Kathryn Meyer GriffithRecensioni

Frank is a retired cop from Chicago who has moved back to hometown of Spookie to write books. Annie found this quaint little town after her husband was killed. She is a great artist and has started painting ads for some the town's businesses. When a young girl disappears and a mud doll is left in her mailbox, Frank knows it is the same serial killer he had been chasing in Chicago for killings that had taken place there. He figures the killer has followed him to seek revenge for Frank shooting him. As the plot thickens and more people disappear in their little town. It sets everyone on edge. The story keeps getting better as it goes along and is well worth the read. The only thing that I found frustrating was not with the story or the author...it was a with the lack of a good editor.

Echoes of other Times is the eighth book in Kathryn Meyer Griffith’s Spook Town Mystery series. I have been loving these intriguing characters and reading about their eventful lives. There is never a dull moment in Spooky Town, so let’s begin.

We start off with a homeless young man. There is something unusual and special about him and when he meets Myrtle…well…he may find his place in this world.

The residents of the town are beginning to come out of their hibernation after the pandemic. Myrtle…scootering around town…I love this woman. I can see her, motoring around, singing a Perry Como song at the top of her lungs. Her heart is so big, as are many others in the town. They have suffered many horrors, but never turn their backs on those in need. I love where Kathryn Meyer Griffith takes this part of the story. I had an idea of what would happen, but it is so much better than I anticipated. My heart went out to the boy, as did others.

Glinda is a psychic and the spirit world is talking to her…loudly. She reads tarot cards and the messages she’s receiving are warnings of what is to come.

Abigail has a big role to play too. She is an artist and when she meets an older woman and offers her a ride, her world expands, as does Theodora’s. That saying, ‘There but for the grace of God go I’ applies. I love the Pay It Forward aspect that makes an appearance.

I have fear for the characters. I have known Kathryn Meyer Griffith to take them out on occasion and I have a heavy sense of trepidation the more I read. Their hearts are so big and welcoming, they stick with you long after the book is read.

It’s great writing like:

…the loss had again driven home the truth that no one lives forever and life was brief. A person should try to be happy. If one wanted to do something, they should do it now. Treat each day as if it were one’s last.

I feel Kathryn Meyer Griffith puts her heart into her characters and they shine.

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Artist and widow Abby has been living on the town of Spookie for a year or two now (?). She is good friends with retired detective, Frank. When a local girl who works at the grocery store disappears, the town is on edge. When a little mud clay doll appears, Frank knows it’s a serial killer, whom he thought he’d killed 10 years earlier in Chicago, back to kidnap and murder again. This time in Frank’s small town.

I really liked this. There were parts from the killer’s POV, and honestly, most of the time when that’s included in a book, I don’t find those parts interesting, but that was not the case with this book. I was also engaged in those parts. The book takes place throughout the Fall including Halloween and up to Christmas, so it felt like a “nice” (well, as nice as serial killer mysteries go!) Fall read. Have to admit, though, there was more than once where I said to myself – call the police! Don’t do these things yourself (and that includes “talking to” Frank – he’s not a cop, anymore!). This was the 2nd book in a series, but to be honest, I remember next to nothing of the first book, so I would say you don’t need to read the first one first.

I’m always curious where Kathryn Meyer Griffith can take the Dinosaur Lake series and she does not disappoint. Like the tag line says, The aliens are coming in force…but for a malevolent or a benevolent reason? I think they may make us an offer we can’t refuse. Kathryn Meyer Griffith has a vivid imagination and I love her Dinosaur Lake series so much, I would hate for it to ever end.

Humanity…we go about our daily business as if there will always be a tomorrow. What if aliens came to visit and gave us an ultimatum. I, for one, don’t believe we would be able to hold up our part of the bargain. There are those that put their life on the line and those that only think of themselves, not caring what they do to others or the environment as they please themselves.

Henry has retired from his ranger job at Crater Lake, lost much and still suffers, but he has loyal friends who will jump to his aid when called.

Oscar, I love him. He has saved many human lives and will be called on again.

The first part of the book reminds us of what has already happened, leading us into what is coming. I do like when an author refreshes my memory, reminding me of what has come before, bringing the heartache and loss back to mind. We do have many feel good moments and that is important to me too. I want to smile and laugh while wondering if the world is going to end.

I wonder…what would humanity do if it was all real?

What do you think? What would you do?

