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The Funeral Fakers #6
Mourning Crisis
USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR CAROLYN RIDDER ASPENSON IS BACK WITH ANOTHER LAUGH OUT LOUD SOUTHERN COZY MYSTERY!
Nothing will bring your acting career to a halt like literally crashing through the stage floor. But that's exactly what happened to Mayme Buckley. Now she just wishes she could turn back time. Unfortunately, doing so means moving back home with her 90stastic parents and taking whatever bit part the town of Asheville throws her way. And hopefully, minus the injuries. First up, the role of a professional mourner, and this time, the leading man is a dead guy. Desipe a performance worthy of a Tony, Mayme's captive audience have...questions. Like how could the contankerous supervisor of the town's moving company land a hot fiancee like Mayme while he was still breathing, and was his death really an accident? Mayme doesn't have the answers, at least not to the question of her fake fiance's murder, but she's determined to find them. Because this role is literally, the role of a lifetime, and if Mayme doesn't learn the truth, she might just find herself six feet under. Find out who done it in this hilarious Southern cozy mystery filled with fake tears for a real dead guy.
- GenresMysteryCozy Mystery
202 pages, Paperback
First published December 7, 2018
About the author
Carolyn Ridder Aspenson
182 books570 followersUSA Today Bestselling Author Carolyn Ridder Aspenson writes cozy mysteries, thrillers, and paranormal women's fiction featuring strong female leads. Her stories shine through her dialogue, which readers have praised for being realistic and compelling.
A multiple number one bestseller on Amazon, her first novel, Unfinished Business, was a five-star Reader's Favorite, a Rone Award finalist, as well as a number one bestseller on both Amazon and Barnes and Noble. In 2021, she introduced readers to detective Rachel Ryder in Damaging Secrets, also a number one bestseller on Amazon. Overkill, the third book in the Rachel Ryder series, was one of Thrillerfix’s best thrillers of 2021.Reviews have praised her work as ‘compelling, and intense,’ and ‘read through the night, edge of your seat thrillers. Carolyn’s most recent Rachel Ryder novel, Deadly Means, has been submitted for an Edgar Award by her publisher, Severn River Publishing.
Prior to publishing, she worked as a journalist in the suburbs of Atlanta where her work appeared in multiple newspapers and magazines. She wrote a monthly featured column in Northside Woman magazine.
Writing is only one of Carolyn's passions. She is an avid dog lover and currently spoils an American Staffordshire terrier boxer mix. She lives in the mountains of North Georgia as an empty nester (who misses her kids terribly but loves having a lower grocery bill) with her husband, a cantankerous cat, and her very spoiled pup.
Connect with Carolyn via carolyn@carolynridderaspenson.com
A multiple number one bestseller on Amazon, her first novel, Unfinished Business, was a five-star Reader's Favorite, a Rone Award finalist, as well as a number one bestseller on both Amazon and Barnes and Noble. In 2021, she introduced readers to detective Rachel Ryder in Damaging Secrets, also a number one bestseller on Amazon. Overkill, the third book in the Rachel Ryder series, was one of Thrillerfix’s best thrillers of 2021.Reviews have praised her work as ‘compelling, and intense,’ and ‘read through the night, edge of your seat thrillers. Carolyn’s most recent Rachel Ryder novel, Deadly Means, has been submitted for an Edgar Award by her publisher, Severn River Publishing.
Prior to publishing, she worked as a journalist in the suburbs of Atlanta where her work appeared in multiple newspapers and magazines. She wrote a monthly featured column in Northside Woman magazine.
Writing is only one of Carolyn's passions. She is an avid dog lover and currently spoils an American Staffordshire terrier boxer mix. She lives in the mountains of North Georgia as an empty nester (who misses her kids terribly but loves having a lower grocery bill) with her husband, a cantankerous cat, and her very spoiled pup.
Connect with Carolyn via carolyn@carolynridderaspenson.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
November 15, 2018
Mourning Crisis by Carolyn Ridder Aspenson is an often laugh-out-loud cozy mystery which showcases a new profession in cozy mysteries - professional mourners. Although this is book six in this series, it can easily be read as a stand alone book as each book in the series is written by a different author with a separate cast of characters.
Mayme Buckley has come home to Asheville, NC after her New York acting career has crashed - literally. She still wants to become an actress but finds nothing at the local community theaters. Then she interviews at Exit Stage Left and is hired to be the fiancee' of a dead man. The more Mayme gets to know the family and friends the more questions she has regarding the man's death.
With a quickly paced plot, several suspicious family members and friends, and a handsome police Detective, Mayme has her hands full while playing the part of the grieving fiancee'. An amazing afternoon read and I'm looking forward to reading the other books in this series.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. All of the above opinions are my own.
Mayme Buckley has come home to Asheville, NC after her New York acting career has crashed - literally. She still wants to become an actress but finds nothing at the local community theaters. Then she interviews at Exit Stage Left and is hired to be the fiancee' of a dead man. The more Mayme gets to know the family and friends the more questions she has regarding the man's death.
With a quickly paced plot, several suspicious family members and friends, and a handsome police Detective, Mayme has her hands full while playing the part of the grieving fiancee'. An amazing afternoon read and I'm looking forward to reading the other books in this series.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. All of the above opinions are my own.
November 21, 2018
Great addition to this collection. Do not worry each book can be read by itself. they do not connect to each other except that they are all hired by the same firm in the same town. In other words , each book is its own entity..
This is my third book in this collection. I loved it. I really like the character's sense of responsibly to her job assignment. How she commits to following through and stands up for her fiance and against those who creep her out.
Got me with the who done it. Thought early on that was acting strangely but fell for it. Even started to suspect someone else. Got me. Love when I get fooled.
This is my hones and freely given review. I did receive an ARC book.
This is my third book in this collection. I loved it. I really like the character's sense of responsibly to her job assignment. How she commits to following through and stands up for her fiance and against those who creep her out.
Got me with the who done it. Thought early on that was acting strangely but fell for it. Even started to suspect someone else. Got me. Love when I get fooled.
This is my hones and freely given review. I did receive an ARC book.
November 30, 2022
Mayme Buckley returns home to North Carolina after her acting career literally comes crashing down through the floor.
She takes an acting job as a professional mourner.
Everything she was told about the deceased doesn't add up for her, so she starts investigating and determines that he didn't die of a wasp sting. So she sets out to find out how he was murdered.
A fun story with developed characters and a solid storyline.
She takes an acting job as a professional mourner.
Everything she was told about the deceased doesn't add up for her, so she starts investigating and determines that he didn't die of a wasp sting. So she sets out to find out how he was murdered.
A fun story with developed characters and a solid storyline.
November 17, 2018
Mourning Crisis, (Funeral Fakers #6) Carolyn Ridder Aspenson's newest Cozy Mystery is a laugh out loud reading delight. Mayme Buckley deserves an Oscar for her performance as the grieving fiance of the newly deceased. Enter the handsome Police Detective, who only wants to protect her, and you have a who done it that keeps you guessing until the end. This is a page turner.
Mayne won't stop until she finds the answers to the questions she has. A crazy cast of characters fills the pages.
Although this is book #6, in the series, it doesn't appear that this series must be read in any order.
Mayne won't stop until she finds the answers to the questions she has. A crazy cast of characters fills the pages.
Although this is book #6, in the series, it doesn't appear that this series must be read in any order.
November 18, 2018
What a great read! Loved the idea of the professional mourner who is totally prepared with a full file of facts. Meyme did an amazing job and gave more than her all to discover what really happened to the dearly departed. Loved the high school crush. Great attitude, great character. So many laughs. Great mystery. Lots of suspects. Loved this book! Would make a great series starter.
November 13, 2018
Mourning Crisis is Book 6 in the Funeral Fakers. This is a stand alone book but the other books in the series are equally fantastic!
First things first, the premise of this book is nothing short of brilliant and not done before.
Introducing the role of Professional Mourner! That is right. In this book we meet Mayme Buckley, in the starring role of Fiance to the towns grumpy supervisor of the towns moving company.
Everyone has questions about his death and its up to Mayme to discover who did it.
This book is LAUGH OUT LOUD hilarious and a great mystery. The characters are well developed and I wanted to be Mayme's friend, seriously. The plot was so well thought out and the ending definitely surprised me. I did not figure this one out.
Again, kudos for the concept of the Professional Mourners, that is highly creative and downright hilarious. I thoroughly enjoyed this book .
First things first, the premise of this book is nothing short of brilliant and not done before.
Introducing the role of Professional Mourner! That is right. In this book we meet Mayme Buckley, in the starring role of Fiance to the towns grumpy supervisor of the towns moving company.
Everyone has questions about his death and its up to Mayme to discover who did it.
This book is LAUGH OUT LOUD hilarious and a great mystery. The characters are well developed and I wanted to be Mayme's friend, seriously. The plot was so well thought out and the ending definitely surprised me. I did not figure this one out.
Again, kudos for the concept of the Professional Mourners, that is highly creative and downright hilarious. I thoroughly enjoyed this book .
June 2, 2021
It must have been a good book - and I must have been bored because I didn't finish it until this morning and then I just scimmed through the last pages. i think people, who like to hear about young women who wanted to be an actress and had to change their vehicle to make a living because life isn't a bowl of cherries, will enjoy this book. Therefore, I recommend it to anyone who likes to read a good mystery that encludes that characterization described above.
December 3, 2019
This was definitely a different twist of career choices for sleuths in a cozy mystery book which was refreshing since it was unique. Mayme Buckley wants to be an actress and her career in New York didn’t go as planned so she ended up coming back home to Asheville, North Carolina. None of the theatre groups would hire her so she had to improvise and obtain a job as a fake mourner to still be able to act. She was hired to play the mourning fiancée of the murdered man. The family and friends of the deceased had lots of suspects to choose from. A man that she really liked in high school and now wants to date her is currently on the police force and she is trying to keep him from revealing her true identity to the family until she can figure out who the real murderer is. Mayme gets herself into some precarious situations while trying to maintain her story as the grieving fiancée that none of the family or friends had met. Good story and it kept me guessing until the end of who the murderer was and why he was killed. This is the first in the series that I have read and didn’t feel lost reading it without reading the others first.
August 10, 2019
Loved the book! It had some pretty cool twists and turns. It's part of a whole series, but each book can be read by itself. The only thing that put me off a little bit was the constant daddy this, daddy that. It might be a southern thing, but for me as a European it sounded a bit off to say that to your father as an adult.
Otherwise the book was really cool, it was the first one I've read in the series as I love Carolyn's books. Now I have to see how I can get my hands on the others in the series. The book is about Mayme who wanted to become a big star in New York and failed at that, not to her own fault. So she moves back home in dire need of a job and feeling the urge to keep trying to make it as an actress. That's where it all begins.
If you love cozy mysteries, this is the series for you! I recommend!
Otherwise the book was really cool, it was the first one I've read in the series as I love Carolyn's books. Now I have to see how I can get my hands on the others in the series. The book is about Mayme who wanted to become a big star in New York and failed at that, not to her own fault. So she moves back home in dire need of a job and feeling the urge to keep trying to make it as an actress. That's where it all begins.
If you love cozy mysteries, this is the series for you! I recommend!
December 11, 2018
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily providing my honest review.
I am so sorry to see this series end. Mayme has returned home after having problems in New York while working in an off-Broadway play. She wants to keep acting and none of the community theaters will hire her, so she goes to "Exit Stage Left" where she is hired as a professional mourner. Too bad her first gig is as the fiancee of a cranky man, who no one believes would have a fiancee. She renews her old friendship with a Police Detective who she crushed on in high school. While pretending to be the deceased man's fiancee she starts to have doubts about the reason for his death and asks her old friend for some help. I enjoyed this book and recommend it.
I am so sorry to see this series end. Mayme has returned home after having problems in New York while working in an off-Broadway play. She wants to keep acting and none of the community theaters will hire her, so she goes to "Exit Stage Left" where she is hired as a professional mourner. Too bad her first gig is as the fiancee of a cranky man, who no one believes would have a fiancee. She renews her old friendship with a Police Detective who she crushed on in high school. While pretending to be the deceased man's fiancee she starts to have doubts about the reason for his death and asks her old friend for some help. I enjoyed this book and recommend it.
July 23, 2020
As a Funeral Fakers Story, It's a Good Read As a Carolyn Ridder Aspenson, I was Looking Forward to Ghosts!
Ridder Aspenson is great story teller. Her characters are rich and the story lines deep. In this series where a different author writes a new saga in the Exit Stage Ruthie Professional Mourners business, this tale fits the genre quite well. Carolyn alluded to her main character seeing a shadow she believes is a ghost but drops it there. Fans of Carolyn Ridder Aspenson know many of her series center around seeing, working with and solving crimes with ghostly assistance. I was hoping she would take us there with this story but she didn't. Still, a good read if you are a fan of the Funeral Fakers Series, I was hoping for more as a fan of this author.
Ridder Aspenson is great story teller. Her characters are rich and the story lines deep. In this series where a different author writes a new saga in the Exit Stage Ruthie Professional Mourners business, this tale fits the genre quite well. Carolyn alluded to her main character seeing a shadow she believes is a ghost but drops it there. Fans of Carolyn Ridder Aspenson know many of her series center around seeing, working with and solving crimes with ghostly assistance. I was hoping she would take us there with this story but she didn't. Still, a good read if you are a fan of the Funeral Fakers Series, I was hoping for more as a fan of this author.
December 7, 2018
This series is very different than any other cozy mysteries that I have read so far. Each book is written by a different author and can be read as a standalone. What the books have in common is that each main character is a "fallen" star that goes to work for a professional mourning service. Clients hire these actresses to mourn their loved ones at funerals and family gatherings.
What you end up with, is a bunch of crazy fun characters that keep the story interesting. This is book six and one of my favorites out of all of them. It was well written, I could follow the characters/story and I really enjoyed reading it.
What you end up with, is a bunch of crazy fun characters that keep the story interesting. This is book six and one of my favorites out of all of them. It was well written, I could follow the characters/story and I really enjoyed reading it.
August 18, 2022
Mayme is back home in Asheville after her 8-year stint in New York City to try and make it into acting failed. Believe it or not, she actually fell through the floor at the beginning of her first acting job! Not able to find a theater in Asheville who hasn’t heard of her famous “fall”, no one is willing to give her a chance. So she winds up interviewing at Exit Stage Left for a professional mourning job. Hired to be the fiancé of a trucker that none of the family ever knew about. But the family is another matter! This book was funny and also a little sad. An entertaining read to be sure. I received a free copy of this book from the author and write this review voluntarily.
March 2, 2023
Cute Cozy Mystery
The Funeral Fakers series is a fun group of cozy mysteries by several authors. This is the 6th book in that original series. Some years have passed and it looks like each of the authors has taken their books from the series and have started their own cozy mystery series based on the same idea: hired mourners for funerals. This book is a fun cozy mystery that someone could read in one sitting. The plot is good, there is little blood, no sex or gore, little tension, and moderate suspense. Unlike most cozies, there is no over-emphasis on food, fashion, hobbies, or anything else. It is just a good, soft mystery.
