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Grim Reaper Mystery #5
Beyond the Grave
ALA Book Club October Pick, 2018 Casey Maldonado is haunted by the deaths of her husband and young son. She hopes traveling through the vast reaches of Idaho will offer peace. Instead, she fights off three drunken locals before escaping to a quiet town where she wants to heal from her injuries and constant sorrow. Her traveling companion, invisible to all but Casey, is Death, wearing a series of disguises and offering expert commentary on her difficulties. Unfortunately, the village of Armstrong carries its own darkness. Casey finds a job and a comfortable guest room with the proprietor of the small general store, Vern and his ill wife, Dottie. Death keeps a close watch on Casey. She's surrounded by trouble. She captures a teen spray-painting nasty graffiti on the store's wall. The town shuns Dottie and blames Vern for jilting his fiancée to marry an outsider―forty-five years ago. The woman's still stalking Vern today. Casey finds a hateful letter accusing Dottie of tragedy based on a Halloween party, a fatality, and a woman missing for forty-five years. Residents ignore the couple at a free outdoor movie they sponsor. Casey stops another attempt to spray-paint graffiti on the store. Danger and cruelty range free beneath the calm surface of the town. When Dottie dies in the hospital, brutality overrides grief. A resident notifies the three attackers, who arrive to finish what they started with Casey. Finally, the painful truth explodes in violence based on revenge.
- GenresMystery
288 pages, Paperback
First published August 7, 2018
About the author
Judy Clemens
15 books80 followersJudy Clemens is the author of LEAVE TOMORROW BEHIND, the newest book in the Anthony and Agatha-nominated Stella Crown mysteries. She also writes the Grim Reaper mysteries, and wrote LOST SONS, which is a stand-alone.
She lives in the beautiful state of Ohio with her family.
She lives in the beautiful state of Ohio with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 15, 2018
First Sentence: "I think it's broken."
Casey Maldanado's husband and young son were killed in an automobile accident. She survived. Accompanied by the figure of Death and is traveling the roads, looking for peace. In the small town of Armstrong, Idaho, Casey is given a job and place to stay by the owner of the convenience store. Vern's wife, Dottie, is ill, but that doesn't explain the acrimony the town seems to have toward her which, Casey discovers, stems from an incident which happened 45 years ago.
Entitled Chapter One or not, Clemens opens the books with what is, in fact, a prologue. That's unfortunate in itself. Worse is that the scene is literally lifted from the middle of the story, and it ends with a portent. Although it does introduce us to the protagonists, as does what follows, the prologue was not needed.
The good news is that although this is the fifth book in the series, one doesn't feel the loss of not having read the four previous books. The author provides enough information for new readers to feel comfortable while series readers won't feel bogged down by too much detail.
Indeed, the best things about the book are the characters. Casey is someone with whom one can empathize. Personal pain is a hard reality of life and Clemens conveys it well. But Casey is also a figure to be admired. To say she can take care of herself would be understating the fact.
When done well, there is something very intriguing about having Death as a character. Clemens does it very well, indeed. It's not every day Death dresses in movie costumes and quotes from "Breakfast at Tiffany's."
Clemens does capture the feel of being in a very small town where everyone knows everyone else's business and grudges are held for generations. What doesn't work, in spite of the justification given, is why the couple would have stayed there all the years they did. The lesson learned was one should never move to a very small town.
All the characters are fully-dimensional. Vern is a kindly man who extends that kindness to others. He loves his wife, Dottie, and is incredibly loyal to her, in spite of her isolation and coldness to others. Sheila, pastor of the local church, Officer Maddy Justice, and Nell with the bright white hair personify those we'd like to know. Others, not so much, but even they are recognizable.
"Beyond the Grave" felt as though the plot worked very hard at working. It seemed only to be a backdrop to the principal characters of Casey and Death. They, alone, made the book worth reading.
BEYOND THE GRAVE (Mys/Para-Casey Maldanado/Death- - Contemp) – Okay
Clemens, Judy – 5th books in series
Poisoned Pen Press
Casey Maldanado's husband and young son were killed in an automobile accident. She survived. Accompanied by the figure of Death and is traveling the roads, looking for peace. In the small town of Armstrong, Idaho, Casey is given a job and place to stay by the owner of the convenience store. Vern's wife, Dottie, is ill, but that doesn't explain the acrimony the town seems to have toward her which, Casey discovers, stems from an incident which happened 45 years ago.
