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The dead call to Jude, but his heart belongs to Angel—and the shadows threaten to unmake them all.
Former homicide Detective Jude Holt is working to get a handle on his necromancy, connect with his new SED team, and bond with his fated mate and partner, Angel. But when a dark force from his past resurfaces, a volatile new magic awakens inside him—one that threatens to consume everything and everyone he loves.

Angel Mao swore to protect his fated mate, even from himself. But as a shadow god targets Jude, using a familiar face to tear open the Veil, their bond becomes their only shield. Now, Jude must master his magic without letting it destroy the man at his side.

To save their future, Jude may have to make a deal with the very shadows that want to destroy it.

Seeing ghosts got me promoted to the spooky cops. My new partner is a scorching-hot shifter who communicates mostly in glares and warning rumbles. He's grumpy, I'm a supernatural lightning rod, and our team-up is a recipe for chaos. My new cryptid crew is lovely, though they all look at me like I'm their next meal.

422 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 27, 2026

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About the author

Lissa Kasey

75 books677 followers
Lissa Kasey is Ace/Aro and ENBY. Lissa's storytelling specializes in in-depth characters, detailed world building, sweet and spicy romance, and twisting plots to keep you clinging to the page.

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Community Reviews

5 stars
171 (57%)
4 stars
86 (29%)
3 stars
29 (9%)
2 stars
7 (2%)
1 star
3 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
Profile Image for Achim.
1,320 reviews85 followers
May 4, 2026
3.5
Status: still complicated. After I accepted that I don't get the complete dystopian experience but only a dystopian setup with the appropriate vibes, it became a nice shifter romance with a lot of action and after a certain point it also became emotional in a dramatic way, which was nice until it dragged a bit (I'm still irritated about a magical fax in purgatory; in the end it didn't add to the story). So I would probably rounded the 3.5 up into 4 if not for Jude and his self-sacrificing tendency, his insecurity and his animosity of his magic. There are also other supporting characters who I didn't get completely, like Jude's little brother who's acting like the teen he is until Jude needs him to be an old soul.

So while I have issues with some characters and the length of the book, I liked the story itself quite nicely, I even enjoyed a lot of parts … so: still complicated and on resubmission when the next book will be published.
Profile Image for Beagle Lover (Avid Reader).
638 reviews54 followers
April 9, 2026
5 paranormal stars! ***Mild spoilers!!***

The second book of the trilogy. Much better than the first.

Jude and Angel battle numerous dangerous enemies in this fast-paced and well plotted book. Jude is a necromancer, but in this book he discoveres he has additional powers that a dark force from his past wants to harness for itself.

Angel is Jude's heart and soulmate. He is Jude's fated mate and has sworn to do anything to protect him. But when a shadow god rips open the Veil, their bond is the only hope they have to save themselves...and the world.

Jude must now master his new magic to save the man he loves as well as their team. But to do this, Jude might have to agree to a deal with the shadow god that seeks to destroy everyone's futures.

Written with excellent prose, this book has something for everyone. Different realms, living corpses, deceit, changelings, and possible extermination of everyone in the Earthly realm.

The world building is great, considering the differing worlds in the plot. The characters are more fleshed out in this book and the dialogue is still sincere and laced with Jude's snark.

But as Jude and Angel's bond weakens, will Jude's new magic be able to save everyone? Can he find a way to regain his bond with Angel and the team? I encourage you to read this book to discover the answers to those questions. It really is a non-stop thrill ride!
Profile Image for Fiona Tewson.
98 reviews4 followers
February 27, 2026
Oh my goodness! This book is the second in the Beyond the Veil Mystery series and what a book! It's darker than book 1 (I found myself wiping tears from my eyes with this) and I felt so much for Jude and Angel!

Jude is struggling finding out how to work the powers he's found he's got and Angel acts as his anchor, helping him to understand more. Jude's brother and grandfather also play an important part in Jude's life and he tries to be there for them all. Jude and Angel's relationship is still new and they are both trying to come to terms with it.

I actually can't wait to read book 3, I need to know everything is okay and that Jude and Angel get an HEA.
Profile Image for Choyang.
642 reviews4 followers
March 20, 2026
'Grave Intentions' (A Beyond the Veil Mystery, #2) written by Lissa Kasey (Kindle)

March 2026

Wow, this is right in my wheelhouse! I mean, you've got your necromancer (who is unconsciously hiding at least one secret talent), a gorgeous and grumpy cat-shifter (with some intriguing paranormal friends & connections), a dragon-cat familiar (with a few secrets of his own), a younger brother (also a shifter, highly intelligent and able to bring his own kind of intelligence to the table).

Then there's that pesky dead ex-lover of Jude-the-necromancer, who's popping in & out of, and ripping holes in, the fabric of "reality" seemingly wallowing in a vicious off-the-charts revenge mode, not to mention his serial killer tendancies ...(yeah, that could be a problem).

Basically I liked most of Jude & Angel's paranormal investigative team, except for Ezra, who has some kind of stick-up-his-arse against Jude, even to the point of wishing him dead! (wtf?)
Is he jealous, does he secretly want the shifter, Angel, for himself? Or is it some other kind of distrust against Jude? I don't trust Ezra.

This whole storyline (two books so far) reminds me of a rootin'-tootin' wild west showdown, the good guys vs the bad guys! But then add in the freaky paranormal "The Veil" between worlds and the creatures it harbors. All of a sudden you've got yourself a wild ride on a buckin' bronco of a clash between disparate worlds of realities, and, "Boy Howdy!" it's one hell-a ride!

Great world-building and great characters, in a creepy, spooky, dangerous paranormal series in a fight to fix the broken things (mend reality?), or destroy the world...what's it gonna be?
~~~~~~~~~~~~•♠︎•♠︎•♠︎•~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Spoiler:
This ends on a cliff-hanger... (are you surprised? not me...snarky? you betcha!)
~~~~~~~•♠︎•~~~•♠︎•~~~•♠︎•~~~~~~~

Book three comes out in October 2026 and I can't wait! Great series!

Two thumbs up! 👍👍
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Gina Marie ~books are my drug of choice~.
287 reviews7 followers
April 26, 2026
Bit of everything

This book, this entire series, holds just about everthing you could want from a series of urban fantasy series. Shifters, vampires, demigods, fae, reapers, practitioners, old gods, multiverses in existence (takes place in two primarily that everyone on earth knows about and can see and visit), demigod with a god complex, saving the world, fated mates this series has all this and I'm sure more.

This is book two in the series and I can't wait for book 3. Storylines began in book one are mostly solved by the end of book two while new issues and goals begin. The main characters have a slow burn but soul deep connection. They both have feelings but responsibilities keep things moving slower than they wish. To keep the deep themes from becoming overwhelming and pushing the book into horror is humor and a full cast of secondary characters. An unknown teen brother to raise, a fat cat named Peanut Butter, a booktoting, fae dragon who is a cat or tattoo most of the time, a reaper, a couple of demigods, so much more.

I stayed awake for over 24 hours to binge books one and two. It was that good. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves, snark, found family, surviving bad family of origin and thriving, emotional intimacy, unselfish love.
Profile Image for SNik.
754 reviews23 followers
February 28, 2026
Second in series (A Beyond the Veil Mystery), must be read in order. Paranormal. Fated mates. Coworkers. Established couple. Found family. POC representation. Single POV, with some dual POV. Heed content warnings. Cliffhanger.

Picking up directly after the end of book 1, Angel and Jude are navigating their new bond and Jude’s growing powers. The discovery of more veil tears and ritualistic murders ramps up the fight against the shadow god, and at the same time Jude’s powers are expanding, sometimes uncontrollably.

In this addition to the series there is plenty of action, steamy times, relationship hiccups, and found family support (and sometimes nonsupport). There’s so much going on that while entertaining and page turning, I wish we had some more on page time with Jude’s brother, grandfather and best friend. However, the Angel and Jude moments were really special and that relationship grew exponentially stronger and was super swoony. A lot happens at the end with a major cliffhanger, so hopefully we get the next book soon to see how it all plays out. I'm really enjoying this series. 4.5 rounded up
Profile Image for Fernanda  Morsch.
97 reviews2 followers
May 3, 2026
O primeiro foi muito bom. No entanto, esse segundo ficou uma mistura que desandou. Não fez sentido ele ser classificado como necromante para ser outra coisa, sem nome definido, e todos continuarem chamando-o disso. Não faz sentido. Nem a autora sabe o que ele é. Além disso, do meio para o fim, depois da morte dele, não gostei. Ficou uma coisa muito confusa, cheia de informações, mas com explicações superficiais. Afinal, se ele vê linhas da vida, como raios ele é preto e vermelho na classificação? Esse sistema de classificação, por exemplo, poderia ter sido melhor explicado. A autora poderia ter investido mais na rotina policial, porque, sinceramente, nenhum personagem parece policial, somente no começo do primeiro volume que chegou perto disso. Toda vez pensava que era um grupo de desajustados sobrenaturais do que profissionais da área. Acho que a autora precisava pesquisar mais antes de escrever. Sinceramente, estou mais interessada na história do Ivan e do Xavier no futuro do que neles. Não vou continuar.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Molly Otto.
1,584 reviews33 followers
February 27, 2026
well buckle up folks, book two of Beyond the Veil is gonna throw you through the emotional rollercoaster you soon won't forget. Jude & Angel are slowly coming to terms of their bond while trying to figure all that Jude is capable of. More entities are on the horizon to take control of Jude and his power, leaving the team for the fight of survival. Just when you think you have a clue what is going on more goes down that will tear you down and eventually give you hope that in the conclusion of the trilogy they will find their peace. You find more of the others in their lives, some good, some not so good, but together as a team they will fight and find their well earned peace. I appreciate that yes this is fated mates, but that doesn't make them instantly fall for one another, it takes time and care to build their bond. I am sitting on the edge of my seat to see how this trilogy concludes.
Profile Image for Jessica.
377 reviews18 followers
March 5, 2026
Woooooooo!!! wow, I have so many feelings about this book right now.
While I enjoy fated mates books and insta-obsession, I hate insta-love. Jude and Angel have the perfect balance with acknowledging that they haven't known each other for long, despite having strong feelings developing. They do end up saying they love each other, but it didn't feel rushed. The little bits of friction between the team and the outside world add to the overreaching plot without feeling distracting. I LOVE Ivan and grandpa in Jude's life (though I'd have liked to have seen a bit more of him). Jude's sacrifice gutted me, so well written. I am all in for the "resolution" and I am super excited for the storyline possibilities
October feels like a lifetime away, but I am grateful to not have to wait until next year.
dual pov
1st P
no b/u
"death" of a main character (sort of)
violence, abusive ex in a cult
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Marion.
1,941 reviews
March 13, 2026
This is the second book in the A Beyond the Veil Mystery series. Because of the continuing storyline, this series must be read in order. The story continues with Jude Holt, Angel Mao and the SED team. Jude is trying to learn how to control his rapidly growing magic while still being a good big brother. Angel is focused on keeping Jude safe and happy. The team is their to back them up. This book has lots of action along with plenty of twists and turns. It is an emotional roller coaster that you will love. This is their story. I received a complementary advanced review copy of this book from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review. The book is well written and easy to read. I loved watching their partnership and relationship grow. This is a great book. I am so looking forward to the next book in this series. I can't wait to see how everything gets wrapped up.
Profile Image for Yuli Atta.
1,067 reviews97 followers
March 12, 2026
I’m very sad to put this on the DNF shelf however I had a couple of pretty big issues with it.

After loving the first book I was eagerly awaiting this sequel only for it to have some pretty weird writing and slight inconsistencies.

My issues:

1. Jude reads like a woman. I have no idea how else to put this but if I didn’t know he were a man I’d be convinced he’s a woman. The way he speaks, the way other characters treat him, the way his own partner treats him, everything feels like Jude was supposed to be a female main character of a romantasy novel. I didn’t pick up on the same vibes in the first book so between that one and this one something changed.

2. Ivan’s mate. I suspected Xavier was his mate and was hoping that he wouldn’t be because Ivan is a teenager, I’m pretty sure he’s under the age of 18. The author could have chosen to make him any age, 18, 21, older, anything, but no, she went for 16. The line that made me DNF was as follows
Angel was thinking about Xavier right after he found out that he is Ivan’s mate:
“Was Ivan the first? And tone he couldn’t yet have?”

Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew.
Maybe I’m just too asexual for this shit.
Make it less dodgy. I don’t care if they “won’t do anything yet”. Ew.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Cynthia M Brow.
1,463 reviews20 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
February 24, 2026
Grave Intentions is the second book in the A Beyond the Veil Mystery series. This series is ment to be read in order because of a continuing story arc. We are back with Jude, Angel, and the team for more of the story. Oh my goodness, this story just gets better and better. I couldn't put this book down once I started it. This book has so much going on that I know I will reread it to see what I missed the first time. This book is a bit darker but so good. I can't wait for the next book. Is it to early to start begging for the next book. I would definitely recommend this book and series as 5 star reads.
received a free review copy
Profile Image for Becky A.
2,101 reviews
March 6, 2026
"Grave Intentions" received FOUR stars.

Can’t wait for the next one! ❤️

The novel gained *stars* for these items:

* gained for: "The book caught my interest in the first five pages."

* gained for: "I thought about the book when I was forced to set it down and re-enter society."

* gained for: "There were no info dumps, poor writing, or copy edit mistakes that jerked me out of the story."

* gained for: "I was sad when the book ended. I wanted more!"

The novel failed to gain stars for this item:

NO STAR gained for: "That's it. I'm hooked on this author. I will automatically try anything she/he/they writes."

Profile Image for Stacy.
49 reviews
March 8, 2026
I have been anxiously awaiting this sequel since I finished the first in the series.
Am I now anxiously awaiting the next book due to the ending of the sequel? Yes.
Did I stay up well past my bedtime to finish this book? Also yes.

This series has a great balance of plot vs romance and this book was particularly devastating to my delicate emotions for large periods of time. And yet, I have recommended it to every friend who reads this genre. It's only fair that I drag them down with me.

I will absolutely be continuing this series.
Profile Image for read b00ks.
119 reviews9 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
February 21, 2026
Sooo good. This was an emotional rollercoaster I was unprepared for. It's a direct continuation of book 1. The stakes get higher, a few things get revealed, and a gigantic wrench is thrown into the middle of all their best efforts. I love the big cast of characters and the emotional slow burn between Jude and Angel even when they're already fully committed to each other. Can't wait for the next book!
Profile Image for K-Me.
3,046 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
February 27, 2026
I love me a good story with a detective who can see dead people! There are some magical twists and turns in this one putting Jude in danger. I appreciated Angel being quite protective of Jude and just wanting to keep him safe. But some things are beyond their abilities. But Jude is finding out he might be more magical and powerful than he thought. Jude and Angel are still getting even close despite other powers trying to pull them apart. Cannot wait for the conclusion!
Profile Image for Demetra Roussakis.
1,614 reviews15 followers
February 28, 2026
Noooooo. Why is it over. This was soooo fricking good. Jude and Angel are getting closer and they are trying to figure out what is going on. With Erlik trying to take over the different dimensions, it is a race against time to stop with. This was a really emotional book with lots of action and some heartbreak. I cannot wait to read the next book to see what happens next. I highly recommend this series and you will not be disappointed.
30 reviews
March 9, 2026
Grave intentions

The mystery continues.. it's about time that Jude became a stronger Ally the bond between he and Angel proves to be full of love and strength; while working together to bring down Irlick. I'm so ready for the third book I couldn't put the book down until I got tired then I woke and was ready for more now I have to wait till 2026 of October such a long wait but well worth it
Profile Image for Jandee.
935 reviews3 followers
March 27, 2026
I'm still crushing on Jude so hard!

This story is so cool! All the different kinds of magic and magical beings is fascinating. I love Jude, and his little brother Ivy, and his Peanut Butter and Nox. He's so perfect together with Angel. They're both so dang funny.
This story broke me and made cry my heart out. Jude is such a sweetheart, trying to keep everyone safe. I'm so happy the story isn't over but I need the next book already!!
Lissa Kasey is a genius.
Profile Image for Christy.
4,591 reviews126 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
January 15, 2026
WOW! I didn’t think the author could get better than book one, but they have. Now, for those of you purists out there, this is the second book, and it’s darker which leads to a little more personal angst for Jude plus not quite as much snarky humor. Never fear, though. He’s there.
Now, I wonder what’s an acceptable amount of time to bug the author for book three?
Profile Image for Raven and Chris.
3,446 reviews29 followers
February 27, 2026
I love these characters. Jude and Angel are so perfect together. The whole idea/universe of this series is fascinating. I’m not happy about this book though. I don’t know if I can handle the rest of this or not. I did enjoy it but my heart is not 100% happy. Together these two are a force to be reckoned with. I have faith the author will solve all of this but I am on the edge of my seat.
Profile Image for Lee Hall.
1,331 reviews7 followers
March 5, 2026
Angel and Jude

What an exhilarating story! The tears in the veil are growing and Angel and Jude are in the thick of it. Now our heroes have more to learn about themselves as well as the evil that is forcing their way into our reality. This book was incredible! I’m really looking forward to reading the next book in this series! Highly Recommended
Profile Image for Paige Orr.
78 reviews3 followers
March 10, 2026
What. The. Hell. 😭 I immediately jumped into this book after finishing the first one expecting to be laughing along with Jude’s usual sarcasm and quick wit but instead I’m CRYING real actual tears. Ugh I need book 3 asap I can’t stand not knowing what’s going to happen. I love Jude and Angel so much and I need them to be together and okay.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Donna.
3,449 reviews41 followers
March 14, 2026
Murphy's Law reigned supreme in this one. If it could go wrong... it did! 😭

The story ended with quite the unsolvable quandary in search of an impossible solution... but, hey... Jude and Angel have survived the unsurvable before... so, I won't give up on them now!

But, the wait until October is going to be unbearable... grrr
10 reviews
March 1, 2026
Never reading this again jsyk

The last 10 or so chapters made me cry harder than I've have cried in literal years. One of the best books I've ever read, but I'm never reading this again :')

Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
World-building: 🌎🌎🌎🌎
Romance: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Profile Image for J Aron Braide.
309 reviews
Read
March 6, 2026
A solid addition to the series. I especially liked how the author bravely took the characters into an unexpected direction by the end of the book. A tad slow in parts, but overall, I really enjoyed it.
Profile Image for T.A.
680 reviews
March 20, 2026
WOW

Jude and Angel have a lot of things going on wrong, from the military trying to take Jude because of his gifts expanding, to Jude dying. The author almost broke my heart no, but the fixed it in the end.
I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait for the next one.
Profile Image for Derrick W Ross.
83 reviews1 follower
May 12, 2026
Be ready for a rollercoaster ride

Couldn't put it down. Often scared the you know what out of me. Dying to see a resolution to all the threads of this story. Once the it gets it's claws into you, you'll want the resolution too.

Profile Image for Spooky M Rose.
146 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
February 25, 2026
This was everything I needed in the next book. I hate the cliffhanger but it was amazing to read this. The mystery and drama. It left me on the edge of my seat.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews