Category: Cherie Priest

PUB DAY REPOST: Flight Risk by Cherie Priest: Two Missing Persons Bring the Team Back Together for this Winning Sequel

Flight RiskFlight Risk

by Cherie Priest

DETAILS:
Series: Booking Agents Series, #2
Publisher: Atria Books 
Publication Date: November 15, 2022
Format: eARC
Length: 320 pg.
Read Date: October 20-21, 2022
Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org

What’s Flight Risk About?

Grady and his daughter lose their dog while visiting Mt. Rainer—but never fear, they find him—much to their relief. They’re not at all relieved by the fact that when he’s found, he’s carrying a human leg in his mouth. While it’s a different jurisdiction, it’s soon determined that the (probably dead) man missing a leg is/was a Seattle resident, so Grady handles that end of the investigation.

At the same time, Leda is approached by a man to find his sister. This is a major step up for Leda’s psychic consulting—since the news coverage stemming from the events in Grave Reservations, she’s been hired to find a few missing things (mostly successfully), but a person that’s been gone for a month is a significant case. She takes it on with some hesitation, and several caveats toward the brother that she might not find anything, and he might not like what she is able to find.

Naturally, there’s a connection between both missing persons, and Grady and Leda team up again.

Leda’s having a hard time making headway, at first, with her case, and calls in the woman who’d offered to mentor her for some help. Almost immediately the medium demonstrates that this was a wise choice and that she’s the real deal. As she works with Leda, providing a nudge or two, she hints that Leda may discover other abilities as she grows as a psychic—which will be interesting to watch, for sure.

Det. Grady Merritt

Flight Risk features a lot more of Grady on his own (still plenty of Grady with Leda and Grady with everyone else, don’t worry) doing police work. It’s good to see him plugging away at things and interacting with his partner (who I hope we get more time with in the future—Sam and Niki would be a fun team-up).

He doesn’t strike me as a super-cop like Bosch or Ballard—but he’s the kind you hope our police departments are full of—decent guys who are dedicated to their jobs, driven by curiosity and a sense of duty. He just happens to be pretty lucky and he now has a psychic friend who can lend a hand. I enjoy reading about this kind of police detective*, it gives me hope.

* I’m still devouring books about Bosch, Ballard, Washington Poe, and other super-cops, don’t get me wrong.

Niki

Leda’s best friend Niki is, of course, back. In Grave Reservations, Niki essentially pushed Leda to take risks, to persevere in the investigation, and so on. Then, when she accompanied Leda and Grady when they were investigating, she could be relied upon to go a little further than Leda, and would carry the comedic weight in her scenes.

Here in Flight Risk, she has the same roles. But Leda’s more confident now and doesn’t need her friend egging her on quite as much either on-stage or in her office. She is still a little more “out there” when she rides along with Grady and her friend, but I think she’s more restrained there, too.

I might be a little off here, and if I revisit this next year, I’ll wonder what I was thinking here. But right now, Niki seems to be the weak link in this book, not bringing quite enough to the plot or to the comedy. A toned-down Niki is more grounded, more realistic—absolutely. But if she’s not being Lula to Leda’s Stephanie Plum, I’m not sure what purpose she’s serving. I should stress, I don’t think Priest shouldn’t have her around, nor do I want her to be as goofy as Lula (the world doesn’t need another one)—but we just need her to be a little less restrained.

The Law of Interconnected Monkey Business

So, anyone who’s read a mystery novel before will be pretty sure that there’s a tie between Grady’s and Leda’s cases are going to be connected. Obviously, if you read the above section or the description on the back of the book or on the online store of your choice, you’ll know that, too.

That’s not what I want to talk about—it’s the way that Priest combined these two cases and got Leda and Grady to work together again. I honestly expected that this series would be Grady bringing cases to Leda, either on his own or because he’s instructed to, when the SPD comes up against a tough case. But that’s clearly not going to be the case.

There’s going to be flexibility—even possibly some times when Grady comes into things pretty late in the game (I can’t see leaving the police out of a book entirely). The fact that Priest stayed away from the structure of the first book already is an encouraging sign and shows that this isn’t going to be a cookie-cutter kind of series, but that she’s going to bring something new each time.

So, what did I think about Flight Risk?

I have to say this one was a tough one to write about—I almost felt like I could copy and paste what I said about Grave Reservations here. If you liked that novel, you’ll dig this one—having introduced the characters and world, Priest (and the readers) can focus more on the mysteries, and the book is better for it.

The mysteries were well-designed and executed, with the psychic clues/impressions/whatever along the way pointing Grady and Leda in the right direction, but not giving them so much that they don’t have to work out things for themselves (with one notable exception). This is the way to do a Psychic Detective novel. The red herrings and false trails were particularly well-done and I enjoyed seeing our protagonists dealing with them.

We got a better sense of all the supporting characters, as one would expect/hope, and I enjoyed them all. This is really a pleasant little universe that Priest has given us and I hope we get to hang out with these characters for a good while to come.

Flight Risk would be a good introductory novel for this series as well as a pleasant continuation for those who read Grave Reservations—it’s light(ish) fun with a dash of the supernatural to enliven the mystery, the combination of police and amateur detectives working together is a tried and true way to make things entertaining—and Priest uses it well. This novel hit the spot for this reader, and I look forward to another case or two soon. I definitely recommend this one to you.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Atria Books via NetGalley in exchange for this post that reflects my honest opinion—thanks to both for this.

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

Flight Risk by Cherie Priest: Two Missing Persons Bring the Team Back Together for this Winning Sequel

Flight RiskFlight Risk

by Cherie Priest

DETAILS:
Series: Booking Agents Series, #2
Publisher: Atria Books 
Publication Date: November 15, 2022
Format: eARC
Length: 320 pg.
Read Date: October 20-21, 2022
Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org

What’s Flight Risk About?

Grady and his daughter lose their dog while visiting Mt. Rainer—but never fear, they find him—much to their relief. They’re not at all relieved by the fact that when he’s found, he’s carrying a human leg in his mouth. While it’s a different jurisdiction, it’s soon determined that the (probably dead) man missing a leg is/was a Seattle resident, so Grady handles that end of the investigation.

At the same time, Leda is approached by a man to find his sister. This is a major step up for Leda’s psychic consulting—since the news coverage stemming from the events in Grave Reservations, she’s been hired to find a few missing things (mostly successfully), but a person that’s been gone for a month is a significant case. She takes it on with some hesitation, and several caveats toward the brother that she might not find anything, and he might not like what she is able to find.

Naturally, there’s a connection between both missing persons, and Grady and Leda team up again.

Leda’s having a hard time making headway, at first, with her case, and calls in the woman who’d offered to mentor her for some help. Almost immediately the medium demonstrates that this was a wise choice and that she’s the real deal. As she works with Leda, providing a nudge or two, she hints that Leda may discover other abilities as she grows as a psychic—which will be interesting to watch, for sure.

Det. Grady Merritt

Flight Risk features a lot more of Grady on his own (still plenty of Grady with Leda and Grady with everyone else, don’t worry) doing police work. It’s good to see him plugging away at things and interacting with his partner (who I hope we get more time with in the future—Sam and Niki would be a fun team-up).

He doesn’t strike me as a super-cop like Bosch or Ballard—but he’s the kind you hope our police departments are full of—decent guys who are dedicated to their jobs, driven by curiosity and a sense of duty. He just happens to be pretty lucky and he now has a psychic friend who can lend a hand. I enjoy reading about this kind of police detective*, it gives me hope.

* I’m still devouring books about Bosch, Ballard, Washington Poe, and other super-cops, don’t get me wrong.

Niki

Leda’s best friend Niki is, of course, back. In Grave Reservations, Niki essentially pushed Leda to take risks, to persevere in the investigation, and so on. Then, when she accompanied Leda and Grady when they were investigating, she could be relied upon to go a little further than Leda, and would carry the comedic weight in her scenes.

Here in Flight Risk, she has the same roles. But Leda’s more confident now and doesn’t need her friend egging her on quite as much either on-stage or in her office. She is still a little more “out there” when she rides along with Grady and her friend, but I think she’s more restrained there, too.

I might be a little off here, and if I revisit this next year, I’ll wonder what I was thinking here. But right now, Niki seems to be the weak link in this book, not bringing quite enough to the plot or to the comedy. A toned-down Niki is more grounded, more realistic—absolutely. But if she’s not being Lula to Leda’s Stephanie Plum, I’m not sure what purpose she’s serving. I should stress, I don’t think Priest shouldn’t have her around, nor do I want her to be as goofy as Lula (the world doesn’t need another one)—but we just need her to be a little less restrained.

The Law of Interconnected Monkey Business

So, anyone who’s read a mystery novel before will be pretty sure that there’s a tie between Grady’s and Leda’s cases are going to be connected. Obviously, if you read the above section or the description on the back of the book or on the online store of your choice, you’ll know that, too.

That’s not what I want to talk about—it’s the way that Priest combined these two cases and got Leda and Grady to work together again. I honestly expected that this series would be Grady bringing cases to Leda, either on his own or because he’s instructed to, when the SPD comes up against a tough case. But that’s clearly not going to be the case.

There’s going to be flexibility—even possibly some times when Grady comes into things pretty late in the game (I can’t see leaving the police out of a book entirely). The fact that Priest stayed away from the structure of the first book already is an encouraging sign and shows that this isn’t going to be a cookie-cutter kind of series, but that she’s going to bring something new each time.

So, what did I think about Flight Risk?

I have to say this one was a tough one to write about—I almost felt like I could copy and paste what I said about Grave Reservations here. If you liked that novel, you’ll dig this one—having introduced the characters and world, Priest (and the readers) can focus more on the mysteries, and the book is better for it.

The mysteries were well-designed and executed, with the psychic clues/impressions/whatever along the way pointing Grady and Leda in the right direction, but not giving them so much that they don’t have to work out things for themselves (with one notable exception). This is the way to do a Psychic Detective novel. The red herrings and false trails were particularly well-done and I enjoyed seeing our protagonists dealing with them.

We got a better sense of all the supporting characters, as one would expect/hope, and I enjoyed them all. This is really a pleasant little universe that Priest has given us and I hope we get to hang out with these characters for a good while to come.

Flight Risk would be a good introductory novel for this series as well as a pleasant continuation for those who read Grave Reservations—it’s light(ish) fun with a dash of the supernatural to enliven the mystery, the combination of police and amateur detectives working together is a tried and true way to make things entertaining—and Priest uses it well. This novel hit the spot for this reader, and I look forward to another case or two soon. I definitely recommend this one to you.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Atria Books via NetGalley in exchange for this post that reflects my honest opinion—thanks to both for this.

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

Grave Reservations by Cherie Priest: Move Over Shawn and Gus, It’s Time for the Real Deal

Grave Reservations

Grave Reservations

by Cherie Priest
Series: Booking Agents Series, #1

Hardcover, 289 pg.
Atria Books, 2021

Read: December 10-13
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

“I’m not looking for a séance, Ms. Foley. I’m just telling you that I know there’s more to the world than what we can always see right in front of us. And I believe you when you tell me that you had a premonition, or a bad feeling, or a bad certainty—if that’s more like it. I believe you saved my life. Saved me a hell of a story and some smoke inhalation, that’s for damn sure. And now I want to hire you. Not to book any travel, and not to talk to my dead mother. I’ve got a case I’ve been beating my head against for a couple of years, and I’m all out of leads. I’m ready to try anything, which means I’m willing to try a psychic, Ms. Foley, I want you to help me solve a murder.”

What’s Grave Reservations About?

It’s pretty much about that quotation—Leda Foley is a travel agent* and self-described “inconsistent psychic.” Her intuition (or whatever you want to call it) leads her into changing the flight of a Seattle PD detective which prevents him from ending up in a plane that skidded off the runway during takeoff. Now he’s back in Seattle, grateful, and wants to use Leda to help him get a break on a cold case. Det. Grady isn’t that convinced this is going to work (Leda’s sure it won’t), but he doesn’t know what else to try.

* I’m as surprised as you to learn they still exist.

She agrees—not just because her agency is struggling and she needs pretty much any money she can earn, but because she wants to get on Det. Grady’s good side, because she wants his help on a cold case of her own—her fiancé was murdered and the police got nowhere with that investigation.

So, Leda, her bartender best friend, and Detective Gracy set out to see if her psychic abilities are at least a little more consistent than she thinks.

Leda’s Other Side Hustle

Leda’s had a large number of day jobs, none of which worked out for long. Her travel agency, Foley’s Far-Fetched Flights of Fancy, is an effort to make it on her own—and it’s pretty shaky. Leda also wants to strengthen and improve her psychic skills, so she gets on stage at a local bar for what she calls klairvoyant karaoke, but the bar’s owner prefers calling her a psychic psongstress.

Basically, she gets on stage, holds an object given to her by an audience member, and uses the impressions her abilities give her about the owner to sing a song that will be meaningful to the owner. In exchange, she gets free drinks. She’s gaining a little notoriety from this and the bar is having its most successful nights ever.

Tricky Tonal Balancing Act

This is not your typical murder mystery, that’s probably pretty clear. In her acknowledgments, Priest says she was aiming at “something lighter and funnier than my usual fare.” She hit what she aimed for. It’s comedic (sometimes very comedic), but not at a goofball level. It’s closer to Castle at its best. Or to stick to novel comparisons, think The Spellman Files (especially the slightly more serious last couple), Max Wirestone’s Dahlia Moss books or David Ahern’s Madam Tulip books. The latter is the best comparison (not just because Leda’s psychic abilities made me think of Derry more than a few times), but Leda’s friends remind me of Derry’s—but I threw in the others because too few people know anything about Madam Tulip.

Back to Grave Reservations—Priest walks the tightrope between too silly for a mystery and too serious for a story about a travel agent/inconsistent psychic–—which cannot be anywhere as easy as she makes it look. With all of the above comparisons, I occasionally wasn’t sure about the consistency of the tone (or the appropriateness of it when the creators weren’t on the top of their game). Priest didn’t have that problem at all. Which is a tribute to her skill.

So, what did I think about Grave Reservations?

I don’t have a lot to say here–it’s really good. Priest surrounds Leda and Det. Grady with a bunch of characters that bring the comedy on the personal side and suspects, victims, and witnesses that keep the serious side of the story working. Either set of characters make this a fun read—put them together and you have something special.

The mystery itself was pretty good—and having Leda’s abilities providing the leaps of logic that allow Grady to start looking in the right places is a great idea. Priest doesn’t have to “play fair” like most mystery novelists and she can just wave the Psychic ex Machina wand to get her out of tricky places.

Grave Reservations is a great bit of light escapist reading—and the way Priest set it up for a series suggests that we’ll be able to escape into this world for a little while longer. And we all could use something like that right now, can’t we?


4 Stars

2021 Library Love Challenge

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest (Kali Ciesemier, Illustrator)

I Am Princess X I Am Princess X

by Cherie Priest, Kali Ciesemier, Illustrator

Hardcover, 227 pg.
Arthur A. Levine Books, 2015

Read: June 4, 2015

This book starts off just like the book description tells you — it’s practically an outline of the first 40 pages. Somehow, even if all they were doing was fulfilling the book jacket copy, the opening chapters sucked me in more and more with each detail until the last sentence on page 35. That line was just creepy. At that point, I put my finger in the book to save the page, called to my daughter (who’d showed minor interest on the book) and told her that unless Priest screwed things up, she had to read this (and seriously , what were the odds of Priest doing that?).

Years after the death of her best friend, Libby, May starts to see drawings around town of something the two had created together (and no one else knew about). How is that possible? She does everything she can to find out, but that doesn’t tell her anything other than that there’s a (pretty popular) webcomic out there starring their creation. There’s a self-proclaimed computer guru (Patrick — he prefers Trick, though) living a few floors below her dad that May hires/cons into going the extra technological mile for her. Their investigation doesn’t remain online, and before long the two are running all over Seattle. They dance between employer/employee; condescending college-aged twerp/younger, slightly naive teen; pals throughout in a way that seems organic and real. It’s probably the most realistic thing in the book after the death of Libby. While I’m talking about them — the hijinks the pair get into in the cemetery result in either the funniest or the grossest line of dialog I’ve read this year. Possibly both.

This isn’t the kind of comic/prose hybrid that Jeff Kinney, James Patterson, Stephen Pastis, etc. are doing — Priest uses the comic pages (taken from the fictional webcomic) to further the plot, to help us see what May and Trick are reading/seeing. Rather than trying to describe (and likely not succeeding all that often) a series of panels and the artwork, we just get them. Shorter, sweeter, to the point. A great merger of the two media. Ciesemier’s art is spot-on, I could easily read a webcomic she draws.

This is a YA novel with no love triangle, no romantic love period — that’s practically enough of a sales pitch for me right there. Friendship — that’s the emotional core driving this. The old friendship between Libby and May, that death hasn’t changed too much; the budding friendship between May and Trick, and another one that’s in spoiler territory. Nowhere along the lines is there even a whiff of anything else between these characters. What a breath of fresh air! There’s some actual parenting (not perfect, but humans trying) along the line, too — a couple of pretty good dads — something else I don’t see a lot in YA. So yay there, too.

It’s an implausible story grounded in three real characters (May, Trick and May’s dad) — and a couple of others that could have been as grounded if we’d gotten a few more pages from them. For the story this is trying to tell? That’s just enough to carry it.

We see the villain enough to find him threatening and somewhat believable, learn enough about him to support that, but not enough that we can develop any sympathy for him — he’s mostly shadow, which frequently feels like under-writing or a cheat by the author. But here it felt like a device to underline the threat he poses.

This is pure escapist adventure reading — no muss, no fuss, no frills. The story matches the medium of a webcomic pretty well. Sure, it could’ve been a deeper, more reflective novel — or even a slightly more realistic one. But it doesn’t need to be. Have I rated better written/constructed novels lower than this? Oh yeah. But this novel was exactly everything it promised to be, everything it needed to be. This grabbed me from the start and didn’t let go until it was done.

As an added bonus for people like me, I’m pretty sure there’s a tip o’ the hat to Robert B. Parker in these pages. That just brought a smile to my face.

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4 1/2 Stars

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