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Bodies of Evidence #4
A Grave End
A woman died years ago, and the body’s still missing.
Julie Hall’s conscience tells her she needs to use her skills to help a grieving family find their daughter’s long-missing remains. The problem is, Alice was last seen in Julie’s hometown—a place so full of traumatic memories, the very idea of returning there nearly paralyzes Julie.
Clear boundaries help Julie overcome her fears and take the job. She’ll go all out with her search, but only for one week. An end date in sight will ease the anxiety she and her FBI boyfriend have about the price she’ll have to pay to do the right thing.
Despite a growing sense of foreboding as she hits one dead end after another, Julie is driven to keep looking for Alice. But after receiving vile threats and with her self-imposed deadline looming, Julie realizes she was right to be afraid—and she worries she may not survive this case.
Don’t miss the first three books in the Bodies of Evidence series by Wendy Roberts. A Grave Calling, A Grave Search and A Grave Peril are all available now from Carina Press!
This book is approximately 72,000 words
Julie Hall’s conscience tells her she needs to use her skills to help a grieving family find their daughter’s long-missing remains. The problem is, Alice was last seen in Julie’s hometown—a place so full of traumatic memories, the very idea of returning there nearly paralyzes Julie.
Clear boundaries help Julie overcome her fears and take the job. She’ll go all out with her search, but only for one week. An end date in sight will ease the anxiety she and her FBI boyfriend have about the price she’ll have to pay to do the right thing.
Despite a growing sense of foreboding as she hits one dead end after another, Julie is driven to keep looking for Alice. But after receiving vile threats and with her self-imposed deadline looming, Julie realizes she was right to be afraid—and she worries she may not survive this case.
Don’t miss the first three books in the Bodies of Evidence series by Wendy Roberts. A Grave Calling, A Grave Search and A Grave Peril are all available now from Carina Press!
This book is approximately 72,000 words
219 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 15, 2019
About the author
Wendy Roberts
30 books332 followersWendy Roberts is an armchair sleuth, fan of all things mysterious but a huge chicken at heart. Her mind is often in the secretive, cloak and dagger world of intrigue while her physical presence is usually at home or on the road in her camper van. Wendy resides in Vancouver, Canada where she happily writes about murder and is always at work on her next novel.
You can find Wendy on the web on the following sites:
Website: www.wendyroberts.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/authorwendy
Instagram: @wendyroberts_author
Facebook: www.facebook.com/WendyRobertsAuthor
TikTok: @wendyroberts_author
You can find Wendy on the web on the following sites:
Website: www.wendyroberts.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/authorwendy
Instagram: @wendyroberts_author
Facebook: www.facebook.com/WendyRobertsAuthor
TikTok: @wendyroberts_author
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
July 15, 2019
Julie Hall is ready to go back to work finding bodies that no one else seems to be able to do.
She's been approached to find the body of a woman who was killed years ago, but her body was never found. Her husband is sitting in prison, although he has always proclaimed his innocence.
The hard part comes when Julie must travel back to her hometown where she has no good memories. In fact, she was abused as a child and the thought of being back almost paralyzes her with fear. Her FBI boyfriend is terribly worried about something triggering Julie .. she's a recovering alcoholic, been dry for several months, but he's afraid this will push her over the edge.
She's allowed herself one week to find the victim, but she's getting absolutely no hits. Julie realizes that if the husband didn't kill his wife ... the killer may have Julie is his sights.
This has been an intriguing paranormal series with likeable characters. The suspense that comes with the story of seeking and finding dead bodies is vastly captivating.
I highly recommend reading this series from start to finish.
Many thanks to the author / Carina Press / Netgalley for the advanced digital copy of this paranormal suspense. This review comes voluntarily, unbiased, and entirely my own.
She's been approached to find the body of a woman who was killed years ago, but her body was never found. Her husband is sitting in prison, although he has always proclaimed his innocence.
The hard part comes when Julie must travel back to her hometown where she has no good memories. In fact, she was abused as a child and the thought of being back almost paralyzes her with fear. Her FBI boyfriend is terribly worried about something triggering Julie .. she's a recovering alcoholic, been dry for several months, but he's afraid this will push her over the edge.
She's allowed herself one week to find the victim, but she's getting absolutely no hits. Julie realizes that if the husband didn't kill his wife ... the killer may have Julie is his sights.
This has been an intriguing paranormal series with likeable characters. The suspense that comes with the story of seeking and finding dead bodies is vastly captivating.
I highly recommend reading this series from start to finish.
Many thanks to the author / Carina Press / Netgalley for the advanced digital copy of this paranormal suspense. This review comes voluntarily, unbiased, and entirely my own.
July 18, 2019
"The bones of the dead don’t care where they rest. It’s those who are left behind that are driven by a need to bring the bodies home."
Much thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin - Carina Press for this complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and opinions are fully my own.
📚 Series: 4/?? but can be read as a standalone.
📚 Genre: Supernatural Mystery.
📚 POV: First.
📚 Cliffhanger: No.
⚠ Content Warnings: Murder. Stalking. Past Alcoholism.
I would have liked this book except for the fact that I now feel like that I'm not one for the paranormal or supernatural genre.
Also, I was not aware that this was the 4th installment when I requested for this book. So, oops. I guess it is my fault that I found it hard to connect with the characters.
On the mystery, I had it all figured out around 30%, so that tarnished the excitement a bit.
Would have loved this but there's something missing. Maybe I will revisit this in the future but starting from the first book.
☁ THE CRITERIA ☁
🌻 Blurb:⭐⭐⭐✩✩
🌻 Hero:⭐⭐✩✩✩
🌻 Heroine:⭐⭐⭐✩✩
🌻 Support Characters:⭐⭐✩✩✩
🌻 Writing Style:⭐⭐✩✩✩
🌻 Character Development:⭐⭐✩✩✩
🌻 Mystery:⭐⭐⭐✩✩
🌻 Pacing:⭐⭐✩✩✩
🌻 Ending:⭐⭐⭐✩✩
🌻 Unputdownability:⭐⭐⭐✩✩
🌻 Book Cover:⭐⭐✩✩✩
☁FINAL VERDICT: 2.45/5 ☁
Review also appears on my blog.
December 1, 2021
I'm always torn on how to rate these books, because I like Julie, but sometimes she's too naive.
Also the writing style is strange (at least for me!). I feel it like disruptive and too linear.
The mystery is good, but nothing special and often I was wondering why Julie didn't go about discovering truths in a much more direct way.
Maybe I'm watching too much Criminal Minds and CSI! LOL
Still it was good and a nice finale of the series.
Also the writing style is strange (at least for me!). I feel it like disruptive and too linear.
The mystery is good, but nothing special and often I was wondering why Julie didn't go about discovering truths in a much more direct way.
Maybe I'm watching too much Criminal Minds and CSI! LOL
Still it was good and a nice finale of the series.
August 29, 2019
I've given this a B- at AAR, so that's 3.5 stars rounded up.
A Grave End is the fourth – and possibly final? – book in Wendy Roberts’ series of suspense novels featuring Julie Hall, a young woman who has the ability to locate dead bodies using a pair of dowsing rods. Julie is a complex, prickly character; an alcoholic in recovery, she’s the survivor of a particularly brutal childhood during which she suffered horrific abuse at the hands of her grandmother. She got away from her small home town of Blaine, Washington, as soon as she possibly could and simply the thought of going back there is enough to send her into a tailspin – but she now finds herself unable to refuse a request from a dying man desperate to find the remains of his daughter-in-law, a former schoolmate.
Julie is very much in love with her boyfriend, FBI Agent Garrett Pierce, whom she met in the first book in the series. They live together and are committed to each other – and at the end of the previous book, A Grave Peril, they exchanged rings, although Julie is adamant she doesn’t want to get married, and Garrett – who is a widower – respects that decision. Julie is, however, still struggling with the demons of her past, and six months before A Grave Endbegins, went on a bender one night when she’d gone to a bar to meet with an informant. If the guilt over falling off the wagon wasn’t bad enough, somehow she managed to lose her ring, which is one of a matching pair and irreplaceable – and to make things even worse, she has no real memory of that night, other than of meeting a man with striking green eyes and going outside with him… and she can’t be sure she didn’t betray Garrett in the worst way possible.
So Julie isn’t in the best of places when she receives the request to find Alice Ebert’s remains. But back when they were in school, Julie realised that, even though she and Alice didn’t have a lot to do with one another, one thing they did share was the fact that the adults in their lives were physically abusive, and Julie felt that made a kind of bond between them. So she feels she owes it to the other woman to try to find out what happened to her and to at the very least, ensure that her body is at last laid to rest. Her first step is to travel to the Ozette Correctional Center to visit Alice’s husband, Roscoe, who was convicted of her murder. Roscoe has always protested his innocence, in spite of the fact that Alice’s blood was found in his truck, and after hearing again the story of the night Alice was killed, Julie agrees to think about taking on the task.
Leaving the facility, Julie heads towards the home of a woman who had contacted her via her website asking for help in locating her daughter, who recently disappeared. As the weather worsens and the rain starts to fall in torrents, Julie’s rods – which are next to her in the passenger seat – take a violent swing to the side, and she knows there’s a body around there somewhere, most likely in the deep ditch by the side of the road. Another motorist pulls up and offers to help, introducing himself as Raymond Hughes as Julie prepares to head down into the ditch to investigate. Sure enough there’s the body of a young woman down there, and after Julie has called it in, Ray, who is rather too friendly and enthusiastic for her peace of mind, tells her that he’s a psychic and that he’d actually recommended the missing girl’s family get in touch with her to see if she could help. He goes on to suggest that maybe he and she could work together sometime, but by then, all Julie wants to do is to get home. Before she can leave, however, she’s severely rattled when, after shaking hands, Ray tells her something he can’t possibly know, something about the night she fell off the wagon.
Julie decides she’ll give herself a week to come up with a solid lead as to what happened to Alice, and if after that, her investigation is going nowhere, she’ll accept defeat. Going back to Blaine is hard, but the conflicting picture she’s getting of Alice and the veiled hostility of many in the community convince Julie that the generally accepted story concerning Alice’s death is the wrong one and make her even more determined to find Alice and bring her some peace.
I enjoyed A Grave End, and especially liked the way Julie’s character has evolved. She’s still abrasive and not the easiest person to warm to, but she’s making good progress in dealing with her issues; she has regular sessions with a mental health professional, she has developed a strong relationship with her friend Tracey (who is her complete opposite!) and Garrett is her lodestone (although we don’t see very much of him here, he’s rarely far from Julie’s thoughts). The fact that she is finally able to return to her home town is a big step; she probably wouldn’t have been capable of it before now, and the way she is able to deal with the way some of the townsfolk treat her shows a lot of determination and strength. The plot is well-put together, but the secondary plotline – in which Julie falls victim to a whack-job who put me in mind of Norman Bates – just didn’t work for me. I’ll admit that there’s one surprise I hadn’t forseen, but otherwise, it’s a bit clichéd and the identity of the villain is pretty obvious.
Still, the central mystery is intriguing and the author does a great job when it comes to creating that slightly creepy, everyone-in-everyone-else’s-business atmosphere typical of small towns. I knocked off half a grade point for the weak sub-plot, but if you’re following the series, then A Grave End leaves Julie and Garrett in a good place, and the whole series is definitely worth checking out if you’re looking for suspense novels featuring a different kind of heroine.
A Grave End is the fourth – and possibly final? – book in Wendy Roberts’ series of suspense novels featuring Julie Hall, a young woman who has the ability to locate dead bodies using a pair of dowsing rods. Julie is a complex, prickly character; an alcoholic in recovery, she’s the survivor of a particularly brutal childhood during which she suffered horrific abuse at the hands of her grandmother. She got away from her small home town of Blaine, Washington, as soon as she possibly could and simply the thought of going back there is enough to send her into a tailspin – but she now finds herself unable to refuse a request from a dying man desperate to find the remains of his daughter-in-law, a former schoolmate.
Julie is very much in love with her boyfriend, FBI Agent Garrett Pierce, whom she met in the first book in the series. They live together and are committed to each other – and at the end of the previous book, A Grave Peril, they exchanged rings, although Julie is adamant she doesn’t want to get married, and Garrett – who is a widower – respects that decision. Julie is, however, still struggling with the demons of her past, and six months before A Grave Endbegins, went on a bender one night when she’d gone to a bar to meet with an informant. If the guilt over falling off the wagon wasn’t bad enough, somehow she managed to lose her ring, which is one of a matching pair and irreplaceable – and to make things even worse, she has no real memory of that night, other than of meeting a man with striking green eyes and going outside with him… and she can’t be sure she didn’t betray Garrett in the worst way possible.
So Julie isn’t in the best of places when she receives the request to find Alice Ebert’s remains. But back when they were in school, Julie realised that, even though she and Alice didn’t have a lot to do with one another, one thing they did share was the fact that the adults in their lives were physically abusive, and Julie felt that made a kind of bond between them. So she feels she owes it to the other woman to try to find out what happened to her and to at the very least, ensure that her body is at last laid to rest. Her first step is to travel to the Ozette Correctional Center to visit Alice’s husband, Roscoe, who was convicted of her murder. Roscoe has always protested his innocence, in spite of the fact that Alice’s blood was found in his truck, and after hearing again the story of the night Alice was killed, Julie agrees to think about taking on the task.
Leaving the facility, Julie heads towards the home of a woman who had contacted her via her website asking for help in locating her daughter, who recently disappeared. As the weather worsens and the rain starts to fall in torrents, Julie’s rods – which are next to her in the passenger seat – take a violent swing to the side, and she knows there’s a body around there somewhere, most likely in the deep ditch by the side of the road. Another motorist pulls up and offers to help, introducing himself as Raymond Hughes as Julie prepares to head down into the ditch to investigate. Sure enough there’s the body of a young woman down there, and after Julie has called it in, Ray, who is rather too friendly and enthusiastic for her peace of mind, tells her that he’s a psychic and that he’d actually recommended the missing girl’s family get in touch with her to see if she could help. He goes on to suggest that maybe he and she could work together sometime, but by then, all Julie wants to do is to get home. Before she can leave, however, she’s severely rattled when, after shaking hands, Ray tells her something he can’t possibly know, something about the night she fell off the wagon.
Julie decides she’ll give herself a week to come up with a solid lead as to what happened to Alice, and if after that, her investigation is going nowhere, she’ll accept defeat. Going back to Blaine is hard, but the conflicting picture she’s getting of Alice and the veiled hostility of many in the community convince Julie that the generally accepted story concerning Alice’s death is the wrong one and make her even more determined to find Alice and bring her some peace.
I enjoyed A Grave End, and especially liked the way Julie’s character has evolved. She’s still abrasive and not the easiest person to warm to, but she’s making good progress in dealing with her issues; she has regular sessions with a mental health professional, she has developed a strong relationship with her friend Tracey (who is her complete opposite!) and Garrett is her lodestone (although we don’t see very much of him here, he’s rarely far from Julie’s thoughts). The fact that she is finally able to return to her home town is a big step; she probably wouldn’t have been capable of it before now, and the way she is able to deal with the way some of the townsfolk treat her shows a lot of determination and strength. The plot is well-put together, but the secondary plotline – in which Julie falls victim to a whack-job who put me in mind of Norman Bates – just didn’t work for me. I’ll admit that there’s one surprise I hadn’t forseen, but otherwise, it’s a bit clichéd and the identity of the villain is pretty obvious.
Still, the central mystery is intriguing and the author does a great job when it comes to creating that slightly creepy, everyone-in-everyone-else’s-business atmosphere typical of small towns. I knocked off half a grade point for the weak sub-plot, but if you’re following the series, then A Grave End leaves Julie and Garrett in a good place, and the whole series is definitely worth checking out if you’re looking for suspense novels featuring a different kind of heroine.
July 12, 2019
A Grave End by Wendy Roberts
I really like this series it is easy to read and has enough twists that it really keeps my interest. In this installment Julie has to go back to her home town with all her bad memories to try to find a body of a girl she knew back when she was young, throw in a "psychic" Ray who wants to team up with her and join forces, Garrett her FBI man and of course her Bestie Tracey and the fact that Julie is still trying to figure out what happened the night she fell off the wagon and you are set up for one roller-coaster ride! Thank you Netgalley and the Carina Press for this ARC and allowing me to leave my opinion.
I really like this series it is easy to read and has enough twists that it really keeps my interest. In this installment Julie has to go back to her home town with all her bad memories to try to find a body of a girl she knew back when she was young, throw in a "psychic" Ray who wants to team up with her and join forces, Garrett her FBI man and of course her Bestie Tracey and the fact that Julie is still trying to figure out what happened the night she fell off the wagon and you are set up for one roller-coaster ride! Thank you Netgalley and the Carina Press for this ARC and allowing me to leave my opinion.
June 16, 2019
Julie Hall the Queen of grave finders with her amazing dousing rods again embarks to give closure to families and a proper resting site for the hidden dead. I have enjoyed this Bodies of Evidence Series by Wendy Roberts. Love Julie and her determination to help even while she struggles with her own abusive past. Would have liked more searching descriptions. Having used these grave rods myself I was questioning the fact that while they sat in the passenger seat they moved to alert Julie to a body near by. All in all a great narrative crime adventure. Characters are amazing. Wish for more Garrett time; who is Julie's FBI boy friend. "A copy of this book was provided by HARLEQUIN - Carina Press via NetGalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion." ANXIOUSLY AWAIT MORE IN THIS SERIES.
August 13, 2023
There was plenty of mystery and thrill to be had while reading A Grave End! Julie had plenty going on dealing with her past and what a journey it has been. There were many shocking reveals to be had in this story and never a dull moment! Something that didn’t sit right with me, though, was that certain details were introduced and repeated throughout the story but they were meaningless in the end and had me wondering why it was even included. Overall though, I enjoyed reading A Grave End and this is a series that I would highly recommend for fans of a mystery packed with suspense!
This review is based on a complimentary book I received from NetGalley. It is an honest and voluntary review. The complimentary receipt of it in no way affected my review or rating.
This review is based on a complimentary book I received from NetGalley. It is an honest and voluntary review. The complimentary receipt of it in no way affected my review or rating.
July 31, 2019
This is such a good series.
Please read series in order. Well written, well thought out, interesting and attention-holding plots, great characters. I hope Ms. Roberts has more of this series in the pipeline. I would love to see this series done well in PBS, Showtime, etc. Keep 'em coming Ms. Roberts! Thank you for sharing your talent.
Please read series in order. Well written, well thought out, interesting and attention-holding plots, great characters. I hope Ms. Roberts has more of this series in the pipeline. I would love to see this series done well in PBS, Showtime, etc. Keep 'em coming Ms. Roberts! Thank you for sharing your talent.
November 11, 2019
Wendy Roberts’s fourth Bodies of Evidence mystery finds our heroine and psychic body-finder caught between her past and future, as she has been for the past three books. Without spoiling the series if you’ve yet to read it, heroine Julie Hall uses “dowsing rods” to find missing, deceased people, bringing closure to their families and, more often than not, helping the police solve cold cases. Set in moody-broody Washington state, our Julie is a trailer park gal with supernatural abilities, an up-close-and-personal relationship with beer and wine, and a past as haunting and painful as the murderous circumstances of the bodies she discovers. In each volume, Julie tries to make peace with her abusive past, fend off dipsomania, and draw comfort from a life she’s forged with will power, the wisdom of a great therapist, and the love of her twenty-years-senior FBI-agent boyfriend (I know, but it totally works).
In Grave End, Julie is haunted by a more recent memory, which plagues her throughout her latest case, but is happily resolved in her and Garrett’s favour. To start, she’s called by a con, Roscoe Ebert, to find the body of his murdered wife (even while he sits in prison, convicted of that very murder). Don’t worry there’s sufficient evidence that put him there, but the body may help prove his innocence. Though the case takes Julie back to her rife-with-bad-memories home town of Blaine, she takes it because her memory of Roscoe’s murdered wife recalls her own childhood suffering. If she can bring the family and the lost woman some peace, then maybe she too can put Blaine and its painful memories behind once and for all.
In the meanwhile, thanks to three-books-worth of therapy and love, Roberts hasn’t allowed her heroine to languish in suffering-memories angst. She’s brought Julie quite nicely to have things in her life we couldn’t imagine in the first book: a best friend, a loving, protective, loyal, stalwart man, and even a companion for her big-headed doofus dog, Wookie, in the form of a cutie-pie kitty named Fluffy. Julie is domestic where she was untethered, grounded in love and friendship where she was lonely and cynical. But her struggles with the bottle and self-doubt continue … until Grave End‘s conclusion.
I can’t say I loved Grave End the way I did the previous books. The premise was intriguing enough, but the resolution, the “murderer” reveal, I saw that coming pages and pages away. (The villain is an utter caricature and the portrayal of mental illness is, once again, associated with violent behaviour. Roberts had me shaking my head and muttering, “I wish you hadn’t done that.”) I also miss how incredibly sexy Julie and Garrett are, but Grave End is strictly closed-bedroom-door, which is too bad because Roberts sure can write a love scene.
What I do still love about the series?: how much I care about Julie, her BFF, Tracey, Wookie and Fluffy, and devoted, loving Garrett. Roberts finally brings a hard-won peace for Julie, steering her away from suffering memories and struggles with the bottle, to a place of great change and joy with Garrett, the pets, and a best friend’s love. As for Julie’s psychic dowsing rods, they’re left to dowse another day. I can’t tell whether Roberts is bringing her series to a natural HEA-end, or preparing Julie and Garrett for the next stage of their sleuthing? Either way, I would love to page-meet them again. With Miss Austen, we’d say A Grave End offers “real comfort,” Emma.
Wendy Roberts’s A Grave End is published by Carina Press. It was released on July 15 and may be found at your favourite e-vendor. I received an e-ARC from Carina Press, via Netgalley.
In Grave End, Julie is haunted by a more recent memory, which plagues her throughout her latest case, but is happily resolved in her and Garrett’s favour. To start, she’s called by a con, Roscoe Ebert, to find the body of his murdered wife (even while he sits in prison, convicted of that very murder). Don’t worry there’s sufficient evidence that put him there, but the body may help prove his innocence. Though the case takes Julie back to her rife-with-bad-memories home town of Blaine, she takes it because her memory of Roscoe’s murdered wife recalls her own childhood suffering. If she can bring the family and the lost woman some peace, then maybe she too can put Blaine and its painful memories behind once and for all.
In the meanwhile, thanks to three-books-worth of therapy and love, Roberts hasn’t allowed her heroine to languish in suffering-memories angst. She’s brought Julie quite nicely to have things in her life we couldn’t imagine in the first book: a best friend, a loving, protective, loyal, stalwart man, and even a companion for her big-headed doofus dog, Wookie, in the form of a cutie-pie kitty named Fluffy. Julie is domestic where she was untethered, grounded in love and friendship where she was lonely and cynical. But her struggles with the bottle and self-doubt continue … until Grave End‘s conclusion.
I can’t say I loved Grave End the way I did the previous books. The premise was intriguing enough, but the resolution, the “murderer” reveal, I saw that coming pages and pages away. (The villain is an utter caricature and the portrayal of mental illness is, once again, associated with violent behaviour. Roberts had me shaking my head and muttering, “I wish you hadn’t done that.”) I also miss how incredibly sexy Julie and Garrett are, but Grave End is strictly closed-bedroom-door, which is too bad because Roberts sure can write a love scene.
