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Krewe of Hunters #2
Heart of Evil
Emerging from the bayou like an apparition, Donegal Plantation is known for its unsurpassed dining, captivating atmosphere, haunting legends…and now a corpse swinging from the marble angel that marks its cemetery's most majestic vault. A corpse discovered in nearly the same situation as that of Marshall Donegal, the patriarch killed in a skirmish just before the Civil War.Desperate for help traditional criminologists could never provide, plantation heiress Ashley Donegal turns to an elite team of paranormal investigators who blend hard forensics with rare-often inexplicable-intuition. Among the "Krewe of Hunters" is an old flame, Jake Mallory, a gifted musician with talent stretching far beyond the realm of the physical, and a few dark ghosts of his own.The evil the team unveils has the power to shake the plantation to its very core. Jake and Ashley are forced to risk everything to unravel secrets that will not stay buried-even in death.…
382 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2011
991 people are currently reading
3631 people want to read
About the author
Heather Graham
584 books6,922 followersAlso published as Heather Graham Pozzessere and Shannon Drake.
New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Heather Graham majored in theater arts at the University of South Florida. After a stint of several years in dinner theater, back-up vocals, and bartending, she stayed home after the birth of her third child and began to write, working on short horror stories and romances. After some trial and error, she sold her first book, WHEN NEXT WE LOVE, in 1982 and since then, she has written over one hundred novels and novellas including category, romantic suspense, historical romance, vampire fiction, time travel, occult, and Christmas holiday fare. She wrote the launch books for the Dell's Ecstasy Supreme line, Silhouette's Shadows, and for Harlequin's mainstream fiction imprint, Mira Books.
Heather was a founding member of the Florida Romance Writers chapter of RWA and, since 1999, has hosted the Romantic Times Vampire Ball, with all revenues going directly to children's charity.
She is pleased to have been published in approximately twenty languages, and to have been honored with awards frorn Waldenbooks. B. Dalton, Georgia Romance Writers, Affaire de Coeur, Romantic Times, and more. She has had books selected for the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild, and has been quoted, interviewed, or featured in such publications as The Nation, Redbook, People, and USA Today and appeared on many newscasts including local television and Entertainment Tonight.
Heather loves travel and anything have to do with the water, and is a certitified scuba diver. Married since high school graduation and the mother of five, her greatest love in life remains her family, but she also believes her career has been an incredible gift, and she is grateful every day to be doing something that she loves so very much for a living.
New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Heather Graham majored in theater arts at the University of South Florida. After a stint of several years in dinner theater, back-up vocals, and bartending, she stayed home after the birth of her third child and began to write, working on short horror stories and romances. After some trial and error, she sold her first book, WHEN NEXT WE LOVE, in 1982 and since then, she has written over one hundred novels and novellas including category, romantic suspense, historical romance, vampire fiction, time travel, occult, and Christmas holiday fare. She wrote the launch books for the Dell's Ecstasy Supreme line, Silhouette's Shadows, and for Harlequin's mainstream fiction imprint, Mira Books.
Heather was a founding member of the Florida Romance Writers chapter of RWA and, since 1999, has hosted the Romantic Times Vampire Ball, with all revenues going directly to children's charity.
She is pleased to have been published in approximately twenty languages, and to have been honored with awards frorn Waldenbooks. B. Dalton, Georgia Romance Writers, Affaire de Coeur, Romantic Times, and more. She has had books selected for the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild, and has been quoted, interviewed, or featured in such publications as The Nation, Redbook, People, and USA Today and appeared on many newscasts including local television and Entertainment Tonight.
Heather loves travel and anything have to do with the water, and is a certitified scuba diver. Married since high school graduation and the mother of five, her greatest love in life remains her family, but she also believes her career has been an incredible gift, and she is grateful every day to be doing something that she loves so very much for a living.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 530 reviews
August 2, 2014
Oh, Heather Graham...what have they done to you? Did you sit in a meeting, after the success of the first book, in this series, and listen to some asshole in a suit tell you how to make your series more marketable? Did he say, more ghosts--ghosts are in right now? Did he say, more romance--romance is big? Did he say, let's dumb it down a bit--people are stupid?
If he did say those things, you seem to have taken them to heart because this book is an insult to the one that preceded it. I gave that one 4 stars and couldn't wait to read this one. And then this one was just so...terrible.
Where to begin? In book one, there are ghosts. They talk. They help the protagonists, but it's in a creepy, kind of vague way. In this book, ghosts are characters. They have scenes with live characters that go on endlessly and have full conversations with them. These ghosts can sense when a person is in trouble and try to help them, but don't know who the killer is that the team is chasing. It's ridiculous. It cheapens everything. This crack FBI team that Graham formed investigates, but unlike in book 1 where they solve the case, in this one, it takes a ghost pointing them in the right direction to figure it out. Graham is completely over-reliant on ghosts in this book. There are too many of them. They speak WAY too much. They know WAY too little. It's just stupid. It's insulting to readers. It truly is.
And look, I like a little romance with my thrillers. I am, in no way, anti-romance. But this book is so sappy that it might as have left out the FBI team. If I want to read a romance novel, I'll go find one. I want to read a thriller with a supernatural bent and some romantic intrigue--like the first book in this series. THAT was awesome. This is crap.
These characters, who I admired so much in the first book, become so sappy in this one. And apparently, the ability to speak to ghosts isn't so special because everyone in this book is doing it. The characters--the team--I enjoyed so much in book one are largely ignored in this book. One team member is spotlighted and the rest fall into the deep shadows. I kept wondering why they were even there? They were characters in book 1. They are props in this one. Most of them don't even show up until the book is more than halfway done--and they left from the same place as characters who get there early do. Why? Because there's no need for them.
This book is tainted. It's foul. It's taken a good writer, who had a good concept and created an interesting world and characters and turned them all into fodder for Stephanie Meyer fans. I was shocked at how something that started so well, could be turned into such crap, so quickly. Its just terrible. It's so affected. The outside influence on this book is readily apparent to it's great detriment. I thought I had found a fun, interesting new series by a writer who I was excited to read, but this is terrible. I could not have been more disappointed.
And the worst part is that I don't see a way back from it. The precedent is set. Even if she does dial back the sappiness of the romance and involve the whole team and make the investigation work real again, she's now set the tone for these ghost characters who sit down and have a conversation with you and tell you all you'd ever need to know. There needed to be rules in this world that Graham created. Ghosts had to be bound by rules, they had to be limited in their power to see and speak and communicate or it's going to get very corny when the ghosts just never happen to see whodunit every single time. It's going to get awfully corny when the murder victim never sticks around and tells the team--"Hey, Colonel Mustard killed me, in the Billiards Room, with a candle stick."
This book plays to an insipid audience who accept what they are given. It plays to an audience who wants a little thriller and action with their romance novels--not the other way around. Because if you think about this book too much, it all unravels. If you care about the plot, you're fucked. The plot of this book exists only to play out the romances. Apparently that sells books. This series seems to have done well. It's growing in popularity. I guess there is something to be gained from selling out and listening to the marketing team. My respect is not one of them.
I could not decline to recommend a book more vociferously than I do this one. If you took my recommendation to read the first one, I apologize. I led you into this mess. I shouldn't have. But who could have seen such a drastic turn coming? Don't read it. Pretend the first book was a stand alone.
If he did say those things, you seem to have taken them to heart because this book is an insult to the one that preceded it. I gave that one 4 stars and couldn't wait to read this one. And then this one was just so...terrible.
Where to begin? In book one, there are ghosts. They talk. They help the protagonists, but it's in a creepy, kind of vague way. In this book, ghosts are characters. They have scenes with live characters that go on endlessly and have full conversations with them. These ghosts can sense when a person is in trouble and try to help them, but don't know who the killer is that the team is chasing. It's ridiculous. It cheapens everything. This crack FBI team that Graham formed investigates, but unlike in book 1 where they solve the case, in this one, it takes a ghost pointing them in the right direction to figure it out. Graham is completely over-reliant on ghosts in this book. There are too many of them. They speak WAY too much. They know WAY too little. It's just stupid. It's insulting to readers. It truly is.
And look, I like a little romance with my thrillers. I am, in no way, anti-romance. But this book is so sappy that it might as have left out the FBI team. If I want to read a romance novel, I'll go find one. I want to read a thriller with a supernatural bent and some romantic intrigue--like the first book in this series. THAT was awesome. This is crap.
These characters, who I admired so much in the first book, become so sappy in this one. And apparently, the ability to speak to ghosts isn't so special because everyone in this book is doing it. The characters--the team--I enjoyed so much in book one are largely ignored in this book. One team member is spotlighted and the rest fall into the deep shadows. I kept wondering why they were even there? They were characters in book 1. They are props in this one. Most of them don't even show up until the book is more than halfway done--and they left from the same place as characters who get there early do. Why? Because there's no need for them.
This book is tainted. It's foul. It's taken a good writer, who had a good concept and created an interesting world and characters and turned them all into fodder for Stephanie Meyer fans. I was shocked at how something that started so well, could be turned into such crap, so quickly. Its just terrible. It's so affected. The outside influence on this book is readily apparent to it's great detriment. I thought I had found a fun, interesting new series by a writer who I was excited to read, but this is terrible. I could not have been more disappointed.
