Grave Witch by Kalayna Price

Title:  Grave Witch
Author:  Kalayna Price
Publisher:  Roc
Publication Date:  October 5, 2010
Format:  Paperback, 336 pages
Age Group:  Adult
Series:  Alex Craft (Book 1)

Alex Craft is a witch who works with grave magic.  She is also a private investigator and occasional consultant for the police.  So it is no surprise that someone wants her help with the murder investigation of a popular politician.  The secrets that Alex uncovers are very surprising and possibly deadly.  Luckily, Alex knows Death personally and he is able to provide a few answers to her questions.  Her other partner on the case, Detective Falin Andrews, however has his own secrets and agenda.

I don't normally gush about books but I LOVED Grave Witch.  This is a great beginning and I really hope the rest of the series lives up to the standards that Price has set for herself with this book.

Alex is a very interesting character with a hidden past of her own.  Her magic is wild at times and it comes with a significant price.  This leaves her very vulnerable to others after using her magic so she must balance the need to See clearly with the potential danger.

I really tried to stay away from reading reviews of this book before I read it because I didn't want the reviews to influence my opinion.  I did read a few guest posts by Kalayna Price though and it seemed that people often focused in on the character of Death.  So when I read the book, I was surprised that Death wasn't more present.  I loved the scenes with Death and I am really looking forward to seeing him more in future books but I really found Detective Andrews more interesting because he and Alex spent so much more time together.  Both men have their secrets and their hidden agendas which added another element of mystery to the story.

The main murder investigation was full of twists and turns and really kept moving.   The conflict with the Humans First Party and the Organization for Magically Inclined Humans reminded me a bit of the tension between humans and paranormal beings in the Kim Harrison's Rachel Mogan series.  I think fans of Kim Harrison and of Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld books will really enjoy Grave Witch.

Originally, I was a bit worried that I would not be able to get this book read before I needed to return in to the library but it was such a fast read that I really had nothing to worry about.  I lost track of time reading Grave Witch because I just wanted to stay immersed in Alex's world and find out what was going to happen.  For a peak at the cover of the next book in the series, Grave Dance (July 2011), visit Kalayna's blog.

I've also enjoyed the Novels of Haven by Kalayna Price.  Here are links to my reviews:

Once Bitten
Twice Dead

Note: All opinions provided on this blog are my own. If a product was given to me for review, the source of that product is noted in the post. Links to Amazon.com are affiliate links and I do earn a small percentage for each item purchased through those links. Any other referral or associate links will be noted within the post.