thank you berkley pub for the free copy!

4.5 stars!!

i had so much fun reading A GRIM REAPER’S GUIDE TO CATCHING A KILLER. if you enjoy cozy mysteries & want something seasonal, this is it! 🖤

Omg, the way I loved this book! It was absolutely what I was needing to help pull my from my reading slump I’ve been feeling like I’ve been in for the last month.

Read if you like:
👻 Spunky Teenage Ghosts
🔎 Amateur Detectives
💀 Human Grim Reapers
🤣 LOL Moments/ Morbid Jokes
🥈 Second Chance Romances
🤰🏼 Pregnancy & Jokes
⏰ Ticking Clock to Save the Day!

Kathy is a 42 year old, average, relatively boring, anti-social, pregnant, and in the middle of divorcing her husband who loves her more than anything but she has started to find him utterly annoying with his devotion to her, which is more complicated by the fact that after she left him they hooked up and she ended up pregnant.

And then poorly timed difficult case at work pops up in the midst of her mid-life crisis, pregnancy, and divorce that forces her to ask for help and finally to open up to her quirky and bit odd soon to be ex husband and baby daddy when the collection of one of her assigned souls does not go to plan when he isn’t where he should be for collection and then when she does find him, he refuses to cross over as he reports he didn’t die of natural causes as her report says, but that he was murdered by someone wearing a name tag just like hers.

So now pregnant Kathy teams up with her teenage spirit who is her polar opposite and her senior citizen former mentor at work to try to solve Conner’s murder before the 45 day window for his spirit to cross over ends and he will be stuck on earth as a ghost for eternity, ohhh and also before she pops since she is 7 months along in her geriatric pregnancy.

Things start to take a scary turn as she investigates Conner’s death and starts to suspect different coworkers who may be involved and potential killers… but the journey is also filled with smart quips and a blooming rekindling of romance and Kathy beginning to believe that just maybe her life isn’t so bad.

I can’t say enough good things about this one, and highly recommend to anyone reading this to add it to their spooky season tbr and especially to check out the audio as I really loved the narration!

Thank you so much to Berkley and PRHA for my gifted ARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Was this book a little ridiculous? Yes. Did it get super in depth into the "science" of how Kath's job worked? No. Did I have an excellent time reading it? Yes. I giggled at some points, I was emotional over a few others, and I'm thrilled this appears to be the start of a series.

This is one of the easiest five star reads I’ve given this year, I absolutely loved this. If you know me you know how much I adore cozy mysteries and more specifically the Finlay Donovan series for its wit, humor, and charming characters and A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer was right on par with my love for that series. From the very beginning I was so in love with the concept of the soul collectors/grim reaper agency Kathy works for and even more so in love with how relatable and hilarious she was! She’s an older main character who’s going through her own life crisis while also having to manage finding the soul/essence she’s meant to collect. She comes to discover the essence, who happens to be a very angry, sassy teen, claiming his death was not natural but rather committed by someone in Kathy’s agency (gasp!). They then attempt to find out what exactly happened all while getting into some entanglements along the way. I couldn’t have had a more entertaining experience while reading from the characters to the story and can’t recommend this book enough! It’s the perfect edition for your Autumn spooky TBRs and a mystery you won’t be able to put down!

Soul collections are routine and straight-forward. You put on the silver name tag that allows you to be unnoticable by civilians, you go to where the deceased’s body is, you get the spirit to follow you to your car, and you take it to processing for the next step in the afterlife. Like Lyft for the undead. It’s a process 42-year-old Kathy Valence has been following since she started working at S.C.Y.T.H.E. (Secure Collection, Yielding, and Transportation of Human Essences). Only this time when Kathy arrives on the scene, the person she’s there to collect is nowhere to be found. When she finally tracks down the soul of 17-year-old Connor Ortiz, he tells her that his death wasn’t from natural causes like his file says – he was murdered.

