Grave Suspicion

by Aaron Mahnke

Sam Hawthorne has lived a nomadic life, wandering through small midwestern towns for the past two decades. He is known among the people he meets as an oddity and a troublemaker. He has a secret, however; one that has given him the chance to help dozens of people over the years. But that secret has also created a trail, and now someone with violent intentions has begun to follow it.Forced to run for his life, Sam returns to his hometown for the first time since the death of his family. There, Roger Sandbrook, old family friend and local history professor, welcomes him in and gives him aid. Sam quickly learns that he isn’t the only one with secrets, however, and that Roger just might be the only person who can help him.From the tired small towns of the Midwest to the streets of historic Salem, Sam’s journey will carry him through painful memories and across centuries of forgotten history. But as the questions stack up, will he also find the answers he needs?

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Audiobook, Mystery, Fantasy, Supernatural, Horror Thriller

354 pages, Paperback

First published July 3, 2015

About the author

One of the most successful podcast producers in the world, Aaron Mahnke began his career in 2015 with the launch of Lore, which went on to become a breakout hit.

Aside from racking up over 450-million downloads to date, Lore was adapted for two seasons of television on Amazon, and as a three-book set from Penguin Random House. Aaron has also toured extensively, delivering his trademark storytelling experience to thousands of people across the country.

In 2019, Aaron also published his first comic book series, Wellington, through IDW. And in 2021, he launched the first of a new slate of fiction podcasts, beginning with the breakout hit Bridgewater, starring Misha Collins, Melissa Ponzia, Karan Soni, Alan Tudyk, and Tricia Helfer.

Reviews

[Angela · Rating 1 out of 5]

Avoid this book if you want to remain a fan of Aaron and Lore. It reads like a first draft. The characters' actions aren't based on logic, their social interactions are not grounded in reality, the story's pacing is uneven, and it's far too long due to many gratuitous descriptions. The narrative assumes the reader is as unintelligent as the main character (who is so dumb that I'm shocked he's lived as long as he has- even long before the story took place). As a fan of Aaron's podcast and his style of storytelling, I'm extremely disappointed that this is the work he's pushing his audience to buy.

[Zep · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm feeling very conflicted about writing a review. one one hand I want to like it; I like the author's podcast and in general I want to be a nice guy; I feel like criticizing too much is much like beating up on people that can't really fight back. on the other hand, I feel there are some serious flaws. some typos that are kinda nitpicky (e.g opening a door by the nob), but there are also some pretty serious structural problems with the story. meaning, it seems kinda pointless to start a story in the middle of action,have the main character run away under mysterious circumstances in the first 3% of the book... and then tell me virtually the exact same thing in a far longer, more drawn out way to get to 20%. and not really give me any new info. I find that terribly frustrating. I'm finding the characters to be too... extreme. the 'bad guys' are the epitome of bad. they kick kittens, they leer, they spit at random and have no redeeming qualities in the least. the good guys are complete Mary Sues, without a hint of flaws in any aspect (or if they do have a flaw it's that they care too much and can't stop themselves from righting wrongs. it can not stand). this seems to exist in a very black and white world and I can't understand the way most of these people react... someone kicks in your door and scrawls a message in blood... why would you NOT call the police? doubly so if a murder is involved. it just extends well past my ability to suspend disbelief, I suppose.

I continued... and frankly it seemed to get worse the farther I got in.

so many things to this story just didn't fit well for me. and I never do well with all powerful shadow evil entities that can't be stopped by mortal man. Sorry. it just didn't work for me at all.

[Kaitlin Stouter · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really love Lore and wanted to support Aaron by purchasing his book. I was so excited to start reading. I've actually never written a review on Goodreads before but I felt I needed to express my extreme disappointment in this book.

It doesn't even make sense. The pieces don't fit together. The main character is so frustrating because he is an idiot. He doesn't catch on to things that the reader has caught on to ages before.

This book was so frustrating to read I even started writing and marking and making notes on the pages themselves. I will continue to listen to Lore because I love everything about the podcast but I don't want to tarnish my high thoughts of Aaron any more than reading this book has already, so I won't read any more of his work.

[Bexa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just... don't.

[Kassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got duped into reading the first book in a series before more of the series has been written!!! or even been confirmed!!! what a sucker! it was fun though - great for any fans of historical fiction although its not strictly that it has the same feel and is definitely well researched! not the simple jump scare horror that I was looking for but I was hooked and enjoying it the whole way through.

[Holly Heckart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find grave suspicion one of the more enjoyable thrillers I’ve read. Mahnke does an exceptional job of creating mood. That’s what really keeps me coming back to his work, both print and pod.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I decided to read this book after becoming hooked on the author's fantastic podcast, "Lore". I felt it was my responsibility as a loyal listener to support the podcast by purchasing and reading one of the producer's novels.

"Grave Suspicion" wasn't bad. Not an endorsing review, I realize, but there were several issues with the story structure and character development that impacted my enjoyment of this book.

Most troubling was the impression that Sam is incredibly slow on the uptake. While reading, I came to conclusions that were incredibly obvious based on what I had previously read, but it took Sam much longer to come to these conclusions. He struck me as stupid. I understand that his education was interrupted by the death of his family, but he seemed stupid on a core level. Sam was also stupidly trusting, to the point that I wanted to reach into my Kindle and shake him by the shoulders and tell him to smarten up. Lastly, it seemed completely out of character for Sam to take a home with a "roommate". The second I read that I knew that Henry was dead. This was just another indication of Sam's lack of common sense. If a group of unknown weirdos nails a dead cat to the wall of your previous residence, perhaps having a roommate isn't a good idea.

The storyline itself was promising. I like the idea of a group of witch hunters; it reminded me a bit of the "Illuminati" made so popular in Dan Brown's novels.

The book ended with the possibility of a sequel. I've been thinking over the last few days whether or not I'll read it, but i'm as of yet undecided.

I'll continue to enjoy Aaron's fantastic podcast, and heartily recommend that everyone check it out!

[Kassy Wills · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall I enjoyed this book, but I thought it was fairly predictable and I ended up with a few questions at the end - I am not sure if it's the first in a series, and if so then I will want to read the next ones. I really enjoy Aaron Mahnke's podcast, so I thought this book would be a little bit different - maybe more chilling and more mysterious, but when I started to learn more about the main character I guessed the ending pretty quickly. A light read that is entertaining, but not life changing. I would definitely recommend listening to his podcast, Lore!

[Themightyx · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aaron Mahnke is a wonderful writer. The editing in this is a little sloppy (I assume he's self-editing, which is tedious work and I don't blame him for mistakes; despite the assorted editing missteps, Mr. Mahnke had a pretty solid plot) so it threw me often. I liked the story; it was a little Dan Brown-y, but it was entertaining. He writes very much like he talks on his podcast, and often I could hear his voice narrating in my head.

The three stars are just because the editing was off; the book was amusing. If you like Lore, I recommend his book.

[Jeff Valluzzi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fairly standard thriller story with a supernatural twist. I was yanked out of the story quite a few times by spelling and editing mistakes. And unfortunately, none of the characters struck me as especially strong or memorable. It ended on an unresolved cliffhanger, too, so hopefully he is planning on writing a sequel. Not that this book needs a sequel, exactly, but it really would have benefited from an additional chapter where the conflicts and questions were resolved satisfactorily.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm torn on this book because I want to LOVE it so badly. But I can't. I listened to the audiobook and it was read fairly well. But the characters were a bit flat. The plot and premise were intriguing, especially if you like the Salem Witch Trials, but there were quite a few moments of plodding prose. The story could certainly have been tighter and more complex, but overall, it was a fun, quick read.

[Eric Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. I'm a big fan of LORE, but this story was really hard to get through. Nothing really happened, nothing was resolved and the last act of the story seemed incredibly rushed.

[Cindi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have followed Aaron Mahnke since I first heard his Lore podcast a few years ago. I listen to everything he makes and am making my way through these older books of his. I admit, I'm a fan girl. I like his writing style, for the most part. And enjoyed this book.

But like his other fiction books, I feel like they might be better geared toward YA than regular adult fiction. But, maybe that is because the topics he writes about are those that I have been familiar with for most of my life, so some of the description for the myths or history is too simplistic for my tastes. Having already listened to Mahnke's Unobsecured podcast about the Salem Witch Trials and having already read the books he referenced in that podcast, this was a bit too simplistic for my tastes and I could see things coming a bit of a ways out.

But, still, I enjoyed the book. I'm glad I bought it, I'm glad I read it and I will continue to follow all that Mr Mahnke produces. (though, I REALLY wish he'd narrated this own audiobooks!)

**I think it's also VERY important to understand that this book - all of his fiction books - were published YEARS before he started the Lore podcast. I believe the books Lore is based on were also published AFTER this and his other fiction books. So, you can see some growth as a writer as well!**

[Fred Rayworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grave Suspicion was a great read for a supernatural icky bug. The writing was top notch third-person limited past-tense. The chapters and scenes were a bit on the long site, but the pacing was fast and engaging.

The main issues I found were that the editing could’ve been a bit better. Throughout the story, I found numerous typos and inconsistencies, but to tell the truth, I’ve seen plenty worse so while this may have been borderline self-published material, it was better than a lot I’ve read.

Overall, I had a great time right until the payoff, which was admittedly a bit fuzzy, and while not entirely satisfying, was still good enough and of course, left things open for a sequel. There was one particular thread that was a complete stumper, and a letdown when the big reveal came. I can imagine that’s part of the setup for the next book as well.

Still with whatever quirks presented, I highly recommend it.

[Morgan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was really interested in the story that was being told, as well as the character of Sam, but it was a rough read. I was drawn in, but could not really stay in the story due to the lack of direction the novel seemed to have. The characters lack an organic quality in their action, decisions and dialogue. They also lack a consistency in intelligence and wit.
The author does also tends to hold the reader's hand through the entire book, not trusting the reading to put obvious things together. These are all things that can be easily smoothed out, but make for an almost unbearably rough read.
I love Lore and wanted to love this book, but the author really needs to learn to trust the reader and let the characters have their own voice. The book tends to read like one of his podcasts which causes it to lack variety.

[Brandon Burrup · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was not great. There were some entertaining plot elements but I felt the overall mystery was very lacking. Aaron Mahnke does a great job mixing in history with the idea, but I found myself constantly frustrated the the main character was so clueless about it when it was obvious to me within a few chapters. I also thought the voice was pretty weak. I heard the cliched phrase "with every fibre of his being" at least four times. This phrase should never be used by anyone who calls themselves a serious writer. Try some original metaphors and imagery. I'm actually kind of surprised that made it past the editor. Anyway I digress. I love the lore podcast so I'm supporting Mr. Mahnke by purchasing his other works. But that doesn't mean I have to lie about their quality hehe.

[Steven Silvey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a really big fan of the Lore Podcast, so I figured I would check out his novels. I’ve always been interested in the Salem Witch Trials, so I was even more interested in this book when I realized that it was sort of based on that history. There were a few typos if I’m being overly critical. It also requires a suspension of disbelief and you sort of have to lean into some of the dialogue and be forgiving. There was a lot of action throughout, but no real resolution. I feel like the last chapter was accidentally deleted and they just never noticed. Overall the book is okay. I wish the writer would have given it one more once through to resolve some of the problems with the story, though.

[Meagan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointed. With all the history about mitochondrial DNA there was an alarming lack of female characters or even mention of female characters (we're not even giving mom a name?). The plot builds were painfully drawn out and predictable, and the end doesn't conclude all the problems that are thrown up. (I refuse to believe given the earlier pages that our main character is "safe".) The characters make surprisingly poor choices (or are remarkable stupid, which I can't believe given the number of times the author tells me they're smart). Given the trauma of what happens, there's a shocking lack of empathy or comfort between characters (really, we're just doing handshakes after all that's happened?).

I think I'll just stick to the podcasts.

[Katrina · Rating 2 out of 5]

After devouring Indian Summer and Consumed within days I was pretty pumped to read Aaron's third book, Grave Suspicion. This was harder to get into, story was slow, characters blah and was disappointed with the ending. (warning - spoiler) I felt a tad robbed when the reveal of the box contents turned out to be nothing - the whole story we 'follow' this box and led to believe there is more to it and then bam, the box's story abruptly ends. No closure for me.
With this book as with the previous two there were several spelling mistakes.
However this does no deter me from continuing to remain a fan of LORE and Aaron's work. I will read more books by Aaron for sure!

[Jimmy Van Pfauen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Let me first say that I usually don't give out 1 star reviews. There's usually always something worthwhile in a book. Also I'm a huge fan of Lore which is narrated so very well. No word is too much, the factual narration is perfect. Naturally, I expected something similar from this thriller, at least in quality if not in style.

As others wrote, it's a mess. The story feels like a first draft with boring and dull characters in a very standard thriller plot with supernatural elements and stupid people. Especially annoying were the 'paragraphs-for-idiots'. Show, don't tell they say. Well, here the author tells us the most obvious things.

Avoid this book!

[Abice07 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, feels like a great tween mystery series. Engaging, but missing some of the finer touches. There were at the very least one "throw back" that I thought essential to the later half of the story. Which never did surface throughout the book. All the while much of the beginning seems that the character Sam needs to be hit in the head directly in order for him to notice some parts of the "finer" parts of this soon to be series. I don't know? It was good, I guess? Maybe my expectations were too high?

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a huge Lore fan, and like many avid listeners, I wanted to give Mahnke's fiction a chance.

This was...somewhat disappointing. For as old as the main character "should" have been (given the timeline, no younger than mid- to late-thirties), he reads as much younger--less mature, less life experience than he should have given his supposed past, incredibly trusting. As another reviewer mentioned, this felt like an earlier draft, lacking the polish that Mahnke's Lore storytelling has.

[Janessa · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book starts with a scene in which the main character watches a girl be harassed and threatened by two men, and he simply watches and "weighs his options" as he doesn't want to bring attention to himself as a newcomer in town. Horrendous dialogue included.

I try not to pay attention to low star ratings on books and at least give them a chance, but the low stars are definitely right on this one.

[Alyse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book because it had a fresh story line. I have not read another story very similar to this one! The ending was somewhat predictable (by "ending" I mean the last 25 pages or so), but it was not bad! I appreciated the historical references and care the author took to paint a convincing and realistic picture. Looking forward to more books by this author!

[Aki · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars.

First of all, I love Lore and Cabinet of Curiosities.

That being said, I didn’t really like this book. It read as very under-developed first attempt NaNoWriMo story. The characters were trite and undeveloped and sadly predictable. It bored me after a while when I literally knew what was coming, tried to tell myself I was wrong— and no, I was right.

I will say the part on Mitochondrial Eve was interesting.

The only part, sadly, that was.

Sorry, but I won’t be continuing with this particular series.

[Renny Barcelos · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the story, the characters, the pace, the dialogue and the writing but...The open ending left me so unfulfilled! Not sure if this was supposed to be the first in a series but I don't think it has enough material for more than one book. I don't intend to read a sequel, anyway.

As it is, 3 stars seem generous enough.

[Jody Duval · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok, not my favorite book in the world but I did finish it. And that says soothing. But as I sit here I can really remember much of the book. And that means that it did not have any impact on me at all.

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Witches. I love stories about witches. My only complaint is that this story took to long to tell. There was a lot of lines repeated to make sure the message got across. Some of that fluff could be taken away. I hope more of Sam's story comes out soon. I know more is going to happen.

[Clay · Rating 2 out of 5]

As many others, I found this book after becoming a big fan of Mahnke's podcast, Lore.
Let's just say that I love his podcast and I'll continue to listen to it, but I'll try and find a different way to support him financially than through his novels.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the tidbits the author picked up for his podcast, Unobscured, find a home in this paranormal story. I’m not sure his Latin is up to my teacher’s standards but the suspense is great and, just as in real life, sometimes the good guys die.