I got Waking Up Dead as a free ebook and I'm glad I did. I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline and characters. If, as someone else suggested in a review, this is the start of a series, I would certainly like to read more. ( )

3.5 stars
*This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBoom dot com, at my request.

Callie wonders why she woke up in Alabama as a ghost, and not in her home town in Dallas, Heaven, or even Hell. Callie thinks it might be to help Rick McClatchey. Rick's in prison for murdering his wife, which Callie knows he didn't. She saw the man who killed and chopped Molly McClatchey up but doesn't know why or how to prove it. Callie is determined to find someone to help her prove Rick is innocent.

Listening to Callie's story feels like she's talking right to me, and so much so with it being narrated! Angel takes on Callie's personality as she narrates for us, feeling as though she knows me and tells me her story like a friend. Angel also picks up the personalities of other characters as they talk. I liked that we get different tones for each character to help differentiate the characters easily in listening. We get louder sections when Callie, or others, are calling to another room or upset. The vocals are clear with a clean background. There is, however, a repeated section, a decent sized section that feels as if it's a paragraph or two, in chapter 7.

Callie has a strong personality. She's a determined type. Callie does get a bit pushy, as living life happens to get in the way of the living who can see her and are helping to find clues to point to the real killer. I had to chuckle at Maw-maw when she tells Ashara as it is. She is a strong, determined old lady with putting things in perspective.

We have a diverse cast here. Ashara plays a big part in the story with helping Callie and she's African American. Woot woot! Ashara can see and hear ghosts. Ashara's Maw-maw mentioned, and Ashara believes it possible though questions, that she's been given a gift by God with seeing the dead people. Ashara will feel bad if she doesn't help Callie with Rick's case, as he's innocent and she does have a gift, so Ashara works with Callie. I really liked Ashara. She's smart and has a view of the world knowing she could get in serious trouble with some of the things she does with Callie, the one no one can see. Even Maw-maw gets in on the adventure, getting a chance to leave the house.

The story was a light listen. I did map the family tree that we learned though. I just had to! It was something that I wanted to see, all the connections and all. The story was something I enjoyed in audio as it made the personalities pop and the story feel light and fun for me. There is a touch of a dark feel at the end of the story though, how things can turn bad and do. ( )

Paranormal Southern mystery; highly recommended for fans of Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood books.

Callie Taylor wakes up as a ghost in Alabama - a place she's never been. She's not sure why she's there - but she finds herself compelled to bring the murderer of another young woman to justice. In order to do so, she goes about trying to recruit local 'sensitives' to her cause.

It's a short novel, simply told, but it moves along at a good clip. A good couple of hours of entertainment. Definitely intended as the start of a series. ( )

This book had me from the very first chapter. The voice is great. It somehow stays light and fun while delving into solving a gruesome crime.

Callie's relationship with Ashara and her Maw-Maw is so naturally funny and heart-warming that sometimes I forgot poor Molly got hacked up. There are moments of delicious suspense where I was on the edge of my seat, almost wanting to yell at them to watch out! Here's a quick list of the goods and lows of the book.

What worked:
the voice
the relationship between the characters
the logical progression of their detective work
the suspense

What didn't work for me:
I really wanted to know more about Callie's death (Since this is the first of the series, I'm sure more will come)
The language (I'm not big on swearing and this one had a lot for me) ( )