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Caitlin Ross #1
The Unquiet Grave
Alternate cover edition for 9781476163024
When Caitlin Ross books her band at the new pub in town, the rest of the group is thrilled. She regrets it the second she sets foot inside. An expensive remodel can’t hide the owner’s rudeness or the vile atmosphere. When no one else notices, she wonders if she’s crazy—until a ghost’s appearance at the end of the second set forces her to confront a secret she’s been keeping for years. Caitlin’s a Witch, with the power to perceive things others can’t. An unbearable choice drove her to trade magic for a mundane life, and she wants nothing to do with the unseen world.
As she struggles to maintain a normal life, Caitlin discovers the ghost isn’t the only problem at the pub. The site is the center of local legends and mysterious disappearances. Investigating further, Caitlin uncovers secrets, lies, and a web of dark magic set to strangle the town she’s learned to call home. She can prevent chaos from ripping friends and families apart only if she chooses magic over her own safety and makes a bargain she’s been running from for years. The power is hers to claim. The price: an unthinkable sacrifice.
“Finally! An Urban Fantasy that gets magic right!”
When Caitlin Ross books her band at the new pub in town, the rest of the group is thrilled. She regrets it the second she sets foot inside. An expensive remodel can’t hide the owner’s rudeness or the vile atmosphere. When no one else notices, she wonders if she’s crazy—until a ghost’s appearance at the end of the second set forces her to confront a secret she’s been keeping for years. Caitlin’s a Witch, with the power to perceive things others can’t. An unbearable choice drove her to trade magic for a mundane life, and she wants nothing to do with the unseen world.
As she struggles to maintain a normal life, Caitlin discovers the ghost isn’t the only problem at the pub. The site is the center of local legends and mysterious disappearances. Investigating further, Caitlin uncovers secrets, lies, and a web of dark magic set to strangle the town she’s learned to call home. She can prevent chaos from ripping friends and families apart only if she chooses magic over her own safety and makes a bargain she’s been running from for years. The power is hers to claim. The price: an unthinkable sacrifice.
“Finally! An Urban Fantasy that gets magic right!”
- GenresFantasy
ebook
First published August 8, 2012
68 people want to read
About the author
Katherine Lampe
9 books28 followersShe remembers being in the woods one time with two others. Something about this frightened her, so she ran away. When she tripped over a rotten log, a large spider ran across it. She screamed, and the others laughed. Eventually, she made it back to the house.
She believes this happened at the lake house that was sold when she was three, but some have assured her that the house did not look like that and the event never took place.
She believes this happened at the lake house that was sold when she was three, but some have assured her that the house did not look like that and the event never took place.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 16, 2015
I have to say, I didn't know what to expect from The Unquiet Grave. I knew of Katherine Lampe from social media and her blog. Her writing there was always well done and insightful. I hesitated to buy the books only because of the covers, which I know should never define a book. I am ashamed to admit it now, but I want to confess to this in case others hesitate for the same reason. I wondered if the story would feel real. I want to assure readers that the quality within the pages of The Unquiet Grave exceeded what is usually found in traditionally published books. The characters, both good and bad, feel real and memorable. The author balances well the need to inform those new to paganism and the need to keep the story exciting for those already familiar with it. And The Unquiet Grave *is* exciting! It builds slowly at first, but the slow build is necessary to prepare everyone for the last quarter of the book which will not let you put it down. I plan to send two copies of The Unquiet Grave to friends I know will enjoy it, as well as purchase the next in the series for myself. I hope Katherine Lampe continues to write many more books. Her voice is unique and important in this genre.
November 19, 2012
Fun, well-written novel with a compelling ghostly mystery to solve. The main characters have an established marriage and work well as a magical and investigative team. The sense of place is really strong. A bit unusual for a paranormal fantasy in my experience, the magic is based on modern pagan/Wiccan/shamanic practices rather than vampire and werewolf mythology. If you like your entertainment reading to teach you stuff, you'll appreciate the Celtic music references (I hope a future edition of the book will come with a mix CD :) and learning how to read Tarot cards.
Disclaimer: Katherine Lampe is a good friend. That means I approach her work in a positive frame of mind. But I'm also a demanding reader, and I wouldn't recommend her work if it didn't live up to my standards.
Disclaimer: Katherine Lampe is a good friend. That means I approach her work in a positive frame of mind. But I'm also a demanding reader, and I wouldn't recommend her work if it didn't live up to my standards.
