Dead on Arrival

by Paula Lester

In the supernatural funeral business, not all clients stay dead.

Wren Grimm thought inheriting her grandmother's funeral home would be the biggest challenge of her career change. She was wrong.

When Luna Whitmore's "accidental" death lands on Wren's preparation table, her newly awakened empathic gift reveals the truth—Luna was murdered. But solving a magical homicide isn't exactly covered in funeral director training, especially when the victim was fae royalty and the killer could be anyone in Honeyvale's hidden supernatural community.

Between a dramatic vampire who thinks he's a grief counselor, a tech-savvy ghost with a true crime obsession, the phoenix who runs the crematorium, and a mysterious cat with unsettling intelligence, Wren's new "staff" is anything but ordinary. Add in a nosy blogger determined to expose supernatural secrets and a fae court demanding justice, and Wren's quiet small-town funeral home is suddenly the center of otherworldly chaos.

110 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 20, 2025

Reviews

[Elise ~ Fantasybookniffler ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 ☆

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

If the story revolves around family, blood or found, I am all about reading it. This story has all that and more, with very little violence, some supernatural influence, and the cohesion of strong familial ties. The characters are fascinating, the plot is easily followed, and the premise is finding out why the woman who was the main character's first customer died. The answers were both difficult and strange. I highly recommend this book and I look forward to reading the next one.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Family Matters

I really like this story. The characters are a bit different from the usual paranormal cosy. Wren Grimm becomes the new family funeral director. Her introduction to the supernatural world isn't shattering which makes for a change of pace. But there is an intriguing murder and Nana to guide her. I look forward to more adventures with Wren and her new family, made and found

[Elysian Fields · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dead On Arrival is anything but dead, it reads like a fun mini mystery for those times when you want a good story but might not havebthe time. It's story, but it's a full fleshed out read. Great characters, a mini mystery, and I have to say I really identified with Bernie and fell for Banshee! Look forward to the next one!

[Cynthialdaily63gmail.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

good fun

It was a nice cozy read. It has characters I came to really like and mysteries yet to be solved. It finishes good but with an opening for the next story. No real cliffhanger thank goodness. Just something to look forward to.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute

Very cute and cozy. No angst. Low stakes. A bit rushed and not much in the way of depth or explanation for things - but that’s exactly what I’ve been needing in my life. And it hits the spot perfectly.

[Kirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new fan!

Quirky, action packed, interesting characters, a good genre, and really well written!
The Afterlife Files are a keeper! Looking forward to reading more.

[Patricia Mann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun story

New characters that are interesting, engaging and realistic. The plot was fun, definitely a twist I was not expecting. On to the next.

[Stephen Levesque · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally enjoyed it! This is a well written and has well developed characters. The story is catching and with the strong characters makes for a very enjoyable read. Great Reading Everyone!