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Janice J Richardson
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Casket Cache (A Spencer Funeral Home Niagara Cozy Mystery Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Janice J. Richardson (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 392 ratings
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Funeral homes are supposed to be quiet...

Jennifer, a young funeral director, moves into an apartment above a funeral home she inherited. Her first week is chaotic - unpacking, getting to know her staff and supervising a heavy workload. When she finds a cache of money in a casket, the police consider her a suspect. Jennifer has families to serve and funerals to arrange, it is her number one priority. Someone sinister and dangerous wants that cash back. That is their number one priority, and Jennifer Spencer, funeral director, is in their way.

Author's note: The main plot continues in Book 2, Winter's Mourning. The series is best read in order.
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  1. Book 1 of 4
    A Spencer Funeral Home Niagara Cozy Mystery
  2. Print length
    291 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    July 22 2016
  6. Grade level
    6 - 12
  7. File size
    1026 KB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  11. See all details
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Total Price: CDN$11.50
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Sold by: Amazon.com.ca, Inc.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01IYHOC8G
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Janice J. Richardson; 3rd edition (July 22 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1026 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 291 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0995239517
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 392 ratings

About the author

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Janice J Richardson

Janice J Richardson

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Born in Toronto a few minutes after my twin, I wanted to be a funeral director when I was eight. I fulfilled that dream a bit later in life. As a mom to special needs children, the years flew by. When the time came for their care to be turned over to others, I wandered into writing.

For film and TV rights enquiries, contact me at themakingofafuneral.director@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/stories.about.people

Twitter @richardsonjan1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14979647.Janice_J_Richardson

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
392 global ratings
Excellent Cosy Mystery
5 Stars
Excellent Cosy Mystery
The characters in this book feel like friends. I am finished my second in the series and on to the third. The plot in Casket Cashe was so well thought out and planned by the author, who knows her stuff. The descriptions made me feel I was there in the moment. Jennifer Spencer, the main character, a young funeral director, is open and caring. She wants to do the best she can to honour her uncle, who left her Spencer's Funeral Home. She moved from Toronto to Niagara to take on the task. Eventually, her friend Marcia, whom she worked with in a large Toronto Funeral Home, comes on staff at Spencer's. She and the other supporting characters fit so well. The dialogue is engaging, and the mystery is revealed in stages with some very tense scenes and a blend of humour in the mix. Jennifer's uncle would be proud. I recommend this book for a good, cozy read. I won't say more for fear of spoilers. Warning: you won't stop with just this one. You'll want to visit Jennifer and her friends to see what they are up to next. Satisfied reader.
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Top reviews from Canada