From beginning to end, I devoured the words. I had to know what Kathryn Meyer Griffith created in Dinosaur Lake VII. Every time I think this series and Kathryn can’t surprise me, they do. I couldn’t stop reading. Even though the ending seemed abrupt, I think that was me wanting more. I don’t know what more she could have said or done to create a better experience for me.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dinosaur Lake VII by Kathryn Meyer Griffith.

See more at http://www.fundinmental.com

Quick read, a little quirky. I figured out who done it about half way through the book. Enjoyable, easy read.

I love this vampire book. It is about a woman who is attacked. Her husband is killed and she is turned into a vampire. Years before she, her husband and her brother, fought vampires and killed some. Now Jenny is a single mother, recovering from the attack and finding herself changing into a vampire. Imagine her horror at that. Imagine her fear of harming her children. Imagine her love that refuses to give up her children. As you can tell this is not your sparkly, friendly vampire book. The author develops her characters superbly. We know and care about them. It is funny, but, one of the descriptive words that I think of with this book is healing. We are witness to a family healing from a huge loss. You might not think that possible in a vampire story but it is in this one. And it works. However, this is a horror story. Do not be fooled by what I have written so far. There is violence in this book. What we believe are vampires, do kill in it. In horrifying ways. And they kill children. I love that Ms. Griffith has kept the violence on the low end of graphic. It is there, just not like it could have been written. Most of it is suggestive, the way a good horror book is written. We get the set up, our imagination terrifies us and then we get what happened. I love that. I love when the author invites my imagination to play. I am hoping there is a follow up book.

This was a riveting book, well written. I recommend it.
There is violence in the book. There is no sex or bad language.
I read this as a stand alone book, however, it is connected to Vampire Blood. Vampire Blood tells the story of Jenny's first encounter with vampires.

*I received a copy of Human No Longer for review. No promises were made except to give an honest review of my opinion of the book. I received no compensation for this review.*

The pacing was slow, dry, and not helped by the frequent, jarring sentence fragments. The protagonist and antagonist were set up as Completely Good and Completely Evil with no hope of any nuance or hook whatsoever.

Abigail Sutton is finally moving on with her life and moves to Spookie. After hearing stories of the previous owner and her family, and finding scraps of paper hidden on the house, she tried to solve their mysterious disappearance.

Green skies…do you know what they mean? A storm is coming…

A short cut home…

An abandoned house…calling to her. Town folks thought it was haunted because of the family that was murdered there. In Spookie town, I have no doubt of it. BUT, Kathryn Meyer Griffith gives me more than I expect when I crack open one of her books and that makes me happy.

Along with getting updates on what’s been shaking in Spookie Town and the characters that live there, we have a couple of mysteries going on and lots of danger. We have soooo many people to worry about and I am very worried. I have grown to love and care for them and wish them only the best….but…well, you know, we gotta have action. I won’t say who I am most worried about, but I will recommend not putting things off when something doesn’t feel right.

I have a good idea of what the mystery is, but boy oh boy, Kathryn Meyer Griffith pulls out all the stops and gives me those twists, turns and book surprises that I look for to make a book stand out.

A past mystery will be solved, an injustice righted and a wedding celebration is in order.

There seemed to be some repetition, but the story kept flowing and my interest never waned. Good times, bad times, Kathryn Meyer Griffith left me with a smile on my face, hoping for more mysteries and laughter with these fun and quirky characters.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of What Lies Beneath by Kathryn Meyer Griffith.

See more at http://www.fundinmental.com

Gripping from the very beginning and I love that.

We have a new character, Evelyn, Myrtle’s grandniece. She is living in Evelyn’s home, fixing it up and collecting the homeless kitties, like Evelyn used to do. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Glinda is a psychic, and quickly makes many friends since her move to the small town of Spookie, where danger stalks the characters, like the ghosts in the fog. Is the fog your friend or is it out to get you?

Frank is a murder mystery writer since his retirement from the police department, but he needs more. He becomes a consultant for the Chicago Police Department, and it’s a good thing he did. He will need those resources when his daughter, Laura’s, safety becomes an issue.

There is so much more going on than just the mystery about the buried treasure. Kathryn Meyer Griffith manages to have multiple mysteries going on so there is never a dull moment.

What a fabulous cast of characters. I love their uniqueness and quirkiness. Their willingness to go above and beyond for those around them, whether two footed or four footed.

Myrtle still remains my favorite. I love this crusty old bird, eccentric, gruff, but, as we pull away the layers, like peeling an onion, her heart is exposed. And it is a big one!

We’ve had adventures in Spookie, with kidnappers, serial killers, missing people, ghosts, witches and now, treasure hunters. It amazes me that Kathryn Meyer Griffith is able to create so many different and wonderful scenarios. I can hardly wait to find out the next one:

All Those Who Came Before…

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of What Lies Beneath by Kathryn Meyer Griffith.

See more at http://www.fundinmental.com

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Witches Among Us by Kathryn Meyer Griffith is the fourth book in the Spookie Town Murder Mystery series. I have loved all the previous books, so I open my Kindle with sweet anticipation.
Witches Among Us (Spookie Town Murder Mysteries #4)

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Witches Among Us by Kathryn Meyer Griffith is the fourth book in the Spookie Town Murder Mystery series. I have loved the previous three, so I figure there is a great chance that I will love this one too. Each book can stand alone, but I think the characters are ones you may want to know better and find out how they came to be where they are now.

We start out with Myrtle pulling her wagon and singing a song. She is such a wonderful character and Kathryn Meyer Griffith has brought her to life through her writing. She may not be the main character, but she is so original and unique and fabulous, that she has become my favorite. She is eccentric and would have appeared wacko, but the townspeople know otherwise.

Myrtle is afraid that the past is catching up with her. Her and her sister, Estelle have been hiding in Spookie for fifty five years. Had the witches found them?

She comes to Frank and Abigail because they can fix anything.

I quickly became engrossed in this magical mystery as Myrtle’s group of friends and family come together to face the danger and solve the mystery. The more time I spend in the small town of Spookie, with its almost ever present fog, the more I enjoy it.

I love Witches Among Us and Kathryn Meyer Griffith kept me in the dark about the details of the mystery. She manages to keep me guessing: who, what, why, where, how…

Good magic, bad magic, who will prevail? Shows…you can run but you can’t hide from your past. It will catch up to you and then…

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Witches Among Us by Kathryn Meyer Griffith.

See more at http://www.fundinmental.com

Very compelling book about not-your-average vampires. The story is well-told and so interesting that I read it quite quickly. Jenny and her family are led on a roller-coaster ride of emotions all while trying to keep themselves safe. Will they emerge triumphant? Delve into their world and see.

Quaint, riveting mystery in a small town. Great characters. Abigail Sutton is a Jessica Fletcher in training.

Too predictable, writing style was a little odd in places.

Oh man, it’s good to be back with Abigail, Frank, Myrtle and the gang in Spookie Town. Not only do we have a murder mystery, but we have a little bit of the supernatural going on. Is it good or bad? I’ll leave that for you to find out for yourself.

Myrtle is an eccentric (?) who sees ghosts and I love how she pops in and out of Abigail and Frank’s life. Abigail and Frank are a couple, but they have yet to make that final decision, to live together. Abigail has two children that she took in when they were orphaned. You can find the details out in All Things Slip Away and it is a wonderful story.

Abigail got up in the morning and as soon as she stepped outside felt something…was in the air…and it didn’t feel good. Myrtle comes to Abigail with a request. Will she help her neighbor, who is being haunted by a ghost? Bumps in the night doesn’t begin to describe what she is going through.

They are not ghost whisperers, ghost busters, or ghost hunters, but they will get to the bottom of the mystery of the burglaries, hauntings, missing people, and dead bodies. Just because they are older and quickly dismissed by the small town police, doesn’t mean it isn’t happening and someone must step in before something else happens.

Are the police just inept, lazy and useless, or are they part of the problem? That is one of the things I love about small towns, the unique, fun, and interesting characters that add as much to the story as the mystery we are here to solve.

BUT, also in a small town:

“You’re one of us. Remember I told you, we take care of our own in Spookie. That’s what we do.”

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Ghosts Beneath Us by Kathryn Meyer Griffith.

See more at http://www.fundinmental.com

The Prologue for All Things Slip Away filled me in on the highlights of the Spookie Town Murder Mystery Series Book I, Scaps of Paper, and thank goodness. It has been a while since I read it, so I needed a refresher. You could begin reading here, but I am loving this series so much, I would highly recommend beginning at the beginning.

NOW…it’s ten years later and Frank Lester, a Chicago Homicide detective that moved to Spooky town, has found the serial killer he thought he had taken out is back, and he is on the hunt…for revenge.

I read a lot of Young Adult novels, so it is refreshing to be meeting some older characters that carry baggage and memories, and lust does not override their emotions. The romance is a slow burn, but smolders throughout the pages.

There is so much more to the killer than meets the eye. He has his own issues and problems that he cannot overcome. He is driven to seek revenge. The villain is one of those bad guys that can evoke a moment of sympathy for him.

Abigail is Frank’s love interest, but he is not alone in his desire to date her.The sheriff has his eye on her too. Myrtle is a neighbor and she is quite the character. She gave me some laughs and I love some humor with my murder. My heart went out to Laura and Nick, and the rest of their family, two children whose mother is ill and they struggle to even feed themselves. The two kids broke my heart, yet put a smile on my face.

The suspense is ramping up as the pacing takes me to the next event and I am eager, yet apprehensive about HIS and Frank’s next meeting.

Kathryn Meyer Griffith’s has an ability to draw me into the story so deep that I feel like I am walking in Abigail’s shoes, being stalked, feeling like someone is following me, watching me, having me looking over my shoulder, ‘hiding out’, keeping low.

I love that Kathryn can stretch the story, all the while keeping me on edge. It has been months since HE has been seen…life goes on…but, we all know it isn’t over. The tension builds as I wait, wait for the explosion that is about to come.

Well, I guess you can tell how much I loved All Things Slip Away. The story is fabulous and kept me totally engrossed, the characters came to life on the pages through Kathryn’s words and I fell in love with them. The peripheral characters became just as important to me as the main ones. The mystery, yeah, we know who he is, sorta but that does not take away anything from the story.

I highly recommend any of her work. Kathryn has never disappointed me.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of All Things Slip Away by Kathryn Meyer Griffith.

See more at http://www.fundinmental.com

Two years ago, Abigail Sutton’s husband went out and vanished. Two years later, she learns he was killed. Grieving, she picks up the pieces of her life, resolves to becoming a full-time artist (at least until her saved up money is gone), and moves to a quaint small town. There, she buys an old farmhouse that once belonged to the late Edna Summers. As Abigail gets to know her new neighbors and develops a close friendship with retired police officer Frank Lester, she renovates the house. But as she digs through Edna’s history and works on the house, she discovers papers covered in children’s writings. After learning Edna’s sister, niece, and nephew spent a summer living with her before vanishing into the night, she stumbles on 3 graves. Are they the final resting places of Edna’s family? If so, how did they die, and is the person who did it still around and now after Abigail?

I love a good cozy mystery, with an intriguing mystery and a strong female detective. Unfortunately, this was not one of those. The mystery was simplistic, an obvious whodunit almost from the moment the mystery was introduced. Other possible murderers were thrown in as red herrings, but none of them were very plausible and, from the way they were treated, I got the sense Abigail and Frank didn’t see them as particularly likely either. However, the children seeming to haunt Abigail to get their mystery solved was a nice touch and added a little suspense to a lackluster mystery.

The characters were also a letdown. They were little more than caricatures of the sort of people you might find in a small town. There’s the handsome widowed man for Abigail to fall for, the town crazy lady (who is, admittedly, probably the most interesting character because she is the town crazy lady), the reporter who pokes her nose in everything, the recluse, etc. If the stereotype exists, it’s in this book. The dialogue didn’t help much. Instead of serving to help highlight difference between the characters, everyone but Abigail seemed to have the same speech style, talking in fragments and seeming more contrived than authentic. The really annoying part was that this could also be found in the narrative. However, the developing friendship between Abigail and Frank was nice, starting off slow, but you can tell they like each other. The other interactions Abigail has did not come off as this charming. Instead, they felt contrived and inauthentic, serving only to give Abigail some tidbit she would later need.

Overall, the whole book was just too…contrived, and formulaic. The story-mystery balance felt formulaic, switching back and forth between Abigail’s relationships with everyone and discussing the mystery at seemingly plotted out points instead of happening naturally. This often led to much more tell than show since characters needed to give Abigail information at some point and what better way than to just tell her how someone acts and why?

The writing also suffered. Other than being rife with fragments, in dialogue and the narrative, there were other, non-fragment incomplete sentences. Generally, the writing was rather poor and simple.

The bottom line: a simple, contrived mystery with a few pleasant surprises here and there. If you just want to sit back and enjoy, give this one a shot, otherwise there are better cozy mysteries out there (my personal favorite is the Coffeehouse Mysteries by Cleo Coyle, but that’s for another post!)

This review can also be found on my blog https://katpersephone.wordpress.com

Just finished Scraps of Paper. I give it 4 stars. It would have received 5, but there were a few grammatical errors throughout. Summary: Abigail needs to find a new life for herself. She has grieved for her husband for 2 years and now it is time to move on. Abigail finds the town of Spookie and falls in love with the town and its quirky characters. She learns that the house she buys has an unhappy past. 30 years earlier a young mother and her 2 children go missing. While renovating the house, Abigail finds scraps of paper written by the children. After befriending a newspaperwoman, the two decide to run a series of stories asking the townspeople to come forward with their own stories and theories of what happened 30 years ago. The series brings out some wonderful stories; however, it also brings out some very negati

When I first saw the title, I thought it might be a scrapbooking story--it's not, but it does involve the main character finding pieces of paper with clues throughout the new house that she's just purchased. Unfortunately the story is told in such a way that I felt held at arms length from the characters and the action--and that made it very hard to care about the story or the characters.

Entertaining, fun and exciting read. This story explores what would happen if a semi-aquatic dinosaur survived and for various geological reasons made an appearance in a National Park during tourist season. The main character could have used some work - he was too "know it all" and his wife annoyed me too, but otherwise an entertaining tale. I'm looking forward to the sequel.

A fun and entertaining sequel to [b:Dinosaur Lake|3429805|Dinosaur Lake|Kathryn Meyer Griffith|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1456362387s/3429805.jpg|3470700]. Dinosaurs invade Crater Lake National Park again, only this time there are more than one... and they can fly! Chief Park Ranger Henry Shore has to deal with these new critters with the help of some old and some new characters, while at the same time dealing with a family crisis. Not as gory as the first book.

Dinosaur Lake III: Infestation is set a few months after Dinosaur Lake II: Dinosaurs Arising. The dinosaurs are back. This time there are more of them. They are fast, cunning, aggressive and out to take over the world. Chief Park Ranger Henry Shore of Crater Lake National Park has to cal out the cavalry to deal with the crisis and this time, it's full out war and the victor will someday claim Earth. This is a fast paced, exciting romp through dinosaur park.

I always love a good mystery, and this was an awesome book because it had two mysteries overlapping one another. The first involves a ghost and the second involves missing girls. As the fifth installment in the series, there is plenty of going on, lots of characters and truly a fantastic amount of suspense. Loved the twists and the humor. If you’re looking for a book that has a touch of everything, suspense, paranormal, mystery, humor, then this is the book to check out.

Narration flowed easily across the different characters, bringing life to them in unique ways.

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

Memories of My Childhood by Kathryn Meyer Griffith includes Christmas Magic, but I reviewed that separately. These short stories are a glimpse into Kathryn’s life and I am always curious about the authors I have come to love. How about you?

The lovely original illustrations were done by her and published in the 70s in the Belleville News.

NIGHT SLEDDING: 1979. ‘Funny’ the things that trigger memories. A simple scene…coasting down a hill on a sled. Fearless children, pushing the envelope, taking chances. Also made me think of the giant hill we used to skateboard down, and this is back when it was just a board on wheels. But…someone has to be the voice of reason. Kathryn’s ability to bring to describe something as simple as a tree in such detail that it makes it scary is amazing.

MICHAEL: 1977. Won a newspaper short story award. Fall brings thought of Michael. Seems all families have a black sheep and Michael was theirs. Life is not all fun and games and kids can be cruel. Who knows what that cruelty can create. Michael is a tear jerker and I can see why she won. Sometimes it’s only when they are gone that we find out how much we care.

PONY SUMMER: 1978. We used to run wild in our neighborhood too. There was danger then, we just didn’t know about it or thought about it, until it comes through the unlocked door. Kathryn had always loved horses, even though she had never been near one. ‘Funny’ what we grow to love and desire. Sometimes our dreams don’t come try. That doesn’t mean we don’t have some wonderful memories anyway. Having no money can cause a lot of problems, but I do believe love can overcome. We can only live and learn through our parents. I so remember those carefree days of summer, plenty of time to play. So much of this time is familiar to me and I think it may be to some of you too.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Memories of My Childhood by Kathryn Meyer Griffith.

See more at http://www.fundinmental.com

Very good. The characters and town are well developed and a great mystery