Seeing Darkness

Krewe of Hunters #30

by Heather Graham

She’s being murdered.

It was supposed to be a fun girls’ weekend in Salem, but when a past-life regression session instead sends a terrifying vision of murder to Kylie Connelly, she’s shaken and doesn’t know what to think. Worse, later she identifies the attacker from her vision: he’s a prominent local politician.

Special Agent Jon Dickson of the FBI’s Krewe of Hunters is on the trail of a suspected serial killer based on the scantest of clues and unreliable witness testimony. When he realizes Kylie’s vision might be his best lead, he must gain her trust and get close enough to guide her new talent. Though she doubts herself, the danger Kylie sees is all too real—and the pair will have to navigate a murderer’s twisted passions and deceptions to stop the killer from claiming another victim.

Genres: Paranormal, Mystery, Romance, Romantic Suspense, Suspense, Thriller, Fiction

384 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 19, 2020

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

[fleurette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recently, I've been definitely tired of the books in this series. I couldn't find one that I really liked. The characters were boring and the plot very repetitive. This book hasn't completely solved my problem, but it's okay.

The beginning is really good and strong. I liked it very much and it definitely catched my interest. But unfortunately I lost this it somewhere in the middle. I don't really know if it's the book's fault, it could be me, I have a bad time reading books right now.

The characters are ok. Neither Kylie nor Jon is particularly memorable, but they are fine and form a nice couple. Kylie is a strong and independent woman who, fortunately, doesn't do many stupid things. And although she sometimes takes unnecessary risks, it didn't bother me as much as usual. I am very happy that she had considerable difficulties in accepting the supernatural world. It really annoys me when the characters suddenly discover the whole magic system and have no questions at all. Jon is nothing special, but he is not annoying. At least he is not one of those alpha men who must always be right.

The plot is fine, but there is no major surprise or mystery. From the very beginning you know who the killer is and the only goal is to catch him. Sure enough, other suspects appear for a while, but there is no big surprise in this part. Of course, the issue of other crimes arises, but it is not emphasized enough to wait with bated breath for the solution of this mystery. I think that's why somewhere in the middle of the book I wasn't so interested anymore.

This story is fine. If you have read at least one book in this series, you know exactly what to expect. It can be a nice read for the summer, which does not require excessive concentration from the reader.

[☕️Kimberly (Caffeinated Reviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kylie Connelly a recent Harvard grad and her three friends are in Salem for a girls’ weekend. One of their planned events is a past-life regression session. When it’s Kylie’s turn she experiences a murder through the eyes of the victim. It leaves her spooked, but the girls head out to dinner. At the Cauldron, Kylie nearly faints when she sees the man in her vision on TV. Special Agent Jon Dickson of the FBI’s Krewe of Hunters, overhears and catches her. The tale that unfolds offers a clever murder-mystery.

Jon thinks Kylie has seen the actual murder. He is in Salem to catch a clever serial killer after getting a clue at one of the crime scene that leads him to the Cauldron. Is it possible Kylie has seen his serial killer?

Salem’s rich history, the graveyards and past-life regressions were all intriguing. Graham always shares the setting’s history and the Salem Witch trials were a part of it. I always love the tidbits she weaves into her tales.

Jackson and other members of the Krewe arrive and we get to see both familiar ghosts and new. Between Kylie’s friends, tour guides, locals and Krewe we had a fun list of suspects and an interesting group to learn about.

The murder-mystery was tightly woven and felt realistic. Here we know the villain from the beginning, but are they tied to the other murders? You must read to discover it for yourself.