March 15, 2013
What makes this book so wonderful is her wonderful characterizations as well as a plot that has just enough complexity and surprises that you want to turn the pages until you find out what happens next. I stayed up way to late reading this.
July 27, 2014
The Unquiet Grave is the first in the Caitlin Ross series of books.
Wait, what?
Followers of Katherine Lampe or of my reviews on Author Alliance will probably remember that I reviewed The Parting Glass a few months ago. That book was the story of how Caitlin and her husband Timber met. Technically, it was the beginning of their story. Yet it is actually Book 4 in the series. The Unquiet Grave is book 1.
We meet Caitlin and Timber years after The Parting Glass. They've left Boulder and have now settled in Gondorosa. Caitlin has renounced magic after a particularly bad time that we don't learn about until the end of the book. She and Timber are happy, but for Timber's part, he isn't all that keen on the fact that Caitlin has renounced a part of her very soul.
The book begins with Red Branch, Caitlin and Timber's band, playing a gig at a new pub, The Emerald Isle. When Caitlin goes through the door, she's hit with a presence so strong it knocks her back. The pub is the site of long held problems and has only recently been reopened under a new owner, Sean Casey.
The Unquiet Grave follows events that led to the pub's poor reputation, all traced back to a demon, bound long ago to that place. Caitlin is the only one who can put an end to the evil and prevent the demon from wreaking havoc on the world. But to do this, she must accept the truth of who she is. She's a witch and magic is a part of her.
It's no secret that I'm a fan of Katherine Lampe. This book did not disappoint me. While I did prefer The Parting Glass, it was only because as a writer, Katherine has improved from this book to that one. Four books will do that. That said, this book is a brilliant first book in the series. I'm still in love with these characters. In fact, I struggled to finish the book for several days because I did not want it to end. You see, Ms. Lampe has done such a good job with the characters that when I finish a Caitlin Ross book, I tend to dream about her and Timber for a few days. I worry about them. There are only a few authors who can do that for me.
Well written, with only a few minor editing issues, this is an excellent book and I cannot recommend it and the Caitlin Ross series enough.
Wait, what?
Followers of Katherine Lampe or of my reviews on Author Alliance will probably remember that I reviewed The Parting Glass a few months ago. That book was the story of how Caitlin and her husband Timber met. Technically, it was the beginning of their story. Yet it is actually Book 4 in the series. The Unquiet Grave is book 1.
We meet Caitlin and Timber years after The Parting Glass. They've left Boulder and have now settled in Gondorosa. Caitlin has renounced magic after a particularly bad time that we don't learn about until the end of the book. She and Timber are happy, but for Timber's part, he isn't all that keen on the fact that Caitlin has renounced a part of her very soul.
The book begins with Red Branch, Caitlin and Timber's band, playing a gig at a new pub, The Emerald Isle. When Caitlin goes through the door, she's hit with a presence so strong it knocks her back. The pub is the site of long held problems and has only recently been reopened under a new owner, Sean Casey.
The Unquiet Grave follows events that led to the pub's poor reputation, all traced back to a demon, bound long ago to that place. Caitlin is the only one who can put an end to the evil and prevent the demon from wreaking havoc on the world. But to do this, she must accept the truth of who she is. She's a witch and magic is a part of her.
It's no secret that I'm a fan of Katherine Lampe. This book did not disappoint me. While I did prefer The Parting Glass, it was only because as a writer, Katherine has improved from this book to that one. Four books will do that. That said, this book is a brilliant first book in the series. I'm still in love with these characters. In fact, I struggled to finish the book for several days because I did not want it to end. You see, Ms. Lampe has done such a good job with the characters that when I finish a Caitlin Ross book, I tend to dream about her and Timber for a few days. I worry about them. There are only a few authors who can do that for me.
Well written, with only a few minor editing issues, this is an excellent book and I cannot recommend it and the Caitlin Ross series enough.
February 12, 2016
My impressions:
I stumbled upon this book by accident. I felt worn to a frazzle after the Yule period full of false cheerfulness, a lot of hustle and bustle combined with overwhelming boredom (my ordinary state of mind in the end of December and early January) so I asked on Twitter for suggestions of a Wiccan/pagan novel – nothing stirs my inner pagan better than Xmass. I was given that title, I went to Goodreads, checked it out and I decided to give it a chance, especially as it was available for free. It was a good decision.
I approached the novel without any expectations whatsoever which was good. At the very beginning I became more than pleased by the simple fact that the main female lead, Caitlin, was already happily married. It boded so well – no freaking romance! The plot I found very sensibly paced, neither too slow nor too fast but it kept me interested all the way. Then Breda Ni Fhearraigh was introduced and my opinion of the author and the book soared even higher. Breda was a nice-looking girl but she clearly had that metaphorical second bottom I adore in my literary characters. Caitlin of course wasn’t that bad either and I have to mention a sentient being called Tintri Fionn who also managed to win me over even if he/it (?) wasn’t exactly that nice. I don’t want to spoil anything for you; let me just mention that there are almost no baddies in this book, everybody, even a demon, is three-dimensional and somehow humane.
Any complaints? I admit there were too many infodumps concerning witches, magic, tarot and ghosts/demons but I didn’t mind as I found them interesting.If you are not such a nerd like me you might find them a bit annoying; still they added to the world build so I suppose they weren’t very bad. I also noticed some typos good editing would have eliminated but not many of them (three at most).
Final verdict:
One of better UF books, self-published or otherwise, I’ve read for a very long time. If you don’t mind magic, witches and demons in your fantasy you should read it. What’s more, it is available for free .
I stumbled upon this book by accident. I felt worn to a frazzle after the Yule period full of false cheerfulness, a lot of hustle and bustle combined with overwhelming boredom (my ordinary state of mind in the end of December and early January) so I asked on Twitter for suggestions of a Wiccan/pagan novel – nothing stirs my inner pagan better than Xmass. I was given that title, I went to Goodreads, checked it out and I decided to give it a chance, especially as it was available for free. It was a good decision.
I approached the novel without any expectations whatsoever which was good. At the very beginning I became more than pleased by the simple fact that the main female lead, Caitlin, was already happily married. It boded so well – no freaking romance! The plot I found very sensibly paced, neither too slow nor too fast but it kept me interested all the way. Then Breda Ni Fhearraigh was introduced and my opinion of the author and the book soared even higher. Breda was a nice-looking girl but she clearly had that metaphorical second bottom I adore in my literary characters. Caitlin of course wasn’t that bad either and I have to mention a sentient being called Tintri Fionn who also managed to win me over even if he/it (?) wasn’t exactly that nice. I don’t want to spoil anything for you; let me just mention that there are almost no baddies in this book, everybody, even a demon, is three-dimensional and somehow humane.
Any complaints? I admit there were too many infodumps concerning witches, magic, tarot and ghosts/demons but I didn’t mind as I found them interesting.If you are not such a nerd like me you might find them a bit annoying; still they added to the world build so I suppose they weren’t very bad. I also noticed some typos good editing would have eliminated but not many of them (three at most).
Final verdict:
One of better UF books, self-published or otherwise, I’ve read for a very long time. If you don’t mind magic, witches and demons in your fantasy you should read it. What’s more, it is available for free .
January 1, 2014
It was a very interesting read indeed. Even though the location was compact, and the characters limited, the plot was complex. The main plot point was interesting enough to make me obsess over it and I couldn't stop at times, which meant I stayed up till 4 in the morning. There are many intelligent verses regarding the inner working of the main character's mind, through which the author makes you think about the human nature.
I also loved that the author, very meticulously, tied off all the lose ends and answered all the questions. The characters were all very interesting and very consistent. I hate it when writers can't maintain the continuity in their character.
On the negative side I would say it could have been around 10% shorter. At times I skipped over a few details of how the room looked like(for example). I wouldn't go on to say that it was a drag at any point though.
All in all, a good read. Wouldn't recommending getting it if you have anything important to do early mornings, because you won't be able to stop reading it :p
P.S. Either the book is VERY VERY VERY well researched or the author is a witch herself :D
I also loved that the author, very meticulously, tied off all the lose ends and answered all the questions. The characters were all very interesting and very consistent. I hate it when writers can't maintain the continuity in their character.
On the negative side I would say it could have been around 10% shorter. At times I skipped over a few details of how the room looked like(for example). I wouldn't go on to say that it was a drag at any point though.
All in all, a good read. Wouldn't recommending getting it if you have anything important to do early mornings, because you won't be able to stop reading it :p
P.S. Either the book is VERY VERY VERY well researched or the author is a witch herself :D
November 9, 2012
Well, it's about time! This is the first book I have read that strips all of the pretensions and flag-waiving out of Urban Fantasy, portraying the kind of characters and use of magic that a reader can actually believe might be taking place in their own neighborhood. The characters are exceptionally well developed and are grounded in the real world with real world habits and motivations. The fact that most of the book deals with the exercise of thought and deduction only emphasizes the later application of Caitlin Ross's pragmatic approach to magic. Modern pagans will delight in Caitlin's acerbic attitude toward ceremonialism as well as her belief in common courtesy. This book also contains the VERY BEST use of tarot that I have ever seen in print or film.
January 12, 2013
Very well written! Rather than reading a book, I was drawn in by a master storyteller. I felt that I was right there with Caitlin Ross in all of her emotions and activities. Apparently a simple country woman who walked to town for her mail every day and puttered in her garden, then at night played in an Irish band, it turns out that she's actually a bit more than that. Her husband, Timber, works in construction ... and is also more than at first appears. This is a murder mystery with enough twists and character development to keep me enthralled until the storytelling was completed. I highly recommend this book.
January 23, 2013
(Edited, I posted the wrong review earlier, of a different work by the same author!)
I enjoy reading mystery novels and fantasy novels, and this one has elements of both. The characters weren't the run-of-the-mill types often found in these books. (Read one Nora Roberts book.....) They seemed like real people you might know. The characters were not infallible, nor was the plot predictable, so there was genuine suspense. I know a little bit about Paganism, mythology, and Tarot, and I found the information presented in this book to be accurate to what I know.
I would highly recommend this book, and am looking forward to reading more in the Caitlin Ross series!
I enjoy reading mystery novels and fantasy novels, and this one has elements of both. The characters weren't the run-of-the-mill types often found in these books. (Read one Nora Roberts book.....) They seemed like real people you might know. The characters were not infallible, nor was the plot predictable, so there was genuine suspense. I know a little bit about Paganism, mythology, and Tarot, and I found the information presented in this book to be accurate to what I know.
I would highly recommend this book, and am looking forward to reading more in the Caitlin Ross series!
December 19, 2012
What a pleasure to sit down with this story! Is one of those tales you don't want to have end because it's so enjoyable. Lovely and unique combination of Celtic mythology, undeniable magic, music you can just about hear, importance of intent, and even good mystery along the way, overlaying a cozy rural mountain setting. I know I'd want Caitlin Ross as my friend should I happen to meet her. She's well grounded in her beliefs yet open to other possibilities, all the while remaining very much human. I can't wait to start She Moved Through the Fair...and so I think I'll go do that now!
April 9, 2014
Once again, Katherine Lampe has written a beautiful, engrossing story. Her writing is superb, pulling you into Caitlin's life and making you feel everything she is experiencing. I was so drawn to her unique take on magic and demons, and was especially fond of her use of energy and the paranormal (very realistic). I absolutely *adore* the characters, and the end had me completely engrossed. Katherine has a way of writing such unique characters that you feel they *have* to be real. Can't wait to dive into She Moved Through The Fair!
February 26, 2013
My review at Sequential Tart
February 3, 2015
This was a fabulous read, and totally not what I was expecting, either. Great characters with a plot that is simple, but intriguing, keeping me perfectly satisfied until the end.
March 2, 2016
This was a Kindle recommendation and surprisingly I found it to be a pretty good book. I enjoy reading suspense, which was the category under which it was suggested to me. While there were some suspenseful scenes, the book is really more about mysticism, magical rites and the supernatural. It captured my interests from the beginning and once engaged, it was hard to put it down. The character's personas are well developed, as are the imagery in the detailed scenes. One almost gets so observed that they begin to feel the same inner unbalances, turmoils and emotions as our protagonist Caitlin Ross, while she rediscovers her inner most gifts and mistical talents. The story line moves along quickly with a coule of twists, some predictable while others not. Katherine Lampe, an 'indie' goodreads writer, has created a persona which I intend to follow in her subsequent exploits and writings of the Caitlin Ross series.
March 5, 2016
Definitely the best Lampe’s book about Caitlin Ross so far. What I liked most in other books (Celtic songs, the elements of Gaelic) remains and what I liked the least (all these romantic stuff) reduced to minimum (in comparison to Parting Glass). New characters appeared and they are really worth to be mentioned … (beware, spoilers) I liked the way Breda was portrayed as strong, determined, elegant woman who appears to be a loyal friend to Caitlin. The demon is an interesting individual and I’m glad that he appears in the next part. The main heroine is also likeable – she might be more assertive however and she could have saved herself troubles and worries if she had talked sincerely with her husband. Only Timber did not convince me – I had an impression that Caitlin on the one hand loves and feel safe with him but on the other treats him more as a sexual object (all these enthusiastic descriptions how strong, handsome, beasty etc. is he … as he was reducible to the bunch of muscles).
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews