Grave Ransom by Kalayna Price is the 5th book in her Alex Craft series. Grave Ransom picks up a short time after Grave Visions leaves off. Alex runs an investigation firm, mostly to do with magical issues, such as talking to the dead, which is her specialty. When a young girl hires Alex to find her missing boyfriend, Alex has no idea how this simple case will turn out to be a wild crazy adventure of real life zombies.

Alex will find the missing boyfriend robbing a bank; she uses her magic to be able to tell that the three robbers are actually dead, occupied by different souls. Before Alex can do anything, the police arrive and the robbers, including the boyfriend are dead, and the souls are collected by the reapers.
The police are baffled, and Briar Darque, magical crimes investigator, returns to take over the case, and forcing Alex to work with her. Falin, Alex’s ex boyfriend, and a Fae agent, will also play a big part in helping solve this complex case, which is suspected to be the work of a necromancer. How can someone put souls into dead bodies?

Alex is still besieged with her eye problems, whenever she uses her magic. Though they are not really friends, Briar began to see Alex and her magic in another light; at the same time having no problem putting Alex in the middle of danger as bait. It was nice to see some of the other characters that have been part of this series; Falin, Death, Tamara, Rianna, etc.

This is a complicated review, as it would require giving spoilers. Grave Ransom was an exciting, interesting and wild adventure, as Alex tries to solve this mysterious case. In this book, both Falin and Death played smaller parts, and there are a few twists along the way. Not much was further revealed about which court Alex leans toward, as she has one year to decide. Currently she lives partially under the Winter Queen. We know nothing more about this or the other courts pursuing her. This is a fun series written very well by Kalayna Price. It is important to start with the first book to understand everything.

Grave Ransom (An Alex Craft Novel) is one crazy ride! I love this series! The characters and world building are well-developed.Someone is raising the dead and switching the souls. They are made to commit crimes, and Alex has to find out why they are doing this. In true Alex fashion she will rush head on into trouble and push her powers to the limit. Alex is a strong kick ass character. She keeps evolving and growing with each book. If you have not started this series, i recommend that you do so. I give GRAVE RANSOM 5/5 STARS.

I'm so glad that Kalayna Price is writing again, because I love the mix of fae and magic that she has created in the urban city of Nekros. In this latest installment, Alex's investigation into a missing person lands her smack in the middle of a criminal conspiracy using necromancy to further their interests. Alex and the soul catchers seem to be the only ones who can see the problem with the dead bodies walking around, so of course it will be up to her to figure things out and hope she doesn't get dead in the process.

One pesky little problem with this investigation is that Alex has a uninvited and unwanted hanger-on in the format of Briar - the over-aggressive agent of the MIB. Briar never goes anywhere without being heavily armed with magical spells and cloaking, and we get to meet her mysterious partner in this installment. I hope we see more of him in the future because I think he could be quite the interesting character. With Briar tagging along, there isn't much room left for Alex to get help from her usual friends. Falin was around quite a bit, but the rest of the gang only appeared in cameo for the most part.

The kinks haven't gotten quite worked out with Alex's castle and its new location, but it will provide an interesting aspect to future stories. I do hope it brings more of the fae aspect into the story as I love the world building that is necessary for Faery.

I was sad that the romance has continued to back slide, as I felt like Death and Alex were the ultimate star-crossed lovers scenario. I thought by this book, they would begin strengthening their relationship. Alas, it was not to be.

I am definitely interested to see what is going to play out for our characters in the future. I love how the world and our heroine are evolving, and I think this is a series that could play out into the foreseeable future.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from the publisher, Ace Books.

I really enjoyed Price’s storytelling and I love the characters, the gang is all here but I don’t see much deeper developments with anyone in particular…especially after that ending.

New twists and an unexpected turn or two, that are sure to leave a few scars. Price writes vivid and colorful characters, thought provoking plots and adds an imaginative flare that keeps me coming back for more.

I received this ARC copy of Grave Ransom from Berkley Publishing Group - Ace. This is my honest and voluntary review. Grave Ransom is set for publication July 4, 2017.

