I've been a fan of this series for a long time now so it pains me to say that this book was a bit on the disappointing side. It wasn't awful by any means but it definitely wasn't the high standards I expect from this series. To start with the positives I did really enjoy Alex's latest investigation. Things get really complicated for her when she is a witness to a bank robbery and realises that the robbers are already dead. She's seen a lot of things in her life but walking corpses isn't one of them and it looks like she's facing a dangerous opponent this time.

I always enjoy seeing Alex work a case and previously I've liked Briar from the MCIB but this time I really struggled with her. Briar is totally willing to throw Alex under a bus, she doesn't care how much danger her actions put Alex and her friends in as long as it gets her closer to the bad guy. She can't even be bothered to give Alex a heads up about her plans so that Alex can prepare herself for what's coming. Poor Alex finds herself constantly getting put in harm's way throughout this story and she's also constantly apologising for things that aren't her fault.

I'm also really struggling with the love triangle, I was honestly hoping that by book 5 we'd have more of an idea where the romance was going but so far things are just going from bad to worse. I hate that we still know so little about both Death and Falin, they both have commitments that prevent them from prioritising Alex and that is understandable but it's starting to bore me now. I've never really felt the attraction towards Falin but where I've been totally team Death right from the beginning in this book I ended up feeling ambivalent towards him too which was just sad.

I do still have a lot of love for these characters though so I'm really hoping that this book was just a blip and that the next one will be back to the highs of previous instalments.

3.5 stars

When I saw that this book came out I was really excited because finally, finally, I could continue this series! I had to wait a lot ( I think the author had some health’s issues, but I am not sure). Anyway, I waited and waited and at last this book was here! I really like this series, and I think that I like it so because it reminds me a lot of the Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton and the October Daye series by Seanan McGuire, two of my favorite UF series. To be completely honest, it is not just that Price’s series reminds me of both of them, it is that this series is almost “a collage” of the others. And it can be disturbing, but I enjoyed the reading. This fifth book, instead, it’s more original. It doesn’t seem a copy/collage of other series. And even if I enjoyed this originality, I think this one is my less favorite of the series. Yes, we have action and the worldbuilding is good as always, but… yes, it was an okay reading and I enjoyed it. I would read the next one when (or if) it would come out, that’s sure, but… I don’t have a lot to say about this volume, sorry!

I first came across Alex Craft because I was in the mood for some urban fantasy witch book. I remembered thinking first book was okay, for a first book. Second book was better. Third was so much better that I was all excited about the next installment. And then the long wait started.

That been said, it was so nice to return to Alex's Universe. This book was quite a surprise. It reminded me of what got me into the series the first time, and it had me hooked with all the plot twists. It was refreshing. And don't get me started on Death. No matter how much more Death we have in these books, it's never enough.

I was provided with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I finally had the opportunity to read this book in full, and I most certainly wish it could have been sooner. I truly enjoy this series and the writing style of the author. I had forgotten how much until I got started reading. I hated having to stop and deal with life instead of staying in the world that Ms. Price has created. With her ending, she has definitely made me excited and anxious about the upcoming books in this series.

Let me start by saying love triangles suck. Even ones that start out intriguing at first. Even ones where you aren’t immediately sure who you’re rooting for.

You know why? Somebody’s got to lose. And there is a 50% chance that the HEA you’re rooting for is going to crumble at your feet.

All that in mind, I hated the ending of this book. It made me mad and it mad me sad and I hate-tweeted about it seconds after I was done. I’m going to try not to let all of that shadow the rest of my review, but I had to give you total disclosure. It’s a day later and I’m still unhappy.

Backing up. I have been a fan of the Alex Craft books since I read book one. Kalayna Price has created a cool premise that mishmashes a bunch of UF elements and made something that stands up well on it’s own. Alex Craft is a grave witch. She can raise the shades of the dead and learn their secrets. Over the course of previous books, we’ve learned she is also fae (news to her!) and a “planeweaver,” able to see and manipulate other dimensions. All of these elements come together here, and while you might be able to enjoy it as a new reader, why would you want to? The early installments are awesome. Start with Grave Witch.

Basically, Alex is a private investigator of sorts, hired to ferret out information from the deceased. Here, she is hired by a teenage girl to find her missing boyfriend and determine whether he’s dead or alive. What should have been a simple case turns out to be anything but when it reveals someone is abducting people, killing them, and putting other souls in the bodies in order to do his dirty work. It’s dark and there’s a lot of death and decay action happening, but it’s really awesome. I loved the mystery. I also loved how Price tied all the threads together that I didn’t even realize were hanging. It was action packed and kept me engaged from beginning to… (well, you know how I felt about the end.)

I like Alex a lot. I know I’ve said this before, but it –A– bears repeating and –B– is still true. A lot of UF heroines “evolve” so much over the course of a series, they are almost unrecognizable as the characters they were at the beginning. Not so here. Alex may know more about herself, and she can do more stuff, but she is still the same woman. The books still have the same vibe. I really appreciate that.

Both Death and Falin are around in small roles. Neither romantic plot takes up a lot of page time, but it is going somewhere. I’ll leave it at that.

Angry and grumbly as I am, I begrudgingly admit this was a good book and it’s a great series. I still recommend it. But no matter which pairing you ship, be prepared to be frustrated along the way.

Rating: B/B+

Reader's of Kalayna Price have been waiting for this book! Alex Craft is back and ready to investigate a series of strange body thefts. When she sees someone steal an artifact from a local museum, her eyes tell her one thing, her magic another. Someone is sticking ghosts into dead bodies and having them commit crimes. What follows is a sometimes funny and sometimes scary investigative romp. Alex's magic has been evolving over several books and she's just getting a handle on her new powers. I think the fans will be pleased with the new addition to the series, but the emotional cliffhanger might just kill me. I'm looking forward to the next one.

Synopsis:
Grave witch Alex Craft is no stranger to the dead talking. She raises shades, works with ghosts, and is dating Death himself. But the dead walking? That’s not supposed to happen. And yet, reanimated corpses are committing crimes across Nekros City.

Alex’s investigation leads her deep into a web of sinister magic. When Briar Darque of the Magical Crimes Investigation Bureau gets involved, Alex finds herself with an unexpected ally of sorts. But as the dead continue to rise and wreak havoc on the living, can Alex get to the soul of the matter in time?

Review:
It had been a while since I had visited Alex's world so many details were vague in my head. I also haven't managed to read book 4 of this series yet, BUT I was very easily able to follow the story line without that background. Kalayna manages to weave a story that seamlessly blends the romantic entanglements most women experience, the mystery of who-done-it, and the supernatural world with all its intracacies.

This was an enjoyable and fairly quick read. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy books by Darynda Jones or Carrie Vaughn.

** I received a complimentary copy of this ebook via NetGalley.**

Alex is dating Death and works as a private investigator raising shades, oh, and did I mention she works with ghosts as well? Alex tends to be at the right place, at the right time but for the police, it’s the wrong place, at the wrong time. Dead people can’t walk, or can they? Nekros City has walking dead popping up all over the place with some very weird aspects. Alex will have to work hard to find the answer and put an end to it before the police arrest her for the crimes.

Price’s books are well developed and every page keeps you mesmerized, so if you are looking for a series that holds your attention, this is it.

Move over Kate Daniels, Alex Croft is kicking butt and taking names.
An action packed urban fantasy novel that demonstrates a character driven novel at its finest

Grave witch Alex Kraft can sort out the dead spirits and talk to them before they are sent on to the hereafter, but she is finding bodies with the spirits of other people inserted into them. These zombies are stealing things for a necromancer. The police have placed a bullseye on her back. Can she find the necromancer and stop him before she is killed. Kalayna Price has a fast paranormal plot with interesting characters in Grave Ransom

A unique magic system, a cast of awesome characters (predominantly ladies), and legitimately interesting “case of the week” plots in each book help the Alex Craft series stand out in a sea of urban fantasy. Unfortunately, it’s also plagued by a longstanding love triangle and romantic angst and I felt that GRAVE RANSOM was dragged down by it

Private detective and grave witch Alex Craft is no stranger to dangerous cases: she’s dealt with supernatural abductions, murderous fae, and hordes of ghouls intent on killing her, just to name a few. Seeing dead people up and walking about? Not that big of a deal. Except this time the walking corpses have souls inside them…and they don’t match up with their hosts. Alex is going to need all of her witchy powers to crack the case before more souls are snatched; she may even need to call in some major backup in the form of other grave witches, fae agents, and human law enforcement. They’ll have to work quickly because there’s nothing Nekros City PD hates more than a case of necromancy, and Alex is at the very top of their suspect list.

