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Krewe of Hunters #24
Fade to Black
Where dreams go to die...
Starring in a cult TV show was a blessing for Marnie Davante, especially now that her former fame could support her future dream of starting a children’s theater. So she’ll work the convention circuit. But then a costar is brazenly murdered in front of her. With a killer who vanishes into thin air with seemingly inhuman skill, and strange events plaguing Marnie, she feels she can’t even trust her own senses.
Although his dear departed parents were famous actors, PI Bryan McFadden is about as far from Hollywood as you can get. The former military man is reluctant to get involved in such a bizarre case, but it quickly becomes obvious that Marnie is in grave danger, and he is compelled to help. It’s unclear if the killer is an obsessed fan or something more sinister. Could the show’s cast be cursed? How can Bryan keep Marnie safe when it becomes apparent there’s a force determined to make this her final curtain call?
Starring in a cult TV show was a blessing for Marnie Davante, especially now that her former fame could support her future dream of starting a children’s theater. So she’ll work the convention circuit. But then a costar is brazenly murdered in front of her. With a killer who vanishes into thin air with seemingly inhuman skill, and strange events plaguing Marnie, she feels she can’t even trust her own senses.
Although his dear departed parents were famous actors, PI Bryan McFadden is about as far from Hollywood as you can get. The former military man is reluctant to get involved in such a bizarre case, but it quickly becomes obvious that Marnie is in grave danger, and he is compelled to help. It’s unclear if the killer is an obsessed fan or something more sinister. Could the show’s cast be cursed? How can Bryan keep Marnie safe when it becomes apparent there’s a force determined to make this her final curtain call?
309 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 29, 2018
854 people are currently reading
1599 people want to read
About the author
Heather Graham
583 books6,893 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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June 30, 2024
Review from 2018
I've given this a B for narration and a D+ for content at AudioGals, which ends up around 3 stars.
While Fade to Black is billed as (wait for it!) twenty-fourth in Heather Graham’s Krewe of Hunters series, there is (fortunately) no need to have read or listened to any of the others, as the novel is basically a standalone. I’ve been on a bit of a romantic suspense kick lately and the synopsis – a story of murder involving cast members of a cult TV show – sounded interesting, so I requested a review copy, hoping for a suspenseful, steamy listen with complex characters and some high-stakes action.
Sigh. You guessed it. I got pretty much the opposite. No romance to speak of – just a couple of very short, almost fade to black (see what I did there? :P) sex scenes – stereotypical characters and a plot as exciting as watching grass grow. Fortunately however, the narration by Luke Daniels was engaging enough to keep me listening, although I really wish he’d been given better material to work with.
Marnie Davante was one of the stars of a highly successful paranormal drama TV show called Dark Harbor, which has, since it ended some years earlier, acquired a cult following. It was an ensemble show featuring a family with supernatural powers, and Marnie and her former co-stars have become regulars at various fan conventions. She’s got her sights set on moving out of TV work and plans to open a children’s theatre; she’s in negotiations for a suitable space and has high hopes of her dreams soon becoming reality. But when her friend and TV “mother”, Cara Barton, is murdered in front of her at Comic Con by someone wearing the costume of a popular comic character, Marnie’s life and plans are turned upside down.
Bryan McFadden is one of three sons of parents who were both actors – who were disappointed that all three boys chose to join the military rather than follow in their footsteps. A former Marine, Bryan has just acquired his Private Investigator’s license and is also considering a move to a special FBI unit known as the Krewe of Hunters, when his mother informs him that Cara Barton, an old friend of hers, has been murdered and needs Bryan’s help. For a moment I thought I’d misheard, or that perhaps Cara wasn’t dead – but no. In a twist I wasn’t expecting (it’s not in the synopsis) I learned that both Bryan’s parents are dead, and that he can see – and talk to – Dead People. Not every single dead person, just those who have some reason to stick around – which Cara Barton does, insisting to Bryan’s mother that her friend Marnie Davante is in danger and needs help.
Which is how Bryan becomes involved in the hunt for Cara’s murderer and also somehow ends up as Marnie’s personal protection – although I had to ask myself how it was that the two detectives assigned to the case so easily accepted the involvement of a PI with no real ties to Marnie just because his parents were famous actors.
Marnie – who is Practically Perfect in Every Way – doesn’t want a bodyguard, not even one as ruggedly handsome as Bryan McFadden. She’s freaked out when Cara’s ghost appears in her house and tells her that she’s in danger – but even so, Marnie isn’t convinced. Not until a dead body turns up in her pool shortly afterwards and she starts to think that perhaps Bryan and the detectives are right, and that Cara had not been the intended target of the costumed killer. In an unsubstantiated leap of logic, Bryan surmises the dead pool guy is Cara’s killer, and that his killer is the person pulling the strings; this second murder ramps everything up, the FBI gets involved and then they team up with the local police to form a joint task force – which seemed like complete overkill to me. Oh, and some of the Hunter “Krewe” turn up as well. They’re the special FBI unit Bryan is considering joining, and its members, like him, can communicate with the dead.
My eyes hurt from all the rolling.
There’s some decent material buried among all the silliness, mostly found in the relationships between Marnie and her co-stars, especially when it comes to how they’ve all found life after Dark Harbor. Some, like Marnie, have had a decent career since the show ended, while some are barely eking out an existence on the convention circuit. These dynamics aren’t always easy, and with some of the cast pushing for a Dark Harbor revival and others not so keen, it becomes clear that there may well be some among them with a motive for wishing Marnie harm. There’s also a red-herring thrown in in the form of an obsessive fan, and while I didn’t work out the identity of the villain before the reveal, I suspect it was because I really didn’t care by that point rather than any cleverness on the part of the author – and the killer’s reasons made no sense anyway.
I hesitate to even mention the “romance” in the story, because quite honestly, there isn’t one. Marnie and Bryan have sex, yes, but they have zero chemistry, there’s no emotional connection between them and it contributes nothing to an already lacklustre story.
Luke Daniels is a hugely experienced and popular narrator with a large number of romance titles to his credit; he has received positive reviews here at AudioGals, so I thought it was about time I checked him out. I liked his performance on the whole; it’s well-paced and clearly enunciated, and he skilfully differentiates between a fairly large number of characters by using a variety of tone and accent. All the men in the story – and there are over ten with speaking roles, I think – are given distinct voices, from Bryan’s low-pitched, gravelly drawl to the brighter tones assigned to Marnie’s star-struck would-be colleague, David Neal, and the blunt, Bronx-accented tones of TV producer Vince Carlson. Mr. Daniels does a reasonable job with the female voices, differentiating mostly by timbre rather than pitch, although the differences between some male and female characters are a little tricky to hear. His portrayal of Sophie Manning, for instance, took me a while to get used to and I sometimes had to remind myself that “Detective Manning” was a woman; and while his portrayal of Marnie’s rather excitable cousin is sometimes a little over the top, it fits with the character and dialogue, so it stays the right side of ‘funny’. But speaking of over the top, the short interludes where we’re in the murderer’s PoV really are way too melodramatic – although to be fair to Mr. Daniels, they’re written that way, so perhaps he was simply interpreting the text.
Long story short, I’ll definitely be listening to Luke Daniels again, but it definitely won’t be in a book by Heather Graham.
I've given this a B for narration and a D+ for content at AudioGals, which ends up around 3 stars.
While Fade to Black is billed as (wait for it!) twenty-fourth in Heather Graham’s Krewe of Hunters series, there is (fortunately) no need to have read or listened to any of the others, as the novel is basically a standalone. I’ve been on a bit of a romantic suspense kick lately and the synopsis – a story of murder involving cast members of a cult TV show – sounded interesting, so I requested a review copy, hoping for a suspenseful, steamy listen with complex characters and some high-stakes action.
Sigh. You guessed it. I got pretty much the opposite. No romance to speak of – just a couple of very short, almost fade to black (see what I did there? :P) sex scenes – stereotypical characters and a plot as exciting as watching grass grow. Fortunately however, the narration by Luke Daniels was engaging enough to keep me listening, although I really wish he’d been given better material to work with.
Marnie Davante was one of the stars of a highly successful paranormal drama TV show called Dark Harbor, which has, since it ended some years earlier, acquired a cult following. It was an ensemble show featuring a family with supernatural powers, and Marnie and her former co-stars have become regulars at various fan conventions. She’s got her sights set on moving out of TV work and plans to open a children’s theatre; she’s in negotiations for a suitable space and has high hopes of her dreams soon becoming reality. But when her friend and TV “mother”, Cara Barton, is murdered in front of her at Comic Con by someone wearing the costume of a popular comic character, Marnie’s life and plans are turned upside down.
Bryan McFadden is one of three sons of parents who were both actors – who were disappointed that all three boys chose to join the military rather than follow in their footsteps. A former Marine, Bryan has just acquired his Private Investigator’s license and is also considering a move to a special FBI unit known as the Krewe of Hunters, when his mother informs him that Cara Barton, an old friend of hers, has been murdered and needs Bryan’s help. For a moment I thought I’d misheard, or that perhaps Cara wasn’t dead – but no. In a twist I wasn’t expecting (it’s not in the synopsis) I learned that both Bryan’s parents are dead, and that he can see – and talk to – Dead People. Not every single dead person, just those who have some reason to stick around – which Cara Barton does, insisting to Bryan’s mother that her friend Marnie Davante is in danger and needs help.
Which is how Bryan becomes involved in the hunt for Cara’s murderer and also somehow ends up as Marnie’s personal protection – although I had to ask myself how it was that the two detectives assigned to the case so easily accepted the involvement of a PI with no real ties to Marnie just because his parents were famous actors.
Marnie – who is Practically Perfect in Every Way – doesn’t want a bodyguard, not even one as ruggedly handsome as Bryan McFadden. She’s freaked out when Cara’s ghost appears in her house and tells her that she’s in danger – but even so, Marnie isn’t convinced. Not until a dead body turns up in her pool shortly afterwards and she starts to think that perhaps Bryan and the detectives are right, and that Cara had not been the intended target of the costumed killer. In an unsubstantiated leap of logic, Bryan surmises the dead pool guy is Cara’s killer, and that his killer is the person pulling the strings; this second murder ramps everything up, the FBI gets involved and then they team up with the local police to form a joint task force – which seemed like complete overkill to me. Oh, and some of the Hunter “Krewe” turn up as well. They’re the special FBI unit Bryan is considering joining, and its members, like him, can communicate with the dead.
My eyes hurt from all the rolling.
There’s some decent material buried among all the silliness, mostly found in the relationships between Marnie and her co-stars, especially when it comes to how they’ve all found life after Dark Harbor. Some, like Marnie, have had a decent career since the show ended, while some are barely eking out an existence on the convention circuit. These dynamics aren’t always easy, and with some of the cast pushing for a Dark Harbor revival and others not so keen, it becomes clear that there may well be some among them with a motive for wishing Marnie harm. There’s also a red-herring thrown in in the form of an obsessive fan, and while I didn’t work out the identity of the villain before the reveal, I suspect it was because I really didn’t care by that point rather than any cleverness on the part of the author – and the killer’s reasons made no sense anyway.
I hesitate to even mention the “romance” in the story, because quite honestly, there isn’t one. Marnie and Bryan have sex, yes, but they have zero chemistry, there’s no emotional connection between them and it contributes nothing to an already lacklustre story.
Luke Daniels is a hugely experienced and popular narrator with a large number of romance titles to his credit; he has received positive reviews here at AudioGals, so I thought it was about time I checked him out. I liked his performance on the whole; it’s well-paced and clearly enunciated, and he skilfully differentiates between a fairly large number of characters by using a variety of tone and accent. All the men in the story – and there are over ten with speaking roles, I think – are given distinct voices, from Bryan’s low-pitched, gravelly drawl to the brighter tones assigned to Marnie’s star-struck would-be colleague, David Neal, and the blunt, Bronx-accented tones of TV producer Vince Carlson. Mr. Daniels does a reasonable job with the female voices, differentiating mostly by timbre rather than pitch, although the differences between some male and female characters are a little tricky to hear. His portrayal of Sophie Manning, for instance, took me a while to get used to and I sometimes had to remind myself that “Detective Manning” was a woman; and while his portrayal of Marnie’s rather excitable cousin is sometimes a little over the top, it fits with the character and dialogue, so it stays the right side of ‘funny’. But speaking of over the top, the short interludes where we’re in the murderer’s PoV really are way too melodramatic – although to be fair to Mr. Daniels, they’re written that way, so perhaps he was simply interpreting the text.
Long story short, I’ll definitely be listening to Luke Daniels again, but it definitely won’t be in a book by Heather Graham.
July 3, 2025
Fade to Black by Heather Graham
Krewe of Hunters series #24. Thriller, ghost romantic suspense. Can be read as a stand-alone.
Fan conventions and photo opportunities are the current lives for the former cult TV stars of Dark Harvest. There is a rumor the show may be revived giving the old crew hope. Until one of the former stars is killed right in front of fans by a person dressed up as Blood-bone. It’s a popular cosplay costume and the killer melts into the crowd.
PI Bryan McFadden is called in to investigate and suddenly Marnie Davante is seeing a ghost of the dead, when she never has before. Together with the Krewe of the FBI, they need to stop the killer before more are dead.
Who knows who is behind the mask? Friend or foe? A thrilling ride to find the killer with many ghosts making appearances and trying to help.
Fast paced story. Bonus: Many former series characters make an appearance including Adam Harrison and his son.
Krewe of Hunters series #24. Thriller, ghost romantic suspense. Can be read as a stand-alone.
Fan conventions and photo opportunities are the current lives for the former cult TV stars of Dark Harvest. There is a rumor the show may be revived giving the old crew hope. Until one of the former stars is killed right in front of fans by a person dressed up as Blood-bone. It’s a popular cosplay costume and the killer melts into the crowd.
PI Bryan McFadden is called in to investigate and suddenly Marnie Davante is seeing a ghost of the dead, when she never has before. Together with the Krewe of the FBI, they need to stop the killer before more are dead.
Who knows who is behind the mask? Friend or foe? A thrilling ride to find the killer with many ghosts making appearances and trying to help.
Fast paced story. Bonus: Many former series characters make an appearance including Adam Harrison and his son.
June 25, 2018
This latest Krewe of Hunters addition did not have me spell bound so I'm not going to say too much about it. I think it will appeal to readers who like superheroes and comic books, which I'm simply not into. I'll still be reading the next one by Heather Graham though.
February 26, 2020
Sigh, it was so nice to get back to my guilty pleasure... the Krewe of Hunters. Love this series!❤
June 14, 2018
This was my first time listening to a book in this series, but when I saw that Luke Daniels was narrating I jumped for it. He did a fantastic job with the characters and it was fun hearing hints of Oberon and Orla (Iron Druid Chronicles).