And the worst part is that I don't see a way back from it. The precedent is set. Even if she does dial back the sappiness of the romance and involve the whole team and make the investigation work real again, she's now set the tone for these ghost characters who sit down and have a conversation with you and tell you all you'd ever need to know. There needed to be rules in this world that Graham created. Ghosts had to be bound by rules, they had to be limited in their power to see and speak and communicate or it's going to get very corny when the ghosts just never happen to see whodunit every single time. It's going to get awfully corny when the murder victim never sticks around and tells the team--"Hey, Colonel Mustard killed me, in the Billiards Room, with a candle stick."
This book plays to an insipid audience who accept what they are given. It plays to an audience who wants a little thriller and action with their romance novels--not the other way around. Because if you think about this book too much, it all unravels. If you care about the plot, you're fucked. The plot of this book exists only to play out the romances. Apparently that sells books. This series seems to have done well. It's growing in popularity. I guess there is something to be gained from selling out and listening to the marketing team. My respect is not one of them.
I could not decline to recommend a book more vociferously than I do this one. If you took my recommendation to read the first one, I apologize. I led you into this mess. I shouldn't have. But who could have seen such a drastic turn coming? Don't read it. Pretend the first book was a stand alone.
July 7, 2018
Gotta love a Civil War re enactment at a Louisiana Plantation. And of course a MURDER
February 23, 2017
So....
That was me during most...of this book, the first 50 pages are completely about a set up for a Civil War reenactment which was my first problem, I am definitely NOT into the Civil War era but trucked through in realizing a lot of this set up would lend itself because this is a mystery murder book after all right? It WILL get better, the first book was decent enough!
The book is just sooooo sloooow. I was very very close to DNFing it several times but what was holding me through is that I am truly trying to be dedicated to a series read with a challenge group I am in, AND the NEXT book is based around Jack The Ripper and gets way more positive reviews then the first 2 books, so I told myself...stick it out.
In the first book the main characters were centered around Jackson and Angela who I actually very much loved BOTH of them were endearing, strong characters. They are secondary at best in this book despite the fact that this is supposed to be all about the "Krewe of Hunters", and the main characters are Ashley (new character and descendant of a Civil War soldier) and Jake, who we met in the first book (but I had to go back and read a quick character blurb about because I could not for the life of me remember who he was from the first). These two do not even BEGIN to compare to Jackson and Angela...and honestly I couldn't even get a clear image in my head of what these two even possibly looked like I mean...
Ashley maybe?
...and...Jake?
I don't know...they were almost faceless to me as I read and this is something that always bothers me. One saving grace however was that this author did something that you don't often see in murder mystery novels. At one point there start to be "interludes" presented in italicizes that depict the thoughts of the mystery killer themselves. The interludes are both creepy and intriguing because they give inward clues to who the thoughts are coming from. This actually SAVED the book for me, honestly.
Another favorite moment of mine is when Ashley is talking to Whitney (another previous book character) about how shocked she is that Angela is a cop because of the way she "looks" and you know because she is SO much more bad ass than Ashley is. Whitney describes Angela as:
I loved that! It was so much better than Ashley responding to an action her grandfather did with:
I mean REALLY? The ending was also incredibly disappointing and the ghost interaction was almost a little TOO involved for my taste in this book. I prefer the way the ghosts interacted in the first book with a little less involvement. I will continue with this series because the reviews for the next and future books take a good leap up, but this one was pretty rough to get through. :(
That was me during most...of this book, the first 50 pages are completely about a set up for a Civil War reenactment which was my first problem, I am definitely NOT into the Civil War era but trucked through in realizing a lot of this set up would lend itself because this is a mystery murder book after all right? It WILL get better, the first book was decent enough!
The book is just sooooo sloooow. I was very very close to DNFing it several times but what was holding me through is that I am truly trying to be dedicated to a series read with a challenge group I am in, AND the NEXT book is based around Jack The Ripper and gets way more positive reviews then the first 2 books, so I told myself...stick it out.
In the first book the main characters were centered around Jackson and Angela who I actually very much loved BOTH of them were endearing, strong characters. They are secondary at best in this book despite the fact that this is supposed to be all about the "Krewe of Hunters", and the main characters are Ashley (new character and descendant of a Civil War soldier) and Jake, who we met in the first book (but I had to go back and read a quick character blurb about because I could not for the life of me remember who he was from the first). These two do not even BEGIN to compare to Jackson and Angela...and honestly I couldn't even get a clear image in my head of what these two even possibly looked like I mean...
Ashley maybe?
...and...Jake?
I don't know...they were almost faceless to me as I read and this is something that always bothers me. One saving grace however was that this author did something that you don't often see in murder mystery novels. At one point there start to be "interludes" presented in italicizes that depict the thoughts of the mystery killer themselves. The interludes are both creepy and intriguing because they give inward clues to who the thoughts are coming from. This actually SAVED the book for me, honestly.
Another favorite moment of mine is when Ashley is talking to Whitney (another previous book character) about how shocked she is that Angela is a cop because of the way she "looks" and you know because she is SO much more bad ass than Ashley is. Whitney describes Angela as:
That's like a fairy-tale princess in a patrol car, huh? But hey, even, Disney princesses are toughening up these days. We're all capable of many things, right?
I loved that! It was so much better than Ashley responding to an action her grandfather did with:
You go grandpa!
I mean REALLY? The ending was also incredibly disappointing and the ghost interaction was almost a little TOO involved for my taste in this book. I prefer the way the ghosts interacted in the first book with a little less involvement. I will continue with this series because the reviews for the next and future books take a good leap up, but this one was pretty rough to get through. :(
April 24, 2022
Heart of Evil is book two in the Krewe of Hunters by Heather Graham. Donegal Plantation has a great history before the Civil War, and Donegal Plantations is now a Bed and Breakfast establishment. Every year, they held a reenactment of the day the Union Soldiers killed the original owner of the plantation during the American Civil War. However, the latest reenactment ended in the death of the person who played Marshall Donegal. Ashley Donegal's grandfather called in a favour from an FBI friend, resulting in an old friend of Ashley, Jake Mallory and his team arriving to investigate. The readers of Heart of Evil will continue to follow Ashley and Jake to find out what happens.
Heart of Evil is another fantastic addition to this excellent series by Heather Graham. I enjoy the way Heather Graham incorporates two of my favourite genre, romantic suspense and paranormal. I never have trouble engaging with books in this series, and Heart of Evil did not disappoint. I love Heather Graham's portrayal of her characters and how they interact with each other throughout this book. Heart of Evil is well written and researched by Heather Graham. I like Heather Graham's description of the settings of Heart of Evil which allows me to imagine being part of the book's plot.
The readers of Heart of Evil will learn about the history of the south during the American Civil War. The readers of Heart of Evil will understand problems that small businesses can encounter to survive and grow.
I recommend this book.
Heart of Evil is another fantastic addition to this excellent series by Heather Graham. I enjoy the way Heather Graham incorporates two of my favourite genre, romantic suspense and paranormal. I never have trouble engaging with books in this series, and Heart of Evil did not disappoint. I love Heather Graham's portrayal of her characters and how they interact with each other throughout this book. Heart of Evil is well written and researched by Heather Graham. I like Heather Graham's description of the settings of Heart of Evil which allows me to imagine being part of the book's plot.
The readers of Heart of Evil will learn about the history of the south during the American Civil War. The readers of Heart of Evil will understand problems that small businesses can encounter to survive and grow.
I recommend this book.
February 9, 2017
Ok, I have now read two books in this series in hopes that Heather can pull it out of the world of Lost Plots. But, no. Ashley is such a TSTL heroine that I kept kinda wishing the villain would just shoot her. At the beginning of the book she rushes into the old graveyard in her night gown to investigate what she thinks may be some teenage vandals. Yep, that stupid.
Then there is Jake whose personality has completely changed since the first book. Now he's in charge? He and Jackson seem to have switched bodies.
I did like the ghosts and the villain, though.
Then there is Jake whose personality has completely changed since the first book. Now he's in charge? He and Jackson seem to have switched bodies.
I did like the ghosts and the villain, though.
January 20, 2016
To be frank, I felt the ghosts in the story had more of a love connection than Jake and Angela did. Really Angela blows Jake off 5 years ago because she can't deal with what he told her about her dad. Now that she is having some dead people issues, she wants him back in her life. Then once he is there she keeps blowing hot and cold with him. Then after they have been in the muddy Mississippi looking for a weapon and Jake is trying to catch a shower. Then you knock on the door still covered in stinky river mud and get upset because he doesn't take you up on your offer of a booty call? Really?? I am going to give this series a hiatus, because although the first book really worked for me, this one really bombed. To many good series out there to waste my time on iffy.
May 14, 2018
4 Stars... The second book in the "Krewe Hunters" series focuses on Jake Mallory who, along with his team, is called in to investigate a missing persons case causing him to be reunited with his soulmate, Ashley Donegal... The case quickly turns to a murder investigation, seeped in Civil War history, and ghostly presences begin to entwine themselves within this haunting mystery... Heather Graham provides a strong historical foundation within which she creates a twisting, turning "who done it" case with a supernatural twist... I enjoyed this read and found myself attempting to solve the case (not completely successful I might add) following the clues both human and ghostly... I am beginning to connect more with the characters and their abilities as well; enjoying their interactions and developing relationships... There were some grammatical pieces that needed addressing and at times the character speaking became slightly confusing, but overall it was an enjoyable and entertaining read:)
January 13, 2019
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
3.5 hearts
Read It, Rate It and Record
A short review to update challenges
I was able to get Phantom Evil, the first book of this Krewe Of Hunters series from the Audible Romance package. Heart of Evil was available with audio through Kindle Unlimited. Both are set in New Orleans. The first set up the world, this special FBI team and had the romance of the team leader, Jackson and Angela.
Heart of Evil is full of civil war reenactment action, an old plantation tourist site and of course, new murders to solve. One of the team members Jake is from New Orleans and practically grew up with the granddaughter, Ashley who runs the old plantation with her grandfather, and staff. So we also have a second chance romance for Jake and Ashley.
I always enjoy the mix of mystery with romance for the layers of plot. Here we also have some woo-woo paranormal aspects usually blended with historical mysteries, deaths and / or ghosts. We get the point of view primarily from the Jake and Ashley.
Narration:
Last but not least, at this point Luke Daniels took over the narration. He is one reason I chose to start this series. I am able to listen at 1.5x speed. He's a master and handles the voices of males, females and the various accents believably.
Listen to a clip: HERE
3.5 hearts
Read It, Rate It and Record
A short review to update challenges
I was able to get Phantom Evil, the first book of this Krewe Of Hunters series from the Audible Romance package. Heart of Evil was available with audio through Kindle Unlimited. Both are set in New Orleans. The first set up the world, this special FBI team and had the romance of the team leader, Jackson and Angela.
Heart of Evil is full of civil war reenactment action, an old plantation tourist site and of course, new murders to solve. One of the team members Jake is from New Orleans and practically grew up with the granddaughter, Ashley who runs the old plantation with her grandfather, and staff. So we also have a second chance romance for Jake and Ashley.
I always enjoy the mix of mystery with romance for the layers of plot. Here we also have some woo-woo paranormal aspects usually blended with historical mysteries, deaths and / or ghosts. We get the point of view primarily from the Jake and Ashley.
Narration:
Last but not least, at this point Luke Daniels took over the narration. He is one reason I chose to start this series. I am able to listen at 1.5x speed. He's a master and handles the voices of males, females and the various accents believably.
Listen to a clip: HERE
December 10, 2023
Entertaining fantasy listening 🎶🔰
This is a kindle e-book novel from the local library by Heather Graham one of my favorite authors.
They are having a reenactment of a civil war battle at the estate that has been in the family back before the civil war. There is a murder and ghost 👻 come to the aid of the investigation by the Krewe Hunter. The investigation leads to lots of hidden truths about the family leading to a arrested of the killer.
I would recommend this series and author to 👍 readers of fantasy ghost 👻 murder mystery novels 👍🔰. 2023 👒😀😡💘🏡👻
This is a kindle e-book novel from the local library by Heather Graham one of my favorite authors.
They are having a reenactment of a civil war battle at the estate that has been in the family back before the civil war. There is a murder and ghost 👻 come to the aid of the investigation by the Krewe Hunter. The investigation leads to lots of hidden truths about the family leading to a arrested of the killer.
I would recommend this series and author to 👍 readers of fantasy ghost 👻 murder mystery novels 👍🔰. 2023 👒😀😡💘🏡👻
September 21, 2025
This is the second book in the Krewe of Hunters series but stands alone quite well. It's a crime-romance/paranormal-suspense mystery set on a Southern plantation during and after a Civil War skirmish re-enactment. The setting and historical notes and flourishes are quite well detailed, and there's a decided Southern Gothic flavor to the whole thing. The romance seems to be an obligatory aspect, as FBI agent Jake and plantation-runner Ashley re-unite; they were together some years back, but Ashley broke it off when Jake told her he could talk to her recently deceased father. When Ashley starts seeing ghosts herself, they're all of a sudden a thing again. The ghosts themselves don't seem to be a whole lot of help to the FBI team, who are an interesting gang of characters in and of themselves. The mystery is quite cleverly presented, and I was forced to change my guess as to who the evil culprit was a time or two. There are first-person interludes scattered through the text from the viewpoint of the killer which provide tantalizing clues. It's a good mystery, even if it does have a couple of recipes at the end.
January 20, 2018
If you like the Civil War, the history of New Orleans, ghosts, and romance, then read Heart of Evil by Heather Graham. I love history! I enjoyed the book because of the history. That is why I gave this book four stars. This is book two of the series. The books in the series do not have to be read in order. My biggest problem with this book is that there are too many characters. I understand that it is about a Civil War reenactment, but it would be better if the characters had names that were not so similar and fit their characters better. I will read the rest of the series.
January 7, 2014
Ugh. Horrible. Don't even know why I finished it. Probably because I was listening to it while doing fun stuff. Would not recommend. Very boring. I really didn't care what happened half way through the book.
May 15, 2011
Heart of Evil is the second book in the Krewe of Hunters series and it is quite different to the first one. Heart of Evil contains the same characters but this time it focuses on Jake. While, I think that you don’t have to read the first one in order to understand this one I would definitely recommend reading the first book, Phantom Evil before this one; especially if you want to know more about the characters backgrounds and things like that.
Heart of Evil is so good. It is a murder mystery, with paranormal elements and it is so suspenseful. In my mind these three things make a fantastic read. The suspense was in all the right places too. I’d read on because I just had to know what was going to happen next and then just as I had started to lose my sense of suspense another event would happen that left me wanting to read on.
The chemistry between Jake and Ashley was quite intense. Their relationship was an interesting one and I don’t think I’ve ever really read about it in books before. In this one, they had already known each other, so the chemistry was already there. It just made the book all that more smoothly.
I was actually a little bored at the start because it took quite a while to get into the story and the character set up and history was quite long but once it got past that part everything was just all go. I also felt the ending was a little rushed through but at the same time I guess you couldn’t really do too much more with it. It was still satisfactory.
The mystery element was really awesome. It kept me guessing until the very end because clues appeared and so I would think I knew who the killer was for certain, but then something else would happen and I would have to form another conclusion. I was wrong about who the killer was but it was still fun to read through and guess until the very end.
Heart of Evil is a great addition to the Krewe of Hunters series and I for one cannot wait to read the next book in the series. If you like paranormal, mystery romances then I think you’ll enjoy this book and series.
Heart of Evil is so good. It is a murder mystery, with paranormal elements and it is so suspenseful. In my mind these three things make a fantastic read. The suspense was in all the right places too. I’d read on because I just had to know what was going to happen next and then just as I had started to lose my sense of suspense another event would happen that left me wanting to read on.
The chemistry between Jake and Ashley was quite intense. Their relationship was an interesting one and I don’t think I’ve ever really read about it in books before. In this one, they had already known each other, so the chemistry was already there. It just made the book all that more smoothly.
I was actually a little bored at the start because it took quite a while to get into the story and the character set up and history was quite long but once it got past that part everything was just all go. I also felt the ending was a little rushed through but at the same time I guess you couldn’t really do too much more with it. It was still satisfactory.
The mystery element was really awesome. It kept me guessing until the very end because clues appeared and so I would think I knew who the killer was for certain, but then something else would happen and I would have to form another conclusion. I was wrong about who the killer was but it was still fun to read through and guess until the very end.
Heart of Evil is a great addition to the Krewe of Hunters series and I for one cannot wait to read the next book in the series. If you like paranormal, mystery romances then I think you’ll enjoy this book and series.
November 8, 2015
Compared to book one, I liked the story better in this book, but I liked the characters better in the first one. The characters here came across as rather flat.
I also had an issue (one of those must suspend disbelief kinds of things) with the fact that Jake, who previously was pretty much just a musician that also apparently helped to find people (unless I’m mistaken on that aspect), now is a full fledged FBI agent that knows all about protocols, procedure and apparently the knowledge to give a behavioral analysis of bad guys. It was all a little too pat for my liking. Even more so when his apparent finding ability seems to have been forgotten. It was also hugely coincidental that Ashley can also see and talk to ghosts.
Ashley’s character was a tad on the annoying side and a bit flip-floppy for my tastes. I really didn’t like her hypocritical attitude and how she was with Jake early on, then just dropped all issues as if they were nothing and everything is all hunky dory in romance land with the two of them.
Another, more minor, irritant was an issue with names getting switched. There were several places where it was obvious the character in question was one person, but the name used was another. Should have been Jackson, but said Jake instead. Same with Angela and Ashley. That is one huge downside to using similar character names in a book. If you are going to do that, you had better be on your toes during the editing process to make sure that gets caught because a mistake like that can completely yank a reader right out of the story, depending on how important the scenario is.
I did really like the non-romance part of this story, though. There are still aspects that are just a little too perfect and coincidental to make this a really good story and is what keeps in on the just good level, but it was good. It kept me interested and I didn’t get bored with the plot.
I also had an issue (one of those must suspend disbelief kinds of things) with the fact that Jake, who previously was pretty much just a musician that also apparently helped to find people (unless I’m mistaken on that aspect), now is a full fledged FBI agent that knows all about protocols, procedure and apparently the knowledge to give a behavioral analysis of bad guys. It was all a little too pat for my liking. Even more so when his apparent finding ability seems to have been forgotten. It was also hugely coincidental that Ashley can also see and talk to ghosts.
Ashley’s character was a tad on the annoying side and a bit flip-floppy for my tastes. I really didn’t like her hypocritical attitude and how she was with Jake early on, then just dropped all issues as if they were nothing and everything is all hunky dory in romance land with the two of them.
Another, more minor, irritant was an issue with names getting switched. There were several places where it was obvious the character in question was one person, but the name used was another. Should have been Jackson, but said Jake instead. Same with Angela and Ashley. That is one huge downside to using similar character names in a book. If you are going to do that, you had better be on your toes during the editing process to make sure that gets caught because a mistake like that can completely yank a reader right out of the story, depending on how important the scenario is.
I did really like the non-romance part of this story, though. There are still aspects that are just a little too perfect and coincidental to make this a really good story and is what keeps in on the just good level, but it was good. It kept me interested and I didn’t get bored with the plot.
October 29, 2021
What attracted me to this second novel in the series are the FBI paranormal team and the Civil War reenactment. The character Ashley Donegal, at first, reminded me of the heroine from horror movies. The heroine who goes running into a no-win situation and the viewer asks, "Why she's doing such a stupid thing?" Luckily, Ashley's characterization improved over the course of the novel. Jake Mallory, an old flame of Ashley's, is a member of the FBI paranormal team. Where he played a secondary character in the first book, Jake plays the hero in this book. There is a fine balance, however, to be made between Jake and the team leader, Jackson. I feel the author treaded this fine line expertly. Jake portrayed the white-knight to Ashley's damsel-in-distress, while Jackson directed the paranormal team with the investigation. There were a number of ghost in this book, all doing their best to help. The main ghosts were Marshall and Emma Donegal. Marshall appeared to Ashley, while Emma appeared to Jake. The villain is introduced in italic Interludes to the reader. Thanks to these two-to-three-page interludes, I figured out who the villain was before the main characters. As far as Civil War reenactment, there was one skirmish on the Donegal Plantation before the Civil War began in earnest. I don't recall a skirmish on a plantation called Donegal, though it could have happened, I feel it is fictitious. (I looked up Donegal Plantation on Google. There is a Donegal Mills Plantation in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.) It didn't satisfy the enthusiast in me, but the reenactment set the story up nicely. I'm moving on to the third novel, Sacred Evil, in the Krewe of Hunters series. I hope it is more satisfying than this one was for me. Adult situations and language.
February 23, 2017
I had a hard time with this book, and it really dragged on for me in spots. There was a very slow build-up thing going for most of the book, then it just seemed to rush to the ending! There was barely any romance between Jake and Ashley, and it really didn't feel like the team did much investigating! What saved the book for me was the historical aspect of it, as well as the ghostly interactions. The setting was very rich, and there were times when I actually felt as if I was wandering the plantation as I was reading it! I'm not quite ready to give up on the series yet, but it is becoming harder to enjoy it.
July 9, 2014
A certain delicacy is needed when you set a murder mystery on a Southern plantation that also does civil war re-enactments. Especially when the murder is linked to civil war history.
The first chunk of the book explains how slavery is a non issue' and in fact there is no racism any more (this is confirmed by a black character being totally cool with re-enacting the guy who owned his family & raped his great grand mother). Another character explains that her Slave owning ancestors didn't make Slaves do all the work. Everyone pitched in.
No thank you book
The first chunk of the book explains how slavery is a non issue' and in fact there is no racism any more (this is confirmed by a black character being totally cool with re-enacting the guy who owned his family & raped his great grand mother). Another character explains that her Slave owning ancestors didn't make Slaves do all the work. Everyone pitched in.
No thank you book
December 4, 2018
Love this series. The twists and turns keep you guessing.
February 26, 2017
This book was not as creepy as the first, though it had enough elements that it should have been. Perhaps it was because the heroine was so forgiving of obnoxious and stupid behavior. Or because she was TSTL at times. Or because so many of the suspects were not particularly likeable. Or because we got to see inside the villain's head. And that last is something I'm glad we had even though I normally don't care for it. If there hadn't been a POV from the villain, then the solution wouldn't have worked well. There are dreams that precede the murder in this case, and we spend time with people enacting history for a while before the murder occurs.
The romance is a second chance one, with the two reconnecting because of the murder. The hero is a member of the Krewe and his abilities were part of why the two had broken up years before. He is very patient as she deals with experiences that make her accept the existence of ghosts.
The setting is an important part of this book, with the house, the bayou, the grounds, and history all playing a part. The situation the heroine's family is in I found realistic, and was glad the events meant that she wasn't acting as hostess of a B&B during the murder investigation, as that allowed more focus on the plot.
I found the motivations behind the murder to be less strong than the previous book. But, there was a more direct role of the supernatural in this one. I just wish the heroine had been more sensible and wonder what the renewed relationship will mean for Ashley and Jake.
The romance is a second chance one, with the two reconnecting because of the murder. The hero is a member of the Krewe and his abilities were part of why the two had broken up years before. He is very patient as she deals with experiences that make her accept the existence of ghosts.
The setting is an important part of this book, with the house, the bayou, the grounds, and history all playing a part. The situation the heroine's family is in I found realistic, and was glad the events meant that she wasn't acting as hostess of a B&B during the murder investigation, as that allowed more focus on the plot.
I found the motivations behind the murder to be less strong than the previous book. But, there was a more direct role of the supernatural in this one. I just wish the heroine had been more sensible and wonder what the renewed relationship will mean for Ashley and Jake.
April 15, 2022
2.75 Stars!So maybe it's just because it's been a while since I read book 1, but this honestly felt like a different series to me...like in the first book, yeah the ghosts were there but they weren't able to interact. So like when Jake first saw Emma at the beginning, they're there and can maybe like point you in the right direction but it's not like they could have full on conversations and pull you into their memories. That kind of threw me a little, I guess. This book could have also used another editing pass. There were a couple spelling/grammar mistakes but the big thing that got me was there were several instances where Ashley is mentioned to be doing/saying something and given the context of the scene, I'm pretty sure it was supposed to be Angela (one specific scene where Ashley wasn't even supposed to be in the room...) and vice versa.
Overall, I just couldn't connect with Jake and Ashley. Jake was decent and I liked the way he cared for his team and the plantation but it felt like he was just there. Yeah, he kind of seemed to be half pining for Ashley and he was worried about her but that was it. And Ashley was so bipolar when it came to him, I spent most of the time rolling my eyes.
I found this series through the 1001 Dark Nights stories and I really liked the short stories in this world that I read. I'll try the next book and see if I can get interested but honestly, I don't know that I want to continue.
November 22, 2011
This was definitely an interesting read. It's a cross between paranormal and actual crime scene investigation. It was almost like watching one of those episodes where people truly enter a place and try to use scientific data to interpret whether or not they encountered a presence. Usually in paranormal romances, it's the exact same information that you get in all the others, and right now there is a plethora of them to choose from.
Different angles, different ideas, or just a different spin is always appreciated. It's refreshing to read a new take on things. It doesn't even matter if it's an idea that's already been done, if it has it's own unique quality. As long as it doesn't fit into the cookie cutter being provided, then it's worth the read. And this one certainly is.
Kudos for Graham for thinking outside the paranormal box and utilizing an idea that hasn't been done a million other books before! Oh, and you still get your romance, so no worries there.
If you're interested in a change pace, then you should definitely check out the Krewe of Hunters. There are 4 of them out there, and this is only the 2nd. So go find the books and keep reading!
Different angles, different ideas, or just a different spin is always appreciated. It's refreshing to read a new take on things. It doesn't even matter if it's an idea that's already been done, if it has it's own unique quality. As long as it doesn't fit into the cookie cutter being provided, then it's worth the read. And this one certainly is.
Kudos for Graham for thinking outside the paranormal box and utilizing an idea that hasn't been done a million other books before! Oh, and you still get your romance, so no worries there.
If you're interested in a change pace, then you should definitely check out the Krewe of Hunters. There are 4 of them out there, and this is only the 2nd. So go find the books and keep reading!
March 16, 2023
This is book two. It wasn’t as creepy as the first one, but it had its moments. A rotting corpse on a grave stone in the family museum , plus he was dressed in a civil war enactment uniform. Then two more bodies being snacked on by gators, among the Missy swamp. It was a story of Jake and Ashley. The plantation has been turned into a bed and breakfast, but someone is out to ruin the plantation, and kill those attached to it. The story line was good, and the mystery was suspenseful to a point. The Krewe of hunters had Jake more in charge this time, and their were two ghost readers. It did not bother me that some ghosts could talk. The ending was good since their were still to many characters until a ghost helped out. I was glad it was not a cliffhanger. It was a solid murder mystery, with some paranormal, and romance. 4 stars.
May 8, 2021
"He made love to her torso." Wait, what? Did I miss something? I thought both people in this scene were alive and the "he" involved in this tryst wasn't a psychopath or necropheliac. Spoiler: they are and he isn't. The quote is just the most egregious example of the awkwardness of the writing.
For the type of book it is, it isn't bad as long as you dive in knowing it will be cheesy. Don't we all crave a little cheese now and then, though?
For the type of book it is, it isn't bad as long as you dive in knowing it will be cheesy. Don't we all crave a little cheese now and then, though?
June 9, 2020
Book 2 of the Krewe of Hunters - loved this plantation set mystery with all the history that brings along the story.
October 21, 2017
Ghosts, haunted plantations, ghosts, Civil War reenactments, ghosts, murder, ghosts, romance, and did I mention....ghosts. Another fun read full of ghosts and murder as a reenactor is gruesomely murdered following an event at an allegedly haunted plantation home. The Krewe crew (sorry, couldn't resist) is called in to investigate the strange happenings, and naturally romance also follows. I'm finding this series more entertaining than some of the author's other series, so I'll undoubtedly read more as I have the urge for a ghost story that's not too frightening.
May 6, 2019
Again, I'm not disappointed!!! Now, onto book 3!!
June 15, 2021
3.5 stars I enjoyed the first book more! I wish the whole Krewe had been involved more.
March 1, 2017
3.75 ***
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