Karen Mom of Three
5.0 out of 5 stars Truly Wonderful Cozy! One of the Best I have ever read!
Reviewed in Canada on November 4, 2016
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A truly wonderful cozy. I have to admit that the thought of a cozy mystery centered around a funeral home director could lend it's self to being silly and awkward, I was pleasantly surprised that I found this to be one of the most serene and easy flowing cozy mystery books I have ever had the pleasure of reading. The way that Janice writes, quickly and all at once put my inquisitive readers mind at ease. I felt like I was emotionally involved from the first sentence and left wanting more at the end of the book. Clearly there was thought, research, personal experience and insight that Janice had for her character that made her feel like a real live and breathing person. Someone you would love to know and be friends with. This cozy was respectful, this cozy was compassionate, insightful and it was a reading experience I will treasure. Casket Cache is book one of three with book two coming out in November and I will anxiously await it's release. There is so much I want to say and tell you about from this book and the connections I made with it and my own life but I don't want to give it away. This is a book I think you should add to your TBR pile for sure. A very authentic and brilliant cozy.
2 people found this helpful
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Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Death with Details
Reviewed in Canada on March 12, 2019
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I enjoyed how detailed this book was about the Funeral business. The characters were interesting and I wanted to know what was going to happen to them. I was expecting the mystery itself to be a little more cozy/whimsical but overall I enjoyed the story.
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ppsphil
3.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable read except for a personal dislike. I'll read more in the series, though!.
Reviewed in Canada on May 21, 2018
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Ok now I've had a few days to digest this book here are a few of my thoughts about it. I read this book because I like to read books by Canadian authors and particularly if they are set in Canada and I keep looking for new authors to try. In this case because I knew I had Brenda Chapman's latest "Bleeding Darkness" arriving on May 19 I needed some quick and lighter reading to fill in after finishing Stephen Maher's . "Salvage". I am very glad I did read this book and I quite enjoyed it and except for a personal pet peeve, which I'll talk about later, this book really deserves 4 stars. I thought it is very well written with very well developed characters, the unlikeable ones as well as the likeable, it has a setting which is definitely unique from any other mystery I have ever read and a fairly strait forward plot which moved along at a comfortable reading pace and I don't think all the detail included, which BTW was quite interesting on it's own, tended to slow the story down too much. A couple of minor nit picks might be that the spectacular Niagara region could possibly have been drawn more vividly and made a stronger character in the story and Jennifer and Peter, although being people I would love to have as friends, are just perhaps a bit too perfect, honest and sincere without any severe warts. I am most definitely going to read the rest of this series. Now for my reason for knocking off a star - If this book had ended with Jorge back in custody and some resolution to the money I would have willingly awarded it 4 stars but I have a very severe dislike for what happened after that although I knew, like Jennifer, that the real perp had not been caught. Now I am not completely against a cliffhanger ending leading to the next book as long as the author and the publisher make it completely clear and visible to prospective readers, in the cover blurbs, that the main plot does not end with this book but carries on in one or more sequels and that the books must be read in order. Anyway this was an enjoyable read, I have another Canadian author to read and I won't be long getting into "Winter's Mourning" when I finish "Bleeding Darkness"!
2 people found this helpful
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Jenell
5.0 out of 5 stars Jennifer Spencer, the new Agatha Raisin
Reviewed in Canada on August 20, 2016
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I absolutely adore cozy mysteries. Having grown up reading Agatha Christie's books especially the adventures of Miss Marple, I hold these types of stories close to my heart. Jennifer Spencer's exciting exploits in Niagara Falls provided the fulfillment I needed to fuel my mystery genre addiction. She is a funeral director who recently inherited the reins of a funeral home from her Uncle. She is constantly surrounded by friends and acquaintances including Gwen, Marcia, her employees Peter and Elaine, her family (twin sister Anne) and Grimsby the cat and of course, members of the police, especially Detective Sergeant Gillespie.

I enjoyed the story. Aside from the process of solving the murder, I also enjoyed learning a bit about what goes on in a funeral home in preparation for funerals and services. I also enjoyed the setting, being a resident of Ontario myself. This is a great book for readers who are looking for a mystery with twists and turns and a story that goes beyond one plot. And it even has a bonus preview of the series' Book 2!
One person found this helpful
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Gloria Ferris
5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely recommended
Reviewed in Canada on November 9, 2021
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I am always looking for Canadian authors, particularly in the mystery genre. Casket Cache is a delight, despite the somber-sounding setting. It is anything but depressing. The characters are well-drawn, especially the funeral director MC, Jennifer Spencer. She is always professional and caring, even under the most stressful conditions. The mystery is intriguing and I didn’t mind the rather cliff-hanging plot as I planned to buy the next in the series anyway, even before I finished this one. Glad I discovered this (new to me) author.
One person found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars I recommend it to everybody who likes moderately-paced cozy
Reviewed in Canada on November 26, 2017
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Casket Cache surprised me with a setting and characters that are anything but mundane. It took me to a world which I have little knowledge of, providing insights and descriptions I found very interesting. The mystery is engaging; the characters – believable. The end leaves the reader in suspense, as we are not quite sure what will happen next. I recommend it to everybody who likes moderately-paced cozy mysteries
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Top reviews from other countries

Stace
5.0 out of 5 stars A captivating read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 20, 2019
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I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. In fact I stayed up until 4.20 am to finish it as I couldn't put it down. I loved all of the characters and their personalities.
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Jennifer
5.0 out of 5 stars An extraordinary cozy mystery
Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2017
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Casket Cache is an extraordinary cozy mystery for as much the setting as the author’s style of writing. In addition to being a well-built mystery, the story offers an intimate glimpse in the life of a funeral director and the inner works of a funeral home.

The author is able to inspire a level of compassion and empathy I’ve never before encountered in fiction. After reading this book, I actually felt hopeful and reassured, despite the sometimes heavy topics discussed.

