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Letters From the Dead
fictional paranormal crime story of Delia Fox, a 19 year old woman who has a dangerous gift - she can read the memories of the recently dead. Working for the police to solve mysterious deaths she herself becomes a target when her evidence helps to send criminals to jail. Delia speaks for the dead but who will protect her from the living?
434 pages, Paperback
Published October 6, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 11, 2017
Reviewed by Sheri Hoyte for Reader Views (12/17)
“Letters from the Dead” by Dawn Meredith is a highly entertaining, fast-paced suspense novel featuring Delia Fox, a young adult with a unique ability. Delia is just your normal every day University student, until an accident at the café where she works changes her life forever. Chaos ensues when an explosion occurs in the backroom of Iggie’s Café, and when a young man perishes in Delia’s arms as they try to escape the danger, she realizes she can read his memories.
As Delia begins picking up the pieces of her life, she finds work at another café and is hired on as a consultant for the Wintering Police Force where she teams up with Inspector Jonah Rainbird, using her gift to solve local murders. Not everyone appreciates Delia’s gift however. With the exception of Inspector Rainbird and Sergeant Blake, the cops despise her and consider her a meddler who just gets in the way of their work. In addition, a local crime boss is after her head, her ex-boyfriend is a constant source of trouble – even her parents think she is consorting with the devil. Still, Delia believes strongly in her work and will do whatever she can to gain justice for the deceased.
“Letters from the Dead” was such a fun read that I would classify as a cozy suspense novel spiced with romance, drama, and coming-of-age elements. While there are certainly a few antagonists adding to the overall drama, the story revolves mainly around Delia and her gift with several subplots to keep the tension building and the pages turning.
I could easily picture the various settings, from the crime scenes and surroundings, to the neighborhood gardens and public parks. The writing is crisp, with enough particulars to create vivid pictures without overwhelming the reader with elaborately overdramatic details.
I totally enjoyed the characters in Meredith’s story as well. Delia is an authentic coming of age heroine and I could feel exactly what she went through at all times in the story. From her frustration with Rainbird as she tries to draw him close, the tension she endures when dealing with her overprotective parents and her complete exasperation with her ex-boyfriend as he continues to meddle in her life, Delia is a quirky, yet endearing character readers will easily relate to. Rainbird as the lead male protagonist is quiet and unassuming and completely loyal to those he holds dear. I was as frustrated as Delia at times with his behavior and stunned to find out his secret – a secret that changes the entire course of the story. Kudos to Meredith for a plot twist readers will not see coming and for taking that twist down yet another entirely unexpected avenue.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed “Letters from the Dead” by Dawn Meredith and highly recommend it to adults and young adults alike as an entertaining, engaging read.
“Letters from the Dead” by Dawn Meredith is a highly entertaining, fast-paced suspense novel featuring Delia Fox, a young adult with a unique ability. Delia is just your normal every day University student, until an accident at the café where she works changes her life forever. Chaos ensues when an explosion occurs in the backroom of Iggie’s Café, and when a young man perishes in Delia’s arms as they try to escape the danger, she realizes she can read his memories.
As Delia begins picking up the pieces of her life, she finds work at another café and is hired on as a consultant for the Wintering Police Force where she teams up with Inspector Jonah Rainbird, using her gift to solve local murders. Not everyone appreciates Delia’s gift however. With the exception of Inspector Rainbird and Sergeant Blake, the cops despise her and consider her a meddler who just gets in the way of their work. In addition, a local crime boss is after her head, her ex-boyfriend is a constant source of trouble – even her parents think she is consorting with the devil. Still, Delia believes strongly in her work and will do whatever she can to gain justice for the deceased.
“Letters from the Dead” was such a fun read that I would classify as a cozy suspense novel spiced with romance, drama, and coming-of-age elements. While there are certainly a few antagonists adding to the overall drama, the story revolves mainly around Delia and her gift with several subplots to keep the tension building and the pages turning.
I could easily picture the various settings, from the crime scenes and surroundings, to the neighborhood gardens and public parks. The writing is crisp, with enough particulars to create vivid pictures without overwhelming the reader with elaborately overdramatic details.
I totally enjoyed the characters in Meredith’s story as well. Delia is an authentic coming of age heroine and I could feel exactly what she went through at all times in the story. From her frustration with Rainbird as she tries to draw him close, the tension she endures when dealing with her overprotective parents and her complete exasperation with her ex-boyfriend as he continues to meddle in her life, Delia is a quirky, yet endearing character readers will easily relate to. Rainbird as the lead male protagonist is quiet and unassuming and completely loyal to those he holds dear. I was as frustrated as Delia at times with his behavior and stunned to find out his secret – a secret that changes the entire course of the story. Kudos to Meredith for a plot twist readers will not see coming and for taking that twist down yet another entirely unexpected avenue.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed “Letters from the Dead” by Dawn Meredith and highly recommend it to adults and young adults alike as an entertaining, engaging read.
August 9, 2018
Delia Fox is a young woman with a gift – she can see the memories of the recently dead. This leads her to solving murders via consulting work with the local police. Her ability to see the memories of murder victims, however, is something that many people, including members of the criminal underworld, aren't fond of.
Letters from the Dead is a character-based story, with the main focus on Delia's attempts to navigate family issues, friendships, old relationships, a budding romance, and problems with her developing professional life.
Her main personal issue is the unsolved death of her younger brother in a hit-and-run accident many years ago, something she'd love to solve, but unfortunately her gift only allows her to read memories of the dead for about six hours after they pass away. Despite being able to help with many cases, her brother's is beyond her reach.
The story begins when Delia chooses to give up her university studies, something her parents aren't happy with. When they cut her off financially to try to force her to return to study, their actions along with unforeseen events puts her onto her true career path – speaking for the dead.
This marks the beginning of Delia's troubles. With a stalker for an ex who tries to force her back into a relationship, media who hate her and call her Ghoul Girl, a police force that largely dislikes her because she does their job better than they can, and the rising threat from the criminal underworld, Delia's story is as much about dealing with life, responsibility, and finding one's place in the world, as it is with reading the memories of the dead.
Overall, it's an enjoyable, easy read set at a good pace, with a narrative structure that leans more toward literary end of the reading spectrum rather than what you might expect from a standard genre story.
Four stars.
Letters from the Dead is a character-based story, with the main focus on Delia's attempts to navigate family issues, friendships, old relationships, a budding romance, and problems with her developing professional life.
Her main personal issue is the unsolved death of her younger brother in a hit-and-run accident many years ago, something she'd love to solve, but unfortunately her gift only allows her to read memories of the dead for about six hours after they pass away. Despite being able to help with many cases, her brother's is beyond her reach.
The story begins when Delia chooses to give up her university studies, something her parents aren't happy with. When they cut her off financially to try to force her to return to study, their actions along with unforeseen events puts her onto her true career path – speaking for the dead.
This marks the beginning of Delia's troubles. With a stalker for an ex who tries to force her back into a relationship, media who hate her and call her Ghoul Girl, a police force that largely dislikes her because she does their job better than they can, and the rising threat from the criminal underworld, Delia's story is as much about dealing with life, responsibility, and finding one's place in the world, as it is with reading the memories of the dead.
Overall, it's an enjoyable, easy read set at a good pace, with a narrative structure that leans more toward literary end of the reading spectrum rather than what you might expect from a standard genre story.
Four stars.
October 3, 2018
A young woman’s life is turned on its head when she unwittingly discovers that she can communicate with a recently deceased person by laying her hands on them. She joins forces with a detective who is keen to utilise her skills to help solve cases. Not everyone is enamoured with her however and she is soon universally despised by the police she consults for which leads to a media circus.
Being fascinated by all forms of extra-sensory perception, I loved the premise of this book. The ability to be able to see a recently deceased person's memories and give a voice to those who cannot speak. The book is totally character driven and the protagonist, Delia, is highly emotional crying in two-thirds or more of the chapters. Beyond her gift, she is also a very boring person who does not fit the mold for the current youth. I saw her as a middle-aged woman in a nineteen-year old’s body.
The plot itself is glacially slow and exceptionally thin. Whilst Delia does dozens of readings, there is no connections between the cases she works and thus no larger arc. Instead, the plot focuses on her vilification where she has been named ghoul girl. Given this, I expected Delia to prove her worth and be vindicated, but this never happened and I found the ending unsatisfactory.
The book does contain some lovely well-crafted prose. However, the author failed to capitalise on this through scenes and settings. The Shakespeare quotes were also completely wasted on me. The book is more of an urban fantasy than it is a crime novel and it is written for those who like character-driven stories.
Being fascinated by all forms of extra-sensory perception, I loved the premise of this book. The ability to be able to see a recently deceased person's memories and give a voice to those who cannot speak. The book is totally character driven and the protagonist, Delia, is highly emotional crying in two-thirds or more of the chapters. Beyond her gift, she is also a very boring person who does not fit the mold for the current youth. I saw her as a middle-aged woman in a nineteen-year old’s body.
The plot itself is glacially slow and exceptionally thin. Whilst Delia does dozens of readings, there is no connections between the cases she works and thus no larger arc. Instead, the plot focuses on her vilification where she has been named ghoul girl. Given this, I expected Delia to prove her worth and be vindicated, but this never happened and I found the ending unsatisfactory.
The book does contain some lovely well-crafted prose. However, the author failed to capitalise on this through scenes and settings. The Shakespeare quotes were also completely wasted on me. The book is more of an urban fantasy than it is a crime novel and it is written for those who like character-driven stories.
July 22, 2023
I bought this book yesterday from the Author while she was working on some amazing artwork, and I thought that it would be a nice little read for someone who loved Ghost Whisperer back in the day.
But let me tell you, I was not ready for the hold that it would have on me. I was so engrossed in this story that at one point I was sobbing (if you know, you know). Kind of wondering if the second book is in the works, because I wasn't ready for the story to end.
But let me tell you, I was not ready for the hold that it would have on me. I was so engrossed in this story that at one point I was sobbing (if you know, you know). Kind of wondering if the second book is in the works, because I wasn't ready for the story to end.
November 27, 2018
Fascinated by the premise of this YA/crossover novel - a protagonist who can 'see' the last minutes of a life, just by touching a newly dead person. What a great idea for a crime thriller!
Believable and relatable heroine, an intriguing love interest, vivid writing and some great twists make this a must read for lovers of paranormal crime. Highly recommended.
Believable and relatable heroine, an intriguing love interest, vivid writing and some great twists make this a must read for lovers of paranormal crime. Highly recommended.
May 3, 2026
I picked this up on a whim and ended up finishing it way faster than I expected. The idea behind Delia’s ability is really interesting, but what got me was how grounded everything felt. It’s not just paranormal for the sake of it there’s actual emotion behind it. Some parts were honestly a bit unsettling (in a good way). Definitely worth the read.
May 3, 2026
This was such a solid mix of mystery and paranormal. I liked that it didn’t try too hard to be overly dramatic the story just pulled me in naturally. Delia felt like a real person, not some perfect “chosen one,” which made it easier to connect with her. The pacing worked well for me too. I’d read more like this.
May 3, 2026
Really enjoyed this one. The paranormal element caught my attention at first, but I stayed for the characters and the mystery. Delia felt genuine, and I liked that she had flaws and doubts instead of being unrealistically fearless. The story had a steady pace and kept me curious the whole way through. A thoughtful, engaging read with just the right amount of suspense.
September 24, 2018
Dark stories with a bright heart
The heroine of this story is haunted by her own pain, but is incredibly generous in shrugging off even attacks on herself because she is so determined to help others.
The heroine of this story is haunted by her own pain, but is incredibly generous in shrugging off even attacks on herself because she is so determined to help others.
November 8, 2018
I love the work from this author. All her books are well-researched, often with great dialogue. Each book is different and often with a quirky angle that will have you guessing. Absolutely worth reading her work.
May 3, 2026
Not what I expected, in a good way. I thought it would be a typical ghost story, but it’s more about what people leave behind and how that affects the living. Some scenes hit harder than I thought they would. It’s one of those books that sticks in your head a bit after you finish.
May 3, 2026
I liked how this didn’t rush things. The mystery builds slowly, and the tension creeps up on you instead of being forced. There were a couple of moments where I had to stop and think about what I’d just read. It’s not overly complicated, but it’s engaging all the way through.
May 3, 2026
This felt very different from a lot of paranormal books I’ve read. It’s quieter, more thoughtful, but still keeps you interested. Delia’s ability is handled in a way that feels believable within the story. I appreciated that it focused just as much on the emotional side as the mystery.
December 19, 2018
Fabulous! I could not put the book down. I discovered I had read up to page 50 before I realised; it is a true page-turner of a story!
The basic premise is certainly unusual, but to someone who has dabbled in mental telepathy (me), this was not a problem, because the consequence of having the ability to read the minds of recently dead persons leads young Delia along a journey that is realistic – with barely any coincidences to stretch the plausibility.
The author maintains the fast pace throughout and there are a few tense scenes near the end that made my heart skip a few beats.
Best of all, the story is fun!
The basic premise is certainly unusual, but to someone who has dabbled in mental telepathy (me), this was not a problem, because the consequence of having the ability to read the minds of recently dead persons leads young Delia along a journey that is realistic – with barely any coincidences to stretch the plausibility.
The author maintains the fast pace throughout and there are a few tense scenes near the end that made my heart skip a few beats.
Best of all, the story is fun!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews