REVIEW: Grave Reservations by Cherie Priest

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Atria Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary


It was bad enough that traffic was going to make Grady run for his flight. But as he’s running, his travel agent, Leda, tells him she changed his ticket – without his permission! She won’t say why. But when he watches the plane he was supposed to be on go up in flames, the Seattle cop has questions.

Leda’s psychic powers have always been sketchy. But she’s learned the hard way not to ignore those feelings. And while she expects Grady to be furious for awhile, she figures he’ll get over it when he realizes what she spared him.

Not only does Grady get over his initial anger. He decides Leda could use her gifts to help him with a cold case. And she says yes, secretly hoping he might in turn help her with an unsolved case of her own.

Review


This was so fun! I’m not sure which I liked more – the twisty mystery or the great characters. I will definitely be watching for more books in this new Booking Agents series.

Leda and Grady are fantastic leads. I loved the little group they have around them at the bar. The psychic pieces added a fun twist to a book that fits many of the features of a cozy mystery, although with more swearing.

I loved how the two mysteries – Grady’s and Leda’s – pulled them together into this fascinating case. I was engaged in figuring things out all the way to the satisfying conclusion.

If you love mysteries with quirky hooks and great characters, you need to pick this one up! (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: As Far as the Stars by Virginia Macgregor

Summary


Air is the responsible one. That’s why she’s assigned to wrangle her older brother, Blake, for their sister Jude’s wedding. She’s supposed to drive from their home in DC to Nashville, get Blake from the airport, and get him to the wedding festivities on time. Actually, she was even the person to book his flight in the first place. He completely spaced it, waking her in the middle of the night to say he needed her help. Air to the rescue – again.

Except Blake’s text as she’s on the road to Nashville says, “See you at Dulles.” Dulles?! So Air heads back to DC, back to Dulles. But Blake’s not there waiting for her. And the flight from London is late. The airline isn’t sure where it is.

Christopher is also waiting for the flight from London. His dad was on it. And now it’s missing. After helping Air with some car issues at the airport, she offers Christopher a ride. She’s going to Nashville, certain Blake was on that flight instead. Christopher is on his own until the airline can figure out what’s up with the plane. His estranged mother lives in Atlanta. They can keep each other company, and Air will get him as far as Tennessee so he can grab a bus for the rest of the way. So their road trip begins.

Review


This was engrossing right from the start. It was fascinating to watch these two teens, about to start their senior year, on their own negotiating a missing flight, family drama, and questions about life. I had a hard time putting this one down.

Air tells the story, so you only get things from her perspective. But she does a great job of drawing Christopher out so the reader gets to know him, too. The stops on their road trip hint at the knowledge that they believe the news on the flight isn’t going to be good. They are stalling.  And it makes sense considering the big picture for both teens. There’s a folded paper/art thread and an astronomy/eclipse thread that are unique and work well in the larger story about family.

I really enjoyed this! Great for readers who enjoy family stories and for those who like road trip tales. (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