A great book by a fantastic author. The writing is excellent and the mystery keeps you turning the pages. Characters are well developed. Highly recommend.

I jumped into this series at Book 5. Enough of background information was given for me to get a clear idea of who everybody was and their relationships so I was not lost.

Lee is working at a school for TV production teaching students. This takes place in October in Salem Massachusetts so they decide to do a Day of the Dead celebration for the town. During this Lee is getting visions of a dead girl a bathtub which turns out to be the sister of one her students. Together with her cop boyfriend and the sister they set out to find out who killed her and why people keep dying around Lee.

The story moved at a nice pace so I was never bored. I really enjoyed the talk about the landmarks in Salem. I was actually able to look them up on a map. I will go back and read the rest of the series.

Grave Errors' is another excellent installment in Perry's Witch City mystery series. Grave Errors takes place around Halloween as Lee Barrett and her class decide to extend the holiday celebration by hosting a Dia de Los Muertos celebration doing the research, publicity, and logistics as a class project. Little did Lee and her class realize that their class project would turn into a real murder investigation.

I love how Perry included fan favorite characters in the book like Pete, her Aunt Ibby, and O Ryan, but also introduced some new great secondary characters with Lee's class especially the twins. Perry did a great job at showing how much Lee and Pete's relationship has progressed with Pete feeling more comfortable with Lee's abilities. I also like how Perry seamlessly worked in the new characters and their talents into the current story and in with the main characters. The book has enough twists and turns to keep the reader engaged, and the story captures the reader's attention from the beginning and never lets go. Overall Grave Errors is a great read that I would most definitely recommend if you enjoy the supernatural with your mystery. I look forward to reading Lee's next adventure.

Received a copy of Grave Errors through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

3 out of 5 stars

I would like to thank Kensington Books for providing me with a free ARC of this book, via Netgalley, in exchange for an open and honest review.

Okay, I will start by saying I read this a few months ago… I know, I know, I have been a slack reviewer this year! Secondly, this is a midway through a series book - and I’ve not read the first books in this series. This is usually a big no no for me – I have a real dislike for starting into a series midway. But I have to say it wasn’t such an issue – most of the time.

I found the main character Lee, her Aunt and cat very likable. This, and the narrative, really drew me into enjoying ‘Grave Errors’ quickly and, by the time I realised this was a mid-series book, I didn’t care! I was enjoying it too much.

So, yes, Ms Perry’s excellent writing saved me and made me continue. The characters, the plot, the pace – great!

My only slight quibble was that Lee seemed to need to tell her life story and what her investigations had discovered so far to EVERYONE she met. Okay, I can understand telling her Aunt, boyfriend and maybe her students… but she seems to tell anyone who makes eye contact with her.

The only other, more important, issue is - being a mid-series book - I want to read the earlier books as I feel like I’m currently missing out on some really good tales!

Meaning it’s time to add the first lot of ‘A Witch City Mystery’ to my list of want to read. Definitely an enjoyable read.

Would I recommend this book to others?

Yes I would. But I really would recommend people read the first books in this series first… But, can honestly say it is just as enjoyable as a standalone read.

Would I buy this book for myself?

Maybe. Let me read the first books in this series first and I will get back to you. ;-) Perhaps her “tell all to anyone” character is explained in the earlier books… or it is a trait I will grow to tolerate.

In summary: Want a modern day cosy crime with a touch of the supernatural? This is the book for you.

I jumped into this series on book 5. With a lot of series' this can bring problems but it didn't cause any for me. It was truly a stand alone and I didn't get the feeling that I received any spoilers from previous books as things were referred to very generally. I couldn't even tell it wasn't the first in the series to be honest.

Lee Barrett is a headstrong, feisty woman who teaches a TV class at a local college in Salem, Massachusetts. She's dating a police officer (which happens to be pretty handy in a few situations and a little frustrating for her on other occasions) and lives above her Aunt Ibby. She shares her home with her cat, O'Ryan (who finds a friend in this book). Her class decides on for their project to try to stretch the tourism season that comes with Halloween by expanding it with the Mexican tradition of Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration.

The class gets to learn about shooting in different weather conditions, making a cooking show and editing it, creating marketing material, navigating bureaucratic hoops, and stumbling over dead bodies. We get to go along for the ride, and what a ride it is.

I truly loved this book and the only real regret that I have is that I now have to go back and read them all!! If only all regrets could be as wonderful as that one. If you haven't tried out this series, I definitely recommend you pick one up. If the rest are anything like this one, it won't matter where in the series you start.

Nice cozy with likeable characters and an interesting (if solvable) mystery. Cats, food, supernatural elements, yet it doesn’t slip into “cutesy”.

Although not the first in the series, I was easily able to jump right in the story and instantly liked the well written characters. The setting of Salem and all its interesting history and life made a great setting for this light paranormal cozy. Will recommend to patrons looking for light paranormal romantic cozies.

Grave errors by carol j perry.
For residents of Salem, Massachusetts, the day after Halloween brings empty candy wrappers, sagging pumpkins, and a community-wide identity crisis. That is, until Lee Barrett’s TV production class suggests extending the spooky season with the traditional Mexican celebration Dia de Los Muertos. But when the students discover not all of Salem’s dead are resting in peace, the post-October blues don’t seem so bad after all . . .
A fantastic read. Loved the story and the plot. I love these cozy reads. 5*.

Even though this is the fifth book in the Witch City Mystery series, it is only the second one I have read and not only do I enjoy this series, but I have had not problem following it. When Hallowe'en is over Salem, there is a huge let down. To extend the Halloween festivities, Lee Barrett's television production class decides plan a city wide celebration for Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead). As they plan cemetery visits and interviews, Lee gets to know a bit more about her students. She finds out that Dorothy is in Salem and taking her class to learn about investigative techniques so she can solve her sister's murder. The only problem is that no one else thinks her sister was murdered. Her sister Emily supposedly died of an overdose, but Dorothy does not belive it. Lee and her detective boyfriend, Pete, discover links between Emily's death and a missing person. Once Lee starts having visions about the murder, she can't stop investigating. Can they discover who killed Emily and why?

Maralee, (Lee) is a scryer. That means that she sees visions in shiny objects such as mirrors, windows, kettles etc. She does not like this and freaks out a bit every time it happens. Pete is not enthralled with her gift either. The only one who seems to think this is a good thing is her friend, witch and tarot card reader River. Pete and Lee make a great couple. They have a lot in common, they enjoy each other's company and they definitely investigate well together. Lee's aunt as usual is a top-notch researcher. Aunt Libby helps with the cases in her own way and is a great sounding board for Lee. The students in the story add a lot to the plot. They work hard to do their project as well as helping lee and Dorothy. The brothers Ray and Rick are retired policemen and take it upon themselves to protect "the ladies". The build up for this story is a bit slow, but don't give up on it, once it hits its stride, it moves a lot quicker. There were plenty of twists and suspects to keep me guessing. I did guess correctly, but not at first. All in all, a fun cozy mystery with great characters. A great fall and Hallowe'en read.

This was my second Lee Barrett book and I enjoyed it just as much as the first one.  Lee lives in Salem, Massachusetts, THE Salem, Massachusetts and teaches TV production in a small local school; and this time the story takes place right before Halloween.   It's not what you think, Lee isn't a witch but she does have an ability.  She can get psychic visions whenever she looks into a reflective surface.  From the mirror in her room to the gigantic shiny Buster Brown shoe behind her work desk.  These visions are usually brought on by murder and mayhem.  This time it's the sibling of a student who traveled all the way from the wilds of Alaska to find out what happened to her sister.  If that wasn't spooky enough, the class decides that it would be fun to promote El Dia de los Muertos aka the Day of the Dead as a class project which means visiting a graveyard...several times. In the midst of all this Lee will try to help her police officer boyfriend to get to the bottom of the girls death that was ruled a suicide, but was it?

This was a really fun read! It grabbed my interest from the very start and it just made me want to keep reading! The characters were really fun also. I might have to go back in the series and read them all.

Lee Barrett and her television production class are working on a project involving the city of Salem and its paranormal background. They plan to tie it to the traditional Mexican celebration, Dia de Los Muertos (The Day of the Dead). Dorothy, one of her students, is there to investigate the death of her sister, which was labeled a suicide. Lee’s boyfriend agrees that it could be a suspicious death, and they set out to find the answers.

I wanted to read this book, in part, because of the cover, and I thought it would be a great book to read around Halloween. However, there was not as much focus on Halloween as I expected. The plot unfolds a bit slowly in comparison to some books, but things from the past are explained in enough detail that the reader does not feel lost if they have not read other books in the series. There is a touch of paranormal, which makes it a bit different from most cozy mysteries I’ve read. I was able to figure many things out partway through the book, and some of the twists were a predictable, but it was still an enjoyable read. The book includes recipes, as well as a preview of the next book.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley, but I was not required to leave a positive review

I liked this book right away. There are ghosts, graveyards, and an interesting mystery and that draws in a band of highly original and interesting characters. What's not to like?

This is book number 5 in the Witch City Mystery Series. I enjoy the entire series and highly recommend this series to mystery readers.
In this next in series Halloween has come and gone leaving the town of Salem Mass a mess and at odds after the holiday. Our protagonist Lee Barrett and her friends decide to celebrate the Mexican holiday Day of The Dead and set up the festival. Lee takes her TV production class to graveyards to get into the spirit of the holiday. One of her students ask her to help solve a cold case murder and she is soon in danger. With the help of her detective boyfriend and her Aunt she is using her visions to solve the case before she is a victim herself. I enjoy the characters in this series and the beautiful setting . The sleuth is well crafted and the paranormal aspect is a fun part of reading this series.

I love this series. It's refreshing, and I can devour the book in a couple of hours. Highly recommended,

I love my cozy reads. From the cover I was hoping this would be a Halloween book but in stead, I got a post-Halloween dia de los Muertes book, which was okay too. The book is set in Salem, Mass. and centers around Lee Barrett and her TV production class, which is working on a project to extend the Halloween season. One of Lee’s pupils, Dorothy, wants to learn about investigative reporting by looking into her sister’s suspicious death and asks Lee to help. Lee pulls out all the stops and together with her boyfriend, aunt, cat, and best friend, they discover a link to another case and of course, ultimately crack the case.

I think I have been reading a few too many short cozies on Amazon prime lately because all of a sudden, this 364 page cozy seemed dragged out and long. The plot barely unfolded until about a quarter of the way in and by a third of the way I had things figured out. That said though, I did enjoy the book. There are plenty of twists and turns, kooky characters encountered along the way, Salem cemetery tours, suspicious suspects, death threats, and so much more.

Allow me to throw out that Grave Errors is the fifth book in the Witch City Mystery series and I have read none of the books before this. With that being said, I didn’t feel like I was missing any pieces or like I needed to go back or anything like that. There was a romance that had been established and family background dynamics which obviously had been talked about but I felt that there was just enough information to fill me in and keep the story moving. Oh, and there is a touch of paranormal-ness in the book but really not much. This is NOT really a witch-y book so don’t expect a ton of witchcraft or anything. Just a heads up.

Grave Errors is another stellar entry to the Witch City series, a paranormal cozy. I've read and enjoyed all five books. Written with an easy charm, this story is solid and entertaining. Lee Barrett teaches video production at an adult education institute in Salem, MA. Her class project to expand the Halloween celebration with traditions from Day of the Dead embroil her and her class in finding out what happened to the sister of one of the students. Carol Perry's deft hand keeps the mystery intriguing and characters interesting. This series is one of my favorites.

I liked this book right away. There are ghosts, graveyards, and an interesting mystery and that draws in a band of highly original and interesting characters. What's not to like?

If you enjoy murder mysteries that aren't terribly detailed and descriptive then this book will probably be one that you will enjoy. There was enough information to make it all make sense, but not so much that the fun was lost in procedure and graphic descriptions. I liked the way the author used the talents of the characters to come to her conclusion. This was a fun book that helped me pass an afternoon in an enjoyable state of relaxation and held my attention from the first page until the last.

The setting was a lot of fun and I liked that there was such and interesting array of characters--I especially liked the twins and the main character's best friend. I recommend this book for anyone who liked cosy mysteries with a paranormal slant.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

You know what I've learned? I LOVE me a good ole paranormal mystery. My siblings and I grew up being told that the paranormal exists and were shocked as we got older, to discover that not everyone believed that. This book spoke right to that happy spot. Add in that I'm directly descended from Rebecca Nurse who was hung during the Salem Witch Trials, and there was no way that I was passing this book up.

Lee is a scryer, she sees visions in reflective surfaces and those visions have led to her involvement in more than one murder mystery. This book was no different. The case this time? One of her students was taking the class so that she could learn some skills to better help her solve her sisters accidental death because she felt that she had been murdered.

Though wildly predictable, this book was still really good. There were enough twists and turns to keep you engaged and enough paranormal to keep you interested. I'm super over her hesitant approach to her gift and even more so over Pete's reaction to it (how many times do we have to be told that you're still uncomfortable with your newfound ability? And how many times do we have to hear that Pete isn't the biggest fan of it either? I got it the first 9 times it was mentioned) Also? What kind of adult class lasts an entire day?

Get past all that (I remind myself that this is a cozy mystery author - not a keep you on the edge of suspense one) and it's a fun story that's well worth picking up. This was the 5th installment in this series and easily read as a stand alone. I CAN'T WAIT for the next one to come out.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2137941303