Jess Sayin'

A Grace Texas Murder Mystery (Grace Texas Mystery, Book 1)

By: Cherry Northcutt

Narrated by: Amy Verdon

Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

When former journalist Jessica Hart returned home to the idyllic small town of Grace, Texas, she never expected to become a suspect in a murder investigation.

Jessica’s life has taken a detour. After losing her job and her marriage, she returned to her hometown to get back on her feet. She began a lifestyle blog and took a job as a church receptionist.

Jess was just settling in to small town life when she got fired from the church by the micromanaging church administrator, Sandra Dorian. Full of righteous indignation, Jess unleashed her fury in her blog. The next morning, the backlash against Jess was brutal. It seemed the whole town was against her.

On New Year’s Day, Sandra’s body was found outside by the church wall with her skull crushed. Jess became the number one suspect. Now she has to find the real killer to clear her name and find out what's really going on.

Along the way, she will tangle with her lawyer ex-husband, her feisty great aunt, and a former Miss Texas. The ever growing list of suspects includes a suspicious groundskeeper, a quirky accountant, and Sandra’s husband with a secret he wants to keep hidden.

Before too long, another body is found at the church. Can Jess crack the case before the killer cracks her in the head?

©2020 Cherri Northcutt (P)2021 Cherri Northcutt

Mediocre

I think the main character is supposed to be flawed, so she could be relatable. The issue I had was with her judgement. She’s supposed to be a journalist, but the way she acts, by that I mean: shallow, narrow-minded and non-intuitive, made me dislike her profoundly. I mean, when that part about her being laid off twice came in, it made the story believable. If I were a journalist reading this, I would feel insulted that’s her profession.

If you’re willing to get past that, the premise is interesting and the narrator is good.

Keeps you guessing!!

I love the narrator's voice and her inflection, making this guessing game more exciting. Can't wait for the next book.

Texas Fun - Cozy Mystery

Jessica Hart is a slightly broken woman who was recently divorced and returned to her hometown to heal and move on. Hired as a church receptionist and owner of a lifestyle blog, Jessica begins anew. That is until her ex-husband is hired as her lawyer and his Ms. Texas Fiancé, and her elderly aunt comes to her aid as well. The fun just gets started as Jess, friends, and the police try to solve the murder of Jess’ former employer who had just fired her and who had a reputation of being “difficult”!
Cherry Northcutt, the author, creates a smooth, fun cozy mystery that is well written. The characters are fully developed as are the plot twists. Attention to detail was flawless. Northcutt keeps the book moving forward with plot twists that were surprising including the ending! I enjoy cozy mysteries, and this has moved to the top of my list!
The narrator, Amy Verdon, gives a solid performance with unique voices and the perfect inflection of emotion. Her performance is measured and consistent throughout the entire book. The voices chosen for the various characters made them come alive. Verdon’s performance helped keep the book moving forward.
There were no issues with the quality or production of this audiobook.

Disclaimer: This Audiobook was provided free of charge by the author, narrator, and/or publisher in exchange for a non-bias, honest review.

Just charming

This has everything you want from a cozy mystery - small town busybodies gossiping to everyone’s detriment, lots of baked goods, a couple spicy affairs and a hero cat. It was packed full of Southern charm. The narration was wonderful - her voice is so soothing, I want her to read me to sleep.

Enjoyable new Audiobook!

I really enjoyed this new audio book, Jess Sayin’ “ by author Cherry Northcutt. The quirky residents of Grace,Texas come to life in this
charming reading of the book, the first in the Grace Texas Murders series. I was kept guessing the whole time, all the while enjoying the crazy adventures of Jess, the quaint small town Texas atmosphere of Grace, and the delightful characters. I’m looking forward to hearing more from Ms. Northcutt.

not for me

I got halfway through this book before I skipped to the end to confirm my prediction of the killer. Not only was I right about the killer but I was thoroughly annoyed by the interactions between Jess and her ex husband. I returned this book and I won't be getting the next book in this series.