Alice Bell - Shastrix Books

Alice Bell

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Grave Expectations

Grave Expectations

Alice Bell

29th July 2023

It would be fair to say that I bought this cosy crime novel entirely on the basis of the title. It’s the story of a medium and her ghostly pals, as they are accidentally drawn into trying to solve a murder that nobody else believes has happened.

At first, it felt like there was a roughness and inconsistency to the narrative. But as I continued reading, I realised that this is in fact a genius move on the author’s part, where the narration is following the mood of the protagonist throughout.

There are tons of small moments that stand out. Little jokes, snide asides, or random observations from the characters that make them feel like real people rather than constructs.

The mystery is solidly constructed too. There are clues throughout with a range of fidelity. Some are big and bold and repetition makes them really stand out, while others are subtle, and you don’t know if you are being played with with red herrings.

I really enjoyed this story, and am intrigued to see if we’ll get any more adventures for these characters.

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