Grave Words is book 2 in the Deadly Deadlines cozy mystery series by Gerri Lewis. I had the pleasure of reading the first book in the series, and was thrilled to be able to read this one as well. If you haven’t read the first book though, you should be able to jump into book 2 quite easily, as each book is self contained, and the author gives enough background on the main characters that you should not have a difficult time reading either book as a standalone.
Winter Snow, an obituary writer, gets drawn into another mystery when she’s asked to write the obituary for Chester, a homeless man, who was found in a burning building. When his death is found to be murder, Scoop, Winter’s best friend, is a suspect and she is determined to help clear his name.
If you did read the last book, then you’ll remember Diva, the Great Pyrenees puppy whose owner was killed. She is back in this book and as cute as ever, having been adopted by Winter.
I think the one thing that bothers me about this whole series is how Winter is able to support herself by writing obituaries. Surely she must have something else going on the side. Is writing obituaries really that lucrative?
Aside from that, although I found this second book a bit slow, it was nevertheless quite an enjoyable mystery. I liked how the author unfolded the story a little at a time, as Winter dug into the mystery of Chester’s true identity and what he was doing in the town.
I am really enjoying this series, and look forward to reading more of Winter’s escapades. I hope that in future books she and Kip, her boyfriend and a detective with the police department, are able to work out their issues to make a go of it.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Grave Words will be available on June 10 2025.
Life, Tea, and Everything 