Grave Reservations by Cherie Priest

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Detective Grady Merritt is, well, NOT happy.  He was scheduled to be back in Seattle in time for dinner, but now for some inexplicable reason, his travel agent—one Leda Foley of Foley’s Far Fetched Flights of Fancy—has changed his reservation to take him to Atlanta, change planes, and not get back until late at night.  He’s on the phone, demanding an explanation, and the only one he gets is that she had a feeling that she should change his flight. She also points out that he was already late getting to the gate—something she should have had no way of knowing—and assures him that this is all for the best.  Merritt doesn’t believe her.

Not until he looks out the windows and sees the plane he just missed burst into flames.

A couple of days later, Leda is somewhat taken aback to find Merritt in her office, wanting to hire her. Not as a travel agent, but as a psychic.  The detective has a cold case homicide he’s been working and he is stymied. He knows he can’t use her insights in a court of law, but he is hoping she can give him any clue as to where to concentrate his investigation. He’s paying her out of his own pocket because he doesn’t want any word to get out that he’s reduced to paranormal means but that fiery plane was a pretty darn good recommendation.

Leda is reluctant because, truth be told, her psychic abilities are not always reliable; in fact, they are pretty darn unreliable.  She’s actually trying to hone her skills at a local bar where she touches objects belonging to customers and then sings whatever song she feels.  Judging from the reactions, her results are getting better, and the bar owner wants to bill her as the “Psychic Psongstress.” (She prefers “Klairvoyant Karaoke,” but hey—free drinks.)

But Leda has an agenda of her own, and she’s going to take a chance that working with Merritt will help her on her quest.  Now all they have to do is find a killer.

I was drawn into this book immediately.  It’s got entertaining characters, humor, a plot, and a believable touch of psychic phenomena.  Priest avoids most of the expected clichés, and has fun with the rest.  Leda and her best friend Niki make quite the team, and Grady’s backstory as a widower with a teenage daughter humanizes him. I especially enjoyed some of the descriptions of a library:  “But this (library) was the granddaddy of them all—eleven geometrically styled stories of pure, weapons-grade knowledge.”

Priest is a veteran author, having written in several genres, including horror, steampunk, and YA.  I am definitely going to read more by this author. Most exciting is that there will be another book with Leda, Merritt, and company coming out in November.  I already have my reserve card filled out!