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Grave Talker #1
Dead to Me
Seeing dead people and solving their murders is Darby Adler's bread and butter.
What's not on the menu?
A nosy Fed poking around her crime scenes who seems to know a hell of a lot more than he's saying--especially about the ghosts surrounding Darby and the murderer who's desperate for her attention.
What's not on the menu?
A nosy Fed poking around her crime scenes who seems to know a hell of a lot more than he's saying--especially about the ghosts surrounding Darby and the murderer who's desperate for her attention.
Kindle Edition
First published September 29, 2020
About the author
Annie Anderson
42 books2,024 followersAnnie Anderson is the author of the international bestselling Rogue Ethereal series. A United States Air Force veteran, Annie pens fast-paced Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy novels filled with strong, snarky heroines and a boatload of magic. When she takes a break from writing, she can be found binge-watching The Magicians, flirting with her husband, wrangling children, or bribing her cantankerous dogs to go on a walk.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 358 reviews
October 25, 2021
I picked up this book by mistake... but it's a mistake I was more than happy to have made. The story grabbed my attention right from the start with Darby’s sense of humor and wit. I was immediately invested and the more I read, the more drawn in I became. Darby’s supernatural abilities and the circumstances surrounding the murder were intriguing. The deeper the reader goes, the more they uncover. When you add in the fascinating Bishop LaRue you have a concrete story that you just know you are going to want more of. Annie Anderson creates an exciting read with a great mix of humor and mystery. Her characters are complex and bold and I know that we’ve only just begun to scratch the surface. I can’t wait to find the next one and learn more about these characters. This was a fantastic first installment in a great new series with a great deal of promise.
February 22, 2021
I don't think this is a bad read by any stretch of the imagination I just think maybe I picked this one up at the wrong time and I couldn't get into it. I would definitely be open to trying book two some other time though and giving this series another go!
![Profile Image for julia ☆ [owls reads].](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1636739475i/5520447._UX200_CR0,0,200,200_.jpg)
November 21, 2021
This was overall a pretty fun and interesting read, but it frustrated me to no end how pretty much every conflict was caused by people refusing to communicate with each other :)
September 22, 2020
Just when I think I've read everything, Annie blows my mind. Hiding her ability to speak with the dead, Darby has built up a rather huge chip on her shoulder. She keeps few close but cares fiercely for them.
This story jumps straight into the fire and does not stop. Twists, turns and ripe with secrets, we watch Darby not only work out the mystery, but also the secrets that shroud her own past.
Annie has created some very creative and quirky characters. Her friendship with J is friendship goals. Her relationship with her dad made me laugh- she's just so fiesty! The ending was dramatic and unexpected. I can't wait to see where this story goes next!
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This story jumps straight into the fire and does not stop. Twists, turns and ripe with secrets, we watch Darby not only work out the mystery, but also the secrets that shroud her own past.
Annie has created some very creative and quirky characters. Her friendship with J is friendship goals. Her relationship with her dad made me laugh- she's just so fiesty! The ending was dramatic and unexpected. I can't wait to see where this story goes next!
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 7, 2023
Ummmm, I think I'm in love!
Darby is such a cool character, she is sassy, in charge, takes no sh*t, and an all around badass.
Oh, and she can talk to ghosts.
I've been looking for more psychic type of books since the Charley Davidson series ended.
First book in this series has me excited.
A little crappy I only bought the first book and will have to wait till I can get my hands on the others.
Whatcha gonna do.
Darby is such a cool character, she is sassy, in charge, takes no sh*t, and an all around badass.
Oh, and she can talk to ghosts.
I've been looking for more psychic type of books since the Charley Davidson series ended.
First book in this series has me excited.
A little crappy I only bought the first book and will have to wait till I can get my hands on the others.
Whatcha gonna do.
August 9, 2021
First book I've read by this author and it's the first book in the series… only it doesn't feel like that. Reads as if some of the minor characters (Shiloh, Sarina) starred in their own series and this is a spin-off - and as none of this author's other series sound enticing, it'd have been good to know this going into the book.
Book itself is fairly readable, though gets worse as it progresses. Our heroine is supposedly a badass detective and has spent around 15 years pretending she can't see ghosts so people don't think she's crazy - well, I don't know how she pulled that off, because she certainly doesn't do a good job of keeping her cool in this book. And then heroine becomes a cold-blooded murderer- sorry, doesn't work for me. Finally ends on a cliff-hanger - almost dinged it another star out of principle but 1 star seemed a tad unfair for a book I did actually finish.
Book itself is fairly readable, though gets worse as it progresses. Our heroine is supposedly a badass detective and has spent around 15 years pretending she can't see ghosts so people don't think she's crazy - well, I don't know how she pulled that off, because she certainly doesn't do a good job of keeping her cool in this book. And then heroine becomes a cold-blooded murderer- sorry, doesn't work for me. Finally ends on a cliff-hanger - almost dinged it another star out of principle but 1 star seemed a tad unfair for a book I did actually finish.
November 10, 2022
3.5/5.0
It’s not rocket science, but it is an awfully lot of fun.
It’s not rocket science, but it is an awfully lot of fun.
September 29, 2020
Original review
This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Annie Anderson!
Dead To Me is the first book in the Grave Talker series and tells the story of Darby and her friends.
I loved the Rogue Ethereal series by Annie Anderson and when I found out she was writing another Fantasy series, I was so excited! I was such a big fan of Max and the Rogue Ethereal world and when I started reading Dead To Me it felt like reading about Max again. Darby is so much like Max and I LOVE it!
Darby is such a funny character. I couldn’t stop laughing and she reminded me of Max from the Rogue Ethereal series as I mentioned above. She’s just as snarky as Max and I enjoy reading about her. I also really liked reading about J and Bishop. I want to know more about them and about Darby.
Dead To Me was way too short for me. I NEED MORE! I really liked the story, it was really interesting and original. I really liked the characters, the pacing was good and I definitely would’ve finished Dead To Me in one sitting if I didn’t have my adult responsibilities! I really enjoyed reading Dead To Me and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series!
September 29, 2020
This is the first book I’ve read by this author and definitely will NOT be the last. This book was just wow. Firstly, it’s written beautifully. It flows perfectly like a song or poem. I flew right through it. Couldn’t put it down. Super easy to rad and follow along with.
This book was super captivating. Darby, our heroine, is sarcastic, brave, smart, and can talk to ghosts. She’s a kicka** woman that makes this whole story super enjoyable. With her unlikely group of allies they must come together to stop whatever is going on in the small city of Haunted Peaks. With witches, psychic, death mages, and so many more creatures, how can you not get sucked into this amazing and scary new world. This new world is full of secrets, and lies leaving you unsure of what you know and what you think is true.
Auctioned packed from the very beginning and only getting more so throughout the story. Will they be able to figure out what’s going on and who is causing it? Will she finally get the answers she’s been looking for? This is a definite MUST read and I cannot wait for the next book in the series!!
This book was super captivating. Darby, our heroine, is sarcastic, brave, smart, and can talk to ghosts. She’s a kicka** woman that makes this whole story super enjoyable. With her unlikely group of allies they must come together to stop whatever is going on in the small city of Haunted Peaks. With witches, psychic, death mages, and so many more creatures, how can you not get sucked into this amazing and scary new world. This new world is full of secrets, and lies leaving you unsure of what you know and what you think is true.
Auctioned packed from the very beginning and only getting more so throughout the story. Will they be able to figure out what’s going on and who is causing it? Will she finally get the answers she’s been looking for? This is a definite MUST read and I cannot wait for the next book in the series!!
November 8, 2021
*Source* Kindle Unlimited
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5-4
*Thoughts*
Dead to Me is the first installment in author Annie Anderson's Grave Talker series. Detective Darby Adler works for the Haunted Peak, Tennessee police department. For the past 3 weeks, she's been involved in solving a trio of murderers. What makes her so good? She can see and speak to the dead. Her partner, Jeremiah Cooper, has no ideas of her talents. Until Darby's former high school nemesis, Blair Simpkins, ends up dead, holding Darby's business card.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5-4
*Thoughts*
Dead to Me is the first installment in author Annie Anderson's Grave Talker series. Detective Darby Adler works for the Haunted Peak, Tennessee police department. For the past 3 weeks, she's been involved in solving a trio of murderers. What makes her so good? She can see and speak to the dead. Her partner, Jeremiah Cooper, has no ideas of her talents. Until Darby's former high school nemesis, Blair Simpkins, ends up dead, holding Darby's business card.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
September 16, 2020
This is an interesting book. Darby can see and talk to ghosts . As a cop she has to be careful so she isn’t locked away due to the stresses of her job. She has an amazing partner, J, who has bee her best friend forever. A woman they went to high school with wasmurdered and things get really weir at the scene. And just keeps getting stranger as the book progresses. Well written, good story line, delves into the supernatural, kept my attention so much so that I couldn’t put it down! I have read several of Annie Anderson’s books and have enjoyed everyone of them. Now to wait patiently for book too.
December 9, 2021
I felt off with this one from the start. It feels like I’ve missed a prequel or something. Got through it pretty quickly. A little mystery but more chain of need to know. Lost me with the quick reveal of the bad guy and the sudden pop up cliffhanger. Not sure I’m ready for another book with mommy issues at the moment. I am curious about Sarina and being able to hear the demon, but not one for right now.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2021
You really need to suspend your disbelief for this one.
The heroine is a police detective that is supposedly a total hot-shot, case closing wonderkid...but the author did not put much research time in prior to writing. There is nothing in the first 17% of the book that resembles actual police procedure.
Add in numerous typos and weird flow (dialogue piece - full half page description- remainder of dialogue left feeling like a non sequitur) and you get a DNF.
The heroine is a police detective that is supposedly a total hot-shot, case closing wonderkid...but the author did not put much research time in prior to writing. There is nothing in the first 17% of the book that resembles actual police procedure.
Add in numerous typos and weird flow (dialogue piece - full half page description- remainder of dialogue left feeling like a non sequitur) and you get a DNF.
October 29, 2020
Huge plot twist/sorta cliffhanger ending. h is a very cranky/grumpy character, but the story was mildly interesting
October 18, 2022
Urban fantasy with a detective who talks to ghosts. Ah yes, my favorite trope of all.
December 10, 2020
What a freaking ride this book is. I was enthralled from the first sentence to the very last. I am so excited to start book two I can barely get through this review. These characters are so real and I love each of them. Amazing story and so well written. I would give this book ten stars if possible.
February 14, 2023
Wow! Action packed! I got a kick out of Darby, the grave talker! Liked her ghostly Grandfather Hildy too!
August 21, 2021
Cliffhanger ending?????
If I’d said it once I’ll say it again in a different way, ending a book on a cliffhanger is a bad cliche in which to garner a following. The trope of great human to the top of the food chain super heroine is the basis of this book. Darby is a great cop who came into her powers as a teen and only knows one skill. Bad guy gang shows up and all the fly she becomes super ghost talker. The story is riveting and well written. Darby is so real it’s refreshing. She is more than the average chick of lit. Although her straightforward responses and thoughts can be hilarious to me is because I’ve said something very similar. She has ‘girly’ moments that hit home for me.
It is an amazing story but if the novellas weren’t free to me under Kindle, I wouldn’t buy the next book just because of the cliffhanger.
If I’d said it once I’ll say it again in a different way, ending a book on a cliffhanger is a bad cliche in which to garner a following. The trope of great human to the top of the food chain super heroine is the basis of this book. Darby is a great cop who came into her powers as a teen and only knows one skill. Bad guy gang shows up and all the fly she becomes super ghost talker. The story is riveting and well written. Darby is so real it’s refreshing. She is more than the average chick of lit. Although her straightforward responses and thoughts can be hilarious to me is because I’ve said something very similar. She has ‘girly’ moments that hit home for me.
It is an amazing story but if the novellas weren’t free to me under Kindle, I wouldn’t buy the next book just because of the cliffhanger.
October 24, 2020
I am always looking for new urban fantasy series to read and I have found another one I can't wait to continue. The reader was thrown right into the action with Darby from the first page and the fast pacing and world building, never getting a moment to stop right up to the shocking cliffhanger ending! And I would not change anything about the experience. Just know that I will be here for all the adventures with Darby to come.
This lady deserves an award for the level of expletives that she is capable of throwing around. She cusses like a sailor and I was highly entertained by her verbiage. That being said, I actually adore Darby and her no nonsense behavior and attitude. She was in over her head multiple times yet never backed down or gave up and rooted for her. The side characters were all super fantastic and well detailed too, be it her totally human and clueless best friend/partner, the attractive and mysterious FBI agent, the shady ghost mentor or the quirky psychic.
I have to know what will happen next to Darby (as well as who her birth father is!) and I am super into this complicated paranormal world the author is just beginning to create. This is the perfect story to jump into if you love all things paranormal, police investigations and huge bombshells!
This lady deserves an award for the level of expletives that she is capable of throwing around. She cusses like a sailor and I was highly entertained by her verbiage. That being said, I actually adore Darby and her no nonsense behavior and attitude. She was in over her head multiple times yet never backed down or gave up and rooted for her. The side characters were all super fantastic and well detailed too, be it her totally human and clueless best friend/partner, the attractive and mysterious FBI agent, the shady ghost mentor or the quirky psychic.
I have to know what will happen next to Darby (as well as who her birth father is!) and I am super into this complicated paranormal world the author is just beginning to create. This is the perfect story to jump into if you love all things paranormal, police investigations and huge bombshells!
March 1, 2021
I love Annie Anderson’s writing, her characters are amazing, she injects just the right amount of humor into each book, every story is action packed and perfectly complicated. I loved this story, the small town cop with a secret that isn’t so secret, being jerked along a path she doesn’t want anything to do with but embraces fully. The partner best friend that’s happy to keep himself as much in the dark as possible and the sexy man from out of town that shakes it all up. Like I said perfectly complicated, completely original, action packed, full of magic, snark and emotion, and 100% amazing. The audiobook narrator had the perfect voice and inflection for all the snark and sarcasm our FMC has to offer, so it made listening a pleasure. Can’t wait to keep reading this series!
October 18, 2020
Very entertaining
This was a very entertaining book. I love PNR but this one was a bit too short. I understand that it’s a series, but now I have to wait for next year for the next one! I really liked the characters and cannot wait to unravel all these secrets and see how Darby’s powers develop.
This was a very entertaining book. I love PNR but this one was a bit too short. I understand that it’s a series, but now I have to wait for next year for the next one! I really liked the characters and cannot wait to unravel all these secrets and see how Darby’s powers develop.
November 16, 2020
Love this authors work! Thrilled there’s a brand new series. This fmc kicks butt! Love it can’t wait for the next instalment
June 13, 2021
2.75
I listened to this on audiobook ... My rating might have been different if I had read the book. The story was just ok, the series might have potential? I'm not sure if I'm willing to find out.
I listened to this on audiobook ... My rating might have been different if I had read the book. The story was just ok, the series might have potential? I'm not sure if I'm willing to find out.
October 21, 2020
This is book one of the Grave Talker series and the main character is Detective Darby Adler (D), who works as a homicide detective for the Haunted Peak Police Department in Tennessee. Her partner Jeremiah Cooper, or as she calls him J, and her have just completed a trio of homicide cases over the last three weeks without a break and are both shattered. She gets woken after only a few hours to find J at her door, telling her of another murder case and this one is almost on her doorstep and is someone they both know. Darby has to keep one side of her nature secret, the fact that she can see and hear the dead. J has found out about this, but isn’t happy to know anything about this side of life and death, so she dare not tell him about magic or any of the other non-human beings in town, it would make him freak out completely!
When she works a case, she often has the deceased at the scene or accompanying her on visits to suspects or family and can often be given information about the victim’s actual death, allowing her and J to close more cases than any other detectives in the city. She has strict rules for anyone who reaches the crime scene before her, basically they all know on the pain of death, not to touch anything and to leave it all until she gets there and examines it first! She has to ensure nobody sees her talking to the dead, especially at crime scenes. She has covered up a lot of magical happenings in the vicinity, trying to ensure the Arcane Bureau of Investigation (ABI) don’t come to town and especially don’t find out about her, but it seems this may well and truly be about to explode in her face!
A woman has been killed and placed just a block away from her house with strange ritualistic like markings carved into her chest. The dead woman is someone both her and J went to school with and certainly not someone they ever had anything to do with. Blair Callier Simpkins married for wealth and was a spoilt rich girl type, who only mixed with other girls like her. When she is stood there waiting to speak to Darby beside her dead body, all she can do to start is comment on how she was a weirdo at school and that it was all true! Not helpful! Never mind that there is an FBI agent standing nearby, who actually turns out to be an ABI agent sent to check her out! It seems they think she has been amassing an army for herself, using her powers as a Grave Talker, something she knows nothing about herself!
Her own home is haunted by a ghost called Hildenbrand O’Shea, who turns out to be a relative of hers who died in the 1840’s. He is the one that taught her how to isolate the many spirits of the dead who were constantly surrounding her, how to banish them from her presence, or simply to keep them out of her consciousness whilst she slept. Without Hildy’s assistance, she probably would have been driven mad years before. Only problem, he knows a lot more about her, her possible abilities, and the power she could wield, than he has told her. He has been keeping secrets and some of them have not exactly been helping her any. The ABI agent, FBI Special Agent Bishop La Roux, is also something other than she expects and wants to take over the case. He says the victim is linked to a case the FBI have against the Simpkins and he wants control over her and J’s newest case. With the murderer obviously wanting Darby’s attention, even her own father, the Assistant District Attorney, doesn’t want her on the case. Luckily her uncle and family friend is her police chief and he is sticking with her.
The problem of her ability as a grave talker is something the ABI are terrified of and with good reason. People with her powers in the past have had whole kingdoms go against them, they can become so powerful and have killed many other supernaturals. Shame Hildy has left her out of the loop with knowledge of her own powers! Might have been helpful at some point, rather than being passed on, only when he thought she needed to know. J is her partner at work, next door neighbour and best friend since childhood, but bats for the other team. She thinks another of their colleagues who looks like a Viking, would be perfect for him, but J seems to be oblivious and when Darby learns something, it could derail any possible relationship. Bishop can’t believe that Darby has had to deal with everything she has in town so far, all on her own, without J knowing the truth of what she deals with. But J certainly doesn’t want to believe anything weird and wants to deny any further knowledge of anything arcane or supernatural.
Being stonewalled by the coroner Tabitha, her adopted dad’s new girlfriend, sort of, who already acts as her stepmother, is suspicious to both Darby and Bishop. Especially when Darby has always had a bad vibe about her and Hildy has been blocked from gaining access to the morgue for some reason, something he could always do before. Even Bishop has been refused entry for some reasons and it seems Tabitha is trying to hide something. The wards that have been put in place around the morgue to keep ghosts out, means an unregistered arcane user is working in the building!
Someone has horrible plans for the town and a secret evil long buried and protected. Darby won’t be able to stop this evil act on her own, but if they don’t stop what is happening, then it could be the end of what they know and love. It will take losing someone she loves and an act far beyond what her ghostly protector Hildy wants her to ever do, to defeat the evil that has come to her town! This is a fun and easy to read book, from the very first page, which just draws you in. The main characters are fantastic and Darby has a mix of hard nose detective, with a huge loyalty to her friends and family, but with a huge secret to keep and a sarcastic manner to make up for it all. She might have a bit of an attraction to Bishop, but his job puts her off completely. She has always been warned about avoiding gaining the attention of the ABI and now has them in her backyard and concentrating on her. This is a book I would recommend to all who love a bit of magic. This one used magic I have never seen before and was told in such an enticing manner, you won’t want to put it down! I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
When she works a case, she often has the deceased at the scene or accompanying her on visits to suspects or family and can often be given information about the victim’s actual death, allowing her and J to close more cases than any other detectives in the city. She has strict rules for anyone who reaches the crime scene before her, basically they all know on the pain of death, not to touch anything and to leave it all until she gets there and examines it first! She has to ensure nobody sees her talking to the dead, especially at crime scenes. She has covered up a lot of magical happenings in the vicinity, trying to ensure the Arcane Bureau of Investigation (ABI) don’t come to town and especially don’t find out about her, but it seems this may well and truly be about to explode in her face!
A woman has been killed and placed just a block away from her house with strange ritualistic like markings carved into her chest. The dead woman is someone both her and J went to school with and certainly not someone they ever had anything to do with. Blair Callier Simpkins married for wealth and was a spoilt rich girl type, who only mixed with other girls like her. When she is stood there waiting to speak to Darby beside her dead body, all she can do to start is comment on how she was a weirdo at school and that it was all true! Not helpful! Never mind that there is an FBI agent standing nearby, who actually turns out to be an ABI agent sent to check her out! It seems they think she has been amassing an army for herself, using her powers as a Grave Talker, something she knows nothing about herself!
Her own home is haunted by a ghost called Hildenbrand O’Shea, who turns out to be a relative of hers who died in the 1840’s. He is the one that taught her how to isolate the many spirits of the dead who were constantly surrounding her, how to banish them from her presence, or simply to keep them out of her consciousness whilst she slept. Without Hildy’s assistance, she probably would have been driven mad years before. Only problem, he knows a lot more about her, her possible abilities, and the power she could wield, than he has told her. He has been keeping secrets and some of them have not exactly been helping her any. The ABI agent, FBI Special Agent Bishop La Roux, is also something other than she expects and wants to take over the case. He says the victim is linked to a case the FBI have against the Simpkins and he wants control over her and J’s newest case. With the murderer obviously wanting Darby’s attention, even her own father, the Assistant District Attorney, doesn’t want her on the case. Luckily her uncle and family friend is her police chief and he is sticking with her.
The problem of her ability as a grave talker is something the ABI are terrified of and with good reason. People with her powers in the past have had whole kingdoms go against them, they can become so powerful and have killed many other supernaturals. Shame Hildy has left her out of the loop with knowledge of her own powers! Might have been helpful at some point, rather than being passed on, only when he thought she needed to know. J is her partner at work, next door neighbour and best friend since childhood, but bats for the other team. She thinks another of their colleagues who looks like a Viking, would be perfect for him, but J seems to be oblivious and when Darby learns something, it could derail any possible relationship. Bishop can’t believe that Darby has had to deal with everything she has in town so far, all on her own, without J knowing the truth of what she deals with. But J certainly doesn’t want to believe anything weird and wants to deny any further knowledge of anything arcane or supernatural.
Being stonewalled by the coroner Tabitha, her adopted dad’s new girlfriend, sort of, who already acts as her stepmother, is suspicious to both Darby and Bishop. Especially when Darby has always had a bad vibe about her and Hildy has been blocked from gaining access to the morgue for some reason, something he could always do before. Even Bishop has been refused entry for some reasons and it seems Tabitha is trying to hide something. The wards that have been put in place around the morgue to keep ghosts out, means an unregistered arcane user is working in the building!
Someone has horrible plans for the town and a secret evil long buried and protected. Darby won’t be able to stop this evil act on her own, but if they don’t stop what is happening, then it could be the end of what they know and love. It will take losing someone she loves and an act far beyond what her ghostly protector Hildy wants her to ever do, to defeat the evil that has come to her town! This is a fun and easy to read book, from the very first page, which just draws you in. The main characters are fantastic and Darby has a mix of hard nose detective, with a huge loyalty to her friends and family, but with a huge secret to keep and a sarcastic manner to make up for it all. She might have a bit of an attraction to Bishop, but his job puts her off completely. She has always been warned about avoiding gaining the attention of the ABI and now has them in her backyard and concentrating on her. This is a book I would recommend to all who love a bit of magic. This one used magic I have never seen before and was told in such an enticing manner, you won’t want to put it down! I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
September 22, 2023
2.5 stars. Something between "this was okay" and "I liked it".
****MILD SPOILERS FOLLOW (but I'm not going to get too specific outside of spoiler tags)****
This is my second Annie Anderson that I'm just not wild about. The thing is, it wasn't all bad, but you could see the bad guy coming a million miles away (and actually I kept thinking it had to be someone else because it was so obvious), and it honestly felt like the FMC wasn't really solving the mystery, so much as being lead in its wake. I also did not understand all the secrecy, especially coming from Hildy. It absolutely did not make sense to not tell her a lot of the stuff he didn't tell her. All his unneeded lying and secrecy did was cause further chaos .
I kind of wanna keep going with the series -- once again, I like this author's world-building and her heroines, but no one other than Darcy seems all that fleshed out and it also seems like another spin-off series where I should have started with another set of books, although I didn't feel like this one relied as heavily on the predecessor books as Woman of Blood & Bone did.
I admit, I'm curious as hell where this heroine's powers will go (I'm a sucker for fictional characters who can talk to ghosts), just like I was with Max, and where the book will go next, just like I was with Max, but at the same time, it looks like there might be a love triangle in future books and... ugh. Who has the energy... Maybe someday.
****MILD SPOILERS FOLLOW (but I'm not going to get too specific outside of spoiler tags)****
This is my second Annie Anderson that I'm just not wild about. The thing is, it wasn't all bad, but you could see the bad guy coming a million miles away (and actually I kept thinking it had to be someone else because it was so obvious), and it honestly felt like the FMC wasn't really solving the mystery, so much as being lead in its wake. I also did not understand all the secrecy, especially coming from Hildy. It absolutely did not make sense to not tell her a lot of the stuff he didn't tell her. All his unneeded lying and secrecy did was cause further chaos .
I kind of wanna keep going with the series -- once again, I like this author's world-building and her heroines, but no one other than Darcy seems all that fleshed out and it also seems like another spin-off series where I should have started with another set of books, although I didn't feel like this one relied as heavily on the predecessor books as Woman of Blood & Bone did.
I admit, I'm curious as hell where this heroine's powers will go (I'm a sucker for fictional characters who can talk to ghosts), just like I was with Max, and where the book will go next, just like I was with Max, but at the same time, it looks like there might be a love triangle in future books and... ugh. Who has the energy... Maybe someday.
March 6, 2021
A great deal of mystery and mayhem, dangerous situations, and the odd-girl-out with buried abilities that start to surface at the strangest of times.
Darby is a cop, a detective with paranormal ability - she can see and speak to the dead. Ghosts, spirits, and specters are all around, drawn to her like a moth to the flame. In her line of work this can be a great advantage, talking to the murder victims, but it also puts her into the wrong light, for the regular humans to consider her insane and a candidate for a padded cell. Now, when her high school nemesis Blair was murdered under very suspicious circumstances, Darby and her crew dig into the case, definitely not expecting where all this will lead.
This is an excellent book series starter, pulling the reader in from page one and keeping the focus on everything that is going on without lagging. Darby is a very interesting and complex character with unresolved past and mysteries surrounding her person and her abilities. I also very much liked her allies, be it her dead grandpa, the mysterious ABI agent, her neighbor and long-time job partner Jeremiah, or Shi. The supernatural world I am already a bit familiar with from different book, but this new angle just adds another dimension, letting the magic be displayed from different perspective. It was a brilliant story with the promise of much more to come yet, and I am certain I will devour the next installment as fast as I did this one.
Darby is a cop, a detective with paranormal ability - she can see and speak to the dead. Ghosts, spirits, and specters are all around, drawn to her like a moth to the flame. In her line of work this can be a great advantage, talking to the murder victims, but it also puts her into the wrong light, for the regular humans to consider her insane and a candidate for a padded cell. Now, when her high school nemesis Blair was murdered under very suspicious circumstances, Darby and her crew dig into the case, definitely not expecting where all this will lead.
This is an excellent book series starter, pulling the reader in from page one and keeping the focus on everything that is going on without lagging. Darby is a very interesting and complex character with unresolved past and mysteries surrounding her person and her abilities. I also very much liked her allies, be it her dead grandpa, the mysterious ABI agent, her neighbor and long-time job partner Jeremiah, or Shi. The supernatural world I am already a bit familiar with from different book, but this new angle just adds another dimension, letting the magic be displayed from different perspective. It was a brilliant story with the promise of much more to come yet, and I am certain I will devour the next installment as fast as I did this one.
September 29, 2020
5 Cranky Stars
I know when I read a book by Ms. Anderson, I know there will be a kick butt female lead and a side characters that you’ll root for. Her books always get me out of a reading funk especially when I need a genre change. Dead to Me introduced me to Darby and while they had her chasing the bad guy it also did some world building for what I hope will be a fun new series.
Darby is a police officer with some extra razzle dazzle in her arsenal. You see Darby can speak and sense the dead it’s part of why she has the best closing rate on cases in her precinct. Only person who knows her secret is her partner J and her dad. She has a constant sidekick of an Irish man in a top hat named Hildebrandt. Her life was going simply fine until a high school bully winds up dead with Darby’s card on her. A man shows up claiming to be the FBI but there is something more to Bishop than meets the eye. Together Darby discovers who she really is and they set out to nab the bad guy or woman before more people end up hurt.
I breezed through this book I liked it that much. I can’t wait to see where Darby ends up in future books. I really liked Bishop. He meant well I’m sure and he seems to have a sweet spot for her. Hildy was a laugh but come on dude help the girl out. I liked that J really stuck by his friend no matter what. Dead to Me is a good start and I hope everyone picks this up and enjoys this story.
I know when I read a book by Ms. Anderson, I know there will be a kick butt female lead and a side characters that you’ll root for. Her books always get me out of a reading funk especially when I need a genre change. Dead to Me introduced me to Darby and while they had her chasing the bad guy it also did some world building for what I hope will be a fun new series.
Darby is a police officer with some extra razzle dazzle in her arsenal. You see Darby can speak and sense the dead it’s part of why she has the best closing rate on cases in her precinct. Only person who knows her secret is her partner J and her dad. She has a constant sidekick of an Irish man in a top hat named Hildebrandt. Her life was going simply fine until a high school bully winds up dead with Darby’s card on her. A man shows up claiming to be the FBI but there is something more to Bishop than meets the eye. Together Darby discovers who she really is and they set out to nab the bad guy or woman before more people end up hurt.
I breezed through this book I liked it that much. I can’t wait to see where Darby ends up in future books. I really liked Bishop. He meant well I’m sure and he seems to have a sweet spot for her. Hildy was a laugh but come on dude help the girl out. I liked that J really stuck by his friend no matter what. Dead to Me is a good start and I hope everyone picks this up and enjoys this story.
March 5, 2024
Pros: the premise and action was intriguing enough to pull me along. I like the main character and am willing to read more to see where she is headed.
Cons: I felt this book could have benefitted from being a bit longer in order to flesh out more of the character’s backstory and a bit better detail or explanation of what was going on. Sometimes I felt like I’d missed the first book in the series (I even checked at one point, wondering if I’d accidentally started reading book 2 by accident.)
Mid: to be fair, it is sort of refreshing that maybe the feeling of being out of the loop on what is going on is a nod to how the main character is feeling as she’s also out of the loop and fighting to get on the same page as nearly everyone else. However, I did feel like I was just having to swallow a bunch of surface explanations and take some pretty big leaps. I’ve read many books that handle this better - but I’ve read much worse, and at least I did enjoy this writer’s style of writing. It was good enough that I *wanted* more explanation and detail. So I’ll keep reading this series.
Side note: I’ve never had a book make me want tacos so desperately. LOL
Cons: I felt this book could have benefitted from being a bit longer in order to flesh out more of the character’s backstory and a bit better detail or explanation of what was going on. Sometimes I felt like I’d missed the first book in the series (I even checked at one point, wondering if I’d accidentally started reading book 2 by accident.)
Mid: to be fair, it is sort of refreshing that maybe the feeling of being out of the loop on what is going on is a nod to how the main character is feeling as she’s also out of the loop and fighting to get on the same page as nearly everyone else. However, I did feel like I was just having to swallow a bunch of surface explanations and take some pretty big leaps. I’ve read many books that handle this better - but I’ve read much worse, and at least I did enjoy this writer’s style of writing. It was good enough that I *wanted* more explanation and detail. So I’ll keep reading this series.
Side note: I’ve never had a book make me want tacos so desperately. LOL
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