Tombs of Endearment (Pepper Martin Mysteries, No. 3) [Mass Market Paperback]

Casey Daniels (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 25, 2007

Cemetery tour guide Pepper Martin never imagined she'd get to meet rock legend Damon Curtis, the bad boy poet who made millions of teenage girls scream. After all, he kicked the bucket years before she was born. But thanks to her newfound ability to chat up the dead, Pepper's got a front row seat perfect for swooning over the still-sexy Damon's latest lyrics. He's convinced that his former bandmate Vinnie Pallucci murdered him back in ‘71, and he's promised Pepper she won't get any rest or peace until she helps him prove it.

But when Pepper goes behind the music, she finds Vinnie with a knife in his heart and the rest of the band members running for their lives. And if Pepper doesn't snare the killer soon, Damon's next hit from the great beyond might be her swan song.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“There’s no savoring the Pepper Martin series -- you’ll devour each book and still be hungry for more!” (--Kathryn Smith, author of BE MINE TONIGHT )

About the Author

Casey Daniels once applied for a job as a tour guide in a cemetery. She didn't get the job, but she did get the idea for the Pepper Martin mystery series. Casey learned to love mysteries early thanks to her father, a Cleveland Police detective who enjoyed Sherlock Holmes stories and spent his days off searching for stolen cars—with Casey along for the ride. Later, she read her way through every mystery on the library shelves. Casey has a degree in English and a background in journalism and teaching. She is the author of two previous Pepper Martin mysteries, Don of the Dead and The Chick and the Dead, and lives in Northeast Ohio.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Avon (September 25, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060821507
• ISBN-13: 978-0060821500
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #226,901 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars This time Pepper's rockin', October 17, 2007

By 

R. Kyle (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tombs of Endearment (Pepper Martin Mysteries, No. 3) (Mass Market Paperback)

Pepper Martin should have known the ghosts wouldn't let her alone. After all, Gus, her first client ("Don of the Dead") has been telling everyone in the Afterlife how smart and brave she is--even if she didn't personally feel that way when she took on the Mob to solve Gus' murder. And Didi Bowman's granddaughter, Harmony, is happy enough with Pepper for discovering her Mom actually wrote the famous Civil War novels that her aunt Merilee took credit for that she's paying her a finder's fee. ("The Chick and the Dead")

In this third book of the series, things definitely warm up when the ghost of a sexy deceased rocker named Damon Curtis approaches Pepper for help. It seems his old group is channeling him to write their songs. Damon wants Pepper to contact Vinnie Palucci from the group and have him stop--so he can have enough essence to pass on.

Just as Pepper manages to get Vinnie to see what he's doing to his old friend, someone kills Vinnie. Now, Pepper and the whole band is in danger.

To make matters more complex, Pepper's ex-fiancee, Joel, has come back to tell her he's getting married and wants his ring back. Plus, Quinn the detective is still hot on her case. And there's Dan Callahan, the mysterious man who's trying to get Pepper to admit that she believes in ghosts.

The setup for this novel takes some time and by the time things get interesting, I was about ready to nod off and give up. Most of the action happens in the last quarter of the book. Pepper herself has gained some depth in these novels and she's got some serious potential as a sympathetic character. The storyline between her, Quinn, and Dan is also interesting. I'm hoping we eventually find out who Dan is and what he wants.

This third novel is not quite as good as "Chick and the Dead," but it's still an entertaining read. At 307 pages, it'd make a great doctor's office or airplane book and for the most part it will hold your interest.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Each one gets better, January 7, 2008

By 

kazza (Pittsburgh, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tombs of Endearment (Pepper Martin Mysteries, No. 3) (Mass Market Paperback)

As a reader of sci-fi/fantasy, I was hesitant to pick up a mystery novel based on a supernatural premise, but I am so glad I discovered Casey Daniels! I would describe her as "fantasy-light"; no horror, no in-depth explanations of Pepper Martin's power, but enough mystery, action and intrigue to make you want to keep up with her life, particularly her complicated "almost-romances". I have read reviews of her other novels dismissing her as a second to Mary Janice Davidson; I couldn't disagree more. These novels have more substance and far less uninteresting fluff (i.e. gratuitous sex and banter) than those found in the Romance section.

I read "Don of the Dead" and "The Chick and the Dead" prior to this book. I nearly stopped with the first - it was uninteresting for me, but I am happy to say that each book is better than the last. Casey Daniels has a wonderful sense of humor with an incredible talent for describing her characters such that you will retain a mental image of each one. Overall, this is a very entertaining series in my quick-read category.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Laughed myself silly, November 4, 2007

By 

M. E. Cole "bookworm" (New Zealand) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tombs of Endearment (Pepper Martin Mysteries, No. 3) (Mass Market Paperback)

What a laugh Poor Pepper kissed by a ghost and finding out just what a dead kiss is like.I laughed till I cried as she tried to speak her way through this section.Casey Daniels has created a brilliant character in Pepper sassy and smart mouthed she breaths life into this genre.We know there will be more and each time Pepper reappears in a new tale something is added to her personality and her skills.She is a real gas just like Stephanie Plum the only thing missing is a gerbil.Worth reading if only to laugh out loud at great read.