Grave Waves: A Witty and Whimsical Beachside Mystery

From the very first page, Grave Waves hooks you with its perfect blend of quirky mystery and sun-drenched beach atmosphere, making it the quintessential vacation read. If you’re searching for a fast-paced, genuinely comedic mystery to tuck into your beach bag, look no further. This book is a delightful dive into suspense and smart sleuthing that never takes itself too seriously.

The driving force of the narrative lies with a pair of highly engaging protagonists, two witty girls whose dedication to exposing frauds in the vibrant landscape of Florida is both admirable and hilarious. Their mission initially targets everyday scammers, but their investigation soon leads them to a much more intriguing, and perhaps dangerous, figure: the local "Mystic." Convinced the Mystic is preying on vulnerable people by falsely claiming an ability to communicate with the deceased, the girls embark on a determined effort to reveal her operation as a sham. This central conflict provides a compelling, high-stakes core to the otherwise lighthearted adventure.

What truly elevates Grave Waves to a five-star read is the masterful development of its characters and storyline. Every individual introduced is given a perfectly tailored backstory and just the right amount of humorous eccentricity to keep the pages turning. The humor is sharp and consistent, weaving seamlessly through the suspenseful plot turns. It’s this exceptional combination of well-rounded characters, engaging mysteries, and genuine laughs that ensures the book consistently delivers on its promises.

Grave Waves was precisely the break I needed from the heavier genres I typically read. It’s a completely unique story, a breath of fresh air that feels unlike anything else on the current mystery shelf. It did not disappoint in the slightest; in fact, it exceeded expectations by delivering a narrative that is as original as it is entertaining.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone craving a mystery with heart, humor, and a sunny setting. My sincere thanks go to #NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy (ARC) of this exceptional book.

#gravewaves #dorianbox

Loved this one as it's both quirky and suspenseful! Danny owns a penthouse in Florida and is the court-appointed guardian of Jessica who is twelve. Her friend, Gigi is staying with them for Spring Break and the two of them have plenty of money-making ideas to bilk the tourists out of some cash. But things get weird when the new "mystic" in town and an old woman dies. The series of coincidences is odd and Jessica and Gigi are determined to figure it out. It's odd and so funny that it begs reading quickly as you can't put it down!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Two odd (weird, macabre, unsettling, and good-hearted) 12yo girls are spending their winter break in Florida, trying to find ways to make money and pass time. They find a local mystic's practice suspicious, and in their investigative snooping, begin uncovering more and more. They DO tell the adults, the adults DO believe them, and wild action unfolds from there.
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From my emphasis in the last sentence above, it's clear how special I find that piece. It feels so easy to slip into miscommunication/no communication tropes whenever there are children in a world of adults. The mutual respect and genuine listening and consideration the adults gave these kids was incredibly lovely.
I would like to note that this is Book 3 and I have not read the first two installments, though I do feel that I did not miss much from reading as a standalone.
While reading the first half, I was thinking to myself that this is a solid 3-star read; no desire to DNF, I was interested to find out what would happen, I cared about the characters to follow them, but at the same time I thought the humor was a little too try-hard for my taste and I was mildly bored.
Once I hit the halfway point, it felt like the pace picked up and the character personalities really started to unfold. There were zany events, people, and action scenes! The twists all the way through to the coda ending were so much fun. I really did not predict any of them and thought it was wrapped up in a satisfying way.
Despite the slow start, I did have a good time and would not be opposed to reading more from this author.

This genre isn't my normal cup of tea, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book because the characters were so likeable. There's Danny Teakwell, surfboard shop owner-turned-foster-dad to the precious twelve year old Jessica, who suddenly finds himself also in charge of her oddball best friend Gigi. Gigi is a Goth girl who makes models of monsters and has invented her own math, the Gigilian Method.
When the two girls start investigating the sudden deaths of two elderly widow neighbours who both attended a local yoga studio, they soon discover a connection to a mysterious man who calls himself The Mystic. He gives private psychic readings to the studio's elderly clientele so that they can speak with their dead husbands, and Jessica and Gigi fear that he is manipulating them into leaving him their money before he arranges for their convenient deaths.
Of course, the story is far more complicated than that, and I enjoyed the twists and turns that came as the girls uncovered more and more about The Mystic.
But my favourite part of this book was the characters' relationships with each other. Danny, still grieving the death of his wife while trying to figure out how to parent a twelve year old, suddenly encounters a woman who may make him interested in love again. Jessica, whose parents died tragically, has to come to terms with it in in her own unusual way while learning to trust that Danny really does love her and wants to adopt her. Gigi (coded as autistic though it's never explicitly stated) struggles to function within the world around her. But their relationships strengthen over the course of the book, which made it really rewarding reading.
Also, this book is FUNNY. The banter between Jessica and Gigi alone had me bursting into laughter on the subway. They were still cracking jokes even when their lives were in danger.
Overall, this was an excellent book and I highly recommend it for anyone who wants a thriller that is still uplifting and heart-warming.

My thanks to NetGalley and Friction Press for the ARC of "Grave Waves" in exchange for a honest review.

I can't remember if I've ever used the word 'Delightful' to describe a book in all my reviews.....any book.

But author Dorian Box knows the incredible recipe to conjure up a mystery/comedy/heart-tugging concoction that can only be described as a pure delight.......the reading equivalent of a triple scoop of your favorite ice cream.

In this third entry in the 'Danny Teakwell series, we're back in that almost always humid beach town of Hollywood Florida, home to a host of host of unforgettable quirky characters surrounding our guy Danny. He's well known as a surfer, expert surfboard maker and appointed guardian to the most impossibly odd and adorable tween orphan imaginable. Jessica Jewell......gifted, witty and knowledgeable in the mortuary arts, having been raised in a funeral home.

And the feisty, old-soul, wise-beyond-her-years Jessica has at last found a best friend and kindred spirit. That could only be lanky goth-girl Gigi, who can spout Shakespearian verse and encyclopedic horror movie knowledge in between her never ending craving for snacks. Together, these girls can either make you laugh out loud, fear anxiously for their safety or make you want to reach out and hug them both......... sometimes all of those things all at once.

It's almost Christmas as Jessica and Gigi come across a, lethal little collection of European malefactors scamming and murdering some the town's most beloved elderly widows. These vile thugs aren't kidding around. To further their master plan, they've even turned Danny's comically stupid lawyer Fink into their very own patsy and Useful Idiot And when the tweens' Nancy Drew-ish investigations drag in Danny and his new budding love interest, everybody's in serious danger.......which still doesn't slow down Jessica and Gigi's priceless, hilarious observations, quips, horror movie references and quests for food and snacks.

As you can already figure out from this review, I loved this book, and these characters to pieces and I could go on raving about it for another hour or more.......probably because it's a joy to read a book that serves up heaping portions of dark humor, suspense, mystery and most of all, genuine heart. I for one will count the days until Danny, Jessica and Gigi stumble into their next precarious and uproarious adventure. . .