It is first and foremost a mystery. The story follows Jennifer, a young woman who has just moved to Niagara, Canada to start work as the funeral director of funeral home left to her by her recently deceased uncle. Before she can get settled in, there is a break-in. The responding police find a large sum of money in one of the caskets and the circumstances point to Jennifer’s involvement.

Jennifer, along with her new co-workers and a few old friends, has to figure out what’s really going on and who is truly involved before she’s arrested. Break-ins, physical threats, illegal drugs, the disappearance of a Casino pit boss and someone trying to run Jennifer off the road, make it clear that there’s more going on than the local police suspect.

The central mystery is resolved in a satisfactory way and the last few chapters set up the cast and story for the next installment of this (currently) three part series.

Throughout the novel, Jennifer’s work as a funeral director continues; she prearranges funerals for the terminally ill, picks up murder victims from crime scenes, prepares bodies for cremations, and meets with chaplains to help console those who have lost someone special to them. The author’s moving descriptions of the tragedies encountered daily on the job are filled with compassion, sensitivity and empathy. It is clear she has drawn deeply on her actual experiences as a funeral director, and this story is much better for it. She’s able to tap into a level of emotional depth not usually found in cozy mysteries.

Jennifer’s profession was why I initially hesitated reading this book and didn’t request to review it for Mystery Thriller Week. However during MTW, I read a few interviews with the author and was so fascinated by her, I decided to take a chance on the first book in the series. Though death is a topic most of us try to avoid, it is an inevitable part of life. Like most forty-year-olds, I’ve buried too many loved ones. It is reassuring to know there are people like Jennifer out there, who truly sympathize with someone’s loss.

I highly recommend this to fans of mysteries, amateur sleuths, and cozies. It is something different and definitely worth the read. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
3 people found this helpful
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Karen Siddall
4.0 out of 5 stars An exciting cozy mystery and a peek inside the funeral business to boot!
Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2020
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When Jennifer Spencer’s beloved uncle, Bill, passes away, he bequeaths his funeral home business to her and her twin sister, Anne. Anne is a journalist, but Jennifer had taken after her uncle and earned her mortuary license and takes over the family business with Anne as a silent partner. The business is successful and steady, and soon after Jennifer takes over and moves into the apartment above, the funeral home is burglarized. When the police investigate, they find no one there, and nothing is missing. However, while the police are watching, Jennifer discovers a large amount of cash hidden in one of the caskets and suddenly finds herself under suspicion of some unknown criminal activity. While someone continues to get inside the funeral home, Jennifer juggles business and tries to discover where the money came from and who is breaking in to look for it.

Casket Cache is the first book in the Spencer Funeral Home Cozy Mystery series by Janice J. Richardson. Richardson, a veteran funeral director herself, gives us a fascinating look behind the scenes of the funeral industry as well as an engaging mystery to boot. I enjoyed the various characters, and Jennifer is especially personable and caring. In fact, the entire staff Jennifer inherits or recruits seem like very nice people, people you could really depend on during your time of need. The setting in the Niagara region of Canada is great, and I liked hearing about the area. With the undoubted opportunities for stories arising from the funeral business and the characters all beginning to settle in at Spencer’s, I look forward to many more books in the series.

I recommend CASKET CACHE to cozy mystery readers and readers that might like a peek inside the funeral business.
3 people found this helpful
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Mr C
4.0 out of 5 stars I don't do book reviews......
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 5, 2020
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I don't do book reviews like you keep seeing, as I find that some give too much of the plot away and I personally hate that, as it makes the book not worth reading. I much prefer to take the authors back cover write up as a review as it can either intrigue you enough to read the book of provide you enough information to make you decide that the book is not for you.
My review rules are: The more stars, the more I liked it.
If there are too many typos or errors the less stars I give
If the storyline or plot is poor or contains too many errors, the characters are too weak, the ending lacking something, then the less stars I give.
Simple, uncomplicated and to the point without giving anything away.
Some of the books I read have been given to me by the author as a pre-release copy and this does not bias my reviews in any way
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joan bartlett
5.0 out of 5 stars Funeral mystery
Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2022
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I was initially curious about a mystery involving a funeral home. I really enjoyed the story. It was well written, the characters were likable, the situations believable. I will read the next story.
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