Dead Even

I’ll admit, I was skeptical about a mystery where the heroine spends half her time elbow-deep in cadavers. But *Dead Even* won me over with its refusal to sugarcoat death—or the messy lives of those left behind. Mattie Winston is the kind of protagonist I’d want to grab a beer with (or at least a stiff drink after a long day in the morgue). Her sarcasm is a shield, but Ryan writes her with enough vulnerability that you root for her even when she’s being stubborn. The case itself—a wealthy local’s demise that’s either suicide, murder, or an elaborate cover-up—unfolds with satisfying complexity, though I’ll warn you: the red herrings here aren’t just scattered; they’re *buried* like evidence in a shallow grave. Jorjeana Marie’s performance elevates the material significantly. Her timing is impeccable, especially in Mattie’s snarky asides, and she handles the Wisconsin setting without overdoing the accent (a pet peeve of mine). That said, the audiobook’s pacing stumbles slightly in the middle, where a subplot about Mattie’s love life feels shoehorned in—it’s resolved too neatly, like Ryan remembered she needed a romantic beat and tossed one in. And while the forensic details are fascinating, a few scenes drag with *too* much procedural jargon. Still, the payoff is worth it: the final confrontation is tense, the resolution earned, and the last line? Perfectly dark and dry. If you like your mysteries with a side of morbid humor and a protagonist who’s equal parts brilliant and a hot mess, this is a standout.