THE DEAD COME TO STAY by Brandy Schillace offers a mystery set in Yorkshire and is the second one to feature Jo Jones, an American on the autism spectrum. There are numerous references to the earlier tale and once again Jones pairs up with a local police officer to find a murderer. This time their sleuthing involves missing teens as well. The audiobook is narrated by Imogen Church (she also narrates Ruth Ware titles) and I am sorry to say that I did not enjoy it at all. Church tries on a number of strange voices and accents, particularly for detective James MacAdams. Sadly, the voices are both difficult to understand and quite distracting from the story. I would score the audiobook a 3 at best and have since requested a preview to read ... reviews are generally positive, and I am hoping that this story sounds better in my head.

I will just come out and say it, I didn't like this audiobook at all. But, I believe it had to do with a couple factors. 1. I didn't realize this book was part of a series; so off the bat, I was lost. 2. I'm not much for European accents. Sometimes it is difficult to follow.

After the events of the last book, Jo Jones is settling into Yorkshire in the cottage on Ardemore. The Jekyll Gardens on the estate are about to open and Jo is still investigating the mystery of her ancestors, but that doesn’t pay the bills, so she’s refurbished the attic space to rent out. However, the first booking doesn’t go as planned and a body turns up right before the Jekyll Garden opening.

Detective James MacAdams is called in to investigate this puzzling murder and isn’t surprised when he finds a connection between Jo and the victim.

Jo’s memory for detail comes in handy with the murder investigation, but she’s more involved with the mystery of her ancestors and the history between Jo’s mother and uncle. She gets more background from an unexpected source revealing information her mother never shared.

The Dead Come to Stay was another fun cozy murder mystery and I enjoyed seeing the relationships solidify and deepen. It was nice for Jo to get some answers and closure, as well.

I alternately read and listened to the audio version. I enjoyed Imogen Church’s performance of the female characters, but some of the male voices sounded stuffy and silly. Maybe it was to convey a bit of humor? Even so, I enjoyed the audio version overall.

This was a satisfying second instalment in the Jo Jones cozy mystery series. I love seeing more autistic main characters in fiction and this latest set in the English countryside sees Jo teaming up with PI James MacAdams as they investigate a missing person and delve into Jo's family secrets. Good on audio narrated by Imogen Church, this is perfect for fans of books like The maid. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio and digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this mystery! Second in a series, it's set in Northern England and features an amateur American sleuth (she never MEANS to sleuth, she just happens to be on the scene of the crime!), Jo, and a local detective inspector, James.

In this entry, a man staying at Jo's air bnb turns up dead the day after he checks in. The mystery turns out to have a lot to do with refugees and smuggled artifacts, and (of course) Jo gets caught up in solving it. It's a pretty standard mystery, with the highlight being the characters: Jo has autism and is very open about the challenges of and the advantages to her way of thinking. (Her attention to detail can be a real asset while crime solving!) James doesn't just appreciate her assistance, but is also nurturing a crush.

I did have a minor jump scare when Jo (a freelance editor) complains that the only people looking for developmental editing are romance novel authors ... she does go on to explain that she's simply not the right person to edit romance, so she can't be a satisfactory editor.

When I read a mystery set in England, I want a nice British narration, and that's what you get from Imogen Church. I was worried that American Jo would suffer, but Church does a great job with all of the different accents (including a "barely there" Irish clue!).

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the audiobook.

This was not my favorite listen I don't think it was the narrator. The book just didn;t hold my interest.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Publishing, and my bookish Hive for the opportunity to listen and review an advanced copy of the audio The Dead Come to Stay by Brandy Schillace. I listened to the audio version of The Dead Come to Stay and overall enjoyed the narration. The pacing and delivery worked well for the tone of the story, and the narrator did a great job with the supporting character voices — they all felt distinct and lively.

That said, I did feel like the voice chosen for Jo, the FMC, could have been aged up just slightly. Jo is a mature, intelligent woman, and at times, her voice sounded a bit too youthful or teen-like, which threw me off during more serious moments. That adjustment aside, the performance was solid, and I’d absolutely listen to future books in the series in audio format.

3.5⭐️

I did that thing again where I accidentally requested the second book in a series from Netgalley. Luckily I don't think I missed too much by not reading the first book.

I really liked the way Jo was portrayed throughout this book. I feel like a lot of times, the personality traits of an autistic character are played up as almost comic relief. Instead both Jo and the way she interacts with James was authentically and respectfully portrayed. I liked the way that James lets her investigate the case but doesn't let her completely break the law like I've seen in some cozy mysteries. I also really enjoyed Jo's investigation into her family history. I wasn't overly impressed with the murder mystery aspect. It felt like it got overpowered by Jo's investigation into her family history.

I did receive an ALC of this book and was quite excited that it was narrated by Immogen Church. She's one of my favorite narrators but I did find her American accent to be super jarring. I still loved her narration though!

Thanks Netgalley, Hanover Square Press, and Harlequin Audio for providing these ARCs to me!