A Grim Reaper's Guide to Catching a Killer

A SCYTHE Mystery

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.

©2024 Maxie Dara (P)2024 Penguin Audio

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

Judged a book by its cover and wasn’t disappointed

Got this during an Audible sale as I thought the title was cute. Did not disappoint! Loved the older than usual main character and her misadventure with a soul. Many laughs, tears, and cheers were made during my listen. 10/10 would recommend!

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!

delightfully funny!

I love a light hearted book like this that will make me laugh. it's fun and the performance was great!

oh my emotions

this was such a good read. i’m 100% ready for book 2. Had my emotions all up in arms lol

Completely Unexpected and Wonderfully Great

I have no idea why I chose this book. It is outside of my regular genres, but my goodness I am so glad I did. The story was intriguing, humorous, and kept my attention throughout.
I highly recommend this book, it is well worth reading / listening to. The narration is full of life adding to the great story. I hope there is a book 2 coming soon.

no cliches

The book had suspense, excitement, and paranormal. But the story was beautifully human without being too sentimental, and I love the unlikely heroes. I would have liked better details about how the "swat team" got called in.

Come on, Grim, get over yourself!

This was a fun idea with its unique corporate 'grim reaper' concept. I enjoyed the dead kid Connor's personality. There were a number of laughs, especially from him and his interactions with 'Grim' ( as he calls her). But the main protagonist, 'Collections Agent Kathy' had waaaay too much angst. It got a little old...no a LOT old. Fast. By Chapter 10 I wanted to smack her. Also, I've never known a pregnant woman with so many pregnancy-related issues who didn't end up diagnosed with the kind of problems that REQUIRED mama to stay in in bed for the remaining months. How was she able to chase around town investigating a murder if they were that bad? So, all that came across as angst, too. Or hypochondria. The narrator was pretty good, although I hated her choice of voice characterization for Kathy's husband. Overall, I thought it was okay, but I don't think I could sit through it a second time, which means buying a copy was kind of a waste. It also leaves me with grave doubts about my interest in a sequel.

Couldn't put it down

This books is exactly what you need to get out of a reading slump. It's heartwarmingly funny and so relatable at times and the ending was beautiful.