Reviews

Grave Expectations by Alice Bell

rach_8768's review

funny lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

knitterknatter's review

funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I would kill for Alex and I know they'd just pity me as the poor millennial I am 🥲 This book had me LOLing so much.
It is a cozy little murder mystery, filled with humour. The bathroom shall now, and forever, be known as the big tooth room.

today_catsandbooks's review

adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Lighthearted mystery where a ghost reveals a murder.

beate251's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Claire is a 30 year old medium who gets invited to a posh manor house as the entertainment. The interesting bit about her is that she can actually see and talk to ghosts, and one, her best friend Sophie who was murdered at 17, is always with her. So far, her ability hasn't exactly got the cash rolling but she expects a good fee from this engagement. Unfortunately, the old nanna dies the next day and tells her as a ghost that a year ago someone died in the house. It's very vague but Claire feels like she needs to investigate nonetheless.

The problem is that Claire is a terrible detective. She behaves and speaks like a teenager, gets drunk regularly and has horrible hangovers. She also forgets info, and that she has access to ghosts. If it wasn't for Sophie and two characters from the posho family, an uncle and his non-binary nephew, this medium-sized medium wouldn't get very far with her "investigatoring".

At the beginning I wasn't convinced at all. There were too many characters with the silliest toff names and the helpful family tree was so tiny that I had to take a screenshot and enlarge it. The writing also feels childish sometimes.

But this book grows on you, it really does, once you stop taking anything seriously. It is a cozy crime with supernatural overtones but it becomes more about the interaction between characters and the journey than the actual solving of a crime. It is also screamingly funny, and I'm afraid to say a big purple dildo played quite a role in proceedings. And next time she should maybe remember to ask the manor house ghosts what they saw - turns out they saw everything! 🤣

Quote of the book:
"She discovered that pheasant tasted luxurious and meaty. Like chicken, but if hens voted Tory."

As an aside, Topic bars were discontinued in 2021.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Drug use, Violence, and Alcohol

sopeachykeen's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

robolemon's review against another edition

funny mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

hollyberry_books's review

dark emotional lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

amlibera's review against another edition

4.0

English country house mystery but modern and with ghosts (there are actually a lot more "ands" in that sentence) it all adds up to something that is both a little bit too much and close to the right amount of everything. The actual solve of the murder is the least of it, it's the journey and the characters.

styxx's review

funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

mariskar's review

lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0