Caffeinated Reviewer

Today I’ve got the first two Messages of Murder books on audio. Narrated by Matt Godfrey & Gina Rogers, they share the story of a young woman named Gabby who gets messages and experiences psychic visions by touch. She can find lost objects and relive the last moments of someone’s death. Look and see what I love about this series….

Message in the Bones by Dawn Merriman is the first audiobook in the Messages of Murder paranormal cozy mystery series featuring a young woman named Gabby who gets visions when she touches thing or people…. even their dead bones. This was a clever & suspenseful tale and a great start to the series.

I am not a freak, although many people call me that. The night my father was murdered and I was left for dead, I awoke with the ability to "sense" things. Touching things can give me visions, sometimes horrifying, murderous ones.

The bones of a murdered woman are unearthed and our safe small town is shaken to its core. Her killer was good at hiding the truth and after decades in the ground, any clues are gone—her murder a complete mystery. The only clues are the ones I can see.

My brother was recently promoted to head detective. With no other clues, you think he'd be thrilled to have my help, but he'd rather pretend I don't exist than use my gifts. Thank heavens, his handsome partner doesn't agree and calls me in.

Although I'm terrified to touch her, the mysterious skeleton has a story that needs to be told. When I grip the bones, I live through her murder. The message I see changes me—changes everything.

The only person who believes me is the one man who knows the truth of my visions—the killer. He's desperate to keep his secrets buried. Now he hunts a new prey—me. I don't need psychic powers to know he's right behind me—closing in—about to strike.

The story has multiple points from Gabby to victims. At just around six hours, it’s an interesting cozy mystery, and I could finish it in two listens.

As Gabby follows leads from above and her information gleaned from the bones of the victim, she sets out to solve the murder and discovers more. In the meantime, we learn what life is like in a small-town where your mother murdered your father. Townsfolk call her witch and fear her. Heck, her own brother, the local lead detective, doesn’t believe your gift. His partner, her cat and her grandmother seem to be the only ones in Gabby’s court. There are hints of romance, but it looks like it will be a slow burn throughout the series.

Merriman does a good job of giving us some backstory and hooking us with the mystery. The story is narrated by Matt Godfrey & Gina Rogers. Gina gives us Gabby’s perspective and that of the victims. Matt provides a voice for her brother and his partner.

Amazon* | Audible

*Free eBook

Message in the Fire by Dawn Merriman is the second audio in the Messages of Murder series. It is stronger than book one and places Gabby in great danger. It also shapes the direction of the series.

A daring escape, psychic visions, a terrifying cult and a burning ritual.
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Blood stained her back and her hands were bound. She’d crumpled on her side under a tree, wrapped around her crying newborn. My psychic abilities would show me what happened to the young woman, but the horror can scar. Fear stopped me from touching her. I scooped the infant up and the young woman moved. She was alive.
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Alive, but in a coma. A complete mystery. The detectives, my brother and his handsome partner, desperately needed information. I’m the only one who can communicate with the woman. What I see horrifies. She had been held captive for years as part of a sick, secret cult. When she planned to escape, they killed her. But her will to live and protect her child burned strong and she got away.
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Visions are tricky things. The details often float like smoke, lost in the haze. I can’t tell where this sick cult is or who they are, but the terror the woman feels burns inside me. The cult turns their hatred on me, but I won’t stop until I bring them to a fiery end.

A little time has passed since the events of Message in the Bones. The story opens with the perspective of a young woman trying to make an escape. She is bound and having contractions. I was immediately pulled into the story.

Gabby confesses to her grandmother, who she saw at the funeral as the two are gathering clothes for church donation. When Gabby and her grandmother’s dog take the clothes to the church, they make a discovery in the nearby woods. The tale that unfolds sees Gabby struggle with wanting to help and opposition from her brother and townsfolk. Determined to help this young woman, Gabby soon finds herself in danger.

The tale kept me engaged, and we learned more about Gabby’s tattoo and how it came to be. There is a religious aspect to the story, but it makes sense for the character and isn’t preachy. Grandma tries bringing her family together. I love this strong woman and she provided some important clues that helped not only Gabby but her brother.

Each book can be listened to as a standalone, but I recommend listening in order. Gina Rogers & Matt Godfrey once again narrated. They work well together and I didn’t have to change my listening speed.

Amazon* | Audible

*KindleUnlimited

About Dawn Merriman

Dawn Merriman lives in northeastern Indiana on a small pig farm with her husband and teenage children. She enjoys animals, auctions, reading, snorkeling and writing small town murder mystery novels. Dawn Merriman completed her first novel in Middle School and a few others in High School and college. She won 1st place in the Northeast Indiana Young Writers short story contest in 1990. After a writing hiatus to raise her children, she published her debut novel, "How Murder Saved My Life" in 2019.

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About Gina Rogers

Gina Rogers was asked to narrate her first audiobook in 2014 after an author overheard her imitating her Bronx-raised mother at a dinner party. While Gina swears her background in musical theater and television acting has in no way prepared her to speak in accents and dialects, her ability to breathe life into characters has taken her a long way in her career as an audiobook narrator. Outside of narration she teaches Zumba® fitness classes and enjoys spending time with family and volunteering at local animal shelters.

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About Matt Godfrey

Matt Godfrey was raised on O'Connor, Welty, and Lee, and spent most of his teenage years in Yoknapatawpha County. But he traveled wherever the books took him, from Alabama to Tokyo, Twain to Murakami. Now he has the privilege of bringing those books to life as an audiobook narrator. He works in all genres and in a lot of accents, but specializes in his beloved Southern Gothic. He is a two-time nominee for the Society of Voice Arts & Sciences Awards and the Audiobook Reviewer Listener's Choice Awards. He has a fully equipped home studio and works with major publishers, small presses, and indie authors alike.

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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. Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

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