Dying Echo

By Judy Clemens

It’s been years since Casey Maldonado visited her hometown, and the only reason she’s returning now is to get her brother Ricky out of jail, where he sits after being arrested for the brutal murder of Alicia McManus, his girlfriend of several months. Casey believes in her brother’s innocence, but proving that to the cops is a different thing altogether, especially since she has her own murder warrant to worry about. Perhaps even more frightening than the law is Casey’s confrontation with her personal demons – the home she shared with her late husband and son, the resentment of her mother, and even the presence of Eric (Embrace the Grim Reaper), who wants to be more than just a friend.

As Casey and her ever-present companion Death investigate Alicia’s murder, it becomes clear she was not who she claimed to be, from her name to her non-existent past. Instead of a solid history, she left only questions when she died. Where did she come from? What secrets did she know? And, most importantly, who were the three people she spoke of when Death carried her away?

Casey must sort the truth from the elaborate fiction of Alicia’s life in order to clear Ricky’s name, but as she reveals the woman’s secrets Casey begins to see just how alike their lives appear. Is Casey destined to an existence as empty and dark as Alicia’s, or can she overcome the tragedy of her past and move forward into a life worth living?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
• Release date: Aug 7, 2012
• ISBN: 9781615954049

Judy Clemens

Judy Clemens spends her days in rural Ohio, where she writes, spends time with her family, and eats too much chocolate. She is the author of the Grim Reaper and Stella Crown mysteries, and is a past president of Sisters in Crime.

Reviews for Dying Echo

[pmaurer_11 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This sounds like the end of a series I really enjoyed. Casey is back home to rescue her brother accused of murdering his girlfriend. A character from book 1 - Eric - comes back into Casey's life, and begins to serve as the sidekick Death had always been. Enjoyable, but I hope it's not the last of the series!

[lizasarusrex · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Dying Echo A Grim Reaper Mystery by Judy ClemonsWhat is the book about?Alicia McManus has been murdered and they suspect it was her boyfriend Ricky. While everyone who knows Ricky, knows he couldn't have done such a thing. Ricky's sister, Casey thinks she can help solve the mystery of what happened to Alicia and save her brother from spending his life in prison for a murder he did not commit. With a little help from her friend Death she finds out information that she cannot share with the police because she has no explanation on how she had obtained the information, so she is in search of backing the truth up with hard evidence to put the murders behind bars and free her brother. What did I think of the book? Casey sounds like a modern day Nancy Drew which I thought was awesome. You'd think after dozens of Nancy Drew novels that the theme would get old but it isn't! Mystery solving is so fun to read and with a bad ass like Casey who seems to be able to accomplish anything she puts her mind to in order to help her brother, despite the own pain and agony she deals with every day.

[thehistorychic · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Listened for Fun (Library Book)Overall Rating: 3.50Story Rating: 3.50Character Rating: 3.50Audio Rating: 4.00 (not part of the overall rating)Read It File It: I found another series with Grim Reapers (Death) in Dying Echo by Judy Clemens. YEAH! I really enjoyed the mystery and didn't feel lost jumping in on Book 4 in the series. I probably would have been more attached to the characters if I started from the beginning though. I asked my library to get more in this series.Audio Thoughts: Narrated By Tavia Gilbert / Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins Tavia did an awesome job with the narration of Dying Echo. Her pacing, humor, and character ticks were dead on. So.Much.Fun!