Grammar is Dead: Review of the Grave Man

The Grave Man-Mystery, Thriller by David Archer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Warning: This book is a guilty pleasure!

Something you'll notice right away about The Grave Man is that either David Archer does not have an editor, or his editor doesn't give a shit. The entire book is riddled with misspellings, typos, misplaced spaces, and other generally obvious writing mistakes that could have been fixed if he had just read his own manuscript over. If you have an aversion to sloppy mistakes, or rough writing, this book is not for you.

The story itself is entertaining in a laughable and silly kind of way. Sam Pritchard, a former cop who is medically retired from duty, is asked by a neighbor for help in finding her missing granddaughter. Apparently the cops aren't wasting any time on this girl, and she needs help! Our hero sort of just shrugs his shoulders, reminds the woman that he is no longer a cop, but promises to look into it and let her know what he finds out. That's the last time this story makes much sense. In an effort to track down the girl, Sam tries to crack into the website the missing girl's drug-dealing father gets his work through. One of the many problems with that tactic, though, is that Sam is not a hacker. You know who is a hacker, though? Indiana!

Indiana? Jones?
Not Jones! Indiana is a young, single mother who graduated from M.I.T and cannot find work despite her excellent programming and back-door opening skills. She was, however, named after the bad-ass, whip-wielding Indy we all know and love.

Wait, Ly, where did this hacker come from? How does she play into the story?
I'm glad you asked, hypothetical speaker in my head. Sam quickly realizes that he does not have the skills necessary to find the missing girl's father through drug-dealer's Facebook, so he places an ad on craigslist. Thus, Indiana and her daughter are introduced. Shenanigans, double-crossings, and shoot-outs ensue, along with some out-of-place yet touching domestic moments when the homeless Indiana and her daughter move in with Sam.

The pacing is odd. Recall the shenanigans, double-crossings, and shoot-outs I just mentioned? They really are interspersed with these slower, sweet moments where Indiana and Sam are just being domestic. It felt out of place, and yet I liked how Archer wrote the budding romance. His characters don't just fall in love. They're a little shy around each other. They don't just hop into bed in a fit of passionate lust, then try to cram a relationship around a one-night stand afterwards. They're taking it slow and I found that sweet.

Why on earth did you give this book FOUR stars?
Because I enjoyed it and I'm the one rating it. I know full well that this book is not for everyone. The typos alone during the first 10 pages made me want to throw things. And then I realized it would go a lot better if I just stopped caring and naturally filled in the gaps myself. If I had paid money for this book, I might be more upset. That being said, I am actually willing (and planning) to spend money on the following book. I want to know where it goes. So if it's still available for free on Amazon, I highly encourage you to give it a shot. And even if it's not free, it's worth checking out. It's a short read. Even if you suffer, you won't suffer long.



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This part has nothing to do with the book and everything to do with the review.
Dear Readers,
I hope you've enjoyed this presentation of "What I Think of Books." My previous reviews felt too cut and dry, so henceforth I will be including more of my inner monologues for spice. I'm just letting you know: things might get silly.
You're welcome.