I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

This has been on my TBR pile for so long, and I'm glad I finally got around to it. I really enjoyed the storyline and seeing the characters change throughout the story was a great character development. The plot was great and kept my attention. I'm glad I got the chance to read this and will be on the lookout for more in the future!

I couldn’t get into this book. I tried multiple times and it just didn’t grab my attention. I skimmed through hoping something would grab me but nothing ever did.

Mystery/Thriller is one of my go to genres for getting out of a reading slump or even when I cant make a choice as to what I should read next.

I signed up for the Tour of Girl At The Grave at one such time; and I didn’t regret it.

Valentine’s mother was hanged for murder when she was 6 years old; resulting in her becoming the social pariah of the small town, Feavers Crossing, she lived in. The only chance she has of looking forward to her future is because a mysterious benefactor paid for her education in an exclusive private school!

While she is appreciative of this chance, she still keeps to herself; knowing that she is the butt of everyone’s jokes and sniggers. There is only one person she gets along with is her best friend, Sam, who works there. A friend who comes from circumstances even worse than her, and that’s the reason why they actually end up being comfortable with each other, and there is unconditional acceptance of each other, something that both of them desperately need.

There is no choice for the reader, except to respect and admire a girl who has matured with a spine arguably stronger than anyone else’s – and it was easy to have a high opinion of the girl whose sense of morality and courage OF a girl who has survived the worst.

The plot of the book though is quite interesting – while I was able to actually guess the major twist, which would have lessened the enjoyment of the story itself, but even then the twists kept coming and the way the book ended had me slack jawed!

There is only issue I end up having with YA Thrillers (or basically any YA book, tbh!) – its how the romance is handled in this genre and I really truly despise love triangles in YA books; which is exactly what happened here. While it was clear as day who Valentine would choose, it still felt weird that the author dragged on the romance for as long as she did.

Yet I would still recommend this book, for the twists and turns that surprised me even after guessing some of it made it for a definitely enjoyable read!

A gothic, teen, romance murder mystery is probably the best way to describe this novel. It was a fun read but it went on a bit to long and had several convoluted moments, as if the writer couldn’t keep track of her own characters.

This book had it all. Murder, intrigue, you g love, a daughter living in the shadow of her mother’s crime, or so we are led to believe. But maybe the mother is innocent and the wrong woman hanged for a crime she never committed. But that means the real killer is still out there and now other people start to die or disappear.

Valentine has to figure it all out - possibly clear her mother’s name and save herself from the hangman’s noose before it’s too late.

This book will keep you guessing from start to finish. Several people seem capable of murder, but who actually committed the crimes? I definitely recommend it. It will not disappoint..

Sometimes less is more. The story starts off fairly good and then starts to dwindle. The main character is a little basic and not too involved in the "mystery" but instead mainly focused on what boy she wants. It's just a little too much.

I received this free from Netgalley for my honest opinion.

I heard about this book through the amazing Kerri Maniscalco, as she posted about it a few times on her Instagram.  Now just thinking about it, this book would be perfect for fans of Maniscalco's Stalking Jack the Ripper series.  I was intrigued enough to request the book on Netgalley, and was blessed enough to be granted the request.
One thing that really drew me to this book was the fact that it was a murder mystery.  If you got a chance to read my post yesterday, you'll know that I love to read mystery/thriller books during the fall time, so I knew this book was the perfect read for this time of the year.
When I first started this book, I knew it was going to be good by how fast I was going through it.  I even ended up trying to pace myself as I didn't want to finish it too quickly.  As I got further and further into this book, I knew there was no way to hold back and ended up finishing the last half on the way back home from my Ohio trip.
This book was gloriously atmospheric!  I love when a world just sucks you in, making you feel like you are sitting right there with the characters.  I could practically hear the wood crackling in the fireplace as Valentine cooked her corn bread over it.  I'm strangely fascinated with the late 1800s time period, which is possibly another reason as to why I adored this book so much.
Normally I'm able to guess who did it in a mystery novel, but this one had me stumped until the last possible moment.  I never would have guessed what character was responsible.  It makes me like this book that much more for being so dang hard to crack.
I loved Valentine as a character.  Not only was she smart and strong, but she also had her flaws that didn't prevent her from being herself.  I found her very relatable because of this.
There was a little bit of a love triangle in this book as well.  I'm not the biggest fan of them, as they can be hard to pull off, but I feel like this was a good one.  There was a point to where I knew I would get mad if Valentine started to jerk them around, but was pleased that she figured everything out and let the men know how she truly felt about them.
Altogether, I really loved this book.  I'm definitely going to keep my eyes out for any more books that Terri Bailey Black releases, because her writing can only get better from here.
I gave this book 4.5/5 stars.
 You can find more of my reviews on my blog(www.booknerdchelcie.wordpress.com)

I was offered this title in exchange for an honest review on Netgalley.

This is another historical novel from a debut author. The cover and premise pulled in and I was excited to read it when offered. I did not like that the love triangle trope was the main focus of the story and the MC was always conflicted with picking one or the other. I liked that the MC was a girl detective and hoped that Val would be more like Wadsworth from Stalking Jack the Ripper but alas she did really use her resources or brain for anything other men, therefore she is nothing like Wadsworth. Although the killer was boring and had little depth just like "The Ripper" from the previously mentioned story.
I was never really on the edge of my seat and as the reader never felt any real harm was coming to the characters. So upon reading the convenient plot twist of an ending, I had to say to myself "Geez I seen that one coming".

I’ve received an arc of Girl at the grave from Netgalley for an honest review. This novel was a solid good read. The description intrigued me and the overall story and plot was very well written. This was a good mystery and I love the dark setting in this story, it really enhanced the story overall for me.

wasn’t what I thought it was going to be, the story ended up being over hyped but fell short in the execution.

I read this book shortly after reading the 3 books that were out for the Stalking Jack the Ripper series. I was in the mood for historical fiction and this book also had a huge mystery/thriller aspect so that just added to it. I read this book in one sitting and thoroughly enjoyed it. I will write a longer review on my blog in the future.

At a young age, Valentine witnessed her mother killing a man. Years later, as a teenager, Valentine still bears the stigma of being a murderer’s daughter. Valentine has been ostracised by the people in her town. In school, she has to face Rowan, the son of the man who her mother murdered. One day, a preacher comes up to her and tells her that her mother may have been innocent. Valentine suspects that there was more to the murder than what she was led to believe. Can Valentine find the real killer and clear her mother’s name?

At first, Valentine seemed to be a very sympathetic character. She has been traumatized for witnessing her mother committing murder. However, throughout the novel, I started to dislike her. Valentine is a very selfish character. She doesn't care about anyone and how her actions may affect others. When her father and best friend go missing, Valentine does not bother to go searching for them, and instead cares about her romance with Rowan. Valentine also leads her best friend Sam on and cheats on him behind his back. These actions were very distasteful for a heroine, and I did not understand why two men were in love with her. She was not worthy of anyone’s love, and I hoped that both men would drop her because she often mistreated them. I was also upset that she did not even try to solve her mother’s murder. Thus, Valentine was one of the most frustrating and annoying characters that I have ever read.

Overall, this novel is about secrets, betrayal, and love. The characters were flat and had little character depth. The romance between Valentine and Rowan was very unrealistic and instant. I thought Rowan was too good for Valentine and hoped he would love someone else, for she was very mean to him. While the mystery was very surprising and well-done, it was not the focus of the story. The main focus was the distressing love triangle between Rowan and Sam. Still, I recommend this for fans of Strands of Bronze and Gold, In the Shadow of Blackbirds, and The Witch of Willow Hall. However, for those who do not like a silly and bland heroine, this book may not be for you.

It's not often these days you pick-up a book and find it to exactly what you are expecting. Girl in the Grave was this for me. I wanted a easier to read (ie: YA, teen or romance) story that had some 'edge' (ie: horror, Gothic) to it and a strong female lead. I got everything I could have wanted and more!

It's Teen for Sure!
This is obviously written for the teen genre. Whether you like teen books because you are a teen or (like me) enjoy the style of writing that is common in them. Teri Bailey Black does a superb job of finding one voice in our lead teen girl and creating characters and situations around her that resonant with her lead gal and the reader.
So there are tropes like many teen books. A forbidden love, a (sort-of) love triangle, and of course the ever difficult to figure out moment of loosing ones virginity (be it kissing virginity or otherwise). So long as you go into this expecting those typical teen elements I think you'll find the rest of the book is really well done.

Atmosphere
Sometimes I just want to read or watch something for the atmosphere. It doesn't matter what happens or how, who is involved or when. Instead what matters is the mood, atmosphere and feel of the story. Black has done an excellent job of finding a Gothic voice (it's just occurred to me that her name is ironic given the feel of Girl at the Grave, lol). Set many years ago, in a small town we find creepy elements like old houses, houses with half the house burnt, small graveyards and out of the way forest sanctuaries. Black does an excellent job of creating a Gothic story without any ghosts. Weird right? No, just perfect in my mind. As a former (still wishes I was sometimes) Gothic teen of the 90's I felt like this book was something I would have cherished as a teen. It's like the despair, murder, secrets and hushed whispering is speaking to me directly and I know teen me would have been all over that.

Plot
There is actually a lot of plot going on in this story. Our lead gal had her mother murdered (hanging) because of a murder, the boy she starts hanging out with at school is in fact the son of her mother's murder victim, the townsfolk are ruled by the rich and male of the town, and so transgression like abuse are (more or less) acceptable if not obviously thrown in anyone's face. This all culminates in a murder mystery that tries to solve not only the murder of yore but murders that start happening right then in the line of sight of our lead gal. I didn't see some of the twists that happen but at no time felt like ANY of them were cheap. This is a very, very exciting thing for me as often I find murder mysteries to be one of two things; too predictable or too outrageous. It was lovely to read a Gothic teen story with a well done murder plot.

Overall
I really adored this book. I could absolutely see me revisiting it in the future to have a 'break' from more dense literature. It was wonderful to follow-up The Picture of Dorian Grey (which I found dense and ultimately boring) with Girl at the Grave as it helped me remember that you don't have to read a book written centuries old to get a darker feeling story.
Black connected with me as a reader on so many levels. I wondered at one point if her and I were sharing pieces of a brain as she would do something I would have done with a character (and do it so well!).
You just can't go wrong with this Gothic teen murder mystery.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

Where to start with thoughts on Girl at the Grave? It might seem a little macabre, but I definitely picked this book up because of the promised blend of murder and romance. When those two things are well combined in a historical fiction novel, that's my perfect storm. I hoped for a dark and atmospheric story line, since Valentine's past was so riddled with mystery. For the most part, I was definitely given what I hoped for! I just had a few qualms, and I'll outline them below.

Before I say anything else, I should disclose that I am not a fan of love triangles. That's not to say that I don't think they're occasionally necessary for story movement, or acknowledge that others out there love them. It's simply my own personal preference that characters don't beat around the bush when it comes to love interests. So, take my opinions on the romance portion of this book with a grain of salt.

For the most part, I loved everything about our characters. Black does a superb job of fleshing out each one them, and making them feel as realistic as possible. They have real human emotions and, equally valid, evoked the same emotions in me while I read. Valentine's whole persona had me enraptured, and I honestly felt like she did a lot of growing as the story went on. Character growth, for the win! Which is why I was so annoyed by the whole whole love triangle aspect of her romantic life. It was pretty obvious to me who she would end up with, so it felt unnecessary and bogged down the story line. Again though, that's just me. You might love it!

