Grave Silence by Rose Beecham is a fun mystery novel and a fantastic audio book. The main character is detective Jude Devine who is paired up with Tully, a slightly odd partner. They make up the entire police force in the remote town of Paradox Valley. Nothing much happens here until the body of a teenager shows up with a stake through her heart. Their inquiry leads them deep into the heart of the FLDS.
While investigating the murder, Jude meets Dr Mercy Westmoreland the forensic pathologist for the area. Both women are immediately drawn together and they begin a lust filled encounter. Mercy is clear from the start that she wants no commitments, just fun.
Can Jude find the murderer, save an escaped girl, help a runaway boy, keep her partner from making a big mistake with a woman and still give Mercy nothing but fun?
The Characters
There are a number of characters in this book and on occasion I was little confused between the various women at the FLDS but for the most part it was easy enough to keep track of the characters.
There is a lot going on in this book, leaving little time for character development. From that perspective, characters are pretty much the same when we meet them as when we leave them. Having said that, the story is entirely satisfying even without the massive character development.
I like Jude Devine and also really enjoyed her partner and his love for his dog.
There were excellent small side stories that I found surprising and satisfying, including a would-be suitor who does everything in his power to gain Jude’s attention.
The Writing Style
Her research on this novel was good. I liked that the FLDS was showcased a little. They are interesting and rarely covered in mystery novels.
The pacing was great, it kept me interested and I found myself finishing the audio book too soon.
I enjoyed the fact that Beecham had so many smaller storylines and that each one is fulfilled really well while keeping the main storyline tight and compelling.
Her language usage was well thought out giving me a clear picture of what was going on.
The Narration
This was an audio book, narrated by Kim Baldwin. She did a great job. Each character was clear, every moment was well enunciated and the story flowed beautifully.
The Pros
This is an excellent audio book. The story is great fun, the narration was brilliant and the production was spot on. Nicely done, ladies.
The Cons
If you are looking for romance may I suggest a different audio book. Not that the lack of romance is a con. This is a fun, different kind of novel.
The Conclusion
Dog Ear Audio did a spectacular job of producing this audio book. Beecham wrote a great mystery and Kim Baldwin brought life the story with a vivid and well-paced narration. I will definitely look up the rest of the trilogy when Dog Ear Audio turns them into audio books.
Overall, one of the best audio books in the lesbian fiction genre that I have listened to this year.
Excerpt from Grave Silence by Rose Beecham
On a still afternoon in early August, a couple of gas station robbers fished an old-style Samsonite suiter out of the Delores River near Slick Rock. Bobby Lee Parker and Frank Horton had been dragging the murky waters under the Highway 141 bridge for the proceeds of a stickup they’d pulled two weeks earlier.
It was not their lucky day.
So far, they’d lost the final round of the watermelon seed spitting competition at the Montezuma country fair. Then Bobby Lee’s mom showed up wanting to get high and helped herself to his last gram of weed. Now it seemed like the plastic garbage bad they’d stashed under some rocks has been washed away during the big storm that had startled locals earlier in the week.
Normally, this time of year, the Dolores between Slick Rock and Bedrock was a muddy trickle. The whitewater grows abandoned the place by June, taking their kayaks and Discover cards back to Boulder. Soon after, the canyons were overrun with hikers busting their asses to see wildflowers and shit. A couple of these idiots normally got themselves mauled by mountain lions every summer. Then came the annual funeral procession of VW’s packed with posers winding down their tinted windows and asking directions to Telluride. Bobby Lee had seen the worst movies of his life trying to get laid at that film festival.
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Bits and Bobs
- ISBN: 9781933110257
- Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
- Audio Book Publisher: Dog Ear Audio
- Narrated by: Kim Baldwin
Jennifer Fulton
Just so you know: Jennifer Knight writes as Jennifer Fulton, Rose Beecham and Grace Lennox.
Note: I received a free review copy of this audiobook for review. No money was exchanged for this review. I will always endeavour to review books as honestly as possible and on occasion I refuse to review books.
