A Grave Peril

At the core of A Grave Peril is a decent mystery, but it wasn't quite what I expected. The focus of the story is more about Julie and Garrett's relationship than her abilities or Garrett's disappearance. We do get a bit of Julie's gift, and I really enjoyed those parts, that touch of the supernatural, and Julie seems to really be in her element during those times. That said, her incessant whining about everything was a huge turn off for me. Her worry over Garrett's lack of communication was one thing, but the rest only served to make her annoying and unlikable. She does have a fierce determination once she sets her mind to figuring out what's going with Garrett, but she has such a negative attitude that it's almost like she's two separate people. On the mystery side of things, the bad guys are a little too easy to suss out, but it was still interesting enough to keep my attention. There is a twist at the end with one character that I didn't see coming, but it also felt unnecessary. It just felt like extra baggage on an already unlikable character. As far as characters go, I did like Tracey. For a secondary character, she stands out with wit and an infectious enthusiasm. I also found myself liking and rooting for Garrett. He makes some bad decisions, but for the right reasons, and that is something most people can relate to. In the end, there were things I liked and things I didn't, leaving me somewhere in the fair to midland range with this one.

Julie Hall finds lost people ... if they are dead. She and her dowsing rods are well known for her ability to locate bodies even if they have been dead for many years. Her last job took her back to her hometown and she's been recovering since them. She feels the time is right to jump back in and go to work. Her boyfriend, FBI Agent Garrett Pierce, doesn't agree ... but he's got his own problems with a case. Garrett has been acting really strange .. at least for him. He doesn't stay in touch with Julie the way he always has ... doesn't return her calls or texts ... and when he's home, he's secretive and a little bit snarly. When he disappears for days on end, she really gets worried. Julie feels she has no option available except to try to find him. What she ultimately discovers is far worse than she imagined and now there are several lives on the line ...including hers. Although this is third in a series, A GRAVE PERIL reads well as a stand alone as it focuses more on the relationship between Julie and Garrett and not her body-finding abilities. There are just a few small references touching on her personal background and why she is the way she is. However, the reader can still enjoy the first two books. This is well -written with credible characters. Her best friend, Tracy, is like Peter Pan .. she's a little ditzy, but she will do anything she can for Julie. Julie has a dog that Tracy is deathly afraid of and a cat named Fluffy that was Julie's mom's cat ... and Fluffy does not like Julie at all. It's all these little details that make this such an interesting read. Many thanks to the author / Carina Press / Netgalley for the advanced digital copy of this paranormal mystery. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

A Grave Peril by Wendy Roberts Bodies of Evidence #3 Julie Hall and Garrett Pierce have moved in together by book three and though it seems Garrett may be interested in tying “the knot” Julie is not so sure she ever wants to marry or have a family. They have been a couple for awhile and seem to have a good relationship but as Garrett’s job with the FBI heats up, he is put on leave and then disappears one night...well...Julie is not sure what is going on. She begins to question the relationship and just where her partner may be. Then, she begins to worry. Wanting to get her “toes wet” and try her hand at dowsing for the dead again after a longish cut she heads out with a friend and has success. She does a bit more looking for a few other bodies in this book but she also worries about Garrett and eventually starts looking for him following what she believes are clues to his whereabouts. With her friend Tracey along to help at times, a crazy cat and Wookie her rottweiler she deals with one problem after another as she tries to find out whether or not Garrett is alright. This is book deals more with Julie’s search for Garrett and his FBI work than it does with finding the dead...although there is a bit of that, too. It will be interesting to see where the author goes with this series next...and I am eager to read book four when it is ready. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin-Carina Press for the ARC – This is my honest review. 4-5 Stars