Fade to Black begins at Comic-con where Marnie Davante a famous sitcom star, makes an appearance, to help fund her dream of opening a children's theater. Things turn upside down when her co-star is murdered by a man dressed as a comic villain. Meanwhile, PI Bryan McFadden is dealing with his mother's ghost. She wants him to go help, Marine. Apparently, his mom knows something he doesn't. To appease his mom he goes, and it's a good thing too because it looks like someone is targeting Marnie.
Graham serve the romance in these stories as a side dish but feel genuine. Both Marnie and Bryan were great characters. Having grown up in Hollywood, Marnie is a little skeptical of everyone and between seeing the ghost of her friend and the murder she doesn't trust Bryan. The chemistry was there under the snark and it was fun seeing calm, cool and collected McFadden win her over.
Ghosts, Hollywood and sitcom sets kept me engaged as we tried to thwart a killer. Graham provided a few twists and a sweet romance with a touch of heat. Secondary characters from co-workers to local law enforcement helped develop the story and provide suspects. Jackson Crow and his wife arrive to assist Bryan s they continue to court him. Adam, the founder of this special FBI task force, makes a brief appearance.
I thought the murder mystery was clever although, I felt the story dragged a little in the middle. I am happy to report that the ending wrapped up loose threads and gave us closer. Fans of murder mysteries with a touch of paranormal woo-woo will enjoy Fade to Black. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
Fade to Black begins at Comic-con where Marnie Davante a famous sitcom star, makes an appearance, to help fund her dream of opening a children's theater. Things turn upside down when her co-star is murdered by a man dressed as a comic villain. Meanwhile, PI Bryan McFadden is dealing with his mother's ghost. She wants him to go help, Marine. Apparently, his mom knows something he doesn't. To appease his mom he goes, and it's a good thing too because it looks like someone is targeting Marnie.
Graham serve the romance in these stories as a side dish but feel genuine. Both Marnie and Bryan were great characters. Having grown up in Hollywood, Marnie is a little skeptical of everyone and between seeing the ghost of her friend and the murder she doesn't trust Bryan. The chemistry was there under the snark and it was fun seeing calm, cool and collected McFadden win her over.
Ghosts, Hollywood and sitcom sets kept me engaged as we tried to thwart a killer. Graham provided a few twists and a sweet romance with a touch of heat. Secondary characters from co-workers to local law enforcement helped develop the story and provide suspects. Jackson Crow and his wife arrive to assist Bryan s they continue to court him. Adam, the founder of this special FBI task force, makes a brief appearance.
I thought the murder mystery was clever although, I felt the story dragged a little in the middle. I am happy to report that the ending wrapped up loose threads and gave us closer. Fans of murder mysteries with a touch of paranormal woo-woo will enjoy Fade to Black. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
September 20, 2024
3.5 stars.
Even though these are ghost stories, they are very easy reads and not too terrifying at all. This book introduces the first of three McFadden brothers, whose actor parents died during a theatre show and started haunting their three sons soon after. Talk about never getting rid of your parents!
So with their special abilities to see ghosts, they are prime candidates for the Krewe, especially since they are also war veterans with PI licences. When a Hollywood friend of their parents died in bizarre circumstances in a Comic-Con, Bryan is asked to go out there to investigate and to prevent more deaths of fellow cast members, in particular, the Hollywood "sweetheart" of the show.
Even though these are ghost stories, they are very easy reads and not too terrifying at all. This book introduces the first of three McFadden brothers, whose actor parents died during a theatre show and started haunting their three sons soon after. Talk about never getting rid of your parents!
So with their special abilities to see ghosts, they are prime candidates for the Krewe, especially since they are also war veterans with PI licences. When a Hollywood friend of their parents died in bizarre circumstances in a Comic-Con, Bryan is asked to go out there to investigate and to prevent more deaths of fellow cast members, in particular, the Hollywood "sweetheart" of the show.
April 7, 2020
This series is always an easy, enjoyable read. I don't read them in order but rather pick them based on what's available at the library at the time. I don't have s hard time reading them this way, as each is it's own story with new characters aside from the boss, Jackson Crow. Each of these characters is enjoyable and well written.
April 24, 2024
A murder mystery, with a dash of sci-fi/fantasy shows, and paranormal experiences…what’s not to like. Really a 3.5 to 3.75 star book for me.
A bit of an easier read, so nice for a summer escape to the cottage type of read. Just the right amount of humour to keep the story moving along easily for a book talking about murder. The paranormal aspects were a nice touch and made it easier to let your mind wander into the story’s atmosphere and get away from the pressures and stress of everyday life for a bit.
A bit of an easier read, so nice for a summer escape to the cottage type of read. Just the right amount of humour to keep the story moving along easily for a book talking about murder. The paranormal aspects were a nice touch and made it easier to let your mind wander into the story’s atmosphere and get away from the pressures and stress of everyday life for a bit.
June 17, 2018
This was another really good read about the special FB I unit that deals in the paranormal. The murder takes place at a comic-con where a man, in full costume kills one of the cast members. The cast was from a series, that still played on re runs, and dealt with slaying vampires,or werewolves, or demons, that had inspired a cult following. Bryan McFadden, who has helped out people before in distress, is talked into intervening on their behalf by his parents. It does not matter that they are A listers, because they are ghosts. They have been told that Marnie, the youngest cast member is in danger. They kind of irritate each other at first, but after more deaths, and his friends show up, from the special unit, she learns to trust. It had some creepy parts, and suspense was there, and she made me change my mind a few times, which is good. There are some steamy scenes, but these can easily be skipped. Plus they are few in nature, and do not interfere with the storyline. I liked the main characters, and she did a fair job at fleshing out the other characters.The ending was eventful, and there was an Epilogue, which I really liked...It is a solid 4.25 stars for me.
September 3, 2022
This one had it all, a cult show cast reuniting with the hope of reviving the series or making some TV specials then one of the cast is murdered at a big event and the adventure begins. Bryan McFadden a private eye, with ties to the Krewe is on the case thanks to the ghost of his late Mother. He works his way into getting closer to Marnie Devante, one of the cast and slowly he not only wins her trust, with the help of the krewe but he also wins her love. In between, there are more murders and so much action that this one will be hard to put down.
August 23, 2018
It was a quick read. I finished to find out who the killer was. The romance was...not really believable? Honestly, this felt like "omg I need to finish a book really fast, let me not worry about slowly developing the relationship between the leads."
December 29, 2020
I love these Krewe of Hunters books this is #24but the first of the three McFadden Brothers. Bryan, Bruce, and Brodie. The next is Pale As Death which is Bruce's story and, I need to find it or buy it Lol.
This was Bryan and Marnie's story and it's cool.
This was Bryan and Marnie's story and it's cool.
June 5, 2018
I love the Krewe of Hunters series!
April 30, 2022
Absolutely wonderful! And I recommend listening to the audio. The narrator was fantastic.
February 24, 2019
Stars: 3 / 5
Recommendation: Yes, pick it up for a mystery involving paranormal elements, historical flair and the romantic side of the plot.
Fade to Black is the twenty fourth book in the longest series, Krewe of Hunters, by Heather Graham and published in May of 2018. The primary plot is centered around - Bryan McFadden - an ex-military and current Private Investigator - and Marnie Davante - actress in a cult TV Show. The plot is set in Los Angeles, CA.
This book forms the first book in the next trilogy by Heather Graham, which she sets it around the McFadden Brothers, who are ex-military and now working as private investigators. In the beginning Heather had plots for each of the Krewe of Hunters as team members were introduced. But from the 9th book onwards, she has made those plots into trilogies within the series, that either revolve around the same set of characters or characters flowing from one book to next in the trilogy with new lead characters added.
Her First trilogy is made of the ninth book The Night is Watching; the tenth book The Night is Alive; the 11th book The Night is Forever. Second trilogy is made of the 12th book The Cursed, 13th book the Hexed and 14th book The Betrayed. Third Trilogy has the 15th book The Silenced, 16th book The Forgotten and the 17th book The Hidden. Fourth Trilogy has three books set on Celtic American Cruise-Line ships - 18th book Haunted Destiny on Destiny, 19th book Deadly Fate on Fate and 20th book Darkest Journey on Journey. Fifth Trilogy was formed of 21st book Dying Breath, 22nd book Dark Rites and 23rd book Wicked Deeds.
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, this elite unit is called on to solve cases linked to historical and paranormal mystery involving legendary crime and serial killings, war events and hauntings. The Krewe are divided into three distinct groups. The first group is led by Jackson Crow, who is also the Assistant Director of the Krewe, and called as the original Krewe of Hunters; the second group is led by Texas Ranger Logan Raintree and called as the Texas Krewe; the third group is Yankee Krewe, based in NYC, overseen by Jackson Crow. A possibility of a fourth group in Miami, FL is touched upon in the 17th book The Hidden.
Marnie Davante, a former cult TV show actress, looks forward to use her fame to open a children's theater. And she agrees to do the Los Angeles Comic Con Circuit in the process. During the comic con one of the co-stars of the TV show who was at their booth gets hacked by an axe wielding villain of a different show.
Bryan McFadden, an ex-Navy turned PI, reluctantly approaches Marnie, knowing well that she would not welcome his protection, to help her. And true to his fears, Marnie is somehow targeted by a TV show villain. And he is bent on to use all his powers to ferret out the killer as well as protect Marnie.
Both Bryan and Marnie have instant fireworks between them, to begin with more antagonistic towards each other with a hidden sexual attraction. That made both of them sound jerk and mean. Yet they keep their differences aside to catch the killer, eventually acting on those hidden attractions. Interesting that Heather took most of the book for them to come together, although the fireworks started at the start.
This time around, Heather Graham has her trilogy set around a trio of brothers who were children of a famous theater couple, beginning with Bryan's story first. It was fun to read this kind of plot, more so because I relate to stories that have continuation and at the same time have characters related too.
Bryan and Marnie get help from the local detectives and the Krewe of Hunters - Detectives Grant Vining and Sophie Manning from the LAPD; Jackson Crow, the Krewe field director and Angela Hawkins, Jackson's wife and a Krewe member; Sean Cameron, Team Two Krewe Member and his wife Madison Darvil, a fabricator artist, whom we had met in the 6th book The Unholy (https://inspirethoughts.livejournal.c... and of course Special Assistant Director of Krewe teams, Adam Harrison, and his resident ghost, Josh Harrison, his son.
Although, Heather Graham again has the list of cast and characters of her plot in the beginning of the book, which has been doing from past few books. The characters are as usual fun and loving even though there is terror on every corner of the page.
Bryan McFadden comes of a case where he aids Jackson Crow in finding a missing kidnapped boy. The case sounded so very similar to the case that Malachi Gordon had handled right before he was asked to join the Krewe in the 10th book, The Night is Alive. Similar plot used, perhaps.
Funnily enough, Bryan McFadden had a dog that he named, Dog. I remember that Columbo, the TV detective also has a dog on the show called Dog. How coincidental! I have quite of a few reviews of books, movies and TV shows where I keep referencing Columbo, granted that he is my favorite TV detective. However, here (https://inspirethoughts.livejournal.c...) I had reviewed his very first episode, Prescription: Murder.
I marvel at how Heather brings the history and paranormal elements together with a seamless string that makes it a phenomenal plot. She gives the readers a view into the past through artifacts, tours, researches and just plain history. This time she takes us around Los Angeles, CA. She also blends in film, TV and literary references too where needed.
This time there are pages at the end where it gives reader an opportunity to either join a book club and win books, or buy a book and get a few free. Again there are a few grammatical or character or location errors in this book. Definitely a strong editing needed.
I see a pattern to Heather Graham's stories in the Harrison Investigations and Krewe of Hunters series, apart from the presence of ghosts and spirits. Usually the stories revolve around historical inferences, somehow connecting the past to the present either by way of characters or incidents and they involve hidden tunnels be it in cemetery or old houses or mortuaries. Always has one new pair of Krewe of Hunters or Harrison Investigations investigators. But could she please have her heroines be more smarter than just running to the bad guys alone, when she has so much of help around from FBI and her friends.
However since Deadly Fate, she has added another element to her plots. Adam Harrison buys an old theater in Alexandria, VA. And slowly he has been adding talented partners of his Krewe of Hunters into that theater work. So far Clara Avery, whom we met in Deadly Fate and fiancée to Thor Erikson, is assigned as the artistic director of that theater. And joining her are Charlene "Charlie" Moreau fiancée to Ethan Delaney, whom we met in Darkest Journey; and Alexi Cromwell, whom we met in Haunted Destiny and Jude McCoy's fiancée. With this plot, Heather shows that Madison Darvil, wife of Sean Cameron, a Team Two Krewe member, and a fabricator artists - whom we met in The Unholy, also is part of the theater. At the end of this plot, Marnie Davante also gets an offer to be part of Children's theater of this theater.
I wish Heather gets it clear on what positions Jackson Crow and Adam Harrison hold in the Krewe of Hunters. In the beginning Adam Harrison was the Director and Jackson Crow the Assistant Director. Then Adam Harrison became Assistant Director and Jackson Crow became Field Agent in Charge. Sometimes she is having Adam Harrison as the Senior Advisor and the head of all the Krewe teams and Jackson Crow as Field Director. What are their correct roles? Lately she has been keeping them as Assistant Director for Adam Harrison and Field Director for Jackson Crow, at least from past two books consistently.
A very good mingle of murder and mystery; past and present; fabricators and tv artists; and above all romance and love. Although for most part a successful thriller in the series of books under Krewe of Hunters by Heather Graham that is an easy ready and still enjoyable; I still would have liked more at the end.
Spoiler Alerts:
1. Plot Reveals:
a. Marnie Davante looks to open a children's theater named for her dad - The Peter Davante Theater for Young Artists.
b. All three McFadden brothers had joined a branch of service: Bryan in the navy, Bruce in the marines and Brodie in the army. Per this book, Bruce was helping out a friend who was with Texas Rangers and Brodie is in China working as a bodyguard for a chain store CEO. They were looking to form an investigation company together.
c. Parents of McFadded brothers - Hamish and Maeve McFadden - are the resident ghosts of the brothers, who had died together while doing a performance. They are close friends to Adam Harrison.
d. Marnie lives with her cousin Bridget Davante in the second half of her duplex. Bridget is a writer for many a hit TV shows.
e. Detective Sophie Manning comments that when she was a child she wanted to marry Hamish McFadden, but Hamish was already married. She also has a friend, Andrew, who is sick and has little more time to live.
f. One of the store that Heather mentions in the plot is Dark Delicacies (https://www.darkdel.com/) in Burbank, CA - a horror store with books. Sadly I read somewhere that it was closing…but their website doesn’t mention though.
g. Heather speaks about a Horror convention called horror palooza and I wasn’t sure if they existed. Infact they do. A Horror Palooza convention (https://www.horrorpalooza.com/) occurs in Los Angeles, CA in June, at least this year. And there is a Monster Palooza convention (http://www.monsterpalooza.com/spring/...) in Pasadena, CA which occurs in April this year.
h. Bryan McFadden joins the Krewe of Hunters in Alexandria, VA by the end of the plot.
2. Sub Plots:
a. In eleventh book, The Night Is Forever, Dustin Blake was part of an FBI team consisting of Grant Shelby, Cindy Greenstreet and Jerry Gunter. I am wondering why Heather Graham had mentioned their complete names as well as a brief intro, albeit as part of the conversation. Will they resurface in future plots is something we have to wait and see.
b. Dustin Blake has a sister Rayna Blake who is a Nashville sensation - a country music singer. I wonder if Heather Graham will use her as a lead character in a future book.
c. Katie O'Hara and David Beckett are two characters in the 12th book, The Cursed plot. And a history into their background paused me to think they might be characters from another of Heather Graham book. I was pretty sure they weren't from Krewe of Hunters or Harrison Investigation series. A little dig on google pointed me to Ghost Shadow, the first book in Bone Island Series by Heather Graham published in 2010. Having not yet read that series, I am curious if Hannah O'Brien or Liam Beckett, David's brother, appear in that book as well.
d. Jane Everett and Sloan Trent were part of Team Two: Texas Krewe. But in the 14th book, The Betrayed, Heather mentions that they were going to be permanent members of the Yankee Krewe. Have to read the rest of the books to know if that is where she sends them.
e. In the 16th book The Forgotten, Dr. Phil Kinny seemed have paranormal abilities. Will he be a main character in another book?
f. In the 18th book, Haunted Destiny, Heather Graham introduces us to the large family of Alexi Cromwell, albeit only as a conversation - her parents, a brother who is an artist, a sister Sienna who is a doctor. Curiously enough only Sienna's name is mentioned in the plot and none of the other family members. May be we will see Sienna again, hence her mentioned explicitly.
g. In the 20th book, Darkest Journey, Heather introduced a photographer, Chance Morgan, who could see ghosts as well. A future plot perhaps.
3. Grammatical / Historical / Location / Character Errors:
a. On Pg. 52, Line 22, it should be "…might be called an…"
b. On Pg. 53, Line 6, it perhaps should be "…find more videos, I'll let…"
c. On Pg. 181, Line 12, it perhaps should be "…by the videos I've seen…"
d. On Pg. 181, Line 17, it should be "…to do, or he then…"
Recommendation: Yes, pick it up for a mystery involving paranormal elements, historical flair and the romantic side of the plot.
Fade to Black is the twenty fourth book in the longest series, Krewe of Hunters, by Heather Graham and published in May of 2018. The primary plot is centered around - Bryan McFadden - an ex-military and current Private Investigator - and Marnie Davante - actress in a cult TV Show. The plot is set in Los Angeles, CA.
This book forms the first book in the next trilogy by Heather Graham, which she sets it around the McFadden Brothers, who are ex-military and now working as private investigators. In the beginning Heather had plots for each of the Krewe of Hunters as team members were introduced. But from the 9th book onwards, she has made those plots into trilogies within the series, that either revolve around the same set of characters or characters flowing from one book to next in the trilogy with new lead characters added.
Her First trilogy is made of the ninth book The Night is Watching; the tenth book The Night is Alive; the 11th book The Night is Forever. Second trilogy is made of the 12th book The Cursed, 13th book the Hexed and 14th book The Betrayed. Third Trilogy has the 15th book The Silenced, 16th book The Forgotten and the 17th book The Hidden. Fourth Trilogy has three books set on Celtic American Cruise-Line ships - 18th book Haunted Destiny on Destiny, 19th book Deadly Fate on Fate and 20th book Darkest Journey on Journey. Fifth Trilogy was formed of 21st book Dying Breath, 22nd book Dark Rites and 23rd book Wicked Deeds.
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, this elite unit is called on to solve cases linked to historical and paranormal mystery involving legendary crime and serial killings, war events and hauntings. The Krewe are divided into three distinct groups. The first group is led by Jackson Crow, who is also the Assistant Director of the Krewe, and called as the original Krewe of Hunters; the second group is led by Texas Ranger Logan Raintree and called as the Texas Krewe; the third group is Yankee Krewe, based in NYC, overseen by Jackson Crow. A possibility of a fourth group in Miami, FL is touched upon in the 17th book The Hidden.
Marnie Davante, a former cult TV show actress, looks forward to use her fame to open a children's theater. And she agrees to do the Los Angeles Comic Con Circuit in the process. During the comic con one of the co-stars of the TV show who was at their booth gets hacked by an axe wielding villain of a different show.
Bryan McFadden, an ex-Navy turned PI, reluctantly approaches Marnie, knowing well that she would not welcome his protection, to help her. And true to his fears, Marnie is somehow targeted by a TV show villain. And he is bent on to use all his powers to ferret out the killer as well as protect Marnie.
Both Bryan and Marnie have instant fireworks between them, to begin with more antagonistic towards each other with a hidden sexual attraction. That made both of them sound jerk and mean. Yet they keep their differences aside to catch the killer, eventually acting on those hidden attractions. Interesting that Heather took most of the book for them to come together, although the fireworks started at the start.
This time around, Heather Graham has her trilogy set around a trio of brothers who were children of a famous theater couple, beginning with Bryan's story first. It was fun to read this kind of plot, more so because I relate to stories that have continuation and at the same time have characters related too.
Bryan and Marnie get help from the local detectives and the Krewe of Hunters - Detectives Grant Vining and Sophie Manning from the LAPD; Jackson Crow, the Krewe field director and Angela Hawkins, Jackson's wife and a Krewe member; Sean Cameron, Team Two Krewe Member and his wife Madison Darvil, a fabricator artist, whom we had met in the 6th book The Unholy (https://inspirethoughts.livejournal.c... and of course Special Assistant Director of Krewe teams, Adam Harrison, and his resident ghost, Josh Harrison, his son.
Although, Heather Graham again has the list of cast and characters of her plot in the beginning of the book, which has been doing from past few books. The characters are as usual fun and loving even though there is terror on every corner of the page.
Bryan McFadden comes of a case where he aids Jackson Crow in finding a missing kidnapped boy. The case sounded so very similar to the case that Malachi Gordon had handled right before he was asked to join the Krewe in the 10th book, The Night is Alive. Similar plot used, perhaps.
Funnily enough, Bryan McFadden had a dog that he named, Dog. I remember that Columbo, the TV detective also has a dog on the show called Dog. How coincidental! I have quite of a few reviews of books, movies and TV shows where I keep referencing Columbo, granted that he is my favorite TV detective. However, here (https://inspirethoughts.livejournal.c...) I had reviewed his very first episode, Prescription: Murder.
I marvel at how Heather brings the history and paranormal elements together with a seamless string that makes it a phenomenal plot. She gives the readers a view into the past through artifacts, tours, researches and just plain history. This time she takes us around Los Angeles, CA. She also blends in film, TV and literary references too where needed.
This time there are pages at the end where it gives reader an opportunity to either join a book club and win books, or buy a book and get a few free. Again there are a few grammatical or character or location errors in this book. Definitely a strong editing needed.
I see a pattern to Heather Graham's stories in the Harrison Investigations and Krewe of Hunters series, apart from the presence of ghosts and spirits. Usually the stories revolve around historical inferences, somehow connecting the past to the present either by way of characters or incidents and they involve hidden tunnels be it in cemetery or old houses or mortuaries. Always has one new pair of Krewe of Hunters or Harrison Investigations investigators. But could she please have her heroines be more smarter than just running to the bad guys alone, when she has so much of help around from FBI and her friends.
However since Deadly Fate, she has added another element to her plots. Adam Harrison buys an old theater in Alexandria, VA. And slowly he has been adding talented partners of his Krewe of Hunters into that theater work. So far Clara Avery, whom we met in Deadly Fate and fiancée to Thor Erikson, is assigned as the artistic director of that theater. And joining her are Charlene "Charlie" Moreau fiancée to Ethan Delaney, whom we met in Darkest Journey; and Alexi Cromwell, whom we met in Haunted Destiny and Jude McCoy's fiancée. With this plot, Heather shows that Madison Darvil, wife of Sean Cameron, a Team Two Krewe member, and a fabricator artists - whom we met in The Unholy, also is part of the theater. At the end of this plot, Marnie Davante also gets an offer to be part of Children's theater of this theater.
I wish Heather gets it clear on what positions Jackson Crow and Adam Harrison hold in the Krewe of Hunters. In the beginning Adam Harrison was the Director and Jackson Crow the Assistant Director. Then Adam Harrison became Assistant Director and Jackson Crow became Field Agent in Charge. Sometimes she is having Adam Harrison as the Senior Advisor and the head of all the Krewe teams and Jackson Crow as Field Director. What are their correct roles? Lately she has been keeping them as Assistant Director for Adam Harrison and Field Director for Jackson Crow, at least from past two books consistently.
A very good mingle of murder and mystery; past and present; fabricators and tv artists; and above all romance and love. Although for most part a successful thriller in the series of books under Krewe of Hunters by Heather Graham that is an easy ready and still enjoyable; I still would have liked more at the end.
Spoiler Alerts:
1. Plot Reveals:
a. Marnie Davante looks to open a children's theater named for her dad - The Peter Davante Theater for Young Artists.
b. All three McFadden brothers had joined a branch of service: Bryan in the navy, Bruce in the marines and Brodie in the army. Per this book, Bruce was helping out a friend who was with Texas Rangers and Brodie is in China working as a bodyguard for a chain store CEO. They were looking to form an investigation company together.
c. Parents of McFadded brothers - Hamish and Maeve McFadden - are the resident ghosts of the brothers, who had died together while doing a performance. They are close friends to Adam Harrison.
d. Marnie lives with her cousin Bridget Davante in the second half of her duplex. Bridget is a writer for many a hit TV shows.
e. Detective Sophie Manning comments that when she was a child she wanted to marry Hamish McFadden, but Hamish was already married. She also has a friend, Andrew, who is sick and has little more time to live.
f. One of the store that Heather mentions in the plot is Dark Delicacies (https://www.darkdel.com/) in Burbank, CA - a horror store with books. Sadly I read somewhere that it was closing…but their website doesn’t mention though.
g. Heather speaks about a Horror convention called horror palooza and I wasn’t sure if they existed. Infact they do. A Horror Palooza convention (https://www.horrorpalooza.com/) occurs in Los Angeles, CA in June, at least this year. And there is a Monster Palooza convention (http://www.monsterpalooza.com/spring/...) in Pasadena, CA which occurs in April this year.
h. Bryan McFadden joins the Krewe of Hunters in Alexandria, VA by the end of the plot.
2. Sub Plots:
a. In eleventh book, The Night Is Forever, Dustin Blake was part of an FBI team consisting of Grant Shelby, Cindy Greenstreet and Jerry Gunter. I am wondering why Heather Graham had mentioned their complete names as well as a brief intro, albeit as part of the conversation. Will they resurface in future plots is something we have to wait and see.
b. Dustin Blake has a sister Rayna Blake who is a Nashville sensation - a country music singer. I wonder if Heather Graham will use her as a lead character in a future book.
c. Katie O'Hara and David Beckett are two characters in the 12th book, The Cursed plot. And a history into their background paused me to think they might be characters from another of Heather Graham book. I was pretty sure they weren't from Krewe of Hunters or Harrison Investigation series. A little dig on google pointed me to Ghost Shadow, the first book in Bone Island Series by Heather Graham published in 2010. Having not yet read that series, I am curious if Hannah O'Brien or Liam Beckett, David's brother, appear in that book as well.
d. Jane Everett and Sloan Trent were part of Team Two: Texas Krewe. But in the 14th book, The Betrayed, Heather mentions that they were going to be permanent members of the Yankee Krewe. Have to read the rest of the books to know if that is where she sends them.
e. In the 16th book The Forgotten, Dr. Phil Kinny seemed have paranormal abilities. Will he be a main character in another book?
f. In the 18th book, Haunted Destiny, Heather Graham introduces us to the large family of Alexi Cromwell, albeit only as a conversation - her parents, a brother who is an artist, a sister Sienna who is a doctor. Curiously enough only Sienna's name is mentioned in the plot and none of the other family members. May be we will see Sienna again, hence her mentioned explicitly.
g. In the 20th book, Darkest Journey, Heather introduced a photographer, Chance Morgan, who could see ghosts as well. A future plot perhaps.
3. Grammatical / Historical / Location / Character Errors:
a. On Pg. 52, Line 22, it should be "…might be called an…"
b. On Pg. 53, Line 6, it perhaps should be "…find more videos, I'll let…"
c. On Pg. 181, Line 12, it perhaps should be "…by the videos I've seen…"
d. On Pg. 181, Line 17, it should be "…to do, or he then…"
December 3, 2018
Love this series. Besides liking paranormal stories, I like the history of the settings where the stories take place. The characters are well written and the story line is very good. I do recommend this series but should be read in order. Looking forward to the next one.
June 16, 2018
For some reason i didn't feel so spelled bound reading this book as i did with her other books.
There was just something that seemed to drag and i got bored while reading it. i try hard not to skip pages to keep the moment but this time i felt like it was just slow moving. It is a great book if you are more into romance then action. The mystery was hard to follow. Someone wanted power, willing to kill for it, and someone had to die. The basic mystery.
There was just something that seemed to drag and i got bored while reading it. i try hard not to skip pages to keep the moment but this time i felt like it was just slow moving. It is a great book if you are more into romance then action. The mystery was hard to follow. Someone wanted power, willing to kill for it, and someone had to die. The basic mystery.
May 31, 2018
Another great book in this series. I love how the characters intertwine and you continue to see them in future stories. Cannot wait for the next one!!
August 10, 2021
So bad I want to burn the book to keep it from spreading or something. Can't do that because I listened to an audio, but I will never ever try a H Graham book again. It almost qualifies as a romance novel due to the smarmy gratuitous sex but the gag-worthy characters and brain dead plot attempt a mystery story line. A cipher of a movie actress is protected by an even dumber tough while her cast members are murdered and turn into ghosts who communicate with some live people. Even the dog is boring. Yuck.
June 21, 2019
Thank you NetGalley and Mira for the eARC.
This was my first Heather Graham book and I wanted to read it because she's enormously popular. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy it at all. In my opinion it was boring and after reading about half of it, I gave up. Obviously my opinion is in the minority ... this just wasn't my type of read.
This was my first Heather Graham book and I wanted to read it because she's enormously popular. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy it at all. In my opinion it was boring and after reading about half of it, I gave up. Obviously my opinion is in the minority ... this just wasn't my type of read.
February 1, 2020
I can't read her books anymore. Every book is the same book, the same plot, nothing new. Someone is murdered or missing, guy meets girl, both can see ghosts, guy and girl don't like each other at first, then they do, then they both accept their ghost seeing, then they fall in love, solve mystery, and live happily ever after. At book 24 of the same thing I am done.
January 13, 2025
This is book 24 of the series I’ve read (I started from the beginning). This was such a disappointment. I usually love the Krewe of Hunters storylines. The main character was hard to root for. I didn’t care about the plot. I had high hopes for it since the others have been so engaging!
March 9, 2019
Same formula as all of the Krewe books, which makes them a nice cozy read. But for some reason these characters were less likable to me than others have been.
September 16, 2023
I have been reading the series all year. This is the first book I really could not get into at all. I also didn’t like how the ending was rushed. All the the action happened in the last chapter.
October 9, 2018
So, context: I started in earnest to immerse myself in reading romance novels. I enjoy romance arcs in literary fiction and fantasy books, so I felt compelled to try a true romance novel and find a style (or two or three) of romances I want to continue reading. I picked up FADE TO BLACK because I read the first two chapters in a free sampler of "Summer Romance" titles.
The first two chapters sold me on downloading the entire book digitally from SPL via the Libby app. However, the more I read the more I was disappointed. The writing is NOT good. In fact, I felt like it was lazy and I'll explain below. Being that FADE TO BLACK is the 24th book in a longer-running series, I will likely not read any more from Heather Graham unless provided a personal recommendation in the future.
I liked the story from the first chapter because the male protagonist, Bryan, had an intriguing history and the set up for the story sounded fun and unique. I liked the paranormal element wherein Bryan can see ghosts - specifically, his parents - and this gift coupled with his military background led to unique situations in which he is "roped in" to solve crimes. I also liked the story setup from the female protagonist's side: Marnie, a Hollywood actress who witnesses her TV show colleague's murder and who may herself be the original target. These two people come together over the ability to see one ghost in particular, the dead TV star, and the stage is proverbially set for a compelling storyline.
As I read further, I was disappointed by both the writing and the relationship between Bryan and Marnie. While the situation is structured for these two characters to have a steamy romance, I found their connection to be very poorly developed. Their romance was not convincing because there was very little rapport or engagement between the two emotionally or intellectually. This story is action, action, action, and very little character development or connection. As a result, I was not connected to either Bryan or Marnie enough to root for them as a couple, nor find anyone's relationship to one another realistic and compelling to the narrative. Generally, the writing focused on making the murder mystery intriguing and assumed the situation would be create tension between the characters on its own.
At first, it worked for me. By the second half of the book, I was ready to give up. I nearly did, but I admit I wanted to know who the murderer was. Heather Graham deserves credit for writing a mystery story well. However, as a reader seeking romance, I was frustrated by the "romance" between Bryan and Marnie. It was tantamount to a one-night stand for its level of interpersonal connection, without any of the fireworks or salacious details of actually experiencing a great sexual connection.
I was also disappointed by the use of Prologue and Epilogue for this story. They were entirely redundant and a more driven writer could have successfully included the information in these sections without creating such a strange disruption in story POV. The writing leaned so heavily on tropes of TV actors that it detracted from my ability to connect with the characters. There were opportunities for the TV actors to be less one-dimensional, but Graham favors a quick narrative pace in lieu of character development and it just didn't work for me.
The first two chapters sold me on downloading the entire book digitally from SPL via the Libby app. However, the more I read the more I was disappointed. The writing is NOT good. In fact, I felt like it was lazy and I'll explain below. Being that FADE TO BLACK is the 24th book in a longer-running series, I will likely not read any more from Heather Graham unless provided a personal recommendation in the future.
I liked the story from the first chapter because the male protagonist, Bryan, had an intriguing history and the set up for the story sounded fun and unique. I liked the paranormal element wherein Bryan can see ghosts - specifically, his parents - and this gift coupled with his military background led to unique situations in which he is "roped in" to solve crimes. I also liked the story setup from the female protagonist's side: Marnie, a Hollywood actress who witnesses her TV show colleague's murder and who may herself be the original target. These two people come together over the ability to see one ghost in particular, the dead TV star, and the stage is proverbially set for a compelling storyline.
As I read further, I was disappointed by both the writing and the relationship between Bryan and Marnie. While the situation is structured for these two characters to have a steamy romance, I found their connection to be very poorly developed. Their romance was not convincing because there was very little rapport or engagement between the two emotionally or intellectually. This story is action, action, action, and very little character development or connection. As a result, I was not connected to either Bryan or Marnie enough to root for them as a couple, nor find anyone's relationship to one another realistic and compelling to the narrative. Generally, the writing focused on making the murder mystery intriguing and assumed the situation would be create tension between the characters on its own.
At first, it worked for me. By the second half of the book, I was ready to give up. I nearly did, but I admit I wanted to know who the murderer was. Heather Graham deserves credit for writing a mystery story well. However, as a reader seeking romance, I was frustrated by the "romance" between Bryan and Marnie. It was tantamount to a one-night stand for its level of interpersonal connection, without any of the fireworks or salacious details of actually experiencing a great sexual connection.
I was also disappointed by the use of Prologue and Epilogue for this story. They were entirely redundant and a more driven writer could have successfully included the information in these sections without creating such a strange disruption in story POV. The writing leaned so heavily on tropes of TV actors that it detracted from my ability to connect with the characters. There were opportunities for the TV actors to be less one-dimensional, but Graham favors a quick narrative pace in lieu of character development and it just didn't work for me.
July 8, 2018
“Fade to Black” the 24th book in the “Krewe of Hunters” a paranormal mystery-murder series that begins when one of the stars of the classic Dark Harbour T.V. show is killed at Comic Con by a Blood-Bone character wielding a sword. Fearing she was the intended target and the police with limited resources to protect her, Marnie Davante is glad of for the security offered by PI Bryan McFadden after her house is broken into.
The son of famous actors who died tragically, and an ex-Marine Bryan McFadden is coerced by the ghost of his mother into assisting the police in the homicide investigation of their old acquaintance Cara Barton. An old hand at seeing ghosts Bryan not only has to calm Marnie’s fears when she begins seeing the deceased Cara but get to the heart of a grisly crime while protecting her from a killer who’s still on the loose.
Fast-paced and action-packed, intensity and suspense quickly build when a dead body is found in the pool behind her duplex, and Bryan suspects more than one killer is involved. As Marnie’s fear and uncertainty mount and the list of suspects grows, Bryan is drawn away following up leads, so calls on the help of Krewe of Hunters Special Agents Jackson Crowe and Angela Hawkins for assistance in protecting her and her cousin Bridget. Well-written and intriguing like all of Heather Graham’s novels, the plot progresses smoothly to a surprising ending.
In the undercurrents of the investigation is Marnie’s struggle to bring her dream of a children’s theatre to fruition, the Krewe Hunters pursuit of Bryan to make him part of their team and the romance that develops between the PI and the former T.V. star.
Marnie Davante is a gracious, elegant and sensual character who’s being pressured by a producer and her former cast members to be a part of a remake of Dark Harbour while unsuccessfully pursuing a venue for a children’s theatre. Smart, kind, charming and authentic, it is these attributes coupled with her independent spirit that has ruggedly handsome PI Bryan McFadden falling for her. Pestered by the ghosts of his parents as well as the “weary and jaded” but caring Cara Barton, he works hard to make Marnie comfortable with the idea of seeing them which quickly attracts her trust in the honest sincerity of this resourceful PI. These personalities although not overly complex are compelling and realistic and add strength as well as their own brand of excitement and tension to the plot.
I thoroughly enjoyed “Fade to Black” and can’t wait to read the next book as Bruce McFadden investigates another tinsel town mystery.
The son of famous actors who died tragically, and an ex-Marine Bryan McFadden is coerced by the ghost of his mother into assisting the police in the homicide investigation of their old acquaintance Cara Barton. An old hand at seeing ghosts Bryan not only has to calm Marnie’s fears when she begins seeing the deceased Cara but get to the heart of a grisly crime while protecting her from a killer who’s still on the loose.
Fast-paced and action-packed, intensity and suspense quickly build when a dead body is found in the pool behind her duplex, and Bryan suspects more than one killer is involved. As Marnie’s fear and uncertainty mount and the list of suspects grows, Bryan is drawn away following up leads, so calls on the help of Krewe of Hunters Special Agents Jackson Crowe and Angela Hawkins for assistance in protecting her and her cousin Bridget. Well-written and intriguing like all of Heather Graham’s novels, the plot progresses smoothly to a surprising ending.
In the undercurrents of the investigation is Marnie’s struggle to bring her dream of a children’s theatre to fruition, the Krewe Hunters pursuit of Bryan to make him part of their team and the romance that develops between the PI and the former T.V. star.
Marnie Davante is a gracious, elegant and sensual character who’s being pressured by a producer and her former cast members to be a part of a remake of Dark Harbour while unsuccessfully pursuing a venue for a children’s theatre. Smart, kind, charming and authentic, it is these attributes coupled with her independent spirit that has ruggedly handsome PI Bryan McFadden falling for her. Pestered by the ghosts of his parents as well as the “weary and jaded” but caring Cara Barton, he works hard to make Marnie comfortable with the idea of seeing them which quickly attracts her trust in the honest sincerity of this resourceful PI. These personalities although not overly complex are compelling and realistic and add strength as well as their own brand of excitement and tension to the plot.
I thoroughly enjoyed “Fade to Black” and can’t wait to read the next book as Bruce McFadden investigates another tinsel town mystery.
August 25, 2019
Reviewed at Keeper Bookshelf
I have enjoyed Heather Graham’s Krewe of Hunters series from the very beginning. A mixture of paranormal and suspense/mystery these stories always keep me entertained and on my reading toes. There have been many stories and just as many couples. I’m always glad to be reunited with old book friends and FADE TO BLACK brought back several of my favorite characters in one way or another. Yet it was a persistent ghost and a man willing to follow his mother’s request, even if delivered in her ghostly form, that caught my imagination throughout Bryan and Marnie’s romance.
I have to admit that it took a bit of time for me to really warm up to Marnie. At first, she came off as such a… well, witch is the most polite way of stating her rudeness and intense sarcasm. I got that part of her reaction was her protective instincts kicking in but man… she was nasty at times. The truth is she doesn’t believe what is right in front of her face. Ghosts cannot be real. This guy is just yanking her chain acting like he sees Cara, too. Right, really right? It will take Marnie a bit to come around to the truth of her situation, and the fact that she doesn’t have to fight against the attraction she’s feeling toward Bryan.
I won’t delve into the mystery in any Romantic Suspense, that’s best left to each reader experiencing it firsthand. But there are plenty of suspects, red herrings tossed about, and perhaps the villain is hiding in plain sight. Who knows? But the discovery will give you a very good story to devour, a few unexpected chuckles along the way, and two very stubborn people discovering that love can be found in the oddest places. I loved the involvement of the cast of Dark Harbor, that closeness to their past played very well in this story.
In all, FADE TO BLACK was an intriguing mystery that kept me guessing until the end – oh, I had my suspicions early on but too many other good suspects arrived, too. If you love Paranormal Romance mixed in with Romantic Suspense then you’ll enjoy solving a mystery with the Krewe of Hunters and friends.
I own a Kindle edition of Fade to Black.
I have enjoyed Heather Graham’s Krewe of Hunters series from the very beginning. A mixture of paranormal and suspense/mystery these stories always keep me entertained and on my reading toes. There have been many stories and just as many couples. I’m always glad to be reunited with old book friends and FADE TO BLACK brought back several of my favorite characters in one way or another. Yet it was a persistent ghost and a man willing to follow his mother’s request, even if delivered in her ghostly form, that caught my imagination throughout Bryan and Marnie’s romance.
I have to admit that it took a bit of time for me to really warm up to Marnie. At first, she came off as such a… well, witch is the most polite way of stating her rudeness and intense sarcasm. I got that part of her reaction was her protective instincts kicking in but man… she was nasty at times. The truth is she doesn’t believe what is right in front of her face. Ghosts cannot be real. This guy is just yanking her chain acting like he sees Cara, too. Right, really right? It will take Marnie a bit to come around to the truth of her situation, and the fact that she doesn’t have to fight against the attraction she’s feeling toward Bryan.
I won’t delve into the mystery in any Romantic Suspense, that’s best left to each reader experiencing it firsthand. But there are plenty of suspects, red herrings tossed about, and perhaps the villain is hiding in plain sight. Who knows? But the discovery will give you a very good story to devour, a few unexpected chuckles along the way, and two very stubborn people discovering that love can be found in the oddest places. I loved the involvement of the cast of Dark Harbor, that closeness to their past played very well in this story.
In all, FADE TO BLACK was an intriguing mystery that kept me guessing until the end – oh, I had my suspicions early on but too many other good suspects arrived, too. If you love Paranormal Romance mixed in with Romantic Suspense then you’ll enjoy solving a mystery with the Krewe of Hunters and friends.
I own a Kindle edition of Fade to Black.
March 31, 2019
This was not as suspenseful as her other books I've read. I thought the story dragged too much before it finally got interesting. Marnie is the main character who is known for the TV show "Dark Harbor" which was once a big hit and is hoping the show gets revamped. Unfortunately during a comic-con convention the cast members are doing an appearance and one of the cast, Cara, is killed by someone in a costume of "Bloodbone", a character from the TV show Dark Harbor. Cara then then appears to Marnie and the story unfolds with a private investigator trying to help Marnie who was standing next to Cara when she was killed. Of course the P.I. takes a liking to Marnie but there's always some resistance at first. The Krewe of Hunters are also called in to help but nothing really happens for a while until another body is found in Marine's swimming pool. And there is really not much of the paranormal other than Cara's ghost coming around every so often; Cara's ghost doesn't really help much in finding the killer either. It's not until the last two chapters that anything really happens. It was an okay read.
July 24, 2018
Marnie Davante is an actress of a show with a cult following, but someone has it in for the main cast , a comic super villian named Bloodbone has just killed Clare Barton, Marnies tv mothers, and now her ghost is haunting Marnie.
Bryan McFadden and his two brothers lost their parents both actors in a tragic accident, but that isn't the only thing the close brothers have in common, they see ghost. Unfortunately for them their mother and father stayed behind saying their boys still needed guidance, they were still upset none had the call for acting, all three having joined the military in different branches.
Bryan has just gotten his P.I. license and his mother a long time friend of Clara is pressing him to go help saying her ghost is sure Marnie is in trouble.
Trouble is more than right as Bryan finds himself falling for the actress and complicating his thoughts, he wants to think of a life together if he can only keep her alove, but then with friends as in the Krewe of Hunters he is sure they will find the killer in time.
Bryan McFadden and his two brothers lost their parents both actors in a tragic accident, but that isn't the only thing the close brothers have in common, they see ghost. Unfortunately for them their mother and father stayed behind saying their boys still needed guidance, they were still upset none had the call for acting, all three having joined the military in different branches.
Bryan has just gotten his P.I. license and his mother a long time friend of Clara is pressing him to go help saying her ghost is sure Marnie is in trouble.
Trouble is more than right as Bryan finds himself falling for the actress and complicating his thoughts, he wants to think of a life together if he can only keep her alove, but then with friends as in the Krewe of Hunters he is sure they will find the killer in time.
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