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The Grave Report #2
Grave Measures
2016 Finalist - DragonCon Dragon Awards -- Best Fantasy (Paranormal)
"This amazing sequel to Grave Beginnings shows us that R.R. Virdi is the real thing. Taking his craft another step further, he manages to evoke deep feelings for all of the characters involved. R.R. Virdi is a masterful storyteller, and deserves all 5 stars." A Drop of Ink Reviews
Sequel to Grave Beginnings, A Drop of Ink Reviews' Best Book of 2015 Winner.
What do shadows darting across the walls, cryptic writing, black fog, and a little girl who can see ghosts have in common? Paranormal investigator and soul without a body, Vincent Graves, has forty-four hours to find out.
To make matters worse, his years of body-hopping and monster-hunting are catching up with him. He's losing his mind. An old contact has shut him out. To top it all off, something's skulking through an asylum, killing patients.
Three guesses who might be next, and the first two don't count. The writing on the wall is not so clear. But one thing is: if he doesn't figure this out he's a dead man--well, deader--and a strange young girl might follow. Vincent's got his back against a wall, and that wall's crumbling.
Some days it's not worth it to wake up in someone else's body.
"This amazing sequel to Grave Beginnings shows us that R.R. Virdi is the real thing. Taking his craft another step further, he manages to evoke deep feelings for all of the characters involved. R.R. Virdi is a masterful storyteller, and deserves all 5 stars." A Drop of Ink Reviews
Sequel to Grave Beginnings, A Drop of Ink Reviews' Best Book of 2015 Winner.
What do shadows darting across the walls, cryptic writing, black fog, and a little girl who can see ghosts have in common? Paranormal investigator and soul without a body, Vincent Graves, has forty-four hours to find out.
To make matters worse, his years of body-hopping and monster-hunting are catching up with him. He's losing his mind. An old contact has shut him out. To top it all off, something's skulking through an asylum, killing patients.
Three guesses who might be next, and the first two don't count. The writing on the wall is not so clear. But one thing is: if he doesn't figure this out he's a dead man--well, deader--and a strange young girl might follow. Vincent's got his back against a wall, and that wall's crumbling.
Some days it's not worth it to wake up in someone else's body.
335 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 15, 2016
56 people are currently reading
463 people want to read
About the author
R.R. Virdi
26 books768 followersR.R. Virdi is a USA Today Bestselling author, two-time Dragon Award finalist, and a Nebula Award finalist. He is the author of two urban fantasy series, The Grave Report, and The Books of Winter. The author of the LitRPG/portal fantasy series, Monster Slayer Online. And the author of a space western/sci fi series, Shepherd of Light. He has worked in the automotive industry as a mechanic, retail, and in the custom gaming computer world. He's an avid car nut with a special love for American classics.
The hardest challenge for him up to this point has been fooling most of society into believing he's a completely sane member of the general public.
The hardest challenge for him up to this point has been fooling most of society into believing he's a completely sane member of the general public.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
September 10, 2020
Grave Measures
(The Grave Report #2)
by R.R. Virdi
Wow, book 2 was just as awesome as the first book. Vincent is the main character that is a soul that inhabitants newly deceased murder victims until his time limit is up or he solves the mystery and kills the monster. The victim has to have died from supernatural or paranormal causes for Vincent to be on the case.
In the last book he dug himself out of a coffin. This book he wakes up in a straight jacket in an asylum. People have been dying frequently of heart attacks in the asylum. New creatures and new characters make this book really amazing! Fresh fantasy plot and memorable characters! Lots of enjoyment reading this!
(The Grave Report #2)
by R.R. Virdi
Wow, book 2 was just as awesome as the first book. Vincent is the main character that is a soul that inhabitants newly deceased murder victims until his time limit is up or he solves the mystery and kills the monster. The victim has to have died from supernatural or paranormal causes for Vincent to be on the case.
In the last book he dug himself out of a coffin. This book he wakes up in a straight jacket in an asylum. People have been dying frequently of heart attacks in the asylum. New creatures and new characters make this book really amazing! Fresh fantasy plot and memorable characters! Lots of enjoyment reading this!
December 19, 2021
This is the second book in this series and I'm sure no one that has been reading my reviews for the past 10 years is at all surprised that I haven't read the first book but instead went straight to the second one. In this one as I seem to have read in the description of the one that I skipped...the stakes again are high...even if Vincent Graves finds himself confined to an insane asylum, tracking down something that's killing patients. I loved Vincent Graves and all his quips. Sometimes it's hard to relate to Graves...like the time he denied that Cap'n Crunch is the most delicious cereal and is totally worth a little bit of mouth shredding. I personally agreed with him...but hey I'm the ones that reads series out of order...so what do I know? At any rate, Virdi has created a fantastic universe full of rich, interesting characters who are easy to root for. I found the "monsters" in this book scary, creepy and "darker" than those found in other books of the horror genre I have read. If you are a horror fan, I would certainly recommend an adventure with Vincent graves.
April 27, 2016
One of the reasons I loved Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the TV show, not the movie) so much was the seamless way in which the tone constantly shifted. From tense to humorous to heartbreaking and back again, Buffy managed to weave all of life's great and terrible emotions into a fantastic tale that still felt personal.
R.R. Virdi clearly has that same ability. Grave Measures, the follow-up to the fantastic Grave Beginnings, does the same thing. The stakes feel higher this time, even if Vincent Graves finds himself confined to an insane asylum, tracking down something that's killing patients. Much like the first book, Grave Measures is whimsical, hard-hitting, intense, and emotional... and every bit the page-turning romp Beginnings was.
One need not to have read the first book to follow along with Measures, but those who have will be rewarded. The return of Camilla Ortiz was a pleasant surprise, and she has quickly made herself a personal favorite -- even as great as Vincent Graves himself is.
There are no overly shocking revelations in this book, but a novel doesn't need to be shocking to be a quality read. There are plenty of breadcrumbs sprinkled along the way, fodder for future novels in the series, and I'm looking forward to seeing how everything unravels going forward.
Virdi is a master at ensuring Graves has a voice all his own -- easy enough to do in the first-person narrative with a protagonist with no true identity. Still, Graves has a depth all his own, even with the snark and the one-liners, and his personal code -- which has evolved over the course of the first two books -- makes him more of a hero than I think he'd admit to.
If you loved Grave Beginnings, you'll love Grave Measures just as much. Even if you didn't, Virdi has created a fantastic universe full of rich, interesting characters who are easy to root for. This is sort of Columbo meets Constantine, with a little bit of Buffy sprinkled in for effect... and the result is one of the best books I've read this year.
Seriously, read this book.
R.R. Virdi clearly has that same ability. Grave Measures, the follow-up to the fantastic Grave Beginnings, does the same thing. The stakes feel higher this time, even if Vincent Graves finds himself confined to an insane asylum, tracking down something that's killing patients. Much like the first book, Grave Measures is whimsical, hard-hitting, intense, and emotional... and every bit the page-turning romp Beginnings was.
One need not to have read the first book to follow along with Measures, but those who have will be rewarded. The return of Camilla Ortiz was a pleasant surprise, and she has quickly made herself a personal favorite -- even as great as Vincent Graves himself is.
There are no overly shocking revelations in this book, but a novel doesn't need to be shocking to be a quality read. There are plenty of breadcrumbs sprinkled along the way, fodder for future novels in the series, and I'm looking forward to seeing how everything unravels going forward.
Virdi is a master at ensuring Graves has a voice all his own -- easy enough to do in the first-person narrative with a protagonist with no true identity. Still, Graves has a depth all his own, even with the snark and the one-liners, and his personal code -- which has evolved over the course of the first two books -- makes him more of a hero than I think he'd admit to.
If you loved Grave Beginnings, you'll love Grave Measures just as much. Even if you didn't, Virdi has created a fantastic universe full of rich, interesting characters who are easy to root for. This is sort of Columbo meets Constantine, with a little bit of Buffy sprinkled in for effect... and the result is one of the best books I've read this year.
Seriously, read this book.
September 5, 2025
ok, lets be honest here. I liked the first book. Loved the concept, felt that it had somewhere to go. Now i'm reassessing my thoughts on that. This book was clunky, predictable, and went nowhere. Vincent is supposed to be good at what he does, but...so far he's not, everything is handed to him by outside sources and he ends up pissing them off more often that not. He is supposed to have this "guide" and a book with all his previous knowledge about creatures written in it. He whips it out a few times but does nothing with it. Then we have Ortiz, she's back and he is still lying to her. I'm not sure why at this point.
June 5, 2017
Grave Measures deftly darts around the "second book is a filler" stereotype by continuing to be action-packed and engaging. A step up from Grave Beginnings, this book will leave you on the edge of your seat while your mind gets a workout imagining new and exciting things. Characters are great, story is engaging, pacing is spot-on. Another win for R.R. Virdi!
October 27, 2024
2024/10/27 Notes:
Audiobooks for #2 & 3 are on Audible Plus until 11/04
eBooks are on KU
Mix of audio & ebook.
Great narration by Travis Baldree, but that can't make a meh story not meh. Grave Measures was told in Tell Style and it bored me to tears. In theory, the themes and concepts are cool, but lacking in execution and plot progression.
This isn't a YA novel, but it felt like one.
**Note to Self: Don't waste time on trying to read the next book.
Audiobooks for #2 & 3 are on Audible Plus until 11/04
eBooks are on KU
Mix of audio & ebook.
Great narration by Travis Baldree, but that can't make a meh story not meh. Grave Measures was told in Tell Style and it bored me to tears. In theory, the themes and concepts are cool, but lacking in execution and plot progression.
This isn't a YA novel, but it felt like one.
**Note to Self: Don't waste time on trying to read the next book.
October 6, 2016
Virdi has this ability to create literary alchemy.
Urban fantasy... but not. It's a mixture of Film Noir and Urban Fantasy, but almost like there is a bit of CSI and Quantum Leap all mixed in there. It's so difficult to define what it is but you just want more of it.
As if that wasn't enough it was so well written and paced. If you're looking for something new, exciting but just familiar enough to not be left adrift this is your next series.
Urban fantasy... but not. It's a mixture of Film Noir and Urban Fantasy, but almost like there is a bit of CSI and Quantum Leap all mixed in there. It's so difficult to define what it is but you just want more of it.
As if that wasn't enough it was so well written and paced. If you're looking for something new, exciting but just familiar enough to not be left adrift this is your next series.
September 20, 2016
*updated review as of 9/19*
Yes, I read this twice. And there was one particular reason I did...That ending. There is a section in there about defining fear and it's a message everyone should take to heart. More than that, this is a wildly entertaining book. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll see Church...So what more do you want? A truly terrifying monster? I hate this guy. Snark? Well, this has it in spades. A hell of a foxy lady? Just stick around and see.. And I hope we get to see more of Lizzie down the road. This book warranted a re-read for sure.
The perfect follow up to a great opener, Grave Measures is one insane ride...pun intended.
Vincent Graves is a disembodied soul who solves murders with the help of his enigmatic guide, Church. This installment sees the return of a beloved character from the first book and the addition of a wonderfully animated little girl who sees ghosts.
I don't know how he did it but Virdi managed to exceed my expectations with Grave Measures and I set the bar pretty high. A few people have compared his writing to that of Jim Butcher but I think R.R. Virdi is a voice all his own. And what a voice it is. He's one madly talented writer with one hell of a story to tell. This had me on the edge of my seat.
Yes, I read this twice. And there was one particular reason I did...That ending. There is a section in there about defining fear and it's a message everyone should take to heart. More than that, this is a wildly entertaining book. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll see Church...So what more do you want? A truly terrifying monster? I hate this guy. Snark? Well, this has it in spades. A hell of a foxy lady? Just stick around and see.. And I hope we get to see more of Lizzie down the road. This book warranted a re-read for sure.
The perfect follow up to a great opener, Grave Measures is one insane ride...pun intended.
Vincent Graves is a disembodied soul who solves murders with the help of his enigmatic guide, Church. This installment sees the return of a beloved character from the first book and the addition of a wonderfully animated little girl who sees ghosts.
I don't know how he did it but Virdi managed to exceed my expectations with Grave Measures and I set the bar pretty high. A few people have compared his writing to that of Jim Butcher but I think R.R. Virdi is a voice all his own. And what a voice it is. He's one madly talented writer with one hell of a story to tell. This had me on the edge of my seat.
May 11, 2021
This was a trainwreck of a book. I am not sure if I was braindead when reading the first one or if that one was significantly better than this.
There are so many things wrong with the book I will only touch on a few because neither you nor I have the patience to go through all of it.
The author doesn't trust us even with the slightest of deductive reasoning. Everything is pointed out in excruciating detail. There isn't a single conclusion, be it about the plot mystery or be it just about the emotional state of a character, we are allowed to get to on our own. And everything is repeated ad nauseam. Not only the torturously repeating explanations but also every time anything relevant is mentioned the entire history of that information and its relation to the current situation is repeated again. "This sounds like a raven like the one I saw 5 years ago when I bought ice cream from the guy with the weird haircut that probably went to that bad stylist 3 streets over where a man fell out of a window once..." and so on and so forth.
And it's with everything, every detail entails a detour again and again through the same information over and over.
It's like with every new piece of information the author believes it necessary to summarize the entire plot of the entire series up to that point.
This is obviously slightly exaggerated but it's not far off.
All the characters were only able to express emotions in extreme ways. From a face of agony to pure happiness and laughter to soul-shattering despair to excruciating horror. Nothing in between. And they switch between them all like changing a hat. It's very disorienting and takes any and all emotional impact.
Then we have the absurd endless monologues. And it's not only once and not only the evil mastermind either. There are probably a dozen monologues, each one pages-long, about how the baddy was only saving people and how compassionate and loving he was and all that clichée bullcrap. But the main character isn't one bit better. He is only being pushed around by literally everyone including a little girl all the while acting like he is the tough guy and at the same time constantly monologuing how he basically murdered all the people that have actually been killed by evil monsters. It's just tiring. I can't scrape together even a little bit of compassion for him anymore.
One last thing I want to mention is the plain logical inconsistencies everywhere. A mental asylum in which 4 people died of heart failure within days and no police investigation? really?
And that's the smallest of them but that's the kind of inconsistencies spread out throughout the entire book. A whole bunch of them are necessary to make the ridiculous plot work at all.
There are so many other really bad tropes you usually only find in Japanese live-action movies or Indian action movies I don't have the patience to list them all.
Especially towards the end, everything goes far beyond over-the-top and ridiculous.
I am done with this series and probably done with the author for a long time.
There are so many things wrong with the book I will only touch on a few because neither you nor I have the patience to go through all of it.
The author doesn't trust us even with the slightest of deductive reasoning. Everything is pointed out in excruciating detail. There isn't a single conclusion, be it about the plot mystery or be it just about the emotional state of a character, we are allowed to get to on our own. And everything is repeated ad nauseam. Not only the torturously repeating explanations but also every time anything relevant is mentioned the entire history of that information and its relation to the current situation is repeated again. "This sounds like a raven like the one I saw 5 years ago when I bought ice cream from the guy with the weird haircut that probably went to that bad stylist 3 streets over where a man fell out of a window once..." and so on and so forth.
And it's with everything, every detail entails a detour again and again through the same information over and over.
It's like with every new piece of information the author believes it necessary to summarize the entire plot of the entire series up to that point.
This is obviously slightly exaggerated but it's not far off.
All the characters were only able to express emotions in extreme ways. From a face of agony to pure happiness and laughter to soul-shattering despair to excruciating horror. Nothing in between. And they switch between them all like changing a hat. It's very disorienting and takes any and all emotional impact.
Then we have the absurd endless monologues. And it's not only once and not only the evil mastermind either. There are probably a dozen monologues, each one pages-long, about how the baddy was only saving people and how compassionate and loving he was and all that clichée bullcrap. But the main character isn't one bit better. He is only being pushed around by literally everyone including a little girl all the while acting like he is the tough guy and at the same time constantly monologuing how he basically murdered all the people that have actually been killed by evil monsters. It's just tiring. I can't scrape together even a little bit of compassion for him anymore.
One last thing I want to mention is the plain logical inconsistencies everywhere. A mental asylum in which 4 people died of heart failure within days and no police investigation? really?
And that's the smallest of them but that's the kind of inconsistencies spread out throughout the entire book. A whole bunch of them are necessary to make the ridiculous plot work at all.
There are so many other really bad tropes you usually only find in Japanese live-action movies or Indian action movies I don't have the patience to list them all.
Especially towards the end, everything goes far beyond over-the-top and ridiculous.
I am done with this series and probably done with the author for a long time.
December 14, 2016
Again R.R. Virdi wrote a book that has you at the edge of your seat, turning the next page as fast as you can. Mystery, Suspense and some action comes to life in this fantastic book. Who can beat that and with Monsters and ghosts to boot.
Vincent Graves' body this time ends up in an Asylum in a straight jacket with the name of Charles. As he walked around to get a feel of the place, a scream rang out and he headed for it. On the way he meets a little girl named Lizzie. Lizzie has a special talent with ghost's. They become friends and before Charles knows it, she is helping him fight monsters. She has lost everybody, her parents and her sister, who is trapped in the asylum some where. They have to call on her friends to help free her sister and fight shadow monsters.
Later as Charles is walking down the hall, he can't believe who he see's. Can it be? Will she put two and two together and figure out who he really is? And if so, will she keep his secret? Yes, it's Ortiz and she is there recovering from 6 months prior working with Vincent. This doesn't set well with him. Guilt knots up his stomach and he hopes she won't want to help this time, wrong! He should of known better.
So the three of them set out to find out what kind of monster they are dealing with. As they track it down, they follow it into the nerevene and see why the monster is making it look like the patients are dying from a heart attack and not the monster or so it seems. They run into trouble more than once, but work together and fight. Vincent learns a few things on this case and is going to regret his deal that he made in the near future.
Looking forward to the next book to see what happens next!
Vincent Graves' body this time ends up in an Asylum in a straight jacket with the name of Charles. As he walked around to get a feel of the place, a scream rang out and he headed for it. On the way he meets a little girl named Lizzie. Lizzie has a special talent with ghost's. They become friends and before Charles knows it, she is helping him fight monsters. She has lost everybody, her parents and her sister, who is trapped in the asylum some where. They have to call on her friends to help free her sister and fight shadow monsters.
Later as Charles is walking down the hall, he can't believe who he see's. Can it be? Will she put two and two together and figure out who he really is? And if so, will she keep his secret? Yes, it's Ortiz and she is there recovering from 6 months prior working with Vincent. This doesn't set well with him. Guilt knots up his stomach and he hopes she won't want to help this time, wrong! He should of known better.
So the three of them set out to find out what kind of monster they are dealing with. As they track it down, they follow it into the nerevene and see why the monster is making it look like the patients are dying from a heart attack and not the monster or so it seems. They run into trouble more than once, but work together and fight. Vincent learns a few things on this case and is going to regret his deal that he made in the near future.
Looking forward to the next book to see what happens next!
November 1, 2016
A follow up success to the first novel, Grave Beginnings.
Premise/plot: Vincent Graves finds himself in the body of a mental patient, clearly dead and restrained before death. He is suffering through the aftermath of the character's death and is struggling to free himself of a straitjacket. He succeeds pulling from his reserve of eclectic and diverse skillset obtained from changing bodies and inheriting memories. As per usual, he heads to his point of contact, Church, in a local body/place of worship. He finds him and begins his case with a more generous time frame than in book one. It's not done out of charity, but necessity. He face larger, and more challenging obstacles.
The asylum staff seem oblivious to the woes of the patients who are crying, "Monster!" It's to be expected given the scenario. Vincent is left having to resort to his own wits and the few allies he can find in first, tackling the problem of shadows that seem to be moving of their own accord, and, something larger and more sinister manipulating everything inside the hospital as well as being responsible for the deaths of the patients.
I am waiting on pins and needles for the next installment. This is certainly a series to be reading between the waits for the next Jim Butcher, Kevin Hearne and, Simon R. Green novels.
It continues a long standing tradition of dark, gritty fantasy in a modern setting that I can recall growing up with from noir detective novels to darker comics that made their return in the early 90's. You will be glad you read these.
Premise/plot: Vincent Graves finds himself in the body of a mental patient, clearly dead and restrained before death. He is suffering through the aftermath of the character's death and is struggling to free himself of a straitjacket. He succeeds pulling from his reserve of eclectic and diverse skillset obtained from changing bodies and inheriting memories. As per usual, he heads to his point of contact, Church, in a local body/place of worship. He finds him and begins his case with a more generous time frame than in book one. It's not done out of charity, but necessity. He face larger, and more challenging obstacles.
The asylum staff seem oblivious to the woes of the patients who are crying, "Monster!" It's to be expected given the scenario. Vincent is left having to resort to his own wits and the few allies he can find in first, tackling the problem of shadows that seem to be moving of their own accord, and, something larger and more sinister manipulating everything inside the hospital as well as being responsible for the deaths of the patients.
I am waiting on pins and needles for the next installment. This is certainly a series to be reading between the waits for the next Jim Butcher, Kevin Hearne and, Simon R. Green novels.
It continues a long standing tradition of dark, gritty fantasy in a modern setting that I can recall growing up with from noir detective novels to darker comics that made their return in the early 90's. You will be glad you read these.
November 9, 2016
“Good job, Robin,” she quipped. I glared. There is no reality, no train of thought, no plane of existence where I am not the goddamned Batman. I kept this to myself, of course. Batman doesn’t tell others he’s Batman. Everyone just knows it. And they should. ”
― R.R. Virdi, Grave Measures
Vincent Graves is back in the flesh, and this time a straight jacket! Then things are amiss in an asylum and Graves is the only hope for its inhabitants. In this second installment of the Grave Report we get to see a little more into Graves mind. The concept of the "haunted asylum" is one that has been used for years and Virdi managed to breath new life into it. This is another fast paced thrill ride into the supernatural with some new characters and twists along with a more familiar individual (no spoilers I promise). As someone who can usually see an end coming a mile away I am happy to say that yet again Virdi managed to surprise me. I simply can't wait to see what he has in store next for Graves and simply delight in the characters he creates. I have to admit to a small crush on Graves of course. Here's to hoping for number 3 soon!
― R.R. Virdi, Grave Measures
Vincent Graves is back in the flesh, and this time a straight jacket! Then things are amiss in an asylum and Graves is the only hope for its inhabitants. In this second installment of the Grave Report we get to see a little more into Graves mind. The concept of the "haunted asylum" is one that has been used for years and Virdi managed to breath new life into it. This is another fast paced thrill ride into the supernatural with some new characters and twists along with a more familiar individual (no spoilers I promise). As someone who can usually see an end coming a mile away I am happy to say that yet again Virdi managed to surprise me. I simply can't wait to see what he has in store next for Graves and simply delight in the characters he creates. I have to admit to a small crush on Graves of course. Here's to hoping for number 3 soon!
January 14, 2017
Great book, bad taste in breakfast foods
Pros: I love Vincent and all his quips! Book 1 was great, but this one definitely feels more polished, and is really coming into its style. I was also a lot more drawn into the setting. Also, just a pet peeve I have with mysteries/investigation-type books in general: lots of times the "answer" is just something pulled from absolutely nowhere. I loved that here you were given all the clues you needed to figure it out without being beaten over the head with it. I can't wait to find out more about his past!
Cons: Sometimes it's hard to relate to Graves - like when he denies that Cap'n Crunch is the most delicious cereal and is totally worth a little bit of mouth shredding.
Other Thoughts: I was reading Grave Measures and Summer Knight (of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files) at the same time. SK was on audible and GM was on the Kindle so there were sometimes I could only read one or the other, but when I had the choice, these two were fighting tooth and nail for my attention. SK is by far my favorite of the Dresden Files so far, and Grave Measures certainly holds its own against it. I finished SK less than a day before GM.
Pros: I love Vincent and all his quips! Book 1 was great, but this one definitely feels more polished, and is really coming into its style. I was also a lot more drawn into the setting. Also, just a pet peeve I have with mysteries/investigation-type books in general: lots of times the "answer" is just something pulled from absolutely nowhere. I loved that here you were given all the clues you needed to figure it out without being beaten over the head with it. I can't wait to find out more about his past!
Cons: Sometimes it's hard to relate to Graves - like when he denies that Cap'n Crunch is the most delicious cereal and is totally worth a little bit of mouth shredding.
Other Thoughts: I was reading Grave Measures and Summer Knight (of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files) at the same time. SK was on audible and GM was on the Kindle so there were sometimes I could only read one or the other, but when I had the choice, these two were fighting tooth and nail for my attention. SK is by far my favorite of the Dresden Files so far, and Grave Measures certainly holds its own against it. I finished SK less than a day before GM.
March 30, 2018
kindle unlimited but after reading first one {either free or ku} stopped and bought the 3 {4th one supposed to be due sometime}, couple of areas either unusual wording or else maybe not English speaker, and some no idea what they meant, and does drag here and there but overall liked.
What do shadows darting across the walls, cryptic writing, black fog, and a little girl who can see ghosts have in common? Paranormal investigator and soul without a body, Vincent Graves, has forty-four hours to find out.
To make matters worse, his years of body-hopping and monster-hunting are catching up with him. He’s losing his mind. An old contact has shut him out. To top it all off, something’s skulking through an asylum, killing patients.
Three guesses who might be next, and the first two don’t count. The writing on the wall is not so clear. But one thing is: if he doesn’t figure this out he’s a dead man—well, deader—and a strange young girl might follow. Vincent’s got his back against a wall, and that wall’s crumbling.
Some days it’s not worth it to wake up in someone else’s body.
Grave Beginnings
Grave Measures
Grave Dealings
Book Four TBA
What do shadows darting across the walls, cryptic writing, black fog, and a little girl who can see ghosts have in common? Paranormal investigator and soul without a body, Vincent Graves, has forty-four hours to find out.
To make matters worse, his years of body-hopping and monster-hunting are catching up with him. He’s losing his mind. An old contact has shut him out. To top it all off, something’s skulking through an asylum, killing patients.
Three guesses who might be next, and the first two don’t count. The writing on the wall is not so clear. But one thing is: if he doesn’t figure this out he’s a dead man—well, deader—and a strange young girl might follow. Vincent’s got his back against a wall, and that wall’s crumbling.
Some days it’s not worth it to wake up in someone else’s body.
Grave Beginnings
Grave Measures
Grave Dealings
Book Four TBA
February 8, 2019
R.R. Virdi has been compared favorably with Jim Butcher, my favorite author, and I agree Mr. Virdi is in his league. Given that comparison, I think Grave Measures suffers from the same problem Fool Moon had...pacing. The pace changed quite a bit from the previous book and I felt it took much longer to read because of the difference.
That's not to say it's a bad story, just not what I expected as a follow up to Grave Beginnings. Vincent is still pressed for time and working hard to find out what's going on and how to stop the threat. He's still projecting over confidence to cover up self doubt. He's still willing to put his own life on the line to save everyone else. This time, his struggle to protect others costs him something and, potentially, puts him in some great future peril all while making me want to know more.
I'm looking forward to picking up Grave Dealings and find out more about Vincent's next "case".
That's not to say it's a bad story, just not what I expected as a follow up to Grave Beginnings. Vincent is still pressed for time and working hard to find out what's going on and how to stop the threat. He's still projecting over confidence to cover up self doubt. He's still willing to put his own life on the line to save everyone else. This time, his struggle to protect others costs him something and, potentially, puts him in some great future peril all while making me want to know more.
I'm looking forward to picking up Grave Dealings and find out more about Vincent's next "case".
November 27, 2017
Book two is an interesting spin after one. Slower on the running around fighting action at first, deeper on the suspense, thrillers, detective snooping around a mental asylum, and even a slow build up of horror. I loved it.
The story is picking up, new characters and threats, a spirit world, like in my urban fantasies, along ours. I like the different touch in here in how it's always growing, like our own universe. Virdi asserts that there is no end to his, Neravene, and that it grows out of need. Each monster has their own bubble/safe space to retreat to. So it grows per monster, but also contains growing realms and worlds of mythologies that change based on warfare, acquisition of new lands, and a lot more.
The second book has a lot of adventuring for when you think they'd be confined to a famous institution in new york. It was very well done.
The story is picking up, new characters and threats, a spirit world, like in my urban fantasies, along ours. I like the different touch in here in how it's always growing, like our own universe. Virdi asserts that there is no end to his, Neravene, and that it grows out of need. Each monster has their own bubble/safe space to retreat to. So it grows per monster, but also contains growing realms and worlds of mythologies that change based on warfare, acquisition of new lands, and a lot more.
The second book has a lot of adventuring for when you think they'd be confined to a famous institution in new york. It was very well done.
August 23, 2021
Really enjoyed the story in this one. It was pretty dark and kept me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what was going to happen. BUT...I noticed something in the first Grave Report novel that started to become more prevalent in this story. The main character and a couple of side characters are really starting to remind me of a couple of characters from The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. I commented to some friends who are also big Dresden fans and have read The Grave Report that I was starting to feel like I might be reading a Dresden fanfic. I still enjoyed the story enough to continue to the next book in the series, although I felt a little weird about it after coming to that realization. I can't go in to too much detail without spoiling The Grave Report AND The Dresden Files, but I think anyone who has read The Dresden Files more than once will notice the similarities.
November 28, 2021
Quantum Leap meets the Dresden Files doesn't quite do this justice, but it works as a frame of reference. Vincent Graves, body hopping slayer of monsters, is back. Now he lands in the body of Charles, a patient at an asylum where people are being literally scared to death.
As always, the enigmatic Church gives Vincent a magical countdown tattoo. Vincent has to figure out what's going on, protect the patients, and dodge questions from someone he didn't expect to see again, as well as keep his own secrets. There are questionable allies, desperate deals, a girl who sees dead people, and lots of great one liners and pop culture references.
This builds on the previous book, expanding the world and letting us learn some of Vincent's secrets. There is action, terrifying monsters, and several interesting developments. A great follow up to the enjoyable first book.
As always, the enigmatic Church gives Vincent a magical countdown tattoo. Vincent has to figure out what's going on, protect the patients, and dodge questions from someone he didn't expect to see again, as well as keep his own secrets. There are questionable allies, desperate deals, a girl who sees dead people, and lots of great one liners and pop culture references.
This builds on the previous book, expanding the world and letting us learn some of Vincent's secrets. There is action, terrifying monsters, and several interesting developments. A great follow up to the enjoyable first book.
May 25, 2017
R.R. Virdi is at it again! This is another fantastic page turner! I loved Grave Beginnings but Grave Measures takes it to a whole new level of awesome!
The idea of using a mental hospital as a place for nasties to prey on people is unique and gives the story a fun layer. Vincent Graves will have you laughing at his silliness but there are plenty of heart-felt moments. The monster for this book was definitely something new and interesting! (Trying not to spoil what it was!) I really hope we see Lizzie some more and can't wait to see those open ends we're left with (Both with the bombshell Church left us with and with the kitsune) resolved!
The idea of using a mental hospital as a place for nasties to prey on people is unique and gives the story a fun layer. Vincent Graves will have you laughing at his silliness but there are plenty of heart-felt moments. The monster for this book was definitely something new and interesting! (Trying not to spoil what it was!) I really hope we see Lizzie some more and can't wait to see those open ends we're left with (Both with the bombshell Church left us with and with the kitsune) resolved!
August 25, 2017
Book two makes the series shine. Where's book three? Solid execution of plot. The rough patches from book one are gone. Vincent's matured, having gone through tons in the first novel, and enduring worse in book two. No spoilers, but some very pleasant returnings happen here. :) It made me a happy reader to see things weren't left off on empty edges after the ending of the first novel. The writing is tighter, and unlike book one, I couldn't guess the monster in question, or the identity. Great use of red herrings and chekov's gun.
The dialogue is crisper, and I find myself falling deeper in love with Vincent and his world. 5/5
The dialogue is crisper, and I find myself falling deeper in love with Vincent and his world. 5/5
December 31, 2017
Interesting departure from the first book's city/New York feeling. Still takes place in the same state, but the entire novel is relegated to a mental asylum setting. I applaud the sensitivity the author took in portraying the patients as a variety of people struggling, not tropes and played up silly archetypes of people that some television shows have/do do. The pacing was smoother than the first book. The build up was better executed. This one felt more detective/suspense/horror than the first. Still had its moments of fairy tale monster/creature wonder with the introduction of the Neravene--spirit world.
October 12, 2018
Two and a half stars
The premise of this series is interesting. The characterizations are good. The plotting has been fine. But, the storytelling is not so good. Too much repetitive, long conversations and descriptions. It is especially irritating making no sense in scenes where the hero POV is fighting the monster and he has a long description of how the monster is killing someone and then he starts or renews his attempt to kill it!
I wasn't impressed with the first book, but because I had purchased a special priced three book set, I figured I might as well give the second one a chance. I'll not be wasting my time on the third book.
The premise of this series is interesting. The characterizations are good. The plotting has been fine. But, the storytelling is not so good. Too much repetitive, long conversations and descriptions. It is especially irritating making no sense in scenes where the hero POV is fighting the monster and he has a long description of how the monster is killing someone and then he starts or renews his attempt to kill it!
I wasn't impressed with the first book, but because I had purchased a special priced three book set, I figured I might as well give the second one a chance. I'll not be wasting my time on the third book.
February 5, 2022
Strong second book but....
I really enjoy the uniqueness of these books. Very new and refreshing not the same tropes beaten to death. The characters are well written and fleshed out. The weaknesses for me were a lot of.repetitive phraseology and too much rehashing of what happened in the first book. Also the main character supposedly has been fighting 'monsters' for a long time but seems to know very little and acts cowardly at times. Overall the story is very interesting and I enjoyed the book.
I really enjoy the uniqueness of these books. Very new and refreshing not the same tropes beaten to death. The characters are well written and fleshed out. The weaknesses for me were a lot of.repetitive phraseology and too much rehashing of what happened in the first book. Also the main character supposedly has been fighting 'monsters' for a long time but seems to know very little and acts cowardly at times. Overall the story is very interesting and I enjoyed the book.
December 21, 2024
Serious American Horror Story: Asylum vibes here...
The series had to jump through so many hoops to bring the MC and the Muggle FBI Agent back together... and then kept too many secrets...
Just not as good/fun as the first one...
Abandoned the series after trying a few chapters of book 3... the series is unfinished and has been mostly abandoned by the author, except for a few short stories in multi-author anthologies... probably just not enough of a fanbase...
Left Audible Plus in November 2024...
The series had to jump through so many hoops to bring the MC and the Muggle FBI Agent back together... and then kept too many secrets...
Just not as good/fun as the first one...
Abandoned the series after trying a few chapters of book 3... the series is unfinished and has been mostly abandoned by the author, except for a few short stories in multi-author anthologies... probably just not enough of a fanbase...
Left Audible Plus in November 2024...
February 20, 2017
Continues to impress
Book two is even better than the first and reads like later Dresden Files books. Deeper plot and more things going on at the same time. The author's technique has improved in writing and storytelling. More is going on all at the same time. Vincent's personal story line is progressing, both his future and his past, the case that is going on, and the building of the series that is definitely happening. A great story.
Read it.
Book two is even better than the first and reads like later Dresden Files books. Deeper plot and more things going on at the same time. The author's technique has improved in writing and storytelling. More is going on all at the same time. Vincent's personal story line is progressing, both his future and his past, the case that is going on, and the building of the series that is definitely happening. A great story.
Read it.
November 21, 2022
Wow, these are books are wild. I love the narrator, he does all of the voices so well - you can tell who is who. Love the humor that Graves has and that Ortiz seems to be an integral part of the storyline going forward.... maybe Lizzie is. Church is an enigma as usual. I was torn between rushing thru it, or stretching it out... it was so go... (I went with the latter). I almost don't want to start listening to #3, since I don't want them to end!
July 5, 2023
I listened to the audio, but not on a CD. Since Goodreads no longer trusts me to add an edition, I will write the review here. It picked up seemingly from where the last book ended, from the main character's point of view. Apparently many months had gone by. I was never sure if he went straight from the first book to the second, or if there were other adventures for him in between. Other than that, I had a good time. Seems picky to me, too.
June 21, 2017
Read this a while back, but it's worth writing the review here too.
Vincent Graves is back, with the clock once again counting inexorably down, as he races to solve the case before even more people die.
Virdi is a snark master in this urban fantasy tale.
Vincent Graves is back, with the clock once again counting inexorably down, as he races to solve the case before even more people die.
Virdi is a snark master in this urban fantasy tale.
February 12, 2018
As good as the first
I enjoyed this book almost as much as book one of The Grave Report. Vincent and Ortiz are such great characters, and they work so well together. Can't wait to see what happens in book three.
I enjoyed this book almost as much as book one of The Grave Report. Vincent and Ortiz are such great characters, and they work so well together. Can't wait to see what happens in book three.
December 5, 2018
Vincent gets sent after a new type of monster.
And meets up with Ortiz again. Mental institution with patients dying of what is said to be heart attacks. We as readers learn about phages. Keeps Vincent and Ortiz busy and us readers reading as fast as possible.
Read and enjoy!!!
And meets up with Ortiz again. Mental institution with patients dying of what is said to be heart attacks. We as readers learn about phages. Keeps Vincent and Ortiz busy and us readers reading as fast as possible.
Read and enjoy!!!
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