Sound of Darkness

Krewe of Hunters #36

by Heather Graham

The cries of the dead are deafening

Women are being taken in Virginia, and FBI agent Mark Gallagher is determined to put a stop to it. Certain he’s closing in on the killer known as The Embracer, Mark is less than thrilled when he’s partnered with rookie agent Colleen Law, worried she’s a liability when there’s so much at stake.

But like everyone in the Krewe of Hunters, Colleen has talents that extend beyond the usual investigative toolbox. She can hear the voices of the victims in her head, and they’re telling her she and Mark are near to uncovering the truth.

When Mark’s prime suspect takes a liking to Colleen, he’s surprisingly protective of his new partner, even as he admits her connection to the victims is key. But tense interrogations turn dangerously personal when someone close to Colleen goes missing, luring the agents deep into the shadows of wooded rural Virginia, where nobody can hear them scream.

“A high-octane page turner that’s two parts thrills, one part cautionary tale, and an absolute blast to read.” —Providence Journal on Danger in Numbers

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

368 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 24, 2022

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

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded up

I got excited when I saw a book for Heather Graham on NetGalley and hit the request button and was approved, only to learn that it was book #36 in the Krewe of Hunters series. They should really mention things like that in their descriptions. I have not read a single book previously in the series but decided to give this a go. The first time I attempted to read it, I put it down and decided not to review it. But then I decided to give it the old college try and picked it up again.

I tried to get into the book and keep an open mind, but as other reviewers have mentioned, the writing failed to wow me. I have enjoyed Heather Graham in the past, but just didn't feel a connection to the book, characters or her writing this time.

Others who have read the series, have posted reviews so please read those as they would have more insight into the characters, character development and series than I do.

This gist is women are being taken in Virginia and FBI agent Mark Gallagher and rookie Colleen Law team up to solve the case. Colleen can hear the voices of the victims in her head and she and Mark are close to solving the case, and they are lured to wooded rural Virginia.......

Again, please read the reviews of those who have read the entire series.

I received a copy of this book from HARLEQUIN - Romance (U.S. & Canada), MIRA and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was honestly shocked by how badly written this was, especially as it was supposedly by a NYT bestselling author. It seemed so amateur and cringey that I looked up the book and found out it's number 36 in a series. Clearly this author is either dialing it in or has hired really badly paid ghost writers (no pun intended).

The premise is that these cops all have supernatural abilities and have things like ghost cops that come and tell them where the bad guys are. I just could not make myself go very far in this book. I don't mind the paranormal aspect at all. I love a good ghost story. It was just too poorly written and unless there's cash involved I'm not wasting that many hours of my life on a book I dislike this much. My children write better books than this. It would be one star for me but I'm adding a star since it was a DNF and so I'll add a star in apology.

I read a digital ARC of this book for review.

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

FBI agent Mark Gallagher his dog Red and partner, Ragnar Johansen, are members of the Krewe of Hunters, a special unit within the FBI. They are hot on the case of the killer known as The Embracer and think they’ve solved it when they find his latest victim alive and arrest the perpetrator….only things aren’t as they seem.

Mark is shocked when he is assigned to partner with rookie agent Colleen Law. Colleen can hear the voices of victims and it seems one needs saving. Their first meet is tense.The case that unfolds pulled me in from the tension between Mark and Colleen to the plot of the killer.

Each of the Krewe of Hunters has a unique gift and Colleen Law is no different. It was interesting seeing Mark and Colleen interact, grow to trust each other and answer the intense chemistry between them. The villains are dark and their game is complex. We meet Colleen’s sister and wow the snark and sparks between her and Mark’s partner..sizzle!

The murder-mystery/kidnapping will span the next two books as well as they work to capture the Embracer. Some aspects are closed so that the reader feels satisfied and each book has its own romance. We also have the ghost officer and his unfinished business. Graham kept me engaged and while I figured out some things, others were a surprise.

