I had to sit on this one a few days. First, soooooo funny!!! Second, the characters are amazing!!!! Third, the plot was one I did not see coming! I loved the English slang, I had to ask my husband what some of them meant. I am really hoping this is the beginning of a series!!

This mystery set at a British country manor, with a cast of eccentrics, features a delightful detective team. Claire's a medium, not a detective, but needs must, and thank goodness they do. Alice Bell has a flair for characterization, and she clearly enjoys her creations (and putting them through their paces). This is an excellent choice for readers who love mysteries but want a little more progressive representation, uncouth plot devices, and sleuths who succeed in spite of themselves, not because of their amazing skill sets. This is an excellent oddball mystery, a good time with lots of heart, and a completely satisfying read. With any luck it opens a series, because readers will want to revisit this little found family again.

A lot of fun and I'll certainly be promoting this title but on occasion I found it a little too silly. Claire and the ghost of her teenage best friend, Sophie, who cannot get to far away from her have a rather fun relationship. Claire can see lots of ghosts and communicate with many but somehow not being a fake medium but a real one does not translate into income. She is invited to travel to a home birthday party for a family matriarch as the entertainment when the matriarch dies before the scheduled performance. Family dynamics, the secret in Claire's past, the spooky setting, and several interesting ghosts make for a fun lighthearted supernatural mystery.

"‘Bit of séance,’” Claire muttered. “It’s not a sugar-free fizzy drink. You can’t do a . . . a fucking ‘séance lite.’ Christ, I hate rich people.”"

Claire can see dead people. She's hired to do a seance at an old English manor for a birthday party. And Claire's partner is her dead friend Sophie, who she can still see and talk to.

When they arrive to the manor they find a ghost that is a recent addition to the home - meaning the victim was killed at the last birthday party. Claire and Sophie decide to solve the case. The killer has to be one of the family.. and the victim probably is too.

This is a really fun locked room mystery with ghosts!

Thank you Vintage Anchor for giving me an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Claire and Sophie have been best friends since they were 17, then Sophie went missing. A few short days later Claire discovered she could see and speak with the dead because Sophie appeared at her own candlelight vigil. Now in her 30's. Claire's life has been interesting to say the least, which is why she's accepted and invitation to be the "entertainment" for an uber wealthy family's gran's 80's birthday. Neither Claire nor Sophie expected their Medium talents to be really needed, but there's a murder to solve.....the following if from the book excerpt that grabbed me in the first place.

"What follows is somewhat irregular detective work involving stealing a priest's cassock, getting too drunk to remember to question your suspect, and of course, Chekhov's sparkly purple dildo. As Claire desperately tries to keep a lid on the shameful secret that would definitely alienate her new friends, the gang must race against their own incompetence to find the murderer before the murderer finds them."

Alice Bell really wrote my favorite mystery/thriller of 2023! I was equal parts laughing and cringing at the crazy waspish family who loves and hates each other at equal turns. Having been a teen in the 2000's, Claire and Sophie's friendship was a sparkling reminder of my insane youth. This novel really had everything I could ask for! A gripping murder, a sarcastic Gran, family members who support each other because the rest of the family really is trash, found family/friends, a ghostly side kick to adore, the artist family member, a random purple dildo, and SO MANY GHOSTS! Plus, I very much did not see the ending twist coming that had nothing to do with the actual murder. Fantastic! I hope there will be more coming from Alice Bell, hopefully Grave Expectations will be a series.

Claire discovered she was a psychic medium as a teenager when her best friend Sophie died and started haunting her. This did her mental health and long-term prosperity no favors. She can't afford to turn down a gig, even if it's for an annoying school chum and her dysfunctional family in their crumbling manor. The séance is a mild success, but the next morning she encounters an unquiet ghost whose murder Sophie insists they solve. Along with the family's most decent members (Alex the cool teen is all in; Basher the former cop, less so), they stumble through the investigation without even knowing the victim's identity. A fun romp.

This was such a fun mystery! It had so many great twists, I couldn’t put it down! The cover definitely sold this book for me!

Grave Expectations was a wonderfully written light mystery novel that kept my attention without leaning in to an overly dramatic plot. What sets this book apart from other mystery books with this tone, is the characters. Each of the characters feels like someone I know in real life, and yet want to know even better. I adored the character arcs, and would love to read more about their adventures.

The only reason this is a 4 star instead of a 5, is that it felt like the mystery was stalled from being solved. There were some points where I wished things were moving a little faster, but the plot was moving to slow for the characters.

GRAVE EXPECTATIONS by Alice Bell had me hooked by the third page, and in a stranglehold when a character unfolded from her car seat "like a sexy beach chair".

