Rating: Very Good
Source: NetGalley
Description: Eager to start their life together, historian Vickie Preston and Special Agent Griffin Pryce take a detour en route to their new home in Virginia and stop for a visit in Baltimore. But their romantic weekend is interrupted when a popular author is found dead in the basement of an Edgar Allan Poe-themed restaurant. Because of the mysterious circumstances surrounding the corpse, the FBI's Krewe of Hunters paranormal team is invited to investigate. As more bizarre deaths occur, Vickie and Griffin are drawn into a case that has disturbing echoes of Poe's great works, bringing the horrors of his fiction to life.
The restaurant is headquarters to scholars and fans, and any of them could be a merciless killer. Except there's also something reaching out from beyond the grave. The late, great Edgar Allan Poe himself is appearing to Vickie in dreams and visions with cryptic information about the murders. Unless they can uncover whose twisted mind is orchestrating the dramatic re-creations, Vickie and Griffin's future as a couple might never begin...
Genre: Romantic Suspense - Paranormal
Why I Picked This Book: I can never resist a Krewe book. I've also really come to like Vickie and Griffin and how can I resist a book where the ghost of Edgar Allan Poe visits.
My Impression: This checked so many boxes for me! History, historical mysteries, and ghosts are all things that make me a happy reader and this had all 3 in spades. I really enjoyed all the Poe mentions and it made me realize just how little Poe I've actually read. I'm hoping to correct that!
It was fun to see Vickie and Griffin in action again. They're adjusting to more of a long term relationship and to a change in dynamics as Vickie will be going to the FBI academy and Griffin is trying to treat her more as a partner than someone he needs to protect.
The book is thick with creepy atmosphere between all the Poe related mentions (and Poe himself appearing), creepy wine cellars and evil lurking in the shadows. It made for a thoroughly enjoyable, completely Halloween-y read. My only issue was that at times the actual mystery seemed to fall to the background as I got more wrapped up with everything else. While, like most Krewe books, this can be read as a stand alone I think you'd enjoy it more if you started with the first book Vickie and Griffin are in - Dying Breath.
If you're looking for a book to get in the Halloween mood but are looking for creepy more than horror this is the perfect book! One of my favorite spooky reads so far this year!
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely! I'm glad I've got a few of the earlier Krewe books to read while I wait for the next book!
Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy romantic suspense this is a great series and this mini-series involving Vickie and Griffin is one of the strongest sets. If you're a Heather Graham fan already you won't be disappointed.
For the life of me, I can't remember why I stopped reading Heather Graham, but she's a great writer. I enjoy my romantic suspense, and sounds like lots of creativity in this story. Definitely need to get back into her books. Hugs...
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed this one. It's on my wishlist. I haven't read a Heather Graham book in awhile, but this sounds good.
ReplyDeleteI really have to try this series. I'll move it up before the year is up.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds really interesting! I'll have to check out Dying Breath first I guess
ReplyDeleteI do like creepy rather than scary. AND--I LOVED the Birds! Hitchcock really took some liberties with the movie, didn't he? I listened to the book on audio (still have a couple more stories to get thru) and I also loved the narrator. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteOooh, this sounds really good! I'm glad you mentioned it's in the middle of a series because I absolutely cannot start a series anywhere but with the first book. I've got a little reading OCD :) Thanks for the rec!
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've read a HG book. Glad this was a winner for you.
ReplyDeleteYes creepy I can do - horror no! But I do like a series like this where there is a relationship that develops over time. And I need to read HG too!
ReplyDeleteIt's been so long since I last read a Krewe book. I need to dig out the ones I have and get back to the series. I miss them.
ReplyDelete