Customer Reviews

Night of the Loving Dead (Pepper Martin Mysteries, No. 4)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I feel like I have waited forever for the next installment in Casey Daniel's Pepper Martin mystery series. In actuality I read the third installment only about five months ago. Since the third book "Tombs of Endearment" was published, the series has actually switched publishers. The first three came out from Avon and the new installment "Night of the Loving Dead" comes to us from Berkley Crime. Some other things seemed to have changed in the actual story as well. "Night of the Loving Dead" finds Pepper dating Quinn, the policeman. She hasn't seen Dan 'the brain man' in quite awhile. Pepper is sent to Chicago to a Cemetary convention. There she meets a ghost named Madeline who is obnoxious and hateful. Pepper is more than willing to walk away from Madeline unitl the ghost mentions Dan...Soon Pepper finds herself meeting up with Dan again as she investigates Dan's partner Dr. Gerard. Dr. Gerard also studies brains and it appears that some of the patients in his study just...disappear. One of the stregnths of the Pepper Martin stories has been the ghost/Pepper relationships. Pepper is a wonderfully sincere, lovable character who is a real softie when it comes to her ghosts. The dynamic between Pepper and the ghosts always make for the most interesting scenes. The ghost here is not likable in any way and therefore there seems to be a lack in the plot that I don't expect in the Pepper books. Also, while Pepper's character is the same lovable girl as always, the story wasn't as funny as the previous volumes. After three stories filled with laugh aloud moments, here I had just a couple quiet grins. I also didnt' care for the fact that Pepper seems to care for both Dan and Quinn but the one she cares for best ends up being whichever one she is with at that moment. I'm afraid that is going to make Pepper seem trashy and I so don't want that for her. The mystery here is pretty good. There are a couple of unexpected twists that I enjoyed a lot. Daniels didn't try to take the easy way out in solving this mystery and she should get kudos for that. This mystery is much more rooted in the present instead of the past which is also a change of sorts. Still the story left me satisfied and wanting more Pepper! These books are still a cut above any other 'I see ghost' mystery novels on the shelves right now. If you haven't read a Pepper Martin mystery, I suggest you start with the one that started it all "Don of the Dead" and continue to this one. Heres to hoping that Daniel's is a speedwriter and we get another visit with Pepper soon.

I have to say I was very disappointed in this book. After enjoying the first three novels in the series, I was eagerly awaiting this one. Generaly when the author creates a love triangle like the one between Pepper, Quinn and Dan, every other novel deals mainly with one man or the other, so I was expecting this to be about Dan. I was not expecting, however, Dan to turn out to be such a lovesick wimp! Prior to this, the author had given subtle hints that Dan wasn't what he seemed to be. He appeared with the ghost hunting group even though they didn't know him, he rescued Pepper with some kind of martial arts move, he had the mysterious photo of Pepper talking to the ghosts. I began to think that maybe he was some kind of mysterious government agent. Instead, he turns out to be a sappy, sentimental puppy dog. And who is he lovesick over? His dead wife, who turns out to be a nasty, evil minded wench. Dan is supposed to be so smart, but he falls for all her machinations anyway? This just ruined the series for me. I was really rooting for Dan in the triangle, and not I seem to have lost all respect for him. I'm not sure I'll buy the next book.

Plot Summary: Pepper Martin is a cemetery tour guide who can talk to ghosts, and she's made it her mission to solve the mysteries that keep these maligned spirits earthbound. This time around, she's met a spirit in Chicago who believes that a homeless mental health clinic is snatching destitute people for some evil purpose. No one knows, because these people are never seen again. Pepper wants no part of this mystery until she learns that Dan Callahan is involved in the research at this clinic, and Pepper feels personally committed to helping the sexy brain doctor any way she can.

The danger of telling a story in the first person is that the reader must truly like the character, a lot. In my case, I quickly became disenchanted with the heroine, Pepper Martin, and spending hours inside her head was quite unpleasant for me. This is not to say that everyone would feel the same way, but to me, Pepper is a vain, fashion conscious clothes horse, and she's not nearly smart enough to pull off the whole private investigator shtick. I like my heroines tougher, a bit scruffy, and instilled with a fighter's instincts. Pepper's always moaning about being too cold, breaking a nail, or getting her cashmere (insert sweater, gloves, or coat) dirty.

This novel felt like a cross between a chick lit novel and a paranormal mystery. I love the paranormal mystery part, but chick lit happens to be my least favorite genre. Please, no more talk about grossly expensive brand names on everything from shoes to makeup. It's not my thing, but someone into chick lit might like how this book takes a ravishing girlie-girl and gives her a supernatural power, like talking to ghosts.

