Grave Expectations
Published on 4. May 2023
Book
Hardback
400 pages
978-1-83895-839-8 (ISBN)
Description
A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK
A KINDLE TOP 5 BESTSELLER
'Fast, funny and furious, this book has bags of humour, bags of heart and a proper murder mystery at its core' Janice Hallett
Claire and Sophie aren't your typical murder investigators . . .
When 30-something freelance medium Claire Hendricks is invited to an old university friend's country pile to provide entertainment for a family party, her best friend Sophie tags along. In fact, Sophie rarely leaves Claire's side, because she's been haunting her ever since she was murdered at the age of seventeen.
On arrival at The Cloisters it quickly becomes clear that this family is hiding more than just the good china, as Claire learns someone has recently met an untimely end at the house.
Teaming up with the least unbearable members of the Wellington-Forge family - depressive ex-cop Basher and teenage radical 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 mystery for the My Favourite Murder generation.
A KINDLE TOP 5 BESTSELLER
'Fast, funny and furious, this book has bags of humour, bags of heart and a proper murder mystery at its core' Janice Hallett
Claire and Sophie aren't your typical murder investigators . . .
When 30-something freelance medium Claire Hendricks is invited to an old university friend's country pile to provide entertainment for a family party, her best friend Sophie tags along. In fact, Sophie rarely leaves Claire's side, because she's been haunting her ever since she was murdered at the age of seventeen.
On arrival at The Cloisters it quickly becomes clear that this family is hiding more than just the good china, as Claire learns someone has recently met an untimely end at the house.
Teaming up with the least unbearable members of the Wellington-Forge family - depressive ex-cop Basher and teenage radical 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 mystery for the My Favourite Murder generation.
Reviews / Votes
You've never read a country house whodunit quite like Grave Expectations. Nor is there a generation gap quite as wide as the one between Claire and Sophie. Fast, funny and furious, this book has bags of humour, bags of heart and a proper murder mystery at its core. Alice Bell writes with real verve and crafts a preposterous premise into a sharp, well written and lively story that's at once out of this world and yet reassuringly real. As reader, you're along for the ride, and it's a runaway ghost train of a ride at that! Bell is one to watch. -- Janice Hallett A delicious mashup of grisly murder, country house and semi-helpful ghosts - imagine a really cockeyed game of Cluedo heavily seasoned with whimsy ... it's a lot of fun -- Stuart MacBride Read this fabulous book - you will not regret it -- Ben Aaronovitch A modern mashup of Ghosts, Blithe Spirit and Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) ... the lightly acerbic style is a delight ... plenty of spooky fun. More, please. * Guardian * Knives Out vibes with added ghosts. Fresh, funny and hugely enjoyable. -- Catherine Ryan Howard A very funny, entertaining, twisted take on the country house murder mystery. Wonderful.' -- S J Bennett Funny, fast, sharp, original, and addictive ... a unique breath of fresh air. Brilliant! -- Andrea Mara A fun and surprising character-driven whodunnit * Heat * A fun, gripping murder mystery with a supernatural spin * Woman's Own * An addictive, hilarious, rollicking debut - fresh, original and utterly brilliant, Alice Bell is a real talent to watch. I cannot WAIT for the next book! -- Sam Blake 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 A great read, with great characters, lots of humour, some misty-eyed moments and lots of swearing. Utterly delightful - like the BBC show Ghosts mixed with Cluedo -- Simon Toyne A really unique concept paired with whip-smart writing and lots of heart -- Heather Darwent, author of The Things We Do to Our Friends A clever and playful contemporary cosy mystery by Cobh-based debut author, the talented Alice Bell. Think Ghosts meets Knives Out. -- Catherine Kirwan A highly original, clever, contemporary and funny take on the crime genre * Irish Examiner * Wickedly good * Belfast Telegraph * A murder mystery with lots of heart and heaps of comedy ... full of fun and intrigue, this book's a winner * Meath Chronicle * This book positively lit up my weekends with its cosy, affectionate, funny, awkward brand of ghostly crime-solving. Perfect for fans of BBC's Ghosts, Alice Bell has a keen eye for characterisation and the ridiculous, creating a story that will both send chills down your spine and wrap you up in a hug. -- Ally WIlkes, author of All the White Spaces Witty, addictive, and breathes some much needed (undead) life into the cosy crime murder mystery genre -- Adam Simcox Delightful, charming, breezy ... A spirited cold-case mystery * Set the Tape * Sharp and hilarious -- Cailean Steed A funny, distinctive, constantly clever genre-bending supernatural crime novel' * Bookseller *More details
Series
Edition
Main
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Atlantic Books
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 153 mm
Thickness: 28 mm
Weight
619 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-83895-839-8 (9781838958398)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
05/2023
Corvus
€6.99
Available for download
Person
Alice Bell grew up in South West England, in the sort of middle-of-nowhere where teenagers spend their weekends drinking Smirnoff Ice in a field that also has at least one horse in it.
She is the deputy editor of Rock Paper Shotgun, a popular PC gaming website, and in 2019 she was named one of the 100 most influential women in the UK games industry.
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.
She is the deputy editor of Rock Paper Shotgun, a popular PC gaming website, and in 2019 she was named one of the 100 most influential women in the UK games industry.
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.