Dead Before Dying (A Shadow Valley Manor Novel)

The Shadow Valley Manor Series, Book 1

By: Kerry Schafer

Narrated by: Teri Clark Linden

Sidelined by an on the job injury, veteran paranormal investigator Maureen Keslyn reluctantly accepts an assignment at Shadow Valley Manor, an upscale retirement facility where someone - or something - is picking off residents and staff at a grisly clip.

With her resources dwindling one death at a time and unnatural forces on the loose, Maureen’s experience fighting the supernatural is offers the only hope of defeating a clever and powerful evil before everybody in the manor - and the town - winds up dead. Together with a ragtag team that includes the local sheriff, the undertaker's daughter, and the facility cook whose knife skills in the kitchen could prove deadly out of it - Maureen is on a mission to bring rest to the weary, and peace to the dead....

©2016 Kerry Schafer (P)2019 Kerry Schafer

Old Lady Awesomeness!

This is hands down the best mature woman lead role I have ever read. Maureen is the most lovable prickly FBI agent to try and save the world. Her down to earth realness, overly direct way of communicating, complicated relationships, and fun quirks make this story more than a typical paranormal mystery; it's a masterpiece.

This series is absolutely a must read, but then I'd say that about every single book Schafer has written. She always manages to weave intricate characters into emotionally driven plots, but yet keeps each one meticulously unique.

Very engaging!

Dead Before Dying is brilliantly written, with a captivating storyline. I wholly enjoyed this audiobook. The characters are well-developed and very engaging. The narration by Teri Clark Linden is outstanding. She did the characters very well, bringing the story to life for the listeners. I'm very excited to hear the second book in the series, and I highly recommend this audiobook.
I was given a free copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

I enjoyed this story.

I enjoyed listening to this story. The narrator was perfect for the character. Teri gave the character exactly what she needed for her personality and age. Kerry wrote an intriguing story that kept me interested and excited about what came next. My favorite characters are Sofi and Maureen. I am definitely interested in listening to book 2.

Paranormal thriller with a grip

*I was given this free review copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

The book starts with getting a great view into Maureen's personality. I loved it! Kerry's writing and Teri's voice adding the personality makes a perfect fit for Maureen out of the gate. I also can relate to the sound and feel of Maureen at the opening, both writing and vocals make it easy to believe and relate to. Listening to this story, I feel Teri is a perfect match for Maureen's personality. Wow. I never questioned the character tones or personalities as Teri voiced them all. I slipped into the story, listening and ready to learn what I could.

I really enjoyed Kerry's writing as we walk into empty homes and areas of the manor. I feel as though I'm with Maureen and don't know what we'll find, just creeping along taking in the sights with her. I'm drawn into the moment and wondering what we'll find. I love when this happens, as I don't feel as I'm just listening to a story but a part of it with the character and learning things as she does.

I love Maureen! She's got a strong personality and she doesn't fear anything. She speaks of what's on her mind when it comes to Ed and Abel. She's older than your normal main character, but she's got loads of experience to rely on. She's one strong woman who can battle through troubles and make it out the other side.

I felt like the world of paranormal was a huge secret here with how Maureen works and steps around all the questions. There feels to be a big presence that's not a good one in the paranormal world. There also feels to be a huge, dark research group that are hiding in the shadows of the world. So much more to the hushed world of paranormal here. We start to peel back the layers of this onion, slowly so we get to learn what's here and keep the suspense going. By the end, we get our answers on what's happened. However, even though we got answers, there's lots of elements that could be investigated and found.

Okay. I this is a new favorite paranormal series. I love the paranormal present in the book. We have illegal research that's happened and there are creatures out there that are dangerous. I love how the characters match even though they are not trusted by each other. Great blend of everything here! I will totally be watching for more books in this world!

Captivating Paranormal Mystery

I really enjoyed this supernatural mystery. It kept my attention and me guessing the whole time. I finished it in 2 days. It was refreshing to have the main characters, injured Paranormal Investigator Maureen and the Sheriff Jake, be older adults experienced in their fields instead of teens or 20 somethings. Those age groups were represented by quirky Sophronia and Iraq veteran Matt. In fact there was a wide range of interesting characters with mysterious pasts, including Shadow Valley Manor. This is a fully contained story, no dreaded cliff hanger here. But the end does set things up nicely for a continuing series. Which can’t come soon enough for me.
Teri Clark Linden was the perfect narrator for this book. Her voice is very pleasant to listen to and each character’s voice was distinct without resorting to outlandish accents. She made it seem like Maureen was sitting next to me telling the story.
Both the author and narrator were completely new to me and a very pleasant surprise. I was given this audiobook at my request in exchange for an honest review. And I honestly loved it.

Anything can happen...

I thought that this was really good. I decided to read this book on impulse. I hadn't heard of it before but I thought that it sounds like it would be worth a try. And I was right. I was pulled into the story from the very beginning and it held my interest until the very end. I am so glad that I made the decision to pick up this book.

At the start of the book, Maureen is checking herself out of the hospital and she honestly isn't in the best shape. To make matters worse, when she gets home her husband has moved someone else in and wants to end their marriage. I wondered how this middle-aged woman who was still recovering from a pretty severe injury would handle a new case but I had nothing to worry about.

Maureen works for a special department within the FBI that deals with paranormal issues. An old friend and co-worker wants her help at the retirement home he just bought so she moves in. Let's just say that Maureen doesn't quite fit in with the rest of the residents. Of course, the residents are a quirky group of individuals led by a pretty uptight manager.

The action started in this book early on and it never let go. I loved the fact that since there were paranormal elements to the story anything could happen and sometimes did. I thought that the mystery was really well done and I wasn't quite sure who was responsible for everything until it was revealed. I thought that the mystery was pretty complex and I liked the fact that everything was wrapped up nicely by the end of the book.

Teri Clark Linden did a great job with the narration of this story. I thought that the really did a great job with the various character voices and was able to add a lot of life to the story. She has a very pleasant voice which is easy to listen to for hours at a time. Her reading only added to my enjoyment of this story.

I would recommend this book to fans of paranormal mysteries. I thought that this was a very well done story filled with fantastic characters and some interesting paranormal elements. I wouldn't hesitate to read more of this fun series!

I received a review copy of this audiobook from the author/narrator via Audiobook Boom and have voluntarily left this review.

Perfect for Paranormal Fans

Now this is the type of book I can sink my teeth into .. haha , Really enjoyed a tough , witty , heroine in Maureen a FBI free agent .She gets pulled into a job when her old friend assigns her to seek out what is going on in the Manor he has purchased. Many murders unexplained , including her friend , Maureen has to figure out what's going on before everyone living in the manor perish! Paranormal, suspense , some laugh out loud moments . perfect for fans of this genre!

Eerie and Suspenseful

Dead Before Dying is an eerie and suspenseful paranormal mystery that will keep you hooked and wondering until the very end.
I have to admit this is not my normal style of book, but it sounded great and it did not disappoint. I found there to be parts that scared me, others that made me laugh and some that kept me thinking.
I will definitely be looking into more books from this series.
If you enjoy audiobooks I highly recommend this one as the narrator does a wonderful job!

Great mystery!

I haven't read many paranormal mysteries and I really enjoyed this one! There's absolutely nothing creepier than a haunted old folks home 😬 I was invested in the story and enjoyed the characters. Definitely continuing the series!