary characters and the town all added to the tale from progress with the storyline to humor. Ross gave us a real sense of the town and people allowing the reader to take part in the story.
This was my first experience with narrator Amanda Ronconi, and I found her to be delightful to the ears. She handled both male and female voices seamlessly and captured Wren and Death.
Audio provided by the publisher. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer
February 18, 2015
I don't necessarily want to be Wren but I definitely want to be friends with her. She's so nice and kind with a good sense of humor. She's the type of person who would not only bring you soup if you were home with the flu but clean your house and bake you some brownies. And don't even get me started about Death (pronounced Deeth). He's amazing. A big burly marine who suddenly finds himself disabled and not as strong as he expects himself to be. But he's so nice and so sweet to Wren. Really they're just amazing together. But this isn't a romance this is a mystery and it starts out with a dead guy. The mystery is interesting and involves 2 sets of missing jewels. It definitely kept me turning pages but because I absolutely loved these characters and to figure out what was going on. While this is a cozy I didn't find it cutesy or silly. The pacing was good, the characters were fantastic and the ending tied up all the loose ends and made sense! Not only that but it made me laugh.
Overall:This was a fun an interesting mystery with great characters, an interesting premise and centering around an auction house and a bounty hunter which is both unusual and gives a logical reason for investigating.
Full Review: http://iwishilivedinalibrary.blogspot...
Overall:This was a fun an interesting mystery with great characters, an interesting premise and centering around an auction house and a bounty hunter which is both unusual and gives a logical reason for investigating.
Full Review: http://iwishilivedinalibrary.blogspot...
March 25, 2015
I didn't finish this book. I found the constant juvenile references and jokes not only annoying but offensive. Plus, this was more like a romance novel than a mystery. This was definitely not for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 14, 2017
I thought this book would be a pleasant diversion and a quick read but... almost from the moment the story began, there was juvenile humor about male genitalia and sexual innuendos about a dead body [gross]. This is followed by more of the same between cops, between female friends, even in front of the police chief - who doesn't seem to mind at all and just orders the cop back to work - sexual harassment anyone?? I know these quips were meant to be funny but I just found them to be a distraction and off-putting.
December 14, 2018
DNF: 25%
This book was ridiculous. Who finds a naked dead guy and thinks, "Oh what a waste, he was gorgeous."? The main character isn't a police officer, mortician, funeral director, ect... She shouldn't have that kind of reaction to finding a dead body! Then she's attacked in her own home and suggests using her atlatl on the culprit. Ummm... I'm sorry I don't even know how to react to that suggestion. This book was just one gigantic hot mess.
This book was ridiculous. Who finds a naked dead guy and thinks, "Oh what a waste, he was gorgeous."? The main character isn't a police officer, mortician, funeral director, ect... She shouldn't have that kind of reaction to finding a dead body! Then she's attacked in her own home and suggests using her atlatl on the culprit. Ummm... I'm sorry I don't even know how to react to that suggestion. This book was just one gigantic hot mess.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 7, 2016
2 1/2*. While I did finish listening to this book its only because I had to find out who done it and it was narrated by Amanda Ronconi. The characters and the plot were a little thin and the sex that two virtual strangers were having did not add to the story. The ending was not bad but still all in all corny.
February 25, 2015
Wren and Death are great characters that really bring this story to life, you will be intrigued and captivated. Loretta Ross has a hit with this page- turner. She holds your interest until the end and makes you want more. I am eager to see where Wren and Death will go next.
May 29, 2018
This was a book I picked up because I read the fourth book in the Auction Block series and wanted to come back and start with book one. This did read like a debut book, but was not a disappointment. What a startling opening line! It was fun to meet Wren, Death, and the others who would become series regulars along with a fun treasure hunt-style murder mystery that gets a little gritty.
Death and the Redheaded Woman opens on Wren encountering a dead body when she goes to sort the goods at the Old Campbell Mansion for auction. After giving her statement, she encounters new bounty hunter and private detective, Death (pronounced Deeth) Bogart who gets permission from the new owners to join Wren at the mansion so he can hunt for some old, lost family jewels. Unfortunately, they both end up in danger when a newer stolen cash of jewels were also hidden at the mansion and the thief wants them back.
As I mentioned, this is a debut novel. It reads like one as elements of the story are not always smooth or developed as well as they could be and some scenes are rough on the transition.
That said, I thought there was some shine to this one that continues through the series.