Entitled Chapter One or not, Clemens opens the books with what is, in fact, a prologue. That's unfortunate in itself. Worse is that the scene is literally lifted from the middle of the story, and it ends with a portent. Although it does introduce us to the protagonists, as does what follows, the prologue was not needed.
The good news is that although this is the fifth book in the series, one doesn't feel the loss of not having read the four previous books. The author provides enough information for new readers to feel comfortable while series readers won't feel bogged down by too much detail.
Indeed, the best things about the book are the characters. Casey is someone with whom one can empathize. Personal pain is a hard reality of life and Clemens conveys it well. But Casey is also a figure to be admired. To say she can take care of herself would be understating the fact.
When done well, there is something very intriguing about having Death as a character. Clemens does it very well, indeed. It's not every day Death dresses in movie costumes and quotes from "Breakfast at Tiffany's."
Clemens does capture the feel of being in a very small town where everyone knows everyone else's business and grudges are held for generations. What doesn't work, in spite of the justification given, is why the couple would have stayed there all the years they did. The lesson learned was one should never move to a very small town.
All the characters are fully-dimensional. Vern is a kindly man who extends that kindness to others. He loves his wife, Dottie, and is incredibly loyal to her, in spite of her isolation and coldness to others. Sheila, pastor of the local church, Officer Maddy Justice, and Nell with the bright white hair personify those we'd like to know. Others, not so much, but even they are recognizable.
"Beyond the Grave" felt as though the plot worked very hard at working. It seemed only to be a backdrop to the principal characters of Casey and Death. They, alone, made the book worth reading.
BEYOND THE GRAVE (Mys/Para-Casey Maldanado/Death- - Contemp) – Okay
Clemens, Judy – 5th books in series
Poisoned Pen Press
September 1, 2018
I received this as an ARC and this is my honest opinion*
So I haven't read the other books in this series but now I want too. This seems to be the last one (I'm making this assumption because of the ending) but I was still able to follow along with the story. Some series if you start anywhere but the beginning you have no idea what's going on, but this book made enough references to the past that it's easy to follow along. It could be a stand alone if it really wanted to.
I thought the story itself but charming, as much as one could be about murder, assault, and death. The characters had believable personalities and Death was actually funny. I liked how he would wear different outfits all the time, making pop culture references. At one point, while the main character is trying to figure out this small towns mysteries (who were the masked party crashers to a Halloween party 45 years ago where a lady died, why does this town hate her employer's wife so much, and where did Mrs Rush go 45 years ago) Death shows up wearing Sherlock Holmes attire complete with a Benedict Cumberbatch T-shirt! (I smiled as soon as I read his name)
This book is humorous, serious, and had a twist at the end I honestly didn't see coming. I honestly can't give it 5 stars though, because I just wanted there to be more. The reveal of the person doing the threatening was some what lack luster and didn't seem as well thought out. Also the main character's stubbornness and not being able to put together otherwise simple clues (like the "so blonde it's white" haired women being related) honestly was a little annoying. Not 100% if these books are cozy mysteries, it feels like it but don't quote me on it. If it is one, this is the 1st one I've read I actually enjoyed. It's a light read, even with the violence and Death being her companion. But over all I am happy I got to read this, and I added the other books to my *want to read* list.
So I haven't read the other books in this series but now I want too. This seems to be the last one (I'm making this assumption because of the ending) but I was still able to follow along with the story. Some series if you start anywhere but the beginning you have no idea what's going on, but this book made enough references to the past that it's easy to follow along. It could be a stand alone if it really wanted to.
I thought the story itself but charming, as much as one could be about murder, assault, and death. The characters had believable personalities and Death was actually funny. I liked how he would wear different outfits all the time, making pop culture references. At one point, while the main character is trying to figure out this small towns mysteries (who were the masked party crashers to a Halloween party 45 years ago where a lady died, why does this town hate her employer's wife so much, and where did Mrs Rush go 45 years ago) Death shows up wearing Sherlock Holmes attire complete with a Benedict Cumberbatch T-shirt! (I smiled as soon as I read his name)
This book is humorous, serious, and had a twist at the end I honestly didn't see coming. I honestly can't give it 5 stars though, because I just wanted there to be more. The reveal of the person doing the threatening was some what lack luster and didn't seem as well thought out. Also the main character's stubbornness and not being able to put together otherwise simple clues (like the "so blonde it's white" haired women being related) honestly was a little annoying. Not 100% if these books are cozy mysteries, it feels like it but don't quote me on it. If it is one, this is the 1st one I've read I actually enjoyed. It's a light read, even with the violence and Death being her companion. But over all I am happy I got to read this, and I added the other books to my *want to read* list.
August 7, 2018
While Beyond the Grave is part of a series, I found it stood well alone, and you do not have to be familiar with the series to find bearing in this story. For the unfamiliar crowd, which includes me, the author leaves us enough background that we can understand the circumstances that brought our main character to this point. The story picks up with our protagonist, Casey Maldonado. Cast has suffered more tragedy than most perhaps after she loses her husband and her son in an accident. With the loss of her son and husband she gains an unusual friendship with death itself, the Grim Reaper. Death has been following Casey since her family died.
On this particular occasion, Casey is riding a passenger train through the remote, open wilderness of Idaho. Finding herself on a train that has one too many reminders of her deceased son, Casey feels compelled to get off the train immediately. Casey ends up in a long forgotten town where it seems even the ghosts don’t live anymore. She decides to bed down for the night in a quiet park, but her peace is short lived when a group of local trouble makers happens upon her in the park. The group decides she is fair game and she should be an easy target. They aren’t aware;however, that Casey has training in self defense. Casey hands her pursuers an embarrassing defeat, but she is beat up in the process. Casey looks for a safe place to lick her wounds, and she finds the cozy community of Armstrong, Idaho. Her first stop is the local store run by Vern Daily. Vern Daily is a lifelong resident of Armstrong, and when he sees Casey’s battered face, he takes pity on her, and offers her room and board in exchange for assistance with the store. Too battered to continue on her journey, Casey accepts Vern’s offer. Vern introduces Casey to his wife Dottie Daily, who is suffering from a terminal illness and who’s health has been in decline lately. Casey also meets some of the town’s more colorful residents, including a woman Casey calls Flower Pants due to her loud, garish garb.
Casey quickly comes to realize that Armstrong is a town harboring many secrets, and there is an undercurrent of resentment and hatred toward Dottie Daily. Baffled by why an entire town would gang up on and hate one poor, harmless old woman, Casey vows to get to the bottom of this town’s secrets. So, with Death as her faithful companion and accomplice, Casey starts digging into the town and its residents.
Death in this story is dynamic and engaging, and the playful relationship between the two is enjoyable. Author does an excellent job of painting a lifelike, believable image of a town where ghosts live forever because residents and their relatives never leave. Casey is a relatable heroine who proves both strong, but equally vulnerable and damaged. A fun, quick read.
On this particular occasion, Casey is riding a passenger train through the remote, open wilderness of Idaho. Finding herself on a train that has one too many reminders of her deceased son, Casey feels compelled to get off the train immediately. Casey ends up in a long forgotten town where it seems even the ghosts don’t live anymore. She decides to bed down for the night in a quiet park, but her peace is short lived when a group of local trouble makers happens upon her in the park. The group decides she is fair game and she should be an easy target. They aren’t aware;however, that Casey has training in self defense. Casey hands her pursuers an embarrassing defeat, but she is beat up in the process. Casey looks for a safe place to lick her wounds, and she finds the cozy community of Armstrong, Idaho. Her first stop is the local store run by Vern Daily. Vern Daily is a lifelong resident of Armstrong, and when he sees Casey’s battered face, he takes pity on her, and offers her room and board in exchange for assistance with the store. Too battered to continue on her journey, Casey accepts Vern’s offer. Vern introduces Casey to his wife Dottie Daily, who is suffering from a terminal illness and who’s health has been in decline lately. Casey also meets some of the town’s more colorful residents, including a woman Casey calls Flower Pants due to her loud, garish garb.
