Death & the Gravedigger’s Angel by Loretta Ross

November 3rd, 2017 Kimberly Review 22 Comments

3rd Nov
Death & the Gravedigger’s Angel by Loretta Ross
Death & the Gravedigger's Angel
by Loretta Ross
Series: An Auction Block Mystery #3
Narrator: Amanda Ronconi
Length: 7 hours and 10 minutes
Genres: Cozy Mystery
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon *affiliate
Goodreads
Rating: One StarOne StarOne StarOne Star
Narration: 4.5 cups

When former army medic Tony Dozier is accused of killing a member of the hate group that disrupted his wife's funeral, the prosecution charges premeditated murder and the defense claims temporary insanity. Former marine Death Bogart and auctioneer Wren Morgan think there's more to the story.

They're both led to the long-abandoned Hadleigh House, where Wren begins preparing the contents for auction but ends up searching for the story behind an antique sketchbook. As Wren uncovers the century-old tale of a World War I soldier and his angel, Death finds a set of truths that will change...or end...their lives.

Humor MURDERMYSTERY Small-town ROMANCE

Death & the Gravedigger’s Angel by Loretta Ross is the fourth audio in the Auction Block Mystery series featuring Wren Morgan an auctioneer and Death Bogart, a private investigator. A clever mystery, plenty of action and delightfully realistic characters made Death & the Gravedigger’s Angel an addictive listen.

Our characters are back in East Bledsoe Ferry, MO after the last installment and Wren Morgan is working at Hadleigh House inventorying the old abandoned home for auction. Here she finds an antique sketchbook. A man is found nearby dead and wearing a civil war uniform and a man named Tony Dozier, an army vet is arrested for killing a man that was protesting his wife’s funeral. Death (Dee-th) Bogart meets the man and knows right away he didn’t kill anyone. He has been asked by the defense attorney to help prove Tony is mentally unstable and unaware of his actions. Death sets out to prove Tony didn’t do it and catch a killer. The story that unfolds was interesting as our heroine finds herself in danger.

So we have a few mysteries. Who is the owner of the antique sketchbook and where is the final art piece? What’s up with the dead man and the civil war uniform? Who killed the man Tony is accused of murdering. Themes and situations found within the story are relevant to events in the news, and I liked the subtle way these were mentioned. All of the threads soon became woven together and I quite enjoyed the solving of these mysteries.

While not perfect, Ross does offer a nice balance between mystery, small-town character development and a healthy dose of humor. Ross addresses some serious issues such as PTSD and depression. Death a Marine Veteran left the service after sustaining a permanent injury that has damaged his lungs. He suffers PTSD, so much so that he won’t spend the entire night in Wren’s bed. This brings about bouts of depression and Ross had a firm grasp of what this entails. Tony an Army Vet suffers from blackouts, nightmares and flashback episodes added details that enlighten while providing an interesting murder mystery.

Wren and Death’s romantic relationship continues to develop and we get to spend time with townsfolk, their families and take part in an auction. Of course, we get plenty of laughter. There was a heated verbal exchange using biblical quotes that had me laughing so hard, I had to stop and wipe away tears. We get hints about things to come and a nice epilogue.

Amanda Ronconi once again narrates and is perfectly matched for Ross’s characters. She has become the voice of Death and Wren for me, and I hope she continues.

Like most cozy mysteries the storyline for Death & the Gravedigger’s Angel is predictable, but Ross manages to entertain while offering a well-developed tale with characters you will want to visit again.

Another delightful mystery! Death & the Gravedigger's Angel by Loretta Ross #audio Share on X
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About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram

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22 Responses to “Death & the Gravedigger’s Angel by Loretta Ross”

  3. Wattle

    This one sounds like a good cozy, the name ‘Death’ made me pause while reading the synopsis so I’m glad you clarified! I’ll have to give the first one a go I think 🙂

  8. Sophia Rose

    I just snagged my first book from the series b/c I’ve been enjoying seeing what you and Angela have written about it. But man, didn’t realize Ranconi did the audio so might have to add that on. 🙂

  13. Nina

    Even though you mention that it’s predictable, it does sounds like a nice mystery to me. I really need to try a audiobook!

  14. Heidi

    I am glad to hear you found things to like, I do enjoy a good cozy, my last one was a flop, so I need one to redeem the genre for me.

  15. Tracy Terry

    I’m so glad you enjoyed this book as I’d have been disappointed to find out otherwise.

    It really is amazing the power covers have over us, that we do feel disappointed when a cover we love isn’t reflected in the book.

  16. Nadene

    You made me curious with your review of the first book and it seems things have gotten more interesting. Great review.

  21. Angela @ Simply Angela

    I’ve been having so much fun with this series and I like how Ross adds in serious issues like PTSD and such. And, like you, I could not stop laughing at the Biblical quotes war.