GRAVE RANSOM marks a major change for this series, as it explores Alex’s emotional state and her fears about the future much more deeply than any of the previous books. We’ve had more than a few hints that all is not well with Alex – major abandonment issues and the threat of going blind if she keeps using her powers are prominent concerns – but here’s where Kalayna Price finally digs into the impact of it all, and she pulls it off beautifully. There are some major “midlife crisis” vibes in this story, but they feel like a natural consequence of all the disturbing and dangerous stuff Alex has seen since the series began. While not everything is perfectly resolved or overcome, there’s definite forward movement that can only be good for the development of Alex as a character.

Not to worry though, there’s still plenty of fun and snark to be found here despite the more somber tone. There are some really great characters here, like Alex’s BFF and fellow grave witch Rhianna; the badass and possibly insane cop/supernatural cleaner Briar; and even Alex’s receptionist and housekeeper, the fae brownie Mrs. B, makes a strong appearance in GRAVE RANSOM. Price does a great job with the dialogue and general dynamic between all these women, and I was getting major girl power vibes the entire time I was reading.

As much as I love the characters and world building in this series, I’m really over all the romantic drama and angst that seems to plague Alex. The love triangle that seemed to plague Alex seemed to finally be resolved in the previous book, but a wrench is sort of thrown into that in GRAVE RANSOM. I’m not sure if the triangle will be revived or not, but one thing is clear: the romantic drama is here to stay. Which is a major bummer, I have to admit. Authors everywhere, take note: you don’t need forced relationship drama to keep a long-running series fresh.
Despite my griping about the romance, I’m still an Alex Craft fan and I’m looking forward to the next book. Fingers crossed that the personal drama is resolved quickly!

rave witch Alex Craft is no stranger to the dead talking. She raises shades, works with ghosts, and is dating Death himself. But the dead walking? That’s not supposed to happen. And yet, reanimated corpses are committing crimes across Nekros City.

Alex’s investigation leads her deep into a web of sinister magic. When Briar Darque of the Magical Crimes Investigation Bureau gets involved, Alex finds herself with an unexpected ally of sorts. But as the dead continue to rise and wreak havoc on the living, can Alex get to the soul of the matter in time?

This was a fantastic, detailed and exciting urban fantasy read building on the standalone story but also on the world-building and character struggles of the previous books in the series. I love Alex. She's smart, kick-ass and funny but there is also a vulnerability to her as she explores more of her magic while also balancing the limitations set upon her by her grave magic.

Her love life continues to be complicated and one scene in particular made my heart break. I'm excited to see what might be in store for future books.

Final rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Alex Craft is a grave witch, meaning she can raise shades from the dead and ask them questions, which makes her an invaluable source to help the various law enforcement agencies, magical or otherwise, on certain cases. She also happens to be Fae and a planeweaver, two aspects of herself that she is slowly, but surely learning to navigate over the course of the series, in addition to running her own business, with her best friend Rianna, as a private investigator at Tongues for the Dead.

Grave Ransom hits the ground running and doesn’t ever really stop, when Alex sees a man walking down the street who definitely should not be up and moving considering that he is dead, she, as someone who knows a bit about the dead, feels compelled to go after him. When she realizes the soul in the body does not match the body in which it was walking around in she knows there is a big problem brewing and it is up to Alex to figure out who or what is doing it before the body count gets any higher.This sets up the central mystery of the story.

As always, Price does a great job in weaving a compelling plot to add to her rich, imaginative world. I have always liked Alex as a character. She is strong, independent, and her magic is constantly evolving, but the thing that sets her apart from a lot of similar characters out there is that her magic has a high price, and this, I believe keeps her character from becoming too powerful, at least in the mortal world. But, as much as she is magical she also struggles with very human problems, like where the relationship with her current boyfriend, who just happens to be a soul collector, stands, will she be able to make enough money to keep her business running and can she catch a killer in time to keep them arresting her for the crime or before she becomes the killer’s next victim?

Honestly, the only part I found the book a little bit lacking was in the romance department and really, I wasn’t overly disappointed since this is an Urban Fantasy novel and not a Romance novel. This is not to say there wasn’t some romance in the book, because there was. But I felt like in the past, with the exception of the last book, the series included more and she set up a beautiful love triangle in earlier books and I am not usually a fan of love triangles. But, even in the past books she never makes the romance the main focus, which is good because Alex definitely has other pressing matters, but something seems a bit different in these last two books and I can’t quite put my finger on it. Then again it has been awhile since I read the first three books, so maybe I am mis-remembering and it is time for a reread!

Overall, I am very happy for the return of Alex Craft. This book hit all the right buttons when it comes to mystery, suspense and, of course, magic. I highly recommend this book and the series to anyone fans of books with a tough as nails female protagonist, who has something just a bit more special about her, such as The Hollow Series, The Charley Davidson series and the Mercy Thompson series to name a few. So, what are you waiting for? Get to reading!

The Alex Craft series is one of my favorite urban fantasy book series. So much so that while the last book came out only last year, I felt like it was such a long wait for GRAVE RANSOM. The "wait" was worth it though! GRAVE RANSOM had a wonderfully twisty and unique plot that was pretty fun to work through along with Alex.

Alex, being a grave witch, has a unique way to work with the dead and I love reading the descriptions of just how she is able to see on a different plane of existence, raise shades, and talk to ghosts. What is really neat about Alex's case in GRAVE RANSOM is how a simple missing person mystery snowballs into some complex web involving dead bodies who were alive but not exactly zombies or ghouls of any sort.

Another aspect I love about this series is the use of Faerie and the fae. It would almost feel like too much detail to include a magical faerie castle in a pocket dimension, various magical realms, and fae rules along with everything else in this book. But it doesn't feel like too much. It actually fits neatly into the story and Alex's constant learning about her heritage actually helps her with this case.

GRAVE RANSOM possesses a wonderfully vivid story full of action and magical mayhem that will leave you wanting more. I love seeing how Alex has evolved over this series and after the events of GRAVE RANSOM, I am looking forward to seeing where she goes from here.

Grave Ransom is the fifth book in the urban fantasy series centering around grave witch Alex Craft. The series is centered around grave witch private detective Craft, who is able to raise shades of the dead to help solve crimes. Being a grave witch impacts not only Alex's life events, but also her physical self robbing her site each time she uses her powers. This book can't be read as a standalone, as there is far too much in this world that need to be understood to make this an enjoyable read. The world building centers on a world where magic has reared it's head, and made pockets of magic areas inside the greater world. Craft lives in one of these magic pockets, and the magic world that buffers up against hers is one of Fairy. So Alex deals my mysteries of a criminal manner and those complex magics of the FAE.

As for this newest book of the series it isn't one of my favorites infact it is by far the weakest of the series and I kept thinking when is the meat of the book going to enter. Where is the Queen of the Winter Court, Alex's father and all the connections that author Price uncovered in the first four books. The book's romance was all about Alex and Death, a immortal being coming to terms with their romance. It was as if the whole book was a goodbye to what might have been. The book felt like it should have been book two or three in the reading order as the story is too simplistic compared to the books I have come to expect from Kalayna Price. The mystery also feels as a crime a younger less experience Alex could have dealt with easily. My rating is of 3.5 is comparing Price against herself and her previous books and for me this books entry in the series left me wanting a book Price normally delivers.

I recently picked up the Alex Craft series for the first time in five years, reading books four and five back to back. I was surprised how easy it was to get back in to the story. Grave Ransom in particular feels like a classic urban fantasy that focusses on a detective solving a single case. That feeling is helped by the fact that it doesn’t have as many Fae elements as some of the previous books. (Well, except for the fact that Alex and her friends are now living in an actual fairy castle, complete with magical food and a garden gnome groundskeeper.)

Grave Ransom opens about a month after the end of Grave Visions. While having lunch with a friend Alex senses a dead body, which might not be unusual since she’s a grave witch, except that it’s walking down the street. So of course, she follows it. And she winds up caught up in a heist and dragged to the police station. That puts her on the radar of Briar Darque of the MCIB. (Think magical FBI.) She’s crossed paths with Briar before and is not a fan of her “by any means necessary” approach to law enforcement.

Then Alex takes what would appear to be an easy case, locating a missing college student. But when she finds him, he’s robbing a bank. And if that’s not bad enough, he’s another walking corpse. Since she’s now involved in a second robbery, Alex has no choice but to help Briar investigate. And the case takes some turns that I did not see coming.

