The Reaper Follows: A Novel

Amy Larson & Hunter Forrest FBI #4

by Heather Graham

Death comes for everyone.Deep in the Florida Everglades, the body of a woman is discovered in pieces, presumably ravaged by an alligator. Upon closer inspection, it’s determined no animal could make such perfectly precise cuts. Only a blade could do that. Wielded by a human. Soon, dozens of oil drums emerge amid the river of grass. Each one packed to the brim with body parts.FDLE special agent Amy Larson and her partner, FBI special agent Hunter Forrest, share a bad feeling that extends beyond the horrifying nature of the grim discovery. They’ve seen this kind of sadistic killing before, and when a small beige horse is discovered at the bottom of one of the barrels, they know exactly what it means. The fourth horseman of the apocalypse rides a pale horse—and his name is Death.With so many bodies to identify, connecting one victim to the next is easier said than done. But finding a pattern in the chaos might be the only way Amy and Hunter can zero in on the killer, testing their skills as agents—and their relationship—like never before. And when the disturbing trail of clues signals these slayings are just the beginning, the agents will have to return to where it all started before it’s too late. The apocalypse is coming, and Hunter and Amy have only one chance to stop it, even if it means sacrificing each other.

Genres: Mystery, Suspense, Audiobook, Thriller, Romance, Crime, Fiction

505 pages, Library Binding

First published April 2, 2024

About the author

Also 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.

Reviews

[Regina the Constant Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ -NetGalley ARC

Description:
Deep in the Florida Everglades, the body of a woman is discovered in pieces, presumably ravaged by an alligator. Upon closer inspection, it’s determined no animal could make such perfectly precise cuts. Only a blade could do that. Wielded by a human. Soon, dozens of oil drums emerge amid the river of grass. Each one packed to the brim with body parts.
FDLE special agent Amy Larson and her partner, FBI special agent Hunter Forrest, share a bad feeling that extends beyond the horrifying nature of the grim discovery. They’ve seen this kind of sadistic killing before, and when a small beige horse is discovered at the bottom of one of the barrels, they know exactly what it means. The fourth horseman of the apocalypse rides a pale horse—and his name is Death.

Review:
My favorite book in the bible is Revelations, so I absolutely loved the idea of this series. A serial killer who calls himself the “Archangel” and uses his charisma to convince people to follow him. He then convinces these followers that the end of days are near. He appoints certain followers as The Four Horsemen and has them kill. This book was fast paced and suspenseful. I highly recommend it if you like novels with gruesome murders, cult and religious themes, and police procedurals. This book shouldn’t be read as a standalone. This is book #4 of the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mira for the opportunity to read this book for a honest review.
Published 04/02/24

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an entertaining, well-written, fast paced, romantic suspense novel. It has likable, intelligent, strong and capable protagonists, murder, intrigue, mystery, romance, twists and turns, and a satisfying conclusion. I appreciated the author's descriptions of the history of the area, its people, and natural environment, which add depth to the story. This is the fourth and final entry in Ms. Graham's outstanding "Amy Larson and Hunter Forrest FBI" series, and it can be enjoyed as a stand alone, but it is even better when it is read in order. I listened to the audio version of this novel, and the narrator, Mr. Roger Wayne, has a captivating voice and does an excellent job depicting the characters and their personalities.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me a while to develop a lot of interest in this mystery/suspense/thriller, but the pace picked up halfway through and kept me turning pages through to the end. The characters seemed somewhat lackluster, but I became aware that it's the fourth (and presumably final) book in a series, so I'll assume they were developed and explained in the preceding volumes. The dialog was a bit awkward, and the text was too repetitive in the first half. For example, on page 177: "What had been fields of sugarcane had been reclaimed by the dense vegetation that marked the heartlands of the Everglades, the great ecosystem that covered so much of the peninsula and stretched through the inlands to the central part of the state." I have no doubt that anyone who'd made it through the first 176 pages already knew what and where the Everglades were, so there wasn't any reason to explain it yet again. I thought it was kind of obvious who the main bad guy was fairly early on and was disappointed that there was no surprise twist. (It might have been cool if Amy really was the concubine of Satan, right?!) On the other hand, the supporting cast was pretty interesting, and some of the minor points were engaging. Not too memorable a book, but not a really bad one.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heather Graham is a new author for me. I like thrillers, so I thought I would give this one a try and see if I like her writing style and plot craft.

