This is Kelsey Patterson with the Sioux City Public Library and you’re listening to Check It Out.
Today, I’m recommending Grave Reservations by Cherie Priest. A psychic travel agent and a seasoned Seattle police detective solve a murder in this quirky mystery that’s perfect for fans of Lisa Lutz’s The Spellman Files and Charlaine Harris’ Aurora Teagarden series.
Struggling travel agent, devoted friend, and inconsistent psychic Leda Foley is desperately trying to grow her fledgling business but manages to frustrate one of her only clients when she impulsively re-books his flight home after having a very strong feeling she should. After watching his original plane catch fire on the runway from the safety of the airport, Detective Grady Merritt’s annoyance quickly turns to awe as he realizes that Leda’s special abilities might be able to help with a cold case he just can’t seem to crack.
Despite her scattershot premonitions, Leda agrees to help for one very secret, very personal reason: her fiancé’s murder remains unsolved. Leda’s psychic abilities couldn’t help the case then, but she’s been honing her skills since and drawing a crowd at her favorite bar’s open-mic nights, where she performs Klairvoyant Karaoke—singing whatever song comes to mind when she holds people’s personal effects.
Joined by a rag-tag group of bar patrons and pals alike, Leda and Grady set out to catch a killer—and learn how the two cases that haunt them have more in common than they ever suspected.
This mystery was such a fun and fast read with extremely likeable characters and great pacing to the story. But it also had poignant moments of emotional depth that I wasn’t expecting.
Check out Grave Reservations and other humorous, cozy mysteries like it at the Sioux City Public Library.
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