The Remains of the Dead

This book starts with a great premise and manages to pull it off when other books would have failed miserably. I'm sure we have all chosen a book because the core story idea was intriguing but the book failed to deliver. In this case the author pulled it off. The idea is Sadie Novak runs a "death clean-up" service - cleaning up the sites of newly departed persons so the family don't have to since it may require special gear etc. The twist being how Sadie can see and talk to the dead providing her with murders to solve.

This book does very well at character development, fair plot and good pacing. The romantic tension is well maintained and not juvenile, contrived or soft porn-ish. Overall a good read.

This book also has interesting twists show more like the main character can only see those we died naturally or at the hands of somebody else - but not suicides. And she is still trying to deal with the death of her brother in the course of this story. I liked how she eventually teams up with another psychic who sees those who have committed suicide.

The one down side was that it seemed rather obvious to the reader who the "bad guy" was fairly early and Sadie just insistd it was somebody else. That got frustrating. show less

Wendy Roberts is a new (to me, at least) writer with a first book, "The Remains of the Dead", that's the harbinger of a new and interesting mystery series. The heroine is a woman who cleans up death scenes. She cleans not only the house, but also helps any ghosts left behind find their way home.

Sadie is an interesting heroine. The story of how she became involved in her cleaning business is part and parcel of the plot of this first book, so I'll just say that it hooked my attention and leave it at that. Sadie has depth of character, but also sometimes barges in where angels may fear to tread! She also has one employee and he's intriguing on his own too. He may also be interested in a little more than just cleaning with Sadie, but we'll show more have to see more in the next book.

Sadie's current job is going well...until the ghost of the murdered lady of the house shows up apparently in shock (as well as dead). Said ghost has no intention of moving on as she seems determined to communicate with Sadie but refuses to 'talk'. About the only thing Sadie can figure out is that the woman is positive her husband didn't kill her--in direct opposition to what the police decided. So now Sadie must find a way to investigate the 'murder-suicide' that she's coming to believe was actually a murder-murder.

I truly had a good time reading "The Remains of the Dead", cute title and all. Wendy Roberts' dialogue is quick and witty and her characters have traits that make them interesting apart from the mystery. The clues were smartly placed and the plot was good. Towards the middle of the book, Roberts also introduces a couple more characters which may become part of the cast for this series and I've already picked up the next book. How's that for a recommendation? show less

I'm so mad at myself for not reading THE REMAINS OF THE DEAD sooner! It's been sitting in my to-be-read pile for months, and I'm so sad I missed out all this time! Once I started reading I couldn't stop, and read this one in the course of a day.

Sadie Novak, owner of Scene-2-Clean (a business that cleans up after violent or unattended deaths), has the ability to see ghosts. Usually, she's quite happy to help them "cross over" to the other side. But while dealing with a clean-up after a horrible murder-suicide, Sadie suddenly finds herself embroiled in a mystery.

Things quickly spiral out of control - she's accused of theft, the tires of her company van are slashed, she's even shot at - and Sadie realizes that she's going to have to work show more hard to clear her name, and the reputation of her business.

This is such a great read! I love cozy mysteries, and this one, with its added paranormal element, is just so good! I loved the supporting characters, especially Zack and Madame Maevra, and hope to see more of them in the next book, which I'm starting later today.

If you like a good mystery with a dab of the paranormal (there's even a twist at the end of the book that I didn't see coming!), then definitely invest in picking up a copy of THE REMAINS OF THE DEAD! show less

I could not put this book down. I was hooked from the first page. Thirty-two year old Sadie Novak, is the owner of Scene-2-Clean, a crime scene cleanup company in Seattle, Washington. I immediately like Sadie. She is smart, has common sense and at times has a great sense of humor. She also shows great compassion when dealing with the grieving next of kin. And then there's this little thing of being able to see and talk to ghosts. Sadie and her lone employee, Zack Bowman, get a call to clean up a crime scene where a murder-suicide of a husband and wife took place. The ghost of Trudy, the wife, appears and insists that her husband did not kill her. Sadie is reluctant to get involved, but soon gets caught up in trying to find out who did show more kill Trudy and her husband.

