The Grim Reaper’s Dance (A Grim Reaper Mystery)

Judy Clemens
Poisoned Pen Press (2010)
ISBN 9781590587331
Reviewed by Carol Hoyer, PhD, for Reader Views (03/10)


Casey Maldonado is not having a good life.  Her son and husband died in a car accident and she is trying to figure out what to do with her life. Her survivor’s guilt gives her a constant companion - Death- which appears only to Casey. Having no car or money, Casey hitches a ride with a trucker named Evan. But unexpectedly the semi is involved in a deadly accident and before Evan died he told Casey not to let “them” get a stash he has hidden in the truck. Even though Casey is injured in the accident she manages to escape from the hospital and hide in corn fields.

Unbeknownst to Casey, the stash she found in the truck might cause her death. Volunteering in a soup kitchen, Casey finds a friend in Eric whose girlfriend apparently died of an overdose. However, Eric doesn’t believe it and Casey agrees to help him find out what really happened.

“The Grim Reaper’s Dance” by Judy Clemens was an intriguing, fast-pace read from the beginning. I was really fascinated with Death and how he/she guided Casey into some crazy situations and at the same time trying to explain why Casey lived and her family didn’t.  The chapters were short which made you just want to keep reading one more.  The author provided wonderful descriptions of her characters, the land and what was going on in Casey’s mind.  As I was reading this book, I kept asking myself what would I do in Casey’s situation - it was fun trying to be the detective.

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