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Harrison Investigation #6
The Dead Room
She talks to dead people...
A year ago, archaeologist Leslie MacIntyre barely survived an explosion that took the life of her fiancé, Matt Connolly. Since then she's slowly come to terms with both her loss and an unsettling ability to communicate with ghosts, a "gift" received in the wake of her brush with death.
Now she's returned to lower Manhattan, site of the explosion, to investigate a newly discovered burial ground. In this place restless spirits hold the secrets not only of past injustice but of a deadly conspiracy against the city's women—including Leslie herself.
By night Matt visits her in dreams, warning her and offering clues to the truth. By day she finds herself helped by—and attracted to—his flesh-and-blood cousin Joe. Torn by her feelings for both men, caught between the worlds of the living and the dead, Leslie struggles against the encroaching danger. As she is drawn closer to the darkness, she must ultimately face the power of an evil mind, alone in a place where not even the men she loves can save her.
A year ago, archaeologist Leslie MacIntyre barely survived an explosion that took the life of her fiancé, Matt Connolly. Since then she's slowly come to terms with both her loss and an unsettling ability to communicate with ghosts, a "gift" received in the wake of her brush with death.
Now she's returned to lower Manhattan, site of the explosion, to investigate a newly discovered burial ground. In this place restless spirits hold the secrets not only of past injustice but of a deadly conspiracy against the city's women—including Leslie herself.
By night Matt visits her in dreams, warning her and offering clues to the truth. By day she finds herself helped by—and attracted to—his flesh-and-blood cousin Joe. Torn by her feelings for both men, caught between the worlds of the living and the dead, Leslie struggles against the encroaching danger. As she is drawn closer to the darkness, she must ultimately face the power of an evil mind, alone in a place where not even the men she loves can save her.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
313 people are currently reading
2426 people want to read
About the author
Heather Graham
593 books6,946 followersAlso published as Heather Graham Pozzessere and Shannon Drake.
New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Heather Graham majored in theater arts at the University of South Florida. After a stint of several years in dinner theater, back-up vocals, and bartending, she stayed home after the birth of her third child and began to write, working on short horror stories and romances. After some trial and error, she sold her first book, WHEN NEXT WE LOVE, in 1982 and since then, she has written over one hundred novels and novellas including category, romantic suspense, historical romance, vampire fiction, time travel, occult, and Christmas holiday fare. She wrote the launch books for the Dell's Ecstasy Supreme line, Silhouette's Shadows, and for Harlequin's mainstream fiction imprint, Mira Books.
Heather was a founding member of the Florida Romance Writers chapter of RWA and, since 1999, has hosted the Romantic Times Vampire Ball, with all revenues going directly to children's charity.
She is pleased to have been published in approximately twenty languages, and to have been honored with awards frorn Waldenbooks. B. Dalton, Georgia Romance Writers, Affaire de Coeur, Romantic Times, and more. She has had books selected for the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild, and has been quoted, interviewed, or featured in such publications as The Nation, Redbook, People, and USA Today and appeared on many newscasts including local television and Entertainment Tonight.
Heather loves travel and anything have to do with the water, and is a certitified scuba diver. Married since high school graduation and the mother of five, her greatest love in life remains her family, but she also believes her career has been an incredible gift, and she is grateful every day to be doing something that she loves so very much for a living.
New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Heather Graham majored in theater arts at the University of South Florida. After a stint of several years in dinner theater, back-up vocals, and bartending, she stayed home after the birth of her third child and began to write, working on short horror stories and romances. After some trial and error, she sold her first book, WHEN NEXT WE LOVE, in 1982 and since then, she has written over one hundred novels and novellas including category, romantic suspense, historical romance, vampire fiction, time travel, occult, and Christmas holiday fare. She wrote the launch books for the Dell's Ecstasy Supreme line, Silhouette's Shadows, and for Harlequin's mainstream fiction imprint, Mira Books.
Heather was a founding member of the Florida Romance Writers chapter of RWA and, since 1999, has hosted the Romantic Times Vampire Ball, with all revenues going directly to children's charity.
She is pleased to have been published in approximately twenty languages, and to have been honored with awards frorn Waldenbooks. B. Dalton, Georgia Romance Writers, Affaire de Coeur, Romantic Times, and more. She has had books selected for the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild, and has been quoted, interviewed, or featured in such publications as The Nation, Redbook, People, and USA Today and appeared on many newscasts including local television and Entertainment Tonight.
Heather loves travel and anything have to do with the water, and is a certitified scuba diver. Married since high school graduation and the mother of five, her greatest love in life remains her family, but she also believes her career has been an incredible gift, and she is grateful every day to be doing something that she loves so very much for a living.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 293 reviews
November 20, 2015
Review of Audio CDs
3 'intriguing, thrilling story, and restless spirits' stars!
If you enjoy ghostly whodunits, you should give this one a go. It’s a great story with a twisted ending I never saw coming, one that might or might not be a hit with some hardcore traditionalist romance readers.(No, there's no cheating... )
The audio was okay, but only okay. I had a hard time following the story because the author's narrative voice didn't give enough distinction to which characters were speaking. Also, I had a hard time picking up from where I would leave off because chapter changes were not noted. Maybe this has to do with it being abridged as opposed to unabridged.
I’m giving this 3.5 stars, rounded down to 3, because the story is a solid 4 – really good – but the audio is only a 3 - I liked it, but only barely.
