The darker the secret, the harder it is to keep buried.
I’m finally accepting that my psychic talents serve a purpose, that I can use them to help people. But two mysteries plague me. What happened to my good friend Lucas’ sister after she disappeared then years ago?
And if my father was murdered when I was young, why do I keep seeing him?
When I find the long-buried remains of Lucas’ sister, her murdered body only opens more questions. There is an evil lurking in my small town. An evil so close that I can’t trust anyone. An evil so well hidden that even my special abilities can’t see it.
As more people are murdered, I must keep digging for the truth - The truth that might tear my family apart - The truth we all must face.
Dawn Merriman lives in northeastern Indiana on a small pig farm with her husband and teenage children. She enjoys animals, auctions, reading, snorkeling and writing small town murder mystery novels. Dawn Merriman completed her first novel in Middle School and a few others in High School and college. She won 1st place in the Northeast Indiana Young Writers short story contest in 1990. After a writing hiatus to raise her children, she published her debut novel, "How Murder Saved My Life" in 2019.
With each book, we have witnessed a confidence in Gabby as she accepts her gifts and stands up for herself. Now that she has business, she is hoping townsfolk will accept her. Cheating spouses aren’t exactly the cases she wants, but they’ll help her build the business. She promised Lucus she would look into what happened to his sister.
When she discovers the bones of his sister, things go sideways and jeopardize her relationship with Lucus. She needs her brother to step up. The more clues she uncovers, the deadlier things become.
I am really enjoying this series and find Gabby’s gift complex and fascinating. There is a religious aspect, but it is more about how Gabby perceives her gift. I loved the small-town vibe and characters that orbit around Gabby. First, we have her surly brother, a local police detective, his wife and their young daughter. Then we have the glue that holds their broken family together, which is their grandmother. Lucus, her brother’s partner, is Gabby’s biggest defender and love interest. I struggled when the two weren’t speaking.
Questions surrounding the night Gabby received her gifts are answered in Message in the Grave and the thread surrounding her mother’s incarceration is closed. I am curious to see what mysteries Gabby solves next.
Gina Rogers & Matt Godfrey did an excellent job of giving voice to the different perspectives and I highly recommend listening.
It's 5a.m. and worth staying up to read this book!!!! More please! Loved the location, loved the actions and slicing through the dirt to find the killers. Worth it if you could write more about the people within the pages. Great everything!
Finally we start to see Gabby standing up for herself With the help of her grandmother she starts her official business to help people. She hopes this will allow the townsfolk to understand her ability and how she can help. They start to understand how she can sense the history from touching an item. Or the history of a person from touching someone who has passed. She becomes a psychic for hire.
Her first official client is Lucas who wants help to find his missing sister. However it takes an unexpected twist when she enters a grave to talk to the father of another client. However in true Gabby style everything takes a twist and more comes to light. Also finally with Lucas and Gabby being together 🥰 I'm so happy she found someone to fully accept her.
However in all this mess did she see a figure that she recognises, and will she be able to get proof to show her brother Dustin. Can she truly workout what is going on?
The ending is just perfect and well deserved. I love that they basically threw their dad's fake funeral back in his own face. Love that the head police officer allowed the grandmother to assault him aswell but let's be honest it was deserved 😂 As always these books keep me hooked and wanting to start the next one straight away.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Now Gabby has her new business, she’s ready to find some answers, about Lucas’ sister, her father, and more. She didn’t expect to stumble over answers before she’s even begun to look, and she didn’t expect her discoveries to be quite so earth shattering either.
Gabby, her brother Dustin, and their friend Lucas have been searching for answers for years. Gabby is certain her father is not dead, and her mother is unjustly imprisoned, and none of them know what happened to Crystal, Lucas’ sister. This book finally provides the answers they have been looking for, and a few they hadn’t even envisioned.
There are some serious twists and turns in this book, and more than a few surprises, but it brings an end to the first arc of Gabby’s story. There’s some romance, a lot of action and a little adventure. Paranormal mystery lovers will enjoy trying to figure out the mystery (it’s possible, just twisted) while watching Gabby working hard to do what she feels driven to do, while Gabby fans will enjoy seeing some of the events in the book!
An entertaining paranormal mystery for fans of the genre, and fans of the characters alike.
I REALLY wanted to like this book. The first two were great but this one fell short… My biggest issue was the ending. It felt like the author rushed it all together…
Spoilers!!!
Seriously spoilers… Don’t read unless you like spoilers….