I cannot wait to dive into Aura of Night, the next book in this series featuring Colleen’s sister. Fans of romantic suspense with murder-mysteries and paranormal aspects will enjoy Sound of Darkness. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

[Krys · Rating 2 out of 5]

My Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5

Let me start right in by saying that this one was not for me. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that when I requested to read this one, it was not disclosed that it was in fact book number thirty-six in an established series, and therefore I missed all of the other stories detailing Mark and his "abilities".

Or perhaps it had something to do with the fact that I wasn't expecting them to be getting help from ghosts. Sure I've read a book a time or two where someone has an uncanny "knack" for figuring things out, whether it be a "gut feeling", or in some cases a "sixth sense", but this is the first time it's been more of a paranormal story than a police story.

I'm also still unsure as to why it's called a "Krewe" instead of a Crew when "Krewe" is literally defined in the dictionary as " an organization or association that stages a parade or other event for a carnival celebration. Krewes are associated especially with Mardi Gras in New Orleans"

Now, overlooking these things. I found the writing to be solid if a bit disjointed with the points of view switching in the middle of chapters without warning. I even thought the characters were well fleshed out (even the background characters), although I have to say I caught on to who the killer was pretty quickly. However, this novel (for me at least), also dragged on unnecessarily and lacked that spark to keep me as a reader engaged. Instead of being glued to the pages to find out what happened next, I found it all too easy to put this one down, go do my dishes or clean my house, and then come back to it. Or read it right before bed to help me sleep which is certainly not the intention of the author I'm sure.

Overall, I'm sure there are still people who will enjoy this novel. Whether they are established readers of this series, or like a more paranormal aspect to their stories. And while this series wasn't for me, I would be willing to give this author another shot down the road.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author just loves exclamation points. Geez. Not my favorite Krewe book.

[Judy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let me begin by saying that I rarely rate a book less than 3 stars because if it's that bad I don't finish it. However, I have enjoyed the Krewe series over the years and wanted to finish this one. Sadly, it was not well-written. The plot had holes and the entire novel was loosely held together by ridiculously corny dialogue that sounds as if it were written by a 15-year-old. Sigh. There were no surprises in the plot as I figured it out early on. I spent a lot of the time rolling my eyes at the absurd dialogue, or becoming increasingly irritated with the elementary sentence structure and repetition. Im wondering if someone else is writing these now. So very sorry to say I won't be reading any more of these.

[🐥Erica 🐥 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Skimmed to the end. I’m done with this series 😪. I don’t think Graham is writing these anymore.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sound of Darkness is the 36th book in the Krewe of Hunters series. Having said that, I have only read two of them. Did I have any problem following and enjoying the story? Absolutely not. The Krewe of Hunters is a group of FBI agents who have different abilities and habits to aid in investigations. The newest member is Colleen Law, a rookie who can hear the voices of the victims in her head. She is worried she won't be able to help the team, but gets paired with veteran, Mark Frampton. In this book, women are being taken, tortured and murdered, so the Krewe is called in to stop the "Embracer" as he has been called. The rest of the team consists of Ragnar Johansen, and their FBI dog Red. As they close in on their suspect, Colleen becomes a target of the killer or killers and needs to protect himself and depend on her team. Will they find The Embracer before Colleen becomes his next victim?

I found the crime part of the story very interesting and the investigation was very well written. The characters were all well developed, even though I had not read previous books. The supernatural element was not overpowering, but definitely played an important part in solving the crimes. Red is such an amazing part of the team, as was Ragnar. The one thing that bothered me was the insta-love between Mark and Colleen. It seemed forced and didn't really develop at all. Besides that, I enjoyed the story and would read or listen to more in this series. I recommend it to fans of the Krewe of Hunters, paranormal mysteries and romantic suspense. Roger Wayne did a good job with the narration of this story, giving voice to the various characters. I did think he could have put more expression in to add emotion to the story, but otherwise, it was well done and added to my enjoyment of the story.

[Suzanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF First time I disliked a Krewe of Hunters book. I was bored.

[Candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

FBI Special Agent Mark Gallagher is partnered with rookie Special Agent Colleen Law. He is not happy with being partnered with a rookie in the middle of a crucial case. Mark, with his FBI service dog, Red, and his partner, Ragnar, have been working to the find The Embracer, a serial killer who kidnaps, tortures and buries his victims alive in a pine box. Colleen has a special paranormal talent of being able to hear the victims, whether they are dead or alive. When she hears the latest victim buried alive out in the forest of Virginia, Mark has more respect for Colleen's talent to help them find the missing women. But can the team find the serial killer before another woman becomes his next victim?

I liked the characters in this novel. The team worked well together. Ragnar and Colleen's sister, Megan, had sparks flying and I look forward to what I believe will be their book. The protagonists, Mark and Colleen, complemented each other both professionally and as a couple. I especially liked Mark's service dog, Red, and Colleen's cat, Jenson. The mystery was suspenseful and intriguing. There were clues I didn't pick up on, but had an "Aha" moment when the mystery was tying up. The romance between the main characters seemed forced to me. Like it had to be a part of the storyline, and it had to happen fast. In other words, insta-love was really insta-lust. I would have preferred more time in building up Mark and Colleen's romantic relationship, even if this required a longer book. The dialogue was fine. The descriptions detailed and real. This is the thirty-sixth novel in the Krewe of Hunters series. I look forward to number thirty-seven. Adult situations and language.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great story in the Krewe of Hunters series. Good entry into the special unit of the FBI who have different physic abilities. It's partially set in one of my favorite "road trip spots, Harper's Ferry and the series always includes interesting historical info on the areas where the stories are set while the story is moving along. A keeper!

[Steph C · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was one of the most poorly written books I have ever read. It truly felt as if I was reading a middle schooler’s attempt at a novel. I only finished because I’ve been in a slump and wanted to finish a book, but I am beyond grateful it is over.

[Catherine Lanctôt · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not like that book. It was cringy, cheesy and badly written.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

He is called the embracer. Mark, his dog red, and partner have only found on young woman alive, and in the basement of an upstanding citizen. Mr Carver, even helped with little league. Why he is in custody another woman is taken, and Jackson adds another team member. She is relatively new to the squad but very gifted, and has been in law enforcement before. Mark isn’t given much choice. Their first day out she hears some one crying, and screaming. She has him stop the car and goes into the bushes, with his dog at her heels. She screams hurry she is alive. They began digging, and the pine coffin gives way. They pull her out, and clear her passage way. Soon she is breathing, but very unstable. She is worked on by EMT, and transferred to the same hospital. Now the work begins again, because the crime scenes are very different, and the murderer is shocked to find someone is copying him. They have a copycat on the loose. They get tips from ghosts, and their combined talents help to solve the puzzle. Their is a relationship between Mark ,and Colleen the new addition that starts slow, then adds more heat. Her sister who also has talent arrives for a visit, and she can hear the true meaning of a person’s speech. She leads them in another direction.There is lots of danger, and suspense, as they work together to figure out who all is involved The ending was great, and scary . I gave it a four ,because I felt that a few loose ends could have been tied up better, plus Mark, and Colleen went from not liking each other, to attraction, to bed ,and a relationship ,and more in a week. I felt they could have ended as a couple, with plans in the future. It just felt rushed. Plus no explanation as to the victims, and the revelations that would change their lives again. It needed an epilogue of the future, and how everyone coped. It was to rushed at the end. They just didn’t fully end it with no questions. 4 stars for me. Good chasing, and catching on all accounts, but no true tie up for the book. Not a cliffhanger. It was to good a book for a rushed ending.

[Thomas George Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Sound of Darkness" is a continuation of Heather Graham's "Krewe of Hunters Novels." In layman's terms the crew is euphemistically known as "The Ghosts Busters." The main protagonists are FBI Special Agent Mark Gallagher and his new partner, Colleen Law. Colleen has a unique talent in that she can hear the voices of the victims and their whereabouts.

There is a serial killer on the lose who is known as "The Enforcer." The setting is in rural Virginia.

The victims are usually sexually abused and buried alive in a makeshift coffin. I found the story a great read and thoroughly entertaining.

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another great installment in the series, I loved these two and their dynamics, and the mystery was compelling, as well!

[Julie Witt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Women are being taken in Virginia and the FBI puts agents Mark Gallagher and Ragnar Johansen, and their FBI dog Red, on the case. The guys, and the dog, are members of a special unit of the FBI, the Krewe of Hunters, who all have special talents that they bring to bear on their cases. Colleen Law is a rookie agent who also has a special talent in that she can "hear" the voices of victims.

Quote: "Do you read minds?" She laughed. "I should say yes to that. But no - I just hear people when they're crying out." "The living and the dead." "The living and the dead."

Because Colleen is dropped right into an already established partnership, Mark definitely lets her know that he's not happy about getting saddled with a rookie, but she soon proves her worth. And they both realize that to catch the serial killer, or killers, that they are chasing, they are going to need all the special gifts they can get.

I love the Krewe series, but I had a few minor problems with this one. I felt like the romance between Colleen and Mark was a little bit forced. It just seemed like there was no connection, no connection, and then bam! Connection. I would have liked a bit more build up to it. They were a good fit once I got over the abruptness of the relationship, so it wasn't a huge problem.

I thought the mystery and crime solving part was interesting. I loved the dog, Red, and how in tune he was to the world of the supernatural, and how much he helped the team. I loved Ragnar, the big blonde modern day Viking, and really hope that he gets his own story. I thought the ending was satisfying, as well.

In summary, I loved a lot more about this book than I didn't, and can definitely recommend it to fans of the Krewe of Hunters, and paranormal mystery/romance book lovers, as well.

4.5/5 stars.

I would like to thank the author, publisher, and folks at NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I was given a copy of it free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Darla Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A serial killer dubbed The Embracer by the press is taking women in Virginia. Mark Gallagher, an FBI agent with the elite Krewe of Hunters unit, is determined to get the man, and isn't very happy when he's partnered with rookie agent Colleen Law. But he soon learns to respect Colleen and her talent. And when their prime suspect takes too much of a liking to Colleen, Mark is very protective. Things get even worse when another woman goes missing, someone very close to Colleen.

This is one of my all-time favorite series and I'm always eager for each book's release. This one was definitely worth the wait. I love the premise of this series where there's an FBI unit made up of people who have a variety of psychic talents. This was an excellent book that was well-written with well-rounded characters, some of whom you'll like and others you won't. The story was absolutely captivating, and I was caught up in from the beginning not wanting to put it down. It has intrigue, romance, and suspense that'll keep you on the edge of your seat as well as a mystery that'll keep you guessing and on your toes. You'll go through a gamut of emotions throughout. I'm really looking forward to the next book. I highly recommend both book and series which I believe is best read in order.

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm burned out on HG books because lately every time I read a new one I find myself forcing to finish the book! I think it's because I'm ANNOYED by the constant storyline of couple meets, hates each other and then promptly get involved!!! What's really annoying is that HG has a couple of "filler" words she uses for pretty much every book...aggg..The two phrases are "Softly" and then the usual feeling of anxiety about the new love birds feelings for one another. The description of either the "terror" one person feels while hunting down baddie or baddies and just going on and on. It's basically one plot with different locations and new names of characters/their physical appearance but the storyline is pretty much feeling like copy/paste from the last novel!
In this novel there's not just a one, a two, but a three villains that made me wonder how they didn't get caught long ago. [Eye rolling time here]
I forgot that HG just LOVES to use !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!like every other sentence! Annoying.

[Nikki ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid 3.5. Not hella creepy but there was the paranormal mystery I really liked. Legit this is if CSI and Ghost Whisperer had a baby. Super friendly ghosts and no creepiness at all. It was a well rounded book! It had the action, mystery, and even some romance! The romance was a bit rushed though ngl, but still cuteish? And some a kick of spice! Maybe later down the road I’ll read more of these but it was a good side read!

[Jade · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not realize this book was apart of a series when I got this book, however, I was able to follow along without needing to complete the series. This book was poorly written and I did not expect it to turn into a romance half way through the book.

[Piper · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started off strong but was so boring for a thriller. They told the story instead of showed us. Not good.

[She · Rating 3 out of 5]

I miss the earlier books in the series

The series started out with a team of six members and expanded to include another team of six members. Then quickly turned into one or two sets of partners and each book brings in a new beauty queen and a new Greek god. At the end there is a preview of the next one and it is totally predictable but within the first pages facts from this book are contradicted or just forgotten. Note why the heroine has a houseguest, it will bug you if you then read on to the preview of the next installation to find that reason changing. If your on book 36 you know what to expect, if chose to start at this juncture of the series you’ll be less disappointed.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a little irritated that I didn’t know that this was book 36 in a series, but that’s on me. The story was really good! I enjoyed the characters and there were definitely some unexpected twists!

[janette hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sound of Darkness (Krewe of Hunters Book 36)

I enjoyed the characters in this krewe of hunters story. Sometime the story dragged because the author kept repeating herself over and over but it was interesting to have her introduce a set of triplets with different skills into her story! Although we didn't meet Patrick in this one I'm sure we will at a later date!
An interesting read!

[Diane Saul · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Krewe of Hunters is on the case again. Mark Gallagher, his dog Red and his partner rescue a girl kidnapped by a serial killer. Is he The Embracer, who has been kidnapping, torturing and burying his victims. They think that there is a copy cat operating in the area. Mark is partnered with a new agent, he is not happy and not convinced her talents will help. This book is part of a series but could be read as a stand alone. I liked the characters and the plot had plenty of suspense to keep you guessing. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

[Vanessa Ramos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Predictable and not enough action like her other books

[Marion · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Graham takes us on another ride with the Krewe of Hunters. FBI agent Mark Gallagher is trying to capture a serial killer, the Embracer. They were given a tip by a ghost that told them where they could find a missing girl. Mark and his two partners go to this house and go inside and find the missing girl tied to a table in the cellar of the house. They arrest who they believe is the Embracer and take him to the station. Mark and his partner try to get him to confess. In the meantime, Mark’s Boss calls him to tell him he will be working with another partner, Colleen, who has just started in the department. There has been another girl taken. Colleen has a special ability to hear voices in her head which can help her find people. Jackson wants Mark to take Colleen out for a drive to try to locate this girl who has been taken. They find her barely alive and now their adventure starts. How could their suspect have taken this girl, is he really the Embalmer, does he have a copycat, read the find out what happens as Mark and Colleen try to figure out this serial killer.

[Katelyn Jackson · Rating 1 out of 5]

OK so I’m completely confused. This had really good reviews but I just don’t understand why. Is it just me? It seemed like a “thriller” novel that was a first time book for someone to write. It seemed like there was so much book before things even got interesting which was like the last 50 pages if that. The twist that there were multiple killers including the dad and the boyfriend just didn’t really make sense. I think a good thriller novel has a twist that then you can go back and see throughout the book not just something random the author decided to put in to be shocking. Not a fan but that’s okay! I guess it’s a good suspense novel for people who don’t like anything serious.

[Savannah Lee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Quickly just becomes a game of waiting for one of the characters to say, "He's a good dog, he really is," and that is the best content in there. I tried it out because it had a 4.1 rating, was very disappointed.