This started out fun for me. And i enjoyed the scene where they go to the “scene of the crime”. I found that so interesting and i loved the psychic elements. It was different. Kind of reminded me of some tv shows. The sense of humor was nice. But i felt it just dragged and i would put it down and not have a desire to pick it back up. I felt there was a lot of useless dialogue and details, that made it seem slow and drag on. I wanted it to be a bit faster in flow. I also wasn’t too invested in the mystery. I was curious but i felt like it took a back seat. I wasn’t entirely sure what the focus was in the story to be invested in it.

The premise sounded cute, but I alternated between disappointment and boredom while reading this book. I had to force myself to finish. I didn't particularly care about the murder mystery elements, and the psychic abilities bit was messy and all over the place (just like the main character herself). The book seems to be trying for funny and quirky, but the attempt falls flat.

This. Was. AMAZING. Hilarious, witty, irreverent - just what I didn't know I needed. Grave Reservations is a huge departure from Priest's usual work (some of which I love, some of which didn't work for me), but she does it fantastically. Leda and Niki are how I envision myself and my bestie at our best - admittedly with far less actual in person interaction. And Grady... Well, I don't know where these characters are going, but let me just say that I would love to return to this world and find out more!

I didn’t really find this book to be for me. It felt like more of a cozy mystery and when I got this book, I for some reason thought it was more of a thriller. My thoughts are very mediocre, and I feel like this isn’t necessarily a book I would recommend to others to pick up.

Thank you Atria Books, Netgalley and Cherie Priest for the eARC!

A murder mystery with a semi-reliable psychic set in my hometown of Seattle?! Yes please!

Grave Reservations is a fun, light mystery (almost cozy mystery vibes) featuring Leda Foley, a travel agent and occasional psychic. Her visions aren’t the most reliable but she’s been honing her skills by doing klairvoyant karaoke at a local dive bar. And all that work must be paying off because one day she has a feeling that she should rebook Detective Grady Merritt’s flight and ends up saving his life. Grady has been sitting on a cold case that he just can’t put aside so he figures why not see if Lena and her psychic skills can bring any new leads to the case.

This is definitely a potato chip read. It’s not gross or scary so it’s perfect for readers who want to read a spooky season book but don’t like scary books. The banter is lighthearted and fun. I just adored the snarky commentary that the author threw in about Seattlites and the weather here. It was just spot on.

This one’s pub date got pushed back (boo shipping/paper shortages) but get excited to grab your copy on December 1, 2021!

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Cops assigned to cold cases often come into contact with psychics, by choice or reluctantly. I am always intrigued by the combo. If you think about it, a detective and a psychic have. a lot in common. Setting aside their actual or perceived talents, they both have intuition, this gut feeling, insight, the ability to speculate, and a deep understanding of human behavior. Regardlessly, I always imagined the relationship as one of mistrust, forced collaborations, and indicative of a case going nowhere.

Long story short, this book was not what I expected at all. The collaboration between wanna-be psychic and full-time travel agent Leda Foley and Seattle PD detective Grady Merritt is one of instant friendship, trust, and a can-do attitude, making this almost buddy book such a breeze to read. It works so well because it steered away from the pitfall of letting these two clash, having the cynical detective question everything Leda tells him. Instead, Leda saves his life in the first chapter, and detective Grady is the one spurring her on from then on. It was refreshing how instead of a manipulative psychic, we get Leda, how is still honing her skills through what seems an entertaining night of Clairvoyant Kareoke at her favorite bar. She is the more reluctant one but wants to assist detective Grady in exchange for him helping her with her fiance's murder. The book is heartwarming, fast-paced, never too witty, or insincere; it manages to hit all the right nones. The investigation is not the most exciting part; this is all Leda; she's one hell of a protagonist. But also a great supporting cast.

Grave Reservations by Cherie Priest is an enjoyable, speedy cozy mystery. It relies on its characters, dialogues, and great locations; I would love to hang out at the Castaway Bar. And I hope Leda sees a long future for herself and her friends in this series.

Lena is a sometimes psychic, a sometimes travel agent and all the time badass. When Lena is asked to help Detective Grady Merritt solve an old case, she agrees even though she knows her psychic talents are very on and off. As they progress, they realize that this case could link back to the murder of Lena’s fiancée. The stakes are high and Lena’s visions may just get her in trouble.
Grave Reservations by Cherie Priest is a fun, exciting adventure. The characters are pure gold. They are funny, realistic and completely likable. The story itself is fast moving and kept my attention throughout. I’m really hoping this is going to be a series.

This was a lot of fun to read and definitely falls into the cozy mystery category if that is a genre you love. It has quirky, adorable characters, psychic karaoke sessions I could read about all day long, and several laugh out loud moments. The mystery side of things is lacking just a little bit I can’t lie to you. The pace is also a little rough at times. Overall though it was such a fun read I did not mind these things so much.

This very much reminded me of old school tv cozy mysteries. Do you know what I am talking about? All the USA Television Network shows like Psych and Monk. This is exactly like one of those except it is on paper. If you enjoy/enjoyed those shows (I always did), then you will very likely enjoy this book too. I would not be surprised if this got adapted into a tv show as it seems made for that. I am also excited about all of the possible avenues it could take as a series. I am intrigued enough to keep reading about these characters in the future.

In reality this is probably a 3 ½ star book, but I am rounding up to 4 because it was just so very charming. I love adorable things and this book is adorable. I mean as adorable as a book about a murder or murders can be. Just like those USA shows, this somehow takes a rather morbid subject and makes it an overall delightful story. Don’t expect astounding twists, but do expect hilarious banter and fun characters.

This was a quick and entertaining read! I was interested from the beginning when Leda saved Grady from a potentially dangerous plane crash. And then was giggling at her clairvoyant karaoke!

The twist of Grady being a cop and her being able to “help” him solve crimes was really fun! But then her own fiancé’s unsolved murder comes to play and ends up being an interesting story line. The supporting characters all add an extra layer of depth, silliness and heart to the story.

My only critique is this book never fully grabbed me. I’m not sure if I didn’t truly connect with any of the characters or if it was more of a matter of writing style. I do think this premise would make a great series which I would definitely follow!

Definitely what I would call a cozy mystery. It felt very much in the vein of Finlay Donovan. Started out strong and witty but got a little series and I lost interest as the story progressed. I was skimming as the story concluded.

This was just the escape read I needed. Set in Seattle, Leda is a travel agent with only a few customers. She is also a struggling psychic who hones her talent at the local bar on karaoke night by singing songs chosen from the vibes she gets from the bar patrons. Things take a dramatic turn when she gets a bad feeling about the flight she booked for one of her clients. When she changes his flight and saves his life, things get serious. Grady is a local cop with a case he just can't crack...unless Leda and her talent help him catch the killer. It might also help Leda find the answers she needs involving the death of her fiancé.
I liked everything about this mystery and I hope there will be many more. Leda and her quirky friends are great fun and the setting is perfect. Leda and Grady make a fun pair.
My thanks to the publisher Atria Books and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Diverting paranormal murder mystery featuring a psychic travel agent, a cop, klairvoyant karaoke, and and lots of booze. It makes very effective use of its setting, Seattle.

Grady hires Lena to consult on a cold case....which might tie into another cold case that deeply affected her. The last chapter sets up a possible sequel or series. May also have the beginnings of a slow burn romance, but i didn't mind the lack of any sexytimes.

Leda Foley is a struggling travel agent and also part-time psychic. All her life she has experienced small flashes but nothing as concrete as when she gets the overwhelming feeling that if he does not change one of her client’s flight, he will not make it home. When her prediction proves to be true as the plane Grady Merritt was supposed to be on crashes on the runway, Grady and Leda are both shocked as her inkling has saved his life. Convinced Leda may be on to something, Grady (a Seattle PD Detective) asks for Leda’s help in finding somewhere to begin on a cold case that just does not seem to make sense to anyone. Reluctantly. Leda agrees but also has her own reasons, the murder of her fiancée also remains unsolved and maybe if she practices honing her visions, she can find some sort of answers. Leda and Grady set out to catch a killer as Leda also practiced her skills and gains attention doing “Klairvoyant Karaoke” at her best friend’s boyfriend’s dive bar.