The shack was just ridiculously rushed and then Lucas finding out about his mom and having no reflection on it, there’s no conversation between the two where they discuss things… She doesn’t explain herself to him.. We don’t see anything on Gregors feelings or thoughts on the whole thing… The coins aren’t even fully explained & seriously… If I knew my daughter was dead and the man I was having an affair with claimed it was an accident… There would be no more man after that… It’s ABSURD that she would believe the lie AND stay with AND keep the secret he’s alive! The last few chapters really disappointed me… I liked that Nathan got what was deserved & the author did great painting him the villain… I like Gabby and her brother connecting more… The damn ending though… I’m going to try the fourth book, fingers crossed it’s not a letdown!
Setting the Scene: Gabby has finally begun to embrace her abilities, and the grand opening of her business, "Messages," is successful, if not without drama. While she hopes to make a living with her new business, there are really only two questions that plague her. The first is what happened to Lucas' sister, and the second is why is she seeing her dead father in various places. Accidentally locating the body of Lucas' sister only leads to more questions and hints at an evil that may be more destructive than anyone could have imagined.
What I Thought: I love this series, and this book did not disappoint. I don't think it gives anything away to say this book brought a number of storylines from the first 2 books to fruition but in the most surprising and entertaining ways. I need more Gabby, Lucas, Grandma Dot, Dustin, and the other characters. Lucas' dad is going to be an interesting character. More, please!
Well, I wasn't aspecting that! If you dontbwant spoilers, then do not read this!!
So Gabby goes with the client to the cemetery to do reading of dead father.. When Gabby touches the grave stone, she sees murder of Lucas sister Crystal.. Further down the investigation, Dustin confesses to Gaby that he has been jealous of her her aof her gifts and that he felt pushed out, and that's why he became a cop. It was actually nice that they became closer to itchader.. Gabby and Luca hot together.. Gabby finds out that's her father is still alive and been really the bad guy..I don't want to spoil everything, so just read it.. I am happy that Gabbys mother was realised from prison.. The only thing is that when Gabby figures out who the killer is, she rushes again in danger and almost gets killed. This is really frustrating. Why can't she go with bac up?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I thought for sure that the overall story arc begun in book 1 would play out longer so I wasn't prepared at all for the way it was tied together into this book's mystery. It would have made for an excellent ending to a trilogy but knowing there's more in the series has me completely excited. As much as these books are about Gabby, I love that all of the characters have real character growth. I love the development of the relationships. This particular mystery, I did guess the ultimate reveals but not the details. Despite that, I still feel stunned it actually went there. I almost obsessively want the details that took place off the page regarding that night and all that led up to it.
This is the 3rd in the series about Gabby. You see after an accident, Gabby is able to feel things and know things about the dead. At first she didn't like having these psychic feelings as she thought everyone in the community thinks she crazy, even her police detective brother, Dustin.
In this one, Gabby's mother is still in prison and they think she is guilty of killing her husband, Gabby and Dustin's father. Gabby has always believed her innocence. Lucas is still trying to find his sister who has been missing for years.
When Gabby is contacted by a client who would like to know about her "dead" father, Gabby goes to the graveyard where he is buried, and she "senses" the body of Lucas missing sister! Is she right?
Like the first two in the series, this was a fun and fast read that I truly enjoyed. With that said, I was really hoping for some more in-depth character development in this book, and we got it, but it is a case of you should be careful what you wish for. The character development was more on the main character's relationship with her brother than it was with the actual individual characters, and the explanations provided seemed too simplistic and superficial for the level of resentment we were seeing between them. These books have a strong storyline, and if the characters were as strongly written as the plot, these would ABSOLUTELY be 5-star books!
I’m in love with Gabby and family, Grandma Dot, brother Dustin, okay maybe not Dustin, but Lucas for sure and Haley. It’s wonderful to see that Gabby is strong, brave and stubborn, sticking to her convictions, with regard to her gift. It’s good to see that Gabby realizes it’s a gift and not a curse, no matter what the town thinks. I was very happy to see that Gabby and Lucas finally take that important step and tell each other how they feel. The twist was a surprise as well, don’t want to say too much to spoil the story. Thank you Dawn, you did a fantastic job on this story and I can’t wait to see what’s the next adventure for Gabby.
At last, so many of my questions were answered in Message in the Grave. I won’t give spoilers but not one but two mysteries were solved!
It was great to see Lucas and Gabby finally get together too. I just hope there’s no fall out from everything that happened. I also loved the conversation between Dustin and Gabby. For so many books I’ve disliked him because of how he treated Gabby. But with answers from him I realised things and it all made sense hopefully their relationship will now be better too.
In Message in the Grave by Dawn Merriman, the FMC, Gabby, is finally claiming her gifts without (much) remorse or embarrassment. It's been a long time coming, but it's well worth the wait. Now that she has a business, she's ready to receive messages and solve mysteries for whoever hires her. Of course, her first customer has to be Lucas. His sister has been missing for years. Everyone assumed she ran away, so the investigation has been spotty to non-existent. But this is what Gabby was made for.
Full of twists, turns, and shocking developments, Message in the Grave is another brilliant novel by Dawn Merriman.
Message in the Grave - great follow up to the first story.
Gabby has special powers psychic powers and she touches the vs to use her gift. When asked to speak with a client's deceased father all hell breaks loose! Her boyfriends missing sisters remains are also in the grave. And did I mention he's a cop and her brothers partner? Will she find the killer? Could it be someone she knows?
Gabby is on the hunt again. Two people have died. She feels that Luca's sister is in the grave she came to read and a woman everyone thought was killed by a horse was actually murdered. And she keeps seeing her dead father everywhere. Is he really dead or is she losing her mind? Excellent characters and a suspenseful story. Danger and psychic visions everywhere she goes. Loved it.
Holy guacamole! Now that was a thrilling and fulfilling book! Towards the end of the book I was about to throw my kindle across the room, So glad I didn’t. This book was full of surprised, lots of things I did not see coming which made the book all the more interesting. This might be my favorite book out of all the previous two books I’ve read. I had to finish reading this book in one sitting, a must read!
Where do all the messages come from? Dawn Merriman writes a convincing thriller about the many ways one girl gets her messages. The tingle of a tattooed cross, words heard in her head alone to go find the one who needs help in one firm or another. What for many years gave her personna a shattered image of disrespect & shamefulness, finally wins respect & honor?
Better than the first two books as Gabby finally starts acting her age and also sticking up for herself. Much less of a pity party in her head - not that I blame her, actually. A lot going on with Gabby refining her skills but unfortunately continues to do the TSTL behavior. I like the way Gabby's and Lucas's relationship starts to shift and I really liked the ending. So, still three stars but a lot smoother run.
I appreciated this third book because quite a few things came to a head. Gabby got her man, her man finds out what happened to his sister, gabby and Dustin find out about their dad, and in the end we are afforded another character that has otherwise been waiting in the eaves the first few books. What I'm not a fan of is that the coins went unexplained. Lucas' mother also went unexplained. Otherwise it was an exciting book.
Gabby has a gift that allows her to see and solve mysteries, mostly murders. Her mom has been in prison for years for the murder of her husband. Gabby has always known of her mom's innocense and her dad lives. She senses him. She also comes across the missing sister of her boyfriend and the tragedy surrounding Crystal. Gabby is led to discover the mysteries of the past and current murders. Glad there are more Gabby books to read!
Wow, wow, wow. I read this book in two days and have to admit my housework suffered just a wee bit. I really...really...enjoyed the first two of this three-part series, but talk about saving the best for last. It tied everything up and answered all your questions in a way you never saw coming. This honestly had to be one of the best series I've read!!
This book: I recommend that you don’t read this one as a stand-alone. Its focus story relies on the arc from the other books. It is my favorite of the three. There is a tad bit more heat but nothing graphic. I did call the bad guys early but it came together well. The final Resolution
I'm so sad that this trilogy had to end. I fell in love with all the characters and each book only got better. I wish Gabby would come back in another series or continue this one because I'm going to miss her and her adventures like crazy. Really great story, the suspense, romance, the betrayal and heart ache. It don't get better then this.
I have read all three of the messaging books in Dawn Merriman' s trilogy. All three are page threes and full of information on phsysic happenings. Another new author I enjoy and will look for more of her books. Recommended for those readers who like the unexplainable.
Not going to lie when I read the 1st book and the 1st thing that police did was asked a psychic to touch evidence I thought it was 1 of the silliest books of ever read. I thought gabby With an air head and her brother an ass The only person that made sense to me is grandma Dot, Chester and Jet . But the more I read the more I want to know
Dawn Merriman can write a suspense thriller with a dash of good ole romance !! If you looking for lots of steamy scenes this series is not for you, but if you’re looking for a great suspense thriller that keeps you turning the pages this series is it !! A must read series !!
I've read the first 3 books in this series in less than two days, I just can't put them down. I love the fast-paced storylines and the engaging characters. Being a fairly recent NJ transplant to Fort Wayne, IN, I'm also enjoying the Indiana setting ~ I highly recommend this series!