Wren and Death both have troubled pasts in their own ways though they are not wallowing in the present. Wren was hurt and humiliated when the guy she was dating turned out to be gay and was with her until he got the courage to come out to their small town. He is what some might call flaming gay. If I thought there was an iffy element it was how this was handled though I'm glad that she stood by him and Death also does, too. Now she and Cam are best friends, but she still hasn't been able to live it down that she was fooled.
Death's issues go much deeper. He's lost all his immediate family members to death and while he was deployed overseas in the Marines, he was injured in an IED blast. He was heroic and saved others, but it permanently left him with a disability and PTSD. His wife left him and took their whole bank account when she did so when he got discharged due to the permanently compromised lungs he now has, he's homeless and destitute and looking for a new start.
The pair are attracted and jump into working together on the mysteries of both sets of jewels. The romance comes on quickly, but wasn't entirely unbelievable since they spend a lot of time together and seemed to be just lightly exploring their attraction at first.
The historical references through the homes and items Wren is working with in her auction house work and also the auction work itself were really neat and unique. Death's bounty work and private eye work were also great side lines.
Most of the book is light. There is sexual banter and some hijinks over the top moments. But, there are some surprising gritty elements when it comes to the villains that cause lots of excitement at the climax of the story. The villains were the easy part since they were obvious to everyone. The real mystery was the location of the lost jewels. I was glad to figure out where one set was and got a nice surprise on the big reveal about the other set.
Between the personal and professional elements along with the romance and mystery, I was captivated. Definitely a series I can recommend to cozy mystery and light romantic suspense fans, alike.
Death and the Redheaded Woman opens on Wren encountering a dead body when she goes to sort the goods at the Old Campbell Mansion for auction. After giving her statement, she encounters new bounty hunter and private detective, Death (pronounced Deeth) Bogart who gets permission from the new owners to join Wren at the mansion so he can hunt for some old, lost family jewels. Unfortunately, they both end up in danger when a newer stolen cash of jewels were also hidden at the mansion and the thief wants them back.
As I mentioned, this is a debut novel. It reads like one as elements of the story are not always smooth or developed as well as they could be and some scenes are rough on the transition.
That said, I thought there was some shine to this one that continues through the series.
Wren and Death both have troubled pasts in their own ways though they are not wallowing in the present. Wren was hurt and humiliated when the guy she was dating turned out to be gay and was with her until he got the courage to come out to their small town. He is what some might call flaming gay. If I thought there was an iffy element it was how this was handled though I'm glad that she stood by him and Death also does, too. Now she and Cam are best friends, but she still hasn't been able to live it down that she was fooled.
Death's issues go much deeper. He's lost all his immediate family members to death and while he was deployed overseas in the Marines, he was injured in an IED blast. He was heroic and saved others, but it permanently left him with a disability and PTSD. His wife left him and took their whole bank account when she did so when he got discharged due to the permanently compromised lungs he now has, he's homeless and destitute and looking for a new start.
The pair are attracted and jump into working together on the mysteries of both sets of jewels. The romance comes on quickly, but wasn't entirely unbelievable since they spend a lot of time together and seemed to be just lightly exploring their attraction at first.
The historical references through the homes and items Wren is working with in her auction house work and also the auction work itself were really neat and unique. Death's bounty work and private eye work were also great side lines.
Most of the book is light. There is sexual banter and some hijinks over the top moments. But, there are some surprising gritty elements when it comes to the villains that cause lots of excitement at the climax of the story. The villains were the easy part since they were obvious to everyone. The real mystery was the location of the lost jewels. I was glad to figure out where one set was and got a nice surprise on the big reveal about the other set.
Between the personal and professional elements along with the romance and mystery, I was captivated. Definitely a series I can recommend to cozy mystery and light romantic suspense fans, alike.
June 27, 2019
Really liked this book. A red headed girl, Wren Morgan, and a battle-scared and physically injured former Marine find each other in a backdrop of old historic homes, mysterious missing jewel, and auctioneering. Great mystery with flesh and blood characters, real weaknesses and emotions and vaguely Civil War touches for good measure.
There is humor and sadness, family warmth and evil all wrapped up nicely by the author. I would definitely read more by Loretta Ross.
There is humor and sadness, family warmth and evil all wrapped up nicely by the author. I would definitely read more by Loretta Ross.
December 29, 2021
3.75 stars
I enjoyed this mystery however I hate it when the last line of the book is a tease into the next book… I’m very resistant to series and it makes me mad when I get tricked into feeling forced to read another book.
I enjoyed this mystery however I hate it when the last line of the book is a tease into the next book… I’m very resistant to series and it makes me mad when I get tricked into feeling forced to read another book.
