October Book Club: Empty Promises & Crowded Caskets by Ana Bisset
Empty Promises & Crowded Caskets by Ana Bisset
Her life turns upside down in one horrible no-good day.
Empty Promises & Crowded Caskets follows Libby Foster, an investigative journalist who has to move back to her hometown in Maine to lay low from the mob. Her day goes from bad to worse when she discovers her boyfriend is a bum and she nearly gets plowed over by a ghost. Then comes the explosion, … then the extra body in the casket.
Little does she know that her journalistic instincts are about to kick in, and Libby and her friends must work together to uncover the truth and expose the cunning killer.
What I liked most about this book was the depth of the characters. Libby’s relationship with her funny grannie and best friends who have her back is heartwarming. Her potential to get back together with an old boyfriend who’s now the town police chief was well played and believable. The romantic tension between them had me rooting for them to get together.
The suspense in the story was well balanced with humor. The funny wisecracks with her friends had me laughing out loud. And the love for her hometown in Maine that shines through in the story was endearing. Overall, Empty Promises & Crowded Caskets is a solid mystery that blends together elements of suspense, romance, and humor seamlessly. The story is well-paced, and the characters are endearing and memorable.
This one has a hint of the supernatural about it. Libby can glimpse some ghosts, but they don’t appear to be aware of her presence. For me, the spooky spirits just added an air of campiness to the suspenseful tale and provided some extra conversation partners who just so happened to have checked out early from life.
Kelly Brakenhoff is the author of 15 books and a seasoned ASL interpreter. She splits her writing energy between two series: cozy mysteries set on a college campus and children’s books featuring Duke the Deaf Dog.
Parents, kids, and teachers love the children’s books and activity guides because they introduce ASL and the Deaf community through fun, engaging stories. And if you enjoy a smart female sleuth, want to learn more about Deaf culture, or have ever lived in a place where livestock outnumber people, the Cassandra Sato Mystery series will have you connecting the dots faster than a group project coming together the night before it’s due.
A proud mom to four adults, head of the dog-snuggling department, and grandma to a growing brood of perfectly behaved grandkids, Kelly and her husband call Nebraska home.