#Review - Dead to Me (Grave Talker #1) by Annie Anderson #Fantasy

Series: Grave Talker # 1
Format: Kindle, 286 pages
Release Date: November 2nd 2020
Publisher: Annie Anderson
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Meet Darby. Coffee addict. Homicide detective. Oh, and she can see ghosts, too...

There are only three rules in Darby Adler's life.
One: Don't talk to the dead in front of the living.
Two: Stay off the Arcane Bureau of Investigation's radar.
Three: Don't forget rules one and two.

With a murderer desperate for Darby's attention and an ABI agent in town, things are about to get mighty interesting in Haunted Peak, TN.

Dead to Me is the first installment in author Annie Anderson's Grave Talker series. Detective Darby Adler works for the Haunted Peak, Tennessee police department. For the past 3 weeks, she's been involved in solving a trio of murderers. What makes her so good? She can see and speak to the dead. Her partner, Jeremiah Cooper, has no ideas of her talents. Until Darby's former high school nemesis, Blair Simpkins, ends up dead, holding Darby's business card. 

Darby only has three rules: 1 - Never have a conversation with the dead in front of the living; 2 - Don't bring attention to yourself or you'll find out that the Arcane Bureau of Investigations will be knocking on your door. 3. Never forget rules 1 and 2. Which makes things difficult when Special Agent Bishop La Roux shows up and takes an interest in her current case. Who has the ability to gain access to Darby's desk in order to leave a business card on a dead body?

What's even more disturbing is that Darby is the only person who is able to see the sigils carved into Blair's chest which appear to have been caused by a sharp knife. What's even more disturbing is that Darby's family is totally screwed up. Her father is the Assistant District Attorney, her mother is allegedly dead, and she has a ghost named Hildy who may, or may not be a grave talker like Darby and her grandfather. 

Darby’s supernatural abilities and the circumstances surrounding the murder were intriguing. But she is untrained and clueless. Not knowing much about what she really can do, only hurts her in the long run. The deeper we go, the more we uncover. The deeper the story goes, the more we learn that Darby has made some interesting friends among the witches and vampires who she has managed to protect while keeping her own secrets a secret. The all important cliffhanger ending, no, I'm actually kidding about being important. Something happens that puts Darby into the light of day in a very big way and it costs her. What it costs her will obviously continue into the next installment in this series. This book stood on its own two feet without any romantic entanglements but I am pretty sure that things will change soon. 

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