Description:
Deep in the Florida Everglades, the body of a woman is discovered in pieces, presumably ravaged by an alligator. Upon closer inspection, it’s determined no animal could make such perfectly precise cuts. Only a blade could do that. Wielded by a human. Soon, dozens of oil drums emerge amid the river of grass. Each one packed to the brim with body parts.

FDLE special agent Amy Larson and her partner, FBI special agent Hunter Forrest, share a bad feeling that extends beyond the horrifying nature of the grim discovery. They’ve seen this kind of sadistic killing before, and when a small beige horse is discovered at the bottom of one of the barrels, they know exactly what it means. The fourth horseman of the apocalypse rides a pale horse—and his name is Death.

With so many bodies to identify, connecting one victim to the next is easier said than done. But finding a pattern in the chaos might be the only way Amy and Hunter can zero in on the killer, testing their skills as agents—and their relationship—like never before. And when the disturbing trail of clues signals these slayings are just the beginning, the agents will have to return to where it all started before it’s too late. The apocalypse is coming, and Hunter and Amy have only one chance to stop it, even if it means sacrificing each other.

My Thoughts:
This was a good story, but I found it kind of slow at times. The plot with the four horsemen and the apocolypse was made for an interesting read. I liked the romance between Larson and Hunt and the way they played to each other's strengths. I would have probably liked this more if I had read the first three books - but that's on me. Like I said a good story that I would recommend to thriller readers.

Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing - MIRA through Netgalley for an advance copy.

[Ann C. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very boring, at some points the book was hard to follow. As with previous books there are pages and pages of history. If I was that interested in the history I would Google whatever. There is no need to put all of the history into a suspense book.

The bad guys' conversations were very long winded. Their statements were weird and continued on and on.

There seemed to be a love fest going on. Everything was 'good.' In fact there were 212 uses of the word 'good' and 56 uses of the word 'kind.' I would say that they were overused. I do not think that those words are part of the vocabulary of most law enforcement personnel.

I have read Heather Graham's books for a very long time. However, her books are not what they used to be.

[Bekah Hubstenberger · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first book I’ve read where I have seriously considered if it was written by AI. Book 3 in this series read like it was written by a new author who hadn’t totally familiarized themselves with the series but was at least believably written by a human. The dialogue in this book was actually atrocious and “hmm” was used exactly 26 times.

Also it should be illegal to use “!” this much in a book.

I have so much respect for authors putting their work out there but it is very odd when a series changes so substantially.

[Amber Grundy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I struggled to make myself finish this book

I hate to leave a book unfinished but this was a real slog to get to the end. The dialogue was absolutely terrible. And the exclamation points were excessive. The story wasn’t engaging enough to overcome the writing style. I rarely give anything a one star review but this was almost unreadable.

[☕️Kimberly (Caffeinated Reviewer) · Rating 3 out of 5]

We are drawing closer to the mastermind, as bodies are discovered in the Everglades and the detectives narrow in on groups & churches. This has been a fun case which began in the Everglades of Florida and took us cross country. Larson, a Florida State Detective, has been on the case with FBI Agent Forrest since the beginning and the villain seems to have moved his focus to her.

Because of the overall series arc, I recommend reading them in the order of their release. The romance has been solid and spread through the books. I like both Amy and Hunter. Amy has instinct as a detective and we’ve gotten to them both well.

I struggled a little with this one and skimmed areas to pick up the pace. The mystery pulled in several suspects, and getting to the leader was easy with twists and reveals. Overall, it was a solid read. I loved the concept of the four horsemen and the ultimate goal of the villain. It was easy to see how some were persuaded to follow them, and how others backed out before crossing the line. Cult tactics were used on these people and some felt more like victims.

Fans of romantic suspense and FBI thrillers will enjoy the Amy Larson & Hunter Forrest FBI series. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

[Nicola “Shortbookthyme” · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Reaper Follows was a hard story for me to finish reading. I wanted to like it as Heather Graham is a favorite author and I love her writing. But, sorry to say, this was just a ok read. I found myself skipping pages and losing interest.
I have read the previous books in the series so that is not a problem with reading this 4th one in the series.
To sum it up…..I became bored while reading The Reaper Follows.
Maybe it’s me and I am sure others may love this book.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Gloria Zak · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just awful. Did not read the previous books in the series and it was like being dropped in the middle of a movie. You have no idea what went on before! The author provides no info , even a short synopsis, anywhere in this book. So you are hosed. Don’t read if you haven’t read the previous books

Then, the story was so outlandish and the storytelling so ridiculous, that I have no idea why this story was stretched out over 4 books. Think it is now over. No more gif me, that is for sure

[Peggy Salazar · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was boring and poorly written.

[Carole Barker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dead bodies are turning up in large numbers in the Everglades, and the predators responsible are human.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement agent Amy Larson has been loaned to the FBI to partner with agent Hunter Forrest to investigate a string of crimes that are linked to the Book of Revelation, the Apocalypse and the Four Horseman. The first three Horseman have been identified, captured and locked up, but it looks like the final Horseman has turned up in Florida. When parts of a woman’s body are spotted by a tourist in the Everglades, investigators are sent it and soon discover several oil drums full of dismembered human bodies. This is not the work of the alligators or other other animal predators who call the Everglades home; these people were killed by human hands. To find out who is behind these killings Larson, Forrest and an array of local and federal investigators will have to find out who the victims were and how they are linked.Ties to a political movement are discovered, but it will take the best efforts of all involved to find out who is behind the brutal deaths, and what the end game will be.
The Reaper Follows is fittingly the fourth in this Larson/Forrest series, and as such there are many fans who will pick this up eagerly to see the conclusion to the saga. I have read more than a few of Heather Graham’s other books, although none of the preceding titles in this series., and have enjoyed them. The action has always moved the story along, there is some romance mixed in with the action, and generally a bit of humor as well. In this book, the reader learns a lot about the history of the Native American tribes of Florida , and I certainly found the information interesting. Larson and Forrest have expanded their partnership beyond the professional, and there may be a romance brewing elsewhere on the team to boot. I was disappointed overall in this novel, however. The plot didn’t move along all that quickly, slowed in part perhaps by the lengthy discussions of that history. I found that the writing in general was not up to Ms Graham’s usual standards, lots of word repetition and dialogue far lengthier than the situations dictated. I don’t think that my not having read the previous books influenced my feelings about this book….I was easily able to figure out the relationships between characters and the overall picture of the criminal work that had preceded the current string of deaths. I also guessed pretty early on who was likely behind the crime, which didn’t help. Fans of Ms Graham will undoubtedly read this latest offering, especially those who have read the earlier books in the series, but for those who haven’t I can only recommend it with reservations. My thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/MIRA for allowing me access to an early copy of The Reaper Follows.

[Jenngb · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have thoroughly enjoyed Heather Grahams older historical romances, so I was confident in buyng this book.

The writing was terrible - stilted, repetitive, the conversations even worse. Every character was a caricature. And the exclamation! points! No one talks like that.

The descriptions were sometimes inaccurate. In one chase scene, they ran out the back door, crossed the road (which was in front of the house) and then jumped the back fence into the Everglades. Where was the editor?

DNF.

[April Jones-Pack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deep in the Florida Everglades, the body of a woman is discovered in pieces, presumably ravaged by an alligator. Upon closer inspection, it's determined no animal could make such perfectly precise cuts. Only a blade could do that. Wielded by a human. Soon, dozens of oil drums emerge amid the river of grass. Each one packed to the brim with body parts.

This was a 3 star for me. It was slow and I struggle with slower books. But still a good storyline.

[Stephanie Pfeiff · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I liked it ok...not one of my faves.

[Marquitta Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story line was good but very wordy with a lot of repetition. Was pretty predictable by the end.

[HTP Books]

Romantic Suspense, Suspense, Police Procedural Mystery & Detective, Crime Thriller

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Reaper Follows by Heather Graham is the 4th book in the Amy Larson & Hunter Forrest FBI series.

Deep in the Florida Everglades, the body of a woman is discovered in pieces, presumably ravaged by an alligator. Upon closer inspection, it’s determined no animal could make such perfectly precise cuts. Only a blade could do that. Wielded by a human. Soon, dozens of oil drums emerge amid the river of grass. Each one packed to the brim with body parts.

FDLE special agent Amy Larson and her partner, FBI special agent Hunter Forrest, share a bad feeling that extends beyond the horrifying nature of the grim discovery. They’ve seen this kind of sadistic killing before, and when a small beige horse is discovered at the bottom of one of the barrels, they know exactly what it means. The fourth horseman of the apocalypse rides a pale horse—and his name is Death.

The story had the right amount of suspense with a hint of romance. The story's pacing was intense, and the plot made sense. There were credible characters with an atmospheric locale.

The Reaper Follows is a good addition to the series. A rate this a 4 out of 5 stars. I would recommend this book and series.