If, like me, you love an atmospheric English manor house, ghosts, and a murder mystery, add this to your TBR immediately. It's available September 5th, just in time for crunchy fall leaves, cozy sweaters, and a cider-based beverage (or PSL if that's your jam).
Also! If you're loving the sound of this one and want something similar that's available now, I will always and forever recommend A DREADFUL SPLENDOR by @brmyerswriter

Cover copy for GRAVE EXPECTATIONS:

Almost-authentic medium Claire and her best friend, Sophie, agree to take on a seemingly simple job at a crumbling old manor in the English countryside: performing a seance for the family matriarch's 80th birthday. The pair have been friends since before Sophie went missing when they were seventeen. Everyone else is convinced Sophie simply ran away, but Claire knows the truth. Claire knows Sophie was murdered because Sophie has been haunting her ever since.

Despite this traumatic past, Claire and Sophie are still unprepared for what they encounter when they arrive at the manor: a ghost, tragic and unrecognizable, and clearly the spirit of someone killed in a rage at the previous year's party. Given her obsession with crime shows—not to mention Sophie's ability to walk through walls—Claire decides they're the best people to solve the case. And with the help of the only obviously not-guilty members of their host family—sexy ex-policeman Sebastian and far-too-cool non-binary teen Alex—they launch an investigation into which of last year's guests never escaped the manor's grounds.

What follows is somewhat irregular detective work involving stealing a priest's cassock, getting too drunk to remember to question your suspect, and of course, Chekhov's sparkly purple dildo. As Claire desperately tries to keep a lid on the shameful secret that would definitely alienate her new friends, the gang must race against their own incompetence to find the murderer before the murderer finds them.

This was so much fun to read for the most part.
Claire is a medium, even though she doesn't use the skill nearly as well as she should. Sophie is her teenage best friend who is also a ghost.
Claire is heading to her university friend's house to host a seance for Nana's birthday.
Only, Nana dies and tells Claire and Sophie there is an actual murder victim ghost on the property and it needs Claire's help.
So Claire along with Sohpie, Nana's grandson Basher and great-grandchild Alex, embark on an investigation with little to go on.
Claire is a bit of a mess and often walks around like a deer in headlights.
Sophie is hilarious and her connection with living Alex (who can neither hear, see or touch her) is super cute.
I am so here for Alex. Alex is never identified with a gender, and in fact, when asked if it's Alexandra or Alexander, Alex responds with "does it matter" their pronouns are never mispronounced, and even their uncle Basher refers to them as his nibling. I love it. This is my favourite part of the book.
Alex is very insightful and has some of my favourite quotes throughout the book.
Like "And at what point does consistently voting for policies that defund social safety nets and disproportionately punish the poor, disabled, and queer not become a form of indirect murder?”
"At what point..." is definitely one of Alex's catchphrases and it shows great character development.

The 'who is the victim" and "who is the killer" aspects gradually became predictable and the last two chapters wrapped everything up well.

I would definitely read more Claire, Sophie, Alex, and Basher books if they were to become a series.
I do wish Sophie and Claire could have brought some closure to Sophie's family, and that there were more serious and humorous ghost encounters.

Questions I did have were...why didn't Claire ask the other ghosts on the property and why didn't they talk to the library ghost and say the names of the potential victim and see if it jogged the ghost's memory?

I received a copy via NetGalley and all opinions are my own.

I really struggled with this book. I think there were too many characters thrown in at the beginning that it was hard to keep up. I loved the relationship between Claire and Sophie. That seemed very authentic. I really wanted to like the storyline, but it was just too jumbled for my liking.

My thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital copy in exchange for an honest review

“Grave Expectations” is a charming cozy mystery that grew on me the more I read it. It’s the story of Claire, who is an incompetent medium and 30 going on 20, but can see ghosts ever since her best friend died at age 17. She’s hired to do a seance at the estate of a wealthy, oddball family, when the grandmother dies and appears to her as a ghost to implore her to solve a murder that happened at her birthday party a year ago.

Claire, perennially odd, an avid fan of true crime podcasts, and unable to hold down a proper job because her ghost best friend Sophie follows her around everywhere, hooks up with two family members, a fireball nonbinary teen named Alex and an ex police detective with an existential crisis, Basher, to solve the crime.

The tone is definitely quite whimsical and rambly, and I think the pacing was off with the murder mystery. It spent most of the time over-explaining Claire’s incompetence and her budding relationships with a new found family that I felt it lost the arc of the mystery and dragged in the middle of the book. I also found the constant banter between Sophie and Claire hard to follow.

I loved that you expected a romantic arc to be thrown in here but it was more of a quirky friendship story about finding yourself. Overall I loved the characters. I especially loved the way that Alex’s identity was handled.

Other reviewers have criticized the use of they/them pronouns but I found this was just prejudice or ignorance. The synopsis says there’s a nonbinary character in this, try reading the synopsis for a change. I loved how Alex’s identity was not over-explained; the pronouns just seamlessly change. I also appreciate how the author didn’t introduce them as “Hi, I’m Alex, and I use they/them pronouns” which I’ve found off-putting in other books. Their identity is just accepted.

All in all, a slow-burn, quirky mystery about a bumbling girl who can see dead people, a zany wealthy family with dark secrets and an old estate full of ghosts. I found this a charming book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

3.5 *’s
Interesting premise, great characters (think quirky, snarky, funny), some confusing British pop culture references (don’t let them keep you from reading this one), and the Best Use of a Sex Toy in a Cozy Mystery…

Thirty something Claire still doesn't have her act together and now her act includes Sophie, the teenage ghost who was Claire's best friend when they were teens. Sophie is still officially a "missing person's case", but Claire knows that Sophie is dead. Bright, outgoing and adventurous Sophie is nothing like reclusive Claire and goads her into joining the world of "the living" while Claire is still alive. Earning a living by holding seances,(with Sophie attracting other ghosts and interpreting for Claire) leads the pair to an expansive, old mansion for a seance to be held on the matriarch's 80th birthday. What they uncover though is the ghost of someone murdered at last year's birthday party. Wanting to help the ghost find rest and peace, the duo take on the crazy family and uncover a lot more secrets than just a murder victim and putting Claire's life in danger.
I enjoyed the premise and the crazy characters, however too many insider references to British slang , pop culture and humor slowed the pace--(Wait! I have to look that up!)--which I found rather annoying. Had I been raised in England and understood some of the "inside" jokes, this would have garnered more stars.

Grave Expectations by Alice Bell

Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Pace: 5/5
Humor: 5/5

Ok, when I read the description of this book, I was not exactly sure what to expect. I mean I have read books before that include humor with horror and it works but the author really must have some idea how they want to incorporate the two and I can with all honesty say that Bell blew this book as well as myself out of the water. I had the best time reading this book.

Claire is not really the psychic that she claims to be but she does however see ghosts and is truly a hot mess. Her best friend Sophie since high school, has actually been dead for 13 years. These two characters are what makes this book so good. Claire has a new job and that is to perform a seance for the Matriarch of family’s 80th birthday in their English countryside old manor. Now throw in a murder that brings forth another ghost that in life had a tragic ending from the last years party at the manor. We then witness the investigation into who killed this person, or the lack of an investigation actually, and what does this ghost want? Why is the ghost still at the minor? This has everything, a gravesite, hidden room, seance, and ghosts. However what happens during this “seance“ is something you will never forget. Drinking, dildo’s and hopefully finding a killer.

.Alice Bell is amazingly talented. Her ability to keep the reader engaged and so engrossed in the story made the pace move very fast. This was a very enjoyable read and I loved the characters. They were very well developed, flawed, and likable. The banter between the characters was so telling and imaginable. It was just like it was happening in front of you. The misadventures, humor, and friendship made this book worth more than 5 ⭐️.

Release date September 5th 2023- Get your copy then



Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author Alice Bell and the publisher Vintage Anchor for giving me a copy to read for my unbiased and honest review.

4.5 stars. very close to five.

I'm always skeptical when something is described in some fashion as "hilarious black comedy" but this really did fit the description.

The ending left open the possibility of a sequel, perhaps even a series, which gets a hearty "yes, please!" from me.

Claire is a fake psychic who can really talk to ghosts. Sophie is her best friend from high school, who happens to have died 13 years ago. They go to a big house in the English countryside to perform a seance, but end up stumbling into a murder investigation where there's no body, the victim is unknown, and the suspects are all part of the family with whom Claire and Sophie are staying.

The dynamic between Claire and Sophie is funny and genuine. Claire's a terrible detective, but the book makes it very clear that she's supposed to be so that's alright. I enjoyed this book and plan to read the inevitable sequels. I only left off one star because I expect the next book will be a bit more tightly plotted.

I just couldn’t get into it because of the valley girl dialogue

~Given by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

The cover was perfect for this book, it does a great job in getting us excited to read this book. It had a great mysterious feel to it, I loved the crime elements going on and thought it worked well overall. The characters worked perfectly and was invested in what was happening to them. Alice Bell has a great way of telling the story and I can’t wait for more.

The description had me at “Chekhov's sparkly purple dildo.” Mystery, lovable characters, ghosts and murder. This was such a fun read. The relationship between Claire a medium that’s a bit of a hot mess and her best friend Sophie, who was murdered and is a ghost, was a really interesting dynamic. Also having to find out who the murder victim is was a fresh twist on the genre. I loved the misadventures as they searched for clues, followed up on leads, and hit the pubs. There was humor balanced with emotional moments and the climax was tense and exciting. There were some slight pacing issues but it stayed engaging throughout. A nice debut novel, I’m definitely looking forward to seeing more from this author. This is a really great autumn or rainy day read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.