Jo Who Died

De: K. H. Walters

Narrado por: Melanie Crawley

Jo Who Died is the funny and bittersweet telling of a mother's life story from the perspective of her recently deceased daughter. Jenny Knight never intended to call seven of her eight children Jo(e). It's funny how life turns out. At twenty-six years old, Jo 5 throws herself out of a window with no intention of dying. Nor did she plan for her siblings to be suspects in a murder investigation. Sometimes, that's just the way things go.

As she watches the aftermath of her death unfold from beyond the grave, Jo reflects on her mother's life. The grief and addiction. The many romances with men whose names start with the letter J. The mysterious circumstances of 1995. And, of course, the decades-long friendship with a deeply dissatisfied Finn.

The twists and turns that led Jenny, again and again, to naming each of her children Jo(e). Except for the youngest of course, but who cares about her? Can Jenny find happiness? Will the Detective piece together the unusual plan Jo 5 has schemed up? And do hairdressers really care where you've been on your holidays?

All important questions that will be answered by Jo (who died).

©2024 Katherine Walters (P)2024 Katherine Walters

Surprisingly delightful

I listened to the audiobook version of this book and was pleasantly surprised. The narrator did a fantastic job, engaging, entertaining, and perfectly suited for the tone of the story.

At first, I wasn’t sure this book would be for me, but the more I listened, the more I was drawn in. It’s a quirky mix of silly humor, heartwarming moments, a touch of suspense, and a sweet love story that sneaks up on you. What starts off as absurd turns into a surprisingly touching and reflective tale.

Told from the perspective of Jo 5, recently deceased and watching her chaotic family unravel from beyond the grave, the story captures both the ridiculous and the real. Jenny Knight, the mother of eight mostly-named-Jo(e) children, is a fascinating character, flawed, funny, and painfully human.

There are mystery elements, emotional depth, and laugh-out-loud moments throughout. The unusual premise somehow works perfectly, and by the end, I genuinely loved the book.

If you enjoy witty, offbeat stories with heart, Jo Who Died is definitely worth a listen.

Jo died unexpectedly; she wants to tell you why.

The author told me "... it's not actually in the murder mystery genre ..." but I spent 6/7 of this incredibly touching and irresistibly humorous story wondering how exactly Jo died. As do the detectives assigned to investigate the case. Eventually, Jo does reveal the details of her demise, but not before sharing tales of her numerous siblings (nearly all of which are also named a variation of Jo/Joe), her grandparents, and her dear mother who seems to be one of the most spontaneously fertile women ever to live. She might not be a doctor or police officer, but Jo's recounting of her mother's history and exploits, and the circumstances that formed this unusual family dynamic contain an artistry and perspective that takes hold from the first few sentences and brings you along for a wild ride until the end. Narrated expertly with great emotional clarity, and written with fine attention to literary detail, this witty and relatable telling provides a good deal of chuckles and levity. I look forward to future titles by K. H. Walters. [Disclosure: I received this title for free and listened at 1.75x]

Different

This was definitely different that I was expected but in a good way. It's an oddly fun yet kinda bittersweet and a touch sad maybe. I don't want to give anything away because I think this is best to just go in kinda blind but it's intriguing from start to finish and a fairly quick listen with excellent narration.

Jo

I enjoyed this book. I loved the underlying humor throughout, it really enhanced the story. I did not want to put it down. No that it is over, I definitely want more by this author. The title of the book caught my attention, it is unusual. Although death is a dark and heavy topic, this book is light and easy. With death, as the story unfolds there are several tragedies, and painful moments. At the same time, it is told in a light and happy tone. I recommend reading this book! The narration further enhanced the story, well done. I received a free copy of the audiobook, and am voluntarily leaving my review.

An AMAZING Story proving that LOVE Never Dies.

PLEASE. Listen to this AWESOME audiobook asap; in my opinion, it is a book you won’t want to miss. “Jo Who Died” is a wonderful combination of miscommunication, love, tenderness, humor, life, death, and more love.
The narrator of this audiobook is a child/sibling who died. It reminded me of the book “The Lovely Bones”, which is narrated by a deceased girl. Only this book thankfully doesn’t have much angst.

I lost a sister in 1986, when she was 30 and I was 27, and this book actually made me feel like even though my sister may be dead, she still is part of my life and knows my joy’s, sorrow’s, and milestones.

I needed a few tissues at the end of this audiobook, not from sadness or grief, it was from an AMAZING, BEAUTIFUL, TENDER, FULFILLING ending.
All throughout this book, as the detective was interviewing all the sibling’s, other persons of interest, and the deceased girl’s mom, I didn’t feel sadness or angst. I felt entranced, and enjoyed learning the backgrounds and personalities of all involved. I had a few good chuckles at the well-timed, subtle humor.

K. H. Walters did an EXCEPTIONAL job of giving all the characters such dimension. By the end of this book, I felt like I knew most of the characters intimately, like they were part of my family.

Melanie Crawley, who is the actual human voice that gave life to all the characters, did a tremendous job, and it was a pleasure listening to her.

Whether you listen to this as you clean, exercise, work, drive, or just sit relaxing, you are certain to have an incredible experience. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this audiobook.

Unexpected Consequences

This was my first experience with this author's work, and it won't be my last. From the opening until the very end, I was so captivated by this story that I listened to the whole audiobook in one sitting. As soon as I read the blurb, my imagination was intrigued by the creative idea of telling a mother's story through the perspective of a deceased daughter. I was entertained by the originality of the story and the quirkiness of the characters. I thought Melanie Crawley's narration was good, and her performance enhanced the story's entertainment. I was given a copy of the audiobook. I volunteered, without financial gain, to post this review which reflected my honest opinions regarding this audiobook.

Unique and original

This story is unique and original. The characters are interesting. The storyline is intriguing. The story is emotionally bittersweet, filled with humor and drama. The story is well written, and enthralling. Melanie Crawley did a great job bringing this story to life. #StoryOrigin