A review by booksjenrecs
Grave New World by Gena Showalter, Jill Monroe

adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

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

4.75

Grave New World was a bittersweet read. I love Jane and Conrad and all their friends, and it was sad to know while reading this one that it would be their last adventure together. I was not ready for Jane to set her investigative nature aside, so I definitely took my time reading this one, savoring it instead of devouring it like I have all the other Jane Ladling mysteries. 

Showalter and Monroe gave Jane a whirlwind of a final crime to investigate; I had no idea who the culprit would end up being, and I wasn't at all disappointed when we got to the big reveal. These cozy mysteries have always been a great blend of serious case solving coupled with Jane's effervescent personality, and those two elements combined better than ever in this final installment. 

Outside of the crime solving and investigation, I loved that we finally got to the endgame for Jane and Conrad. This romance has been building since the very first book, and it was so obvious just how gone Conrad was for Jane throughout this entire story. As a character who started off as more reserved, it was great to see just how much Conrad changed throughout his series' story arc. 

Grave New World was a fantastic way to end the Jane Ladling series. Jane and Conrad are just the sweetest couple and are surrounded by a wonderful cast of characters. This finale gave me everything I could've wanted while wrapping the series up nicely. If you're looking for a cozy mystery with an unlikely crime solver, look no further than Jane Ladling. 

[A huge thank you to both Gena Showalter and Jill Monroe for providing a review copy of this story. All opinions are my own.]