The Dead Come to Stay

A Novel

By: Brandy Schillace

Narrated by: Imogen Church

An amateur autistic sleuth. A wry English detective. A murder case that thrusts them both into the wealthy world of the rare artifacts trade…

Jo Jones can't seem to catch a break. Trading in city life for the cozy, peaceful hills of the English countryside to take over her family estate should have been a chance for a “fresh start.” Instead, she's been driven further into the past than she thought possible—and not just her own. The estate is littered with traces of ancestors that Jo never knew existed, including a mysterious woman depicted in a half-destroyed painting. Then there’s the gossipy town politics Jo must constantly navigate as a neurodivergent transplanted American… And of course, the whole murder business.

When prickly town detective James MacAdams discovers a body in the moors with coincidental ties to Jo Jones, they're forced to team up on the case. The clues will lead them into the wealthiest locales of Yorkshire, from sparkling glass hotels to luxury property sites to elite country clubs.

But below the glittering surfaces, Jo and MacAdams discover darker schemes brewing. Local teens, many of them international refugees, are disappearing left and right. What begins as a bizarre murder case quickly plunges them both into the world of rare artifacts and antique trading…and a murderer who will do anything to cover it up.

Jo and her found family crack 2 tough cases

I love to get glimpses into how Jo’s mind works while she navigates emotions and wild situations. The 2 mysteries intermingled nicely, and her supporting team was quirky fun.

Narration Got In The Way

This was somewhat enjoyable, but the narration got in the way. Narrator's characterization of Jo was ear-jarring. She sounded like a 10-year-old speaking in a shrill voice to get attention . Not as realistic in voice changes as previous book. Not enjoyable for listening . The story pace seemed slow for no discernable reason.

Great continuation of Jo!

So I did think it was kind of weird that this book had a different narrator than the first book. I definitely like the first narrator better. In terms of the story, I really loved the continuation of finding Joe’s relatives. I didn’t really like the murder story honestly in this one I preferred the first one, but it was still really good and I love the new characters that were introduced and the backstory we heard from several more characters in this book and I really hope that this author continues this series