Grave Reservations: Plucky Psychic Takes on Murder Cold Case
Grave Reservations
The Booking Agents #1
Cherie Priest
Supernatural, Murder Mystery, Humor
Atria Books
2021
I discovered Cherie Priest through her supernatural neo-noir short story “Heavy Metal” in the Rogues anthology. Dazzled by her spare, gripping prose, perfectly delivered by narrator Scott Brick, I decided to give some of her longer works a shot. Grave Reservations blends elements of supernatural intrigue with detective noir, a combination that caught my attention after being impressed by Priest’s writing style.
The Plot
I’ll admit, the ultimate form Grave Reservations takes is different than what I expected. Compared to the supernatural noir feel of “Heavy Metal,”Reservations is much lighter in tone, with a lot more pop culture references. The novel centers on Leda Foley, a travel agent who moonlights as a fortune-teller/singer at a bar. After saving a client’s life with a premonition about an air travel disaster, the client—a homicide detective—enlists Leda to be a psychic consultant on a cold murder case. It’s a fun, fast-paced mystery that balances lighter moments with unexpected depth. If you’re familiar with mystery conventions, you might, like me, solve the case before the protagonists (satisfying), but despite the early penny drop, the sleuths still arrive at the inevitable conclusion in a thoughtful and engaging way (also satisfying).
Priest does a great job balancing supernatural strangeness with humor and murder. Leda’s (somewhat reluctant) ‘klairvoyant karaoke’ side gig provides ample opportunities for levity and character growth without feeling forced or silly. The plot unfolds organically, still managing to ratchet up the tension to thriller levels as the story nears its end. Ultimately, Priest does an excellent job telling a story of supernatural powers that feels grounded in the real world.
The Characters
Leda is charming and relatable, trying to rebuild her life after tragedy while finding her place in the world. Still, she annoyed me at times. I’m not usually one to automatically side with the grumpy law officer in a story, but any time Grady set down a hard rule or boundary for her own safety, she brazenly ignored it. While an amateur breaking rules and bucking convention is a great tool in a mystery, this happened often enough that it started to feel less like Leda thinking outside the box and more like she was deliberately endangering everyone. While her independent nature is endearing at times, her tendency to ignore warnings for her own safety began to feel frustrating. Instead of coming across as resourceful or bold, she seemed inconsiderate, especially as the stakes grew higher. However, I’ll acknowledge that I am the person who abruptly stops enjoying a horror movie if the characters overindulge in the decisions I think are stupid. Readers who don’t share this particular pet peeve might instead find Leda’s cheerful disregard for “the way it’s done” a fun toppling of convention.
Grady Merrit, our stalwart detective, handily sidesteps many of the more cumbersome noir tropes. How many noir detectives are self-indulgent slobs with a dead wife and a drinking problem? Enough, certainly. So, does Grady have a dead wife? Yes, but, far from being a lonely, brooding figure lost in the past, he’s a stable, engaged community member with an adorable teenage daughter. His scenes are engaging and often exciting. Grady’s inner monologue is practical and insightful, showcasing his competence and unwavering dedication to justice. He’s also surprisingly sensitive, frequently anticipating when Leda feels scared or over her head.
“While Leda’s independent nature is endearing at times, her tendency to ignore warnings for her own safety began to feel frustrating.”
However, Grady sidesteps clichés just enough that I found myself wishing for more details to solidify his role in the story and his connection to Leda. I had trouble pinning down Grady’s age—was he closer to Leda’s age or the typical, grizzled noir detective? In some ways, particularly in his sensitivity and intelligence, he felt well-rounded, but there were enough gaps that I struggled to picture him in action or fully understand his drives. This left me unsure about the nature of his relationship with Leda—was it that of a peer or a mentor? Does his admiration of her powers hint at romantic interest, or is it purely professional, reflecting his commitment to the case? Considering his central role to the story, I found myself wishing for just a bit more detail and humanity.
Grave Reservations boasts a colorful mix of supporting protagonists and murder suspects. While the story is slightly more plot-driven than character-driven, Priest efficiently balances familiar archetypes—such as the perky best friend and the bitter divorcee—with enough distinct traits to maintain the story’s rollicking pace. The characters, though not the central focus, still feel vital to the unfolding mystery.
A Note on the AUdioboook
Ulka Mohanty (whom I know from The Little Engine that Could and The Force of Fire audiobooks) delivers a grounded, playful performance that fits the story perfectly. She has the incredible, but oft-overlooked, ability to create a range of distinct yet believable female voices. The female-led sections particularly shine, especially the scenes where Leda banters with her bestie. However, her range of male voices is a bit less convincing. Gruff Grady, for example, comes off less like a fully-rounded person and more like a monotone dude with a frog in his throat. This seems more like a directorial oversight than a performance issue—Mohanty clearly has the range, and a little more direction could have added depth to this major character. That said, if you prefer your stories read aloud, Mohanty still does a great job bringing the story to life.
Who Would Enjoy This?
I came in hoping for a bit more of the dark poetry of “Heavy Metal” than the pop-culture-infused romp; still, Grave Reservations ultimately delivered with its fun, relatable female lead and a well-told mystery. I appreciate a story that highlights the role sensitivity and introspection play in enacting justice, and I always enjoy a Whodunnit that lays out all the clues so the reader can potentially beat the detectives to the solution. Personally, I prefer stories that rely a little less on American pop culture (as an expat, many references went over my head), but enthusiastically concede that what Grave Reservations does, it does well. If you want a tightly written mystery set in a time and place that’s relatable to urban Americans, I highly recommend checking out Grave Reservations and the rest of The Booking Agents series.
Leave a Reply