While the plot here is admittedly slow moving, sometimes to a frustrating degree, I can say that it definitely allows the Gothic atmosphere to shine. It weaves an eerie aura around Valentine and her two love interests, and creates ample opportunity for what felt like realistic conversations between them. I would have loved a little more forward movement, but I can't fault the story for what it accomplished. This book is heavy on the tension, and that is enticing in itself. In fact, depending on what you tend to pick up books for, this story might actually appeal to a lot of historical fiction readers out there. The setting is vivid, and the characters are too. If only the plot had picked up a bit, it would have been perfection for me.

Overall, this was a really solid read. I enjoyed my time spent with Valentine, and unraveling the secrets of her past. I loved the atmosphere that Black created, and the character development that she so expertly executed. I give this story a solid three stars, and I'd definitely recommend it.

Ugh! we know how much I love drama, a love triangle and murder! Welp let me introduce Girl at the Grave, this book covered all three! Look at that cover, at soon as I saw it I jumped on board for the book tour!

I'm usually not the kind of person who reads historical fiction at all, those kind of books tend to erase Black people...this book is set in 1849! bahhaa! But I must say I did enjoy the book, except Sam...but we'll get to him later. Let's talk about Valentine Barron Deluca, the protagonist, she lost her mother tragically at an early age. Her mother was hanged for killing her childhood bestfriend, and local bank owner Nigel Blackshaw… Check out my full review at https://booknerdrambling.blogspot.com/

Valentine grew up in a small New England town where her legacy as the daughter of a woman who murdered the beloved son of one of the founding families and was hanged for it. Years later when more people are murdered in their town people start pointing fingers at Valentine and she has to investigate to prove her own innocence.

Girl at the Grave is labeled as a Gothic Mystery and definitely gives off that dark historical vibe. Told from Valentine’s POV we see the townspeople change from her childhood views to a new adult perspective. The mystery intertwines through so many layers of not only Valentine’s life but those of the people around her as well. It was worth the time it took for the author to take us on the road to discover who was behind these crimes. I was truly surprised and did not figure this one out. I must’ve changed my mind every time that road twisted.

There were two love interests for Valentine. Sam, the boy she grew up with. He was comfortable, solid, and sweet. There was also Rowan who was the son of the man that her mother killed. Handsome, rich, smart and always on the peripheral of her mind. Someone she admired, living a life she wanted to be a part of. I loved the intricacies of the mystery so much that I thought this love triangle actually detracted a little bit from the story. It did not ruin it though.

Girl at the Grave is a very refreshing historical mystery. Technically it’s a YA novel but most of the time I forgot the age, and unlike other YA novels the adults had a presence and were actually a HUGE part of this story and Valentine held her own. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest!

This was such a beautiful historical-mystery fiction. I'm usually not a fan of historical fiction or mystery, but I flew through this. I ate every word on each page. The characters, the drama, the action and pace were all perfection.

Valentine was such a strong girl! She was seen as the child of a murder, but she was much more than that. She was brilliant, strong, kind, had a huge heart and always sought to declare her mother innocent. She was headstrong and always knew what she wanted. She never settled for less than what she knew she could have or do. She had her moments of weakness when she allowed life to get to her, but she always pulled through. I respected her as a character!

Sam seemed like a sweet kid, but he was just as brutish as his five brothers. I liked him at first until his jealousy started showing. As a friend he was perfect, but as a romantic interest he iritated me.

Rowan was everything! I loved how sweet, kind and real he was. Rowan seemed like an entitled ass, but he was so much more than that. He had his own dreams and goals. He wanted things that didn't align with "high society" and I loved that about him. I think I loved how artistic he was...it showed his sweetness.

The romance was beautifully written. I loved the triangle with Sam, Valentine and Rowan. I loved watching each relationship grow and then fall like a seesaw until a decision was made. The romance was pure and never faked. I loved it so much, but I was always team Rowan over Sam.

Mrs. Blackshaw was a twisted old woman that allowed her broken heart to dictate years of her life. She pissed me off the whole story from start to finish. Even at the end when I thought she was redeeming herself. She was judgmental, entitled and damn right annoying.

This book had my head spinning with all it's plot twists and turns. So many ideas of who the killer could be, finding out the true killers and just all the deceit and secrecy -- it was all too much, in a good way. This definitely drew me in line for line and kept me captivated. The writing was smooth and flawless.

This was such a phenomenal read. If you're looking for a great YA that has a perfect blend of romance, historical fiction, mystery, suspense and action -- this is the read for you.

After enduring years of sidelong glances and vicious whispers of rumors, seventeen-year-old Valentine Deluca has made peace with her mother’s inescapable, dark legacy: the murder of Nigel Blackshaw. Bending under the weight of Isabella Barron Deluca’s crime and society’s opinions and expectations all while caring for and carving out a name for herself, Valentine haunts the graveyard where so many secrets rest and dreams of the day she can help others less fortunate than even she. But Valentine’s world is turned upside down when the Reverend Mr. Oliver reveals that, according to another witness present that fateful night, her mother may have been innocent.

Now, whoever confessed to the reverend is having second thoughts and cleaning up loose ends. There’s a killer on the prowl and all signs point to Valentine. To clear her mother’s and her own name and find justice for victims new and old, Valentine will have to investigate a series of decades-old crimes surrounding a mother she barely knew. To do so, she will need to rely on her mysterious benefactor, her best friend Sam Frye, and a new, unexpected ally Rowan Blackshaw, Nigel’s only son, among others.

Valentine must keep her wits about her as she navigates both past and present, puzzling through local gossip and piecing together fractured memories. She soon discovers that she must be willing to consider the least likely suspects, even when suspicion falls too close to home.

Black deftly creates a complex tale of deadly games, deception, and greed featuring a determined and resilient female lead so as to seize the reader’s attention until all secrets are laid bare. Valentine is real: a young girl with intellect, compassion, and aspirations to emulate a social reformist, Dorothea-Dix-type role model. And her limitations and weaknesses are painfully apparent. But what she lacks in skill and experience, Valentine makes up for with resourcefulness and allies, including her friends turned love interests–Sam and Rowan.

Black eloquently commands an era much like our own with writing and dialog that facilitate the story’s pace with ease. She describes a world where women struggle to find a voice and maintain an independence, a control over their lives (and property). A world where the mentally ill are mistreated and criminalized. Where the haves manipulate the have nots, the few concentrating and wielding power over the many. A world where youths are forced to suffer the burdens of their elders, and the innocent, too often, endure the punishment intended for the guilty.

Black crafts a convoluted plot filled with love, ambition, and murder that will intrigue readers for the very first page to the very last. Still, soft spots linger in what would otherwise be a pretty solid plot and its subplots. (Suffice it to say, weak motives spur the one murder the started it all, the chain of events that eventually threaten Valentine, her family, and her friends when the story begins. Motives not likely to inspire murder–by the culprit responsible anyway.) Black makes up for this by creating a somewhat unreliable protagonist and offering us three of the least-suspected culprits, mentioned since the beginning of the book but most likely overlooked, which help keep the secrets buried longer and the mysteries unraveling slowly.

Girl at the Grave is a captivating pre-American Civil War era mystery that will keep the reader guessing until the end.

The original review was posted on Absolute Bookishness.

My first impression of this book was that it was going to be utterly captivating, and I was right. This book held my attention the entire way through and I blew through the entire second half in one sitting. I really enjoyed the mysterious elements and loved Valentine as the main character. This book kept me constantly guessing and my notes are filled with questions and theories from all the times I tried to figure out the mystery.
Into the nitty-gritty, spoilery parts: I thought the murders were really well done. However, it seemed strange to me that Valentine wasn't more worried about her father's disappearance. I can understand her feelings towards Birdy, because it makes sense that she could have wandered off on her own but it just seemed to me that she should have been more stressed about her father being missing. I will admit, I was surprised at Mrs. Henny being guilty, but the way the story unfolded it made sense and didn't seem like the author was just grasping to tie up loose threads in the narrative.
With regards to the romance, I've said it before and I'll say it again: I hate love triangles. Full stop. This was certainly one of the better ones I'd seen, but it still made me cringe. I felt like the constant conflict between the love interests slightly overshadowed the strengths of the narrative and I really wish it had been written differently.
All that said, I thought the book wrapped up really well and I was happy with how everyone ended up. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun historical murder mystery!