What I do still love about the series?: how much I care about Julie, her BFF, Tracey, Wookie and Fluffy, and devoted, loving Garrett. Roberts finally brings a hard-won peace for Julie, steering her away from suffering memories and struggles with the bottle, to a place of great change and joy with Garrett, the pets, and a best friend’s love. As for Julie’s psychic dowsing rods, they’re left to dowse another day. I can’t tell whether Roberts is bringing her series to a natural HEA-end, or preparing Julie and Garrett for the next stage of their sleuthing? Either way, I would love to page-meet them again. With Miss Austen, we’d say A Grave End offers “real comfort,” Emma.
Wendy Roberts’s A Grave End is published by Carina Press. It was released on July 15 and may be found at your favourite e-vendor. I received an e-ARC from Carina Press, via Netgalley.
July 17, 2019
I fell in love with this series because of its uniqueness. A woman who helps law enforcement and families find dead bodies with a pair of dowsing rods. She came from a childhood filled with abuse from her grandmother and a grandfather who turned out to be a serial killer. Julie's only way of dealing with the PTSD of her childhood/life was alcohol. After FBI Agent Garrett Pierce came to her for help in the first book she started the road to sobriety, seeing a psychiatrist and embarked a relationship with Garrett.
Now we are four books into the series and Julie has turned her gift into job of helping families locate their missing loved ones. Her relationship with Garrett is going strong. She is still maintaining a friendship with Tracey and keeps in contact with her psychiatrist. The one thing she hasn't done is join AA and get a sponsor. So without the help of the program and sponsor – Julie is still in her head too much constantly battling her inner demons and wanting a drink to silence them. She still chooses to keep the majority of her emotions to herself which is just like letting a boil fester and fester without lancing it and letting the poison out. This is my only wish for future books is that Julie gets the help she really needs so she gets of out her head and can start living life without every other thought being about taking a drink. With the surprise revelation at the end of this book that needs to happen sooner rather than later.
Now to the cases Julie takes on in this book. One is solved fairly quickly and the other takes the whole book to solve. Both totally different but take Julie back to her hometown where those pesky past demons from her childhood wreck havoc with her mind. But as the story goes along and Julie digs further into trying to find the missing body of a wife whose husband was tried and convicted of her murder but claims he is innocent, it turns out it's not only her subconscious trying to wreak havoc with her mind.
Now we are four books into the series and Julie has turned her gift into job of helping families locate their missing loved ones. Her relationship with Garrett is going strong. She is still maintaining a friendship with Tracey and keeps in contact with her psychiatrist. The one thing she hasn't done is join AA and get a sponsor. So without the help of the program and sponsor – Julie is still in her head too much constantly battling her inner demons and wanting a drink to silence them. She still chooses to keep the majority of her emotions to herself which is just like letting a boil fester and fester without lancing it and letting the poison out. This is my only wish for future books is that Julie gets the help she really needs so she gets of out her head and can start living life without every other thought being about taking a drink. With the surprise revelation at the end of this book that needs to happen sooner rather than later.
Now to the cases Julie takes on in this book. One is solved fairly quickly and the other takes the whole book to solve. Both totally different but take Julie back to her hometown where those pesky past demons from her childhood wreck havoc with her mind. But as the story goes along and Julie digs further into trying to find the missing body of a wife whose husband was tried and convicted of her murder but claims he is innocent, it turns out it's not only her subconscious trying to wreak havoc with her mind.
June 16, 2019
3.75 stars rounded up
Julie's latest case brings her back to her hometown. She is trying to find the body of Alice Ebert - Julie once went to the same school as Alice, and she knew that Alice was also a victim of domestic abuse when she was young. Julie feels compelled to find the body because of that same horrible experience. In doing so, Julie also confront a part of her past: she once swears to never go back home again. Oh, and there's a psychic who tries to partner up with Julie, to help her finding Alice's body.
I think this case definitely helps Julie to move forward with her life. She goes back home and she survives. I liked reading about how Julie continues to seek professional help with her mental health state. Especially since this book also reveals that at one point, Julie might fell of the wagon. I also liked that Julie was now able to call Tracey, her best friend. I may not like Tracey very much -- that woman can be very annoying! But it shows how Julie is so much better than before, when she's an alcoholic who pushes everyone away.
I wonder if A Grave End is the final adventure of Julie Hall... No worries, Julie and Garrett are doing fine at the end of this book, and the last chapter is a good place for them to be. It just feels that it can be the way the series end, you know?
The ARC is provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
Julie's latest case brings her back to her hometown. She is trying to find the body of Alice Ebert - Julie once went to the same school as Alice, and she knew that Alice was also a victim of domestic abuse when she was young. Julie feels compelled to find the body because of that same horrible experience. In doing so, Julie also confront a part of her past: she once swears to never go back home again. Oh, and there's a psychic who tries to partner up with Julie, to help her finding Alice's body.
I think this case definitely helps Julie to move forward with her life. She goes back home and she survives. I liked reading about how Julie continues to seek professional help with her mental health state. Especially since this book also reveals that at one point, Julie might fell of the wagon. I also liked that Julie was now able to call Tracey, her best friend. I may not like Tracey very much -- that woman can be very annoying! But it shows how Julie is so much better than before, when she's an alcoholic who pushes everyone away.
I wonder if A Grave End is the final adventure of Julie Hall... No worries, Julie and Garrett are doing fine at the end of this book, and the last chapter is a good place for them to be. It just feels that it can be the way the series end, you know?
The ARC is provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
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July 1, 2019Categories
Mystery, Paranormal Mystery, Amateur Sleuth Mystery & Detective Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Supernatural Thriller, Women Sleuths Mystery & Detective Fiction
Miniseries
Bodies of Evidence (Book #4)
Mystery, Paranormal Mystery, Amateur Sleuth Mystery & Detective Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Supernatural Thriller, Women Sleuths Mystery & Detective Fiction
Miniseries
Bodies of Evidence (Book #4)
July 4, 2019
A Grave End (Bodies of Evidence #4) by Wendy Roberts
4 stars
M/F Thriller
Trigger: Murder, Stalking, mentions of child abuse
I was given this book for an honest review by Wicked Reads.
This is the continuation of the series where Julie is coming back from a less than great experience using her abilities. However, she’s ready to help someone she once knew and finding her body is how Julie can show her appreciation.
Alice was a woman who shared a secret with Julie. Both were abused as children. But, Julie fled the first chance she got and Alice was kind of sucked back in.
When Alice’s husband is convicted of her death, despite the missing body, Julie is asked to help find Alice.
This is a story of friendship, love, betrayal and redemption. It was a twisting and turning story where Julie is trying to remember a traumatic event and despite her best efforts, she’s worried she did something unforgivable. But, you also have Alice’s family and they are a strange bunch too.
While I enjoyed this story, it wasn’t my favorite of the series. It was much more predictable than the previous books and it just didn’t have the edge that I had come to expect. However, I did still like it and would welcome reading more from this series.
4 stars
M/F Thriller
Trigger: Murder, Stalking, mentions of child abuse
I was given this book for an honest review by Wicked Reads.
This is the continuation of the series where Julie is coming back from a less than great experience using her abilities. However, she’s ready to help someone she once knew and finding her body is how Julie can show her appreciation.
Alice was a woman who shared a secret with Julie. Both were abused as children. But, Julie fled the first chance she got and Alice was kind of sucked back in.
When Alice’s husband is convicted of her death, despite the missing body, Julie is asked to help find Alice.
This is a story of friendship, love, betrayal and redemption. It was a twisting and turning story where Julie is trying to remember a traumatic event and despite her best efforts, she’s worried she did something unforgivable. But, you also have Alice’s family and they are a strange bunch too.
While I enjoyed this story, it wasn’t my favorite of the series. It was much more predictable than the previous books and it just didn’t have the edge that I had come to expect. However, I did still like it and would welcome reading more from this series.
July 16, 2019
A Grave End by Wendy Roberts
Bodies of Evidence #4
Julie Hall is back on the job with her dowsing rods looking for the dead. This time she finds two dead women, a murderer and a psychotic whack job with sites on her. I enjoy reading stories about Julie and the way she finds the dead, am interested in her friend Tracey and love the relationship she has with Garrett. In spite of all she has suffered in her life she is feisty, strong and indomitable. She wants to return the dead to their families and believes in what she is doing. In this book she has had a “lapse” in her sobriety and it is gnawing at her as she wonders what really happened that night. That mystery and a few more are exposed and answers found as she works her way through clues, people and events to find the answers she is searching for.
Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Do I want to read more books in this series? Yes
Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
Bodies of Evidence #4
Julie Hall is back on the job with her dowsing rods looking for the dead. This time she finds two dead women, a murderer and a psychotic whack job with sites on her. I enjoy reading stories about Julie and the way she finds the dead, am interested in her friend Tracey and love the relationship she has with Garrett. In spite of all she has suffered in her life she is feisty, strong and indomitable. She wants to return the dead to their families and believes in what she is doing. In this book she has had a “lapse” in her sobriety and it is gnawing at her as she wonders what really happened that night. That mystery and a few more are exposed and answers found as she works her way through clues, people and events to find the answers she is searching for.
Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Do I want to read more books in this series? Yes
Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
June 15, 2019
A Grave End is the fourth and final book in the Bodies of Evidence series. Julie is hired to find the body of a missing woman from her hometown. This brings lots of bad memories for Julie that she has to work out while trying to find a killer. Twists and turns kept me guessing the whole way through. I am sad to see the series end, but am thrilled with the surprise ending!
*ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.
*ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.
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July 2, 2020Categories
Mystery & Detective
Miniseries
Bodies of Evidence (Book #4)
Mystery & Detective
Miniseries
Bodies of Evidence (Book #4)
June 28, 2019
If I read with more attention, I might have seen that this was number 3 or 4 in a series. I didn't see it and asked for the book. It was clear right off that I had missed something. Still, I pushed on. First the good...the cover is eye-catching. The author can make us feel as though we are riding shotgun beside the main character. We are privvy to her thoughts and insecurities, and good Lord does this woman know how to carry guilt. I didn't want a drink before reading this, but she talked about it so much, I sure wanted one by the end of the book! Which leads me to the not-so-good stuff. I could have done with half the guilt, half the discussion of the main character falling off the bandwagon, and half of her suspicion of Psychic-guy (Whose name escapes me just now)
It was okay, but...nope, just okay.
Merged review:
If I read with more attention, I might have seen that this was number 3 or 4 in a series. I didn't see it and asked for the book. It was clear right off that I had missed something. Still, I pushed on. First the good...the cover is eye-catching. The author can make us feel as though we are riding shotgun beside the main character. We are privvy to her thoughts and insecurities, and good Lord does this woman know how to carry guilt. I didn't want a drink before reading this, but she talked about it so much, I sure wanted one by the end of the book! Which leads me to the not-so-good stuff. I could have done with half the guilt, half the discussion of the main character falling off the bandwagon, and half of her suspicion of Psychic-guy (Whose name escapes me just now)
It was okay, but...nope, just okay.
It was okay, but...nope, just okay.
Merged review:
If I read with more attention, I might have seen that this was number 3 or 4 in a series. I didn't see it and asked for the book. It was clear right off that I had missed something. Still, I pushed on. First the good...the cover is eye-catching. The author can make us feel as though we are riding shotgun beside the main character. We are privvy to her thoughts and insecurities, and good Lord does this woman know how to carry guilt. I didn't want a drink before reading this, but she talked about it so much, I sure wanted one by the end of the book! Which leads me to the not-so-good stuff. I could have done with half the guilt, half the discussion of the main character falling off the bandwagon, and half of her suspicion of Psychic-guy (Whose name escapes me just now)
It was okay, but...nope, just okay.
August 20, 2019
This was a tough book for Julie. The body she was trying to find lead her back to where the worst things happened to her. She's also struggling with falling off the wagon and what that means for her and Garrett. The more that Julie learns about everything the more she seems to doubt it all. By the end of the book she found her body, figured how she died, faced her past and figured out her falling off the wagon was not what it seemed. That last bit, the best part of all.
August 31, 2019
Check out our A Grave End post on Wicked Reads.
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Thriller
This is the continuation of the series where Julie is coming back from a less than great experience using her abilities. However, she’s ready to help someone she once knew and finding her body is how Julie can show her appreciation.
Alice was a woman who shared a secret with Julie. Both were abused as children. But Julie fled the first chance she got and Alice was kind of sucked back in.
When Alice’s husband is convicted of her death, despite the missing body, Julie is asked to help find Alice.
This is a story of friendship, love, betrayal, and redemption. It was a twisting and turning story where Julie is trying to remember a traumatic event and, despite her best efforts, she’s worried she did something unforgivable. But you also have Alice’s family and they are a strange bunch too.
While I enjoyed this story, it wasn’t my favorite of the series. It was much more predictable than the previous books and it just didn’t have the edge that I have come to expect. However, I did still like it and would welcome reading more from this series.
Potential Triggers: Murder, Stalking, mentions of child abuse
Reviewers received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
June 12, 2019
I love this series and I love how the characters are growing (with the exception of Julie, she hasn't evolved or matured at all. You see glimpses of growth and then realize your didn't see anything at all, your glasses were just dirty)
I was so worried that this would be only a trilogy so I was thrilled to see #4 and even more thrilled to have received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
This installment follows recovering alcoholic (you hear about it at least every 3-4 pages) Julie Hall who has discovered that her dowsing rods help her to locate dead bodies. She's turned this into a job, helping families locate their missing loved ones. She finds herself taking a job that sends her back to her own personal hell, the place she grew up, where her grandparents raised her, where they abused her, and where her grandfather was a serial killer. She's tasked to find the body of a former classmate, with the hope that finding her, will free the man in prison who was convicted of killing her.
In typical fashion, she keeps tons of secrets, she's immature, makes poor decisions about multitudes of things. But damn it if she doesn't find those bodies! I'm so intrigued by the idea that these rods help her and I enjoy that there's always an extra body or two that's found in each story. I did have a good idea early on as to who the killer was, but was still surprised by the twists and turns (and that ending though!!) I cannot wait for the next one!
I was so worried that this would be only a trilogy so I was thrilled to see #4 and even more thrilled to have received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
This installment follows recovering alcoholic (you hear about it at least every 3-4 pages) Julie Hall who has discovered that her dowsing rods help her to locate dead bodies. She's turned this into a job, helping families locate their missing loved ones. She finds herself taking a job that sends her back to her own personal hell, the place she grew up, where her grandparents raised her, where they abused her, and where her grandfather was a serial killer. She's tasked to find the body of a former classmate, with the hope that finding her, will free the man in prison who was convicted of killing her.
In typical fashion, she keeps tons of secrets, she's immature, makes poor decisions about multitudes of things. But damn it if she doesn't find those bodies! I'm so intrigued by the idea that these rods help her and I enjoy that there's always an extra body or two that's found in each story. I did have a good idea early on as to who the killer was, but was still surprised by the twists and turns (and that ending though!!) I cannot wait for the next one!
July 21, 2019
Another one of those series I cannot explain why I continue to ready, yet I do in hopes they will get better or the main character will become less whiney and damaged.
As families reach out to Julie Hall, in desperate need to find missing loved ones, she must keep her walls up or become overwhelmed by the sheer number of emails and requests she receives. From time to time there are those cases which spark her interest but when they take place in her old home town, a town which holds brutal memories, her first reaction is to delete the request, lock her doors, and hide from the outside world.
There is something about the case of Alice which piques her curiosity and a chance meeting outside of a prison with a psychic, she tentatively combines skills to see if they can come up with a breakthrough for the family. Dead ends after dead ends lead Julie frustrated and exasperated. Her dowsing rods are not picking up on Alice’s remains, until she goes to the one place she swore she would never return to.
Though I had begun to wonder about a specific character in the book, I figured it could not be that easy, why would an author ask so little from her readers, but that is exactly what Wendy Roberts did. Maybe next time she will add in more twists or additional plots to throw us off.
I’ll never understand why this series took off in the way it did when her previous – Ghost Duster Mysteries, and Grounds to Kill just disappeared from the radar.
As families reach out to Julie Hall, in desperate need to find missing loved ones, she must keep her walls up or become overwhelmed by the sheer number of emails and requests she receives. From time to time there are those cases which spark her interest but when they take place in her old home town, a town which holds brutal memories, her first reaction is to delete the request, lock her doors, and hide from the outside world.
There is something about the case of Alice which piques her curiosity and a chance meeting outside of a prison with a psychic, she tentatively combines skills to see if they can come up with a breakthrough for the family. Dead ends after dead ends lead Julie frustrated and exasperated. Her dowsing rods are not picking up on Alice’s remains, until she goes to the one place she swore she would never return to.
Though I had begun to wonder about a specific character in the book, I figured it could not be that easy, why would an author ask so little from her readers, but that is exactly what Wendy Roberts did. Maybe next time she will add in more twists or additional plots to throw us off.
I’ll never understand why this series took off in the way it did when her previous – Ghost Duster Mysteries, and Grounds to Kill just disappeared from the radar.
June 11, 2019
The family of a convicted killer contacts Julie Hill to find the body of the woman murdered. A difficult request for Julie, since the victim is someone she knew in school and the investigation requires she return to her hometown.
This is the fourth book in the Bodies of Evidence series and reads a little darker than the earlier books. A psychic named Ray Hughes approaches Julie about partnering with him and he keeps showing up as she works on her case. Julie is also struggling with the missing memory of an evening when she broke down, had a few drinks and lost her ring, part of a matched set she shared with Garrett, her FBI boyfriend.
There are a few other distractions and red herrings that compete for Julie’s attention along with trying to piece together the night she can’t remember. Julie’s good friend Tracey helps keep Julie on track and boyfriend Garrett is equally supportive.
Wendy Roberts writes an excellent mystery with strong characters caught up in complex psychological issues.
This is the fourth book in the Bodies of Evidence series and reads a little darker than the earlier books. A psychic named Ray Hughes approaches Julie about partnering with him and he keeps showing up as she works on her case. Julie is also struggling with the missing memory of an evening when she broke down, had a few drinks and lost her ring, part of a matched set she shared with Garrett, her FBI boyfriend.
There are a few other distractions and red herrings that compete for Julie’s attention along with trying to piece together the night she can’t remember. Julie’s good friend Tracey helps keep Julie on track and boyfriend Garrett is equally supportive.
Wendy Roberts writes an excellent mystery with strong characters caught up in complex psychological issues.
July 7, 2019
I am a fan of this author’s from way back, and this series has been more serious than the ones she’s written before. Not a bad thing at all, but a head’s up. This is the fourth book in the series, and I’ve read all of them. I like how these books don’t rely on the supernatural elements to solve the mystery, but more enhances finding the killer with what Julie’s ability is. What I mean is she has to know more about where the killer might have dumped the body so she does some detecting while finding out the place most likely the body will be. I really like Julie’s friend Tracey who keeps Julie from being way too serious and, man, can she be serious. She is so guilt-ridden at times, I am uncomfortable. There was a subplot about her alcoholism that bothered me a little because she was so obsessed, but at the end, I understood more why she was. I just wish she had dealt with it sooner. Anyway, overall I enjoyed this one as much as the rest of the series, and I can’t wait to see how the events at the end shake out in the next one. Recommend this book and was provided the e-book which I voluntarily reviewed.
July 16, 2019
A Grave End is an engaging and fun read. I hope it isn't the last book in the series but with A Grave End as the title it seems likely.
This book shouldn't be read as a stand alone, in my opinion. I don't think you would get as good of idea of who the characters are with just this one book, as you would reading the books from the beginning.
It is difficult to review this book without giving too much away or rehashing the synopsis. I will say that the characters in the book are still well written and likable. There were a few new unlikable characters I could have done without, but without them there wouldn't have been a plot.
The storyline is engaging with a few twists and turns. I can't say I was blindsided by everything that happened but I felt like there was a decent amount of suspense and surprise in the book and I always found it interesting.
I recommend this book and entire series to anyone who enjoys suspense and romance mixed in a book.
This book shouldn't be read as a stand alone, in my opinion. I don't think you would get as good of idea of who the characters are with just this one book, as you would reading the books from the beginning.
It is difficult to review this book without giving too much away or rehashing the synopsis. I will say that the characters in the book are still well written and likable. There were a few new unlikable characters I could have done without, but without them there wouldn't have been a plot.
The storyline is engaging with a few twists and turns. I can't say I was blindsided by everything that happened but I felt like there was a decent amount of suspense and surprise in the book and I always found it interesting.
I recommend this book and entire series to anyone who enjoys suspense and romance mixed in a book.
July 21, 2019
An unusual talent of finding bodies using dowsing rods is the premise of this book. Wendy Roberts has written a fast paced thriller that puts Julie Hall on the search for the body of a girl she once went to school with. Crisscrossing painful memories, former acquaintances, and nearly every inch of where she grew up, we learn of personal struggles, temptations, and other horrors in a race to the exciting conclusion.
I was on the edge of my seat at times, trying to piece together what really happened. I read this without pausing except briefly one time, It was simply too good to put down. Wow!!! Well done Ms Roberts! Exceptional!!
I was on the edge of my seat at times, trying to piece together what really happened. I read this without pausing except briefly one time, It was simply too good to put down. Wow!!! Well done Ms Roberts! Exceptional!!
July 21, 2019
In the fourth book in the Bodies of Evidence, Julie Hall is trying to find the body of a women who disappeared in her home town, but left behind enough evidence that she is presumed dead. Just like in the previous books, this story contained an interesting mystery that kept me hooked all the way through. While I'm not completely sure this is the end of the series, I think it really could be, as I felt this book brought the series full circle, being back in the town where Julie spent her childhood and was molded into who she is today, and ended on a satisfying note. Though, I would read another book if one was written!
ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.
ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.
June 10, 2019
A Grave End was interesting, and very enjoyable. I loved the heroine and hero, and I really enjoy their relationship.
The only thing that bugged me were the secrets the heroine kept keeping, and how she's normally such a smart person, she made some stupid choices in this one, and she didn't pick on things she should have.
Other than that, this one was really good with a great ending, I hope there is more soon!
The only thing that bugged me were the secrets the heroine kept keeping, and how she's normally such a smart person, she made some stupid choices in this one, and she didn't pick on things she should have.
Other than that, this one was really good with a great ending, I hope there is more soon!
June 24, 2019
I loved it! Each book in this series is just as good as the last. The concept of finding bodies of the deceased with divining rods has had me fascinated from the very first book. I enjoyed the characters, locale, mystery and the author's story telling of it all. I was just as disappointed in Julie's set back as she was and completely shocked when the truth was revealed. Here's hoping Cinema Rumi isn't a contender! ARC netgalley.com
July 16, 2019
LOVED THIS BOOK!!!
I can’t get enough of this series ! Sat down to read this book and could not put it down. It had so many twist and turns every time I thought I had the mystery solved something else happened to prove me Wrong. I love Julie and Garrett love for each other. Read this book it will keep you on the edge of your seat . Can’t wait for the next book by Ms Roberts .
I can’t get enough of this series ! Sat down to read this book and could not put it down. It had so many twist and turns every time I thought I had the mystery solved something else happened to prove me Wrong. I love Julie and Garrett love for each other. Read this book it will keep you on the edge of your seat . Can’t wait for the next book by Ms Roberts .
January 14, 2020
Wowza...
What a wild ride 😳
This was a bit of a nail biter...
I love Julie & Garrett both damaged and quirky but they work. I have to say there were a lot of twists and turns, and while eventually I knew there was a screw lose with a certain character. I was surprised at the end. And I loved how there relationship took that turn.
This author always keeps me on my toes! I love her books.
What a wild ride 😳
This was a bit of a nail biter...
I love Julie & Garrett both damaged and quirky but they work. I have to say there were a lot of twists and turns, and while eventually I knew there was a screw lose with a certain character. I was surprised at the end. And I loved how there relationship took that turn.
This author always keeps me on my toes! I love her books.
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