Monday, June 26, 2023

Whispers at Dusk - Romantic Suspense Review

Goodreads:  Whispers at Dusk (The Blackbird Trilogy #1) by Heather Graham

Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  When darkness falls, there’s nowhere to hide.

Four bodies have been discovered along Europe’s riverbanks, placed with care—and completely drained of blood. Pinpricks on their throats indicate a slender murder weapon, but DNA found in the wounds suggests something far more sinister. Tasked with investigating, the FBI recruits Agents Della Hamilton and Mason Carter to Blackbird, an international offshoot of the Krewe of Hunters. If you want to catch a vampire killer, you need agents who can speak with the dead.

The pair travel to Norway, where the shadowy forests of Lillehammer reveal a gruesome scene. The killer is thirsty for more victims, and the bloodless trail soon leads Della and Mason to a group that believes drinking blood is the key to immortality. To catch the culprit of such an intimate crime, the agents will have to get close. Mason’s already lost one partner; he’s not ready to risk Della as bait. But sometimes justice requires a sacrifice…

Genre: Mystery - Romantic Suspense Review

Why I Picked This Book:  I have enjoyed the Krewe of Hunters so this trilogy that focuses on an international investigation involving Krewe agents was impossible to pass up!

My Impression: When I pick up a Krewe book I know I'm going to have a fun fast paced read usually with a ghost or two!  This book lived up to my expectations but with the added fun of multiple settings.  

We meet Della early on as she has her first supernatural experience.  The book moves forward a bit in time to Della and Mason's first encounter as agents as they deal with a serial killer (with some ghostly help!).  Soon they are off on a race against a prolific chameleon of a serial killer who is obsessed with blood and immortality.  With the help of an international group of agents Della and Mason visit multiple countries until it all comes down to a tense conclusion.

I really enjoyed the race against the killer and seeing Della and Mason work together.  Mason has some issues with wanting to protect those around him and I liked that Della called him on it while still validating his feelings.  I also really loved the international element.   The ghostly help in each location was a nice touch though Gideon is by far my favorite.  I was a little iffy on the romantic connection between Della and Mason as the characters felt a bit flat but I did like that it wasn't insta-love and there weren't any over the top promises early on.    The dialogue does feel a little bit stilted.  It made sense with some characters as English is not their first language but not as much with Della and Mason.

This was a fun read and I'm looking forward to reading the next two books in this trilogy.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  Heather Graham's books are some of my favorite books to read for some summer escapist reading.  

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you like a romantic suspense with ghosts this is a great one to try - especially if you've already enjoyed some of Heather Graham's Krewe of Hunter books.

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *

6 comments:

  1. I haven't read a Heather Graham book in a very long time. This does sound like a good series though.

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  2. I do love both romantic suspense and ghosts! :D

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  3. I really do want to read these books someday. It sounds like something that I would definitely enjoy.

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  4. I haven't read any Heather Graham, mainly from so much to read. However I love the fast pace of these kinds of books, sometimes it's just what we need. Hmm and a few ghosts adds interest.

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  5. A murder mystery with a paranormal aspect... I think I need to check these books out as I'm very fond of that sub-genre:)).

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