Book Review: Grave Lies by A.N. Willis

Genre(s): Paranormal Mystery / Thriller

Content warning: There are a few scenes with moderate violence, descriptions of murder scenes, and a theme of religious cultism that some readers may find disturbing.

Heather Davenport was eight years old when she uncovered a pair of dead bodies on her grandmother’s ranch. That discovery led her to join the FBI later in life, but the case of the “bride and groom” murder was never solved. Now, as she nears the end of her career, she’s determined to solve it, yet she can’t seem to gain traction alone.

She contacts the mysterious Mercury Group, and two of their agents arrive to assist. Zandra Mendes is a psychic with the ability to read the thoughts and feelings of the living, while Penny Wright specializes in contacting the dead. Together, the three begin to unravel the mystery on Davenport Ranch—but the case isn’t as simple as it first appears.

This was a book filled with twists and turns. Almost every time I thought I knew what was coming, the author threw in another unexpected curveball, and it wasn’t until the very end that everything finally fell into place. The mystery was well done.

I liked that the story was set in a small town in Wyoming and went into some of the struggles the local authorities had in terms of lack of experience with violent crime as well as them being forced to call in help from farther away. And the fact that their biggest concerns were weather-related prior to the book’s events really gave it an authentic feel. (I grew up in northern Colorado and have family in Wyoming, so I can definitely relate to the setting—and the unpredictable weather.)

I also liked that the focus of the book was on solving the crime, rather than the paranormal activity (though the ghosts were an important piece of the puzzle.)  

I felt the story wrapped up most of its loose ends pretty well by the end, but there was one aspect that left me with questions. The arc with Lena and the Reverend just ended… and I didn’t get the feeling that things between Lena and Zandra were officially resolved. Would Lena file charges? Would she set aside what happened? I don’t know. Otherwise, the rest of the questions I had prior to the ending were resolved.

Grave Lies was fast-paced and kept me guessing. I really enjoyed this one.

Author website: anwilliswrites.com