Darkest Journey by Heather Graham

So,  Darkest Journey by Heather Graham.

Here's the summary, from Amazon:

They say it's about the journey, not the destination…

Charlene "Charlie" Moreau is back in St. Francisville, Louisiana, to work on a movie. One night, she stumbles across the body of a Civil War reenactor, the second murdered in two days. Charlie is shocked to learn that her father—a guide on the Journey, a historic paddle wheeler that's sponsoring the reenactment—is a suspect.

Meanwhile, Ethan Delaney, new to the FBI's Krewe of Hunters, is brought in on the case. He and Charlie have a history of their own, dating back to when he rescued her from a graveyard—led there by a Confederate ghost!

I know. I've been threatening to do this forever, but... this is it. I can't read more of these. While I quite appreciated the first couple I read, and I still enjoy the ease and lack of required thought for these, I just can't with the phoned in plot any longer. There's either so many plot holes you could drown in them, or there's just zero hints or signs and the killer turns out to be out of the blue. Red herrings abound and then are explained away needlessly. If the romance were strong, I'd probably keep going with the series, but the romances are always insta-love. They feel a connection to each other because they can both see ghosts, so it must be love? I don't feel like any of the characters are any different from any other title in the series, and eh, this is why I stopped reading Fool's Gold too.

Now let's see if I can actually resist when I see the next one pop up...

Darkest Journey comes out on September 27th.

Haunted Destiny by Heather Graham

Krewe of Hunters, I can't quit you, not even when you aren't very good...

Here's the summary:
Between the evil and the deep blue sea…

A historic cruise ship, a haunted ship, the Celtic American Line's Destiny, sets sail from the Port of New Orleans—with a killer on board. He's known as the Archangel Killer because of the way he displays his victims in churches. And how he places a different saint's medallion on each body. No one knows exactly who he is or why he's doing this.

Jackson Crow—head of the FBI's Krewe of Hunters, a special unit of paranormal investigators—is assigned to the case, along with local agent Jude McCoy. Then Alexi Cromwell, who works in the ship's piano bar, is drawn into the situation when a victim's ghost appears to her—and to Jude. She and Jude share an attraction, and not just because of their mutual talent.

There are many suspects, but one by one they're ruled out… Or are they? In the end, Jude and Alexi have to rely on each other to catch the killer and escape his evil plans for Alexi.

I don't even know where to start here, so jumping in feet first with the characters. First, there are a lot. In fact, there's a cast listing at the start of the book, like an old-school romance. There are enough characters that sometimes one of the main characters (like say Jackson, head of the Krewe!) would show up and I'd have no idea who he was. Once again, I found the FBI agents to be pretty interchangeable, and won't likely remember which book was Jude and which was Jackson.  Alexi is pretty likable tho and I think I'll remember her.

The romance, like all the Krewe books, is predicable and fast with very little attention paid to development. Why do they love each other after only a week? I have no idea. The book kind of tries to take the angle that it's because they share the ability to see ghosts, but even that isn't really pressed. As with the others, you just have to accept the romance and move on.

So why do I even read them if I can't keep the characters straight and the romance is flat? Because they are still compulsively readable. The plots (usually) move along well, and I'm always interested in seeing how Graham will blend the paranormal into the story seamlessly. In that aspect, Haunted Destiny is actually really well done, the ghosts are woven in well and seem natural there. Unfortunately, Haunted Destiny dragged along. They were stuck at sea, there was no contact with land for outside help in the FBI investigation because of a giant storm (but the captain was always in touch with the cruise line? What? But FBI couldn't get help with the serial killer on board? This makes no sense.)  There are only a limited number of suspects and rather than just suck it up and detain them they let them wander the ship and kill off a couple people.  It just made no sense. I still read it in an afternoon, so you can see that lack of sense isn't a real game stopper for me.

Would I recommend this one to a friend? No, I probably wouldn't. Will I keep reading them? Clearly, I can't stop.

The Hidden by Heather Graham

Guys, I can't stay away from these! They are terribly addicting and entertaining while I'm reading them, even if afterwards I just don't love them. Happily, this one is much better than the last couple and I'm off the fence on if I want to continue with the series, (I do, if that wasn't clear.)

Here's the summary, from Amazon:

Can the same killer strike again—a hundred and fifty years later?

Estes Park, Colorado, is a place of serenity. But it wasn't always so serene. Shortly after the Civil War, Nathan Kendall and his wife were murdered there, leaving behind a young son. The crime was never solved.

Now…historian Scarlet Barlow is working at a small museum attached to a B and B, the same building where that murder occurred. She recently came to Colorado, reeling after her divorce from FBI agent Diego McCullough. Diego—who's just been asked to join the Krewe of Hunters, a unit dealing with "unusual" situations…

When Scarlet unwittingly takes pictures of people who've been murdered—just like the Kendalls a hundred and fifty years before—the police look at her with suspicion. Then the museum's statues of historic people, including Nathan Kendall, begin to talk to her, and she knows it's time to call her ex-husband. Diego heads to Estes Park, determined to solve the bizarre case that threatens Scarlet's life—and to reunite with the woman he never stopped loving.

There were just so many enjoyable things about this one! First, the Estes Park, Colorado setting was terrific. I've only been to Colorado a handful of times, and then only in and near Denver. I'd really love to visit big mountains and this one made them sound beautiful. I would absolutely LOVE to stay at this B & B, minus the murders, of course.

I haven't read many reunion after a divorce books and this one made me want to rectify that. Scarlet blames herself completely for the failure of her marriage. Sure, at the time she thought it was Diego's fault-- and his job's, but now with hindsight, she realizes that she definitely could have stepped up more and avoided a lot of heartbreak. Diego is incredibly nervous about getting his heartbroken again, but when Scarlet needs him he does not hesitate to go to her. I had a hard time in the last book because I often forgot if Brett were the hero or if Diego was, but Diego completely redeems himself in this one. He's incredibly protective of Scarlet, who is in real danger, while also not treating her as a helpless female. He's also clearly completely and totally still in love with her.  I adored the romance here, and loved seeing them make their way back together.

The history of the area and the background of the murder didn't overwhelm the plot, as I felt it did in The Silenced, although I did (kinda) figure out the guilty party way before the FBI did. The Krewe of Hunters series is quickly becoming a series I can count on to break me out of a slump and it's predictable flow is comforting to me when I can't settle on anything else to read. This one really makes me want to go back and read the ones that I missed in the middle. If I had any complaint it would be that the titles are completely forgettable and interchangeable, but I feel that way about most series so you can't really hold it against this one. Is it 5 star book? No, but it's above average, highly readable and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

The Forgotten by Heather Graham

I've now read four of Heather Graham's paranormal suspense books.  The Forgotten is the latest in her Krewe of Hunters series, which makes no sense as the Krewe isn't more than a bit player in the story.

Here's the summary:

Murdered by a dead man? 

A woman named Maria Gomez is murdered in Miami, apparently by her husband—who'd been presumed dead, slain by a crime boss. FBI agent Brett Cody can't believe it; dead or alive, the man had loved his wife. He also can't help feeling guilty, since he was responsible for protecting Miguel and Maria Gomez. 

A few miles away, Lara Mayhew has just begun working at a dolphin research facility. She loves her new job—until a dolphin brings her something unexpected from the deep. A human hand. More body parts show up, and when Brett looks into the situation, he discovers that the dismembered corpse is Miguel's. 

Soon, rumors of crazed zombies abound in the Miami media, and the Krewe of Hunters, an elite FBI unit of paranormal investigators, is called in. Brett and Lara find themselves working with the Krewe—and working closely together. An elderly crime boss who's losing his memory seems to be key to solving this case, but…there's no motive. Unless Brett and Lara can uncover one in the Miami underworld. And that means they have to protect themselves. And each other.


The Forgotten is the story of Meg's friend from The Silenced.  Lara is remarkably unscathed from her kidnapping experience. She's been at her new job at a dolphin research facility a very short time when her favorite dolphin starts bringing her body parts. She's a bit nervous, and grossed out, but doesn't panic or anything. When more people die and it appears that they are being killed by dead men, Meg and Matt (from The Silenced) are sent to Miami to help the local FBI investigate. Rumors quickly start flying that there is a zombie army being created, and it's true that the plot has some zombie aspects, but I never really felt any suspense about the zombies.

Local FBI is in the form of one Agent Brett Cody. I have absolutely nothing, good or bad, to say about him. He was as much of a non-character as I've ever read in a romance. In fact, I often forgot if he were the hero or if it were his partner. Interchangeable FBI!  What did this mean for the romance? It meant that it was pretty unbelievable. The tension leading up to their first kiss/encounter was pretty good, but they go from 0 to forever in about 5 minutes (literally) and frankly, I didn't see why. They just "knew".

As in The Silenced, Graham takes frequent detours to teach you some history, in the case about Miami and Haiti and zombies. It's clear that she spent some time thinking about the science behind creating zombies and unlike in The Silenced it wasn't so much as to be distracting from the plot. However, after several of the books in a shortish time, it felt very much like Graham is following a recipe for each book. (Crazily, even tho people criticize straight romance much more than anything labelled suspense, I've rarely found this type of formula in straight romance.)

I feel like four books is plenty to get a solid feel for the series and Graham's writing. They are a lot like eating candy that you don't love. When it's all said and done you think, "hmm. that was ok, but I could have been reading something much better". That said, I've already requested the next one from NetGalley (I'm weak, and they have the same comfort factor as a JD Robb book for me) but my hopes aren't terribly high for any of them to be favorites.

The Silenced by Heather Graham

Earlier this year I read The Dead Played On and Phantom Evil by Heather Graham, and while I didn't outright love either one they did convince me to keep reading her. I particularly liked the latter, and it's New Orleans setting, so when I saw more Krewe books popping up on NetGalley I had to request them. The Silenced is book 15 in the Krewe of Hunters series. This would mean reading the series out of order, which I am loathe to do, but I still did it.  As it turns out, it doesn't affect the reading at all.

 

Where is Lara Mayhew?

Lara, a congressman's media assistant, suddenly quits her job—and disappears on the way to her Washington, DC, apartment.

Novice FBI agent Meg Murray, a childhood friend of Lara's, gets a message from her that same night, a message that says she's disillusioned and "going home." To Richmond, Virginia. Meg discovers that she never got there. And bodies fitting Lara's description are showing up in nearby rivers… Could she be the victim of a serial killer?

Meg is assigned to work with special agent Matt Bosworth, a hard-nosed pro in the FBI's unit of paranormal investigators—the Krewe of Hunters. They trace the route Meg and Lara took more than once in the past, visiting battlefields and graveyards from Harpers Ferry to Gettysburg. Places where the dead share their secrets with those who can hear… As Meg and Matt pursue the possibility of a serial killer, they find themselves in the middle of a political conspiracy. Is there a connection? If so, has Lara been silenced for good? And whom—besides each other—can they trust?

So first, the mystery.  I don't read a ton of mystery or suspense books (though I'm starting to think I should!), so I don't have a lot of compare this to. I'd think that anyone who regularly does would have no problems guessing the identify of the serial killer in this one, but for me it was just enough of a mystery that I didn't really figure it out (not that I was actually trying to.)  Thinking about it now, if there were clues I still don't see them, beyond the fact that it's (always) someone you know.

The romance was really very quick. Meg and Matt fall in love within a week. It's very easily explained by the fact that they both have something "more" than average (ie, their special abilities that put them on the Krewe) and so it's always been hard to fall in love with someone who didn't understand.  Meg really dislikes Matt from the beginning tho, and I was hard pressed to understand their falling in love. I didn't really see any special attraction between them. Meg is very insecure about being the new girl, and her constant repeating of her qualifications got a little old, even if presented as a joke. I liked Matt quite a bit in general, despite my feeling iffy on the romance.

The biggest disappointment for me was that it's not set in New Orleans. Apparently the Krewe travels. I suppose the description of the book should have clued me in on that one but I kind of missed it. History buffs will love this, because it delves pretty deeply into Civil War history and the Underground Railroad, and while that was interesting, I felt that near the end it ruined the suspense aspect of the book. Graham kept throwing in a little more and a little more and a little more history. It's hard to maintain an elevated level of tension if you have to break for a couple pages to talk about the Civil War. ( I should remind you here that I was a history major, and that even I kept thinking "ok, let's get on with the story!")

All that said though, I am really enjoying the series as a whole and look forward to the next books (The Forgotten) as well as eventually going back to read the ones I skipped. It's a nice easy read with a bit of romance, a bit of history, a bit of "other", and some suspense. The ones I've read have fit that spot where you want something quick and fun that doesn't require much concentration- perfect summer reading!

The Silenced comes out today.

Phantom Evil by Heather Graham

A couple months ago I was peer pressured into trying a Heather Graham paranormal. Ok ok, subtly peer pressured. Ok, so Katherine was reading one.  Katherine had one on her TBR. Same thing.  It was not awful, but also not great. It did, however, convinced me to try a different Graham series, The Krewe of Hunters. Phantom Evil is the first of that series.

A secret government unit, a group of renegade paranormal investigators…and a murder no one else can crack
Though haunted by the recent deaths of two teammates, Jackson Crow knows that the living commit the most heinous crimes.
A police officer utilizing her paranormal intuition, Angela Hawkins already has her hands full of mystery and bloodshed.
But one assignment calls to them too strongly to resist. In a historic mansion in New Orleans's French Quarter, a senator's wife falls to her death. Most think she jumped; some say she was pushed. And yet others believe she was beckoned by the ghostly spirits inhabiting the house—once the site of a serial killer's grisly work.
In this seemingly unsolvable case, only one thing is certain: whether supernatural or all too human, crimes of passion will cast Jackson and Angela into danger of losing their lives…and their immortal souls.

Wow, sounds creepy! But was it? No, not really. It was much more enjoyable than The Dead Play On though, and made me think that perhaps this was a series I could follow. Now, I read this one several books and a couple months ago, and I only just realized I didn't entirely finish my review but have already written a review for a future book in the series that may or may not make sense if I hadn't written this one yet. And yes, I realize that there's no one actually reading my blog and paying that much attention, but humor me, ok?  So here's the entirety of the review that I had already written:

Religion
ghosts vs real story
chopping writing
hokey sex

Nice. That tells you a lot, doesn't it? I'll fill that out for you. (THANK GOD I made such detailed notes! Tho, if I'm honest, that's enough to remind me.)

Religion.  This one takes place in New Orleans and there is a bit of a voodoo flair to it, not a ton, but a bit. There's also a good bit of dark vs light imagery that grew a bit annoying, and overall I felt as though there were more than a little Christian bent to the book. It wasn't overwhelming or particularly preachy, but it's not something I read often. 

Ghosts vs real story. The summary would lead you to believe that the murder is caused by ghosts. In reality, this is very much a Scooby Doo type ghost story. Oh there are actual ghosts, which I enjoyed, but it was almost a parallel story. Compared to The Dead Play On, it was much much more paranormal.

Chopping writing. I found this one to be much better written than I did The Dead Play On. Graham ceased to describe every single action. It's still not a series one reads for the writing, and there are certainly writers who do both paranormal plot AND writing better, but I never wanted to gouge my eyes out.

Hokey sex. Ok, so here's the biggest problem with this one. This is a paranormal romance. The main characters have to fall in love. I totally didn't buy it. I didn't feel the love or the attraction and I felt like the sex was way out of place. While I liked both the main characters, and actually ALL the characters, I just did not buy any aspect of the romance.

You're just dying to read this now, aren't you?  Honestly tho, I enjoyed it and I've gone on to read two more in the series. It isn't likely to make my favorite series list, but it's fresh and new to me right now and they are easy and quick for when I'm too tired to focus on anything else.  (As I write this, I realize this is the same slot the In Death books fill for me but I'm actually caught up on that series!) Would I read more? Clearly. Would I hold it out as an example of great writing? Nope. If you're already a fan of paranormal or romance then take a chance.