A Grim Reaper's Guide to Catching a Killer

By: Maxie Dara

Narrated by: Jaime Lamchick

Murder is not her department.

It’s not like it used to be. Modern-day grim reapers wear business casual, not black cloaks, and they don’t carry scythes, they work for S. C. Y. T. H. E. (Secure Collection, Yielding, and Transportation of Human Essences), where the Department of Natural Causes is the least exciting gig. And that’s how Kathy Valence likes it: boring and predictable. She has enough stress in her personal life; she’s mid-divorce, pregnant, and terrified she doesn’t have what it takes to be a good mom.

Then, she goes to pick up a new client and finds his soul is missing. When she finally tracks down Conner Ortiz, he angrily insists he was murdered, and he refuses to move on until Kathy finds out why and by whom.

Kathy has only forty-five days to solve the mystery before the boy’s soul is doomed to roam the earth as a ghost forever. To do that she’ll have to call on the help of her retired mentor, her almost ex-husband—and, inconveniently, Conner himself. This is the wildest case of her career . . . and one wrong move could cost Kathy her job, not to mention her life.

Critic reviews

“I’d follow this grim reaper anywhere. Wildly creative and impossible to put down, sure to induce both belly laughs and tears, A Grim Reaper's Guide To Catching A Killer is full of heart and soul(s).” —Laura Hankin, author of One-Star Romance

"Witty, moving, and with a mystery that’ll keep you turning pages late into the night, Dara’s debut is a creative, laugh-out-loud novel about the business of death, and what it can teach us about family, love, and the best parts of being alive." —Claudia Lux, author of Sign Here

"I was hooked right away by the inventive premise of Maxie Dara's A Grim Reaper's Guide to Catching a Killer, but it was the relationships that really did me in. I loved watching Kathy bond with Conner, a dead teenager, and work through her relationship with recent-almost-ex-husband Simon, all set against the backdrop of a surprisingly corporate job in human soul logistics. Funny and warm and full of little moments that kept me guessing, A Grim Reaper's Guide to Catching a Killer is a delightfully fresh mystery!" —Alicia Thompson, USA Today bestselling author of Love in the Time of Serial Killers

“Fun and lighthearted despite the presence of death, the characters are relatable and funny, and the paranormal aspects are balanced with the ordinariness of Kathy’s messy life. The ending fleshes out this creative premise and sets the book up for the next in a heartwarming series.” -- Booklist

"This debut paranormal mystery offers humor, love, and a strong cast of characters who form a found family." -- Library Journal (starred review)

Fun, quirky mystery

Great premise! Can't wait for the next book in the series. really enjoyed this; couldn't stop listening. Definitely recommend.

Learning to trust

Kathy was such an unexpected character, her whole life was a mess, except for her job as a reaper. But when she mets a soul who won’t go with her until they find out who murdered him, her life takes on more than she ever expected. Simon was the best. All he wanted was to be with her totally.

A really great beach read

This book is the perfect combination of mystery, adventure, wit, and heartfelt moments. I highly recommend!

It felt a bit… disjointed

The story could’ve been really great but the killer seemed to come out of nowhere. Idk.. it didn’t feel like a twist. It felt like an add-on. Not great.

Enjoyable

I enjoyed the unique subject and story. I found myself crying at parts. I too had been a type of "Reaper" in my career past. Hope another is on the way.