Narrated by Gina Rogers & Matt Godfrey, Message in the Grave by Dawn Merriman is the third audiobook in the Messages of Murder series featuring Gabby, a young woman with the ability to hear and sense things through touch. When Lucas asks her to find out what happened to his sister, things turn deadly….
by Dawn Merriman
Series: Messages of Murder #3
Narrator: Gina Rogers, Matt Godfrey
Length: 6 hours and 27 minutes
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Narration: 4.5 cups Speed: 1.5x
A psychic suspense thriller
The darker the secret, the harder it is to keep buried</strong?
I’m finally accepting that my psychic talents serve a purpose, that I can use them to help people. But two mysteries plague me. What happened to my good friend Lucas’ sister after she disappeared then years ago?
And if my father was murdered when I was young, why do I keep seeing him?
When I find the long-buried remains of Lucas’ sister, her murdered body only opens more questions. There is an evil lurking in my small town. An evil so close that I can’t trust anyone. An evil so well hidden that even my special abilities can’t see it.
As more people are murdered, I must keep digging for the truth - The truth that might tear my family apart - The truth we all must face.
With each book, we have witnessed a confidence in Gabby as she accepts her gifts and stands up for herself. Now that she has business, she is hoping townsfolk will accept her. Cheating spouses aren’t exactly the cases she wants, but they’ll help her build the business. She promised Lucus she would look into what happened to his sister.
When she discovers the bones of his sister, things go sideways and jeopardize her relationship with Lucus. She needs her brother to step up. The more clues she uncovers, the deadlier things become.
I am really enjoying this series and find Gabby’s gift complex and fascinating. There is a religious aspect, but it is more about how Gabby perceives her gift. I loved the small-town vibe and characters that orbit around Gabby. First, we have her surly brother, a local police detective, his wife and their young daughter. Then we have the glue that holds their broken family together, which is their grandmother. Lucus, her brother’s partner, is Gabby’s biggest defender and love interest. I struggled when the two weren’t speaking.
Questions surrounding the night Gabby received her gifts are answered in Message in the Grave and the thread surrounding her mother’s incarceration is closed. I am curious to see what mysteries Gabby solves next.
Gina Rogers & Matt Godfrey did an excellent job of giving voice to the different perspectives and I highly recommend listening.
*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.
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.
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. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram
Katherine
This series sounds fantastic! I really need to get the audio for the first book and listen to the series.
Kimberly
Thanks Katherine.
Lindsi
I’m still on the fence with this series, but I’m happy you’re enjoying it!
Kimberly
Thanks Lindsi. You can sample it on Amazon with the look inside feature.
Lindsi
Good to know!
Rachel @Waves of Fiction
I think I’d really enjoy this series. It’s KU, but the audios are not. I’ll have to see it they’re at the library or not. I’m curious about Gabby’s gift and I like that there’s a romance even though it sounds like it’s a bit rocky in this one. Wonderful review, Kimberly!
Kimberly
Correct, but you can get the audiobooks at a reduced fee when you add the KU book to your library. I do it all the time, then return book. Prices are anywhere from $1.99 to $7.49
The romance is definitely a slow-burn.
Anne - Books of My Heart
Sounds good to me!
Kimberly
I think you’d enjoy them Anne.
Nadene
I am glad you are loving this series. I have added it to my TBR. Great review, Kim.
Kimberly
Fantastic. Thanks Nadene.