My distaste for Pepper's personality extends to her relationships with men. I'm a romantic through and through, and I'm not too happy when I read about casual hook ups. It sounds kind of funny coming from someone who enjoys well-written sex scenes (and there aren't any here, so don't look for them), but I like sex and romance to go hand in hand. If it doesn't, I don't want to see it. So, between Pepper having a one-night stand, and then later coming on to Dan, needless to say I was disappointed by the heroine's relationships. It all felt empty and meaningless, which depressed me no end.

The end has a nice twist that I never saw coming, and readers willing to embrace the paranormal aspect of the story will have no problems swallowing the premise. I thought it was quite inventive, but I couldn't help noticing that even when Pepper was in extreme peril, she couldn't drop her shallow, material concerns.

I really liked this book, I've read the previous Pepper Martin books but this one really answered my "Dan questions". :)

When last we saw Pepper Martin, Damon Curtis had just crossed over and poor Pepper was nursing a broken heart. Yes, she had fallen in love with her client, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, unless your clients happen to be dead. And that was the one thing all of Pepper's clients had in common. You see, for those of you who aren't familiar with Pepper Martin, she sees -- and hears -- dead people. The down side to this is the dead only show up when they need something, and they won't shut up until Pepper agrees to help them. Which usually means life-threatening situations for Pepper.

Besides mourning the loss of her ghostly boyfriend, she is also puzzled over the appearance of a picture postcard of Graceland Cemetery in Chicago. On the back, one word is written: HELP.

As Night of the Loving Dead opens, Pepper is trying to ease the pain of a broken heart by indulging in a night of passion with Quinn Harrison, one of the two semi-steady living men in her life. There has been some flirtation between her and the detective, and she has decided to take there relationship to the next level. As Quinn tries to arrange a second date, Pepper breaks the news to him that it will have to wait until she gets back. Her boss at the cemetery where she works as a tour guide is sending her to a cemetery conference in Chicago. Pepper is to give a presentation she is unable to give herself because of her daughters are all down with the flu.

From the moment she sets foot in Graceland Cemetery, she is drawn by a feeling of deja vu to one particular mausoleum. She remembers the postcard and pulls it out of her purse. The crypt depicted on the card is the very same one she is now standing before. As she tries to piece the puzzle together, she senses something behind her and turns just in time to see a dark shadow disappear into the trees. Its' presence unsettles her because, while she doesn't know what it was, she knew it wasn't a spirit. As she turns back to face the tomb, she comes face to face with a ghost. From the spirit's attire, she appears to have have been some kind of laboratory technician or some other medical personnel. Her name is -- was -- Madeline Tremayne, and, as it turns out, she is the one who sent the postcard to Pepper. Madeline is rude and insulting, which is a complete turn-off for Pepper. As the ghost is seeking her help, she thinks the spirit should be a little more polite. As she turns to leave, telling Madeline to find somebody else, the ghost drops the bombshell by mentioning Dan Callahan, the other semi-steady living man in Pepper's life. Like it or not, Pepper has to help Dan, who has unknowingly gotten himself involved in some illegal doings that involves the disappearance of homeless people. At the mention of the term homeless, shivers of disgust encase Pepper, as she still has not fully come to terms with the fact that she is now a working girl (not that kind) where she was once was quite wealthy (see Don of the Dead for the back story).

There's more going on than Pepper is being told, as Madeline is not giving her all the information, and as any investigator knows, you cannot launch a full-scale investigation without knowing all of the particulars. Madeline only reveals certain information on a Need-to-Know basis, which leads the reader to believe there is something not quite right with the ghost. While Pepper is charging in to save Dan, and by extension the homeless people, she is caught off guard by the mad Doctor Gerard, who has an obsession with trying to reach those who have passed from this earth. In short, he wants what Pepper's got. He tells Pepper that she will give him what he wants, even if he has to take it against her will. And what it is he wants? Her brain -- as it seems that is the key to Pepper's ability to commune with the dead.

As the book progresses, there are twists and turns and revelations that are guaranteed to thrill. While Pepper's usual fieriness is present, this book takes a darker turn than previous outings with our favorite Detective to the Dead. The dark shadow Pepper spied in the cemetery returns occasionally throughout the book, and we don't find out what it wants until the very end. There's even a point where Pepper falls victim to a body thief, where Pepper and a spirit trade places -- against Pepper's will, of course -- and you are left fearing for Pepper and wondering if this spells the end of our heroine. If she cannot get back into her body, she will fade away into nothingness.

The fact that I love this series surprises even me. I would classify it as chick lit, which I normally stay away from, but I can't get enough of Pepper. Casey Daniels has created in Pepper Martin an unlikely heroine, a spoiled rich girl who at first glance cares only for herself, but beneath her ample bosom beats a heart of gold. She is bold and brassy, a real spitfire who is guaranteed to warm your heart and and show you a thrilling time. Feeling bored? Pick the lady up, take her to your favorite coffee shop, and you will forget all about everything else.

While my favorite of the series so far is Tombs of Endearment, Night of the Loving Dead would be my second favorite if only for the darker turn the book takes. It makes it stand out from the previous books and makes me curious as to what future books in the series will be like. Should you decide to take a chance on the Pepper Martin mysteries, keep in mind that the current book picks up almost immediately after the last one left off, so they should be read in order. Pepper Martin makes her debut in Don of the Dead, in which we find out that high heels, tree roots, and uneven cemetery grounds do not make for a good mix. She trips and hits her head on the corner of a mausoleum and awakens with her Gift (Curse?). Her misadventures continue in The Chick and the Dead, in which she agrees to help a spirit prove that a critically acclaimed book was not written by the woman claiming to have written it; Tombs of Endearment, in which Damon Curtis, once the hottest thing on the music scene, wants Pepper to prove that his former band mate murdered him; Night of the Loving Dead; Dead Man Talking; and the newly released Tomb With a View.

Pepper Martin is on a business trip in Chicago at a cemetery conference. She thought she left all the ghosts behind, but Madeline, a young woman in a lab coat, asks Pepper to help Dan Callahan. Madeline says he's in danger. Madeline is difficult to deal with, and as Pepper starts looking into things, she finds out they are much more complicated than Madeline made them out to be. Dr. Hilton Gerard, Dan's boss, is using him as the fall guy for misappropriation of funds and Dan doesn't know it.

When a very bizarre twist of events happens, Pepper finds it ever more challenging to investigate than normal. Can she help Dan as well as herself?

I love this series. While I'm not big into ghosts, I find these books to be well-written and enjoyable. I usually laugh out loud through them.

Pepper is such a likeable character, and her interactions with the ghosts are hilarious. I can't wait for the next book! I highly recommend this book and series.

Great book!!!! If you love the paranormal, you'll love this series. I've read all of them, can't wait for more!!!!

Just to let you know right off the bat, you will not stop this book till you hit the last page. Pepper is funny and engaging and you get caught up in her adventures right away and you don't want to put down the book for anything. So schedule this book for a quiet night at home with the dog, a glass of wine and a pizza.

Cemetery tour guide Pepper Martin was in the Garden View Cemetery when she knocked her head accidentally on a tombstone. When she regained consciousnesses, she was able to see ghosts; spirits of those who were murdered and unable to move on. They demand Pepper find their killers and bring them to justice so they can pass peacefully to the next level. She reluctantly investigates the claims because when she refuses they haunt her every living moment.

When Pepper goes to Chicago on business, she stops at the Greenland Cemetery where she meets the spirit of lab coated Madeline Tremayne, who pleads with her that their mutual friend Dr. Dan Callahan is in danger from his boss Dr. Hilton Gerard who is using him as the fall guy for the Feds to devour for their inquiry into misappropriation of funds. Knowing Dan once saved her life and how painfully persistent ghosts are, Pepper investigates learning that Dr. Dan is working on a new program in which the disenfranchised enter but never leave. As she obtains proof of the goings-on, a malevolent spirit turns Pepper into one of the disenbidied unable to help anyone even herself.

Anyone who believes communicating with ghosts would be fun, need to ask the heroine whose experience with the "gift" leaves her traumatic and seemingly always in danger; this is not sharing tea or lattes. Still her courage and desire, albeit reluctant, to help others endears Pepper to the reader. Her latest investigation is fast-paced, dangerous and somewhat personal; as NIGHT OF THE LOVING DEAD is a charming amusing paranormal amateur sleuth.

Harriet Klausner

This time around Pepper is sought out by madelyne a former employee of a neurologist who is conducting questionable experiments. She soon comes to find out that Dan is involved with this doctor, and Pepper is on the case to try to clear his name. In this fourth installment you come to find out a lot more about the characters than revealed previously. Pepper's relationships with Quinn and Dan both change quite dramatically. This book is a real page turner and keeps you guessing until the very end. If you haven't read the first three I highly recommend you do as it helps with the characters and plot. Looking forward to others in this series.