Grave Expectations
ISBN: 9781838958398
Description
Almost-authentic medium Claire and her best friend, Sophie, agree to take on a seemingly simple job at a crumbling old manor in the English countryside: performing a seance for the family matriarch's 80th birthday. The pair have been friends since before Sophie went missing when they were seventeen. Everyone else is convinced Sophie simply ran away, but Claire knows the truth. Claire knows Sophie was murdered because Sophie has been haunting her ever since.
Reviewed on 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.