The Funeral Fakers series is a fun group of cozy mysteries by several authors. This is the 6th book in that original series. Some years have passed and it looks like each of the authors has taken their books from the series and have started their own cozy mystery series based on the same idea: hired mourners for funerals. This book is a fun cozy mystery that someone could read in one sitting. The plot is good, there is little blood, no sex or gore, little tension, and moderate suspense. Unlike most cozies, there is no over-emphasis on food, fashion, hobbies, or anything else. It is just a good, soft mystery.
December 2, 2018
Six authors write about six out of work actresses who all end up taking jobs as professional funeral mourners. Who knew this is a thing? With a job as a funeral faker, you know hijinks are going to ensue. How can they not?
Mourning Crisis is a humorous southern mystery from Carolyn Ridder Aspenson. Her out of work actress, Mayme, has her work cut out for her as she plays funeral faker Ivy Sawyer whose fiance has died suddenly. Turn on the red neck southern charm!
This fast paced mystery left me laughing and blessing everyone's heart.
Mourning Crisis is a humorous southern mystery from Carolyn Ridder Aspenson. Her out of work actress, Mayme, has her work cut out for her as she plays funeral faker Ivy Sawyer whose fiance has died suddenly. Turn on the red neck southern charm!
This fast paced mystery left me laughing and blessing everyone's heart.
December 8, 2018
Mayme has returned home from NY in disgrace. She fell thru the floor while performing in an off-Broadway production. She's ready to do community theater hoping to work her way back to NY. No one wants Mayme, so she begins work at a night job opening and sorting mail. Her co-worker suggests working at Exit Stage Left which is some sort of acting agency. Mayme is hired as a professional mourner.
This is a fun mystery. It is a part of a 6 book series that has different characters. This is the only one that I've read at this time. Read this and enjoy!
This is a fun mystery. It is a part of a 6 book series that has different characters. This is the only one that I've read at this time. Read this and enjoy!
December 27, 2018
I really enjoyed this cozy mystery series! I love that each book was written by a different author. A fun way of finding new authors while reading one of my favorite genres.
Mourning Crisis was a good final edition. A few things bugged me here and there and there were some editing issues, but the plot kept me reading. I liked how the romance storyline felt wrapped up in the end vs the others in the series, which felt more like they would continue to develop in future books.
I wish there were more in this series!
Mourning Crisis was a good final edition. A few things bugged me here and there and there were some editing issues, but the plot kept me reading. I liked how the romance storyline felt wrapped up in the end vs the others in the series, which felt more like they would continue to develop in future books.
I wish there were more in this series!
December 7, 2018
The last of the Funeral Fakers, this has another down-on-her-luck/recently fired actress pretending to be a mourner at the funeral of someone whose death, it becomes clear, was not an accident. Mayme is one of the most likable of the Funeral Fakers, and the story flows to an inevitable, but moderately unexpected, end. While not my favorite of the series, this is up there with that one, and it's a good read.
I received an advance copy of this book.
I received an advance copy of this book.
September 5, 2019
Very good!! I would love if there were more books in this series as they are so interesting to read. In this book, Mayme has returned to Ashville after her off-Broadway career ends in disaster. She ends up as a funeral faker and realizes that the man she is pretending to mourn was actually murdered. She begins to investigate to get justice for the dead man. Truly enjoyed this book and the entire series. The characters and plotlines were very intriguing and entertaining!
February 9, 2020
I've read the earlier ones in this series, some better than others, but this was my least favourite. A bit too southern for one. It seemed the author struggled to find enough to write to fill the word count. It is always irritating when the main character is sent off alone somewhere, knowing it is dangerous, just to create some crisis that is supposed to keep the reader reading. I only finished this book because I'd chosen in a challenge.
August 18, 2022
This is an interesting way to do a series with each book being written by a different author but a common theme running through them. Each book is a stand alone book although part of the series. Mourning Crisis is the last in the series. This book has an engaging premise and is well written. I enjoyed it and will seek out more of this author’s books. I received a copy of this book and leave my review voluntarily.
August 20, 2022
I truly enjoyed this read very much.
The characters were awesome!! I loved reading and getting to know Mayme!!! I loved her witty personality and her solving capabilities.
The storyline had me looked from the first page. So many different feelers were in this story and I also loved the humor that was built into the story too!! Such an amazing read that kept me guessing from beginning to end and I highly recommend it!!
The characters were awesome!! I loved reading and getting to know Mayme!!! I loved her witty personality and her solving capabilities.
The storyline had me looked from the first page. So many different feelers were in this story and I also loved the humor that was built into the story too!! Such an amazing read that kept me guessing from beginning to end and I highly recommend it!!
July 13, 2023
"First up, the role of Professional Mourner, and this time her leading man is a dead guy. Despite a performance worthy of a Tony, Mayme’s captive audience have.... questions. Like how could the cantankerous supervisor of the town’s moving company land a hot fiancee like Mayme while he was alive? And was his death really an accident?" It was murder and Mayme/Ivy was going to prove it. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. This in no way affects my opinion of this book.
January 23, 2024
Humor, Romance, Threats and Mystery.
Mayme takes on an unusual acting role which leads to involvement with some interesting folks that make her acting job just a bit scary. An old flame adds the possibility of romance but Mayme must successfully complete her acting job and it doesn’t allow for romance to happen. A great story with lots of humor and many possibilities of danger. The writing is well done. Characters are interesting and storyline is fun and scary at the same time.
Mayme takes on an unusual acting role which leads to involvement with some interesting folks that make her acting job just a bit scary. An old flame adds the possibility of romance but Mayme must successfully complete her acting job and it doesn’t allow for romance to happen. A great story with lots of humor and many possibilities of danger. The writing is well done. Characters are interesting and storyline is fun and scary at the same time.
December 6, 2018
A funny but intense story. Maymen is back in Ashville after a great failure in a play in Off-Broadway. She needs a job but she wants to keep acting so when she gets the offer to act as a fake mourner in a funeral she jumps to the offer. But everything surrounding the dead an de his family seems wrong to Maymen. Can she find the truth?
December 7, 2018
Being a professional mourner is not as easy as it sounds. You have to convince those closest to the deceased that you are truly real. Will your career go up in shambles when people start questioning what really happened? This was such a fun series full of laughs, twist and turns and drama. Make sure to grab your copies of each one and enjoy reading these witty stories.
September 5, 2019
This is the 6th in the series. The main character is Mayme who comes back home after falling through the floor in a New York play. Sure that it is only for a little while. She takes on the only acting job she can.....as a girl friend of a man who has died and has a very strange family. She comes to realize the man was murdered but by who ? Can she figure it out in time ?
March 28, 2020
Is it acting or lying?
Maybe has always wanted to be an actress. After high school she went to New York and studied acting. She had some small success until her first starting role when she literally fell through the stage floor. Home again in North Carolina, she struggles to find herself.
Maybe has always wanted to be an actress. After high school she went to New York and studied acting. She had some small success until her first starting role when she literally fell through the stage floor. Home again in North Carolina, she struggles to find herself.
July 7, 2020
Low 3
Unfortunately I felt like the mystery itself was squeezed between the personal stuff about the MC, which kept it from getting enough space to develop. Also I've read others in this series and felt like the personal part in the beginning was too similar to that with another character, so it felt repetitive even though I've read plenty of books in between.
Unfortunately I felt like the mystery itself was squeezed between the personal stuff about the MC, which kept it from getting enough space to develop. Also I've read others in this series and felt like the personal part in the beginning was too similar to that with another character, so it felt repetitive even though I've read plenty of books in between.
December 7, 2018
I enjoyed this last book in the Funeral Fakers series. I resonated with the character, and I was actually surprised by the ending. I love it when that happens! A great way to round off this 6-book series!
I received this book in exchange for my honest review.
I received this book in exchange for my honest review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews