Dexter Graves did not have the most spectacular of endings. Betrayed by a gorgeous redhead in the 1950’s, he was shot with a handgun and buried with only his trenchcoat, fedora and a lighter. Left to rot in an un-built area of Los Angeles, no one is more surprised than he when he is accidentally resurrected by a young natural witch named Lia. Lia is protected by her coworker and friend Hannah, and an old black cat named Tom. Black Tom is actually a man who has been escaping an ancient death spirit in charge of the land of Mitctlan. Mitctlan is better known as where people go when they die. The King is known to his enemies as the gangster Miguel Cardura or Mickey Hardface. It is up to Lia, Hannah and Dexter to help prevent Mickey from opening up the great hole in the sky and walking on Earth to take his show on the road.
Grave’s End is like no book I’ve ever read before. Combine a detective novel, Dia De Los Muertos Celebration, witch tale, and a mythology textbook and you still would not have all the facets of this book. Sean Patrick Travers keeps the story fresh and interesting through the whole book. I found myself reading it in large chunks. The book feels almost like a television show or miniseries in its delivery. Travers managers to capture the feel of a Noir detective and a supernatural mystery all without tripping on his own story. He skillfully uses superstition and mythology to tell a complicated and beautiful story, all while mixing in the history of the ever changing landscape of Los Angeles.
Grave’s End is available on both Kindle and in print. Also, if you’re lucky and live near Los Angeles, Sean Patrick Travers goes to many local conventions and would love to meet you.