Kathy agrees to help Connor find his killer and unravel the mystery of what happened to him in the 45 days he has left before he gets stuck Earth-side as a ghost forever. As the clock ticks down, seemingly harmless coworkers look more and more like potential murderers. Kathy finds herself in the line of danger, which is especially bad considering she’s 7 months pregnant with her soon-to-be ex-husband Simon’s baby. Kathy loves Simon, but is convinced that she will ruin his life with her Sidam touch (Midas spelled backwards) and that leaving is the best thing she can do for him. Will Kathy realize that despite what she’s always thought, she’s a good person who deserves to be seen fully? Will she find Conner’s killer? And, most importantly, will she be able to save his soul before time runs out?

If you’ve ever read Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series, you’ll find aspects of this story familiar: an independent woman in an interesting & dangerous career who’s dealing with relationship issues and personal drama. It’s a very enjoyable format, and I liked seeing a different spin on the trope. Dara’s writing is fast paced and funny, and the story is easy to follow. I did have a hard time understanding exactly what the Big Bad was actually doing at the end, but perhaps that’s a plot point that will be expanded upon in subsequent books (which I do hope are coming!).

What I wasn’t expecting from this book is the emotional depth and subtleties dealing with not only death, but mental health. I saw a lot of myself in Kathy – she’s a person who is so sure that everything she touches turns to shit that she self-sabotages in the name of protecting the people she loves. She’s hidden the full picture of who she is from Simon because she’s certain that if he saw the real her, his love and devotion would vanish. While clearly not healthy, it’s a method of protecting herself. In her mind the pain is always going to come, so it’s better to control it and hurt yourself than let someone else do it.

Kathy ends up learning a lot by taking Conner – the surly, ghost teenager – under her wing. He helps her to tear down the wall she’s built around herself, and shows her that her view of herself is completely wrong. That she is a person capable of greatness, who has a deep well of emotion and love for those she surrounds herself with. I found myself tearing up quite a bit near the end of this story, watching Kathy realize her true self and claim the life that she wants and deserves. A Grim Reaper’s Guide To Catching A Killer is a great, fun story that packs an emotional punch. It’s the perfect book for when you’re wanting a murder mystery that isn’t super heavy and leaves you feeling hopeful at the end.

When I saw the title of Maxie Dara’s fantasy/cozy mystery A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer, I couldn’t resist picking up a copy. The “Grim Reaper” of the title is a woman named Kathy Valence, one of many soul collectors who work for a corporation known as S. C. Y. T. H. E. (Secure Collection, Yielding, and Transportation of Human Essences). Kathy works in the Department of Natural Causes. Her job sounds simple: to collect the souls of people who died natural deaths and take them to the processing centre.

Everything goes smoothly until the day a teenager named Conner, whose soul Kathy is sent to collect, insists that he was murdered. Furthermore, he suggests that someone from Kathy’s workplace might have been involved. Uncertain who she can trust but determined to see justice done, Kathy undertakes some detective work, assisted by her former mentor Jo, her husband Simon (who she is in the process of divorcing), and Connor’s disembodied soul.

Dara uses several factors to ratchet up the tension. For one thing, soul collectors only have 45 days to get to a soul to the processing centre. If they miss the window, the soul will be doomed to haunt the Earth rather than moving on. In addition, Kathy is putting her job at risk by continuing to investigate the circumstances around Conner’s death after she is told by her supervisor to drop the case. Losing her job is a particularly unattractive prospect for Kathy, as it’s the first place of employment where she’s really felt as though she fit. There’s also a physical risk from the perpetrators, who become increasingly desperate to keep their secret.

A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer delivers on multiple levels. There’s a mystery to solve, with clues and suspects, along with suspense and unexpected twists. The book is chock-full of humour, both in the situations and the dialogue. Dara also delivers a protagonist we can root for. Kathy is flawed, but likeable. Her father once told her she had the “Sadim” (opposite of Midas) touch, because she frequently made a mess of things. Kathy struggles with self-confidence. Though pregnant, she’s not sure she’s “good Mom” material. But she’s also determined to do the right thing, she’s tenacious in her efforts to solve the case, and she has a self-deprecating sense of humour that keeps her from taking herself too seriously.

Witty, lively, and original, A Grim Reaper’s Guide To Catching a Killer offers a fun read for mystery fans who don’t mind having fantasy as part of the mix.