Read this for the mystery first as the romance is served on the side dish. We learn Jon and Kylie’s story as they work together and the chemistry felt genuine. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 30th novel in Graham's Krewe of Hunters series, but they're all pleasantly stand-alone stories with enough background information given so that it's possible to just drop right in and follow what's happening. (Except for the name of the bureau, que sera sera...) The formula is that there's a horrific crime and an attractive young agent who can communicate with ghosts investigates and/or protects an attractive young person of the other gender from said horrific criminal. The ghosts help out. There's some interesting historical detail about the locale in which the story's set. The two attractive young people have some passionate but safely vanilla sex (professional ethics be danged), then they solve the crime and presumably live happily ever after. There aren't as many ghosts as I remember from most of the other books, or maybe they're just not as helpful. There is more historical detail than usual, as Salem, Massachusetts is more picturesque and interesting than most other usual haunts. And I'm giving this one an extra star because the mystery aspect was again superior; you know right from the start who the bad guy is, but then she throws a curve ball and surprised me with a solution that was obvious in hindsight yet still surprised me. I never figured out the significance of the match books, but the characters were all fun and kept the pages turning.

[AlwaysV · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved Krewe of Hunters Series so much. Yes, loved the ghosts who stayed behind and helped right the wrong, equally. But best of all, loved all who could see them and appreciate their major contributions in bringing down a murderer and a serial killer. This story was a little different from the others, in that the role of the ghosts was limited. Kylie was the one with vision, the one who was the key in solving the crime this time.

The clues of a suspected serial killer led Jon, a Krewe Special Agent, to Kylie and to Salem. A haunting city, with its rich and both infamous/famous history of witch hunts and more made Salem a perfect place for an engaging and spine tingling mystery. No other place could be more suitable for being hunted, as well as for finally trapping and catching a serial killer. Jon and Kylie also discovered another amazing side of Salem. It was a wonderful place for romance!

I was totally captivated by the urgency in catching the suspect, whom Kylie "saw" committing the kill. A bigger surprise? I'd rather leave that for you to find out when you decide to pick up this fantastic mystery! Sharing one of my almost-heart-stopping scenes:

💥They were moving farther and farther back through the graveyard. She could scream... get cut to ribbons, but possibly survive . . . She smelled the earth of the cemetery, saw the man before her, lifting the knife, ready to slit her throat.🔪"

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have always liked the "Krewe of Hunters" series. "The Ghost Story Junkie" in me has always found the stories well done...suspenseful...with helpful and evil ghost making their appearances along the way and a competent "Hunter" send in to investigate. As much as I love this genre I have found that it does have problems. The main one being that there is just so many ways that a house or a person can be haunted by a spirit before the story becomes predictable. This series has started to become predictable. To offset this somewhat the author throws in either silly, often obnoxious/annoying women...a lot of romance...loads of protest or disbelief that the "Krewe" person assigned to the case has to spend half the book trying to convince the "haunted" one to trust him or her and believe they can help. Seeing Darkness is a good easy, slow read, and readers that want what amounts to a cozy ghost story will really like it, but the series has slowed down considerably with the 30th book. It was worth 3 stars but I had hoped for more.

[Lisa Malmquist · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kylie Connelly is having a girl's weekend in Salem, Massachusetts. Her girlfriend wants to
have a past-life regression for fun. Kylie's encounter is horrible and she sees a killer in real time in her vision.
She is very upset and doesn't know what to think. Later she sees the killer on TV, and it turns out he is a prominent local politician.
Special agent Jon Dickson of the FBI Krewe of Hunters is searching for a serial killer in the same area.
The division that Jon is part of consists of a group of agents that have visions, psychic abilities or can talk to ghosts. They use all of these abilities to solve their cases when noone else can solve them by normal means.
He finds out about Kylie's vision and is desperate for any leads before anyone else gets killed.
Kylie finds herself in a very dangerous situation and time is running out as the killer could close in at any moment.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back in Salem for the Krewe! ;)

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this series. But I would not want to read them back to back. I don't really think they need to be read in order.

I can’t believe i read this again.

[Elaine Nickolan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am still on the fence as to whether I like this series or not. The premise of this series ids that there is a special branch of the FBI called The Krewe. The agents that belong to this unit all have special "gifts". These people can speak to ghosts and even see events as they happen without being at the crime scene. I will give this series one more try, like 3 strikes and you are out, and decide if I want to continue with this series.

[Aparna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stars: 3 / 5
Recommendation: Yes, pick it up for a mystery involving paranormal elements, historical flair and the romantic side of the plot.

Seeing Darkness is the thirtieth book in the long-running series, Krewe of Hunters, by Heather Graham and published in May of 2020. The primary plot is centered around Special Agent Jonathon "Jon" Wolf Dickson - from the Krewe of Hunters department in FBI - and Kylie Connelly - a curator of a museum in New York City. It is set in Salem, MA.

This forms the first book in her next trilogy in the series. Pretty much from the ninth book The Night is Watching, Heather has been releasing her books in the Krewe of Hunters series in threes, creating multiple trilogies within the series. However, we do see some characters that have been floating from the beginning of the series that started in 2011 with the very first book Phantom Evil.

Krewe is an elite FBI unit with each member of the unit honing a particular psychic talent of their own, collectively forming the paranormal investigating team. Headed by paranormal investigator Adam Harrison, they are 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 four distinct groups. The first group, Krewe of Hunters, is led by Jackson Crow, the Supervising Field Director of all Krewe divisions; the second group, Texas Krewe, is led by Texas Ranger Logan Raintree; the third group, Yankee Krewe, is overseen by Jackson Crow. In he 17th book The Hidden, possibility of a fourth Krewe team in Miami, FL is explored.

Since Deadly Fate, Heather has added another element to her plots. Adam Harrison buys an old theater in Alexandria, VA and moving talented partners of his Krewe of Hunters into that theater work. So far Clara Avery, from Deadly Fate, is assigned as the artistic director of that theater. And joining her are Charlene "Charlie" Moreau, from Darkest Journey; Alexi Cromwell, from Haunted Destiny; Madison Darvil, from The Unholy; and Marnie Davante, from Fade to Black; are assigned to this theater. In this we see that Harrison has bought a museum in Virginia that need to be restored and Kylie is assigned that job.

A supposed fun girl's weekend turns to terror for Kylie Connelly when she is shaken of visions of being killed by a prominent personality. Now Special Agent Jon Dickson of the FBI's Krewe of Hunters is worried that Kylie might be in danger. While he is still on hot pursuit of the serial killer, he vows to safeguard Kylie. But, who can imagine what goes on inside a killer's mind to anticipate their steps before the victims are claimed.

Both Jon and Kylie are shown as strong and stead personalities, complementing each other. No wonder Heather has them falling for each other pretty fast. It just surprised me that such equal characters form a good match, contrary to the saying "opposites attract".

This plot again continues with the usual pattern of Heather's books in the series, revolving 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 or secret passages or vaults. We get to see a new pair in every book as always.

Incidentally Heather doesn’t have the list of cast and characters of her plot in the beginning of the book which she had been doing in her books lately. What I miss most in Heather's novels are the past characters, their stories weaving with the current couple; and how those characters impact everyone around them. We mainly see stories being focused solely around the primary two protagonists and their immediate people. Rarely we see other than Jackson, Angela and some times Adam Harrison, in the stories.

I am again disappointed to see so many character placement, scene execution and grammatical errors in the plot. I wonder why Heather doesn’t have a better editor to edit her books.

The characters are as usual fun and loving even though there is terror on every corner of the page. Again the plot is much simpler than her chilling ones in the beginning of the series. I couldn’t guess who the primary antagonist was though, and when revealed it came out as a shock. But Heather didn’t give any explanation of why this antagonist had done the killings.

Although it still amazes me 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; giving the readers a first hand guide of any location she sets her plots in.

A very good mingle of murder and mystery; past and present; past-regression and present-living; 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, this is still an easy ready and still enjoyable.

Spoiler Alerts:

1. Plot Reveals:
a. People we meet: Dr. Sayers, past-life regression hypnotist; Carl Fisher, a ghost tour guide; Charles, Carl's assistant; Matt Hudson, Cindy Smith & Mariah, bartenders at The Cauldron, although Matt & Cindy are a pair; Michael Westerly, state senator of MA & his wife, Sandra; Miss Foster, Westerly's secretary; Jimmy Marion & his sons, Frank & Anthony; Mrs. Marla Martinelli, Jimmy's friend.
b. Law enforcement and supporting departments: Detective Ben Miller, local homicide detective; Dr. Custis Margolin, medical examiner; Dr. Allen; Pete Allen, a cop; Liam Decker, a cop.
c. Krewe of Hunters who pitch in: Jackson Crowe, field director; Angela Hawkins, agent in-charge; Devin Rockwell nee Lyle and Craig Rockwell whom we met in the 14th book, The Hexed.
d. Jon has a personal ghost of his own, Obadiah Jones, a Puritan who had died in jail accused of witchcraft during Salem witch trials in the 1700s.
e. Kylie's friends - Corrine Rossello, gets married to Derrick; Nancy Ryman, dating Scott; Jenny Auger.

2. Sub Plots:
a. Some of the characters we see along that have paranormal abilities, making the reader wonder if they would come back in future:
i. Dr. Phil Kinney from the 16th book The Forgotten.
ii. Photographer, Chance Morgan, from the 20th book, Darkest Journey.
iii. Bridget Davante, Marnie's cousin and a writer for many a hit TV shows, from the 24th book, Fade to Black.
iv. Colleen Bellamy, Kody's assistant at the museum, from the 26th book Echoes of Evil.
v. Carl Brentwood, a film personality and friends with Dallas Wicker and Joe Dunhill from the 27th book The Summoning.
vi. Jimmy Mercury, guitarist, from the 29th book, The Stalking.
b. Dakota "Kody" McCoy from the 26th book Echoes of Evil, is she related to Jude McCoy from the 18th book Haunted Destiny?
c. We also meet Detective Liam Beckett (whom we had already met in the 12th book The Cursed), his wife Kelsey Beckett, his brother David Beckett and his wife Katie O'Hara, along with a brief history from their past in Echoes of Evil. That piqued my interest and I learned that these characters are part of Bone Island Series, another series by Heather Graham. Now my mind is leaning towards that series as well. Have to see when I will pick it up and if the Krewe of Hunters characters cross-over there too.
d. From the 29th book, The Stalking, Is Cheyenne Donegal connected to Ashley Donegal from the second book Heart of Evil. Also is Christian Mayhew, one of the ghosts who haunt Cheyenne, connected to Lara Mayhew from the 15th book The Silenced, and she had her own story in the 16th book The Forgotten?

3. Grammatical / Historical / Location / Character Errors:
a. Again Jackson Crowe's position is changed to field director in this. Heather seems to be going back and forth between supervising field director to acting field director to field director, regarding his designation.
b. On Pg. 83, Line 7, shouldn’t it be "…can I do for you…"?
c. On Pg. 95, Line 11, it should be "…was already there…"
d. On Pg. 118, Line 11, it should be "…for you to hang…"
e. On Pg. 129, Line 5, shouldn’t it be "Corrine" that Kylie is talking to as opposed to "Nancy".
f. On Pg. 16, Line 17, the entire line should be rephrased. Doesn’t make a single sense at least to me.
g. Prior to the conversation happens on Pg. 172 between Kylie, Jon & other agents, no where Heather creates a scene where Kylie is aware of Marla Martinelli or Jimmy Marino, other than the fact the a man was in the car that was involved in the accident. However, she has the conversation set as if it was natural for Kylie to know who Martinelli or Marino where. Was a scene cut prior to that?
h. On Pg. 173, Line 13, it should be "…you could do it again…"
i. On Pg. 213, Line 5, it should be "…is something behind…"
j. On Pg. 133, Heather has Jimmy Marino as being in sixties, while on Pg. 213 she has him pushing seventy.
k. On Pg. 97, Heather has Corrine mentioning that for her wedding reception they have booked Trelawny House in New York City. But in the epilogue, the reception is held on a rooftop in midtown. Wonder why she changed the location?

[Nancy Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it.

[Lynn Cahoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this new adventure for the Krewe, especially since I got to meet some old friends.

[Shawna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars - Paranormal/Romantic Suspense

[Leslee Williams]

Great closing.

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read!

Kylie and her friends are celebrating an upcoming wedding. For fun, they visit a doctor for past-life regressions. Something happens to Kylie which makes her feel a woman’s brutal murder as if it happened to her. Jon is a Krew member, in town to find out who committed this crime. As things unfold, more Krew members join in the hunt, there are ghosts who help along the way and there’s also romance in the offing. Typical Krew plot twists which we love and this did not disappoint.

[Bonnie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Far fetched. Didn't really enjoy this book but I powered through.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was similar to her last book, but that one was more creepy & gothic, and made the creepy threats, and bad things more real. This book had a another young woman having a vision of death, but through a regression session. The reader knew the murderer from the vision, and Jon was right there from Krewe of Hunters unit to help her. Plus since we were also led to believe this was a copycat killer, there still was a serial killer out there. It was not hard putting the pieces together in this one. I gave it a 4 because of the paranormal aspect , with helpful ghosts. Plus Jackson Crowe was active in the investigation. I enjoyed the slow love story amid all the threats, and tension. Kylie was a trooper, and was pretty fearless after she recovered, from the supernatural happening around her. I liked how the hunters watched over her, but she had a good head, on her sholdiers, and kept herself safe. I’m glad her, and John could figure out how , it could all work out. It is always fun to meet new gifted hunters, and helpful ghosts. This took place where there were fake witch trials, really for greed, and land, and power. There is always new history involved with her books. This had great information on some of the people tried, and some that were accusers. Plus I did not realize that when the trials ended, families had to come up with high bail to get them back out, and many died from hunger, diseases , and bad weather.

[Marsha · Rating 2 out of 5]

While Kylie’s unusual experience at a hypnotist’s office opens up her hidden talents of clairvoyance and astral projection, the book seems curiously pedantic with ordinary ghosts that lack anything particularly spectral about them and villains so sneering or hyperbolic it’s not hard to see them as killers.

Of course, all is not what it seems and Ms. Graham manages to pull off a surprise. But it’s not enough to save this Krewe novel. Even the sex scenes were laughable patches of metaphorical nonsense (and never a condom in sight—typical).

This isn’t a series I wish to continue and fans of supernatural mysteries should look elsewhere.

[Tambra · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are the best in her series . I buy and read every one of her books Heather is my go to author for Mystery. I learned some about the Clue Game, This is set in Salem so its some place I have been. Great read. You can almost feel like you are right there seeing all this happen. I love all her books. Terrific writing, characters, Setting. Great writer.

[Stacey James · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrible. Do not waste your time. I have no idea how this book was even published.

[Jathan Fink · Rating 5 out of 5]

It starts as a girls’ weekend. Then the unthinkable happens. Suddenly fun and games end and terror begins. What extreme measures will one woman take to stop a killer? And will anyone believe her when the villain she identifies is beloved by many? Find out in Heather Graham’s tautly plotted new novel, SEEING DARKNESS.

In the 30th Krewe of Hunters novel, Kylie Connelly visits Salem, Massachusetts with her three best gal pals for her girlfriend Corinne’s bachelorette weekend. But their amusements are soon interrupted when Kylie sees a young teacher murdered in a nearby cemetery and identifies the man responsible, a prominent local politician running for Senate.

Meanwhile, FBI Special Agent Jon Dickson has returned to his hometown to track down a suspected serial killer. The thing is, he has no clear-cut evidence and he’s desperate to close the case before someone else winds up dead. When he overhears Kylie identify the killer while watching the news at a local watering hole, he knows he must gain her trust and find out just how much she really knows.

Together, they work to overcome Kylie’s self doubt and join forces to sift through a plethora of red herrings and find enough clues to pin their prime suspect firmly to the wall.

With SEEING DARKNESS, Graham casts her spell over readers by delivering a tale that is as mysterious as Salem itself. Filled with loads of juicy characters and potential villains, she deftly keeps us guessing with masterful slight of hand, introducing one enigmatic person after another, any of whom may just be dark enough to kill. She also gives us two protagonists who are driven, brave, and determined to get justice, regardless of the cost. Not only do we like them immediately, but their obvious chemistry has us hoping there is more than just crime solving going down here.

As thrilling and suspenseful as the tale is, however, one of my favorite parts of this story is how Graham weaves in loads of historical detail throughout. In the midst of quarantine, this bit of armchair travel is quite welcome, especially as she takes us through historic cemeteries, fascinating museums, and shows us how a brutal crime in 1830 inspired authors like Edgar Allan Poe and Nathanial Hawthorne.

Masterfully told and deliciously engaging, SEEING DARKNESS will keep you turning pages late into the night. Creepy and atmospheric, it is one of my favorite kind of reads. In fact, I dare say this tale may have been right up Poe’s alley. Enjoy!

As originally published at JathanandHeather.com.

[Danielle Urban · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seeing Darkness by Heather Graham is the best supernatural suspense novel. This is the thirtieth novel in the series and I keep praying that Heather Graham will bless me with more reads in this series. I have read every book in this Krewe Hunter series. I did not manage to read them in order and I was still able to follow along. As with all her previous books, this one had the elements of suspense, drama, and romance all in one stunning package. There's also the dark intense moments where it can/is deadly and where I know something bigger is going to happen any second...Heather Graham never disappoints. I am always awarded. Her writing is superb. I am so engaged in this book, I cry when I finish the last page. Then, I look to see if there's another book coming out and when. Yep, the Krewe Hunter series is that addictive. I dare you, to pick up any of the books, and you too will be sucked into a whole new world. One that will leave you begging for more...

The adventure begins. A young woman is faced with unusual insight. It scares the hell out of her at first. But as she comes to a member of the Krewe, an elite FBI group, she begins to feel sane again. However, her insight leaves her wanting to solve the case or else constantly look behind back. But despite the weirdness there's one or more serial killers out there and she may be their next target. Regardless of them knowing if she knows enough or not, the woman is in trouble. The Krewe FBI agent knows she knows more to his case and he senses she's special, just like him. Together they work on solving the case. But no matter how much they are prepared for the worse it's never an easy feeling knowing they could lose each other.

Talk about suspense! I loved this book and I cannot recommend it enough.

[Daisy Knox · Rating 3 out of 5]

All reviews posted at Tales of Love, Life, and Murder

I keep jumping into new books at the end of a series and decided to try something different. Since I was about to start reading an ARC of Haunted House, a Krewe Of Hunters novella, I decided to read this first because it introduces the two main characters who also star in the new release. The plot sounded great and I enjoyed the storyline, but the characters were a bit stiff. There are a lot of characters and some pretty mundane discussions amongst them. I wish the author had given us more detailed conversation between the MCs and more personality for the couple and less of everyone and everything else. The mystery was compelling but I would’ve liked more detail on it and less history lesson on the town. Changes like those would’ve catapulted this from a 3.5 star to a solid 5. On paper this book has everything I want: mystery, danger, suspense and romance, plus it’s a series so there are thirty other books, but the execution didn’t work for me.

[L.M. Archer]

Is there steam?
Yes. A couple of scenes. Very short. Mostly focuses on ✨feelings✨ and ✨emotions✨. They are like... maybe three paragraphs long each. Very short and not at all descriptive.

This book was incredibly slow for me and not super well-developed. I found both the romantic aspect and the thrilling aspect lacking. It just felt like the same three things kept happening over and over again. The first few chapters were great and the last few chapters were great, but everything in between was just boring and repetitive.

Kylie and all of her friends were perfect. All best friends since high school. All attractive. All Harvard grads. I'm fine with suspending my disbelief a bit, but this was just outside realism. Kylie and her friends and John were just all perfect. Everyone was perfect except for the bad guys of course. I wanted some tension. I wanted some imperfect characters. I wanted to believe they fell in love, but I didn't get any of that. It was just lacking depth overall.

This is my first book by Graham, and I think I am going to give them another shot. I hope the next isn't as disappointing as this one.

[Darla Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kylie Connelly is with her friends on what's supposed to be a fun girls' weekend. But when a past life regression takes a dark turn into a vision of murder, things get strange for Kylie. Jon Dickson is a Special Agent with the Krewe of Hunters, a special unit in the FBI. He believes Kylie saw the murder as it happened. Kylie and Jon begin to work together to bring a killer to justice but she has some things to learn as it becomes clear to her that not everything can be explained scientifically.

I absolutely love the Krewe of Hunters series and this book is a prime example of why. It's a great read with action, intrigue, and romance. The characters are wonderful and well-rounded. I was caught up from the beginning and never let go until the end. While the series is a lengthy one, it's well worth reading them all. If not, look for the individual trilogies or quartets within the series. I'm really looking forward to the next book. I highly recommend this book which is the first in its trilogy.

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of this book, in which Kylie discovers (one of) the murderers is a famous local politician while under hypnosis, was a departure from the usual premise since you already know whodunnit, but the plot thereafter becomes bland until the "twist" (i.e. completely random) reveal that the hypnotist is also a killer. It pretty much echoes the previous book that was set in Salem, and even features two of the same characters (Devin and Rocky). Neither Kylie or Jon were particularly interesting, but at least their romance felt natural; however, I'm starting to hate Graham's typical ending where the woman picks up and changes their career to move to VA with their new Krewe boyfriend. It was especially grating in this book because the women constantly mentioned their Harvard education and successful careers, and New York and DC are not really long-distance. Still, the combination of mystery, history, and supernatural entertain me enough to continue this series.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new agent to the Krewe family means a new case and a new couple, but we return to Salem and many of my favorite Krewe members.

The case is intriguing and the mystical component is done differently this time. There is an interesting twist to the villainous aspect of this story which I thought was fantastic. The couple had chemistry and I appreciated that they did not fall immediately into a relationship at the beginning of a story, but rather thought about the distance, the situation, etc.

As with all Krewe stories several other members are present and help provide research and protection. I love that Jackson was present as was Rocky and Devin. Their cabin, Poe and aunt are some of my favorites. I enjoyed this story and hope to see if more of Kylies skill set can be developed or used in future books/cases.

[Elsie Broadbent · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read the Krewe of Hunters since the very first book. Sometimes the books were excellent, other times not so much, so I am happy to say that this time Ms Graham was back on form.
Set in Salem, there was plenty of history, graveyards, ghosts, a nasty murder and if course a romance. Everything you need for an enjoyable read! This book was unusual because Kylie Connelly on a fun weekend in Salem goes to a local doctor to be " regressed" with 3 of her friends. Instead of the regression Kylie sees a murder being committed at that very second, and even feels the knife entering her body, more terrifyingly she later recognises the murderer as a prominent politician. Special Agent Jon Dickson of the Krewe has arrived in Salem looking for a serial killer that same day and the story goes very enjoyably from there.
Many thanks to Connie for my free copy in exchange for a review.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an enjoyable entry in this series. I really loved Jon Dickson and Kylie Connelly. Kylie is in Salem with three friends who are celebrating the upcoming marriage of one of the group. They do a past life regression with a psychiatrist. Three of the woman have great, fun experiences. Kylie ends up witnessing the murder of a young woman. Later, in a bar Kylie realizes that the murder really happened at the same time she was having the regression. Enter Jon Dickson who hears her talking about it with her friends. He is an FBI agent with the Krewe. He asks for her help. Soon she is learning that he can talk to ghosts and she sees them as well. The story was really interesting. They know who did it because Kylie saw him. Now, they have to figure out how to prove it. I loved the relationship with Jon and Kylie. It was just enough romance but did not overshadow the suspense.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy the Krewe of Hunters books by Graham and I enjoyed this one. However, they are beginning to seem similar - woman sees ghost, there is a murder, a member of the Krewe comes to help solve the murder, woman at first refuses to believe that they can see ghosts, more of the Krewe come to help solve the murder and convince the woman that they are not crazy. All the while, love is beginning between the original member of Krewe and the woman. Sometimes the genders might be switched but the story is essentially the same.
In this story, Kylie doesn't see a ghost (at first), but she does experience the murder of another woman - she is actually in the mind of the woman as she's being killed. Kylie then sees the man who "killed" her on tv; he's a prominent politician and is seen by everyone as a good guy. Special Agent Jon Dickson, a member of Krewe, has been on the trail of a serial killer and believes that Kylie is his best lead.