Casey quickly comes to realize that Armstrong is a town harboring many secrets, and there is an undercurrent of resentment and hatred toward Dottie Daily. Baffled by why an entire town would gang up on and hate one poor, harmless old woman, Casey vows to get to the bottom of this town’s secrets. So, with Death as her faithful companion and accomplice, Casey starts digging into the town and its residents.
Death in this story is dynamic and engaging, and the playful relationship between the two is enjoyable. Author does an excellent job of painting a lifelike, believable image of a town where ghosts live forever because residents and their relatives never leave. Casey is a relatable heroine who proves both strong, but equally vulnerable and damaged. A fun, quick read.
August 7, 2018
Casey Maldonado is the main character in this series that I would call a mystery with paranormal aspects. I would highly recommend that you read the first book in the series “Embrace the Grim Reaper”. I feel that some background is needed, for this fifth book, in order to understand Casey’s past. Her husband and son were killed in a horrific car accident. She was terribly injured but has survived to become stronger physically, but emotionally and mentally still dealing with the loss. Her companion is Death. Yes, Death. Casey goes where the road takes her, mostly walking, sometimes accepting a ride. She is a black belt in Hapkido so feels that she can handle herself…along with the warnings she receives from Death. In this story, Casey leaves the train and stops at a small town where she has a run in with three thugs. With her fighting skills and their drunkenness, she survives with minor injuries. She arrives in the next town and decides to stay, to heal. She will become involved in the small town and investigate the resentment towards an elderly couple who own the store. Will the thugs hunt her down to exact revenge? Will Casey find the peace she so desperately needs? I have read the entire series and truly appreciate the writing of Ms. Clemens and the uniqueness of her stories and characters. I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to give an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)
January 12, 2019
Grabbed this off the shelf and when I went to read it, realized it was well into a series. I thought it would be difficult to pick up the thread with so much unknown backstory. Then I saw that Death is a character who accompanies the MC, and thought "Well, isn't that a cutesy little affectation." So I went into this thinking I'd dislike it.
Boy, was I wrong.
The author manages to bring you up to speed on the main issues you need to know without bogging you down, or seeming repetitious. And as for "cutesy," I thought this would be a twist on a cozy mystery, but it's far darker than that. There is an oddly perfect overlay of humor and satire. It's a macabre product of a talented mind. Clemens's forte is character development. She knows how to hit all the right notes without belaboring any one point. Her MC, Casey, is one of the few truly likeable protagonists I've encountered in quite a while. The themes of danger attendant on a woman traveling alone and unknown struck a deep chord with me and kept me engrossed throughout. I even accepted the martial art savvy heroine without rolling my eyes and thinking, "Yeah, sure...of COURSE she's like some kind of black belt." It all worked for me.
Thoroughly enjoyable and instrumental in guaranteeing I'll be seeking out more of Ms. Clemens's work.
Boy, was I wrong.
The author manages to bring you up to speed on the main issues you need to know without bogging you down, or seeming repetitious. And as for "cutesy," I thought this would be a twist on a cozy mystery, but it's far darker than that. There is an oddly perfect overlay of humor and satire. It's a macabre product of a talented mind. Clemens's forte is character development. She knows how to hit all the right notes without belaboring any one point. Her MC, Casey, is one of the few truly likeable protagonists I've encountered in quite a while. The themes of danger attendant on a woman traveling alone and unknown struck a deep chord with me and kept me engrossed throughout. I even accepted the martial art savvy heroine without rolling my eyes and thinking, "Yeah, sure...of COURSE she's like some kind of black belt." It all worked for me.
Thoroughly enjoyable and instrumental in guaranteeing I'll be seeking out more of Ms. Clemens's work.
August 2, 2018
I wasn't sure what to make of this at first- I hadn't read the earlier books. Casey experienced a tragedy and gained a sidekick. That the sidekick is Death is what sends this into the sort of odd category of a paranormal mystery (that's a very loose categorization). The town of Armstrong, where she settles, is full of trouble. Silly trouble some of it but there's a serious undercurrent. Dottie and Vern, who seem like nice people, antagonized the locals by getting married because Dottie is an outsider. Frankly, given what happened only while Casey was in town, I wondered why these two didn't move years before (I sure would have.). Dottie dies and then Casey becomes a target but (and I can't believe I'm writing this) she's got Death on her side. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. This is a fast paced and unusual read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 14, 2025
“Beyond the Grave” brings the 'Grim Reaper Mystery' series to a close.
I had kept reading the series because I wanted an answer to the relationship between Casey and Death - the book believers a half answer which is not very satisfying.
Casey is back on the road for no good reason that she can explain.
Stopping off in a small town she's jumped by three yobs - they've picked the wrong woman to assault.
Next town over she senses that something is wrong and decides to hang around for a while.
This, as those who have read the series so far, means that trouble will come to her.
It's a fairly well constructed plot with a 45-year-old origin.
It didn't really grab me and I felt slightly let down by the conclusion.
3 Stars.
I had kept reading the series because I wanted an answer to the relationship between Casey and Death - the book believers a half answer which is not very satisfying.
Casey is back on the road for no good reason that she can explain.
Stopping off in a small town she's jumped by three yobs - they've picked the wrong woman to assault.
Next town over she senses that something is wrong and decides to hang around for a while.
This, as those who have read the series so far, means that trouble will come to her.
It's a fairly well constructed plot with a 45-year-old origin.
It didn't really grab me and I felt slightly let down by the conclusion.
3 Stars.
December 3, 2019
Many thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to have an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. I had not realised i had been sent it and it was sent to archive. I have now read it and apologise for the late review!
It’s not often that a book has the grim reaper as the lead characters side kick. This one does and makes for an interesting read!
This book is the 5 th in a series but can be read as a stand alone. Casey is a likeable character and you are quickly drawn into her world. This book has twists and turns that you don’t see coming, a witty and charming read. | hope there will be more books in this series in the future.
It’s not often that a book has the grim reaper as the lead characters side kick. This one does and makes for an interesting read!
This book is the 5 th in a series but can be read as a stand alone. Casey is a likeable character and you are quickly drawn into her world. This book has twists and turns that you don’t see coming, a witty and charming read. | hope there will be more books in this series in the future.
November 20, 2018
This is the 5th in a series and maybe, even the last but it stood alone well. I had to read it because of the companion character Death and enjoyed him the most. He was a quick changing movie reference and comedy on toast. Casey is unhappy, grieving, trying to find herself, can handle herself in a fight and drama follows her. She lands in a small town, fights off some drunks with big ideas and small brains and stays in the area awhile to solve a mystery.
June 5, 2019
a humor laden mystery where a widow and her invisible companion, death, end up in Armstrong Idaho, a sleepy town filled with too much violence.
if you can get passed the humorous dialogue and observations by none other than death, then you'll have a great time with this mystery.
if you can get passed the humorous dialogue and observations by none other than death, then you'll have a great time with this mystery.
June 5, 2018
An entertaining little mystery with quite a bit of a twist to it. I never knew what was going to happen. Great read
September 15, 2020
Another solid mystery in the series.
October 18, 2019
Great end
I really enjoyed this series but this one ended everything as it should. I know that the Reaper and Casey were friends but something closer also. Good book. Started slow but ended great.
I really enjoyed this series but this one ended everything as it should. I know that the Reaper and Casey were friends but something closer also. Good book. Started slow but ended great.
October 29, 2019
This mystery series is well written and will definitely hold your interest.
November 3, 2018
Facing the death of her husband and son, Casey Moldanado must learn to live a different kind of life. So she leaves everything she's known to travel, looking for something to ease her pain. This is made more difficult by her traveling companion, Death. In this book, the fifth of the series, Casey takes a job and a room in a small town. As Casey works in the general store, she meets many of the town people, not all of them friendly. Vandalism at the store is the result of past grievances directed at the store owner and his wife. Casey must work to heal not only herself but the wounds of the town herself. How Casey accomplishes this with the help of Death...well let's just say it's an interesting story line even if you have not read the first four books. I found myself rooting for Casey's efforts!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews