Grave Beginnings (The Grave Report #1) by R.R. Virdi

  

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre:  Fantasy, Urban Fantasy
Content: Mild Language

 

Thirteen...
As far as numbers go, it isn't a great one. Hell, it's not even a good one and Vincent Graves is going to find out just how unlucky of a number it can be.
Because someone, or something, is killing people in the Empire state, and whatever it is, it gives people everything they ever desired and more. And it's the more that's the problem!
Well...it's one of the problems.
Vincent's investigation also seems to have drawn the attention of a relentless FBI agent and then there's the little bit where he has only thirteen hours to solve the case, or he dies.
Talk about your literal deadlines...
...No pressure.
By the end of this case Vincent will come to understand the meaning of an age old proverb: Be careful what you wish for - because you just might get it!

 

What a disappointment! I've had this on my to-read list for ages and was really happy when we decided to read this trilogy in the mystery book club. It started out good. Then Ortiz came on the scene and she annoyed me so much. At one point Norman/Vincent thinks the law really matters to her, while she's violating his civil rights! As an FBI agent she violated civil rights all over the place. Why would she cuff him and bring him in because he was being chased by a lion? That didn't make any sense at all. Then later she acts like sticking to the law is important to her but is it really after the other things she did that weren't lawful? So yeah, I had a big problem with Ortiz.

There's also the fact that the characters aren't very bright. The mystery was as easy to figure out as an episode of Scooby Doo. It was obvious what kind of supernatural creature they were looking for and it was obvious who that was, right from the beginning. But they go bumbling around without a clue. Vincent even overheard two people talking through the door about killing Norman and he couldn't tell whose voices they were? Then he proceeded to go off investigating everywhere but the obvious place. If Vincent had been doing this for at least a decade he should have been better at it.

This is unfortunate because I liked the whole Quantum Leap idea behind the story and finding out more about Church and who or what is behind Vincent's predicament could be interesting, but I just can't go on with this series.