I enjoyed the relationships between all the characters. Sadie, Zack and Sadie's best friend, Pam, compliment each other well. Sadie and Zack have great chemistry. There is definite potential there. Pam brings a lighter side. She is spunky and upbeat, but not to the point of being annoying. There is also a Medium named Maeva. I laughed out loud at the bickering between her and Sadie. I really hope Maeva shows up in future issues.

I wasn't sure what to expect with the talking ghosts, so I was pleased when the author pulled it off very nicely. There was nothing cheesy or cheap about it. The author does an excellent job with detail, so if you have a weak stomach and like to snack while reading, like I do, leave the snacks for another time! There was nothing really surprising about the mystery itself. I pretty much had it figured out by the middle of the book. However, it was an entertaining read getting to the conclusion. There was a surprising twist at the end. Looking back, the author did drop clues about it, but I failed to put two and two together. I am not going to say anything else about it, as I don't want to give anything away. The only bad thing I can say about this book is that I have to wait a whole year for the next book in the series.

For those that it matters, this book is written in third person. show less

My God, the ending of this book was depressing.

Good book, and if I run into the second somewhere I'll nab it. I won't actively hunt for it or order it online, though.

Mystery wise it was average. There weren't many players in the field so it was easy to guess who it could have been. Not enough leads to other sources. I was able to guess the motive pretty early too if I was right on the killer (turned out being so.) Pacing didn't lag so the book was never dull and there were enough little shockers to fill the void of suspense. The majority of the novel wasn't on the mystery exactly, but character interaction and lots of time on various jobs. It sounds distracting but these were the most interesting scenes of the story.

The major issue with show more me is the main character, Sadie. I just don't really like her. Sure, I understand her reasoning behind the job she chose and it's a noble one. Despite her speeches about being caring and loving letting a spirit go free, when she does stumble upon an ocassional ghost she's basically rude most of the time and it's clear they mainly just annoy her. I also took offense with the way she phrased her objections to her sister about the wedding engagement, and especially how ridiculous she was with the psychic. Thankfully the woman pointed out how annoying her skepticism became, but even after proven the woman was genuine, trying to help, and similar to Sadie's abilities, Sadie was generally still too short and rude half the time. The woman just was too moody and bitchy for me to latch on to as a heroine. I didn't hate her but she's not someone I can understand.

Zach was awesome though, as was the fun friend Pam and the other characters. The author writes well and it's easy to fall into her story as she keeps the dialogue realistic, doesn't muddle the page with pointless ramblings of decor and description, and keeps the pacing smooth and moving forward.

I do recommend to fans of paranormal mysteries. show less

The Remains of the Dead
3.5 Stars

In addition to her unusual occupation (crime scene cleanup), Sadie Novak has the added “gift” of being able to speak to the ghosts of the victims. When Sadie and her partner, former police officer Zach Bowman, are hired to clean up the scene of a murder/suicide, she is shocked to encounter not only a silent ghost with an urgent need to communicate, but a handsome man who is very much alive and has a troubling connection to the case. As Sadie begins to uncover the secrets of the Toth family, she becomes the target of a desperate killed intent on getting away with murder.

While this is a cozy paranormal mystery, it does contain vivid and sometimes gruesome descriptions of decomposing corpses and blood show more spattered crime scenes. As such, it is not recommended for readers with weaker stomachs.

Not only is Sadie a rather prickly and oft times brusque heroine, but she also has one or two annoyingly TSTL moments.

The story is well-paced and the writing flows although the author does have a tendency to mix up character names, which can get confusing at times. The mystery is interesting despite the obvious culprit, and the climax and resolution are exciting and satisfying. Moreover, the hints at a romance between Sadie and Zach have definite potential, and as a romance fan this is sufficient for me to continue with the series. show less

Great story, nicely developed plot. Sure, it was obvious who the culprit was but the overall story wasn't diminished because of it. Loved the slight tension between Sadie and Zack. The ending took me completely by surprise though. Can't wait to start on the next installment of this promising series