The Graves of the Guilty

Hope Street Church Mysteries #3

by Jennifer Stanley, Ellery Adams, Cris Dukehart (Narrator)

Listening Length: 7 hours and 31 minutes

The third book in a terrific series by New York Times bestselling author Ellery Adams.

Welcome to Hope Street Church, where friendships are formed, fresh starts are encouraged, and mysteries are solved.

Cooper Lee is on top of the world, thanks to her great friends at Hope Street Church and the satisfaction of having solved two perplexing mysteries. And with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, she’s hoping that love is in the air for her and her new boyfriend, Nathan. But Cooper’s faith is about to be tested when her sister, Ashley, discovers a corpse and is implicated in the gruesome murder. And just as troubling, a darkly handsome and exciting man has come into Cooper’s life and just might tempt her to stray.

As Cooper and her friends from the Bible study group once again spring into action to root out a killer—and Cooper digs deep to solve a more personal mystery—she discovers that following the clues is raising more questions than answers. But one thing’s for certain: when cold-blooded criminals mess with Cooper’s family and friends, the killers haven’t got a prayer.

Includes heavenly recipes from Magnolia Lee’s kitchen!

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Cozy, Christian, Christian Fiction

Audible Audio

First published August 31, 2010

About the author

Also writes under the pseudonyms Ellery Adams and J.B. Stanley

I’ve got three cozy mysteries series on the shelves these days. The Supper Club Mysteries (JB Stanley Ellery Adams), The Hope Street Church Mysteries (Jennifer Stanley) and the new Books By The Bay Mysteries (written as Ellery Adams).

Please visit my websites at www.jbstanley.com to elleryadamsmysteries.com for more info on my books.

Thank you for supporting mysteries.

Reviews

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a reprinted book that was originally published under the name Jennifer Staley, a pen name of Ellery Adams. She polished it up and republished it. I have enjoyed this series and the progression of the characters in the stories.

In this book, Cooper's sister Ashley discovers a dead body in the trunk of the car she borrowed from her husband's dealership. She calls Cooper very upset looking for help. It so happens that Cooper is dealing with a flat tire when she takes the call. Throughout the story, Edward, a recently released ex-convict keeps turning up when Cooper seems to need him. He is helping her fix the tire when the call comes. He takes her to Ashley's house on his bike and helps calm the ladies down. Edward is the son of one of the seniors who was killed in the previous book and Cooper helped to bring the murderer to justice. Once again, Cooper and the Hope Street gang decide to help find the murderer. He feels like he owes her and seems to be following her to help whenever she needs it. He decides to help her find the murderer using his old contacts.

In this book we see the struggles that Cooper and Nate go through when they are not sure of their relationship. Ashley and her husband also seem to be drifting apart, yet some of the other characters begin new relationships. It is nice to see how they work to solve the problems and do not just throw in the towel. In this story we see the Bible study group take on a project involving a school in a low income neighbourhood and raising funds. There is some gang involvement and we see how easy it is to take advantage of the marginalized people in society, in this case, illegal aliens. This is a nicely paced cozy mystery, with a Christian theme. I recommend this to cozy mystery lovers who like a nice clean story. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.

[Micky Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting addition to this series! Cooper finds herself investigating on the fringes of the dark underbelly of the criminal world and better hurry to figure it all out before another person, possibly herself, is murdered. The story is quite intriguing and the personal stories of the bible club members is woven throughout in a manner that makes the characters relatable and likable. Real life issues such as growing apart, illness and more are adeptly introduced and presented in a manner that makes the characters all that much more real for the reader. If you haven't read the entire series you really should as each book is well plotted and helps you get to know the strengths and weaknesses of each character. This is a Christian Cozy Mystery series, after all it is a group of friends in a bible club, but even if organized religion is not your choice the books flow smoothly and are quite enjoyable. If you are a Christian then you will enjoy these books if you like a good cozy mystery.

[FangirlNation · Rating 4 out of 5]

In The Graves of the Guilty, Ellery Adams' third book in her Hope Street Church Mystery series, Cooper Lee gets a frantic phone call from her sister, who has just discovered the body of a murdered man in the trunk of the car she has borrowed from her husband's car dealership while they service her own car. When the police seem to put on the back burner the investigation of the death of Lincoln's employee, Miguel, whom they have discovered with fake identification, Cooper tells her sister that she will do what she can to find out what happened to Miguel. Cooper and her friends from her Bible study, in particular her boyfriend, Nathan, discover that Miguel has so much more money than he earned at his job at the car dealership that they suspect an involvement in drugs.
Edward Crosby, the recently-paroled son of one of the seniors murdered in the previous book, The Way of the Wicked, appears to have reformed his life as a drug dealer as a result of the faith shown in him by Cooper, so he gets involved as a way to repay Cooper for solving the murder of his father. He takes Cooper on undercover investigations into sinister places, including a pool tournament at a strip club on Valentine’s Day, where she meets a big drug kingpin. But Edward has a sense of mystery about him. Has he truly reformed, or is this just a pose?

Read the rest of this review, more reviews, and other wonderful, geeky articles on FangirlNation

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Graves of the Guilty by Ellery Adams (Hope Street Church Mystery, #3)

4 stars

This is a reprint, polished up version of Jennifer Stanley book now published under Ellery Adams name. I did not read the old version but I have enjoyed reading this series the last couple of days. It is a cozy mystery that a bible class gets involved trying to figure out the mystery. There is a lot of discussion of the bible, prayer and relating it to there lives. It is just part of the story not preaching. But not afraid to bring up God, church. It makes for a clean read. Characters that I like and want to see more of. Lots of drama, choices, action and romance.

Cooper Lee is the main character. She repairs copy machines. Cooper lives over her parents garage, recently she joined a bible class and made all new friends. She sort of dates Nathan a member of the class.

A man named Edward she met in jail a few months ago has got out and stepped into help her with a flat tire and ride to her sister's. She finds herself attracted to him.

Ashley calls her sister up and tells her she found a dead body in her trunk of the dealer's car. Edward gives Cooper a ride on his motorcycle to Ashley's house. Than goes take care of her flat tire. Ashley and her husband seem to be going through a tough spot right now.

Cooper wants to help find the murder. She knows that the police are really busy right now. She gets Edward a former drug dealer to help her find information.

Edward figures he owes Cooper because she found out who murdered his father while he was in jail and she kept her promise to him.

Cooper finds herself buying fake id and going to strip club to play pool.

I want to read the fourth book of this series. I will look for more books by Ellery Adams in the future.

I was given this ebook to read from Net Galley and in return I agreed to give honest review of The Graves of the Guilty.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this pseudo-Christian murder mystery genre! I still can’t figure out if it is genuine or tongue in cheek but it is hilarious 😆. After a corpse shows up in the back of her sister’s car, the Christian copy-machine repairwoman rides around town in a miniskirt on the back of a motorcycle, hangs out with drug dealers, and ends up in a strip club, with the hots for an ex-con, even though her boyfriend is in the same room. Away from her Satan! Then she rounds up the Russian crime ring before Sunday school. Of course all the bad guys are brown or speak with an accent.

Also, I love that the narrator of the audiobook consistently reads (for example) 1 Corinthians and 1 Timothy as “One Corinthians” and “One Timothy” rather than “First Corinthians” and “First Timothy”. True sign of a heathen who never attended a Bible study!

[Anam Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, my goodness. They just keep getting better and better.

One of the things I loved about this book is that a character is included from a previous book - not one you'd call a recurring character. This one showed up out of the blue.

Of course, we see again the Sunrise Bible Study group and Cooper's family, and MacNamara the police officer. But we also get a surprise when a totally unexpected character from The Way of the Wicked shows up.

Ashley comes home from a shopping trip and opens her trunk to find a body in it. Cooper is afraid that with all the other crime going on in the Richmond area, the death of this young man will be overlooked and justice will not be served. Cooper teams up with an unlikely partner working to solve the crime while the Sunrise Bible Study works to help a school in a poorer section of town.

This book went so quickly! I hated to stop reading it for any interruption no matter how important. I am now off to read The Root of All Evil. I am already starting to mourn that there seem to only be 6 books in this series.

[Larkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The following review concerns the narration of the audiobook version.

When were the audiobook narration standards lowered? I remember listening to books in the past, knowing that every word they said was pronounced correctly. There was such comfort in their reliability. This narrator, Cris Dukehart, is of the newer, lazier variety. Here are some of her mispronunciations: cerulean, Henrico, detritus, lacquered, and Parham. All of these could have been easily verified.

Also, her voice is somewhat robotic and nasally. All of her older women sound exactly alike, which was lazy; and not every woman over 70 sounds goat-like.

Finally, each of her supposedly "Richmond" accents sounded deep Georgia-southern to me. Again, she was apparently too lazy to practice an authentic accent for the region, if she bothered to research it. I will not be seeking out any more books narrated by her.

[Scilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cooper and Nathan are now a couple and seem to be getting closer. When Cooper's sister Ashley gets a loaner car while her car is being serviced, she finds a dead man in the trunk. Of course, Cooper has to do some sleuthing to find out what happened. The young man worked at the car dealorship run by Ashley's husband. When another young Mexican man is found killed, Cooper goes to see his mother and the mother finally gives her a sealed box which she has to promise not to open until a full day has gone by. Cooper finds the box is filled with car titles, and most of them do not have liens on them.

Meanwhile, Ashley is trying very hard to become pregnant, and finally tells Cooper her period is late as they are going to find out the meaning of the car titles. However, this action gets both Ashley and Cooper into a very dangerous action!

[Denise Kettering · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cooper is faced with another mystery when her sister Ashley finds a dead body in her car. She also finds herself back in connection with Edward, a man she met previously when he was incarcerated. Now he is out of jail and trying to make good. Cooper finds herself pulled into figuring out what happened, which lands her into dealing with drug rings and fake IDs while she is also being pushed closer to Edward and away from her boyfriend, Nathan. Overall, this book had a good pace and a good plot. There was slightly less involvement from the rest of the Bible Study group than in the previous volumes, which was disappointing, but the Edward character is a good addition and I hope that he continues to appear. I wish Nathan's character would be developed a bit more because he seems a bit flat. This is an enjoyable cozy mystery and I look forward to more in this series.

[Stormi (StormReads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cooper thought things were going pretty good until her sister calls frantic because she found a dead body in the trunk of the car she was driving. Her husband has a car lot and it was one of the cars. She knows her sister didn't have anything to do with her and her husband swears he didn't either so Cooper and the Hope Street gang start looking into things to see what they they can find.

Also Cooper's relationship gets put to the test as another man is tempting her and Nathan seems to be gone a lot of on the weekends and she is feeling like he is not wanting to be there. 

There was plenty of suspect and it took me a good while to figure it out though as normally I am never sure of the motive...lol. I like Cooper and everyone at Hope Street!

[Anna Hanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Down and dirty

Finding herself getting involved in yet another murder when her sister Ashley discovers a dead body stuffed in the trunk of a loaner car from her husband’s dealership, Cooper will have to work with an ex-con to make connections in the seamier side of life, trying to find who was responsible for murdering the man. Her efforts put her in danger, as she bumbles into situations that could add her to the list of casualties - how will she avoid becoming another victim?

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so glad neither of my sisters are as whinny and immature as Cooper's sister! Cooper finds herself attracted to a guy, Nathan, that she helped while he was in prison. First he recuses her when her truck has a flat tire and then helps her find out information about a dead body by using his contacts in the seamier side of life. Her feelings get stronger as the two work together to find the answers to the puzzle.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this Hope Street Church mystery series. One of the standout features of Adams’ work is her ability to weave emotional depth into the storyline, providing a heartfelt exploration of themes such as redemption, forgiveness, and the impact of the past on the present. These themes are handled with sensitivity and add a rich layer to the story, making it not just a mystery to be solved, but a tale of human struggles and growth.

[Glen Leavens · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Hope Street classic. We find Cooper working hard and being attracted to an Ex-con. Nathen is the one for her--but the story takes some turns until they can figure out their way forward. Of course murder is present and the bible class helps track down a murder. Well done, as usual. A captivating story.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly sweet mystery

This book was a sweetly chased yet action, packed, and romantic read! If you’re looking for a book that will give you a thrill, but not be embarrassed about it. If you’re caught reading it, this is the book for you. The Mystery is fabulous and so is the chemistry.

[Elizabeth Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awe i loved it!

I've really enjoyed this series so far and getting to know the characters! Cooper Lee and her awesome group of friends make this series! I'm happy life is working out for her and nathan!

[Jeanie Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cooper really takes some risks in this book.

I'm discovering that I might enjoy a Bible Study group, but, don't know if I'd find the strength to get up on a Sunday morning to talk about the Bible as opposed to sleeping in with my family (6cats)

[Manola Dobbs · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Graves of the Guilty

Wonderful story. The church friends and the family are amazing. Wish their was a group like them in real life. Their values and beliefs makes the story more interesting. Good story.

[Karen Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoy this series; the stories and characters are interesting and the 'cozy' in cozy mystery is more dominant, so it serves as a break from breathtaking suspense of some of the mysteries and historical books I listen to.

[Krista Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cooper has a lot of emotions to deal with and situations that come her way. It may take her a little time but she finally realizes what is important. This book makes me giddy and has me gasp when they reveal who is behind the crime. Another amazing story!

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

No matter which name the book is published under, Ellery Adams or Jennifer Stanley, it is a good read!

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

love this series. this one is even better than the last. the narrator is a good one. I wish there were more than 5 in this series.

[Teresa Hill-Sanford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Held my interest just loved this book.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute little cozy mystery. Good characters and totally enjoyable.

[Carolyn Manlove · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book as well. Had an idea who the baddies were but enjoy how this author pulls it together.

[Paschalis]

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[Susan Forsgren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Treat yourself to a series of oddballs becoming friends and solving crimes together.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good entry in the series. I like catching up with everyone and seeing how they change. There are parts true to life and some made me roll my eyes but I enjoyed it.

[Kathy Albright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

[Tomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting mystery.