My Rating: 4 stars
Written by: Kalayna Price
Series: An Alex Craft Novel
Sequence in Series: Book 5
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Ace
Publication Date: July 4, 2017
ISBN-10: 0451416589
ISBN-13: 978-0451416582
Genre: Urban Fantasy

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Grave Ransom is the fifth installment in author Kalayna Price's Alex Craft series. Set in the fictitious world of Nekros City, Alex is a character who is a grave witch. She can raise shades & talk to ghosts in order to solve cases. Alex and her partner Rianna run a business known as Tongues for the Dead which more often than not deals with mundane issues like finding lost things or people. The issue at hand for Alex in this story, is that the dead are walking the streets causing trouble wherever they go, and it's just in ways that you might imagine. 

Alex takes a case of a girl whose boyfriend has gone missing. This is no easy lost and found case. Not even with Rianna's spell casting abilities, or her trusty junior detective Roy, or Falin Andrews who has been ordered to watch and ensure that Alex doesn't come to harm by the Winter Queen. While searching for the boy, she discovers something even more bizarre. This leads Alex to working with Briar Darque of the Magical Crimes Investigations Bureau. 

Briar, as you know, hasn't exactly been the most friendly towards Alex, especially after her secret heritage as a fae was revealed. But, she's been told that she needs Alex's help. Alex is also a very rare planeweaver (she can see different planes of existence) which is wrecking havoc on her eye sight. Often times over the course of these stories, Alex finds herself in a bad position. By using her eyes too much, she ends up temporarily blind which doesn't do anyone good, let alone Alex.

From a simple missing persons case, to an all out search from the person who is causing so much trouble in Nekros City, Alex and her friends more than have their hands full. Grave Ransom is a solid installment filled with grave, wyrd magic, necromancy, surprises, action, and old faces like Death himself who has been Alex's friend since she was a young pup. With a very strange and wild ending to the story, Alex's life is just getting interesting. Alex's relationship with Briar should continue into the next installment. But, what's got me confused with whether or not a certain character will return or not. Not an easy way to end a story, but entertaining nonetheless.

GRAVE RANSOM had it's strengths and weaknesses, but the plot is where this one really shines. The whole concept of dead but alive people walking around, but NOT zombie or ghouls was really fascinating to me. The stakes are incredibly high in this one as aside from Alex, and the other few grave witches, no one would ever know these people are actually dead. It made for the perfect batch of thieves for the villain and I really loved watching all the twists and turns in GRAVE RANSOM unfurl. I won't spoil things too much, but suffice it to say this one doesn't head quite where you'd expect!

Now onto the not so strong parts. I have to admit considering the wait in-between books in this series, the overall lack of character development and momentum in this GRAVE RANSOM was a bit of a let down. Like I mentioned, the plot was incredibly enjoyable and kept me more than entertained, but the character department just left things a little to be desired. Don't get me wrong, Alex and crew are all fully fleshed and real characters, but their progression, particular Alex and her relationship with Death seemed stagnant at best. I just prefer at least some focus on characters and their progression in a series, but alas this one was fully plot focused rather than character driven. It's just a personal preference.

Overall, character momentum issues aside, I very much enjoyed this latest installment in the Alex Craft series. These characters and world hold a special place for me, and I can't wait to see more in the future!

This book was great! I enjoyed reading this book. I will be ordering this for my library.

I have been a big fan of this series since the beginning and am always excited when a new one comes out. Ever since the author took a hiatus right before the book before this one came out, I’ve always been nervous that the series will peter out. I’m happy to say that it hasn’t happened yet! This latest installment in the series is probably my favorite one yet. One of the things I love about this series is that it follows more of a mystery series feel. Alex depends on her magic, but it isn’t the only thing she uses; she also uses good old-fashioned detective work. Which I am happy to say the mystery in this book kept me glued to the pages until I was done. I love how well-written the book is and how well-developed the characters are. Briar was also back in this book, and I love it. I would like Alex and Briar to somehow form a partnership and solve mysteries together. Or, at the very least, she can get her own series. I do wish, however, that we had seen a couple of the other characters more, but we can’t have everything we want. Ms. Price does a great job in all her books, including this one. If you haven’t read this series before, you can read this one, but I think you would miss some things by doing that. Read the series from the beginning; you won’t go wrong! Highly recommend! Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the e-copy of the book which I voluntarily reviewed.

There are very few series that focus heavily on the fae that hold my interest and yet, The Alex Craft series has from the very beginning and with each new installment, I still can't seem to get enough of it. I think the blend of witch craft, a different kind of supernatural world, and of course the fae, all somehow make such an interesting read that I can't help but be sucked in by it. And while this series isn't unique in design, it does have some very unique elements and therefore, holds its own in the urban fantasy genre.

With a rag tag bunch of friends and people who aren't quite friends and not quite enemies, this series really is a fun one. With old faces (yay Briar!), new adventures, and a little bit of heartbreak along the way, this was a solid addition to the series and while I still wish somethings about Alex, would finally be mentioned and cleared up, it was nice to see Alex develop her powers and use them in new unexpected ways.

With an ending that was less than happily ever after, it will be interesting to see where the author takes Alex, her love interests, and her friends next. This continues to be a series that I can count on for a fun time and will always give me a bit of the unexpected and unanticipated.

YES! Alex is back and better than ever!

Alex Craft is a grave witch and private eye, specializing in raising the dead and kicking some serious metaphysical butt.

I've been anxiously awaiting the release of this book and nearly fell off my chair when I saw the Netgalley approval. After doing a little dance around my living room, I immediately jumped into this book and proceeded to snarl at anyone who dared to disturb me. I kept checking the percentage at the bottom of the screen, wanting to draw out the experience and not willing the story to end.

The author, Kalayna Price, is one of my favorite Urban Fantasy authors -- right up there with Kim Harrison, Patricia Briggs, Laurell K. Hamilton, Chloe Neill, Karen Marie Moning, and Christina Bauer. If you enjoy any of those authors, you should definitely check out Kalayna Price's books.

The world-building in this series is phenomenal, with more intricacies to discover in each and every book. I love the inclusion of Faerie, the courts, and the different planes of existence (including the Land of the Dead). Although we didn't get to see much of Faerie this time around, the story was excellent and action-packed. I loved seeing all of the characters again and the progression of their relationships.

The plot was a little bit predictable, but it didn't lessen my enjoyment of the book. I was a little surprised that Alex wasn't able to figure things out a bit sooner... after all, she seems to be a catalyst for all the excitement around her. We also were introduced to a new character -- Briar's partner -- and I have to admit, I'm curious to learn more about him. I can't help but wonder if we'll be seeing him in future books?

We also said goodbye to another character... and although I cried at this part... it made sense. Only future books will tell us if it's permanent or temporary. *sniff* Dammit. I wasn't expecting it when it happened, especially because I loved that character. I won't tell you who... you have to read it to find out.

So yes... this is one installment of the Alex Craft series that you won't want to miss. I fell in love with this series years ago when I first stumbled upon it. Now, here we are... five books in... and I'm just as excited with each new installment today as I was back then. That's no easy feat to keep the momentum going after five books. I can't wait for the next one!

If you enjoy Urban Fantasy books, I *strongly* recommend this series. You're seriously missing out if you haven't added them to your library. On a side note -- these books really aren't intended to be read as standalone books. There's so much rich backstory and so many memorable characters that you won't want to miss... so make sure you start with the first book -- Grave Witch.

This is an urban fantasy. No sex, no cliffhanger, some violence and lots of seeing dead people. This book was a page turner and one I could not put down. The characters are defined and the worlds are vivid.

This is one of the best series ever. It's been a few years since the last release, but I swear that once I picked up book #5, Grave Ransom, and started reading it was like we were never separated.

Alex Craft is a grave witch, a fae and a plane weaver. She is also under the watchful eye of the Winter Knight because the Winter Queen expressly ordered Falin Andrews to do so and he can't refuse. The Winter Knight, Falin Andrews, is also the lead detective of the FIB. Alex Craft is the lead investigator for the Tongues of the Dead agency. Both are thrown into cases together even though they are ex-lovers. Falin burned some bridges in books past and I was totally over him jilting Alex. He was a jerk and broke Alex's heart so I started rooting for the impossible relationship between Alex and Death.

Death is a soul collector. Alex can't contact him and he can only be with her when he's not called to work. Also, their relationship is totally forbidden. He holds a lot of secrets from her so their relationship isn't exactly much more than sex even though he claims he loves her.

In this story, someone is killing people and putting their soul into another dead person. If that wasn't bad enough, that someone is making those people do things for him/her, like robbing banks, with the promise of putting their souls back into their bodies. Yeah. No, it doesn't work that way.

Kalayna Price is a plane weaver of her own right. She weaves the magic of Faerie and Alex's world together with absolute genius. She also made me like Falin again. Dammit. I flip flopped again.

There are very few authors that I would wait this patiently for a new book in their series, but this Grave Witch series is one of them. I can't tell if this is the series finale or not, so I'm hoping it's not. It certainly could be if Ms. Price wanted it to be, but don't let that stop you from reading. The story was very good and the time reading was well spent.

I really enjoyed the newest Grave Witch novel. I enjoy Alex and her adventures greatly. It has everything I look for in a book; adventure, mystery and romance with a heroine that is both flawed and likable. I highly recommend this series and can't wait to see what's next.

Engaging story even after 5 books into the story. Also, not too confusing to readers new to the series. Although, I don't see a heck of a lot of growth to the main characters. I would like to see more character development or the series will get stale.

Dark and delightful, what a great author, with just the right mix of dark and light. LOVED it!

Review goes live on the blog July 4 at 00.00 am gmt+2 and will show up on Goodreads sometime later.

In a Flutter: Wow!
Fluttering Thoughts:
Worldbuilding: Nekros City was a fabulous place. The magic system is awesome, the setting is vibrant and exciting, plus all sorts of witches, fae, some zombies, collectors – so much goodies!
Characters: Alex was really easy to like. I mean, aside having her own castle, lol, I love investigators, I love witches, and I love funny, witty characters. Alex is all of that and more. She felt very authentic, had an inquisitive mind, she was compassionate, and she had her head on straight – took decisions that I could understand, and that made sense in a realistic way.
I loved many characters, Death included, but the whole cast living in the castle is a riot.
Plot: The mystery part of the story was very engaging and full of action. There’s a romantic element which leads to a bit of a predictable heartbreak (Death, sigh), but it was a lovely ride anyways. The story was full of action and I loved every twist and turn.
Writing: First person past tense narrative, Alex’s POV.
Curb Appeal: Cool cover, hooking blurb – impulsive buy material for my UF cravings.

This was my first Alex Craft read, but I didn’t feel out of the loop (though I’m sure I missed a lot of fun in the previous titles of the series). I recommend Grave Ransom to fans of private eye stories, witches, and charming casts of characters. Big like!

I received this ARC for free in exchange for a review through Netgalley.com.

This is the fifth book in the Alex Craft series, and it has been a good series for my type of stories. Juggling varied relationships, as well as work, has Alex often over-taxed, and having to deal with being able to raise the shades of dead people, the elven problems, and through in an agent of the Magic Crimes Bureau ... just puts enough interest in the story.

Price has done a good job of developing characters, and keeping a good story line going through all five books, without having to make something seemingly far-fetched (even though this is fiction).

Great installment in this series! Some new beginnings and endings for the main character, but a satisfying conclusion overall. Keeps getting better and better!

Always fun to visit Kaylana's world. I'm glad to see this series continue. The characters are fun and the dialogue is humorous at times. Always an entertaining read.

I started reading this series when it was first published. And I waited for Grave Visions for years! Then, when it was *finally* published and I had the book in my hands I put off reading it, was kind of over this series to be honest.

So when I got the opportunity to read an ARC for this book I decided that I needed to re-read (and read) all the previous books in this series so I’d have the first clue what was going on. And honestly? I didn’t really like any of the books all that much anymore. They were just so much better the first time around

Which means going into this one I didn’t have any high expectations. But I’m happy to say, I was pleasantly surprised with this book! I really enjoyed it. It’s probably my favourite yet in the series.

I really liked the plot in this book, it was something new to me so I was engrossed in it. But best of all – no Falin-Death triangle drama! Both were present in the book, but no drama. I am, always have been and always will be Team Death, so I always want much more of him in the books and this one was no exception to that, I want more Death!

Ok so enough of that, on to something I didn’t like. Alex is really starting to get on my nerves. She just keeps on using people to do her bidding and help her out, time after time. But she never really seem to do anything for them in return. I mean all of her friends bend over backwards to help her, breaking rules and what not and she never really cares or acknowledges it or even try to mend the rifts that forms.

There were some twists and turns in this book, some that will leave repercussions to come in the next few books. And to be honest I haven’t decided what to think about it yet. Right now I’m reluctantly surprised, but on another hand I’m also surprised that I am surprised (if that makes sense).

I’m looking forward to see what the next book brings.

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

Grave Ransom by Kalayna Price is the next installment of her Grave witch series. Alex Craft can take to the dead. When souls are being switched to different bodies she tries to figure out how this is happening. Soon she is the one being used as bait. Her boyfriend is a soul collector but can't help her. Alex is helping the police try to find the one whose doing the switching. This book is a awesome addition to the series. Action, adventure and a bit of romance. This book is addicting and you can't put it down till it's done. Highly recommend!!