Book Review: “A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer” (S.C.Y.T.H.E Mystery #1) by Maxie Dara
“A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer” (S.C.Y.T.H.E Mystery #1) by Maxie Dara (2024)
Genre: Mystery, Fiction, Paranormal
Page Length: 352 pages (paperback edition)
Synopsis:
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.
Review:
A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer is great blend of comedy, the supernatural, and all the elements of a cozy mystery. The story follows a non-traditional grim reaper (a concept that felt new and fresh) and her job getting shaken up when one of her cases dies of unnatural causes. It’s up to Kathy, to evolve into an amateur sleuth and step out of her comfort zone in order to get into the bottom of the case. But she she races against time, will it be too late?
This novel was so entertaining from beginning to end! I had a hard time putting the book down due to being so engrossed into the story and its lively characters. I love the bond that grows between Kathy (main character) and Connor even though they are so different from each other. Kathy is struggling with her divorce and pregnancy because she has trouble letting others into her life because of her job’s nature. Connor is grapping with his untimely death and feeling like he didn’t make an impact on other lives. In doing so, their working relationship helps them to individually grow and solve some unresolved issues.
While cozy for the most part, this novel does have some gritty elements to add to the thriller vibes of the novel. The writing was great and I think Dara crafted a memorable mystery novel for her writing debut. While there is some solid character development in the first installment of the series, I’d love to see the characters grow further and explore more of their backgrounds which wasn’t touched on in this novel as much. Those the story may seem cheesy to some I really appreciated the conversations of topics such as found family, grief, and parent-child relationships.
I think this novel is a fun read and look forward to reading the second installment when it releases. Definitely recommend this read for the cozy mystery fans!
Final Verdict:
