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Psychic Last Responder #1
Murder and the Mortician
MURDER AND THE MORTICIANThey dropped a corpse in her driveway. Will her unusual gifts help her deliver justice and lay the deceased to rest?Perrie Spock has made a career out of being comfortable around cadavers. So the skilled Oklahoma undertaker barely bats an eye when the body of a young woman is dumped outside her funeral home in the small hours. But it feels less like a regular workday when she begins to receive beyond-the grave pleas from the newly arrived stiff.
With more shocking ghostly messages driving her to investigate further, Perrie reluctantly teams up with the local sheriff to solve the crime. And though she’s still in denial over her own growing psychic powers, a parade of suspects and disturbing small-town secrets are starting to give her the supernatural chills…
Can this magic-touched embalmer crack the case before the casket closes?
Murder and the Mortician is the exciting first book in The Psychic Last Responder paranormal cozy mystery series. If you like cunning characters, perplexing puzzles, and titanic twists, then you’ll love Marian McCarthy’s wicked whodunit.
Buy Murder and the Mortician to exhume the truth today!
With more shocking ghostly messages driving her to investigate further, Perrie reluctantly teams up with the local sheriff to solve the crime. And though she’s still in denial over her own growing psychic powers, a parade of suspects and disturbing small-town secrets are starting to give her the supernatural chills…
Can this magic-touched embalmer crack the case before the casket closes?
Murder and the Mortician is the exciting first book in The Psychic Last Responder paranormal cozy mystery series. If you like cunning characters, perplexing puzzles, and titanic twists, then you’ll love Marian McCarthy’s wicked whodunit.
Buy Murder and the Mortician to exhume the truth today!
220 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 22, 2021
360 people are currently reading
324 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
December 17, 2023
Crap!
The conflicting stories, the poor editing wouldn't be too awful but when they get basics wrong, it Crosses to intolerable. For one, a transgender man who starts as a woman with XX chromosomes cannot be identified as someone's son by "matching Y chromosomes". Too loose with basic information.
The conflicting stories, the poor editing wouldn't be too awful but when they get basics wrong, it Crosses to intolerable. For one, a transgender man who starts as a woman with XX chromosomes cannot be identified as someone's son by "matching Y chromosomes". Too loose with basic information.
January 23, 2023
Murder and the Mortician (1)
What a really cool book! I don't think I have ever read such an amazingly beautiful story! It's books like this one that keep me turning the pages. I highly recommend this book!!
What a really cool book! I don't think I have ever read such an amazingly beautiful story! It's books like this one that keep me turning the pages. I highly recommend this book!!
September 23, 2021
Perrie returns to her hometown to work as a mortician in the family mortuary after the death of her mother.
Fifteen years in the Air Force as a mortician reinforced for her the need to treat the deceased with respect. A childhood spent living in a mortuary, and a deceased medical examiner father taught her small town secrets, connections and responsibilities.
Can Perrie deal with her growing gifts, some paranoid evangelical christians, a declining business and her emotions?
Tangled and intriguing
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Fifteen years in the Air Force as a mortician reinforced for her the need to treat the deceased with respect. A childhood spent living in a mortuary, and a deceased medical examiner father taught her small town secrets, connections and responsibilities.
Can Perrie deal with her growing gifts, some paranoid evangelical christians, a declining business and her emotions?
Tangled and intriguing
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 9, 2024
Crazy but hey
Good characters, could have done with a bit more depth but relatable characters. The setting could be anywhere. It showed the different types of people living. Any of them could be your neighbour. Never judge a book by its cover, the same could be said for these characters.
Good characters, could have done with a bit more depth but relatable characters. The setting could be anywhere. It showed the different types of people living. Any of them could be your neighbour. Never judge a book by its cover, the same could be said for these characters.
December 30, 2023
Lovely start to a new series
August 4, 2023
Loving Town
A small town in Oklahoma is home to a very diverse group of people. The daughter of the Spock family has returned from the Air Force to take over the family business. She was a mortician in the service and now runs the towns funeral home, The Rose. A body is dumped in the driveway and, thus, begins the start of the towns trouble. Perrie learns that she is more than a scientist, she can hear the dead. She has to help the former quarterback, now, the sheriff find out who murdered the girl.
This begins the serious, but not scary investigation that brings in great characters from the town. It is not your normal cozy or a hard hitting crime novel, it is well written and sensitively leads you through a wide circle that narrows to catch the guilty.
A small town in Oklahoma is home to a very diverse group of people. The daughter of the Spock family has returned from the Air Force to take over the family business. She was a mortician in the service and now runs the towns funeral home, The Rose. A body is dumped in the driveway and, thus, begins the start of the towns trouble. Perrie learns that she is more than a scientist, she can hear the dead. She has to help the former quarterback, now, the sheriff find out who murdered the girl.
This begins the serious, but not scary investigation that brings in great characters from the town. It is not your normal cozy or a hard hitting crime novel, it is well written and sensitively leads you through a wide circle that narrows to catch the guilty.
September 23, 2021
I enjoyed very much the bones of this story. Unfortunately, it was not fleshed out very well, things happened so quickly and did not match the character's character. It lost the appeal. The author has the basics here, I hope as she gains experience she will improve.
The scientific no-nonsense Air Force veteran mortician Perrie Spock (even the name suggests logic and reasoning) is now the owner of her family's funeral home "The Rose." is in the town of Vardo, Oklahoma. The town was settled by Romani families, during the Land Grabs, Pierre's is one of the founding families, they opened The Rose as no one else would take Romani's dead.
So Perrie grew up as her father's right-hand woman, he was the local doctor and medical examiner, she would watch and assist with post mortems and help with embalming and funerals. After serving as a mortician in the military for 15 years she left the Air Force as her mother passed away. so now Perrie is the mortician for the dead of Vardo.
The story opens when Perrie is woken in the early hours of the morning, not knowing why but feeling uneasy, she wanders around The Rose checking all is in order, She discovers a body out on the grounds of the building, a very young woman with no ID has been dumped. Calling in the Sherriff (who she went to school with). So the mystery begins, Who is this woman, why was she dumped on the Rose, because she was left with Perrie she feels responsible for her, and tries to assist Sherriff Reg Woolaroc.
Up to this point, I was invested in the story. I knew there was a paranormal element to the story that did not surprise me, it was the reaction of the characters that did, Perrie is built up as being scientific and logical, so when things begin to happen and she does not question them or if she does she accepts it just did not gel, the story could also be fleshed out more, there was so much going on in the backgrounds, meaning there were many missed opportunities, Some could have been trimmed and it would not have caused the story to lose anything,
There is an event that happens that appears to be supernatural, but it is never referred to again, the who, and how are never examined which was a little frustrating. Perrie and Maria's friendship is not explained till much further into the book it felt to me it should have been explained much earlier. The ending is very quickly all tied up in a neat bow,
It is a readable book,I will give this series another try if she writes another entry
The scientific no-nonsense Air Force veteran mortician Perrie Spock (even the name suggests logic and reasoning) is now the owner of her family's funeral home "The Rose." is in the town of Vardo, Oklahoma. The town was settled by Romani families, during the Land Grabs, Pierre's is one of the founding families, they opened The Rose as no one else would take Romani's dead.
So Perrie grew up as her father's right-hand woman, he was the local doctor and medical examiner, she would watch and assist with post mortems and help with embalming and funerals. After serving as a mortician in the military for 15 years she left the Air Force as her mother passed away. so now Perrie is the mortician for the dead of Vardo.
The story opens when Perrie is woken in the early hours of the morning, not knowing why but feeling uneasy, she wanders around The Rose checking all is in order, She discovers a body out on the grounds of the building, a very young woman with no ID has been dumped. Calling in the Sherriff (who she went to school with). So the mystery begins, Who is this woman, why was she dumped on the Rose, because she was left with Perrie she feels responsible for her, and tries to assist Sherriff Reg Woolaroc.
Up to this point, I was invested in the story. I knew there was a paranormal element to the story that did not surprise me, it was the reaction of the characters that did, Perrie is built up as being scientific and logical, so when things begin to happen and she does not question them or if she does she accepts it just did not gel, the story could also be fleshed out more, there was so much going on in the backgrounds, meaning there were many missed opportunities, Some could have been trimmed and it would not have caused the story to lose anything,
There is an event that happens that appears to be supernatural, but it is never referred to again, the who, and how are never examined which was a little frustrating. Perrie and Maria's friendship is not explained till much further into the book it felt to me it should have been explained much earlier. The ending is very quickly all tied up in a neat bow,
It is a readable book,I will give this series another try if she writes another entry
September 22, 2021
Overall I thought this book had a unique concept and murder plot, and did a good job of not giving too many clues away to make the story boring. Perrie was an interesting main character, but I feel like she has a massive chip on her shoulder. She seems to immediately think everyone is against her, and makes a big deal about someone referring to her as a ‘girl’. The story did say she was bullied when she was younger, but I couldn’t really correlate this to her short reactions to various character’s remarks. This book also leans quite a bit into the supernatural aspect of Perrie’s abilities, which was a interesting addition to a murder mystery. The supernatural aspect was a bit odd for me because no one in the town seemed to really question Perrie’s abilities. If my friend suddenly told me they could speak to the dead, I don’t think I would be as blase as the characters in the story were. Everyone seems to accept Perrie’s abilities as fact, and I would have liked to see a little more reaction from some of the characters, and then have them become believers by the end when the abilities prove useful. The other aspect of Perrie’s abilities that was a bit odd was the fact that they evolved so quickly and of many various types. First Perrie starts off being able to communicate with the dead, then she gains the powers of telekinesis, dream walking and the ability to control the weather…? It just seemed like a bit much to me, and the author should have just stuck to one or two of these abilities.
I have some other comments on the book, but they contain SPOILERS so read with caution. One of the characters, Adrian is transgender (female to male), and I was happy to see the representation in this book. However, I feel like the story spent too much time focussing on this one aspect of the character. The fact that he is transgender, and what that means, was explained way too many times and was brought up almost every time the character was mentioned. The rest of the character lacked depth besides this one fact. After reading the whole story, the main character points I can tell you about Adrian are that he is transgender and was in foster care. Besides his gender identity, the story failed to give him any real character.
I have some other comments on the book, but they contain SPOILERS so read with caution. One of the characters, Adrian is transgender (female to male), and I was happy to see the representation in this book. However, I feel like the story spent too much time focussing on this one aspect of the character. The fact that he is transgender, and what that means, was explained way too many times and was brought up almost every time the character was mentioned. The rest of the character lacked depth besides this one fact. After reading the whole story, the main character points I can tell you about Adrian are that he is transgender and was in foster care. Besides his gender identity, the story failed to give him any real character.
September 22, 2021
Murder and the Mortician is the first book in the Last Responder Series. It is a very engaging book. The premise of the storyline is a bit unusual, with the suspense starting from page one as a body is literally dumped off in the driveway of the Rose Funeral Home. This is just the beginning of a great suspense, mystery, thriller story.
The feel-good part of the story is with the characters. They draw you in and keep you reading. Perrie Spock grew up in the funeral home her family owned and ran, and while serving in the military, she worked in Mortuary Affairs. She is pretty respectful of the profession and their job. Perrie normalizes an occupation that people do not like to talk about, nor do most of us see morticians as normal. Typically it is quite the opposite. However, she gives us a peek into her world in which she seeks to comfort grieving families and help them through the process of saying goodbye to loved ones. There is a realism to the story when we see Perrie and Maria help families who do not have the means to say their goodbyes. Perrie and the staff at the Rose humanize the profession and the people. The fact that the funeral home is named the Rose says a lot.
