Embrace the Grim Reaper

March 30, 2009
The intriguing first in a new series from Clemens (Different Paths
and four other Stella Crown mysteries) introduces a classic tragic heroine, Casey Maldonado, and her companion, the Grim Reaper. Casey, who's trying to come to terms with personal losses suffered in a fatal car accident, regularly wishes that Death will take her so she can spend eternity with her departed loved ones. Unfortunately for Casey, it's not her time, and Death decides only to tag along on her sad journey. Hitching rides to anywhere, Casey ends up in Clymer, Ohio, a town as deeply troubled as she is. Casey is soon drawn into investigating the death of a young mother, who supposedly committed suicide after losing her job. Clemens is adept at creating an appealing cast of characters while keeping the plot moving at a fast clip. Casey and Death make an oddly entertaining pair, and readers will hope to see their relationship fleshed out in future titles.

March 1, 2009
A transient tries to solve a small-town mystery with Death by her side.

Casey Maldonado is on the run from her past, trying to evade memories of the grisly deaths of her husband and son as well as the owner of the Pegasus Car Company, who may be at fault. The one thing Casey can't escape is Death, who haunts her in physical form, disappearing and reappearing at the darnedest times and leading Casey to...wait for it...Clymer, Ohio. Death, a cross between a teenaged junk-food addict and a nosey grandmother, offers enigmatic commentary but little comfort for Casey's survivor's guilt. Clymer's a small town, and Casey quickly settles in at surrogate mothers Lillian and Rosemary's B&B while she gets to know the locals, most of them regulars at the town's soup kitchen, Home Sweet Home. Customarily cheerful Eric Jones, who runs the place, is down in the dumps with the rest of the town, mourning the untimely demise of his girlfriend Ellen Schneider. Though her death was ruled a suicide, no one who observed her recent upbeat attitude believes that story. Can it be that Ellen had dirt on her former employers at HomeMaker, the town's big company? Casey has to dig deep to find out what secrets this little town is hiding.

Clemens (Different Paths, 2008, etc.) features a new leading lady with the promise of depth, though her climax, whose timing seems off, could be penalized for unnecessary roughness.

(COPYRIGHT (2009) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

May 1, 2009
Casey Maldonado is running from the ruins of her life. Her family wants her to sue following a fatal car accident, even though the car manufacturer offered a generous settlement. Her only travel companion is Death. When Casey stops in a small Ohio town, she finds a community deeply affected by the recent death of a young woman, who reportedly killed herself after she lost her factory job, which is being moved to Mexico. Strong and self-reliant, but operating under a pronounced death wish, Casey attempts to find the truth behind the "suicide" and reluctantly discovers she's good at helping people. Clemens, author of the well-received Stella Crown series ("Three Can Keep a Secret"), explores intriguing new territory in this series debut, and adventurous mystery buffs may want to hitch a ride. [See Prepub Mystery, "LJ" 1/09.]

Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.