The Old West town of Lily, Arizona, is home to the Gilded Lily, a former theater and bawdy house. These days, it offers theatrical productions geared to tourists, but the recent discovery of a skull, a real skull, among the props and costumes shakes everyone up.
So, who do you call? The Krewe of Hunters, a special FBI unit of paranormal investigators. In this case, it's agent Jane Everett. Jane's also a talented artist who creates images of the dead as they once were. But the Krewe always works with local law enforcement, and here that means Sloan Trent, former Houston cop and now sheriff. His great-great-grandmother was an actress at the Gilded Lily and she's not resting in peace.
Then more remains appear in the nearby desert. As they search for answers, using all the skills at their disposal, Jane and Sloan find themselves falling into danger and into love.
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.
This is a good supernatural romance/paranormal thriller/ghost mystery; it's the ninth book in Graham's Krewe of Hunters series, but they can be read out of sequence and still stand alone perfectly well. It's a formulaic series of stories: attractive young people can see/communicate with ghosts, they meet in a romantic historical setting, they hook up with potential victims they're supposed to be protecting (or fellow agent such as in this case), and a fine time is had by all until the murder is solved and the day is saved. I've made it sound silly, but it's good fun, comfortable and cozy in the way of a favorite repetitive television series. This one features artist and Krewe member Jane Everett, who goes to the Old West tourist town of Lily, Arizona, to do a facial reconstruction of a skull that's mysteriously turned up on a wig stand in the basement of the local theatre. She meets local sheriff Sloan Trent, who's the great-great-grandson of a performer famous at the local theatre who went missing over a hundred years ago, just about the time a huge shipment of gold also went missing. Luckily, Jane and Sloan can both interact with ghosts. I didn't like this book quite as well as a few I've read in the series previously because the setting is fictitious instead of historical. On the other hand, the mystery itself is cleverly presented and solved, and I once again failed to figure it out completely before our lovebirds solve it. (Heavens to Agatha... they're gonna need a bigger jail.) Actually, there are several mysteries linked together, contemporary and very old ones, but Jane and Sloan have it all under control, in between hot times in the old town tonight. The ghosts aren't really much help, and on page 225 substituted one characters' name for another which was confusing, to say the least... but never mind, it's a fun story and I admired the reveal.
The is the best Krewe of Hunters so far. I really enjoyed it. While previous books in the series were entertaining enough for me to continue reading the series, this one doesn't have some of the annoying things most of the other books have: occasional annoying heroine or hero, unbelievable attraction or silly villains. After reading the eighth book in the series I came to a conclusion that I prefer the stories centered around events from American history. This story confirmed it.
The Night is Watching has two great main characters, neither trying to be too smart, too tough or too anything. Even the initial Sloan's hostility lasted only a few pages and it wasn't something out of the blue. You actually get the explanation what he is afraid of. And they are both gifted and they dealt with that right away. Neither Sloan nor Jane waited to admit the fact they have seen ghosts. First chance they had, it was in the open. They were pushed into admitting, but still.
As usual, these books focus more on suspense/crime part of the story rather than the romance. And that was really well done. Lily, Arizona is a small town with rich history. Its tourist part of town has a very old theatre, the Gilded Lily, where a famous and beautiful Sage McCormick had performed. She went missing a hundred and fifty years ago along with some of the other people and a stagecoach full of gold.
This time the villains are not so transparent nor silly.
3.5 The Night is Watching is the ninth book in the Krewe of Hunters, but each of them can be read as a standalone. Each book in the series deals with a new case for the special paranormal unit of the FBI and focuses on one of member of their unit and their romance. In this tale the past and present intertwine as dead bodies from the past and present begin to appear. I quickly became swept up in the mystery. Three word review: ghost-town, suspense, legends.
The Night is Watching takes us to the Old West and a town called Lily in Arizona. The town’s claim to glory is the Gilded Lily a former theater and bawdy house. The main street of town has been preserved in its former glory and rumor has it ghosts haunt the buildings. The old jail is now a hotel where you can stay in famous cells and the Gilded Lily has rooms for you to stay in, a fine restaurant and puts on nightly theatrical shows. Sloan Trent is a former Houston cop, who left when his uncle became ill and accepted a job as the local Sheriff. He stayed on since the quiet life suits him just fine. When an old skull wearing a wig shows up in the theater he calls his old friend and former partner Logan. Logan is now working for the FBI and Sloan asks him for the name of a respectable forensic anthropologist. Logan sends a team member, Agent Jane Everett to reconstruct the skull. Ghosts, murder and mayhem ensue as Jane and Sloan must piece together the mysteries of the past to solve a present day case involving murder.
Sloan is an interesting character and we learn his ancestors go back to the town’s origins. While he misses the action of the big city, he is comfortable in his ancestral home with his horses and the spirit of his uncle. He is level headed, smexy and respected. Jane Everett an artist and trained FBI agent who loves her job. She is cautious, clever and confident. The chemistry between the two of them was interesting. While they both found each other attractive, things started off a little icy, but as the ice melted the tale began to burn. Graham provided a delicious cast of characters with the townsfolk of Lily. It was fun trying to decide whodunit. The ghosts and their stories were fascinating and was one of my favorite parts of the tale.
I loved the setting; it was like an episode on one of those haunted places TV shows. Lily, Arizona lives for its tourist and the colorful past Graham gave it was interesting. I thought she did a clever job of weaving past legends and unsolved mysteries into the present murders. While I had an idea of whodunit, I must admit I was a little shocked when the players were revealed. The romance was sweet, but sometimes I wanted to shoot Sloan for forgetting Jane is a trained professional and not a damsel in distress. When they connected it felt genuine. As always her tale was paced well and I quickly became caught up, I loved piecing things together and watching it all unfold. Copy received in exchange for unbiased review and originally published Caffeinated Book Reviewer
Another excellent Krewe adventure taking place in Lily Arizona, a small town celebrating the old west. It had quite the violent past back in the day, it was the Wild West after all. It’s been quiet for the last 100 years until now. The bodies are piling up and the events of the past are behind it all.
3.5 Stars While an interesting story this book just did not have the flare that Graham’s books usually have. I didn’t feel that Sloan and Jane had the connection that most of the characters have in her stories. And in all honestly all the characters seemed so snippy to each other that it was distracting. There were many moments of mean-spiritedness in this story. I am not sure why because that is not common in Graham’s books but every character seemed so pissed off at everyone else.
Now that being said as always Graham puts so much real life history into her books that even one of her worst books (which this most certainly is not) is a great read. The story of the town of Lily, Arizona is one that you don’t want to stop reading. Something is just missing from this story.
I am glad I read this book even if it was not one of my favorites. Graham’s books are always an interesting and educational read if not for any reason other than the background that she must painstakingly research.
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
The story is a cute mystery with dead bodies appearing from the past and present. It has creepy ghosts and a dark basement. Mannequins move in the dark. Love blooms between the two main characters. It follows the formula for most of Heather Graham's books. I just wish that her clues led to a specific bad guy. As in all her books, the clues could lead to any number of people, as if the author decided at the last possible moment who was to be her murderer.
The Night Is Watching is book nine in the Krewe of Hunters series by Heather Graham. In a small town in Arizona called Lily, a human skull turns up among the props and costumes in an old theatre called Gilded Lily. To find the head's identity, the sheriff of Lily Sloan Trent contacts his friend in the Krewe of Hunters Unit of the FBI, who sends out Jane Everett, a forensic artist, to assist. The readers of The Night Is Watching will continue to follow Sloan and Jane's investigation to discover what happens.
The Night Is Watching is an enjoyable book to read and a fantastic addition to this excellent series by Heather Graham. I enjoy how Heather Graham includes the paranormal in her stories, which helps me engage with the story and the characters. I love Heather Graham's portrayal of her characters and their interaction with each other throughout this book. The Night Is Watching is well-written and researched by Heather Graham. I like Heather Graham's description of The Night Is Watching settings, which allowed me to imagine being part of the book's plot.
The readers of The Night Is Watching will learn about looking after rural tourist attractions. Also, the readers of The Night Is Watching will learn about living in rural Arizona.
Jane and Sloan’s story is a fantastic paranormal spin on the classic who done it. It was a good blend of history, legend and present plots. Greed and romance met in a saloon and ghost town. Jane has been an interesting member of the Texas Krewe so I was glad to see how elaborate and fun her story was. Sloan May be one of my favorite partners so far and I am excited to see more of him/them in the future.
This was a fast and fun read. While I had my suspicions about who was at fault I was pleasantly surprised at the scope and detail of the crimes and planning. This is a fun series and while they can be read as stand alone I would recommend reading in order bc it helps develop this world, their talent, and the characters!
4 Stars... Heather Graham takes us into the heart of the Wild West and it's tortured past... In the small town of Lily, Arizona the spirits are waking to tell the tale of betrayal, greed, and murder... Special Agent Jane Everett and Sheriff Sloan Trent must work through the clues to find answers to resolve the past and solve the present day murders... Once again, acts of betrayal and greed rear their heads and chaos ensues... Another twisting, turning paranormal mystery that keeps readers guessing until the very end:)
Loved this! I am never disappointed with this series. Fast paced, mysterious, full of ghosts, and set in the Wild Wild West. Can't go wrong with this mix. Easily got absorbed and couldn't get enough. Easy, light read that I easily finished. Can't wait to read another (soon I hope:).
The ninth book in the Krewe series brings us to the Old West. People are dying and bodies from a hundred years ago are showing up. The FBI works with the ghosts of the past to solve a current golf heist!
A modern day ghost story in a town that hints of the Old West, The Night is Watching by Heather Graham may just have you looking over your shoulder next time you visit an old hotel…or an old theater…or anywhere else where the claim to fame are its ghosts haunting the town! Forensic artist, FBI special paranormal investigations agent, Jane Everett mosies into the Old West town of Lily, Arizona to reconstruct the face of an old skull found among the props and costumes of an old theater. Turns out, the skull seems to have belonged to an actress of long ago, who mysteriously disappeared, leaving behind her family. Now her ghost is often seen wandering the town. The town sheriff, Sloan Trent is the actress’s great-great grandson, on a mission to put her soul to rest and solve the mysteries of several murders around town, both past and present. As they try desperately to follow the clues, Jane and Sloan find much more than danger around every corner. There’s no butler, so he didn’t do the crimes, the clues are buried deep in the history surrounding the town, literally. Is the promise of riches the motivator behind the deaths? Are people really who they seem to be? Will Sage, the long dead actress turned ghost finally lead the way to the truth and justice?
Heather Graham has taken an FBI case, tossed in the dust from an old west tale, blended a little who-dun-it, some modern technology and good old fashioned brilliant detective work to create a fun, fast, slightly paranormal romance! Her strongly divined characters are sometimes clichéd, sometimes quirky, but always cleverly drawn! I swear I saw tumbleweeds blowing by as the sounds of an old time saloon floated on the air! Very entertaining!
An ARC edition was provided by NetGalley and Harlequin in exchange for my honest review. Publication date: May 28, 2013.
I've read several sets of Heather Graham's "Krewe of Hunters" novels and enjoyed them. They always have a nice combination of suspense, romance, and mystery, usually involving something "ghostly." The criminal's however, are usually human.
This book focuses on Jane Everett, an FBI agent who can often see the dead and who is also a forensic artist. She is called out to a small, supposedly haunted town in Arizona to investigate a very old skull that was found in a theater. The Sheriff there is the "oh so good looking" Sloan Trent, and while the two main characters do get off on the wrong foot, they soon work as a team and then of course, take it to the next level.
Jane soon begins seeing the ghosts of two people who were murdered years ago, one of them being the great great grandmother of Sloan. Apparently, there was a plan to steal a stagecoach filled with gold and those who found out about this plan were murdered before they could talk. In the present, new attacks and a murder or two also occur and Jane and Sloan need to put together the past to uncover what is happening in the present.
I read this book in one day, as I usually do with Heather Graham's stories. It wasn't too long and I thought it was fun to try to guess who was really the true criminal and why they committed the crimes. Heather's novels aren't really deep, they are just good all around fun for those people like me who just enjoy a good paranormal mystery. She has two more books coming out in this set, one in August and the third in September. If you want to start at the beginning to see how this FBI branch that investigates the paranormal was created, start with Phantom Evil. Her books run in sets of three with each set focusing on different characters in the Krewe of Hunters.
Stars: 3.5 / 5 Recommendation: Yes, pick it up for a mystery involving paranormal activities.
The Night is Watching is the ninth book in the Krewe of Hunters series by Heather Graham and published in May of 2013. This time around the plot revolves around Jane Everett - the last member of the Texas Krewe and a talented artist - and Sloan Trent - Sherriff at Lily, Arizona.
Krewe are a secret FBI unit with each member of the unit honing a particular psychic talent of their own making them the paranormal investigating team. This unit was created to deal with murders having supernatural undertones and paranormal activities. Headed by paranormal investigator Adam Harrison, the elite unit of paranormal investigators is called on to solve cases linked to historical mystery involving legendary crime and serial killings, war events and hauntings. The stories in the book series are located mostly in Virginia and New Orleans, with some well-known legends used as themes. The Krewe are divided in three distinct groups. The first group is led by Jackson Crow called as the original Krewe of Hunters, the second group is led by Texas Ranger Logan Raintree called as the Texas Krewe and the third group is a unit of its own.
Jane Everett is sent to ghost town Lily, Arizona when her team is called in as a request from their team leader Logan Raintree's long-time friend Sloan Trent, Sherriff of Lily. A human skull that is more than hundred years old at least was found in the basement of the local theater Gilded Lily. Sloan seeks out Logan and his team's help as he feels their special abilities are also needed.
But Gilded Lily comes with it's share of hauntings, specially by Sage McCormick who had at one time been a patron of Gilded City some hundred or so years ago and had disappeared one night after her performance. No one knew where she went and her mysterious disappearance had caused to the many gossips about ghost sightings and the theater being haunted. Curiously enough the name Sage McCormick reminds me of a spice. Perhaps Heather has chosen the name well considering the amount of spice Sage had created in her lifetime.
But What has happened to Sage? Had she been murdered? Or did she really runaway? Trying to connect the pieces in the present with the pieces of the past, Sloan and Jane come together with The Texas Krewe in investigating this unusual occurrences. In the process they find themselves falling in love as well as right in the path of the criminal.
Sloan Trent also has his own abilities with respect to paranormal world. However his acceptance of having others share the same ability is far less than what I had imagined. Heather projected him as a more cynical in the beginning of the book quite contrast to the easy way Jane accepts. Although Jane and Sloan constantly batter and bicker, there is no mistake in the instant attraction between them and the electric charge their chemistry gives out.
Surprisingly enough Heather doesn’t have the entire Texas Krewe investigating this crime but just a small set. And even that they don’t come until almost a little more than half of the plot is covered. As the series progressed I noticed that Heather has subtly increased repeating some of the plot pieces and with this book I felt it more repetitive. She still sticks to the same formula - a old historic unsolved mystery and new current crime that somehow get related with all the paranormal elements around it.
It was a bit lengthier than I would have liked for the plot. However, another interesting thriller in the Krewe of Hunters series by Heather that doesn’t bore you.
Spoiler Alerts:
1) Grammatical / Historical / Location / Character Errors: a. On Pg. 46 fourth line, Heather mis-uses Logan instead of Sloan. b. On Pg. 70 first line, Heather mis-uses Logan instead of Sloan. c. On pg. 116, Heather mentions Old Jail and Old Town in the line starting with “back to his office, stopping at….”
2) The name of the lead character Sloan Trent reminded me of two characters that Nora Roberts had in her series The Calhoun Women - one was Trenton St. James who was paired with the youngest Calhoun, Catherine, in the first book Courting Catherine and the second one was Sloan O'Riley who was paired with Amanda Calhoun the third Calhoun sister in the second book A Man for Amanda. I had immensely enjoyed this series that depicted some really strong women with a family secret from past and mysterious happenings in the present just like Heather Graham Krewe of Hunter Series. This is another series that I have to yet post about although have read it numerous times.
3) Heather mentions about a 1914 serial that was being parodized in this plot as The Perils of Poor Little Paulina. The original one titled The Perils of Pauline was shown as weekly series in 20 installments in 1914. More about it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Per.... a. The basic story reminded me of the cartoon series The Perils of Penelope Pitstop and surely enough the cartoon series that was aired between 1969-70 was based on this 1914 serial.
4) There is reference to a third Krewe team but it is not mentioned explicitly. I havent come across it's name yet so looking forward to see what that team is named as. And Sloan Trent is asked to join it.
5) After finally meeting Adam Harrison in the eighth book The Uninvited (My review of that book here: https://inspirethoughts.livejournal.c...), I am keen to start the books in which he had originally been part of. I have the Harrison Investigation Series by Heather Graham that definitely are prequels to this series in my list yet to read. Perhaps after I finish this series.
6) Again this book I have, came with two inserts about free books - you know where the books used to have a hard letter kind of page that you could tear it, fill in some information and mail it with free postage; You would get the free books as promised along with free gifts sometimes. Remember those card inserts? Well, I found them in this book. Why am I surprised because off-late such inserts are no longer seen. I remember seeing them in older books, more like pre-2005 era when internet, online shopping etc wasn’t that hep. But surprised to see it in a book published in 2012. Wonder if the author was trying to revive the good old paper-system of writing letters.
"Graham really brings the red-hot-romance and suspense in the latest installment in her Krewe of Hunters series. The mystery surrounds a heist more than 200 years old, with present-day implications thrown in. All of the characters in the book are extremely likable, with some returning favorites from past Krewe books. The ghosts are an interesting addition to the cast, as Graham adds romance to the story with a fantastic couple." RT Book Reviews, rated 4 1/2 stars
Krewe stories with ghost appearing which is the norm in this series by Heather Graham. While most of this story includes only one Krewe member, it was well done with incorporating the small town local sheriff and county law support. The ghost town itself was painted well and I can imagine finding this one in the old west on the edge of the dessert easily. While not the main story, I would love to see some of the theatre that was portrayed here. It sounded like a lot of fun.
Well that was quite a pleasant surprise! This was a slightly complicated one and what cracks me up (and that IS a big spoiler, so) Maybe it's just me, but I felt like there was a hint of Agatha Christie in this one. I think it's the small town thing. But it was a super fun read. Recommend.
Another great Krewe Of Hunters book! This one takes place in Lily, Arizona. Jane Everett is called to help Sloan Trent try to uncover the mystery behind an old skull that has been discovered. Mystery, mayhem and ghosts from the past! Great story that kept me glued until the very last page!
I don’t know if it is the timing for when you listen to a certain book. If that is the case this was the best time for me to listen to this one. I really enjoyed it. I love Sloane and Jane together and really enjoyed seeing Jane in situations on her own. The author used Jane’s talent in this that flowed very well with the case.
I think this one drew me in because the cold case brings the Krewe into the story versus a newer case linked to the past. I love cold case stories. Sloane having a personal connection with the past made the reader want the case to be resolved and bring some emotion to the story.
The author did a great job of setting the scene and location of Lily Arizona that I was ready to go visit. Sloane takes a while to grow on you, but he comes around quickly and his trust in Jane is great. The trust and how much the author puts Jane and Sloane in situations helps the reader to buy the romance and want to see them be happy.
The newer case side of the story was interesting, but the author made the red herrings a little too obvious that you were kind of only left with one option. I did like how Jane was the first one to make connections and you could see that her outsider perspective helped the case. I wish more of the Krewe would have been involved in the story. The author did Kelsey terrible in this book and really set her character back.
I keep the series going because they are easy to listen to, the stories always involve the past and the romances aren’t bad. The narrator needs to work on his western accent because he makes the men sound like total hicks.
‘Adam Harrison put together a group of people with special skills … These are their stories.’
The Night is Watching is the ninth book in the Krewe of Hunters series by Heather Graham... Okay, so if you’re into crime-solving with a supernatural twist, then Heather Graham’s Krewe of Hunters series is like comfort food for your spooky-loving soul. Imagine a team of FBI agents who can see and communicate with ghosts - but instead of it being all doom and gloom, it’s got this cozy, slightly romantic vibe mixed in with the mystery. Each book focuses on a different agent, so you get fresh characters and settings every time, but there’s still that familiar “Krewe family” feel. The cases range from creepy old mansions to haunted battlefields, and Ms. Graham is really good at weaving in bits of history without making it feel too ‘heavy’. Are the plots sometimes a little predictable? Sure. But honestly, that’s part of the charm - you’re there for the atmosphere, the ghostly encounters, and the slow-burn romances as much as the whodunit. It’s the kind of series you can dip in and out of without feeling lost, although saying that, reading the books in consecutive order gives you a bigger picture as well as providing a nice sense of connection between the characters. If you like your mysteries with a dash of paranormal, a sprinkle of romance, and a cast of likable, slightly quirky investigators - then the Krewe of Hunters is a fun, binge-worthy ride. Perfect for late-night reading with a cup of tea. Happy Reading… 👻
Things I liked: This book is a page turner, I just couldn’t put it down. I loved the whole twist at the end of the book. I love how these books can be a one day read (when I have the chance). There is a reference of a third Krewe team but it is not names as of yet. I can’t wait to see what happens to it. As well as Sloan Trent was asked to join. Heather Graham books aren’t deep, they are fun for people that want a short book about paranormal mystery and romance. .
Things I didn’t like: I feel like as soon as the two other Krewe members showed up they discovered the backstory to Sage McCormick really quickly. Spoiler Alert for this little paragraph While reading I noticed a few grammatical, character errors and locations. -pg 46. Mis-uses Logan instead of Sloan -pg 70. Mis-uses Logan instead of Sloan -pg 116. Mentions Old Jail and Old Town in the lone starting with “back at his office” .
Overall: I’ve decided that I’m reading these books in order, but each of them can be read as a stand-alone. I do recommend reading it in order because it helps introduce the world and helps when introducing the characters. While reading this book, I had no clue who the murder/s are. I was not expecting it to be who it was and who was involved with it all.
I loved this. Jane is sent to Lily Arizona after a skull is found in a prop room that needs to be identified. She's a forensic artist and FBI agent on Logan Raintree's team. For most book she's there alone but last 100 pages Logan and Kelsey show too.
Sloan is the Sheriff of Lily and he also has ancestors from back in 1800s. He can see ghosts and talk to them. He use to work with Logan back in Texas before he came back home. He calls Logan for help and at first he's stand offish and a butt to Jane but I kind of found it funny. She called him on it and even said he was outloud which had his 2 greats gma's ghost throw brush at her.
There not just the old skull discovered. There are new killings as well that tie in to the past because of missing gold. I love when they prove something from the past was wrong. This time it was who were the good guys and that the bad ones were ones thought to be good. I didn’t guess right on who culprits were except one and dang there were several that's for sure.
In the beginning, Jane says “our unit - the second of three...” which means they’re setting up for the next Krewe to take over the series. this made me interested but also felt that I have lost connections with the original character...
About halfway through the novel (borrow from digital library 'Overdrive,') the author mistyped Jennie for Jane. it's easily mistaken given how close their names could be argued.
I was also getting the characters of Valerie and Alice confused. They almost seemed like twins or I was not paying as close attention to the details.
Overall, this was a pretty decent read. After reading eight novels of Graham, you start to notice a slight pattern BUT! She always seems to surprise you over the “who dun it”
However, I didn’t quite understand why these certain character were involved, nor how they pulled it off. I didn't feel complete - everyone just ended up dead or in jail denying anything.
The Night Is Watching by Heather Graham is another suspense thriller filled with mystery. In this one, I am sent to a theater where there is more than just fowl play happening. Murder...both from the past and present are connected and it's up to the Krewe Hunters to catch the killer before more innocent lives are gone. The theater house came alive on the pages. I felt like I was in it with all the characters.
Both the small and big characters had a role in making this a fun journey. I was in suspense as the dead are found, and ghosts interact with law enforcement officials. Someone is serial killer but who? The scene of the crime is a theater and so many possibilities and twists were easily created. Heather Graham still brought out the humor and romance despite the deadly suspense hanging onto the pages. I was thrilled.
I received this copy from the publisher. This is my voluntary review.
This was a bit better than a 3 star but not enough to merit 4. This author does a nice job of taking her characters and plots to different settings and describing them well. This one was set in a small town near Tucson, AZ. The artist Krewe member, Jane, finally gets a guy who will apparently show up again in a later book as a member or leader of a third Krewe. There were quite a few characters to keep up with in this novel which made them seem less alive than in books with more fully-developed characters. However, that said, the main ghost was nicely developed and was a sympathetic and even heroic character. If you enjoy these genres, you likely will like this series but this wasn't the best yet of the series.
Yet again the mystery and supernatural elements are fun, and yet again the love interest is a bizarre mix of chivalrous in meaningless ways, and rude upon being faced with a female FBI agent. At least this time the rudeness seemed more like an obligatory thing to be gotten over with rather than an integral/persistent part of the guy's personality.
Here is a list of things I'm getting the impression the author really likes: 1. Horses 2. Cowboys 3. Historical reenactment 4. Historical revisionism 5. Coffee 6. Treasure hunts 7. "Krewes" starting with manly men with native american heritage. I've yet to see a female character with native american heritage in one of these books, so I'm assuming the author has a very specific type.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Another great book by Heather Graham. She has such an ability to tell a great story and teach history at the same time. This story takes place in Lily, Arizona and encompasses a old tale of murder and stolen gold when the West was young. Jane Everett is called to Lily when an old skull was discovered in the basement of the local theater by the Sheriff Sloan Trent. It was Jane's job to recreate the face in order to get answers about what happened to this person. There is a lot of mystery and suspense surrounding this small western town especially when dead bodies keep turning up. Of course, there are many twists and turns that keeps you on your toes. Great book.