Scan barcode
A review by beate251
Grave Expectations by Alice Bell
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Violence, Alcohol, and Drug use