Dig Deep My Grave

Viv and Charlie Mystery #3

by Cheryl Honigford

Radio star Vivian Witchell has finally mustered up the courage to invite her long-time love interest, Charlie, to meet her family at their luxurious cottage on Geneva Lake. But the visit goes terribly wrong when an old flame of Vivian's turns up dead--and it looks like Charlie might be the culprit. Set in the glittering world of the 1930s Chicago radio scene, Vivian is locked in a race against the clock to solve the murder and save the man she loves before she loses him forever.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Mystery, Historical, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, Cozy Mystery

1 pages, Audio CD

First published August 7, 2018

About the author

Born and raised in Ohio, Cheryl Honigford has been writing stories since she could read (and telling stories even before that). She received her BA in Journalism, with a minor in English, from The Ohio State University.

She is the author of The Viv and Charlie Mystery series which includes The Darkness Knows (2016), Homicide for the Holidays (October 10, 2017), and Dig Deep My Grave (August 2018).

Cheryl lives with her family in the suburbs of Chicago.

Reviews

[Mayda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Viv takes Charlie to a garden party to meet her extended family. Unfortunately, they also run into an old flame of Viv’s. Charlie feels out of place there, among the wealthy social upper class, and Viv realizes inflicting her family on Charlie was a big mistake. That becomes even more evident when they stumble across a body. Author Cheryl Honigford has given her readers a delightful mystery with a touch of romance and some quite astonishing plot twists. So fasten your seatbelts and enjoy the ride - you’ll be glad you did.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pangram!! R L I N A T B

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I enjoyed the first two of this series, this one fell flat for me. Maybe it's because we spent so much time in Viv's head, or the high number of repetitions. Or it could just be me, who knows? High society radio actress Viv introduces her lower-class boyfriend, private detective Charlie, to her relatives at a garden party at their summer estate. When Charlie is found over the dying body of Viv's long-ago love, he's accused of murder and jailed. Viv is supposed to be on her way to Los Angeles for a screen test, but when she learns Charlie has escaped, she jumps off the train and makes her way back to Wisconsin, to help clear his name.

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will not put this author at the top of my list, or at least not the Viv and Charlie Mystery series. I found some of the story quite readable but find myself wondering whether I respected the characters or not. Viv is a self-limiting character...she always ends up right back where she started, a little worse for wear, even.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third in a series. I haven’t read the others yet, but reading this made me want to. I picked it up as a light mystery detective story to read and was not disappointed. It was much like reading a Georgette Heyer or Ashley Weaver book. The setting is 1939 America. Viv, the main character, is a well to do radio actress. Charlie is her detective boyfriend who comes from humbler beginnings. They’re clearly smitten with each other but their backgrounds are hard for both of them to come to terms with.
The plot of this story revolves around the couple meeting her wealthy family at a summer estate and a murder happening that seems to implicate Charlie.
There are a couple striking points that don’t make this a truly great story. One is the author going back and forth with calling the setting Geneva Lake and Lake Geneva through out the book. Make up your mind. The editor was clearly sleeping. The second is the multiple outcomes the book has. None of them work right and the only one that would have made sense isn’t adequately explained. I’ll leave it at that so as not to spoil the book. There are several loose ends that could use tying up.
I’m sufficiently interested to try one or more of the other books in the series and get the couple’s backstory. One thing bad with serials is their tendency to overindulge in flashbacks to the previous stories to the point that if you’ve already read them, it feels like the author just wasting paragraphs in the new story. But this story only alluded to previous tales in a few throwaway sentences here and there, enough to pique interest for first time readers like me, but not so much that I’d be annoyed if I’d already read the first two books and was reading it again now.
I’d give this a 3 1/2 if I could.

[DiAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this series! Easy to read, enjoyed the characters, storylines were interesting, and fast paced reading. Perfect books for rainy days, take along books for doctor's appointments when stuck in the waiting room, or when you just simply want to curl up with a good book! I really hate to see this series come to an end.

The last thing Vivian expects to see during a garden party at her family's opulent lake house is the love of her life, Charlie Haverman, standing over the body of Hap, a man from Vivian's past, and clutching a pair of blood-covered scissors. But there's no denying the grisly scene in front of her―or that fact that Hap, who Vivian hasn't seen since he abruptly broke off their fling to realize his dreams as a pilot years ago―is dead.
Could Charlie have attacked Vivian's old flame in a fit of jealousy? It certainly looks that way, although Viv knows Charlie isn't capable of murder. But with witnesses reporting Charlie muttering angry words about Hap hobnobbing amongst the party guests and her family's hostility toward outsiders, Vivian is going to have to figure out how to solve Hap's murder and save the man she loves...before she loses him forever.
A country rapidly descending into war and old family secrets come together in the third installment of Cheryl Honigford's beloved Viv and Charlie Mystery series.

