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That's perhaps the thing that will most determine whether you like Grave Expectations, actually: up with how much fairly specific cultural humour are you willing to put? If, like me, that specific cultural humour happens to be directed fairly solidly at Your Personal Brand of Existence, you'll probably get along very well with it. (Do you, for example, enjoy the visual metaphor of a dom National Theatre topping the boats in the Thames over which it looms?) If not, you'll have to sift through quite a lot of jokes you don't really like to get to the murder mystery parts that you presumably do like. If you don't like either of those things, I simply don't know what to tell you. I really enjoyed the insight to Lincoln and Charlie's past that was revealed; where we learn who Lincoln's father and orphanage Charlie was given up to. I absolutely loved the way Seth and Gus doted on Charlie like a sister and I love the newly introduced butler at Lincoln's household. This was a brilliant cosy, whodunnit murder mystery read. Claire is a medium and upon bumping into an old uni friend ends up being invited to a party in their family’s grand old house. Claire is accompanied to the party by her friend Sophie, although the twist to this is that Sophie has been dead since she was 17 and is now permanently haunting Claire. After a night at the house, they wake up to find one of the family members has died, however they have unfinished business to do and need Claire’s help to solve the crime. I found this to be a really fun read, all the characters played an integral part in sorting out the crime at hand. I especially enjoyed the friendship between Claire and Sophie. I felt like it was quite different to other murder mysteries I’ve read mainly down to the medium perspective. The humour was fabulous and an entertaining storyline” I really liked all the characters, especially Claire, Sophie and Alex. They all felt completely realistic even with their various eccentricities and there were some parts that made me genuinely laugh out loud. Although the story is primarily a mystery, it is very character driven and we spend a lot of time with the characters as their relationships develop. This slowed the pace down a bit, but also added an extra dimension and helped me to be more invested in the outcome. Together they must race against incompetence to find the murderer - before the murderer finds them... in this funny, modern, media-literate mystery for the My Favourite Murder generation.
When Claire is hired to be the entertainment by an old ‘friend’ from University at a family gathering at their country pile, The Cloisters, she can’t afford to refuse. Things get complicated when Claire & Sophie realise someone has come to an untimely end at the house, and almost everyone seems to be hiding something. Clever, unpredictable and a genuinely humorous modern day country house murder mystery which left me guessing. Perfect for anyone who fancies themselves as a detective." - Nadine Matheson As a debut novel it's very good. I will definitely look out for Alice Bell in the future, whether Claire and Sophie are part of it or not. After spending several years in London, Alice now lives in Cork in Ireland. She has probably read more detective fiction and watched more episodes of Midsomer Murders than you. A word from AliceBut in Grave Expectations we finally see Lincoln and Charlie commit to a serious relationship, the appearance of a serial killer targeting paranormal humans and the possibility that someone close to Lichfield Park is trying to harm Charlie. It was great to finally see the common thread connecting all the mysteries that the Ministry has encountered finally becoming evident, as the members confront kidnappings, betrayal and spirits from their past. Bell shines in her sharp, funny debut. . . . The adroit plotting, which cannily plays with mystery tropes, is amply leavened with humor. Fans . . . will be eager for more adventures from Claire and Sophie.” Funny, fast, sharp, original, and addictive, Grave Expectations isa unique breath of fresh air. Brilliant!” When the pair arrive at The Cloisters, they find themselves drawn to a tragic and unrecognisable ghost, clearly an unquiet spirit who met an untimely end. Teaming up with the least unbearable members of the Wellington-Forge family - depressive ex-cop Basher and teenage reactionary Alex - Claire and Sophie determine to figure out not just whodunnit, but who they killed, why and when. Together they must race against incompetence to find the murderer before the murderer finds them, in this funny, modern, media-literate debut mystery for the My Favourite Murder generation." The following review, will contain spoilers. If you haven't read the book or you just don't wanna be spoiled, don't read the rest of the text.
Almost-authentic medium Claire and her best friend, Sophie, agree to take on a seemingly simple job at a crumbling old manor in the English countryside: performing a seance for the family matriarch’s 80th birthday. The pair have been friends since before Sophie went missing when they were seventeen. Everyone else is convinced Sophie simply ran away, but Claire knows the truth. Claire knows Sophie was murdered because Sophie has been haunting her ever since. Together they must race against incompetence to find the murderer – before the murderer finds them…in this funny, modern, media-literate mystery for the My Favourite Murder generation. Selection panel review I had stated before thaClaire can see ghosts from the time her dead friend started making appearances ever since they were teenagers. When she discovers a ghost that has some unfinished business at the party house, Claire decides to solve the murder. And so she, Sophie, Basher (an excop) and Alex set about on a wild goose chase to unravel the mystery. Basher and Alex belong to the family that invited Claire to perform a seance and perhaps the only two normal people from that clan. As the story goes on, I found it so difficult to stay connected to the characters. I started to find everyone annoying, especially the protagonist and her ghost friend. Grave Expectations is the debut crime novel from author Alice Bell, following washed-up Claire and her best friend Sophie, who must solve a cold case at a stately home in the British countryside, home to the secretive Wellington-Forge clan. So far, so pat – except for the bit where Claire is a disgraced medium and Sophie is dead, having died mysteriously at seventeen and now tethered to Claire as both a spectre and a keen assistant to Claire’s amateur sleuthing. That old story indeed.
Yep I'm in tears. The next book will be a bit weird because it's told from lincoln which obviously I'm not used to.Funny, fast, sharp, original, and addictive ... a unique breath of fresh air. Brilliant! -- Andrea Mara Claire and Sophie team up with self-assured teenager Alex and sceptical ex-police officer Bash to try and work out who has died and who killed them.
Clever,unpredictableand agenuinely humorousmodern day country house murder mystery which left me guessing.” I thoroughly enjoyed this book. First things first, the concept of a medium and a ghost solving a murder really works for me. And it was executed perfectly. Thus far, probably my favourite out of the series. I felt like the last three books have done very little in terms of moving the plot along with each one of them having a small mystery, which Charlie gets dragged into despite opposition from the Ministry and ends with either her in trouble or Lincoln 'supposedly' in trouble. The next book to be featured on the Zoe Ball Radio 2 Book Club will be Grave Expectations, an exciting debut novel by Alice Bell. The book was released on 4 May and Alice will be on the show with Zoe on Thursday 29 June.
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A very funny, entertaining, twisted take on the country house murder mystery. Wonderful.' -- S J Bennett
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