Maxie Dara offers a refreshing take on the cozy mystery genre with A Grim Reaper's Guide to Catching a Killer. The story introduces Kathy Valence, a forty-two-year-old grim reaper employed by S.C.Y.T.H.E., a supernatural organization that collects souls. Juggling the turmoil of a mid-divorce pregnancy and a career handling the dead, Kathy is thrown into chaos when one of her client's souls goes missing—and the missing soul insists he was murdered.

I really enjoyed the way Dara blends the supernatural with real-world problems. The magical elements of the story are ever-present but don’t overshadow Kathy’s personal journey, which is centered around her struggles with self-worth, impending motherhood, and the aftermath of her marriage falling apart. It felt like a very grounded story, despite the more fantastical aspects of grim reapers, missing souls, and paranormal mysteries. Kathy’s struggle to find balance between her work and personal life was particularly relatable, making her an easy character to root for.

Surprisingly, I found myself invested in the second chance romance between Kathy and her estranged husband. Usually, I don’t care much for this trope, but Dara manages to write it in a way that feels natural and authentic. Kathy’s conflicting feelings about her relationship added an extra layer to the story, and it was heartening to watch her navigate the complexities of love and forgiveness. Their dynamic felt raw and real, which is something I rarely expect in a mystery about grim reapers!

Another highlight for me was the found family theme. As Kathy relies on her retired mentor, her almost-ex-husband, and even the stubborn spirit of the murdered Conner to solve the mystery, there’s a real sense of community that builds over the course of the story. Each character brings something valuable to the table, and their relationships grow in a way that felt heartfelt and genuine.

That said, the mystery and procedural elements of the story left something to be desired. For a book that seems to want to establish itself as the start of a detective series, I felt the investigation itself could have been more fleshed out. While the concept of a grim reaper solving a murder within her own ranks is fascinating, the actual detective work felt a bit thin. It wasn’t as intricate or compelling as I had hoped, which dampened the impact of the overall mystery. I wanted more twists, more suspense, and a stronger connection between the supernatural elements and the investigation.

The cliffhanger ending was another point where the book fell short for me. While I understand that it’s setting up for future installments, I would have preferred a more contained resolution. It felt a bit too open-ended, leaving a lot of plot threads dangling, which made it difficult for this book to stand on its own. I think a stronger conclusion would have made for a more satisfying read, even if it is part of a series.

Overall, A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer is an enjoyable read with strong character development, a relatable protagonist, and an interesting supernatural world. While the mystery itself could have been stronger, there’s plenty of potential here for future books to build on. If you enjoy cozy mysteries with a paranormal twist, or stories that mix life’s real struggles with magical elements, this is a series to keep an eye on.

4/5 stars

Thank you Berkley Publishing for the advanced reading copy!

What a clever premise!! I really enjoyed this book. The magical realism dynamic was super fun, and I love to read different, creative, light-hearted takes on death and what happens to us after. Kathy and Conner were such an unexpectedly joyful duo to read about -- especially after their first meeting -- but I grew to love their dynamic and interactions so much. While this book was action-packed, silly and mysterious at times, there were some very heartwarming moments sprinkled throughout, and all of these factors kept me super interested from start to finish. This story had some coincidences and more predictable moments for sure, but overall it was a great mystery and fun read. I was super excited to see this say "SCYTHE Mystery #1" on Goodreads, leading me to believe there will be more to come from this wacky world. I'll definitely keep up with these characters and this realm!

SYNOPSIS -- Kathy Valence is used to her professional life being boring enough to make up for the chaos of her personal life. As a woman in her 40's, Kathy is mid-divorce, accidentally pregnant and very, very stressed. At least her job as a modern-day grim reaper at S. C. Y. T. H. E. (Secure Collection, Yielding, and Transportation of Human Essences) is predictable. That is, until she goes to pick up her newest client, Conner Ortiz, only to find his soul missing. When she does track him down, he claims he was murdered -- a mystery if not only because Kathy works in natural causes. With a time-limit of 45 days before Conner is doomed to be a ghost forever, Kathy has to solve his murder and save both of them from feeling stuck for the rest of their lives.

Kathy thinks her job is routine and a tad boring. I personally, did not. She works for SCYTHE short for the secure collection, yielding, and transportation of human essences. Try to say that one fast! But suddenly her routine is turned upside down. She is assigned to collect Connor Ortiz’s essence, and it is not where it is supposed to be. This has never happened to Kathy before, and her boss is not amused.
She only has 45 days to find out what happened to Connor’s soul. Her information states he died naturally, yet, when Kathy finds him, he insists that he was murdered. A lot of information is revealed and maybe Kathy does not know as much about the company she works for as she thought.
An intriguing, cozy mystery and a good warm-up for spooky season. I guessed some things but not others. I only wish that the relationship between Kathy and Connor didn’t have to end. Or does it? I believe this is the first book in a new series and who knows what might happen.

Modern grim reapers aren’t cooked in black. They work for Secure Collection, Yielding,
and Transportation of Human Essences (S.C.Y.T.H.E.). Kathy Valence enjoys the predictability of her job until she goes to collect a soul who insists he was murdered,
despite her working in the natural causes division.

I loved the idea of this one and really enjoyed learning the details behind S.C.Y.T.H.E. I know this will be a fun series like Finlay Donovan! It’s light hearted, despite the topic of death. It’s funny and cozy and has an interesting mystery behind it.

“Souls are funny things. They’re raw, vulnerable, naked without their bodies to wear.”

A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer comes out 10/1.

Sign me up for all of the SCYTHE mysteries!!
S.C.Y.T.H.E - the Secure Collection, Yielding, and Transportation of Human Essences - is where our modern day grim reaper Kathy works, or at least it was until her latest client's soul goes missing. When Kathy finally tracks down 17 yr old Connor, he's convinced he was murdered by one of Kathy's coworkers and demands that they find out who and why before his 45 days are up and he becomes a ghost left to haunt his childhood home...

This was more than just a cozy little mystery. Kathy is going through a bit of a mid-life crisis - she's divorcing her husband, dealing with low self esteem after being told her whole life she ruins everything, finding out she's pregnant mid-divorce, and all while going through this emotional adventure with Connor. You couldn't help but root for Kathy and hope for the best for Connor, loving them both by the end of the book. It's a great introduction to a series that I hope continues with Kathy, Simon, and Jo to the rescue. The pacing felt slow at times while the ending felt rushed, I would have liked to have had a little more explanation as to the why and how, but am hopeful that will be covered in the next one!

Thank you to NetGalley, Maxie Dara, and Berkley Publishing for the eARC copy. All opinions are my own.

I did not expect to like this book as much as I did. Well written and touching, it explores how an uneasy reliance between an almost middle-aged introvert and a dead teenager developed into a friendship. And it solves a murder, too.

A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer by Maxie Dara
Rating: 4.5 stars
Pub date: 10/1

Thank you so much to Berkley and Netgalley for my advanced copy!

Kathy Valence is a 42-year-old grim reaper working for S.C.Y.T.H.E. (the agency responsible for collecting souls). Kathy’s life is a bit messy—she’s mid-divorce and unexpectedly pregnant with her ex’s baby. But things get even crazier when she tries to collect a soul, only to find that it’s gone missing.

Kathy tracks down Conner Ortiz, a teenager who refuses to believe his death was natural. He’s convinced someone from S.C.Y.T.H.E. killed him, and now Kathy has just 45 days to figure out what really happened before his soul is stuck wandering the earth as a ghost.

What an incredibly unique, fun story! I loved the relationship between Kathy and Conner, and how she takes on a motherly role as they try to find his killer. I also really enjoyed Kathy herself. She’s relatable, dealing with real-life issues like a divorce and pregnancy, all while handling her job as a grim reaper. The quirky cast of characters around her—her ex, her retired mentor, and Conner himself—are charming and funny, and I loved how they wound up becoming a little family.

The mystery was intriguing, and even though things got a little over-the-top at times, it worked well with the book’s playful tone. If you’re into cozy mysteries and urban fantasy, this is a great one to pick up. I’m excited to see what’s next for Kathy and this series!

Really liked this title! Kathy was "every-woman" and I loved her for it. Her soon to be ex-husband was "every-man". Loved the banter between Conor and Kathy! This story just felt to real to me, "sadim" and all. I would love this to be a series!

I received a gifted galley of A GRIM REAPER'S GUIDE TO CATCHING A KILLER by Maxie Dara for an honest review. Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group, PRH Audio and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review!

A GRIM REAPER'S GUIDE TO CATCHING A KILLER is the first book in a new SCYTHE Mysteries series. We are following Kathy, a 42 year old woman who works for SCYTHE, the agency responsible for gathering up the souls of the departed and taking them for processing to their next destination. She likes her work, but she lives a pretty solitary existence, not able to share her job with anyone not in the confidential loop. For this reason, she is in the middle of a divorce, even as she's just discovered that she is pregnant with her husband's baby.

When attempting to make a routine collection, Kathy finds the soul of the young man who died missing. She is able to eventually track the young man down, but what he tells her about his death has her confused as to what is really going on. With only 45 days to get his soul processed, Kathy is on deadline to find out what has happened in order to make sure her charge remains safe.

I have had mixed experiences with cozy mysteries, but the fantasy elements drew my attention with this one. I am very glad that I gave it a chance because I really had a fantastic time reading it! I loved that we got an older main character in Kathy and there was a lot about her life that I could find relatable.

Like many cozies, this was a rather quirky story full of colorful characters. I think going into this one expecting that things might feel a bit over the top at times really set the right expectation. I found the mystery element to be interesting and I really appreciated Kathy's dedication to getting the answers!

This was a really fun read and I will be looking forward to more in the series!

This book was a fun cozy mystery. This is always a genre that I am split on, I either love it or I hate it, and in this case, I loved it. Kathy, the main character, was really relatable for me. Sure she was pretty pragmatic, but for someone who’s in her early 40’s, and pregnant by her soon to be ex-husband’s baby, I got a lot of where she was coming from. I also really enjoyed getting to know Conner, the smart mouthed teenager. He reminded me a lot of a typical teenage boy, and he was pretty funny. The relationship that developed between Kathy and Conner was beautiful. They learned a lot from each other, which is a lot to say when Conner is dead. I was a little confused by the ending, and that is the only reason this one wasn’t a knockout of the park read for me. I wish that the author would have explained this a little more, but I wonder if that will be done in the next book as this was the first in the series.

If you are looking for a spooky cozy mystery with some heartfelt moments, then you need to read this book.

this is actually a favorite book ive read in awhile. I will admit I was surprised by how much I liked it. I never expected a book with such a cheesy premise to come with such intense topics and subtlety’s. I loved this book from start to finish, kathy and connor’s reluctant alliance turned friendship was so touching and the book had funny moments that made it so easy to read. thank you to netgalley and the author for the opportunity to review this!

This book is incredibly fun and engaging. It keeps my attention and would be great for those who love cozy mysteries but want something with a twist. The main character is pregnant and a working woman, which is a great representation. It also touches on the idea of motherhood and careers and being able to open up to your partner and accept their help. The mystery and the fun organization of S.C.Y.T.H.E. is refreshing and fun. This story is a wild ride but it is also relatable to young and old readers. I would recommend this in a heartbeat.

Kathy Valence is forty-two, mid-divorce, and pregnant with her ex's baby. She's also a modern-day grim reaper employed by S.C.Y.T.H.E. (Secure Collection, Yielding, and Transportation of Human Essences), but frankly that's the easiest part of her life right now. Or at least it was, until her latest client's soul goes missing.

When she finally tracks down seventeen-year-old Conner Ortiz, he angrily denies he died of natural causes, despite what his file says. He insists that someone at S.C.Y.T.H.E. murdered him, and he demands Kathy find out who and why.

Kathy has only forty-five days to figure out what happened to Conner and help him move on before the boy's soul is doomed to roam the Earth as a ghost forever. She’s forced to rely on the help of her retired mentor, her almost ex-husband—and some sneaky moves by Conner himself. This is the wildest case of her career. . .and one wrong move could cost Kathy her job, not to mention her life.

This book was entertaining and exciting. The Mystery was not hard to follow and understand and the end left me pleasantly surprised.

I really, really wanted to like this title more. The concept of a supernatural murder mystery is what really drew me in. However, I felt the story dragged on and found the main character to be annoying with her constant self deprecation. I think it was also hard for me to relate to her as I found her hard to understand.

Normally I love a grim reader story like Dead Like Me, Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune, and the Scythe series by Neal Shusterman. Even though the premise of this book sounded awesome, I couldn’t get through the set up. Nothing wrong with it, it just wasn’t for me and I had a hard time of falling into the story. Though I do know folks who would like this book and I’ll for sure be recommending it to them.

Katy Valence is a modern-day grim reaper. She works for S.C.Y.T.H.E which recovers the essence after death so it can move on. Her particular department transports those who have died of natural causes. When her pick-up is not where they are supposed to be, it sets into motion this entertaining mystery. Conner Ortiz is only 17 and he is absolutely certain he did not die of natural causes. In fact, he thinks someone from S.C.Y.T.H.E killed him. As Kathy and Conner work together, reluctantly at first, to figure out the truth, they are forced to trust each other. Both Kathy and Conner have emotional baggage and I loved seeing them grow and heal as the story progressed. There is a heartwarming tone to this mystery, which also has humor and complexity. I really liked the characters of Jo and Simon. They helped ground our two main characters and kept this story moving while providing insight and support. I am excited to read more from this series and I will be recommending this one this fall.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkely Publishing for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

I was not expecting this book to make me cry! I definitely teared up. I felt emotionally invested. The way Kathy’s maternal instincts kicked in with Conner felt all too real!! Especially as a pregnant character. I felt Kathy was incredibly relatable and real. The way the author set up the role of Kathy makes it enjoyable for the reader to transition to the next. I love that already! I cannot wait for the next book.

I think you’ll laugh and cry and root for the MC this book. It’s such a fun read. I thought I had it figured out but I was wrong. There was twists and reveals that I didn’t see coming. I can’t hype this book up enough. I was expecting a little bit of a different story based on the title but what I got was better!

Thanks so much NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group.

This book is the opener for a new cozy mystery series based on a woman who works as a modern day 'Grim' and transports spirits or 'essences' from their death scene to processing to the afterlife. If a spirit is not processed within 45 days, they become a ghost, destined to haunt this world forever. When Kathy responds to a death one day and finds her client's 'spirit' missing, corporate puts pressure on her to handle this as quickly as possible. Yet, when she finally tracks down the 17 year old client, he reveals that he was murdered by someone in Kathy's company. Together, with her retired Grim, Jo, and her soon to be ex-husband, Simon, Kathy and Connor get wrapped into a dangerous murder mystery.

Kathy's workplace gives off all 'The Office' vibes, just in the business of transporting souls, and I found this a refreshing and unique premise. Kathy was also the perfect average, nearly 40, soon-to-be-divorced with zero crime-stopping skills unlikely heroine! Her relationship with teen, Connor, grew from one of resistance/mistrust to a partnership that had me tearing up by the conclusion of the book. Readers who like found family, amateur sleuths, charming secondary characters, and relatable main characters will find this new series a must-read for the fall season!

Thank you Berkley for the gifted ARC!

This was sooo much more than I was expecting, on every single front. I loved the humor, the heart, the mystery, simply everything! I was so attached to the main characters. The ending definitely hit me right in the feels too.

I have to commend the author for such a unique and interesting story idea! And it looks like it's the beginning of a series. I for one cannot wait to dive back into the world of Kathy Valence.

A Grim Reaper's Guide to Catching a Killer US pub date is October 1!

This was a book I absolutely loved jumping into it. Not knowing what to expect, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I genuinely enjoyed every moment of it. It was so real to the characters and what they were going through that you can't help but feel for our main character.

It was such a fun read and really I didn't know what was going to happen next so I had to keep reading, no breaks in between. Kathy was definitely one of those character's you love to hate and hate to love. She's an absolute hoot and such a Debbie downer, but you love her all the same. Definitely a book series I'm excited to continue reading, because book one made waves of impressions as I was reading!

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC!