I can honestly say that I've never read a book like it. I was hooked from the first paragraph - the first sentence in fact. The whole book is delightful, it made me laugh, it made me cringe and it made me want Lavington's life.

Loved it - please write more.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I read an advance review copy. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

This book was amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!! Full of wit and charm, vampires and zombies, murder and mayhem!!!

I loved the pace of this book. She had many characters that stand out front. I can identify with the protagonist in a way. I have many times stood by a grave and wondered what they might have looked like or what was their life like. She touched on this desire and brought a character up and told us a bit about one. I felt like I was reading a Charlaine Harris or Janine Frost book. I had to stay up late on the last half of the book and finish it.

This book was an absolute breath of fresh air! I've seen it compared to 'True Blood' which I can understand in terms of the subject matter and the feisty heroine, but I think this is something different again. The fact that the main character, Lavington Windsor, has powers of her own as a necromancer and the (rather British) humour in the book make this an engaging and unusual read even compared to the Sookie Stackhouse series.

The novel follows necromancer Lavington as she leads a dual life: estate agent by day, raising the occupants of the local cemeteries by night. Even before she gets involved with vampires, or more specifically the gorgeous Oscar, her life is pretty odd. Once she gets caught up in finding vampire real estate and a romance with Oscar, her life takes a dangerous turn.

What makes this book unusual is that it looks like a cosy read but is actually far from; the sex and violence is actually quite explicit and surprising, although it fits perfectly in the book. The humour is also a nice surprise and I found myself being pleasantly pulled along by Lavington's narrative voice. The plot is pacy and there is a lot going on - a second book is definitely needed to iron out some of the plot strands! However, if it is anything like this book, a second book will be eagerly awaited.

I should add that this really is not my usual genre of choice so it has really won me over!

Grave Secrets was a fun and fluffy urban fantasy / paranormal romance. Despite there being mystery in the title, this is not a mystery and marketing it as such does a disservice to the book as I went in with incorrect expectations. The mystery is a framing mechanism at the start and end of the book and gives you background on the Toni and her brother, which is nice. However, the overwhelming plot is the new American vampires who have moved into the neighborhood and who are threatening Toni and the resident vampires. My favorite character mind Toni was Parker. I really liked how that story line appears to be resolving and some of Toni’s hesitancy seems realistic. The main love interest is a bit flat and one-dimensional but that is credible and adds to some of the other characters concerns about the relationship. All in all, it was a very fast read. It was charming and quirky and the zombies were a clever touch. I look forward to more in the series.

I really enjoyed this book.

Lavington (Toni) Windsor is an estate agent living in Staffordshire living a thoroughly modern life but she also happens to be a necromancer. Her brother is a police officer and Toni will occasionally use her "skill" to help him out.
Toni is the kind of woman that I would love to have been but am far too cynical. She is kind, funny, sarcastic and has a fantastic moral compass.

Toni meets up with some local vampires and gets involved in their lives from the off.

This is a book / series that is and will, I hope, continue to be chock full of fantastic characters who I am hopeful we will continue to get to know but also one particular character who I really did not like. . .yes, I'm looking at you, Oscar.

I've seen a fair few reviews comparing this to the Sookie Stackhouse series, and I can see that, of course but there is also a feel of Stephanie Plum to me and that is definitely no bad thing.

I rarely read an ARC that is the first in a series where I will actively look for future books but I honestly can't wait to read the next of this series.

Very, very, highly recommended.

‘An adventure with zombies. And vampires. And romance. And croquet’. Grave Secrets does exactly what it says on the tin!

Toni Windsor is a real-estate agent living a double life. By day, she struggles with lecherous coworkers, inability to find a decent date, and finding the perfect homes for her clients, and by night, the overwhelming compulsion to raise the dead is her bête-noire. She’s managed to keep up a double-life under control so far, but when a commission from an all-too-dishy vampire puts her on the radar of a radical anti-undead group, bloody chaos ensues.

Grave Secrets was a very fun, spooky romp. I went in expecting a supernatural cosy crime, and I got a steamy murder-train with loveable zombies and more beheadings than I can count. James’ vampires are marvellously old school - they’re lascivious, enigmatic, and utterly brutal. It’s hard not to conjure up images akin to Von Krolock from Tanz der Vampire as you’re reading - they’re all fangs, sex appeal, and luxurious hair. And the zombies can be pretty dishy too.
I’m not the biggest romance fan, but there was still enough blood, guts, and intrigue for my grisly little heart. And Toni’s no-nonsense attitude was definitely a bonus! Grave Secrets will be getting it’s UK and US release in September 2020 - be sure to grab a copy, as it will be the perfect, ‘light-hearted but still creepy’ read for the spooky season!

Thank you to @netgalley and solaris for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Grave Secrets was so much fun! Lavington "Toni" Windsor faces issues that every modern woman faces (creepy boss, terrible exes) but has a very special talent - she is a necromancer. Toni ends up meeting some vampires, and lands herself in trouble a few times. She is funny and kind, although quick to fall in love (relatable much?!).
I was a big fan of her friend Bredon, who is a very proper English undead gentleman. Peter was also a great character but I felt a little sad for him. Oscar was definitely not my favorite. I am very intrigued to see where Toni's story will go, and I'm rooting for a love connection with Benedict! Alice James, please make that happen!!
This was the perfect book for me, especially during a quarantine!
If you are looking for something similar to the Sookie Stackhouse series, this book is definitely for you.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, as the description given doesn't fully do the book justice. The main character Toni is likeable for the most part , she can be quite irritating at times but those are rare.
The plot and characters are well written, the overall story was interesting to read with just a few annoyances.
It didn't follow the normal tropes that some books in this genre regularly fall into, Toni is a strong female lead who is intelligent and at times funny.

There are some parts of the book which are slightly more adult than I was expecting but they worked with regards to the story.
There are also spelling, grammatical errors in the book and places where one sentence was started but never finished and were out of place in the context of the paragraph they were included.

Overall though it was enjoyable to read and reread. I would recommend it and would like to read more about Toni and her adventures.

trigger warning
<spoiler> gore, torture, molestation, rape attempt </spoiler>

By night, Toni raises the dead in the local cemetery. By day, she sells houses - in theory only to finance her life, but things get interesting as she aquires a vampire customer, looking for an old house with extensive cellars. An possibly a love interest.

This was so fun I had to force myself to let go last night to sleep. If I had started sooner in the day, I am sure I'd have read this in one sitting.

The comparison to the Sookie Stockhouse series feels apt, but mind, I only read one novel and a collection of short stories from there. To break it down: We have a female human with some kind of magical ability who comes into contact with the local vampires and gets drawn into their shemes and intrigues.
I was struck by the decisions of the characters. They try to do the right thing, but for various reasons, shit happens nonetheless.

Toni's brother is in a happy gay relationship, and the main relationship that's depicted evolves into a poly-something. Toni is finding that weird, but normal hasn't really worked out for her in the past, so she's willing to give it a try. Since positive poly rep is so rare, I already told a friend who likes to read about it, and I am curious about what she'll say, should she chose to give it a try.

What else can I say? Don't pick this book up on sex-repulsed days and expect a little bit of gore.
The plot is solved in this one book, but there is the option for more, especially to do with Toni's abilities and her grandfather, who taught her. I'll keep a watch out for further books of this series, because I'm sure I'll like them.

My only complaint would be that due to the blurp I expected more whodoneit segments. Yes, a crime is solved, but it's a teeny-tiny sideplot that doesn't get much more room. For the novel as such it's not a problem, it fits in there neatly, it's just not what I expected.
So if you're intrigued for that aspect, you should probably just go to Agatha Christie instead.
If you're in for the paranormal romance, you'll have a blast.

I recieved a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Alice James gives us a new urban fantasy heroine, Toni Windsor. Toni lives in the in England, out in the country. Despite her ability to raise the dead, Toni lives an ordinary life selling real estate. When she encounters some of the newly emerged vampires, the fun begins.

Toni is a sassy, likeable heroine. The book is fast paced with just the right amount of romance

I can't wait for the next book.

I received a free advance copy of this book. I am leaving my honest review.

This book is sort of like if Jasper Fforde had decided to write The Southern Vampire Mysteries (aka True Blood). It's a fun and breezy romp that follows the exploits of Lavington Windsor, a necromancer whose association with vampires lands her in some serious trouble (but at least she has a hot poly vampire for a boyfriend!).

But despite the entertainment value, I found this book to be fairly ordinary. Most of the characters were extremely unlikeable and/or like to grope women. It was a bit tiring when yet another sexist man appeared. Still, the book did amuse me at times.

Grave Secrets by Alice James a thrilling five-star read. I had high hopes for this one and in many ways it was a five-star read, the mystery and the necromancy were all spot on and the rest of the characters were brilliant but I was left cold by Oscar and not in the usual sense, because of this I nearly gave it four-stars, but then I realised one man doesn’t make the story. This was funny and Toni was brilliant, I would read so much more about her and the rest of the characters, even Benedict. It may just be me as I have never been a big fan of blondes, but I will say give this a go and pick it up if you like funny, mystery with a twist of the undead, I will be picking the rest in the series up when they come as I did enjoy it and I will be waiting to see what happens to a certain blonde. (I may secretly be wishing for something different to the main consensus, but hey a girl can dream, who knows maybe I will warm to him in number two, we could always take a sauna together, I will just have to be mindful of the pages wilting.)

Toni follows her family tradition of being a necromancer, raising the dead to talk to them. Her brother is a policeman and she sometimes helps him with Murder cases by talking to the victim.
Her new best friend is dead, her boyfriend is a vampire and there is a vampire turf war......
An excellent start to a new series, a mix of the paranormal, romance and a touch of humour. I am really looking forward to the next book in the series and can highly recommend this book for those who enjoy paranormal romances.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of this book.

Heads up to all fans of True Blood and Buffy, our new favorite heroine is here, she's a necromancer, and she's kind of a hot mess! Estate agent by day, zombie-raising necromancer by night, Toni is straggling along in a world where vampires have been unveiled - but while they've been embraced in Europe, the USA is a stake-on-sight zone. When her cozy English countryside begins to bustle with import vamps, her life gets a little out of control! I absolutely flew through this fun and frothy urban fantasy and can't wait for more in the series!

A good and fun start to a new series. Toni is a necromancer, who can raise the dead. Works great to help out her cop brother, to ask the bodies who killed them. Her best new friend is a 250 year old zombie, and she is dating a vampire. What is not to like? Highly recommend.

Absolutely wonderful witty book! This series could easily be a runaway best seller. Cross Charlaine Harris and Mary Janice Davidson and you’ve got this book, Going to be a great series, a fun filled, laugh out loud page turner. Can’t wait for the next one.