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This was a very quirky and unique murder mystery. This sort of gave me Arsenic and Adobo/Dial A for Aunties vibes in a sense of having this quirky humor but also dealing with a topic as serious as murder. I loved the psychic ability aspect of the story and how everything ties together eventually. I am also OBSESSED with Leda and her friend Nici’s relationship, and even her working relationship with detective Grady. It was heartwarming to see all of these characters support each other and I also had countless laugh out loud moments. The idea of “Klairvoyant Karaoke” was so intriguing to me as Leda would hold someone’s personal belonging and then sing a song that came to her in a flash that had personal meaning to the person in front of her. This was a fun and unique read that I enjoyed from start to end and would love to read anything in the future involving Leda and her adventures.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an eARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. This title will be released on October 26th.

I was hooked by the very first chapter. A psychic travel agent steps in and ends up saving the life of her client, who happens to be a detective.
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When Grady realizes Leda has Psychic abilities he wants to use her help on a cold case. She isn’t sure her abilities are consistent enough for this but puts her abilities to the test at a bar. Using bar patrons to help her abilities this one is pure fun.
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The cast of characters provided much color to this story and I’m definitely interested in followed her journey. This was a fun one.

I found this book very hard to finish. It honestly took me months. The story and writing didn't do it for me.

A fast read - along the lines of a cute cozy mystery featuring a young woman with psychic powers who teams up with a police detective to solve the murder of her fiancee two years before which may or may not tie back to one of his current cases. An obvious set-up for a continuing series with a new "mentor" character coming on the scene in the last pages. Well-written, good pacing, interesting sidekicks and a likeable plucky heroine. This isn't a deep novel, characters are the types you expect to find in a cozy and the case was fairly straightforward to solve, but it was an enjoyable read.

When a psychic travel agent saves the life of a detective by changing his flight right before the plane crashes, the detective decides to hire her to look into a cold case. As Leda develops her psychic talents, she realizes the cold case might also be connected to the unsolved death of her fiancé. This fun romp features a unique premise, quirky characters and a twisty puzzle. Perfect for fans of cozy mysteries looking for a different kind of amateur sleuth.

I first read Steampunk when I was introduced to Cherie Priest's Century Trilogy, which is still far and away my favorite in the genre. Her other work is mainly in the Horror field, not my cup of tea. I have also been in a bit of a reading "slump" and thought that a new mystery by Cherie Priest would be just what I needed to blast me out. I was right!

Leda Foley is a thirty-something who is trying to start up a travel agency in her hometown Seattle. She is also a psychic with a highly spotty and untrustworthy ability. Her ability has never done anyone any good, least of all her. She has been trying to hone her abilities by performing at her favorite local bar. One might think that nobody uses a travel agency anymore. Still, it turns out a few clients are willing to pay an agency just to avoid the aggravation of searching for flights and accommodations online. When she got a strong feeling that a client wouldn't get off his booked flight alive, she promptly changed it to a later flight. Her client, Grady Merritt, was irate until he watched the plane he was booked on exploding on take-off. Grady, a Seattle Police detective, is intrigued enough to approach Leda about helping him solve a cold case that is driving him crazy. She explains to him that her abilities are far from consistent but has a case of her own. Her fiance, Tod, was murdered 3 years earlier, and there has been no resolution. The two form a partnership, aided (?) by her bartender bestie, Niki.

Grave Reservations has a likable heroine and a wealth of sidekick characters, all of whom are quirky and devoted to her. The mystery is fast-moving and kept me reading. Grady and Leda make a good team, and I only hope that this is the beginning of a new series. Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advance copy. The opinions are my own.

RATING-5 Stars

This one started off strong for me, it made me giggle with the banter between the characters. I enjoyed the mystery of what happened to Tod, Christopher, and Kevin. However, some parts of this book were unbelievable, which caused me to knock some off its rating- I don’t picture a detective taking a woman, let alone two women, to an active crime scene or along on interviews when they are not employed by the police department.

This was a super fun story with a very unique premise. This is definitely just a basic cozy mystery that did not feed my dark and twisted heart