October 26, 2017
Hilarious detective book. Love the characters and love relationship between Death and Wren. They work well with each other. I think I would read the rest of the series
March 12, 2017
I read a review for another book in this series and decided I wanted to read the series in order, so started right here. Boy am I glad I did! This was a fascinating story of history, a small town in Missouri, a Marine who was injured in Afghanistan, an auction company, stolen jewels and 2 murders, hidden jewels from the Civil War, an old family mansion with lots of secrets, and a redheaded woman. Who could ask for anything more? Murder-danger-jewels-love-all the elements needed for a story that was an outstanding beginning to a series. There never was a dull minute in this book!
Death (pronounced Deeth and rhymes with teeth) comes to town as a bounty hunter and PI in search of his first skip. Not only does he deliver this difficult capture, but along the way he meets Wren, an auctioneer and worker for the Keystone and Sons Auctioneers. After she discovers a naked dead guy in the parlor, Death and Wren end up at the police station at the same time. From that point on they are both attracted to each other. Death, as an ex Marine, has the knowledge to face any danger and protect Wren. Unfortunately, a bomb that exploded his Hummer left him with lung damage that causes him to be unable to breath and pass out. Wren overlooks that tiny detail and focuses on what a great looking guy he is both physically and by actions. As they settle into a comfortable relationship they are plagued by many evil obstacles that include being shot at, kidnapped, beaten, trapped, beaten, and slated for rape and certain death. All because of a jewel robbery six years ago and missing jewels from the Civil War. Teamwork is the answer to all their problems along with trust.
This was a relaxed pace book with underlying tension so thick you could have cut it with a knife. The characters were interesting and well rounded. I was fascinated with the history aspect of the story as well as the business aspect of auctions. It was a fantastic read and I recommend it highly to mystery murder lovers! It is the first of the series with two others published as of this writing. I can't wait to get started reading the next book!!!
Death (pronounced Deeth and rhymes with teeth) comes to town as a bounty hunter and PI in search of his first skip. Not only does he deliver this difficult capture, but along the way he meets Wren, an auctioneer and worker for the Keystone and Sons Auctioneers. After she discovers a naked dead guy in the parlor, Death and Wren end up at the police station at the same time. From that point on they are both attracted to each other. Death, as an ex Marine, has the knowledge to face any danger and protect Wren. Unfortunately, a bomb that exploded his Hummer left him with lung damage that causes him to be unable to breath and pass out. Wren overlooks that tiny detail and focuses on what a great looking guy he is both physically and by actions. As they settle into a comfortable relationship they are plagued by many evil obstacles that include being shot at, kidnapped, beaten, trapped, beaten, and slated for rape and certain death. All because of a jewel robbery six years ago and missing jewels from the Civil War. Teamwork is the answer to all their problems along with trust.
This was a relaxed pace book with underlying tension so thick you could have cut it with a knife. The characters were interesting and well rounded. I was fascinated with the history aspect of the story as well as the business aspect of auctions. It was a fantastic read and I recommend it highly to mystery murder lovers! It is the first of the series with two others published as of this writing. I can't wait to get started reading the next book!!!
August 28, 2015
Sexual Content Rating: Subtle
Language Content Rating: Mild
Violent Content Rating: Minimal
Auctioneer Wren Morgan is looking for missing jewels, but what she finds is a naked dead man in the mansion that she is searching. Death ( pronounced Deeth) Bogart is a private eye and bounty hunter looking for a second set of missing jewels. What he finds is Wren. Together they embark on a dangerous hunt for treasures, with a couple of criminals following, not far behind.
Thus is the premise of Loretta Ross’s Death and The Redheaded Woman, the first book in the new Auction Block Mystery Series. Wren and Death come to the “partnership” with some heavy baggage, hers is a broken engagement, Death’s is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. But together they work not only well as partners looking for missing jewels and a killer, but as a couple as well.
Death and the The Redheaded Woman is a likable mystery with endearing characters. There is just enough background history to make the search for jewels believable and the story keeps things interesting as a few red herrings are thrown in. This is a great cozy mystery, one that I read in two days. It is a difficult book to put down once you start reading it, as it draws you in, right from the opening sentence.
-- WENDY
September 24, 2015
I'm always on the lookout for a new series to sink my teeth into and Death and the Redheaded Woman caught my eye (or in this case, ear) and I figured I would give it a try. The two main characters of Death (pronounced Deeth), and Wren were very well developed and interesting. Ross creates a realism with them that is neither bumbling nor cliche - a perfect balance. Unfortunately, those two characters are the lone bright spots in a story pockmarked with plot holes and a few too many perfect coincidences. A couple of those holes were vast enough to stop me in my tracks. The narrative flow also suffered from a haphazard delivery that changed pace too often - and not in a good way. There was also an unnecessary cliffhanger stuck in an epilogue who's only purpose was to dangle a question unrelated to the story for a yet unwritten sequel.
I'm not going to say Death and the Redheaded Woman was a bad story. However, the inconsistent narrative and a plot that stumbles often makes it mediocre in a very crowded genre. Better to seek your mystery fortune elsewhere.
I'm not going to say Death and the Redheaded Woman was a bad story. However, the inconsistent narrative and a plot that stumbles often makes it mediocre in a very crowded genre. Better to seek your mystery fortune elsewhere.
June 18, 2017
"He was gorgeous and he was naked but, unfortunately, he was dead". How's that for a first line in a book?
Wren Wren Morgan goes to the old Campbell mansion to do an assessment of the contents for an estate auction the last thing she expects is a naked, dead man in the parlour. While filling out her statement at the police station bounty hunter Death (pronounced Deeth) Bogart arrives to turn in a fugitive. Sparks instantly fly. Together they start to hunt for missing jewels, some from a theft three years earlier and some from the Civil War.
The repartee between the two is fast and funny and sustained throughout the book. All the minor characters are equally funny and likeable, well except for Eric Farrington but every town has to have one.
I really enjoyed this book although I do have one quibble. There is no way the Civil War jewels could have been hidden where they were for over 100 years without being found.
Thanks Kristen for the recommendation. I am looking forward to reading the others in this series.
Wren Wren Morgan goes to the old Campbell mansion to do an assessment of the contents for an estate auction the last thing she expects is a naked, dead man in the parlour. While filling out her statement at the police station bounty hunter Death (pronounced Deeth) Bogart arrives to turn in a fugitive. Sparks instantly fly. Together they start to hunt for missing jewels, some from a theft three years earlier and some from the Civil War.
The repartee between the two is fast and funny and sustained throughout the book. All the minor characters are equally funny and likeable, well except for Eric Farrington but every town has to have one.
I really enjoyed this book although I do have one quibble. There is no way the Civil War jewels could have been hidden where they were for over 100 years without being found.
Thanks Kristen for the recommendation. I am looking forward to reading the others in this series.
October 4, 2016
This debut mystery kept me hooked from first page to last. The growing relationship between Wren and Death is excellent, and I love their sharp repartee. Wren is no shrinking violet-- her preferred choice of weapons is unusual to say the least-- and I like that. Death himself has got to overcome his reluctance in asking for help, and the auctioneering company that Wren works for-- Keystone and Sons-- has more than a touch of the Keystone Kops (for you old movie fans).
Searching for both old treasure and new was a lot of fun, especially when it concerns looking for hidden rooms and secret passageways in an old house. Speaking of fun, that is the overwhelming feeling I got as I read this book: that the author had so much fun as she was writing Death and the Redheaded Woman that she just had to share it with all her readers.
It worked. Now I'm looking for book number two: Death and the Brewmaster's Widow!
Searching for both old treasure and new was a lot of fun, especially when it concerns looking for hidden rooms and secret passageways in an old house. Speaking of fun, that is the overwhelming feeling I got as I read this book: that the author had so much fun as she was writing Death and the Redheaded Woman that she just had to share it with all her readers.
It worked. Now I'm looking for book number two: Death and the Brewmaster's Widow!
September 5, 2015
This book was delightful! I enjoyed laughing out-loud several times, but I also liked that the hero was human -- he had flaws, instead of being the perfect, all-macho guy who fights his way through everything, which made him more endearing to me. I liked getting to know the characters and their quirks. I listened to this as an audible book, and always like Amanda Ronconi for a narrator. This book ended on a bit of a cliff-hanger, and I'm looking forward to the next one.
September 18, 2015
About a 3.5. A new cute "whodunnit" murder mystery reminiscent of days gone by . It was a daily deal and a nice find. It's not deep, tangled or edgy. Just a retired down and out veteran bounty hunter and a small town auctioneer - thrown together to look for a lost treasure after a man is found dead and naked in a house the historical society is cataloging for an upcoming auction.
March 31, 2015
Definitely felt more like a romance with a little mystery thrown in than vice-versa. And the romance was a bit too cheesy for me, anyway. Lots of silly jokes and no character development. Just not my thing.
March 3, 2024
A lot of fun to read. The two main characters are really something and so are the supporting cast.
November 16, 2016
Alternated between amusing and annoying, bland and heartfelt. Forgettable.
April 5, 2022
A very good debut novel by Loretta Ross. "Death & the Redheaded Woman" is the start of a great mystery series.
Death Bogart (his first name rhymes with "teeth") is a former Marine working now as a bounty hunter and detective. Death meets and falls in love with a redheaded woman named Wren Morgan. Wren works for an auction house in the backroads of Easr Bledsoe Ferry, a rural town in Missouri.
Wren mostly handles estate sales for the Keystone family. Now up on the auction block is the nearby Campbell house, where the recently departed Ava Fairchild resided in for decades. Ava leaves the house and most of its treasures to the local Historical Society since her nephew and only heir Declan has been in prison.
When going into Ava's house to set up for the estate auction, Wren finds a naked dead man lying upside-down on a flight of stairs. The man is "Flow" Whittaker, a criminal associate of Declan Fairchild's. Both of them and a third man are hunting for missing treasure--that is jewels that go back nearly 150 years. Death--and soon Wren--are now on the trail of the family jewels as well. But it seems as if the Campbell house has been gone over several times over the years to find these precious gems. So the answer is: where did Ava Fairchild hide them? Or was it somebody else long before her?
"Death & the Redheaded Woman" is one great page-turner with memorable characters and the occasional plot twists and turns. I look forward to reading the rest of this series by Loretta Ross!
Rating: ****
Death Bogart (his first name rhymes with "teeth") is a former Marine working now as a bounty hunter and detective. Death meets and falls in love with a redheaded woman named Wren Morgan. Wren works for an auction house in the backroads of Easr Bledsoe Ferry, a rural town in Missouri.
Wren mostly handles estate sales for the Keystone family. Now up on the auction block is the nearby Campbell house, where the recently departed Ava Fairchild resided in for decades. Ava leaves the house and most of its treasures to the local Historical Society since her nephew and only heir Declan has been in prison.
When going into Ava's house to set up for the estate auction, Wren finds a naked dead man lying upside-down on a flight of stairs. The man is "Flow" Whittaker, a criminal associate of Declan Fairchild's. Both of them and a third man are hunting for missing treasure--that is jewels that go back nearly 150 years. Death--and soon Wren--are now on the trail of the family jewels as well. But it seems as if the Campbell house has been gone over several times over the years to find these precious gems. So the answer is: where did Ava Fairchild hide them? Or was it somebody else long before her?
"Death & the Redheaded Woman" is one great page-turner with memorable characters and the occasional plot twists and turns. I look forward to reading the rest of this series by Loretta Ross!
Rating: ****
November 7, 2016
Our protagonist, who finds the “dead guy”, is a red-headed assistant auctioneer and expert appraiser for several lines of collectibles. She has recently had a broken engagement from a loser. Her name is Wren Morgan. Ms. Morgan finds the “dead guy” when she goes to the old Campbell mansion, to catalogue the contents for an auction.
At the police station she discovers that the “dead guy” was a jewel thief involved in a robbery a few years before. Here she also meets our hero, Death (pronounced DEE-th) Bogart, who is a decorated Marine, new private eye and part time bounty hunter who is searching for the missing jewels.
There is said to be missing Campbell family jewels in the home that an owner hid more than 150 years ago. There are also jewels hidden by the former owner of the house. It seems that more than just the "naked dead guy", Wren and Death are searching for both sets of gems.
The book has humor, witty banter, historical perspective, light romance, action, snarkiness, mystery, and of course the nudity of the “dead guy”. Fun book that I hardly recommend. It is part of a series that I intend to pursue but the book does stand on its own without a cliff hanger ending.
At the police station she discovers that the “dead guy” was a jewel thief involved in a robbery a few years before. Here she also meets our hero, Death (pronounced DEE-th) Bogart, who is a decorated Marine, new private eye and part time bounty hunter who is searching for the missing jewels.
There is said to be missing Campbell family jewels in the home that an owner hid more than 150 years ago. There are also jewels hidden by the former owner of the house. It seems that more than just the "naked dead guy", Wren and Death are searching for both sets of gems.
The book has humor, witty banter, historical perspective, light romance, action, snarkiness, mystery, and of course the nudity of the “dead guy”. Fun book that I hardly recommend. It is part of a series that I intend to pursue but the book does stand on its own without a cliff hanger ending.
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