I have heard that veterans can have a hard time as civilians. This book speaks to this a little but it also has supernatural aspect to this book. I love the idea of supernatural and humans living together in a 'normal' society. Elizabeth Hicks is a witch and a veteran. This book is very different than what I have read before and I liked it. It was edgy and something unexpected in the best way. This book was steamy and I am not sure how much I like the sexier aspect of the book but overall it was an interesting book. *This book was given to me for free at my request from NetGalley and I provided this voluntary review.*

Elisabeth Hicks did her time in the Army and is now trying to heal from her injuries, deal with the fact that she’s a spirit witch and adjust to civilian life. She has been working with an Army buddy doing odd jobs. One that has gotten her buddy killed (sort of). This story takes us on a fast paced journey filled with magic, vampires, love, lust and self discovery. I really enjoyed and am looking forward to the next installment.

Elizabeth Hicks comes back from war with an artificial leg and arm and is now a spirit witch. The dead talk to her and she just needs to touch you to know what you are feeling. One of the main vampires in town wants her to find another vampire. This leads to all sorts of trouble. Her mother is constantly trying to set her up with men and her sister is always mad at her.

The world building was really good in this. The sex scenes are hot but without being annoying. I am looking forward to the next book by this author.

I liked this well enough, urban fantasy is always my jam. I especially liked that Graves is a body-positive author and shows that disabled people are people.

This is the 1st book in the new Elizabeth Hicks , Witch Detective series by the Author

Elizabeth has returned home after being injured!!! in combat ............. she is trying to settle back into life as a civilian and living back with her parents .
But life in her small town is not as quiet as it seems - pushed into helping an old Army friend to carry out an illegal job by the Scary Vampire's lies she soon finds things going sideways ............. especially after she discovers her friend's dead body .
Matters go from bad to worse when the body disappears from the Morgue and a magical necklace lands in her lap - her birthday could not get any "better" .
With the Police refusing to investigate and the Vampire pressurising her to find his lost love she will need all her wits about her to solve the mysteries ....... can she protect her family , can she protect herself ???

This is a paranormal murder mystery with touches of "the Anita Blake" books but enjoyable non the less .
I look forward to reading the next book in the series

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

I thought this was a very unusual book. The characters were complicated especially as the story expands. It really kept me interested in this book. I read it in an afternoon. This book was pretty exceptional.

Dead Man's Detective (Elisabeth Hicks, Witch Detective #1) by Rachel Graves
Publisher: Author Rachel Graves
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers | Sci Fi & Fantasy
Release Date: August 15, 2020

Dead Man's Detective is the first book in the new Elisabeth Hicks, Witch Detective series by Rachel Graves.

I don't even know where to start, this book was so good! I absolutely loved the main character, Elisabeth Hicks, an Army Veteran, witch, and overall bad@ss! We meet Elisabeth shortly after she returns home after being wounded (understatement of the year) by a vampire while in combat. She has moved back to her parents' house and is trying to find her way around civilian life with her injuries and returning to her family home and small town.

I really enjoyed the paranormal mystery. There was great intrigue surrounding a missing vampire. There were so many twists and turns that it make the book very exciting! I truly could not put this book down!

I thought that the author built an incredible storyline with depth and excitement. Her characters were truly special. The romance is hot and heavy (NSFW) and was so good! I look forward to seeing what comes next in this series!

I'm so grateful to Rachel Graves, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Yeah. I loved it. It reminded me too much of at least two other series in the first few chapters, but quickly took on its own life, and the author ran with it. I love the concept of a disabled hero/heroines, and I was impressed. Loved it, WILL be looking for more from this author!

Dead Man's Detective (Elisabeth Hicks, Witch Detective) by Rachel Graves is an urban fantasy with a dash of romance. All ex-army witch Elisabeth Hicks wants for her twenty-fourth birthday is to keep the small-town gossips from staring at her artificial limbs. Instead, she's pushed into helping an army buddy on an illegal job for the scariest vampire in town. Her magic tells her the vampire is lying but it's too late to walk away. Things go sideways, and her first date in years ends when she finds her friend's dead body. The body disappears from the morgue, and a deadly, magical, necklace winds up in her lap all before she gets to her birthday cake. Now a sexy master vampire will kill her if she doesn't use magic to find the woman he loves, and the police refuse to investigate the murder. It's up to Elisabeth to protect her family, solve the mystery, and survive long enough to go on a second date.

Dead Man's Detective is a book that start of rough for me- only because I was trying to figure out what series it reminded me of, at least on the surface. (It was Melissa Olson's Boundary Magic series for those that are curious.) But when the story started rolling I was lost to the story and enjoyed it. I liked the characters and world building, although it took me a bit to figure out all the dynamics of the supernatural and humans in this world. I liked the juxtaposition of small town and wide variety of paranormal people, and that the complexities of the prejudice and wariness of 'different' is explored in an intelligent way. I liked the honest way the trials of returning to the civilian world after war is handled, and that the hardships of those left behind is considered. I thought Ted's character was very interesting, and that it added depth to some of those hard discussions and realizations. The family and friendship dynamics rang true, despite the otherworldly nature of he creatures pulling the strings. I think the author and I have read many of the same books in the past, because I saw shades of not only Melissa Olson's style, but some reminders of early Laurell K Hamilton's writing. I think this is an unconscious leaning or tribute to some great writers in the genre rather than anything else.

Dead Man's Detective is a solid series starter that has a good blend of action, romance, and world building.

Rachel Graves does a good job in delivering a solid storyline and very good characters. The characters are much more complex than they first appear and the reader and Elisabeth discover that as the book progresses. I really enjoyed the relationship between Elisabeth and Ted as it evolves and both of them make mistakes and have to learn how to deal with each other’s baggage because they have a lot of it, both being veterans of a nasty war. Elisabeth’s other relationships also evolve. It was hysterical to find out Elisabeth’s very proper mother knows how to handle guns and takes out the trash when appropriate. Elisabeth’s response is priceless.

Graves is also not afraid of taking on some issues that people usually gloss over. Ted does something that is disturbing (not a rape or anything to Elisabeth or the “good guys”). There are no details. Too often in books dangerous people don’t do anything bad, particularly when someone they care about is threatened. I don’t think that is realistic (yeah, yeah, realistic in an urban fantasy). Graves also shows the effects on the homefront of a military conflict. The people who stay at home hurt too. No, it usually isn’t as dramatic as what those who face in combat but that doesn’t mean that they don’t hurt too. And they aren’t suppose to mention it. Graves does.

However, the military experiences don’t dominate this story. Some of the characters are dealing with after effects of their experiences but they weren’t acting as if they were still in the military. Plus, the main storyline isn’t about the military but a missing “young” woman.

I recommend this book. Great characters and a good storyline.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

NetGalley ARC Educator 550974
An intensely erotic mystery and paranormal book. Elizabeth is a witch with the ability to read other's emotions as well as talk to the dead. It is the first of the series. This book builds Elizabeth's world and sets the stage for her detective agency.

Thank you #NetGalley and #Rachel Graves for letting to me read and review #DeadMansDetective.

Ex army officer Elizabeth Hicks, who is also a spirit witch, is trying to live a normal life after fighting in a war.

Elizabeth receives a call from a friend from her old unit while in the army. He is asking her help in choosing whether he should take a side job for money. She agrees to listen to the details. Once she knows the details, she suggests he walk away.

Soon, she is thrown in to a who-dun-it and meeting evil people in her community. She is learning about all sorts of secrets from those close to her, that changes her perspective on everyone around her.

If you enjoy reading Janet Evanovich or Laurell K. Hamilton, you should definitely give #Rachel Graves a try. You will not be disappointed.

Dead Man's Detective by Rachel Graves, I really enjoyed this book and will definitely put this author on my TBR list and watch for future books.

I quite liked this new urban fantasy. Great world building and a likable, badass heroine. Lots of fairly explicit sex, but it didn’t disrupt the plot TOO badly. I’ll be reading more by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC copy for my review.

The first book of "Elisabeth Hicks, Witch Detective" is so great. It's the first book of Rachel Graves I read and now I long for more.

Elisabeth is a young woman who served in the army and is trying to adjust to 'normal life' after 4 years, with artificial limbs after a vampire attack. She is a spirit witch and can feel other's emotions and memories by touching them. Next to that, she can speak to the dead and they sometimes ask her to relay messages.

When an army buddy - who asked her to help him with a dodgy case he took regarding a locket - is killed, she is dismayed to find the police classify his death a suicide. So, she decides to investigate.

I must admit I got no further than 25% in the story and skimmed after that. The writing, the whole atmosphere of the story, I never got into it. I felt detached from Elisabeth as a character. She finds a friend horribly murdered but simply goes on with her plans to have sex with her sister's boss. I cannot explain but it felt off to me.
Furthermore, I had not expected the erotic scenes in this urban fantasy.

I normally would not rate a book I DNF, but as I received this book as an ARC via Netgalley I give it 2 stars (ju

In a near future world in which a massive war has been waged against slavery, especially sexual slavery, and where vampires, werewolves, and succubi hang out, Elizabeth Hicks, a scarred war veteran, is living at home with her parents and younger sister, studying online to get a degree. She's a spirit witch, which basically means she can read people's emotions and memories through touch, and she sees and talks to the recently dead.

There is a lot of stuff in the above paragraph that requires suspension of disbelief, but really there isn't much that is different here from a lot of other urban fantasy witchy stuff except that Ms Graves wants to write explicitly about sex. In detail. I didn't find those parts interesting or sexy and paged past them.

Overall this is an unremarkable story, and I don't think the series is very promising, unless it is with a younger audience who finds licking and sucking on the written page erotic.

Elizabeth is trying to figure out her life. She is still recovering from an injury while serving, a life altering injury while also coming to grips with being a witch. While trying to help out an old army buddy she comes into contact with vampires and gets sucked into working for LaRue. Trying to navigate her families affections and pitfalls she meets Edward and maybe if she tries this new normal she also end up with a very interesting boyfriend.

I have never read a book by Rachel Graves but I'm so thrilled that I asked for this free ARC from NetGalley for my honest review. This book was so enjoyable, it had humor and excitement and so many interesting characters. The entire story was very good and I hope to see more in the future that I can purchase.

I received this ARC via Netgalley, Rachel Graves, and the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, in return for an honest review. This is a modern fantasy set in the small town of Osceola, California. Magic is real and there are vampires, werewolves and witches living among the ‘regular’ humans. Elisabeth Hicks is a military veteran of the recent war where she lost an arm and a leg to a vampire attack. While they’ve been magically regrafted, it left her with psychological scars that she feels unable to share with her parents and younger sister. She’s also a spirit witch, who sees the dead when they visit to give last requests for her to help resolve. When she’s contacted by a fellow squad member to talk with a client and assess his truth-telling, she gets a bad feeling. Her buddy takes the job anyway and she later discovers him dead. Then, his body disappears, and she decides he can’t be unavenged. But nothing is as it appears and its hard to tell the good guys from the villains in town. Add in some strange family dynamics and Elisabeth is just trying to make it out alive and in, relatively, one piece.
The book is well crafted, and Elisabeth is very engaging as the story lead. I love that she’s a veteran and dealing with things unfamiliar to civilians as she struggles with her new reality. The book does contain a significant amount of erotic writing which could be skipped over, if necessary. The ending sets things up for a sequel or a series.

I really liked the world building in this book. The premise of someone being the ‘spokesperson’ of the dead is neat and has been explored in other works, but this one was refreshing with the context involved. The MC is kick ass with a good dose of real world problems, and the storyline felt pretty relevant to today’s world (apart from the ghosts and vampires and werewolves!).
I also really liked the fact that the author decided to be LGBTQ inclusive, addressing a character’s identity as a given, not something that needs to be hidden away from the world but out there in the open, and understood. Looking forward to future installments in this series!