One of the things I’ve always liked about this series is the way it presents the soul collectors. But now that Alex is in what sort of passes for a relationship with Death, something feels off to me. (You know the kind of off when the twenty-something is dating the millennia old vampire and they’re just not on equal footing?) So I’m happy to see some of their issues addressed in Grave Ransom, as well as her relationship with Falin starting to be less awkward.

Since returning to this series I found myself thinking about Alex’s place in the pantheon of the genre’s iconic heroines. She’s recently discovered her Fae heritage and has no idea how to use the magic it gives her. That’s a pretty standard trope but I’m excited to see Alex explore it. Her wyrd (human) magic is rare and useful but actually using it makes her vulnerable, weak and blind. I think that’s what sets her apart from a lot of the badass warrior women we’re used to seeing. She’s a lot more October Daye than Kate Daniels – or at least she will be if she can figure the whole Fae thing out. I’m definitely looking forward to watching her try.

I always enjoy a book about Alex and the world she lives in but admit it's often hard waiting a year in between each instalment . So I cracked this baby open with glee ready to find out what new cases Tongues for the Dead would be tackling. Right from the offset Alex is dragged into an unusual situation with a soul inside a dead body that clearly doesn't belong to it! As if that wasn't spooky enough soon other animated corpses show up hell bent on theft and pretty soon Alex crosses paths with the reapers whose job it is to claim those souls. You just know it's all going to go pear shaped but still Alex has to make a stand even if that means she's on the wrong side of 'Death' her lover!
I love this series and yet this time it lacked a little something for me. The action and mystery was fabulous because crazy necromancers always have a lot up their sleeves and this time it's both heinous and more than a little poignant. My problem is I wanted more of 'Death' , Alex's protector and boyfriend. He has sacrificed so much for her previously that I'd really hoped they would actually get a happy ending but as this book ends I'm definitely not a happy reader.
Still I do enjoy the crazy family that Alex has created and this time the gangs all here! Plus Alex is learning more about her own heritage and powers which are truly tested here . The fact that her ex lover Falin is constantly around acting as a spy for his Queen just adds to the tension and the word frenemy has never been more appropriate as Alex treads a wary path between freedom and the Fae court. Plus in this book we get a lot more of total bad ass Briar and trust me that's one scary lady. Lots of twists to keep me turning the pages but that end whilst not totally unexpected leaves me wondering just what will happen next?
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are my honest and I believe fair opinion

I always enjoy all the volumes of the series and I was curious to launch myself in this new volume. Well, it’s true that my memory wasn’t that good regarding the story, but I still had a great time.

We therefore find Alex for a whole new story. She, who thought she already saw everything, will face many new problems. Indeed, it would seem that bodies are wandering with souls that are not theirs. And of course, Alex is often around when this happens! Passing from suspect to police adviser, the young woman will attract more attention than she would have liked. She will have to push her powers to the maximum to discover the truth!

I enjoyed following the survey and I was curious to know the reasons for all these experiments. Everything that these bodies do seems very strange and it is true that I did not expect such an explanation. Alex also has to deal with the problems of her personal life and especially with Falin, or even Death. We know that her relationship with Death is tricky and we will see how fine the limits are as well. It was, however, a pleasure to see them both.

The end of the story saddened me but I am curious to see what will happen now. A very good new novel.

GRAVE RANSOM was a decently strong continuation of the Alex Craft series. I really enjoy the fact that Alex is always working a case in each installment of the series. I like that it is always connected to her roots and that the author hasn't introduced crazy things that leads Alex down crazy paths that don't fit the character that she started out as.

I liked learning about Alex's new home. It was interesting to see how things worked in her new space and who fit into it. They have some kinks to work out to keep people from learning about it, but it was fun watching them scramble a little bit to make some things work. It was very unique all around and I look forward to learning more.

Alex's love life is on the fritz in GRAVE RANSOM, but I have felt like it was a bit broken for a while now. I'm not quite sure how I feel about Death anymore. He hasn't done anything really, I just haven't felt their connection in a while. I am interested to see how Kalayna Price proceeds at this point on that front.

The ending of GRAVE RANSOM was crazy suspenseful. There were a lot of twists thrown into book five and I'm not quite sure where some of them will leave Alex and her friends in the future. Hopefully we don't have to wait forever to find out!

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.