Dead Like Ted

Undertaker Mysteries, Book 2

By: Kendra Ashe

Narrated by: Julie Kelly

Length: 5 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

Death wears pumps.

And that isn't even the worst part of her day.

Being a reaper isn't nearly as easy as flipping hamburgers, but Jazz has never been one to shrug off responsibility. Still, she isn't happy about visiting the state penitentiary to reap the soul of a serial killer.

Years ago, Theodore Salazar killed two people near the Eastwood River, but that's all over and done with. With the infamous serial killer dead, the city can breathe a sigh of relief.

That relief doesn't last long. The morning after Salazar's death, the killings start up again. The police think they are copycat killings, but Jazz knows better. There's a killer on the loose in Eastwood, and it isn't a copycat or Salazar's ghost.

Eastwood is about to discover that the legend of the Chain Man is real, and deadly.

Brock Logan, president of the Death Dogs MC, is still chasing Jazz, and she's very tempted to let him catch her, but then the leader of the Shadow Riders reveals something that makes her doubt Brock and the Death Dogs.

If that isn't enough chaos, Sir Edward suddenly develops an addiction to TV game shows.

It's all part of life when you are Jazz the Reaper.

©2016 Kendra Ashe (P)2016 Kendra Ashe

Cute Undertaker Mystery

Any additional comments?

Short, light, fun afternoon listen.

Cute little cozy paranormal mystery with a fun cast of characters including ghosts, witches, grim reaper, werewolves, the angle of death, a monkey and more. Perfect for a young adult listeners.

Jazzy's personal life is full of chaos and she has her hands full trying to catch a serial killer.

Cozy mystery's are meant to be fun and while this one is fun, at the same time it didn't really hold my attention. It has all the fun elements, I think it was the narrator that affected the overall enjoyment of the story for me. I preferred the narrator for the first book more. This is just a personal preference.

Julie Kelly does an okay job narration. While she has a pleasant voice she just sounds so young like a teenager. There was not enough difference in the character voices, they all sounded the same. This had an effect on the story for me. This made it difficult to tell who was speaking at times. Her narration was delivered with a smooth even pace and clearly spoken. She has the perfect voice for children's books though. Pleasant and soothing.

This audiobook was provided by author, narrator or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBoom dot com

Not like Ted

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBoom dot com.

I really like the narrator's natural voice, but she doesn't give good character voices. They're not distinct so it's hard to know who's talking. in chapter 12, she repeats "in a zombie like state, in a zombie like state" which should have been edited out, and it happened in another chapter again.

I haven't read the first book. The story is tagged as a cozy mystery, but I felt it's more slice-of-life than mystery. I was a little disappointed by the mystery side since we didn't really get enough clues. The author tried to throw a curveball at the end and revealed the perpetrator to be someone Jasmine didn't really investigate. With that said, i still liked the characters, particularly Sir Edward.

ps: I was hoping for more from Ted, considering the title :(

Lighthearted fun

Dead Like Ted is a lighthearted quirky paranormal mystery.
More of a lighthearted comedy than a true mystery, this story is sprinkled with a talking monkey, ghosts, murder and mayhem. Characters and fun dialog keep the story moving. Being a reaper isn't easy but there isn't anything to deep to drag you down with this story making it a fun listen on a rainy weekend.
Julie Kelly has a distinctive voice that is easy to listen to.

“This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.”

No monkeying around

Where does Dead Like Ted rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It's quite clever and fun!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Dead Like Ted?

Not just one - I like the balance she has to make between regular life needs (work, friends) and being a reaper!

Have you listened to any of Julie Kelly’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, I haven't

Any additional comments?

I think the narrator's openness and realistic way of addressing the character's highly irregular experiences creates listener commitment.

Had Potential

Any additional comments?

I wanted to like this book more. I think I didn't because sometimes the story played out like a high school drama. I received this audiobook for free through Audiobook Boom for my unbiased review.

Dead Like Ted

“This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.”

I haven't read the 1st book in this series. Jazz is a fun character and the rest of her friends seem to add to the plot. Murder, mystery, and some romance to balance things out. I'd like to listen to more by this author.



The narration was well done.The characters were well portrayed.

Kind of scattered.

What made the experience of listening to Dead Like Ted the most enjoyable?

It was fun but it just seemed to take off on one tangent then pick up yet another facet of talent of the main character. It felt like flipping through tv channels quickly.

What other book might you compare Dead Like Ted to and why?

I would think the other books in the series are similar.

What about Julie Kelly’s performance did you like?

Julie Kelly's narration was fine.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I couldn't get too involved with the characters or story. The premise was good. I had high hopes.

Any additional comments?

This isn't so much a negative review. Just confusion on my part as to what I felt was lack of focus. I wish I could be more enthusiastic. It might work for many other listeners.

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBoom dot com.

Great Book!

Any additional comments?

This is a great book; this is the second book in the Undertaker Mystery series and is written by Kendra Ashe and narrated by Julie Kelly. Jazz is a reaper and her life is full of chaos. She isn't happy about visiting the state penitentiary to reap the soul of a serial killer. Years ago, Theodore Salazar killed two people near the Eastwood River, but that's all over and done with. With the infamous serial killer dead, the city can breathe a sigh of relief. That relief doesn't last long. The morning after Salazar's death, the killings start up again. The police think they are copycat killings, but Jazz knows better. There's a killer on the loose in Eastwood, and it isn't a copycat or Salazar's ghost.

The narrator Julie Kelly did a wonderful job with this book. She did a great job with the different voices of each character in this book. It was very easy to listen to in one sitting and I didn’t want to stop listening until the end.

If you are looking for a great book with well-developed characters then you need to listen to this book. I am looking forward to listening to the next book by this author and narrator.

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Boom.

Harmless

Lately I have found myself enjoying fantasy novels about ordinary people with extraordinary powers, especially when those powers are a bit quirky and the character is a bit of an underdog. I very much enjoyed, for example, the “Jumper” series, about an abused kid who discovers one day that he can teleport; I devoured “Limitless,” as well, the riveting tale of a down-and-out writer who stumbles upon super-intelligence in the form of an experimental drug; and I quite liked “Magic 2.0,” a hysterical series of books about a young man who finds a computer file that can alter reality. I could go on. A good many books that I’ve read in the last couple of years, I’ve realized, have contained some fantasy element (especially time travel, for which I’m an absolute sucker).

“Dead Like Ted” contains no elements of time travel, but it does fit in with my pattern of quirky powers bestowed upon unlikely recipients. In this case, the book in question, which may call to mind the similarly themed Christopher Moore series (not to mention the "Dead Like Me" television show), is part of a series of books that are in essence mystery novels, featuring a young woman with an unusual connection to the afterlife in that she is, in fact, a “Grim Reaper,” a supernatural creature whose noble task is (as some cultures envision it) to help guide the recently deceased to the afterlife. Jazz Sweeny, although she may be death incarnate, comes across as a normal young woman, navigating the pitfalls of romance, friendship, and the various obstacles that come with running a small business. As she struggles to make the right choices, it’s easy to empathize with Jazz; life is not easy, after all. Should she really trust the bad boy biker-werewolf who kidnapped her in a previous novel? Hmm, decisions-decisions. At least she has her talking monkey to help her sort things out, when he’s not being persnickety, that is.

If you’re getting the idea from all of this that “Dead Like Ted” is sort of a light bit of fluff that will do no more than daintily rest on your cerebral cortex like a flake of literary dander, I can’t say I disagree with you: it’s shallow, but entertaining; preposterous, but harmless; and although it contains witches, ghosts, and even a serial killer, there’s nothing much to be afraid of here. So, I doubt you’ll fear this particular reaper. You may even enjoy yourself, that is, if you find Jazz’s world and her offbeat brand of supernatural sleuthing charming. Personally, I was not charmed; I could not relate to her guy-problems very much, nor did I find her other-worldly antagonists all that menacing; yet I was not repulsed by any of this either, and I can see where some might find this series of books absolutely delightful (if some other reviews are any indication).

I was provided with a free copy of “Dead Like Ted” directly from the author for reviewing purposes, and, as such, I am obliged to thank her for a pleasant read, or, in this case, a pleasant listen. The narrator, Julie Kelly, was competent enough to handle the various roles the book demanded, and supplied the character of Jazz Sweeny with a distinctive personality. Still, I was not overly impressed and, overall, found her delivery a touch too plodding for my tastes. Others may disagree, and so I recommend sampling the narration before downloading to see if it agrees with you. Also, if interested, you may peruse the first four chapters of this novel for free on Amazon (an Audible-partner), which, when last I checked, offered this access via their “look inside” feature.

Written for a juvenile audience.

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Teens would enjoy this genre.

Has Dead Like Ted turned you off from other books in this genre?

Not my cup of tea.

What didn’t you like about Julie Kelly’s performance?

A little halting at times.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

It had the potential but needed more mystery.

Any additional comments?

"I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom."