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Dying Echo (Grim Reaper Mystery #4)

by Judy Clemens (Goodreads Author)

3.86 of 5 stars 3.86 · rating details · 69 ratings · 14 reviews

It’s been years since Casey Maldonado visited her hometown, and the only reason she’s returning now is to get her brother Ricky out of jail, where he sits after being arrested for the brutal murder of Alicia McManus, his girlfriend of several months. Casey believes in her brother’s innocence, but proving that to the cops is a different thing altogether. As Casey and her ev...more

Hardcover, 250 pages

Published August 7th 2012 by Poisoned Pen Press (first published August 1st 2012)

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37th out of 53 books — 4 voters

First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones

Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones

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Grim Reaper themes

50th out of 83 books — 63 voters

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Jun 21, 2012 Valentina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Really enjoyed the book and the development of the characters - Death and Casey. Can't wait for the next installment of the series!

1 like · like · see review

Apr 03, 2013 Patricia rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse (Southern Vampire Series)

Recommended to Patricia by: Publisher

Shelves: poisoned-pen-press

Dying Echo
by Judy Clemens

Poisoned Pen Press

August 2012

"Who were the three people she spoke of when Death carried her away?"

It was quiet that fall evening when Alicia McManus left her waitressing job at The Slope and walked home. She was tired and thoughtful and lonely. She was also nervous.

In the distance she could see the Colorado mountains and the ski lifts at the brightly lit resorts and the real restaurants. But in her mind she was thinking it was time to leave town ... after all, she ha...more

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Sep 26, 2012 Heidi Gonzalez rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the 4th book in this series and after reading this one I think I am going to go back and read the others. Casey is a broken woman, her husband and young son were killed in a car accident that Casey barely escaped. But escape she did and she has been torturing herself ever since, begging for death, who is now her traveling companion, literally. The grim reaper travels with Casey helping her with information that she needs, and nudging her toward life. He is fun, quirky and has a killer se...more

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Aug 05, 2012 Beatnik Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars

http://www.cozylittlebookjournal.com/...

Casey Maldonado is trying to clear her brother's name. He's been accused of brutally murdering his girlfriend, Alicia McManus, if that is her real name (hint: it's not), but Casey is sure he's innocent. All Casey has to help her is lawyer (Don) and her wits. Oh, and the Death. Death follows her around playing with his iPad and commenting on her every move, even if Casey is the only one who can see or hear him.

I liked this book. It was quirky but not stupid...more

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Sep 09, 2012 Shieka( Doctor's Notes) rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review will be on my blog on September 14th.

This was a new mystery for me but I love a good mystery with paranormal aspects and this one delivered. It had everything you could want in a mystery with a kick butt lead heroine in the form of Casey. Casey was a great character. She was headstrong,brave and not to mention a black belt so she could definitely defend herself. Although under all that Casey had a vulnerable side and I found myself so drawn to her character. I was amazed that she was...more This review will be on my blog on September 14th.

This was a new mystery for me but I love a good mystery with paranormal aspects and this one delivered. It had everything you could want in a mystery with a kick butt lead heroine in the form of Casey. Casey was a great character. She was headstrong,brave and not to mention a black belt so she could definitely defend herself. Although under all that Casey had a vulnerable side and I found myself so drawn to her character. I was amazed that she was still moving on and holding herself together well after the tragedy that she has had to deal with. Casey is back in her hometown because her brother Ricky has been accused of murdering his girlfriend and she is out to prove his innocence.

Along for the ride to help Casey is Death as in the Grim Reaper and Eric an old friend. The Grim Reaper was another one of my favorite characters in this book. The author gave him such a human side and he was so snarky it was so cute. I also loved how addicted and amazed he was with technology. It was so funny watching all the things he was getting used to playing around with. It truly was like watching the new technology through a kid's eye. I liked that he was seen as more than just the Grim Reaper and more like an actual person. I have to say that Eric grew on me just because of his ability to still stick by Casey even with all she was throwing his way. I loved that he was ok with all her baggage and wanted to stick it through with her. He was such a cutie and one of the few people that could hold his own against her.

As Casey got further into the mystery she learned that their was a really old mystery at work. I loved Casey's sharp wit and the way she could put clues together easily. She was really good at uncovering the mystery with the help of Death and Eric. I liked the concept of why Death hung around her too and how she was comfortable with him being around. I hope to see Casey and Eric's relationship progress to and turn into something wonderful. They have the potential to be so much more.

Overall this was a good mystery story. The author did a good job in making the characters have so much depth and be more than just one dimensional characters. She gave them lots of back story and made you really want to know more about them. I laughed so hard at a few of the things Death said and the author did a great job of making him more relate able. I think the author had a well developed plot and I now need to go back and start at the beginning of this series to learn more about Casey because I am in love with her character. I also loved that the author created such a great story that read like a standalone book. I highly recommend this to my mystery lovers out there.

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Jul 08, 2012 Elizabeth (Stuffed Shelves) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Dying Echo A Grim Reaper Mystery
by Judy Clemons

What is the book about?

Alicia McManus has been murdered and they suspect it was her boyfriend Ricky. While everyone who knows Ricky, knows he couldn't have done such a thing. Ricky's sister, Casey thinks she can help solve the mystery of what happened to Alicia and save her brother from spending his life in prison for a murder he did not commit. With a little help from her friend Death she finds out information that she cannot share with the police...more

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Aug 02, 2012 RobinRaven rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook-read, first-reads, third-person-pov, arc-or-giveaway-win, contemporary-fantasy, fantasy, first-person-pov, mystery-thriller-suspense, new-adult-or-adult

Title: Dying Echo: A Grim Reaper Mystery

Author: Judy Clemens

Series: Grim Reaper Mystery

Series Number: Four

Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press

Genre: Paranormal Mystery

Blurb: Casey’s brother Ricky sits in jail after being arrested for the brutal murder of his girlfriend. Casey believes in her brother’s innocence, but proving that to the cops is a different thing altogether.(via Judy Clemens’ website: http://www.judyclemens.com/grimreaper...)

Review: My feelings on this book are kind of complicated. I do...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Melliane rated it 4 of 5 stars

My English review

Mon avis en Français

I confess I was immediately intrigued by the synopsis as soon as I read it. It’s always interesting I think to have Death presented as a real character in a story. I only saw that in the Kalayna Price books and I was very curious to know how it would be this time with this new protagonist. Plus, I love to follow a great investigation and this one is really perfect!

I didn’t know this series or this author before and I was sure that this one was the first in th...more My English review

Mon avis en Français

I confess I was immediately intrigued by the synopsis as soon as I read it. It’s always interesting I think to have Death presented as a real character in a story. I only saw that in the Kalayna Price books and I was very curious to know how it would be this time with this new protagonist. Plus, I love to follow a great investigation and this one is really perfect!

I didn’t know this series or this author before and I was sure that this one was the first in the saga… Well I was wrong, but I think I’m getting used to that. It finally wasn’t a problem at all and it was easy to get into the story. It’s also why I’m now curious about the other novels. I wonder what we can learn and if one features the meeting between Casey and Eric.

In this book, Casey comes back at home to prove the innocence of her brother who is accused of murdering his girlfriend. But I have to say that this event had turned his life upside down and he doesn’t even want to defend himself. However, our heroine is determined to not give up and to know the answers to her questions. With the help of Death, she will discover little by little the truth about this young woman: Alicia that nobody really knew about. With Death who can tell her what she needs, it’s finally not so difficult. The only problem? She can’t even talk to the Police as she is afraid they think she is crazy. And when Eric comes and wants to help her, she can’t send him back at home. A story that will turn upside down our heroine physically and emotionally. It’s true I didn’t expect the complexity of the plot and Judy Clemens had a lot of wonderful ideas about it. This investigation was fascinating and we can really know the last word at the end of the book. We can only be sad about the events, if only one person would have said something… their life would have been totally different.

What can I say about the characters? Casey is a woman hunted by the memory of the dead and it’s this same thing that will prevent her to have a real life, far from her ghosts. The presence of Death doesn’t help to surpass her trauma. I however really enjoyed his nature; he is at the forefront of technology, always helping Casey as he can, giving advice about what she should do. It was nice to meet him.

But I think I also really liked Eric. This young man never gets upset and I was impressed by his determination to stay with Casey, especially given the treatment she inflicts. But he remains stoic throughout the book, trying to understand and make her accept that they could have a relationship. It was always interesting to follow them both, to see how they interacted together. A real pleasure!

This fourth volume was very pleasant to discover, I am curious to know more about the adventures of Casey and to see what will happen to her relationship, whether with Eric or even Death.(less)

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Mar 13, 2013 Pam rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, highly-recommend

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Since reading the first book in the Grim Reaper series, "Embrace the Grim Reaper," I am really pleased that I continued with the series as it's improved greatly since then. Like "Flowers From the Grave," "Dying Echo" is truly an engaging and intriguing read. Judy Clemens ("Clemens") has done a terrific job with the protagonist, Casey Maldonado ("Casey"), as she's given us a more in-depth look and feel to the character. We've been given the opportunity to witness who Casey really is, and truly se...more Since reading the first book in the Grim Reaper series, "Embrace the Grim Reaper," I am really pleased that I continued with the series as it's improved greatly since then. Like "Flowers From the Grave," "Dying Echo" is truly an engaging and intriguing read. Judy Clemens ("Clemens") has done a terrific job with the protagonist, Casey Maldonado ("Casey"), as she's given us a more in-depth look and feel to the character. We've been given the opportunity to witness who Casey really is, and truly see what she's been thru, as well as how much she's grown since Book 1. Even though Casey is still a little gruff around the edges, I love how smart, strong, and courageous she is. She kicks ass like no one else. Makes me wish I had that talent. Clemens reintroduces Eric from Book 1 to help Casey solve the new murder mystery; which in turn gives us a better look at who Eric is. With him by her side, we see all the positive affects he has on her as she slowly starts to come around to not only the idea of having Eric in her life, but also to face her demons head-on by staying put instead of running away again. You can't help but love how great these two are together because as hard as Casey denies it, Eric is really good for her. I can't wait to see which direction their relationship will go. Rounding out the group, we cannot forget Death, a character that truly entertains the reader. Death, Casey's sidekick, comes across as a comic relief type character with all his facetious and sarcastic comments. He also comes across like a "wise one" as Death always has Casey questioning her thoughts and behaviours, and the course of direction she takes at every turn. Watching Death master the iPad, providing commentary on the new age of technology is quite entertaining if not humourous at times, especially since Casey is the only one who can hear (and see) Death. It's because of all these characteristics that at times while reading I forgot who Death really was - that he wasn't a living, breathing human being.

I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy paranormal-mystery novels that are both entertaining and intriguing. I look forward to reading the next book in the series (hope there is one).
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Oct 26, 2012 Shirley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Always enjoy another of the Grim Reaper series by Judy Clemens. I think her characters are well developed and the plot interesting and suspensful. Casey is a young woman who had lost her family in a terrible crash years earlier and struggles to live with the guilt and pain of this castastrophic event. She has distanced herself from her family, friends, and basically life itself. She roams across the country, hitching a ride from anyone, and her only constant companion and sidekick, Death. She do...more

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Aug 24, 2012 Miki rated it 2 of 5 stars

The first two books in this series - The Grim Reaper - were much better than the last two. This one was only so-so. I was disappointed.

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Dec 14, 2012 Serena rated it 4 of 5 stars

Awesome until the very end....grrrr

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Oct 09, 2012 Georgiana Huizenga rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book and the way Casey has developed, finally allowing herself to be open to a relationship with Eric. I have liked this series quite a bit, but I have to admit that I miss Stella Crown. I hope that Judy eventually does another Stella book.

1 like · like · see review

Aug 29, 2012 Miki rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Not as good as the first two books in the series. (Number three was also a little blah.)

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Shelves: kindle, mystery

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Shelves: mystery, tbr-2013

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May 11, 2013 Astrid rated it 5 of 5 stars

May 10, 2013 Vicki rated it 5 of 5 stars

May 09, 2013 Linda B marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: mysteries, nook

May 05, 2013 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars

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Shelves: kindle

May 03, 2013 Brittany Kay marked it as to-read

May 03, 2013 Appoloin marked it as want-to-read

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About Judy Clemens

Judy Clemens is the author of FLOWERS FOR HER GRAVE, the newest book in the Grim Reaper series, as well as the Anthony and Agatha-nominated Stella Crown mysteries. She also wrote a stand-alone entitled LOST SONS.

She lives in the beautiful state of Ohio (yes, it is!) with her family.

More about Judy Clemens...

Books by Judy Clemens

Embrace the Grim Reaper (Grim Reaper Mystery, #1)

The Grim Reaper's Dance (Grim Reaper Mystery, #2)

Till the Cows Come Home (Stella Crown Mystery, #1)

Flowers for Her Grave (Grim Reaper Mystery, #3)

Three Can Keep a Secret (Stella Crown Mystery, #2)

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Dying Echo (Grim Reaper Mystery #4)

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