Really liked this title! Kathy was "every-woman" and I loved her for it. Her soon to be ex-husband was "every-man". Loved the banter between Conor and Kathy! This story just felt to real to me, "sadim" and all. I would love this to be a series!

I received a gifted galley of A GRIM REAPER'S GUIDE TO CATCHING A KILLER by Maxie Dara for an honest review. Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group, PRH Audio and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review!

A GRIM REAPER'S GUIDE TO CATCHING A KILLER is the first book in a new SCYTHE Mysteries series. We are following Kathy, a 42 year old woman who works for SCYTHE, the agency responsible for gathering up the souls of the departed and taking them for processing to their next destination. She likes her work, but she lives a pretty solitary existence, not able to share her job with anyone not in the confidential loop. For this reason, she is in the middle of a divorce, even as she's just discovered that she is pregnant with her husband's baby.

When attempting to make a routine collection, Kathy finds the soul of the young man who died missing. She is able to eventually track the young man down, but what he tells her about his death has her confused as to what is really going on. With only 45 days to get his soul processed, Kathy is on deadline to find out what has happened in order to make sure her charge remains safe.

I have had mixed experiences with cozy mysteries, but the fantasy elements drew my attention with this one. I am very glad that I gave it a chance because I really had a fantastic time reading it! I loved that we got an older main character in Kathy and there was a lot about her life that I could find relatable.

Like many cozies, this was a rather quirky story full of colorful characters. I think going into this one expecting that things might feel a bit over the top at times really set the right expectation. I found the mystery element to be interesting and I really appreciated Kathy's dedication to getting the answers!

This was a really fun read and I will be looking forward to more in the series!

This book was a fun cozy mystery. This is always a genre that I am split on, I either love it or I hate it, and in this case, I loved it. Kathy, the main character, was really relatable for me. Sure she was pretty pragmatic, but for someone who’s in her early 40’s, and pregnant by her soon to be ex-husband’s baby, I got a lot of where she was coming from. I also really enjoyed getting to know Conner, the smart mouthed teenager. He reminded me a lot of a typical teenage boy, and he was pretty funny. The relationship that developed between Kathy and Conner was beautiful. They learned a lot from each other, which is a lot to say when Conner is dead. I was a little confused by the ending, and that is the only reason this one wasn’t a knockout of the park read for me. I wish that the author would have explained this a little more, but I wonder if that will be done in the next book as this was the first in the series.

If you are looking for a spooky cozy mystery with some heartfelt moments, then you need to read this book.

this is actually a favorite book ive read in awhile. I will admit I was surprised by how much I liked it. I never expected a book with such a cheesy premise to come with such intense topics and subtlety’s. I loved this book from start to finish, kathy and connor’s reluctant alliance turned friendship was so touching and the book had funny moments that made it so easy to read. thank you to netgalley and the author for the opportunity to review this!

This book is incredibly fun and engaging. It keeps my attention and would be great for those who love cozy mysteries but want something with a twist. The main character is pregnant and a working woman, which is a great representation. It also touches on the idea of motherhood and careers and being able to open up to your partner and accept their help. The mystery and the fun organization of S.C.Y.T.H.E. is refreshing and fun. This story is a wild ride but it is also relatable to young and old readers. I would recommend this in a heartbeat.

Kathy Valence is forty-two, mid-divorce, and pregnant with her ex's baby. She's also a modern-day grim reaper employed by S.C.Y.T.H.E. (Secure Collection, Yielding, and Transportation of Human Essences), but frankly that's the easiest part of her life right now. Or at least it was, until her latest client's soul goes missing.

When she finally tracks down seventeen-year-old Conner Ortiz, he angrily denies he died of natural causes, despite what his file says. He insists that someone at S.C.Y.T.H.E. murdered him, and he demands Kathy find out who and why.

Kathy has only forty-five days to figure out what happened to Conner and help him move on before the boy's soul is doomed to roam the Earth as a ghost forever. She’s forced to rely on the help of her retired mentor, her almost ex-husband—and some sneaky moves by Conner himself. This is the wildest case of her career. . .and one wrong move could cost Kathy her job, not to mention her life.

This book was entertaining and exciting. The Mystery was not hard to follow and understand and the end left me pleasantly surprised.

I really, really wanted to like this title more. The concept of a supernatural murder mystery is what really drew me in. However, I felt the story dragged on and found the main character to be annoying with her constant self deprecation. I think it was also hard for me to relate to her as I found her hard to understand.

Normally I love a grim reader story like Dead Like Me, Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune, and the Scythe series by Neal Shusterman. Even though the premise of this book sounded awesome, I couldn’t get through the set up. Nothing wrong with it, it just wasn’t for me and I had a hard time of falling into the story. Though I do know folks who would like this book and I’ll for sure be recommending it to them.

Katy Valence is a modern-day grim reaper. She works for S.C.Y.T.H.E which recovers the essence after death so it can move on. Her particular department transports those who have died of natural causes. When her pick-up is not where they are supposed to be, it sets into motion this entertaining mystery. Conner Ortiz is only 17 and he is absolutely certain he did not die of natural causes. In fact, he thinks someone from S.C.Y.T.H.E killed him. As Kathy and Conner work together, reluctantly at first, to figure out the truth, they are forced to trust each other. Both Kathy and Conner have emotional baggage and I loved seeing them grow and heal as the story progressed. There is a heartwarming tone to this mystery, which also has humor and complexity. I really liked the characters of Jo and Simon. They helped ground our two main characters and kept this story moving while providing insight and support. I am excited to read more from this series and I will be recommending this one this fall.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkely Publishing for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

I was not expecting this book to make me cry! I definitely teared up. I felt emotionally invested. The way Kathy’s maternal instincts kicked in with Conner felt all too real!! Especially as a pregnant character. I felt Kathy was incredibly relatable and real. The way the author set up the role of Kathy makes it enjoyable for the reader to transition to the next. I love that already! I cannot wait for the next book.

I think you’ll laugh and cry and root for the MC this book. It’s such a fun read. I thought I had it figured out but I was wrong. There was twists and reveals that I didn’t see coming. I can’t hype this book up enough. I was expecting a little bit of a different story based on the title but what I got was better!

Thanks so much NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group.

This book is the opener for a new cozy mystery series based on a woman who works as a modern day 'Grim' and transports spirits or 'essences' from their death scene to processing to the afterlife. If a spirit is not processed within 45 days, they become a ghost, destined to haunt this world forever. When Kathy responds to a death one day and finds her client's 'spirit' missing, corporate puts pressure on her to handle this as quickly as possible. Yet, when she finally tracks down the 17 year old client, he reveals that he was murdered by someone in Kathy's company. Together, with her retired Grim, Jo, and her soon to be ex-husband, Simon, Kathy and Connor get wrapped into a dangerous murder mystery.

Kathy's workplace gives off all 'The Office' vibes, just in the business of transporting souls, and I found this a refreshing and unique premise. Kathy was also the perfect average, nearly 40, soon-to-be-divorced with zero crime-stopping skills unlikely heroine! Her relationship with teen, Connor, grew from one of resistance/mistrust to a partnership that had me tearing up by the conclusion of the book. Readers who like found family, amateur sleuths, charming secondary characters, and relatable main characters will find this new series a must-read for the fall season!

Thank you Berkley for the gifted ARC!

This was sooo much more than I was expecting, on every single front. I loved the humor, the heart, the mystery, simply everything! I was so attached to the main characters. The ending definitely hit me right in the feels too.

I have to commend the author for such a unique and interesting story idea! And it looks like it's the beginning of a series. I for one cannot wait to dive back into the world of Kathy Valence.

A Grim Reaper's Guide to Catching a Killer US pub date is October 1!

This was a book I absolutely loved jumping into it. Not knowing what to expect, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I genuinely enjoyed every moment of it. It was so real to the characters and what they were going through that you can't help but feel for our main character.

It was such a fun read and really I didn't know what was going to happen next so I had to keep reading, no breaks in between. Kathy was definitely one of those character's you love to hate and hate to love. She's an absolute hoot and such a Debbie downer, but you love her all the same. Definitely a book series I'm excited to continue reading, because book one made waves of impressions as I was reading!

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC!

Kathy works for a company named SCYTHE, tasked with retrieving freshly dead souls to be processed into their afterlife. When she arrives at a house one night to retrieve a fresh soul she finds the teen's dead body but his soul is no longer there. As she sets out to find the missing "essence" of the teen she is dragged into the mystery of what happened to him as he insists he was murdered and her company insists his was a natural death. I loved this really imaginative story, as Kathy's life is upended for the better and we find that family can be built from whoever we choose.

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC of this book. This was a fun mystery that held my interest. However, the ending felt a bit rushed and didn’t really explain the “why” of the situation.

Kathy Valence is 42, nearly divorced, pregnant by her soon to be ex-husband Simon, and utterly convinced she’s cursed with a “Sadim” (an anadrome of the word Midas) touch. She only sees her failures and has built her walls so people can’t get too close, but one thing she is good at?

Collecting a newly deceased person’s soul or “essence” for processing to the afterlife on behalf of her employer, S.C.Y.T.H.E (Secure Collection, Yielding and Transportation of Human Essences).

Unfortunately, her work success is about to hit a snag when her latest client’s soul, case number 507032, better known in life as 17-year-old Conner Ortiz, is missing from the scene! To make matters worse, when she does track his essence down, he claims he was murdered! His file says he died of natural causes. What’s going on?

That’s the premise, but what follows is Kathy and Conner, along with her mentor Jo and almost ex, Simon, racing against time to figure out who ACTUALLY murdered him and get him to processing within the 45-day window before he becomes a permanent ghost or loses his soul forever!

First let me say that I MOSTLY liked this, and as a series starter it shows a lot of potential for what’s to come. It’s well-written, has a nice sense of humor, a decent mystery and though I didn’t immediately connect with Kathy or Conner, I grew to really like both of them by the end. The ad hoc mother-son relationship between the two was funny and touching! I also loved Simon’s gentle heart. Themes of found family, finding one’s inherent worth, being vulnerable in relationships, grief, and what constitutes being a “parent” are all explored, among others.

There were some aspects of the story that didn’t work as well for me, though.

Among the characters, Kathy can be a “Debbie Downer”, so fixated on her failures that she comes across as pathetic and irritating at times. Conner starts off as hostile and brash, and he’s unceasingly foul-mouthed, which could get repetitive, though I did grow to sympathize with him and see his very sweet qualities over time too. He’s a teenager, so he gets extra grace from me! Ancillary characters would’ve benefited from being developed more as well.

The pacing needed a boost. There were a lot of dead ends (no pun intended) in the mystery, so when I began to get excited that the story’s action was about to pick up, it was disappointing when it didn’t keep the momentum. For a story involving a pregnant woman, it was like Braxton-Hicks contractions: something’s happening! Ah … nope … sorry … false alarm.

My only other complaint was that the ending felt rushed and not adequately explained. I’m still not sure what the motivation for those involved was, which made the story lose some of its punch at the end.

All of that said, the winning aspects of the story made up for its deficits, and while I can’t say I loved it, I did like it well enough to move onto the next book in the series!

Loved this and can't wait for another in the series. Great blend of humor with quality writing. Good humor. Great characters. Some heart-wrenching moments. Well done!

4.5 stars. I expected a silly fantasy, but this was neither silly nor a fantasy, sentinent dead people "essences" notwithstanding.

It was a bit silly and fun, even with all the dead people, but it also explored some sad, even tragic and heartbreaking themes. Aging, family dynamics, sexism, ageism, and more. And without being the least bit trite or treacly or preachy, love. It shows how love can uplift us and how its lack can be so damaging.

I wanted a silly "popcorn" book (delicious but not nutritious) and ended up with a book that made me laugh, get a little misty-eyed, and then made me think, dammit.

🪦 A Grim Reapers Guide to Catching a Killer 🪦

Kathy Valence has only been good at two things: making a mess of her life and her job. Which is why at 42, she’s pregnant and divorcing the love of her life. Kathy works for S.C.Y.T.H.E., a super secret corporation that processes the souls of the dead and keeps them from becoming ghosts. She’s a Collections Agent for Natural Causes, and damn good at it.

That is until case 507032, seventeen year old Connor Ortiz, goes missing. When Kathy finally tracks down his soul, Connor claims that he was murdered by a S.C.Y.T.H.E. Agent, and demands that she find his killer. With only 45 days to solve the case before Connor goes ghost, Kathy will have to learn to open up to the people in her life, or die trying.

This was a fun and fast read. The writing was very creative and included some truly laugh out loud imagery. I really enjoyed the plot, but would’ve loved some more background information on S.C.Y.T.H.E. and how Kathy was hired. However, this is the first in the series, so fingers crossed that will come later.

I adored all the characters in this book. I related to Kathy in so many ways, from her social anxiety to her fears of failing her child. What I loved most about her was that she wasn’t naturally heroic. She wasn’t athletic or ever described as pretty. She was an ordinary person, who found herself capable of extraordinary things because of her convictions and the support of those around her, and I think we need more stories like this. Stories where anyone feels like they can be the hero ❤️

This book handles the subjects of mortality, grief, and regret wonderfully. I had several moments where I got emotional and wished I could hug the characters. The only downside for me was the ending felt a little rushed, and (as always) I would’ve loved more details. Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pub Date: Oct 1, 2024

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for my free e-reader copy in exchange for an honest

I love cozy mysteries and this one fits in perfectly. From the story to the characters it was a joy to read. The best part was that I did not figure out who did it until it was in the book