Initial Thoughts:

I discovered this book thanks to one of my new favorite authors, Kerri Maniscalco. The cover is absolutely gorgeous – and you guys know how I’m a sucker for beautiful covers – and how could I ignore a book with a title like Girl at the Grave? It seemed like another perfect creepy read during the Halloween season and I was eager to devour it. Plus, I kind of have a soft spot for characters named Rowan, thanks to Josephine Angelini’s Rowan in the Worldwalker trilogy, the first Rowan I absolutely fell in love with. Haha

Things I Liked:

First off, let’s be clear that there is absolutely no paranormal/supernatural elements in this book whatsoever. Based on the title and cover alone, one might assume – like I did – that there would be such elements in this book, but there isn’t. It is creepy at times but not in the paranormal sense; it’s more of a mild historical murder mystery novel, with romance. I say mild because the emphasis was divided between the murder mystery and love triangle, but I didn’t really mind it because it was executed well.

Valentine is such an admirable character and I could not help but feel inspired by her strength and resilience in the face of so much heartbreak, tragedy, and unfounded suspicion. After the hanging of her mother, Valentine was forced to grow up and become self-reliant sooner than a child should have. Despite everything that she had gone through, however, Valentine maintained her strong sense of morality and kindness. Her interactions with Birdy were so sweet; she was always so patient with her, brought her gifts to make her happy, and protected her. One of Valentine’s major flaws, however, is her tendency for jumping to conclusions without thinking of every possible outcome first, which causes her some problems later on.

I liked Sam in the first half of the book, but once he started becoming more jealous of Rowan’s interest in Valentine he started to irritate me. He was a wonderful best friend to Valentine and logically, they did make sense together and she could settle with him but I really disliked how he made a lot of assumptions in terms of his relationship with her. Sam constantly assumed how Valentine was feeling and made decisions for her, whereas Rowan was the perfect gentleman and always gave Valentine choices. He was always selfless and had her best intentions at heart, which was one of the main things I adored about Rowan.

It was really fun uncovering the mystery of the murderer and trying to connect all the dots. I actually had already figured out who it was halfway through the book without trying so hard, and came up with the most likely suspect pretty quickly. I felt so proud of myself. Haha The mystery itself was really interesting because there were several suspects, including Valentine herself, but rather than feeling like an urgent matter that had to be solved right away, the mystery was just more of an adventure. The message of staying true to yourself, your heart, and your morals was more prominent than the actual murder mystery.

Things I Disliked:

I wish the getting-to-know-each-other phase of Valentine and Rowan’s relationship was elaborated on further rather than just condensed into a few scenes followed by a time lapse. It’s probably because those are one of my favorite couple scenes for any book that has any amount of romance in it, but having that would have also helped me see the development between them more and make their relationship feel more genuine.

I also found the confrontational scene with the main villain to be a bit unrealistic and stereotypical with how they just started blabbing their entire evil plot to the hero from beginning to end. Instead of that scene creating and escalating the tension, I found myself rolling my eyes and almost laughing at the silliness of it, imagining the villain going “mwahaha!” at the end of it.

Final Thoughts:

A fun, slightly creepy, historical murder mystery, Girl at the Grave had me enraptured by the investigation as well as the romantic drama. I’ve been craving more historical fiction novels lately, and the fact that this not only contained romance but also a murder mystery made it all the more enticing. A lovely gothic YA debut that I highly recommend if you’re looking for a fun murder mystery with a significant amount of romance.