When mystery-solving meets psychic ability, you know you have a great book on your hands. Leda has been pretty inconsistent with her visions in the past, but as she improves her skills, she is able to aid in solving cases. I really enjoyed this unique book! Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a copy of this book for an honest review.

"A psychic travel agent and a Seattle PD detective solve a murder in this quirky mystery in the vein of Lisa Lutz’s The Spellman Files and Charlaine Harris’s Aurora Teagarden series.

Meet Leda Foley: devoted friend, struggling travel agent, and inconsistent psychic. When Leda, sole proprietor of Foley's Flights of Fancy, impulsively re-books Seattle PD detective Grady Merritt’s flight, her life changes in ways she couldn’t have predicted.

After watching his original plane blow up from the safety of the airport, Grady realizes that Leda’s special abilities could help him with a cold case he just can’t crack.

Despite her scattershot premonitions, she agrees for a secret reason: her fiancé's murder remains unsolved. Leda’s psychic abilities couldn’t help the case several years before, but she’s been honing her skills and drawing a crowd at her favorite bar’s open-mic nights, where she performs Klairvoyant Karaoke - singing whatever song comes to mind when she holds people’s personal effects. Now joined by a rag-tag group of bar patrons and pals alike, Leda and Grady set out to catch a killer - and learn how the two cases that haunt them have more in common than they ever suspected."

I'm all here for Cherie going all Spellmanesque... Could we just get a better cover. Please!?!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Cherie Priest gives me the creeps. That's usually the whole point, especially of her super creepy Southern Gothic novels like The Toll. But Grave Reservations didn't give me the creeps. Instead I got a psychic detective with a weird quirk tracking down a series of brutal murders with a real detective and her BFF.

So, not creepy, but quirky and funny. At times it feels like a Nancy Drew story but full of oddballs, while at the same time Priest maintains a real sense of danger throughout.

Cherie Priest is witty, funny and she has a very weird imagination. Being able to maintain a light-hearted story with truly grim death at the core is a rare skill, but Priest has everything in hand.

Grady is furious when his travel agent changes his flight because she had a “bad feeling.” The fact that he was going to miss the flight anyone isn’t the point, she shouldn’t have changed his flight! Until he the flight he should have been on bursts into flames on the runway. Grady knows. Leda has a gift. Leda knows Leda has a gift. As a detective with a case that is really stumping him, hw thinks Leda could be the answer to cracking the case.

This book was not what I expected at all! Leda was just the best character and it made me wish I could show up at one of her shows! while mourning the loss of her fiancee, I found Leda to be so positive and strong throughout the book! I really enjoyed following the story as they attempted to crack the case that was truly stumping Grady. Niki also made an excellent side kick!

I’m so grateful to have been given this wonderful advanced copy. I loved reading this fun cozy mystery about a psychic travel agent paired with detective Grady to solve murder mysteries. This was fun to read.

Thanks Netgalley for my advanced copy!

This book was just ok for me.. This book is a mix between a mystery and cozy mystery. I like the main character - but it was a bit slow.

Well, it was ok.
I would have liked to see more of the psychic abilities shown or developed but maybe this is gonna be turned into a series and that will come into play in the following books.

The writing style was so so for me. It was easy to get into the story, but sometimes it tried too hard to be eccentric and comedic but it fell flat for me. I didn't really laugh at the jokes, especially the political ones because they really didn't need to be in this book.

Thanks for the advanced copy Netgalley! Unfortunately this was not my jam.

Okay, I conceded and DNFed this at 12%. I'd like to think I don't have a terrible sense of humor, but silly humor is not my thing, as opposed to cleverly funny. But the biggest gripe I have is the "don't forget, this is set in Seattle!" moments. And there are MANY.

I thought I'd enjoy this and that maybe the locale namedropping wouldn't be as annoying as in many Seattle-set media, but nope. Someone works at amazon and someone works at Starbucks and someone lives in Ballard on a single detective income, wow. Then the psychic wonders why she doesn't get business when "I'm in the phone book" haha! Good luck with business that way in urban Seattle.

In another scene she says declaring her clairvoyancy will get her run out of Puget Sound. The thing is, there's a huge witchcraft and metaphysical community here and I was honestly offended at the assumption that psychic abilities would get you "laughed out of Puget Sound." It's like this person doesn't live here, or hasn't for long.

I find namedrops and local innaccuracies like all of that extremely grating. I guess the only accurate thing was how terrible the Seattle police are, and that we all name our cars here.

Then...it's just not funny. Our protagonist psychic starts banging her head on the table bemoaning the terrible choice of taking the case that is the book's plot - AS her detective client is in front of her, not when he's gone. I guess I found a lot of this unprofessional as opposed to humorous?

I'm sure the humor and locale stuff would work for someone else, just not me.

If you're curating a spooky fall reading list, here's the cozy mystery you might be looking for! 🕵🏻‍♀️

This book feels a bit like watching an episode of Psych, if Psych was set in lovably eccentric Seattle and featured clairvoyant karaoke.🎙 I really enjoyed this lighthearted, funny intro to a new mystery series and am super curious to see how Leda and Grady develop in Priest's future books!

I recommend this one to:
-Fans of Finlay Donovan 🔎
-Anyone looking for a delightfully fast mystery ⏩
-Those who like to balance their murder reading with charming, likeable characters 🥰

Oh, this book was so fun! First off, I live in Washington so it was cool having this book set in Seattle. For another, Leda cracked me up. Same with Niki, and their friends at the bar and all that. This book had me laughing quite a few times, and my dog looking at me like I was insane. Honestly, it was just what I needed to read when life has been pretty stressful lately, it definitely cheered me up. I loved that Grady believed in Leda's abilities, and just how supportive everyone was. I definitely had not figured out who the killer was, but I rarely do. Really enjoyed this one! Is this going to be a series? Because I would definitely want to read more about Leda and her psychic crime solving!

In Grave Reservations, Leda, a psychic travel agent teams up with Seattle PD’s detective to help solve a murder case.

This might be the most fun murder mystery I’ve read! I loved the psychic twist and seeing how Leda’s premonitions came into play in solving the multiple murders. There are a few twists and turns along the way and it definitely kept me on my toes. This is on the lighter end for a mystery read, but not quite a cozy mystery. It was a quick, fun and easy read! I’m hoping this becomes a series because I would love to continue to read Leda’s crime fighting adventures!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the advanced copy of this book. Grave Reservations will be released on October 26.

I think this story was a bit confusing, and almost nothing happens throughout the middle.

Also, it is unclear whether the MC’s superpower is a secret or isn’t.

Is this going to be a series? I think it would make a great series to give the author more time to foesh the characters out.

I loved how accurate the author made the feelings of a victim’s family of an unexpected attack and the friendship.

I almost have no words for how much I loved this Grave Reservations, but I’ll try. The plot hook is EXCELLENT - moderately okay psychic/travel agent saves her client’s life by rebooking his flight (that would’ve crashed on the tarmac) and finds out he’s a cop who needs help with a cold case, and we’re off to the races from there. The dialogue/banter is too notch, and the plot is page-turningly fun to read. If you loved Finlay Donovan is Killing It, this is the next book for you. Eager to read more from this author!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange of a fair review.


I've been a fan of Cherie Priest for years. She has a knack for creative worldbuilding and detailed, interesting characterization. I chose to read Grave Reservations from author name alone but I certainly was not disappointed. The novel is has a sense of lightheartedness and humor but also explores grief, justice and some darker moments as main character, travel agent and psychic, Leda Foley, inadvertently becomes a police consultant, a connection helpful to Detective Grady Merritt but also Leda herself as his cold case is surprisingly related to the death of her fiancé 4 years prior.

Great read and one that'd I'd definitely recommend to others, especially my book club friends.

Leda has psychic abilities but is unsure how to intercept them or trust them. She works as a fledgling travel agent. One day, her feelings help safe a cop from getting on a doomed airplane. When he safely gets home, he enlists Leda to help him with a cold case. The two start a working relationship and friendship while Leda learns to understand and use her abilities. When a cold case close to her is linked to the investigation, Leda knows they're on the right track.

If you like humous caper books like Finlay Donovan is Killing It or Dial A for Auntie, then this book is just your (my) speed. It was humous and different without being too outlandish and it really filled the role of a stress free read. This book also made me think of the television show Psych (in a good way!) but Leda actually uses her visions and observation skills to solve crimes. As a bonus I loved the copy and how it really captured the tone of the book.

I liked the main and supporting cast of characters and was left wanting this to be the start of a series (which it seems to be set up to do.) I can't wait to be reunited with Leda and Detective Grady as they fight crime- psychically.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance reader copy.

I've been a fan of Cherie Priest since I first encountered her Eden Moore book 'Four and Twenty Blackbirds'.

So, needless to say I was thrilled to be able to read an ARC of 'Grave Reservations'.

This book is unlike her earlier offerings which tend towards hauntings, horror or steampunk alternate histories, but it is a fun new direction. A who-dunnit romp with a ditzy sorta psychic travel agent and her bartending best friend with whom she seems to jointly share a brain. Due to a premonition of disaster she changes flights for a client and saves him from a potentially fiery end when the plane he was booked on slides off the runway and bursts into flame. Her client turns out to be Seattle PD Detective Grady Merritt. Who turns out to have a cold case he'd like Leda to attempt to intuit a few new leads.

Leda and Grady have stumbled onto leads to not one but 4 murders and the chase is on!

If you're a fan of the TV series 'Castle' this book will hit ALL your buttons.

I especially enjoyed the plethora of side characters that populate Leda and Grady's life and look forward to seeng more of them in many 'hopefully' new adventures to come.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

4 stars

Full disclosure: I requested this book for two reasons, and those are the cover and title. I was *not* disappointed!

Leda is a "psychic psongstress" and travel agent (I know! In modern times!) who starts off the novel by proving her worth in two of these areas when she prevents Grady, a local cop, from boarding a disaster-bound plane. Grady takes notice of this special "feeling" of Leda's, and before the characters and readers know it, these two are working together to do a little crime solving of their own. The stakes are higher than Grady realizes since Leda's fiance was murdered in the relatively recent past, and she is still - as expected - distraught over both this outcome and the continued unsolved nature of the case. This is just such a great setup for a cozy mystery!

There's a lot to like here. Grady and Leda have a good kind of banter happening and a lot of possibilities for growth in their relationship. Grady has a teenage daughter who is a real spitfire, and of all the possible next steps for this series, I'll admit that I'm most interested to know what she's up to! Leda's night-time gig as the "psychic psongstress" in a local bar is highly entertaining and truly quirky. Though I didn't find myself super gripped by most of the other characters, there are enough of them to offer many future avenues for the series, and I look forward to all of the options.

If you're a cozy mystery fan, jump aboard this train. With Leda doing the booking, we are bound for success. I'm looking forward to future installments already!

Main character Leda Foley—a “single, job-hopping, broke-ass millennial”—is a total hoot in this cozy murder mystery. I enjoyed the repartee and humor in this novel as much as I did the mystery. Leda is a travel agent who has psychic flashes and sings “Klairvoyant Karaoke” at a bar called Castaways in Seattle. She has plenty of friends and a TrueBlue bestie named Niki. When Leda follows her instincts and prevents a cop from getting on an airplane that later skids off the runway and bursts into flame, she makes a definite impression on him. Subsequently, the cop, whose name is Grady, asks Leda for some psychic help on his latest murder case. He labels Leda a “consultant” so he can get away with her tagging along on his investigation. The resulting shenanigans are hilarious, while remaining somewhat true to acceptable police procedure.

Leda wants to help Grady because her own fiancé’s recent homicide is somehow linked to the case. She’s a sweet, kooky young woman with a pet fish she talks to named Brutus. Leda does funny things. She takes a sip of her strong drink “that was too big to really call a sip. If the straw had been any bigger, it would’ve drowned her.” She buys “a burrito the size of a newborn” at Chipotle. She dresses in “professional adult-lady drag.” You’re getting the idea here; the author has a fresh, fun, original way with words.

Readers are in for a whopper of a pulse-pounding ending! I could hardly contain my fear as I raced through the last few pages. You care so much for these real-life characters, it’s like watching a movie, especially because the author is so good at making you visualize, taste, smell, and feel everything. You’re there! Wow, this novel is so well written, so expertly plotted. I did guess the murderer; but it was at least ¾ of the way through the novel. I highly recommend it to cozy mystery readers.

Grave Reservations is a mystery romp through Seattle with amateur psychic, travel agent, and problem-solver Leda Foley teaming up with a local police officer to solve a series of murders. This is the first book I've read in a while with a cop lead -- and while I enjoyed Grady as a character, I had a hard time with the book's expectation that everything he does is right or just. There are several side characters that I didn't feel added much to the book (what is with Grady's daughter??? or the bar manager???) but Priest has created something fun and enjoyable.

Thanks to NetGalley for an early review copy, all opinions are my own.

A psychic with less-than-reliable powers works with a police officer on a case. As they pursue clues and interview people of interest, the psychic tries to manage her paranormal hunches and her intuition while the cop just tries to manage her overabundance of enthusiasm to help. Author Cherie Priest gives a breezy feel in the mostly entertaining paranormal thriller Grave Reservations.

Leda Foley can talk to the dead. Well, not really. Okay, maybe. Sometimes when she holds the personal effects of a person who has died, she gets messages that she can share with their loved ones. This happens most often during her sessions of “Klairvoyant Karaoke” at her friend’s bar where she holds an item of someone gone and sings a song based on the visions she receives. Sometimes she knows what the visions and images mean; sometimes she has no idea.

There’s no doubt that her paranormal talents are to blame, or maybe praise, for saving the life of Seattle police detective Grady Merritt. Leda’s latest venture to pay the bills is a travel agency, of which she’s the sole proprietor. Grady hires her to book his travel for a conference. On the day he’s supposed to come home, though, Leda gets a hunch she just can’t ignore and rebooks his return on a different flight without asking him.

Grady’s in the process of yelling at Leda while standing at the gate of his original flight when the plane blows up. Speechless, Grady asks Leda to explain how she knew about the upcoming accident. Leda tells him about her psychic intuition, and Grady gets an idea.

He’s been reworking a cold murder case that didn’t quite add up for him. What if, he says, Leda helps him by trying to “read” various parts of the case with her inner psychic self? He adds that he’ll compensate her for her time, but Leda would have said yes even if he didn’t. Her fiancé, Tod, was murdered. His death also still remains unsolved, and Leda strikes a deal with Grady. She’ll help him with his case if he’ll look into Tod’s murder.

The two begin a tentative alliance made more complicated by Niki, Leda’s best friend and the other half of her brain. Anything Leda knows and anywhere she goes, Niki does too. Grady puts his job on the line more than once by letting them tag along on the case, but he’s desperate for any leads at all. Never mind that Leda and Niki keep talking and acting like they’re starring in some cop show. At this point, Grady will take all the help he can get.

What none of them realize, though, is that someone is still in the mood for murder. As Leda and Grady uncover more information, they also get closer to danger themselves. If Leda and Grady don’t start putting the pieces together soon, they might be the next victims.

Author Cherie Priest opts for a lighthearted pitch in this book, which works most of the time. She balances Leda’s breezy attitude about most of her life with the real grief she feels at Tod’s death. There’s no doubting Leda is still deeply in love with Tod and will do whatever she can to get justice for him.

Leda also spends quite a bit of time doubting her abilities, a refreshing change from some psychics who portray confidence to the point of arrogance. Priest doesn’t make it easy for Leda to get the answers she needs, which will satisfy most readers who might question Leda’s ability. As Leda learns to work with her talents, Priest lets Leda’s confidence build bit by bit in a realistic manner.

Grady’s concerns for his work and his position ring true, as does his frustration that Leda and Niki can’t seem to follow simple directions like “don’t talk right now.” Occasionally Priest lets the tone of the story approach a somewhat silly zone; the scene where Leda starts to figure things out in earnest may make some readers roll their eyes. By the same token, however, the heart and friendships at the core of the book will make most readers overlook the goofy nature of some scenes.

Priest shows a practiced hand at action and climax scenes, and when things really get serious she stays in that zone. Readers who want a police procedural without a constant “heart-in-the-throat” sensation should definitely check this out.