The Coffins of Little Hope

In The Coffins of Little Hope by Timothy Schaffert, 83-year-old Essie Myles is the obituary writer for her family’s small-town newspaper, run by her grandson Doc. Essie and Doc find themselves in the biggest story of their lives when a local girl is kidnapped by a traveling aeriel photographer. Or is it a hoax made up by Daisy, the missing girl’s lonely mother?

As Essie tries to get the real story from Daisy, another big story rocks the town when it’s discovered that Doc’s printing press is secretly printing the final book in the wildly popular gothic YA series (think Series of Unfortunate Events).

When Daisy begins reading chapters of the much anticipated (and unreleased) book over a CB radio every night, Doc and Essie must find a way to get the book back. Or is it really a bootlegged copy or just something Daisy has made up?

Yet the real pleasure in reading The Coffins of Little Hope is not in solving these mysteries but in enjoying the narrative voice of Essie. Eccentric and a bit of a curmudgeon, she is interesting and engaging and one of the best characters I've read in years. The supporting characters are also enjoyable, especially Essie's great-granddaughter Tiffany. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to those looking for a well-written character story.