Huge thank you to @berkleypub and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

.
Kathy likes her days to be normal and boring. Working for SCYTHE she’s almost guaranteed a consistently boring day but when her new client is missing a soul she soon comes to terms with the fact that her days are going to be anything but normal as she tries to help solve the mystery of Connor’s death. This is the start of a fun new series!

DNF

I unfortunately couldn't get into this one. I feel like cozy mysteries with a paranormal/fantasy aspect are just not for me. I really wanted to like this one because it was unique. A grim reaper who is trying to solve a mystery and is pregnant? That is just wild! And although it didn't work for me I could see this working for others. I did like the MC, but her story was real sad and I am also just not in the mood for that at the moment.

The first book in what promises to be a promising series. An unusual story line in which the grim reaper is a middle age female who's going through life crisises of her own when her next customer is not quite ready to go......and refuses until his murderer is found. The characters are unique and manage to become a team in the search. Fun and engaging, A GRIM REAPER'S GUIDE is a "must read" for anyone looking for a new series or something different in the mystery/ thriller genre.

This story is incredibly hilarious, and lively, as much as it can be with the Grim Reaper collecting souls. On any given day, Kathy, gets a file of a deceased, picks-up the soul and delivers them to processing only today in no ordinary day. The soul in her file is missing!

The missing soul claims he was murdered, and its is someone from her place of employment, S.C.Y.T.H.E. (Secure Collection Yielding and Transportation of Human Essences). This dynamic duo, a human and a ghost, become super sleuths to undercover the nefarious nature his death.

Kathy is also pregnant, and questioning her divorce, as her ex wants her back. Simon, the ex-husband, is absolutely adorable as he assists Kathy with her pregnancy and protects her during the amateur detective work. He also helps her to open up about her feelings as he just wanted ALL of her not pieces.

What a GREAT start to a new series called SCYTHE Mystery. Excited for the next installment.

Thank you, Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley

What a fantastic paranormal mystery debut featuring Kathy, a pregnant 40 year old woman in the midst of a divorce who works as a modern day Grim reaper for S.C.Y.T.H.E. - (Secure Collection, Yielding, and Transportation of Human Essences) a government division that collects souls. When assigned to collect the soul of a new client things don't go according to plan and Kathy finds herself becoming an amateur detective to discover what actually happened to Connor, a weed-smoking, video game playing teen boy who swears he was murdered. With unusual sidekicks and a twisty mystery, this was fun, great on audio and perfect for fans of books like the Finlay Donovan series. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Her carefully cultivated average, low-risk life has just been toppled when a routine collection case is anything but routine. Kathy can go back to hiding away from the world behind her safe walls or she can help save a soul- literally. Who could pass up a middle-aged mid-divorce grim reaper with a poor self-esteem who must step way outside her comfort zone to investigate a murder? Not me.

A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer introduces a new series and the world of SCYTHE, a semi-clandestine business that employs ‘collectors’ (grim reaper is so old-style and dramatic) to bring the souls to the processing center who will take it from there. Kathy is one of its ‘natural death’ collectors until a mistake happens and she finds herself facing a murder right in the middle of her own personal crisis (she’s getting divorced from the love of her life for…reasons, but slipped up and now is having a baby). Her foul-mouthed prickly teenage client insists he’s been murdered no matter what her file says and by someone wearing a company badge just like hers.

Kathy is no one’s idea of a heroine. She’s the quintessential underdog and anxiety pours off her at the thought of having to do anything outside her carefully constructed, protected life that she believes will prevent her from making mistakes and disappointing people. In fact, that’s why she’s divorcing. She has to hide her job, but that secret is really an excuse. She’s really gun-shy of committing her heart out of fear her husband will see her as she sees herself and walk away because she’s a disappointment. Kudos to Maxie Dara for writing her and her soon to be ex as real people with physical flaws and Kathy will all her internal anxiety and drama. It took an angry teenager and her feisty, eccentric old work mentor to rouse her out of her lethargy and get back into the world and trying risk-taking. And, I was cheering her on all the way.

I enjoyed the mystery, the paranormal world-building, Kathy’s personal growth and life, her found family and support that helps her. I was a tad confused still about a few things when it all ended, but maybe more will come out as the series progresses. I will definitely be looking for that next installment.

I would recommend this one to both paranormal cozy mystery fans, but also those who enjoy that new niche genre of paranormal women’s fiction.

#AGrimReapersGuideToCatchingAKiller:

Thank you @berkley for my gifted copies! #BerkleyPartner #berkley

Imagine The Good Place.. but right before you get to the good place. You have a guide that takes you to processing. Her name is Kathy. Ole Kath is as bland as a manila envelope. But she goes off the boring and straitlaced path when she finds out that one of her souls did not perish from natural causes.

This is such a fun mystery, honestly. It gives you the cozy vibes, but also the sarcastic banter of a fun romcom. Whatever this is, inject into my veins immediately.

An amateur sleuth may guess the culprit early on. It was fun to see Kathy, Conner (the spirit), Jo, and Simon Nancy Drew their way into the right conclusion. Kathy is solidly pregnant as well, so watching her navigate a literal murder when I couldn’t even tie my shoes is highly impressive. Conner was a great teen addition to add insight on social media, pressures, and of course, the ins and outs of being a kid.

I’m so down for a SCYTHE mystery series because this is the kind of mystery series I live for. Great characters, hilarious banter, and a solid ending with a satisfying ending. Out today, I had to post this before pub day went!

Cozy Mystery • Found Family • Spirits
Published • 1 October 2024

Thank you @berkleypub and @prhaudio for the free book/ALC!

Read this if you love an “older” protagonist (I put “older” in quotes because she’s my age and I’m not old… 😅😂) who also happens to be pregnant by her ex while solving a murder mystery.

It sounds cheesy, but I was sold just based on the above. Unlike your usual amateur detective, Kathy can speak to the dead (in this case 17 year old Connor), to gather up clues.

Kathy is a 42 year old modern day grim reaper in the normally mundane department of natural causes (as opposed to the murder department). She leads a boring albeit secretive life until a job gets botched and she finds herself getting too involved in case # 507032…

I loved the relationship that developed between Connor, Kathy, and Simon. This was a heartwarming, found family trope, with many humorous lines. I chuckled the whole way through because Kathy’s a lot like me.

🎧 The narration by Jaime Lamchick was on point! I highly recommend audiobook format.

A pregnant grim with a little relationship drama added with the drama of finding the killer of Case # 507032, Connor Ortiz. This was a cozy mystery with humor along side of it. I’d say it was a great way for me to get into this spooky month even though it isn’t scary. But, that totally ok because it was a fun read nonetheless! I enjoyed how the author sprinkled in the humor along with the mystery to finding Connor’s killer. The addition of Kathy’s pregnancy symptoms and Simon. I had a great time!

If you’re looking for fun cozy mystery, this one will fit that bill. Also, look how cute this cover is. Wait… does cute and murder go together?

What fun, cozy, paranormal, little mystery!

From the start of Grim Reaper, I was invested in tagging along with Kathy and Connor. I loved getting to know each of them as the story progressed. One thing I really loved was that even though Kathy is the star of the show, Dara allows all of the secondary characters to shine through and stand on their own. I felt like I truly got to know the main character cast of Kathy, Connor, Simon, and Jo.

The premise is very unique with Kathy working for a secret organization as a modern-day grim reaper. I think with subsequent books in this series we’ll get the chance to learn more about the organization and the science side based on the way things ended, which I really hope is true because I have questions!

I think this one works so well for fans of a lighter, cozier mystery. Don’t get me wrong, there are some dark and tense moments, but no in your face gore to distract from the real heart behind the story.

I look forward to whatever book two brings in the future!

A great premise, and a nicely realized world/framing. For me there was a little too much focus, especially at the beginning, with Kathy going back and forth to work and home. But for readers who enjoy leisurely spending time with a likeable character, this will be a good mystery choice.

𝗔 𝗚𝗿𝗶𝗺 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗞𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿
SCYTHE Mystery #1 5 ⭐️

| Thank you @berkleypub @maxiedara for the #Gifted early e-arc access. |

𝚆𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚗 𝚋𝚢: 𝙼𝚊𝚡𝚒𝚎 𝙳𝚊𝚛𝚊
𝙿𝚞𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝚃𝚘𝚍𝚊𝚢!

ˀ𝙦𝙤𝙩𝙙: 𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙚𝙩 𝙖 𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥 𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧, 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢? 𝙊𝙧 𝙧𝙪𝙣 🏃‍♀️💨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙨?

🍃🍂🌼 🍃🍂🌼 🍃🍂🌼 🍃🍂🌼 🍃🍂

Ｈａｐｐｙ Ｂｏｏｋ Ｂｉｒｔｈｄａｙ！

ꜱᴇɴᴛᴇɴᴄᴇ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ: ɪ ᴅɪᴅɴ’ᴛ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ɪᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴇɴᴅ!
ᴇᴍᴏᴊɪ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ: 😭❔🫥👻👨‍🦱🕵️‍♀️👩‍🦯👚🚛💡

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎: ↴
𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙡 • 𝙢𝙞𝙭𝙚𝙙 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚𝙨 • 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮 • 𝙢𝙪𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙮 • 𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙦𝙪𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙤𝙩𝙨 • 𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙡𝙚𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 • 𝙛𝙪𝙣 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙚 • 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 • 𝙗𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙨 • 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 • 𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙢 • 𝙁𝙈𝘾𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 40𝙨 • 𝙘𝙤𝙯𝙮 𝙛𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙚𝙨 • 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙨 • 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 • 𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧

💭:
What can I say, I ate this book up! Nom nom nom! 🤣😂🧐

I was not expecting to love it as much as I did. So a huge thank you to the author for delivering a tale I won’t easily forget.

📖:
The first few chapters started off a little slow but once it got started, I couldn’t stop hitting the next button of my kindle.

Plot heavy, I still found myself sympathizing with the characters, as well as feeling a connection with them.

AGRGtCaK (try saying that out loud like I just did😂) was an easy 5 star read for me.

The ending could have been wrapped up a little neater, but it doesn’t detract from the enjoyment I had reading this.

(Disclosure: free book from Berkley)
I found it to be SO refreshing. Premise: Kathy is 42, mid-divorce, and pregnant, and the last thing she needs is her very dependable job escorting souls to the afterlife in the Natural Causes department to give her any grief, it’s the only part of her life she can trust in. Until, 17 year old Conner is adamant he was murdered and won’t move on while her boss is saying otherwise and is rushing her to get the job done possibly raising some red flags. And she’s got 45 days to figure this all out.

Yes, I don’t normally gravitate towards things with child death but this book handles so many real life and death aspects of the world with so much care. Conner is an integral character and this moody teenager turned investigative partner made me cry?! Kathy is also on her own journey, ya know while she tries not to get caught or become a target herself, of unexpected impending motherhood and how she got in this position with her job having shared little with her ex husband who she now needs to lean on… (as well as her super fun retired mentor, the side characters in this are chefs kiss)

This is a somewhat cozy mystery (saying somewhat cause there was a lot of action for a pregnant lady and I was on the edge of my seat for a lot of this) and I think romance readers who dabble outside the genre in particular would really enjoy this. This had my jaw dropping, laughing out loud, and crying (cathartic cry). I just really loved this and the voice of it.

Synopsis: Kathy is your typical 42-year old woman, except for her job as a modern day grim reaper. She works for SCYTHE, the agency responsible for collecting souls to move on to their next destination. When a routine collection goes wrong, Kathy is left to solve the mystery of her client’s death before the end of his 45 day processing deadline.

Thoughts: If you’re a fan of cozy mysteries, add this to your list! I thought this was such a fun read and a great start to a series. With a super unique concept and a riveting mystery (with a twist I didn’t see coming!), I was super captivated with this book. The main character, Kathy, is a little bit frustrating, but throughout the story her motivations become more clear and she ends up being pretty relatable. I love seeing a mystery with a little romance involving super ordinary middle-aged people because honestly we just don’t get that very often. There are also some really great found family vibes which is always a win for me. Highly recommend for fall reading!

Read this if you like:
💀 cozy mysteries
💀 found family
💀 paranormal elements