#TheReaperFollows #NetGalley @HarperCollins

[Candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Special Agent Amy Larson (FDLE) and Special Agent Hunter Forrest (FBI) are on the trail of the fourth horseman of the apocalypse (tied to the Book of Revelation). When a dismembered woman is found in the Everglades, several oil drums with body parts are discovered soon after. Amy and Hunter are searching for the mastermind behind the murders. But can they find this individual before more victims are killed.

Florida Everglades and Native American histories are dispersed throughout this novel. The middle of the story slows down some. I don't want to label it an "information dump," but it came close to it. The secondary characters (Aiden, Sabrina, and Jimmy) were well-known to me from reading the third novel, and it was like meeting old friends again. The twists and turns of the mystery had me guessing at who the mastermind could be, but I didn't discover who the individual was until the last chapters. Lastly, the romance is still going strong between Amy and Hunter. This is the fourth book in the Amy Larson and Hunter Forrest FBI series, and even though it slowed down in the middle, I was still turning pages as fast as I could read them.

[Denea · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was alright, did not appreciate misuse of Bible as reasoning for the killings.
Not my cup of tea.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️
First half is really slow, author gets preachy on history at parts. But the second half picked up and it was a solid conclusion.

[Kyla R · Rating 2 out of 5]

Though I haven’t read the prior three in this series, I have read the author before and liked her, but this one? This was a miss. The plot and creepy setting clawed back a star for me so giving it two instead of one. The action, when you could find it was decent as well. But the conversation? My god. It never stops, is just cheesy/cringe-inducing, and how many exclamations can one character make? It’s like the characters have to unpack and comment on every single thing before making a move which also doesn’t really jive with law enforcement and thriller genre. Some parts felt as though AI was told to generate a grammatically correct conversation - it was just forced and choppy.

I finished the book but frankly the last half I glazed through as soon as I saw quotations.

[Debby Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a great of story line with some great characters but it all got bogged down in the story/history of the Everglades!! After the third retelling of the history of the Everglades I was ready to either give up on the book or speed read through the second half & I did speed read to the end but I didn’t really enjoy the book because of the repetitiveness!!

[Tracy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of Heather Graham. So I normally grab every new book she writes. Somehow though, I think I fell into the middle of a series so this book seemed more of a continuation rather than an introduction. So I struggled with the characters relationships and the story line a bit.
My advice would be, read her previous books before this one or you may come away disappointed. The love fest going on got to be really annoying too. (All the different police departments thought so highly of each other, the Florida Everglades were the best thing ever, etc.) It got old. The bad guys were really gross and revolting and the good guys were without any faults.
Proceed at your own risk.

[Deb Long · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had trouble finishing this book. Accidentally read the second book first. Had no intentions of reading any more in the series and accidentally picked this one off the library shelf. Felt like Amy was the only character who had any kind if developed personality. Things were repeated often, too much history about the Everglades and such, ( I skipped a lot of paragraphs as a result) lots of “team work” references and patting each other on the back. Steps to solving the mystery just seemed too easy. The writing seemed choppy and not fluid enough for me.

[Joan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know that this author is an established writer with many successful books to her credit, but I found this book mostly just very boring. I more or less finished reading it, skipping long passages after the 50% mark, trying to find some action or interest; but I have a Kindle full of books waiting, so I finally just called it quits on this one. It seems to be structurally well-written and will probably appeal to readers who like this kind of novel.

[Christine Steffens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heather Graham’s writing can be compared to fine wine- it just keeps getting better and better! She grabs your attention with the very first sentence and refuses to let you go until the mystery is solved. The research she puts into her books brings the story and characters to life . An absolute must read author of mine. Definitely recommend to anyone who reads!!

[Lindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

So! Many! Exclamations! Seriously, I’ve never read a book that used exclamation marks ‼️ so much. It seems like people are constantly yelling, even when they are supposed to be whispering. Was there even an editor? And don’t get me started on the dialogue.

[Shelley · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was horribly written. Too many exclamation points when characters are saying things softly. The dialogue felt amateurish. The book felt like dialogue was copy and pasted over and over. I really use to enjoy heather Graham books but this was not fun to read. I struggled to finish.

[Rhonda 🌒🌕🌘 🐈‍⬛ · Rating 4 out of 5]

🌟4/5
❤️‍🩹4/5
🥰4/5
🌶️3/5
🔎4/5
😰4/5
🎭😂0/5
🎭😭0/5
👻0/5
🔬0/5
🔫3/5
🏥3/5
✍🏼5/5
🥱0/5
🏃🏻‍♀️5/5
🌎5/5
💁🏻‍♀️5/5
🙅🏻‍♀️

⚠️⛔️TRIGGERS:⛔️⚠️
Courtesy of StoryGraph

Violence
Gun Violence
Murder
Death
Blood
Gore
Kidnapping
Sexual Content

🤔🧐🤯MY THOUGHTS:🤯🧐🤔

I this last book of the series we deal with the green horse. Could this finally be the end of terror for the Everglades? Hunter and Amy are still going strong but are beginning to wonder if there is any end in sight to this madness.

I think one of the things I enjoyed most about this series is the rich Floridian history of the Everglades and the Seminoles. Some truths that they don’t really teach in U.S. History. This has been a great series.

🗯️💬BOOK BLURB:💬🗯️

Death comes for everyone.

Deep in the Florida Everglades, the body of a woman is discovered in pieces, presumably ravaged by an alligator. Upon closer inspection, it’s determined no animal could make such perfectly precise cuts. Only a blade could do that. Wielded by a human. Soon, dozens of oil drums emerge amid the river of grass. Each one packed to the brim with body parts.

FDLE special agent Amy Larson and her partner, FBI special agent Hunter Forrest, share a bad feeling that extends beyond the horrifying nature of the grim discovery. They’ve seen this kind of sadistic killing before, and when a small beige horse is discovered at the bottom of one of the barrels, they know exactly what it means. The fourth horseman of the apocalypse rides a pale horse—and his name is Death.

With so many bodies to identify, connecting one victim to the next is easier said than done. But finding a pattern in the chaos might be the only way Amy and Hunter can zero in on the killer, testing their skills as agents—and their relationship—like never before. And when the disturbing trail of clues signals these slayings are just the beginning, the agents will have to return to where it all started before it’s too late. The apocalypse is coming, and Hunter and Amy have only one chance to stop it, even if it means sacrificing each other.

🌎📖OVERALL REVIEWS📖🌎
Courtesy of Storygraph

COMMUNITY REVIEWS
SUMMARY OF 34 REVIEWS

Moods
mysterious 85%
tense 85%
dark 71%
challenging 57%
adventurous 42%
emotional 14%
sad 14%
Pace
fast 50%
medium 40%
slow 10%
Plot- or character-driven?
A mix: 60% | Plot: 40%
Strong character development?
Yes: 60% | No: 20% | It's complicated: 20%
Loveable characters?
Yes: 80% | No: 20%
Diverse cast of characters?
Yes: 80% | No: 20%
Flaws of characters a main focus?
No: 80% | Yes: 20%
Average rating
3.48 ⭐️

RATING KEY:

🌟 Stars - based on the overall plot and theme or idea of the book
❤️‍🩹 Emotions - based on how emotional I got while reading
🥰 Romance - based on how well I got invested in the love story aspect
🌶️ Spice - based on how the sex scenes were portrayed and written as well as the number of sex scenes
🔎 Mystery - based on how well it kept me guessing who, how and why
😰 Scared🫣/Anxious😱 - based on how scared or anxious the book made me while reading
🎭 Comedy😂/Tragedy😭
-based on if I laughed or if there was a tragic event and how it affected me. I will mark the Masks with either a C or T to indicate Comedy or Tragedy
👻 Spooky😵‍💫/Creepy🧟‍♀️ -based on if this had any occult or paranormal themes and if those elements creeped me out or gave me anxiety!
🔬 Sci-Fi -based on the Science Fiction in the book as well as the Dystopian elements.
🔫 Action/Thriller -based on if I thought this was more of a spy action type of thriller.
🏥 Medical Content -based on the amount and the accuracy of any medical content or if the book is supposed to be a medical style thriller.
✍🏼 Writing Style -based on if I enjoyed the writing style or not and how the author portrayed the world, characters, concept, plot etc.
🥱 Boredom -based on if I was bored if it held my interest or if I’d rather be doing something else 😴.
🏃🏻‍♀️ Book Pacing -Based on how quickly I thought the book moved.
🌎 World Development -Based on how well I liked the world development of the story.
💁🏻‍♀️ Character Development -Based on how well the characters were fleshed out and if I hated or loved with a passion.
🙅🏻‍♀️ DNF -based on if the book is just stupid, boring, chilgdish, overly ridiculous etc.

**rounded up or down based on how the book left me feeling and because Goodreads doesn’t offer half stars.

***Triggers are listed most to least severe.