As for the story, who better to solve a murder mystery than a mortician? The fact that she pays attention to detail and is a very compassionate person, mixed with her psychic tendencies, makes for a compelling story. Both the story and the characters are engaging. There are twists, and as Perrie's unique gift surfaces, things get really interesting. I read this book rather quickly. I had to see how it all ended—a great who dun it and why.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The feel-good part of the story is with the characters. They draw you in and keep you reading. Perrie Spock grew up in the funeral home her family owned and ran, and while serving in the military, she worked in Mortuary Affairs. She is pretty respectful of the profession and their job. Perrie normalizes an occupation that people do not like to talk about, nor do most of us see morticians as normal. Typically it is quite the opposite. However, she gives us a peek into her world in which she seeks to comfort grieving families and help them through the process of saying goodbye to loved ones. There is a realism to the story when we see Perrie and Maria help families who do not have the means to say their goodbyes. Perrie and the staff at the Rose humanize the profession and the people. The fact that the funeral home is named the Rose says a lot.
As for the story, who better to solve a murder mystery than a mortician? The fact that she pays attention to detail and is a very compassionate person, mixed with her psychic tendencies, makes for a compelling story. Both the story and the characters are engaging. There are twists, and as Perrie's unique gift surfaces, things get really interesting. I read this book rather quickly. I had to see how it all ended—a great who dun it and why.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 29, 2022
It is an Autumn night in Vardo, Oklahoma when a body is dumped in the drive-way of the local funeral home. Perrie Spock is the mortician at Rose Funeral Home and she served her country for 15 years as a mortician for the US Air Force before returning home to the family funeral home.
Spooky strange things begin happening and Perrie is awakening to her paranormal powers. This started out as quite a fun, exciting mystery, but at some point went over the top to a hard to believe ending scenario. There were a few mistakes in the book which I think the author might have dotted the i or crossed the t a little better.
Overall, I thought it was a fun read and would be inclined to read the second in the series.
Spooky strange things begin happening and Perrie is awakening to her paranormal powers. This started out as quite a fun, exciting mystery, but at some point went over the top to a hard to believe ending scenario. There were a few mistakes in the book which I think the author might have dotted the i or crossed the t a little better.
Overall, I thought it was a fun read and would be inclined to read the second in the series.
December 28, 2023
A new-to-me author and a definite winner here. An unusual setting and an unusual main character, morticians are not often featured in this genre, at least not the ones that I tend to read. I like that McCarthy has given us a brief but valuable insight into the world of the morgue and its working, while normalising it so that the scary taboos attached to it has been brought into the light. The book itself is well written, the characters well fleshed out (could be a pun here!), the plot and mystery cleverly presented. I will certainly be on the lookout for more from this author.
July 9, 2023
Quite liked this series beginning! Never thought I would enjoy a book about a mortician of all things. But, I was mistaken…..it’s absolutely quite good.
There are charming characters, witty dialogue, evil doers doing evil deeds, no graphic violence, a touch of romance (no graphic sex), explanations of autopsies (no graphic descriptions), Magick (real Magick, not fake stage stuff), mysteries to solve, evil doers to find, a cat, and no cliffhanger endings.
So curl up in your comfy chair with a cup of tea and enjoy! Then get the next one to enjoy.
There are charming characters, witty dialogue, evil doers doing evil deeds, no graphic violence, a touch of romance (no graphic sex), explanations of autopsies (no graphic descriptions), Magick (real Magick, not fake stage stuff), mysteries to solve, evil doers to find, a cat, and no cliffhanger endings.
So curl up in your comfy chair with a cup of tea and enjoy! Then get the next one to enjoy.
June 26, 2023
Murder and the Mortician
What a delight. Not the Murders, but the story.
I enjoyed reading this book.
She returned home from the service. Resting up in her room when she is awakened. She doesn’t know what woke her, but she walks around to see if anything is a miss. When she crossed by the door her cat warns her something is a miss. She looks out and finds a body in the driveway. This is the first more will follow.
What a delight. Not the Murders, but the story.
I enjoyed reading this book.
She returned home from the service. Resting up in her room when she is awakened. She doesn’t know what woke her, but she walks around to see if anything is a miss. When she crossed by the door her cat warns her something is a miss. She looks out and finds a body in the driveway. This is the first more will follow.
September 23, 2021
This book caught me from the start. I love how she is lee I more about herself with her Aunt helping her in the way. I love that she was a mortician too. The new ME is terrible. I can't wait to see what happens next. The writing was great.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 24, 2021
This story provides a great deal of detail regarding everyone involved. You have to pay attention to the clues to find out “who done it”! But this story isn’t just a whodunnit, it is a story of a woman coming into her powers. An empowering story!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 2, 2021
Murder and the Mortician is the first in the Last Responder Series and is a great start to this new series. The characters are interesting and the story is well-written and enjoyable, with murder, mystery, and suspense. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
I read and reviewed this book with no obligation.
I read and reviewed this book with no obligation.
May 21, 2023
Refreshingly subtle
I've been reading paranormal cozy mysteries for a while now. Some of the romantic interactions are so in your face and trying to force the relationship. I was happily surprised by the subtlety of the attraction in this first book. Here's hoping the trend will continue in the rest of the series.
I've been reading paranormal cozy mysteries for a while now. Some of the romantic interactions are so in your face and trying to force the relationship. I was happily surprised by the subtlety of the attraction in this first book. Here's hoping the trend will continue in the rest of the series.
June 21, 2023
Great read
Lots of twists and turns, and the ending will surprise you! Very PC at times and stereotypical at others, but nothing that would stop me from reading and seeing past that to the whole plot. All in all a good 1st book to a series, with lots of set up, and backstory. aleady downloading the 2nd book in the series. =)
Lots of twists and turns, and the ending will surprise you! Very PC at times and stereotypical at others, but nothing that would stop me from reading and seeing past that to the whole plot. All in all a good 1st book to a series, with lots of set up, and backstory. aleady downloading the 2nd book in the series. =)
June 27, 2023
This book just never grabbed me. There was no character depth, no excitement. I read this book because the author is from my area, and it is always fun to read about places that you know(especially in Oklahoma), but the story itself was just flat. I do not think I will read the other two books in the series.
September 22, 2021
I'm so glad that I found the first book of this new series. The story has more twists and turns then a roller coaster ride. Murder, magic and wonderful characters. Can't wait for book two.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 21, 2022
Great Read!
Delightful read of a woman coming into her own. Terrific, compex mystery surrounding a small Romani community. Diverse characters that are extremely well developed. Enjoyed Murder and the Mortician until the very last page. Highly Recommend.
Delightful read of a woman coming into her own. Terrific, compex mystery surrounding a small Romani community. Diverse characters that are extremely well developed. Enjoyed Murder and the Mortician until the very last page. Highly Recommend.
September 28, 2022
Dead bodies
A sweet refreshing tale of love, murder, forgiveness, family and friends! Solving not one murder but more leads to fighting injustice, evil, betrayal, and solving one mystery after another. As magical mayhem leads to answers and dead bodies.
A sweet refreshing tale of love, murder, forgiveness, family and friends! Solving not one murder but more leads to fighting injustice, evil, betrayal, and solving one mystery after another. As magical mayhem leads to answers and dead bodies.
May 11, 2023
Great book
I really enjoyed this book. The characters and mysteries are interesting. Plus the information about the culture of the characters was interesting as well as learning about being a mortician.
I really enjoyed this book. The characters and mysteries are interesting. Plus the information about the culture of the characters was interesting as well as learning about being a mortician.
May 11, 2023
Morticians, witches,and murder oh my!
A very wonderful read. Lively, captivating, and none stop action. A mortician with psychic powers waking up to solve crimes that are dumped at her door. So worth reading. I am looking forward to more of this series.
A very wonderful read. Lively, captivating, and none stop action. A mortician with psychic powers waking up to solve crimes that are dumped at her door. So worth reading. I am looking forward to more of this series.
October 14, 2021
Thoroughly enjoyable.
Fun read! Mystery, paranormal, rich characters! A fun read.. try it you'll like it! More please!! And there's even a cat!
Fun read! Mystery, paranormal, rich characters! A fun read.. try it you'll like it! More please!! And there's even a cat!
September 29, 2022
It was okay but didn’t hold my interest. I found myself skipping ahead. I didn’t care for the characters and couldn’t get invested in the story.
October 2, 2022
Great book loved the quirky characters and a nice story line too. Recommended read.
June 19, 2024
Better than ie thought it would be. Much better. Reread June 2024.
November 3, 2024
Last Responder
I discovered this book quite by chance and am very happy that I decided to read it. Parrie Spock is the owner/operator of the Rose Funeral Home in the quirky town of Vardo, Oklahoma and the only embalmed there. The Rose was passed down to her by her parents and Parrie was raised in the Rose, assisting her parents with bodies at a very young age, it was natural to her. Parrie had served in the military as a Mortician at Dover AFB until she returned to Vardo to take over the funeral home. One night she was awakened from her peaceful sleep by the strong "awareness" that something had happened, and when she found a body in the front yard of the Rose, her life was changed forever! Parrie works with the Sheriff and his department to find the murderer of the young girl. It delves into foster care, sex trafficking, drug abuse, fake drug programs, and a man heading a "church" with followers all over the world that was involved with the foster home set up and moving the children, blindfolded, in the dead of night with no records kept of where. Before the young girl's murder is solved, there are two more murders and attempted murders, in Vardo that had had been murder free for over ten years. Can Sheriff Reg, his deputies and Parrie find the answer to who the killer or killers are in time to save Sheriff Rey's re-election bid.
I really enjoyed the story. And enjoyed reading about the Romani gypsy land settlement in Oklahoma.
I discovered this book quite by chance and am very happy that I decided to read it. Parrie Spock is the owner/operator of the Rose Funeral Home in the quirky town of Vardo, Oklahoma and the only embalmed there. The Rose was passed down to her by her parents and Parrie was raised in the Rose, assisting her parents with bodies at a very young age, it was natural to her. Parrie had served in the military as a Mortician at Dover AFB until she returned to Vardo to take over the funeral home. One night she was awakened from her peaceful sleep by the strong "awareness" that something had happened, and when she found a body in the front yard of the Rose, her life was changed forever! Parrie works with the Sheriff and his department to find the murderer of the young girl. It delves into foster care, sex trafficking, drug abuse, fake drug programs, and a man heading a "church" with followers all over the world that was involved with the foster home set up and moving the children, blindfolded, in the dead of night with no records kept of where. Before the young girl's murder is solved, there are two more murders and attempted murders, in Vardo that had had been murder free for over ten years. Can Sheriff Reg, his deputies and Parrie find the answer to who the killer or killers are in time to save Sheriff Rey's re-election bid.
I really enjoyed the story. And enjoyed reading about the Romani gypsy land settlement in Oklahoma.
March 31, 2024
This was my first foray into paranormal mystery. I can't say really if this genre is for me. But the mystery part kept me reading until the end, so it isn't all that bad.
The paranormal but was OK at first. Perrie, the town's mortician, starts to get glimpses from the dead woman dropped at her doorstep - literally. She gets pictures or bits of information through the spirit world. Since "paranormal" is part of the genre, I bought that bit. But towards the end the telekinesis and summoning weather was too much and served absolutely no purpose to the story.
I was also a little disappointed that the paranormal facts were the exact thing needed at the exact time it was needed. I guess I wanted a little bit of nuance or something less straightforward. It followed the same trail each time - police got stumped, Perrie gets a vision, tells police (who accepted her gift WAY too easily), suddenly the case is back on track.
The mystery was fine, a little drawn out in places but otherwise made sense. The characters had some diversity and seemed relatively realistic.
The end closed things up nicely. Overall an OK read, it does the job with some interesting characters.
The paranormal but was OK at first. Perrie, the town's mortician, starts to get glimpses from the dead woman dropped at her doorstep - literally. She gets pictures or bits of information through the spirit world. Since "paranormal" is part of the genre, I bought that bit. But towards the end the telekinesis and summoning weather was too much and served absolutely no purpose to the story.
I was also a little disappointed that the paranormal facts were the exact thing needed at the exact time it was needed. I guess I wanted a little bit of nuance or something less straightforward. It followed the same trail each time - police got stumped, Perrie gets a vision, tells police (who accepted her gift WAY too easily), suddenly the case is back on track.
The mystery was fine, a little drawn out in places but otherwise made sense. The characters had some diversity and seemed relatively realistic.
The end closed things up nicely. Overall an OK read, it does the job with some interesting characters.
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