A Grave Honeymoon by Gerard Bianco

A Grave Honeymoon Reviews

• 
  Ginger Bensman

  What a Romp! If you are a fan of Sherlock Holmes and traditional tales of the supernatural, you’re going to enjoy Girard Bianco’s short story, A Grave Honeymoon. Bianco’s Sherlockian detective, Jeremy Wright, and his capable sidekick, Michael Hargrave put their wits and brawn together to solve, “The Blakely Affair,” a rich atmospheric tale complete with Edwardian sensibilities, a groom desperate to save his bride from unspeakable evil, a menacing graveyard (Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, no less), and an aboriginal medicine woman. A Grave Honeymoon hones closely to the genre and its predictable tropes, and while it is wonderfully imagined and satisfying, I would have enjoyed a surprise or two – 4.5 out of 5 stars. This was a short and very enjoyable read.
• 
  Ronesa Aveela

  The author writes in the easy, relaxed tone of someone telling you a fascinating story. It makes you want to curl up on a comfortable chair and continue turning pages. His lovely descriptions draw you into the story as if you were there participating in the events. But curl up tight as you cringe at the bizarre happenings that unfold. You'll keep your eyes glued to the pages, turning in anticipation, wondering what will happen to the poor possessed bride, and holding your breath hoping for a favorable outcome.
  
  With the same flair as Sherlock and Holmes, Wright and Michael unravel the mystery presented by their client, and with quick deductive skills, Wright comes to the only "logical" conclusion in a non-logical situation.
  
  Lovers of horror and the fanciful will be certain to enjoy this page-turner.
  
  I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  P.S. Winn

  This short story is an intense quick read that is a compelling story and hard not to finish by quickly turning the pages.Michael works for Jeremy Wright, The two are a bit like Sherlock Holmes and Watson. When Ronald Blakely Jr., on honeymoon, comes to them with a crazy story of his wife being possessed, the two spring to action. Great story and good writing make this a story to grab and devour.
• 
  Michael Gardner

  In the best traditions of Sherlock Holmes and the best early twentieth century horror writers comes this most engaging and spooky story. Bianco has a superb feel for the era in which this story takes place, and the style of books written in the early twentieth century, yet it’s highly accessible for a modern reader. Did I mention it’s spooky? Spooky as all hell! And yet it carries Bianco’s signature wit, which makes for a terrific read. I hope this is only the first adventure for occult investigator Jeremy Wright and his sidekick Michael Hargraves. I’ll happily read on.
• 
  William Cook

  "It's often said that no good deed goes unpunished. I'm certain Ronald Blakely Jr., a sophisticated young man from a well-to-do family in Philadelphia, would agree, especially after his astonishing and grotesque experience while honeymooning in Paris. I am now at liberty to lay the remarkable details of this strange event before the public."
  
  So begins Gerard Bianco's delightful Halloween tale "A Grave Honeymoon." Set in Paris in 1912, it tells the story of Michael Hargrave's first adventure with Jeremy Wright, the world's leading expert in the occult. The two have been commissioned by an official in the French government to investigate the psychic performances of celebrated medium Eve Carron. But fate intervenes. During dinner one evening, they are interrupted by a desperate man whose new wife appears to have fallen under a spell that threatens her life. Can the duo save her?
  
  Reading this story is pure joy. Bianco has captured the vocabulary, rhythm, and pacing of turn-of-the-century writers, and I was reminded time and again of Conan Doyle's stories of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. When narrator Hargrave says at the end that Wright has purchased a house in New York City "and it was from this home and office that the remainder of all our adventures flowed," I wanted to shout a "Thank You!" to Bianco. Until those stories become available, I'll have to be content to turn on my gas fireplace, pour myself a snifter of brandy, and re-read "A Grave Honeymoon."
• 
  Gabriela Arellano

  A very entertaining, very well written horror thriller story.
  
  A Grave Honeymoon falls into what I would call a "supernatural/occult detectives" sub-genre within horror.
  Jeremy Wrights resembles Sherlock Holmes in his attitude and demeanor, but he has a distinctive personality that leaves aside the risk of plagiarism.
  The book manages to hold the tension and prolongs the momentum from beginning to end. The supernatural elements are juggled in a deftly way, that prevents the author from never fall into absurdity or ridiculousness.
  In my opinion, one of the most remarkable passages are those where the author states the “logical” explanation to the paranormal phenomena that occur in the story: “Unnatural as it may be, it´s a condition not unlike others found in nature -a biological process by which a host goes through an abrupt change in body structure through cell growth differentiation-…”
  A Grave Honeymoon is a very entertaining, very well written horror thriller story.
• 
  Jennifer Moreland

  Absolutely excellent! It felt like part a small window into a world fully formed. And the dialogue! I felt as if I were truly listening in. The plot was great, the pace was perfect, and I simply loved it. A well-written little take of adventure along the lines of Sherlock Holmes, or, more recently, excellent Jackaby series.