Death of a Dead Man

Juniper Grove #1

by Karin Kaufman

The 1st book in the Juniper Grove Mystery Series!

In the small town of Juniper Grove, newcomer Rachel Stowe has finally found the good friends and quiet life she always craved. So when a stranger arrives in town and stirs painful memories of a baffling episode in the town’s past, Rachel vows to put an end to his mischief.

But events take a nasty turn when Rachel discovers a body in her own backyard and suspicion for the murder falls on her widowed neighbor. Despite being warned off the case by the town’s handsome but aloof police chief, Rachel makes it her mission to clear her neighbor’s name and find the real killer. Can she crack the case before another body turns up?

This light, cozy mystery offers a clean read with a female amateur sleuth in a small-town setting. No foul language, sex, gore, or graphic scenes of any kind.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Amazon, Contemporary, Clean Romance

197 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 18, 2017

About the author

Karin Kaufman grew up devouring murder mysteries, especially of the cozy kind. Give her a mystery, a comfy couch, her sweet dog at her side, and (preferably) a rainy day, and she’s in heaven. She’s the author of the Juniper Grove Cozy Mystery Series, the Smithwell Fairies Cozy Mystery Series, and the Anna Denning Mystery Series. The Witch Tree, the first book in her Anna Denning series, was a finalist for a Grace Award. Karin also writes children's books in the Geraldine Woolkins and Woolkins Bookshelf series.

For giveaways and news on all Karin's latest releases, sign up for her mailing list at http://www.KarinKaufman.com. And connect with her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/authorkarinka....

Reviews

[Scott Rezer · Rating 5 out of 5]

What’s not to love about a Karin Kaufman mystery?! I may be late to the party with her Juniper Grove Cozy mysteries, but that’s okay. It was worth the wait! Now to continue reading the rest of the series!

I’ve read some of Ms. Kaufman’s other series, namely her Anna Denning Mysteries (still need to finish this series) and her Teagan Doyle Mysteries (ahem, where is the promised second book?!). Both of those series are certainly darker, but with this little cozy we have more fun as amateur sleuth Rachel and her small collection of busybody friends in small Juniper Grove take it upon themselves to investigate a murder. What else would a mystery writer do when the body of dead man—a man supposedly dead already for the last seven years; hence the title, Death of a Dead Man) winds up in Rachel’s background? Racing against time and what they feel is a slow police force to track down a killer, Rachel and her friends uncover more than they bargained for: gossip, murder, blackmail, extortion, and mayhem. Of course, all of it is washed down with just the right amount of tea and cupcakes. After all, a girl has got to eat! Maybe the police ought to hire Rachel as a detective to keep her out of trouble!

A fun and entertaining read that reminds me of some of Hallmark Channel’s mysteries series (and I mean that in a good way; my wife and I love and enjoy them!).

As an aside, I don’t know Karin, but from her descriptions and attention to detail, something tells me she may have written herself into this mystery a wee bit, especially as she describes her main character Rachel as a mystery writer living in a small town in Colorado. If that’s true, I certainly hope she doesn’t have the habit of involving herself into local murders!

After starting the Juniper Grove Cozy Mystery series, I can only imagine how fun her Smithwell Fairy Cozy Mystery and new Kelsey Butler Mystery series are!

[Heather Gilbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This first-in-series cozy mystery has everything you could hope for--a main character you can relate to, quirky characters, and a charming small-town setting in which murder just happens to be afoot. Looking forward to the rest of this new series!

[Elizabeth A.G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This first book in the Juniper Grove Mystery Series features Rachel Stowe who has left the stresses of the publishing world in the city (and the unexpected and unexplained end by her fiance of their engagement) and has settled in the small town of Juniper Grove where she is in the process of writing a mystery novel. She is enjoying her cozy home (that needs some renovations) and backyard with its shrubs and trees, and her new friends, Julia, an elderly widow, and Holly, the young owner of the town's bakery. Rachel wants nothing more than to have a quiet, peaceful place to work on her mystery novel ... but that plan is disrupted when villagers receive strange notes that stir up seven year old memories of a bank robbery that resulted in the death of one of the thieves, Mitch Dillard, and the disappearance of the other thief, George Foster, who was presumed dead at the time, as his body was never found. Rachel's new friend Julia, the widow of the missing and presumed dead thief, had to wait seven years to have his death legally certified and that legality had recently been declared by the court. Two "strangers" arrive in town after the court declaration of death, the murder of a "dead" man occurs, hidden secrets, suspicions, ambitions and vengeance are swirling about as Rachel feels she must get involved for her friend's sake and for the reason that a murder has occurred in her own backyard! Our amateur sleuth gets to work investigating and discovering some very unlikeable and suspicious members of the community to the dismay at times of the local police, Chief Gilroy - and into dangerous territory for herself. Rachel is on a mission to clear her widowed friend's name.

This is an engaging first in series, well written; a twisty and suspenseful mystery with just a touch of attraction between the heroine and Police Chief Gilroy. There are 11 books in this series and I would like to continue to follow Rachel Stowe and the small town doings of Juniper Grove.

[Susan Snodgrass · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like cozy mysteries, look no further. Karin Kaufman has written one that is sure to please every fan of the genre. I was guessing until the end! Never did figure out the culprit!

Populated by very nice characters, well, most of them, after all, there are some bad guys, Death of a Dead Man is a great little mystery set in a quite nice little Colorado town that had me wishing I could visit. Highly recommended

* I was given a complimentary copy of this book. My opinion is my own and honest.

[Jerri Cachero · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite new authors! The book kept me guessing and I could not put it down until I knew "whodunit"!

I enjoyed reading the adventures of three women who are at different places in their lives but who make a perfect team to solve a mystery that haunts one of the them and puts all three in danger. Rachel is a new arrival in town who has left the stress of her former career behind to follow her dream of becoming an author. Holly owns a popular bakery, in town, and finds herself a baker/detective. Julia is retired and is trying to make a new life for herself after the crime her husband committed years ago comes back to haunt her.

An intriguing mystery, small town gossip, growing friendships, cream puffs (!), a little romance and edge of the seat crime solving moments make this a great read! I'm looking forward to the next book!!

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ah, cozy mysteries. This is the first installment in the Juniper Grove mystery series. A man who has been dead for seven years ends up being killed. So, something is amiss. If this had been a longer book, the characters could have been more developed. I know that if I read more in this series that the characters will be fleshed out. Not sure I liked it enough to do that. Well, I will if it meets a challenge.
I wanted to like the main character more, but there wasn’t enough back story for me to care that much. She is retired, occasionally writes mystery books, no longer likes big cities, and is curious/nosey enough to want to solve real life mysteries. And, maybe there is a love interest in her future? Not sure if I will find out.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed my first visit to Juniper Grove, a town filled with friendly residents, a beautiful setting, and more than one murder. This is a wonderful start to another cozy mystery series from the ever-inventive Karin Kaufman.

I'm so glad that the second book has already been released and that I don't have to wait to watch Rachel Stowe solve another murder.

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rachel Stowe moved to small town, Juniper Grove, Colorado, to escape the craziness of city life. Karin Kaufman’s Death of a Dead Man (Juniper Grove Mystery #1) introduces Rachel’s adjustment and personal happiness by being back in a small town in Colorado which even affords her a view of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Rachel, a mystery writer, has discovered Holly’s Sweets, a bakery that makes the best cream puffs. Her house needs some work, but Rachel is happy with the move. Her next door neighbor, Julia, has just had her husband, who stole many thousands of dollars from the local bank along with another man, declared dead after waiting 7 years. The other ‘perp’ died attempting to get away by using a raft on a river, but Julia’s husband’s body was never found. Thus, Julia had to wait 7 years to have him declared dead. Rachel does not mind as Julia is still Julia, Rachel’s friend. Then - a body is discovered in Rachel’s backyard next to a large hand-dug hole. It is Julia’s husband who is definitely dead, and it is a recent death. Just what is going on here? Rachel with Julia and Holly’s help decides to solve this mystery. I liked the characters, and the way the author tells the story. I like the new police chief too! On to book 2! 4 stars

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like finding new-to-me authors and series. I especially like when they make me go WOW! This one definitely did.
I like the main character, the premise and the setting. Rachel is a mystery writer, moves to a small town of Juniper Grove, Colorado and things start heating up. Missing man who stole money years ago and disappeared, presumed dead, suddenly shows back up. And then is found dead. Fingers are pointed all over the place, many bitter suspects who think they deserve more than life seems to have dealt them. Good people, not-so-good, shady, upfront, all kinds of characters here and they are nicely drawn characters too.
I liked how Rachel approached the investigation, as a mystery writer, with some false starts and some scary leads.
This is definitely a very promising start to this new-to-me series and author and I can heartily recommend.

[Jan L · Rating 3 out of 5]

Room for improvement

Too slow and repetetive for me. Lots of room for improvement. The characters need to have more depth but there is potential. Hope book two is better.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first book by this author and at first I was a bit hesitant to try the story because it was shorter in length than the typical cozy mystery that I read. That is always a concern for me when I look at the page length of a book. Unless it's a novella that is part of an established series, many times I find that the author doesn't have enough time to properly develop the story, characters and mystery. That was not the case here. I didn't find that the shortened page length impacted the author's ability to develop the characters and lay out a well crafted mystery.

Rachel is a personable character that i liked right from the beginning of the book along with her two friends, Julia and Holly. These three women diverse in ages and stages of life. Together they make a delightful trio that play off one another nicely. The mystery was well done and woven nicely throughout the story. There were plenty of clues scattered throughout as well, along with some nicely done twists and turns. I did not guess the motive of the killer but did have this person on my lists of possible suspects.

I enjoyed this book and will be putting the series on my to be read list.

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karin Kaufman's newest series "Death of a Dead man".... Juniper Grove is definitely a place I would like to live.
the protagonist Rachael along with her friends Julia and Holly are now the "Juniper Grove Gang", now has been born.Being a mystery writer helps Rachael put her thinking cap to help solve a case...... I am waiting with anticipation for Karin's next book in this series.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes cozy little mystery's. It is a quick read, for most people, but i savored it over a couple of weeks knowing it will be some time before i can emerge myself in this world again.

[Deb Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clean cozy reading

Rachel Stowe , Julia and Holly are a couple of girls I would like to be friends with. This book was nice to read. And I would recommend to anyone 🙂

[Cheryl Landmark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars

[Pam Jackson-gorsline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dead Man

This is a good story with many twists and turns that keeps you reading. The characters were likable and interesting.

[KathiTheBookNerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute book, at times a little boringly written, but overall a pleasure to read. Lots of investigating and not knowing what is going to happen next. Keeps you on your toes!

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

She writes mysteries and she just found a body...

I've been on a cozy mystery audiobook kick lately so Death Of A Dead Man, the first book in Karin Kaufman's Juniper Grove series, was a good pick for me. I was also somewhat familiar with the author as I'd previously listened to and enjoyed four of her Anna Denning Mysteries.

While her Juniper Grove series is different from her Anna Denning series I really did like the true cozy mystery feel of Death Of A Dead Man. Karin Kaufman lead me on a merry chase of clues and red herrings as I tried to solve the mystery alongside Rachel and her friends. I did have parts of it figured out but it was nice that there were still enough surprises to keep me happy and not bored. So, yes, I definitely enjoyed the audiobook and I will be listening to more of the series.

The narrator of this particular audiobook has fast become a favorite of mine. No matter the genre she does a great job and this time around was no exception. As always, the sound quality was excellent and I had no complaints whatsoever with the production as a whole. All in all, it's a great listen for any fan of cozy mysteries.

[Ellen White · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is funny, with delightful quirky neighbors. Rachel now writes mystery books, as though that makes her the perfect person to solve a mystery.
Notes left on a door, even the police station, and articles in the paper, makes one wonder about this little town. Where everyone, remembers, what happened seven years ago. A delight to listen to the audio with good narration. Given audio for my voluntary review

[Diane Shearer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Doesn’t live up to the cover

I finished it but I didn’t enjoy it. I love finding new mystery series. I got the whole series as a bundle on Prime Day or I wouldn’t have bought the second book. The setting is not charming at all. The characters are boring. A wanna be mystery writer and a bakery owner? Not exactly original. Very little suspense. It’s just not well written. Disappointing.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick read which is entertaining as well as interesting.

Rachel has moved from Boston to a small town in Colorado to pursue her mystery writing career. She found a house she likes and she is making it her own. She has made two very close friends. Julia, a widow who lives next door. And Holly who lives across the street and owns a wonderful bakery in town.

Julia is a widow. And now the day has come when her husband is finally declared dead by the courts. But, someone has written notes and posted them on doors all over town. The note questions whether her husband is truly dead and whether Julia received some of the money he stole from the bank where he worked.

Julia has asked Rachel to help her find out who is the nasty person who wrote the notes.

From there, things become fast moving.

A dead body is found. The rumors run rampant. People who should be trustworthy are not to be trusted at all. The local paper prints all the innuendo it can create. And is the police chief a good guy, a bad guy or just a hunk?

I liked a lot about this book.

Ms Kaufman is a new to me author and she is very talented. I did believe that I did not need to be told a specific brand of car over and over, exactly what a cream puff tastes like nor about women's hair styles. In short, there were a lot of details which I felt did not add a great deal to the story.

I also am not a fan of a character who continually ignores the police and puts herself in danger to find a clue.

If you are a fan of small town cozies, this will be one you like. It is first in a series which means readers will learn more about this small town and all the interesting people who live there. There is humor and enough possible villains to keep hold the reader's interest.

[Lisa Millett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Small town mystery at it's finest

Rachel was a big city book editor
who was sick of the crazy life so she moved to small town Juniper Grove to write mystery novels and keep to herself. Her neighbor and one friend, Julia comes over one morning with the town newspaper that has a headline about Julia's long list husband. It seems her husband and a partner has robbed the local bank and disappeared seven years ago. The partner's body was found drowned but Julia's husband was never found not was the money. Finally after seven years Julia is able to declare him dead but the local reporter won't let the story rest. She accuses Julia of knowing where the money is. Hoping to clear her name once and for all, Julia asks Rachel to help her. When the ladies begin to investigate they include local sweet shop owner Holly into their plans. Before their investigation gets too far the three ladies discover Julia's long list husband's dead body in Rachel's back yard. Where was he all this time and why did he come back now? Who murdered him and left him in Rachel's yard. Even though they are told by the handsome police chief to leave things alone, the ladies continue to investigate. There are several viable suspects but before they get too far the body of a young man who was related to the other bank robber is found murdered at the local farm festival. Why was he killed and how does it relate to the robbery and the death of Julia's husband? Filled with interesting and quirky characters, small town politics and gossipy reporters as well as excellent dialogue with a few chuckled mixed in, this is an excellent first book in a new series by Kathi Kaufman. I can't wait to read the next book in this series.

[Kent Holloway · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly loved this book. Karin Kaufman definitely knows how to spin a great mystery.

First of all, the technical stuff: the writing itself was fantastic. It flowed really well with vivid and picturesque language. The characters were fun and engaging. You truly cared for each of them (or truly disliked them depending on who they were). I've seen another reviewer mention what I'm about to say right now: it's probably the best edited (both copy and content edited) indie published book I've ever seen. I don't believe I saw a single typo in the whole book.

As for the mystery itself...it was twisty and turns enough to keep you guessing until the end. You had several great suspects and each of them could very well have been the culprit right up until the very end. But, as is my litmus test of such books, all the clues are there necessary to solve the case yourself if you're observant enough. But Kaufman did something else with this book that I've rarely, if ever seen in a mystery. The lead character solved the crimes not by just gathering the clues and letting the answer solve itself. No, Rachel (the lead character) used plain old common sense. She was a student of human nature and instead of searching crime scenes for forensic evidence, she spent her time questioning. "Why?" "Why would they do this?" Why would someone do that?" And in the end, that good ol' common sense paid off.

Great book. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series as well!

[FangirlNation · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rachel Stowe, mystery writer, gets involved in solving a real-life murder mystery in her new town of Juniper Grove, Colorado in Death of a Dead Man by Karin Kaufman. One morning, Julia Foster, Rachel’s neighbor and one of two real friends in her new hometown, shows Rachel the local newspaper and tells her about an event from seven years earlier. Julia has just had her husband, George, declared dead after seven long years of waiting to be allowed to do so. George Foster and his pal, bank VP Mitch Dillard, robbed the local bank of $300,000 seven years and five days earlier, with Dillard’s getting killed in the getaway attempt. Everyone assumed that George perished too, but since his body never surfaced, Julia had to wait all this time to be able to get her husband declared dead. Rachel needs to know about this because the local newspaper, known for pushing the limit on scandal-mongering, has published Rachel’s name, occupation, and age in telling its readers that George was rumored to have buried the missing money in the backyard of the home Rachel recently moved into.

Read the rest of this review and other fun, geeky articles at Fangirl Nation

[Roxann · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the cover: The 1st book in the Juniper Grove Mystery Series! In the small town of Juniper Grove, newcomer Rachel Stowe has finally found the good friends and quiet life she always craved. So when a stranger arrives in town and stirs painful memories of a baffling episode in the town’s past, Rachel vows to put an end to his mischief. But events take a nasty turn when Rachel discovers a body in her own backyard and suspicion for the murder falls on her widowed neighbor. Despite being warned off the case by the town’s handsome but aloof police chief, Rachel makes it her mission to clear her neighbor’s name and find the real killer. Can she crack the case before another body turns up?

First time I have read this author. This first book in the series has everything a reader of cozy mysteries enjoy, i.e. likeable and relatable main character, quirky characters, small town environment, a little romance and murder. There are three great female characters in the book, Rachel, Julia and Holly. They are of different ages, but get along great and work together beautifully to find the murdered. The story line is good and keeps moving at a quick pace. Lots of clues with some twists and turns in the book.

Looking forward to the rest of this new series!

[Joleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 rounded up

Three main characters
Rachel Stowe: Writer investigating the suspicious events around a murder
Julia Foster: Wife of the original dead man
Holly: Town baker and good friend to Rachel and Julia

At first this felt like a Columbo mystery with a murder, very few clues, an investigation, nearly everyone is investigated and nearly everyone is a suspect.

Then I started seeing differences. There were no men investigating, in fact they all seemed to be suspects. Three women (primarily the writer) were doing the investigating. One of them was the dead man's wife.

Then complications came in nearly every chapter. Into the mix were two more murders, more suspects, vandalism, rumors of an affair and blackmailing, not to mention danger to the main character following clues.

Whew! It was nonstop.

Good book. Not particularly Christian fiction, which I believed it to be, but still, fairly clean.

This was an audiobook read by Becky Doughty, one of my favorite narrators.

Next in the Juniper Grove mysteries is Death of a Scavenger, and is also next in my cue.

[christopher · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one of the most basic cozies I’ve read. The characters are flat and have no real backstory. I wasn’t even that I retested in the murder since the solution was super obvious even to the characters in the book.

This is the 3rd cozy I’ve read this year where there a baker- though this one is a friend, some sort of town festival and a murder. Vandalism of a bakery also existed in those other two books.

Then there is the annoying newspaper reporter which is a common element in cozies but even that character fell flat for me.

This book really is cookie cutter fast fiction and I’m confused by all the good reviews. I may pick up another one if I want a mindless quick read but I think it’s unlikely.

[Faith Ijiga · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this series for the first time when someone recommended it on Facebook. Upon reading this first book in the series, I immediately fell in love with the rest of the books. What I love the most is the analysis. As I read this book and the others, I felt like I was in the middle of a real life police murder investigation. I love the way no stone was left on turned: the author explored every step before unveiling the perpetrators of each crime, it didn't just happen like magic. I am tempted to ask if the author have experienced a real life police investigation because that's just how wonderful the story plot was. This book is definitely a good fit for anyone looking for the kind of cozy mystery that would give you both action and entertainment.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Karin Kaufman's Anna Denning mysteries, but I wasn't sure about this new series at first. As a cozy mystery, it was a different style, and I wasn't sure what I would think of the new lead character, especially when I realized that the book was written in first person. However, after just a few pages in I was hooked! I soon discovered that Rachel Stowe possesses a very relatable, down-to-earth personality. I also enjoyed the diversity of her small group of friends (one is older and widowed while the other is younger with a husband and son). And there's just enough of a smidge of romance to add an extra spark of interest to the story without being overwhelming.

[Aurora · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this surprise-a-minute cozy mystery. It sometimes seemed that everybody in town had a reason to want one, or both of the victims dead, nearly as much as they wanted to dispose of each other, but it was only in the last chapter that I finally figured out, along with our heroine, who, how and why.
This is one of those stories where most of the characters are likable and sympathetic. Even the villains are at least entertaining.
I thought it was well narrated. I believe I've heard this narrator before and she speaks clearly and uses an interesting vocal modulation to keep things from getting dry.
A fun read.

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute cozy of a mystery writer who leaves Boston and the hectic life for the quiet town of Juniper Grove, Colorado. Rachel Stowe gets entangled in a real life mystery when a body is found in her back yard, the body of a man supposedly dead for 7 years. With her older friend, Julia, and her bakery friend, Holly, she sets out to find out what happened. Juniper Grove is a peaceful place, or so she thought, until a dead body and intrigue cause trouble. Sheriff Gilroy, stern and professional, wants Laura to stay out of it. But of course, she doesn't.
Cute cozy. First in the series. Enjoyable read. I kind of figured things out to a degree, but the ending still held a couple of surprises.