[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlie is going to the big house. To meet his love's, Vivian Witchell, wealthy family. It's touted as a cottage but... it is not as small as it sounds. Plus, her first lover is there on the scene and seems to be making a play for her. Is that why he apparently ends up dead, stabbed, with Charlie holding the murder weapon?
Viv doesn't even hesitate. Even knowing that her tryout for a Hollywood screenplay is on the line, she's going to stick around and make sure that Charlie's proved innocent.
Regular readers will really enjoy this addition to the series.

[Ariel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the first two books, which is why I was surprised about this one. I love that she finally put Charlie in front of her career for a moment, but the family’s actions at the cottage seemed unrealistic. I struggled with some loose ends and paper-thin motives for actions. Charlie’s “threat” and eventual escape were rather out of character to me. And it felt like Viv made about 40 trips in and out of the cottage while trying to figure out who killed Hap, both times. It was at least well written, like the others.

[Barb Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Golly, Viv's former lover seems to have been murdered. Worse, Viv thinks she saw Charlie do the nasty deed. Gee, what's an up-and-coming radio actress to do? Why, jeopardize her career and life, of course.

For a change, Viv gets to solve the crime with minimal input from Charlie. Little action took place in the radio studio. Perhaps that's why this story felt incomplete. Or it could have been the rush to a conclusion.

[Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good book after Homicide for the Holidays. I love that Cheryl Honigford added a little spice of Agatha Christie. Any book with a little spice of Agatha Christie is a good book. This book was more in Vivian's head but I like it. It helps me get to know her better, to know how she thinks. I thought that the German spy thing was a little weird but it made sense. All-in-all, I loved this book. I couldn't put it down.

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Viv brings Charlie to a garden party to meet her family, not knowing that her ex is also there, and before long, the ex is dead and Charlie is holding the murder weapon. I liked that Viv gets to really dig deep and be the lead investigator, but it dragged a bit. I miss the radio station settings, and hope the next one returns to that. I also hope Viv's career stays one of her ambitions.

[Miriam Holsinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually finished this book within a day or two of starting it but left it on my "currently reading" list because I didn't really want to let it go. This series just kept getting better and better and now I have to wait until the next one comes out (if it ever does - no guarantees in this world and no news of a pending publication).

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I read the three mysteries one after the other I will write a single review
This a good series, entertaining and well plotted. The historical background is vivid and well researched, the characters well rounded and likeable
The mysteries kept me guessing and I thoroughly enjoyed them.
They're all well written and recommended
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Grey853 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Vivian takes Charlie to meet the family. It doesn't go well. Charlie is framed for a murder and there's all kinds of hints about a German spy in the mix. I found this outing disappointing. I didn't think Vivian and Charlie's relationship worked as well as it did in the previous book.

[Tracy Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always looking for a new mystery series and this was very enjoyable. I thought it was the first, but it was actually the third installment set in depression-era Chicago. Interesting to learn more about live radio broadcasts that were the great entertainment of the day.

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as strong as the first two in this enjoyable series. Thus my 3.5 rating. Most of the story was set away from Chicago and the radio station and I of course wanted more Charlie. But we had some scenes aboard the Super Chief. Oh how would I have loved to travel on the famous route back then. Hoping for more in this series.

[Hope Broadway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Backstory on Viv's family and Viv's history. A pretty compelling mystery. More progress in Viv and Charlie's relationship. Solid novel and great story in the series. Highly recommend! But read the others first!

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute easy romp for a mystery series the descriptions of post/pre war Chicago and the times are fun to read and the mystery wasn’t too difficult , but I did like her debut novel better a bit more fleshed out than her latest one but I’ll still read the others as they come out

[Thaddeus Tuffentsamer · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a fun enough read.

Not terribly complicated.

The killer was revealed last minute.

Not historically accurate for taking place in 1939. Too many modern idioms and expressions.

It was book that my daughter had read, which was my motivation for reading it.

[nikkia neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks Edelweiss for this ARC.

This series just gets deeper, more dangerous, and fun to read.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still an interesting twist on a mystery because of the time setting. This story was not quite as good as the first two but I definitely want to keep reading them.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

really enjoying this series!

[Chris Leuchtenburg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining.

[Barbara Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

A period piece that feels true to the time (1930s) and place (Chicagoland). And the nod to Agatha Christie adds an appropriate plot twist without spoiling the mystery. What fun!

[Dogsandbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A modern mystery in the golden age style. A nice mix of characters and atmosphere. DPL book

[Juli · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5, I liked it, the best parts for me were the details about WI.

[S · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.7

[Steven Freeman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok story - a little far fetched at times. But still good escapism.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes these books stretch beyond the limits of my credulity. This was one of those times. Suspend all sense of reality when reading this one!

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems this is the end of the series, as the author has not written anything since this book was published. I hope there will be more to come, but if not, this was a very enjoyable short series