I would definitely recommend the print or ebook over the audio book.
The Dead Room audio book was reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine's May/June issue.
January 24, 2010
I was having a little difficulty deciding on 3 or 4 stars for this book. I leaned towards the four because, for me it was an easy and fast read. Once I reached the middle of the book, I finished the rest in almost one sitting, and the whole book in a 24 hour period. It kept my interest and I like the ghost/psychic angle.
I also liked Joe, Leslie, Nikki, and Adam. I did care what happened to them and for me, the action moved pretty fast. I wish Adam and Nikki would have been developed more and had a larger part in the story. I got a little confused with the other characters. A couple times, I had to re-read previous pages to remember who they were. Also, there were some characters left hanging out in the wind, so to speak, and I would have really liked some closure there.
The ending was a mixed bag for me. I liked the suspense, but when the killer was revealed, it just didn't make any sense to me. The motive behind the killings could really have applied to almost all of the secondary characters, along with the means and opportunity. What did make sense to me was the twist at the end that, normally, I just wouldn't care for. But the way the story was written, that part seemed logical to me.
Overall though, it was fun read and I enjoyed it. She's a first time author for me, and I will definitely be checking out some of her other books.
I also liked Joe, Leslie, Nikki, and Adam. I did care what happened to them and for me, the action moved pretty fast. I wish Adam and Nikki would have been developed more and had a larger part in the story. I got a little confused with the other characters. A couple times, I had to re-read previous pages to remember who they were. Also, there were some characters left hanging out in the wind, so to speak, and I would have really liked some closure there.
The ending was a mixed bag for me. I liked the suspense, but when the killer was revealed, it just didn't make any sense to me. The motive behind the killings could really have applied to almost all of the secondary characters, along with the means and opportunity. What did make sense to me was the twist at the end that, normally, I just wouldn't care for. But the way the story was written, that part seemed logical to me.
Overall though, it was fun read and I enjoyed it. She's a first time author for me, and I will definitely be checking out some of her other books.
January 10, 2008
In this book we meet Leslie, an urban archaeologist who lost her fiancem Matt, in an explosion and is now going NYC to face that loss by working at a dig site and living in building where the explosion happened. Also in that area, woman, mostly prostitutes are disappearing.
Leslie meets her Matt's cousin, Joe, who is investigating the disappearance of one young woman. Together, they team up to keep Leslie safe and solve the mystery..including the mystery of whether the explosion that killed Matt was actually an accident.
Heather Graham keeps up her paranormal mysteries with this book. If you haven't read her previous books that have people from Harrison Investigations, you might get a little confused when characters are brought in. Overall, this is a nice quick read mystery that ties our world to the world beyond. However, it does have a surprise ending that some might not like.
Leslie meets her Matt's cousin, Joe, who is investigating the disappearance of one young woman. Together, they team up to keep Leslie safe and solve the mystery..including the mystery of whether the explosion that killed Matt was actually an accident.
Heather Graham keeps up her paranormal mysteries with this book. If you haven't read her previous books that have people from Harrison Investigations, you might get a little confused when characters are brought in. Overall, this is a nice quick read mystery that ties our world to the world beyond. However, it does have a surprise ending that some might not like.
October 5, 2011
Spooky cellars, ghosts, a historic house, handsome hero and exciting ending. This story had these elements and more. A good way to spend reading time.
However, just a few minor things bothered my enjoyment...may contain spoilers...Leslie kept wanting to see her dead boyfriend Matt. Almost every other page she would feel a presence and think it was him. Finally, when she did talk with him, she chose to ignore his warnings. How stupid can you be? And she constantly walked into danger.
The other problem I had with this book is the way the author used dialogue between the characters. I found some of it to be irrelevant to moving the story ahead, it was mostly chit-chat. She's done this in other books as well so I should be prepared for it but it still took me away from the story.
The ending wasn't what I was expecting though it makes sense. I wasn't convinced at the convenience of it all, though.
However, just a few minor things bothered my enjoyment...may contain spoilers...Leslie kept wanting to see her dead boyfriend Matt. Almost every other page she would feel a presence and think it was him. Finally, when she did talk with him, she chose to ignore his warnings. How stupid can you be? And she constantly walked into danger.
The other problem I had with this book is the way the author used dialogue between the characters. I found some of it to be irrelevant to moving the story ahead, it was mostly chit-chat. She's done this in other books as well so I should be prepared for it but it still took me away from the story.
The ending wasn't what I was expecting though it makes sense. I wasn't convinced at the convenience of it all, though.
May 16, 2013
I was really disappointed at the end because the book builds up to Leslie and Joe becoming a couple after Matt's death and then she died! I was glad she and Matt ended up together, but very sad for Joe. Seemed so unfair!!!
September 10, 2025
I'm not sure if I enjoyed this book or not. I felt like the ending fell flat and the climax had much to be desired.
November 26, 2009
very sad ending
Leslie survived from the explosion but not her fiance Since then she's slowly come to terms with both her loss and an unsettling ability to communicate with ghosts, a "gift" received in the wake of her brush with death.
Leslie survived from the explosion but not her fiance Since then she's slowly come to terms with both her loss and an unsettling ability to communicate with ghosts, a "gift" received in the wake of her brush with death.
February 15, 2023
First foray into reading Heather Graham, without a recommendation or provocation, just came across this book of murder, ghosts and something supposedly new (at least to me.)
Up front,.it was just ok. When every smile is ruefully sheepishly, etc-ly, overly descriptive... feels forced. How is a shower delicious? The characters were stereotypes across the board. Apparently ugly people aren't in literature, at least not in this book.
Leslie, ghost seer savant, was a composite of Sookie Stackhouse and Indiana Jones. The naivete of her ability coupled with the fear of telling what she sees but leverages for her own success was dim-witted. And the ghosts she interacted with were straight out of "GhostI, including ghost/dream/sex sequences that were far more detailed than her plot.
Apparently, the lead character, Joe, was supposed to be a solid detective, yet chased the wrong guy throughout. As the true villain was supposedly right under his nose..actually invited Joe to investigate the case. Poorly scripted.
Every ghost came across as a stage actor, with back story included. Way over the top and too farcical for my tastes. Why are there no ghosts beyond the Civil War Era(America)? Or Victorian Era (Europe)? How many millions/billions have passed since time began yet only the most recent English speaking ones make themselves known?? Curious and quite convenient.
Pedestrian (off screen) deaths of a few local professionals/prostitutes does not a crime book make. The archeological info was minorly engaging before the antics of Leslie and her shyness of her "fame".
The info dumping of how unique the NYC tunnels are at many points gives away the denouement. And the ending is just abrupt without a worthy resolution. More of a Scooby-Doo ending of who the bad guy is, head slap for stupidity and implausibility, a death, a ghost reunion (wtf?) Then Joe sees ghosts now. Come on, man.
Dumb.
Sorry to say Ms. Graham isn't my taste for reading and can't in good conscience recommend a soap opera style book to anyone I know. Surely there are sappy ghost live story seekers out there.
Thanks for reading.
Up front,.it was just ok. When every smile is ruefully sheepishly, etc-ly, overly descriptive... feels forced. How is a shower delicious? The characters were stereotypes across the board. Apparently ugly people aren't in literature, at least not in this book.
Leslie, ghost seer savant, was a composite of Sookie Stackhouse and Indiana Jones. The naivete of her ability coupled with the fear of telling what she sees but leverages for her own success was dim-witted. And the ghosts she interacted with were straight out of "GhostI, including ghost/dream/sex sequences that were far more detailed than her plot.
Apparently, the lead character, Joe, was supposed to be a solid detective, yet chased the wrong guy throughout. As the true villain was supposedly right under his nose..actually invited Joe to investigate the case. Poorly scripted.
Every ghost came across as a stage actor, with back story included. Way over the top and too farcical for my tastes. Why are there no ghosts beyond the Civil War Era(America)? Or Victorian Era (Europe)? How many millions/billions have passed since time began yet only the most recent English speaking ones make themselves known?? Curious and quite convenient.
Pedestrian (off screen) deaths of a few local professionals/prostitutes does not a crime book make. The archeological info was minorly engaging before the antics of Leslie and her shyness of her "fame".
The info dumping of how unique the NYC tunnels are at many points gives away the denouement. And the ending is just abrupt without a worthy resolution. More of a Scooby-Doo ending of who the bad guy is, head slap for stupidity and implausibility, a death, a ghost reunion (wtf?) Then Joe sees ghosts now. Come on, man.
Dumb.
Sorry to say Ms. Graham isn't my taste for reading and can't in good conscience recommend a soap opera style book to anyone I know. Surely there are sappy ghost live story seekers out there.
Thanks for reading.
January 12, 2023
Leslie is an archeologist and historian. A few years ago, whilst at the opening of a restored colonial era house in New York City a gas explosion occurred that took the life of her fiancé and nearly killed her. Investigations revealed it to be an accident but the root cause was never found. Leslie always felt it was more than that and her investigate reporter fiancé was the target. He had been investigating the disappearances of prostitutes that had been going on for a couple of years at that point. Now it is a few years later and Leslie is back in New York and digging at a graveyard found whilst preparation was being done for a new high rise. The house that blew up has been restored and Leslie is staying there in hopes of making contact with her dead fiancé because an after effect of her injuries in the explosion is that she can now see and talk with ghosts. Needless to say this has really helped out in her archeology work. Of note the prostitutes are still going missing and recently a social worker has gone missing as well. She was working with one or two of the missing prostitutes to change careers. And she is from a wealthy family so when the police can find no leads her aunt hires a private investigator. And that private investigator happens to be the dead fiancés cousin. Needless to say Leslie is shocked when she sees him at her dig. A good tale with a very surprising ending.
September 5, 2025
Poorly edited book, but the story was good with interesting twists and turns. I enjoyed it!
September 3, 2018
I totally did not expect the ending, cried like a baby!
June 17, 2016
This is a new author for me, but I was not disappointed. I enjoyed this book. Leslie, a renouned archaeologist, and Matt a brilliant journalist begin the book together. After what appears to be an accident Matt is killed, and Leslie left to recover. Over a year has passed and she and her team return to NY city, where her life so drastically changed in one night. Leslie can see the dead, and speak to them. She also has a knack for finding the dead, which makes her digs a big success. She has been invited to take part in a dig close to where prostitutes have gone missing, a story Matt was reporting on, and the place Matt was killed. She also meets Matt's cousin who is brought in on hard cases by the police, or the powerful. Joe looks a lot like Matt. He is looking for a missing heiress,and social worker, who worked with the prostitutes that have gone missing. I loved the paranormal part of it, and the mystery was good. The writer threw quite a few red herrings , in the book so it was hard to decide , which one was at fault. The ending was not what one may have wished for, but it made sense. I did not consider this a romance , because Leslie was not interested in anyone, since Matt. I liked Adam, and Nikki, Brad, and of course Joe, and Leslie, and Matt. I found it an easy read, and read it straight through. I will read more of this author, since I enjoy paranormal mixed in my stories.
November 21, 2018
Stars: 3 / 5
Recommendation: A neat blend of history and paranormal folded with romance and murder is what we see with this plot
The Dead Room is the sixth book in the Harrison Investigation Series by the paranormal author Heather Graham published in 2007. The primary plot revolves around Leslie MacIntyre - a successful archaeologist with the gift of "sight" - and Joe Connolly - her fiancé, Matt's cousin and an ex-cop turned PI.
Long before her Krewe of Hunters series (My review of the books I have read in that series so far are here (https://inspirethoughts.livejournal.c...)), she had her Harrison Investigation Series headed by Adam Harrison. She credits him for starting the FBI special division called the Krewe of Hunters. While I was reading those books I was curious to read about Adam Harrison and books that came under his series. And so the book reviews continue in this series.
A year ago Leslie MacIntyre loses her fiancé Matt Connolly, a successful journalist, during a gas line explosion while working at a dig at the Hastings House in historic Manhattan district. Now she is back in the house surveying another dig close by. Although she had survived the blast, she came out of it with a new gift - a gift to see the ghosts who stay back. Her hope was that she would see Matt and get to say goodbye.
Joe Connolly is assigned to find the missing socialite, Genevieve O'Brien. But he could not let go the sinking feeling that the blast at the Hastings House has something to do with Matt and not an accident. Together Leslie and Joe work towards finding the missing girl and the actual cause of the blast while Leslie works on her digs to bring the historical past into light.
Heather does have a slew of characters supporting the plot again. With so many characters, there would be repeat paraphrasing of having to explain a particular scene to the remaining characters. However, it was lesser compared to some of her other books I read. She tied up all the inconsequential details in neatly towards the end of the plot as usual.
As expected we have one of the investigators from Harrison Investigations - Nikki Blackhawk, whom we had met in the third book Ghost Walk (https://inspirethoughts.livejournal.c...) - and Adam Harrison himself involved in the plot. Of course we had known Nikki as Nikki DuMonde in that plot, but now she is married to Brent and takes his name.
In this plot, we get an archeological and guided tour of Manhattan along with historical references all through. In the beginning I wondered if Hastings House was a fiction of Heather's mind. But I did find a Hastings House in New York City and they indeed have historical tours. You can read more about the actual house here: https://hastingshistorical.org/index.....
This was surprisingly an emotionally drenched plot for me somehow. At first I was put off by the way Heather has the ghost element participate in the plot. But as the story moved on I got what Heather was trying to show us. The essence of someone, even passed on, always stays with you no matter where you are.
I could not identify who the killer would be until Heather revealed so it was a real surprise. However, I may not have liked the ending, but it is very fitting to the plot. A tight paranormal plot involving romance and murder. Like always Heather Graham makes it chiller without making it gorier
On a side note, this time around the hard-card inserts are missing which readers could use to buy books.
Another intriguing plot that would lead to a plethora of books in this series and entertaining the reader every step of the way with murder, mystery, ghosts and romance
Spoiler Alerts:
1. Plot Reveals:
a. Brent Blackhawk is shown to be out in Los Angeles on a case. Adam Harrison is scheduled to head to London from Manhattan the following day for a case. I wonder if Heather's next plot would be in Los Angeles or London.
b. The lead character Joe Connolly is left in a limbo with regards to his love life. I so much wanted him to have a life with Leslie MacIntyre. But Leslie is tied to Matt Connolly, Joe's cousin, and in the end joins him in the other world. Joe is seen walking away from Matt and Leslie's graves with Genevieve O'Brien, the rich socialite he and Leslie had saved from the clutches of a psychopath. I wonder what will Heather do to these characters, will she have a story for them? Will she find true love for Joe who had lost so much in his life? One has to wait and see.
c. Heather also leaves the plot with Joe Connolly getting the ability to see ghosts, the gift of sight.
2. Sub-Plots:
a. Another one of Adam Harrison's team is introduced in conversations - John, in the first book Hanuted. Will he become a main character in a future book is something we have to wait and see.
b. In Haunted, Adam Harrison mentions that the case in London is complex and would be solved another time, hence he has come to Stoneyville to aid Darcy Tremayne. I wonder if Heather Graham would make this little tidbit into a plot for a future book in this series or the Krewe of Hunters series.
c. In Hanuted, Randy Newton, an FBI agent and friend of Matt's, is introduced in the plot as a contact and friend of Matt from a serial killer case that they had worked together on the outskirts of D.C. I wonder if he was a main character in a previous book that of Heather Graham's that I hadnt read yet.
d. In The Vision, Heather Graham has one of her characters, Jack, mention about a guy killing prostitutes around Eighth Street in Miami. I don’t remember any of Heather Graham's so far read plots that has this certain plot. Perhaps it is from one of the books I didn’t read or maybe it was just an off-hand instead mentioned for the sake of the plot.
3. Grammatical / Historical / Location / Character Errors:
a. On Pg. 57, Line 14, it should be "..thought that the professor…"
b. On Pg. 78, Line 4 from bottom, it should be "…cast by the security lights…"
c. On Pg. 268, Line 3, the conversation should have been said by Brad, but Heather mis-quotes it as being said by Joe.
d. On Pg. 302, Line 2, it should be "…just as Adam came back…"
e. On Pg. 308, Line 3, it should be "..photograph," Leslie said."
Recommendation: A neat blend of history and paranormal folded with romance and murder is what we see with this plot
The Dead Room is the sixth book in the Harrison Investigation Series by the paranormal author Heather Graham published in 2007. The primary plot revolves around Leslie MacIntyre - a successful archaeologist with the gift of "sight" - and Joe Connolly - her fiancé, Matt's cousin and an ex-cop turned PI.
Long before her Krewe of Hunters series (My review of the books I have read in that series so far are here (https://inspirethoughts.livejournal.c...)), she had her Harrison Investigation Series headed by Adam Harrison. She credits him for starting the FBI special division called the Krewe of Hunters. While I was reading those books I was curious to read about Adam Harrison and books that came under his series. And so the book reviews continue in this series.
A year ago Leslie MacIntyre loses her fiancé Matt Connolly, a successful journalist, during a gas line explosion while working at a dig at the Hastings House in historic Manhattan district. Now she is back in the house surveying another dig close by. Although she had survived the blast, she came out of it with a new gift - a gift to see the ghosts who stay back. Her hope was that she would see Matt and get to say goodbye.
Joe Connolly is assigned to find the missing socialite, Genevieve O'Brien. But he could not let go the sinking feeling that the blast at the Hastings House has something to do with Matt and not an accident. Together Leslie and Joe work towards finding the missing girl and the actual cause of the blast while Leslie works on her digs to bring the historical past into light.
Heather does have a slew of characters supporting the plot again. With so many characters, there would be repeat paraphrasing of having to explain a particular scene to the remaining characters. However, it was lesser compared to some of her other books I read. She tied up all the inconsequential details in neatly towards the end of the plot as usual.
As expected we have one of the investigators from Harrison Investigations - Nikki Blackhawk, whom we had met in the third book Ghost Walk (https://inspirethoughts.livejournal.c...) - and Adam Harrison himself involved in the plot. Of course we had known Nikki as Nikki DuMonde in that plot, but now she is married to Brent and takes his name.
In this plot, we get an archeological and guided tour of Manhattan along with historical references all through. In the beginning I wondered if Hastings House was a fiction of Heather's mind. But I did find a Hastings House in New York City and they indeed have historical tours. You can read more about the actual house here: https://hastingshistorical.org/index.....
This was surprisingly an emotionally drenched plot for me somehow. At first I was put off by the way Heather has the ghost element participate in the plot. But as the story moved on I got what Heather was trying to show us. The essence of someone, even passed on, always stays with you no matter where you are.
I could not identify who the killer would be until Heather revealed so it was a real surprise. However, I may not have liked the ending, but it is very fitting to the plot. A tight paranormal plot involving romance and murder. Like always Heather Graham makes it chiller without making it gorier
On a side note, this time around the hard-card inserts are missing which readers could use to buy books.
Another intriguing plot that would lead to a plethora of books in this series and entertaining the reader every step of the way with murder, mystery, ghosts and romance
Spoiler Alerts:
1. Plot Reveals:
a. Brent Blackhawk is shown to be out in Los Angeles on a case. Adam Harrison is scheduled to head to London from Manhattan the following day for a case. I wonder if Heather's next plot would be in Los Angeles or London.
b. The lead character Joe Connolly is left in a limbo with regards to his love life. I so much wanted him to have a life with Leslie MacIntyre. But Leslie is tied to Matt Connolly, Joe's cousin, and in the end joins him in the other world. Joe is seen walking away from Matt and Leslie's graves with Genevieve O'Brien, the rich socialite he and Leslie had saved from the clutches of a psychopath. I wonder what will Heather do to these characters, will she have a story for them? Will she find true love for Joe who had lost so much in his life? One has to wait and see.
c. Heather also leaves the plot with Joe Connolly getting the ability to see ghosts, the gift of sight.
2. Sub-Plots:
a. Another one of Adam Harrison's team is introduced in conversations - John, in the first book Hanuted. Will he become a main character in a future book is something we have to wait and see.
b. In Haunted, Adam Harrison mentions that the case in London is complex and would be solved another time, hence he has come to Stoneyville to aid Darcy Tremayne. I wonder if Heather Graham would make this little tidbit into a plot for a future book in this series or the Krewe of Hunters series.
c. In Hanuted, Randy Newton, an FBI agent and friend of Matt's, is introduced in the plot as a contact and friend of Matt from a serial killer case that they had worked together on the outskirts of D.C. I wonder if he was a main character in a previous book that of Heather Graham's that I hadnt read yet.
d. In The Vision, Heather Graham has one of her characters, Jack, mention about a guy killing prostitutes around Eighth Street in Miami. I don’t remember any of Heather Graham's so far read plots that has this certain plot. Perhaps it is from one of the books I didn’t read or maybe it was just an off-hand instead mentioned for the sake of the plot.
3. Grammatical / Historical / Location / Character Errors:
a. On Pg. 57, Line 14, it should be "..thought that the professor…"
b. On Pg. 78, Line 4 from bottom, it should be "…cast by the security lights…"
c. On Pg. 268, Line 3, the conversation should have been said by Brad, but Heather mis-quotes it as being said by Joe.
d. On Pg. 302, Line 2, it should be "…just as Adam came back…"
e. On Pg. 308, Line 3, it should be "..photograph," Leslie said."
October 26, 2012
Nice little mystery with a relatively unexpected ending. (I'm not referring to who the 'bad-man' was either.) The romance was very light on - don't read it expecting any...
Audiobook: Narrated by Joyce Bean (4 stars)
Again our narrator did not disappoint me. She did a good job of separating out the characters, smoothly verbalising the story.
Audiobook: Narrated by Joyce Bean (4 stars)
Again our narrator did not disappoint me. She did a good job of separating out the characters, smoothly verbalising the story.
April 27, 2011
Another winnner by Heather Graham. I did not see the end of this one coming at all. (I make a habit of not looking ahead to read the synopsis of series books so I don't get a spoiler). Great mystery/ghost story. There is a HEA but it's not the one I was expecting as I read the book. I don't want to say anymore and give the plot away.
February 26, 2011
I like this series with the Harrison supernatural investigation group. However, the stories don't really pull me in and stay in my memory. For example, this one, I know I read it but I can't remember much of the details. So it's just average.
February 11, 2009
This book was kind of slow. But other than that it was enjoyable.
June 6, 2024
Now what the hell. I picked this up because it mentioned archaeology and as an archaeologist I am legally obligated to investigate any related book. And actually I think this is the least offensive and maybe even closest to accurate depiction of the field that I've seen in a mainstream book so far. So no notes from me on that. But the archaeology is pretty sparse, with most sections being "we worked at the dig all day and now it is night and time for dinner."
This is such an awful read, my god. The writing is so simple and poorly crafted that it reads like a Facebook chat. It's like the prime candidate for telling instead of showing... the whole time it's just "I took a shower. I went to bed. I went to the restaurant and ate pizza" except for the sex scenes which were pretty detailed except I didn't want to read all that. And the dialogue which sounds like A. all one person talking and B. nothing that anyone in real life would ever say.
And another thing, it was so difficult to keep track of which POV we were following. Once again I am begging authors (is this an early 2000s thing?) to just pick a character and stick with them. Change at the chapter breaks if you must but oh my god every other paragraph is too much. I had to stop and go "wait... who is this?", figure it out, then backtrack and re-read it so many times. Of course it is a fast read so it didn't take too much time but it felt so clunky and awkward. It was clearly whipped up and spat out into the market as fast as possible.
Also I can see on here that this is part of a series but NOWHERE in my hardcover copy does it say that? Or mention the other books? There is a "Also by Heather Graham" section at the front but the other books in this series aren't listed??? so wtf? It was obvious that I was missing something from the way that the characters interacted--it felt like the middle book in a long series for sure--but not enough that I was sure. Like I thought maybe she was trying to be immersive in the world by dropping us into an already-built world. Apparently not. Well I definitely won't be reading any of the others.
I did not enjoy the experience of reading this at all. So disappointing because the premise is so interesting. I'm not even going to talk about the plot here because it is so watery it doesn't even warrant discussion. Give me a break with the twist ending. How romantic. Literally rolling my eyes.
This is such an awful read, my god. The writing is so simple and poorly crafted that it reads like a Facebook chat. It's like the prime candidate for telling instead of showing... the whole time it's just "I took a shower. I went to bed. I went to the restaurant and ate pizza" except for the sex scenes which were pretty detailed except I didn't want to read all that. And the dialogue which sounds like A. all one person talking and B. nothing that anyone in real life would ever say.
And another thing, it was so difficult to keep track of which POV we were following. Once again I am begging authors (is this an early 2000s thing?) to just pick a character and stick with them. Change at the chapter breaks if you must but oh my god every other paragraph is too much. I had to stop and go "wait... who is this?", figure it out, then backtrack and re-read it so many times. Of course it is a fast read so it didn't take too much time but it felt so clunky and awkward. It was clearly whipped up and spat out into the market as fast as possible.
Also I can see on here that this is part of a series but NOWHERE in my hardcover copy does it say that? Or mention the other books? There is a "Also by Heather Graham" section at the front but the other books in this series aren't listed??? so wtf? It was obvious that I was missing something from the way that the characters interacted--it felt like the middle book in a long series for sure--but not enough that I was sure. Like I thought maybe she was trying to be immersive in the world by dropping us into an already-built world. Apparently not. Well I definitely won't be reading any of the others.
I did not enjoy the experience of reading this at all. So disappointing because the premise is so interesting. I'm not even going to talk about the plot here because it is so watery it doesn't even warrant discussion. Give me a break with the twist ending. How romantic. Literally rolling my eyes.
January 26, 2025
Took me a while t really et into this one. It was almost DNF but after I read Death Behind Every Door I icked this back up and finished it 1 day. Losing her fiancé Matt in an explosion was devastating to Leslie to say the least. She could not get passed his death and even when her friends and coworkers tried to involve her she wanted no part of it. When another job arises at the same location where Matt died in the explosion Leslie decides it's time to get herself together and decides to stay in the house where Matt died. Things start getting weird and then Leslie meets Matts cousin Joe who looks so much like Matt everyone has to take double takes of him. Joe doesn't believe the explosion was an accident and lets Leslie know that. Joe is hired by one of the missing girls' relatives then starts to investigate the missing prostitutes. They team up and not only do the uncover the reason for the missing prostitutes they also uncover the truth about the explosion. Joe and Leslie do develop feelings for one another and it's devasting when Leslie is killed by the person responsible. She also learns the explosion was meant to kill her not Matt as she has the ability to see and communicate with the dead.
December 4, 2022
This book was confusing more than anything else. I think I could have enjoyed it more if there wasn't so much of that confusion. The plot was interesting, and the writing itself was technically decent, but there were so many of the same type of male characters that were suspects that when the actual perpetrator was revealed it had no impact. Ken, Joe, Brad, Adam.... I really couldn't keep them all straight.
There was also the weird thing about the dead boyfriend and his cousin essentially being identical and Leslie's thing for the cousin. That was weird.
Also the talk about the sex workers, a possible trans character, the fat character... I know this book is almost 20 years old now but geez, those were hard to read at times.
I found it far fetched that Leslie and Joe would be on the news so much too, especially in new York. But whatever. I guess it's fiction so you have to stretch the imagination.
The ghost sex was also pretty uncomfortable.
But do you know what saved it for me? The ending. I think Leslie dying made sense, honestly. For the ending, I gave it like half a star higher than I might've done otherwise.
There was also the weird thing about the dead boyfriend and his cousin essentially being identical and Leslie's thing for the cousin. That was weird.
Also the talk about the sex workers, a possible trans character, the fat character... I know this book is almost 20 years old now but geez, those were hard to read at times.
I found it far fetched that Leslie and Joe would be on the news so much too, especially in new York. But whatever. I guess it's fiction so you have to stretch the imagination.
The ghost sex was also pretty uncomfortable.
But do you know what saved it for me? The ending. I think Leslie dying made sense, honestly. For the ending, I gave it like half a star higher than I might've done otherwise.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2021
Le vicende sono ambientate ai giorni nostri a New York e vedono protagonista Leslie, un'archeologa che dopo la morte del suo amato sviluppa uno strano potere: vede e parla con i morti.
Il mio giudizio complessivo sul romanzo è positivo ma non sono esattamente entusiasta, forse perché mi aspettavo decisamente qualcosa di più coinvolgente. Secondo me, poteva essere sviluppato meglio perché la trama, in fondo, non era scontata (soprattutto il finale) ma lo stile narrativo non mi ha trasmesso quella suspense che mi aspettavo.
Alla storia principale si avvicendano le vicende paranormali di Leslie e i suoi incontri bollenti con il fantasma del suo Matt.
A proteggerla c'è Joe cugino del suo amore perduto che sembra nutrire una certa attrazione per Leslie ma per rispetto alla memoria di suo cugino non osa spingersi oltre l'amicizia.
Per qualcuno questa storia potrebbe essersi conclusa con un "lieto fine" ma per altri é esattamente il contrario.
Anche se lo stile narrativo mostra poca adrenalina il libro si legge tranquillamente soprattutto le ultime pagine.
Carino ma mi aspettavo di più.
Il mio giudizio complessivo sul romanzo è positivo ma non sono esattamente entusiasta, forse perché mi aspettavo decisamente qualcosa di più coinvolgente. Secondo me, poteva essere sviluppato meglio perché la trama, in fondo, non era scontata (soprattutto il finale) ma lo stile narrativo non mi ha trasmesso quella suspense che mi aspettavo.
Alla storia principale si avvicendano le vicende paranormali di Leslie e i suoi incontri bollenti con il fantasma del suo Matt.
A proteggerla c'è Joe cugino del suo amore perduto che sembra nutrire una certa attrazione per Leslie ma per rispetto alla memoria di suo cugino non osa spingersi oltre l'amicizia.
Per qualcuno questa storia potrebbe essersi conclusa con un "lieto fine" ma per altri é esattamente il contrario.
Anche se lo stile narrativo mostra poca adrenalina il libro si legge tranquillamente soprattutto le ultime pagine.
Carino ma mi aspettavo di più.
April 23, 2019
This is one of the early paranormal stories of Heather Graham - a pre-sequel to the Krewe of Hunters series. The main boss of same is included in the story as is an early recruit who have befriended a young woman who lost the love of her life and almost died herself, which deepened her senses to the paranormal. They call it ESP in this story rather than speaking with ghosts outright, which is actually more accurate in this case. However, as we all know, ghosts do not kill nor physically harm the living, that would be down to another physical person ...
And thus the premise is set for an unusual mystery / suspense, where the reader is guided through the investigative motions to figure out whodunnit, with plenty of options 'served'. There are a number of candidates that turn out to be red herrings, so to speak, but the real and rather unexpected culprit is not revealed until the bitter end ... with a twist. ENJOY :)
And thus the premise is set for an unusual mystery / suspense, where the reader is guided through the investigative motions to figure out whodunnit, with plenty of options 'served'. There are a number of candidates that turn out to be red herrings, so to speak, but the real and rather unexpected culprit is not revealed until the bitter end ... with a twist. ENJOY :)
March 26, 2022
Ce livre tout d’abord est très bien écrit, l’auteur a une belle plume mélant narration et pensées de certains personnages. Hormis 2 passages que j’ai trouvés non pertinents pour l’histoire, il n’y a aucune longueur, aucune description à rallonge et ca c’est très appreciable. On rentre très vite dans l’histoire et celle-ci vous tient en haleine jusqu’à l’epilogue car les fins de chapitres sont fait de telle sorte a ce que vous n’ayez pas envie de lâcher livre.
Je suis ravie d’avoir enfin lu cette histoire mêlant enquête et paranormal avec une belle histoire d’amour au delà de la mort, en arrière plan. Je recommande.
Je suis ravie d’avoir enfin lu cette histoire mêlant enquête et paranormal avec une belle histoire d’amour au delà de la mort, en arrière plan. Je recommande.
March 25, 2018
if there were more stars then five , this book would get more. It was spell binding.
It takes place in New York, history searching , murder, spirits, kidnapping etc.
I had a hard time putting this book down. This story starts with a bang and continues moving
at a fast pace. The ending isn't what you would expect in fact it will be startling different. I even
cried in the end. can you just see someone crying at the end of a murder mystery. well i did and
i loved the way the author ended the story. Still a great fan of Heather Graham.
It takes place in New York, history searching , murder, spirits, kidnapping etc.
I had a hard time putting this book down. This story starts with a bang and continues moving
at a fast pace. The ending isn't what you would expect in fact it will be startling different. I even
cried in the end. can you just see someone crying at the end of a murder mystery. well i did and
i loved the way the author ended the story. Still a great fan of Heather Graham.
November 14, 2019
Oh my goddess!!!! Heather Graham has done it again!!! Especially if you like a book that has haunted places.
Meet Leslie, your everyday run of the mill kind of gal. The only thing is, Leslie can speak with the dead. See it happened bout a year ago in New York when her & her fiance Matt were at this gala at a historical house. There was an explosion that killed Matt & Leslie, until the Paramedics shocked her heart back to life. Was it just a freak accident? Or did someone want Matt dead??
Come join Leslie as she finds out the truth that lead to Matt's demise.
Meet Leslie, your everyday run of the mill kind of gal. The only thing is, Leslie can speak with the dead. See it happened bout a year ago in New York when her & her fiance Matt were at this gala at a historical house. There was an explosion that killed Matt & Leslie, until the Paramedics shocked her heart back to life. Was it just a freak accident? Or did someone want Matt dead??
Come join Leslie as she finds out the truth that lead to Matt's demise.
June 6, 2020
A good thriller. I'm sure some people will not like the end of this book, but as someone who loves the movie "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir," I am happy. It was the ending the heroine needed. The book was good, my only complaint was the reveal for the villain. There were so many ways it could have gone and instead of the pieces of the story leading to the killer, it seemed more...random? I guess... There were hundreds of pages of build up and then I left like the ending just slammed in, and then the epilogue dumped a bunch of information justifying why the person was the killer.
July 21, 2020
I truly enjoyed reading this Harrison Investigation novel. I had looked forward to getting to this one because it came before the original one that I read (#6). These books never disappoint when it comes to the mystery and supernatural intertwining together to make a very interesting read.
I spent the majority of the book thinking that the serial killer was someone that it wasn't. That is the fun part. I strongly recommend this to anyone who loves mystery and supernatural. What a great combination!
I spent the majority of the book thinking that the serial killer was someone that it wasn't. That is the fun part. I strongly recommend this to anyone who loves mystery and supernatural. What a great combination!
July 29, 2021
A good thriller. I'm sure some people will not like the end of this book, but as someone who loves the movie "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir," I am happy. It was the ending the heroine needed. The book was good, my only complaint was the reveal for the villain. There were so many ways it could have gone and instead of the pieces of the story leading to the killer, it seemed more...random? I guess... There were hundreds of pages of build up and then I left like the ending just slammed in, and then the epilogue dumped a bunch of information justifying why the person was the killer.
August 11, 2021
Not terrible. Not great.🤷♀️ I felt like this book was like 100 pages too long. It was slow and repetitive. The same things happening, just a little differently, again and again.
.
I didn't connect to any of the characters. Everything just felt.....monotone. the ending was extremely anticlimactic and shoved into just a few pages. 🙄
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I've been desperately trying to find a good thriller, and I wanted such to enjoy this book, but it just didn't do it for me.
.
And if I have to read about someone having a "rueful smile" one more time.....🤦♀️🤏🗡
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I didn't connect to any of the characters. Everything just felt.....monotone. the ending was extremely anticlimactic and shoved into just a few pages. 🙄
.
I've been desperately trying to find a good thriller, and I wanted such to enjoy this book, but it just didn't do it for me.
.
And if I have to read about someone having a "rueful smile" one more time.....🤦♀️🤏🗡
November 21, 2023
SPOILER ALERT
This book was so very annoying. I went back and forth between giving it a 3 or a 4. The story plot was good so I went with 4. All I can say, is if there was no chance of Joe and Leslie getting together and her continuing to be together in dreams, and then in death, the reader shouldn't of been lead to believe they would eventually be together. It should of just been left at, her and Matt were going to be together throughout the book and then in death at the end. There was no point of making you think otherwise. XD
This book was so very annoying. I went back and forth between giving it a 3 or a 4. The story plot was good so I went with 4. All I can say, is if there was no chance of Joe and Leslie getting together and her continuing to be together in dreams, and then in death, the reader shouldn't of been lead to believe they would eventually be together. It should of just been left at, her and Matt were going to be together throughout the book and then in death at the end. There was no point of making you think otherwise. XD
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